Comments on: Wiretaps’ Fishy Rationale

By: Sarge

Sarge — Sun, 18 Dec 2005 23:19:43 +0000

I think we should be working to defeat militant terrorism Dan, I just wish the Cheney administration, excuse me the Bush administration, was doing something about it.

By: Dan Sherman

Dan Sherman — Sun, 18 Dec 2005 23:04:49 +0000

And here I thought all this time that defensetech.org was for the defeat of militant terrorists and understood that George Bush isn’t the boogyman the liberal wacko world wants to believe he is.
I was wrong… sorry, my bad.

By: master sarge

master sarge — Sun, 18 Dec 2005 14:01:17 +0000

Please post an author’s name with your opinion pieces. Anything else is unprofessional and unbecoming of any website that wishes to be taken seriously.

By: Jesse Clark

Jesse Clark — Sun, 18 Dec 2005 02:10:40 +0000

Why do you need new laws if you can ‘do whatever you please’? Maybe because you actually CAN’T do whatever you please. Now that makes some logical sense.
I would advise that the NY Times report be taken with a grain of salt. There is a whole lot of speculation out there, and very little of it actually seems reasonable. Just because Bush defends it or can’t explain it doesn’t mean it’s not a good idea. Seriously, the guy couldn’t explain how to make a grilled cheese sandwhich if he had to.
As for the NSA intercepts, how is this news? The NSA has been in the SIGINT business for years, and the entire international ECHELON network intercepts roughly 3 billion communications every day. Don’t tell me that innocent private conversations don’t end up in that total.

By: Benito

Benito — Sun, 18 Dec 2005 00:50:19 +0000

Ah, I see George is taking our advice by showing how strong he is by openly flauting the law. Adolf and I did that too when our power was so compelte that we didn’t need the fig leaf off legal nicety to cover our actions.
Oh, my guys wore black and Adolf’s brown. What color does George’s supporters wear?

By: Sarge

Sarge — Sun, 18 Dec 2005 00:41:07 +0000

Yeah, the FBI is too busy hassling students for checking out commie books:
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/12–05/12–17-05/a09lo650.htm
I feel so much safer with these Crooks & Liars in charge.

By: Sarge

Sarge — Sun, 18 Dec 2005 00:38:58 +0000

PierreM
As far as I’m concerned, this tears it. Josh Marshall says
It turns out that FISA specifically empowers the Attorney General or his designee to start wiretapping on an emergency basis even without a warrant so long as a retroactive application is made for one “as soon as practicable, but not more than 72 hours after the Attorney General authorizes such surveillance.” (see specific citation, here).
“Timliness” was stated over and over again yesterday by administration apologists as the reason that they could not take the time to apply to the FISA cout for permission. That is obviously crap. They simply do not want to have to apply for permission from FISA.
As far as I’m concerned there is only one reason for that. They do not want FISA (who has only been known to deny permission one time since its inception) to find out who they are surveilling.
Wanna guess why?
Maybe we should ask John Bolton.
http://www.tpmcafe.com/story/2005/12/16/142620/20

By: spacenookie

spacenookie — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 22:17:27 +0000

Patriot act is a Justice Department/FBI thing. The NSA spying/torture/detentions etc stuff is Department of Defense. You’ve got to remember that there are several competing bureaucracies involved here.

By: Byron Skinner

Byron Skinner — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 20:55:14 +0000

Good Afternoon Folks,
Allthough the above story has made headlines the past 48 hours there is really nothing new here.
Some of you lawyers please correct me if I’m incorrect on this, but under the Congressional mandate after 9/11 excluding the Patroit Act President Bush or the next President is acting with in the law. Congress gave the President a very broad authority to go after terrorists and President Bush is rightly using it.
As to the NSA interception of communications I believe that only includes tapping into domestic to domestic land lines only.
Wireless mobile communication is still the last I heard, considered public airways and the Government can intercept any thing transmitted to include, voice, video, text and any other data.
If Congress is really so outraged about this let them pass legislation to deal with it. So far no one seems that upset.
ALLONS,
Byron Skinner

By: matt

matt — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 19:49:41 +0000

Who’s intimidation operations are you talking about? The Presidents or our enemies. In fact, it’s getting harder to distinguish between just who is more dangerous; a rogue President, skirting national and international law for his own dogmatic pursuit or the terrorists, skirting national and international law for their own dogmatic pursuits.
hmmm…