Comments on: Major Shock: Glenn Greenwald and Think Progress Are Completely Ignorant About FISA

By: cre, new orleans

cre, new orleans — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 23:17:34 +0000

The author of this post is wrong. The FISA law clearly states that any monitoring device that is used or installed within the United States is considered electronic surveillance if the person being monitored would have had a reasonable presumption of privacy or if a warrant would have been required for law enforcement organizations. Read it for yourself here. http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/50/usc_sec_50_...

By: Stu Wilde, Carefree

Stu Wilde, Carefree — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:25:48 +0000

I am always surprised when groups like the Heritage Foundation and other right-wing think tanks try to absolve the Bush Administration of any wrongdoing regardless of the alleged crimes. It seems political ideology trumps the rule of law. How can you love Freedom and everything the USA stands for, but then not be alarmed, angry and disgusted by abuses to our Constitution? How are we protecting ourselves against Terrorism by listening to personal phone calls of U.S. citizens? How does that help? I thought our Government told us 19 arab-muslim hijackers beat the Bush Administration's defense to attack us on 9/11? If that is correct, then why are we spying on U.S. citizens discussing personal details via satellite phones? It just doesn't make sense.

I think this issue is more insidious and treacherous. This Administration — whether it's torturing detainees, spying on U.S. citizens, creating kangaroo courts in GITMO, or [insert one of the many crimes of the bush administration], the bottom line is that we are weaker as a country because of the loss of civil liberties. Bush is supposed to defend the Constitution, not defend the country. But I suppose that concept is too sophisticated to digest.

By: Abusive? Sure. Illegal? Probably Not.

Abusive? Sure. Illegal? Probably Not. — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 19:21:35 +0000

[...] But what I haven’t seen many people pointing out, with the exception of one poster at the Heritage blog, is that it was also probably perfectly legal at the time, though I wouldn’t be surprised if [...]

By: Soup, Massachusetts

Soup, Massachusetts — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:20:16 +0000

Regardless of the fact that it was a satellite phone, it only goes to show why these sort of sweeps are dangerous, especially with a lack of oversight.

The FISA court, with this latest round of amendments, has been relegated to the role of a technical observer. They are allowed to comment on the viability of wiretapping procedures, but not the implementation or the results.

In a poltically charged environment, this is dangerous. In fact, it's exactly what FISA, established after the Watergate scandal, was attempting to prevent: spying on Americans for political purposes.

While it may not be the case here, it's not so far a step (especially with recent DoJ revelations regarding the firing of some 9 attorneys). I find it funny that conservatives espouse a small government and yet grant so much power to defeating a threat like terrorism.

News Flash: the war on terror will never be over (unless we stop after al Qaeda, maybe not even then). People will always be driven to extremes, and as such people will always be driven to do extreme things.