The three biggest phone companies, AT&T, Verizon, and BellSouth, provided the National Security Agency billions of phone records made by tens of millions of U.S. citizens. (Qwest Communications resisted the NSA records sweep.) But at least, as Doghouse Riley points out, it has yielded us all of those captured terrorists. . . or not.
Bush tried to defend the indefensible by saying:
“Al-Qaeda is our enemy, and we want to know their plans,” Bush said before heading to Mississippi to give a speech on Hurricane Katrina relief. He didn’t provide any specifics about the program, however, and walked away without responding to questions from reporters.
To which Senator Leahy replied:
“Are you telling me tens of millions of Americans are involved with al-Qaeda?” Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, railed at a morning hearing. “These are tens of millions of Americans who are not suspected of anything.”
Maybe I haven’t had enough coffee yet, but at the moment, I’m having trouble mustering a lot of rage at this outrageous behavior. I just expect this kind of civil liberties trampeling garbage from this administration and its Forever War. Maybe that’s the plan, just numb the populace with scandal after scandal until we simply shrug our shoulders and submit.
Don’t forget the folks on both sides of the aisle in Congress who were briefed on the program and conveniently didn’t say anything until it was to their political advantage.
Actually Joe there is no evidence that all members of the Intelligence (and other related) committees were briefed on the full scope of the NSA authorization. This Administration has continually thumbed its nose at Congressional oversight. When pressed on the scope of the NSA authorization, AG Gonzales misled the Congress by stating that the President gave no authorization for domestic wiretaps.
If he didn’t we’re in deep s— because we have a rouge agency wiretapping Americans outside the law without the proper authorization of the President. Or Gonzales is a liar. Which is it?
I’d thought I’d post the new Post poll that says 63% of 502 surveyed Thursday night, less than 12 hours before this story was reported.
I dont think that its a suprising poll, so soon after the news; I doubt most respondants know the details.
And its a common position for people to say “I have nothing to hide.”
How sad. That we’re all so petrified by the potential fo terrorists.
But on this “I have nothing to hide.” When will people start taking down their curtains and locking their doors? What do they have to hide in their homes?
63% support; and I meant unlocking their doors.
Sorry
If forgot to put in a reminder about the Bush administration’s song and dance designed to lead to the impression that the NSA domestic surveillance applied only to calls going outside of the country.
If you’re calling your bookie, NSA knows.
Wait… that would mean the NSA, and by extension the President, knows who all the “leakers” are that he couldn’t find and fire a couple of years ago. I mean, if they know every phonecall to and from Matt Cooper, Novak, etc, then it can’t be hard to know who in the administration was talking to them and then–oh, well, never mind.
If you put a frog in a pot of boiling water, it will jump out.
If you put a frog in a pot of cold water and slowly heat it to boiling it will die.