Bush gets court oversight for surveillance program
Austin American-Statesman (subscription) - 18 hours ago
By Richard B. Schmitt. WASHINGTON - In an about-face, the Bush administration said Wednesday that it has decided to seek court approval for electronic surveillance it had previously done without warrants.
It appears Bush will not budge on Iraq but is making concessions where he previously had hard stances. He may also acquiesce to democratic demands for minimum wage increase , reducing the country's reliance on imported oil. Last week he also dropped his plans to renominate 3 ultra-conservative judges that the democrats vigorously opposed.
I would like to see more of this compromise and am hopeful that the government can find moderate/centrist ways to govern.
Keep in mind , the surveillance concession is announced just a day before the atty general was to testify before congress and two weeks before the court of appeals rules on upholding the ruling that warrantless surviellance is unconstitutional. The ACLU feels "This move is pure smoke and mirrors to avoid the scrutiny of the courts and Congress, and lawmakers should not be fooled. If the White House now recognizes that the FISA court is the right entity to approve wiretapping, why did the president continue to violate the law for years?"
2 comments:
I absolutely love how people scream about how their rights are being trampled. These same people will be waving signs about how our government failed us after the next terrorist strike. I prefer to feel protected. Do whatever you need to do to keep me safe. I will wait in line at the airport, have my reading choices scrutinized and yes have my phone tapped. I just hope that when the set off their next explosion on a train or dirty bomb in a city that it is filled with those of you who helped secure the move about unnoticed and with impunity. Then the rest of us can give up a few simple things and once again feel safe. This reminds me of the Jack Nicholson speech in "a few good men". you live under the blanket of freedom we provide and then question the manner in which we provide it. Until your ready to pick up a gun I prefer you to say thank you. You want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. I think we need Bush just as much.
If you recall , Jack was arrested , rightfully. Power corrupts , and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Their needs to be checks and balances in the government.
Do you believe the government will not abuse their power , ever ...
Abuses of electronic surveillance by the federal government led to the reform legislation in the 1970's.
Also , keep in mind the FISA court truly is , and was a rubber stamp. They also have emergency (get approval after) agreements in effect. Keeping the courts involved will not hurt the security effort , it will prevent potential abuses of these systems to target , political opponents , tracking the phone calls of journalists to determine leaks (already attempted by our government) I could go on .
Kevin
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