Comments on: Quick, Call the Snopes Folks

By: MarkH

MarkH — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

The FISA leak may have come out specifically because of the rumor that Bush said the Constitution was “just a god damn piece of paper”. There are some people who’d be offended by such a statement.

By: tripodx

tripodx — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Since W was so pissed at the leak of this, why doesn’t some reporter just ask him the following simple question:
“Would it still be a disgraceful thing if Rove leaked it?”

What’s so hard about that?

By: craigp

craigp — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

i thought the requirements to obtain a fisa warrant were looser and less onerous than that for standard criminal wiretapping?

in particular, you don’t need to show “probable cause”, but you do need some clearly articulated reason.

By: watertiger

watertiger — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I’m not surprised, given that Bush thinks this is a valid method of telephonic communication.

By: jack black

jack black — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

this is the more pertinent issue
lest folks forget amidst the drama of the moment:

White House keeps dossiers on more than 10,000 ‘political enemies’
By DOUG THOMPSON
Publisher, Capitol Hill Blue
Nov 8, 2005, 06:40
Email this article
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Spurred by paranoia and aided by the USA Patriot Act, the Bush Administration has compiled dossiers on more than 10,000 Americans it considers political enemies and uses those files to wage war on those who disagree with its policies.

The Â“enemies listÂ” dates back to BushÂ’s days as governor of Texas and can be accessed by senior administration officials in an instant for use in campaigns to discredit those who speak out against administration policies or acts of the President.

The computerized files include intimate personal details on members of Congress; high-ranking local, state and federal officials; prominent media figures and ordinary citizens who may, at one time or another, have spoken out against the President or Administration.

http://www.capitolhillblue.com.....7625.shtml

By: dancas

dancas — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Sanas (Irish etymology) of Crony

“because they fear the Preznit and his crony pals have tainted the entire legal process…”

Comh-roghna (pron. cuh-rony)
Mututal-favorites,
fellow-chosen ones,
mutual-sweethearts,
fellow-pals

By: Dover Bitch

Dover Bitch — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Two of the last three posts (sorry Prof, the new thread post didn’t make my cut) really nailed what this administration is up to. It’s why Bush said there’s a difference between monitoring and detecting… a statement which no reporter seemed interested enough to follow up on.

By: LeftFootForward

LeftFootForward — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Perhaps someone should explain to our conservative friends that a Data mining tool used to create a list of suspected terrorists, based upon a profile, can easily be “re-tasked” to create other kind of lists.

For example, you could change the profile and create a list of likely gun owners. Terrorists might need guns yes? I suspect many on the right would be unhappy about that.

Since the administration is creating a precedent for using this technology beyond regulatory control (without any meaningful checks at all) there is nothing to prevent this or future administrations from using it in new “creative” ways. Only a whistle-blower could try to stop it. You can see from the reaction of the administration and their apologists in this case how effective that is. If this policy is allowed to stand, a few years from now there will be no way to contain it.

This technology is a dagger pointed at us all… All Americans… not just Democrats.

If conservatives can’t understand this then conservatism truly is dead.

By: Prof

Prof — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

new thread

By: Lawrence Allen

Lawrence Allen — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

When I was in college in the early 70’s there was a persistent rumor in the counter culture that Nixon and the phone company were somehow monitoring all phone conversations looking for key drug related words. According to the rumor, if the words were detected, you would soon be under surveillance by the FBI.

Given the technology of the time this was nonsense but 35 years later the rumor becomes fact. The huge computer driven fishing expedition that this administration has been running goes beyond illegal wiretaps. This is a First Amendment issue.

Do we really want to watch what we say on the phone or write in an e-mail in order to avoid having FBI agents show up to question our friends, employers, and associates?