Republican Enablers Of Warrantless Eavesdropping
Republican Senators are determined to change the existing law that governs eavesdropping to enable the administration's currently illegal NSA warrantless wiretapping to pass legal muster.
The Bush administration could continue its policy of spying on targeted Americans without obtaining warrants, but only if it justifies the action to a small group of lawmakers, under legislation introduced yesterday by key Republican senators...
The bill would allow the NSA to eavesdrop, without a warrant, for up to 45 days per case, at which point the Justice Department would have three options. It could drop the surveillance, seek a warrant from FISA's court, or convince a handful of House and Senate members that although there is insufficient evidence for a warrant, continued surveillance "is necessary to protect the United States," according to a summary the four sponsors provided yesterday. They are Mike DeWine (Ohio), Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.), Chuck Hagel (Neb.) and Olympia J. Snowe (Maine).
This plan is really spurious. These apologists in the Senate actually have the nerve to propose that in cases in which the FISA court is not likely to grant a warrant, the spies would have the option to get approval for continuing the eavesdropping from a bunch of politicians who not only have to screw their pants on in the morning, but also don't know their asses from a hole in the ground.
It is far from clear whether the bill can win passage. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) -- whose panel plays a major role in the surveillance matter -- pointed his thumb down yesterday when asked about the measure. He said he particularly objects to letting the government "do whatever the hell it wants" for 45 days without seeking judicial or congressional approval.
The Senate intelligence committee's chairman, Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), who has defended the administration's actions, said seven members of a newly appointed subcommittee should be given time "to complete their review of the program before moving ahead with legislation." He added: "I am concerned that some of the procedural requirements included in the bill may limit the program's effectiveness."
The vile Roberts, in typical form, thinks that the proposed measures are too restrictive. That fuckhead should join John Yoo on the next flight to Pyongyang, since they both think that police state tactics are the proper method for keeping watch on people.
Details of the program, and Justice Department requests for exemptions from FISA warrants, would go only to the seven-member Senate subcommittee and a similar House intelligence subcommittee yet to be named. Both subcommittees would include Democrats and Republicans.
The legislation keeps the nuts and bolts of the program restricted to only trusted politicians.
Presumably ones who won't ask too many questions. Or leak the sordid details of the program. Because the legislation also has real teeth:
The bill introduced yesterday calls for fines of up to $1 million and prison terms of up to 15 years for those who disclose "classified information related to the Terrorist Surveillance Program," the administration's name for the NSA operation. The penalties would not apply to journalists.
And, as close readers of this story already know, the NSA program is already authorized to try to keep track of who is saying what to reporters.
The Bush administration could continue its policy of spying on targeted Americans without obtaining warrants, but only if it justifies the action to a small group of lawmakers, under legislation introduced yesterday by key Republican senators...
The bill would allow the NSA to eavesdrop, without a warrant, for up to 45 days per case, at which point the Justice Department would have three options. It could drop the surveillance, seek a warrant from FISA's court, or convince a handful of House and Senate members that although there is insufficient evidence for a warrant, continued surveillance "is necessary to protect the United States," according to a summary the four sponsors provided yesterday. They are Mike DeWine (Ohio), Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.), Chuck Hagel (Neb.) and Olympia J. Snowe (Maine).
This plan is really spurious. These apologists in the Senate actually have the nerve to propose that in cases in which the FISA court is not likely to grant a warrant, the spies would have the option to get approval for continuing the eavesdropping from a bunch of politicians who not only have to screw their pants on in the morning, but also don't know their asses from a hole in the ground.
It is far from clear whether the bill can win passage. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) -- whose panel plays a major role in the surveillance matter -- pointed his thumb down yesterday when asked about the measure. He said he particularly objects to letting the government "do whatever the hell it wants" for 45 days without seeking judicial or congressional approval.
The Senate intelligence committee's chairman, Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), who has defended the administration's actions, said seven members of a newly appointed subcommittee should be given time "to complete their review of the program before moving ahead with legislation." He added: "I am concerned that some of the procedural requirements included in the bill may limit the program's effectiveness."
The vile Roberts, in typical form, thinks that the proposed measures are too restrictive. That fuckhead should join John Yoo on the next flight to Pyongyang, since they both think that police state tactics are the proper method for keeping watch on people.
Details of the program, and Justice Department requests for exemptions from FISA warrants, would go only to the seven-member Senate subcommittee and a similar House intelligence subcommittee yet to be named. Both subcommittees would include Democrats and Republicans.
The legislation keeps the nuts and bolts of the program restricted to only trusted politicians.
Presumably ones who won't ask too many questions. Or leak the sordid details of the program. Because the legislation also has real teeth:
The bill introduced yesterday calls for fines of up to $1 million and prison terms of up to 15 years for those who disclose "classified information related to the Terrorist Surveillance Program," the administration's name for the NSA operation. The penalties would not apply to journalists.
And, as close readers of this story already know, the NSA program is already authorized to try to keep track of who is saying what to reporters.
posted by Effwit at 9:48 AM
2 Comments:
Yes, by limiting the oversight to a select few Senators, all the easier to keep leaks and dissent under control...by hook or by crook...or by a satchel full of greenbacks.
Secrecy trumps legalities. National security trumps legalities. Party affiliation trumps legalities. Welcome to life in New Amerika.
DrewL:
The idea that the Fourth Amendment requirement for a judge to sign off on a search (eavesdropping is technically a search) would be abandoned is a dire development indeed.
With such a precedent, physical searches of premises without probable cause or a judge's okay could concievably be a next step.
We are already on the slippery slope of the loss of liberties, and when you start tampering with the Constitution itself, there's trouble afoot.
The spelling of the USA with a K is a good measure of one's evolving radicalism. Not a bad thing.
See Stonefruit. He spells it Amerikkka. And means it.
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