ACLU Shocked at Bush Use of National Security Agency for Domestic Spying...

ACLU ^ | 12/15/2005

[Jay777]

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed shock about revelations reported in the New York Times that President Bush secretly authorized the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on conversations of Americans and others in the United States. According to the report, this spying occurred without any court order and was focused on telephone and e-mail communications of "hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people inside the United States" with persons abroad. Electronic surveillance law generally prohibits non-consensual eavesdropping in the U.S. without a court order based on probable cause.

The following can be attributed to Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office:

"Eavesdropping on conversations of U.S citizens and others in the United States without a court order and without complying with the procedures of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is both illegal and unconstitutional. The administration is claiming extraordinary presidential powers at the expense of civil liberties and is putting the president above the law. Congress must investigate this report thoroughly. We also call upon Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to appoint a special prosecutor to independently investigate whether crimes have been committed.

[Jay777]

Read the Anti-ACLU Version Here

[Jay777]

PING!

[Perdogg]

There is no special counsel law.

[Jay777]

SIGN PETITION TO STOP TAXPAYER FUNDING OF THE ACLU

[oceanview]

let's see if the administration has learned anything from the Fitzgerald fiasco - or if they just go into the usual "defense" mode on this nonsense.

[oceanview]

that doesn't mean DOJ can't appoint an independent counsel.

[Cringing Negativism Network]

Can the New York Times be prosecuted for sedition?...

(they're leaking classified info during wartime)

It's very bad, when the nation's "most influential" newspaper, is actively giving aid and comfort to the enemy.

[demlosers]

How 'bout a special porsecuter to look into ACLU subversive and Un-American activities?

[Brilliant]

The ACLU is an anti-American subversive pro-crime organization that hates religion.

[Perdogg]

That's true. It would be unprecedented that the DoJ would appoint a special prosecutor to review a finding that the DoJ issued. It would set a very bad precedent.

[MaineVoter2002]

I understand your sentiment regarding the New York Times however you must concede that the Bush Administration has done absolutely NOTHING to stop the continueous weekly (sometimes daily) leaks coming out of the CIA and the Pentagon since before the Iraqi War. I think Bush should pay attention to the leakers within the government and respond to their illegal acts appropriately rather than shut down the free press. Furthermore, the Bush admisnistration's PR Department is becoming a nightmare, if you ask me. The White House spokeperson is a clown and should have stepped down long ago.
The New York Times lost its credibility with the American People long ago. But leakers in government... they are the real law breakers.

http://jednet207.tripod.com/PoliticalLinks.html

[TheLion]

I knew the Dims would be all over this....like flies on....oh well, you know!

[mnehring]

Once again, the ACLU loves to twist things.. the key to the original allegation is that they were tapping international calls and e-mails. All the NSA had to do was go through monitoring stations outside the US (eg on communication traffic hubs and tsos throughout the world)and its perfectly legal.

GOOD JOB NSA!
Buh-Bye ACLU

[Jay777]

I said the same thing.

[stratman1969]

ACLU = Alqueda Civil Liberties Union

[HoosierHawk]

The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed shock about revelations reported in the New York Times... So the ACLU expressed "shock" relating to a story in the New York Times? I do that everyday.

[popdonnelly]

I'm all for it. At least Bush didn't throw Japanese-Americans into concentration camps, like Roosevelt, or throw political opponents in jail, like Lincoln.

[oldfart]

I hate bringing up what many consider ancient history, but back when Slick Willie was being impeached we all joined together in a massive chorus of "We're a Nation of Laws," and "No President is Above the Law."

What happened? Sure, we got attacked by a bunch of terrorists but do we have to help them now? As I was led to believe, the objective of 'Atta and Co.' was to destroy our way of life. With the Patriot Act, the FEMA fiasco and a continual assault on the American Way by the media it doesn't seem like all that good an idea to allow a President--- ANY President to break the laws so many have died to uphold. While some might compare such actions to some sort of 'slippery slope,' it seems to me to be more like jumping into a black hole.
If he has broken the law, he needs to answer for it, just like you or I would.

[Hack]

They are shocked ... shocked I tell you.

[skimask]

Well said. Donald Rumsfield and Porter Goss MUST find these leakers and expose them for what they are. Seditious traitors.

[oceanview]

what is also amazing about this, is how the adminisrtation is totally blind sided by this.

this was obviously well planned to be released this week during the iraqi elections and the Patriot Act revote, well orchestrated with the various leftist groups, and even McCain and Spector seem to have been tipped to do their thing and instantly call for investigations.

yet, the administration is once again not prepared with any rebuttal. is anyone at the white house plugged in to the political machinations inside the Beltway, before they break?

[Waco]

"Stroke of the pen, law of the land. Kinda cool." Didn't anyone tell the queer-baits??

[frankjr]

The ACLU supports terrorists, so of course they would be upset about policies that negatively impact their "friends".

[Jay777]

If you think the ACLU really cares about your privacy, You Need To Read This.

[golfisnr1]

ACLU = Anti Christian Lawyers Union

[mnehring]

"No President is Above the Law." What happened?

Simple, no laws were broken.. the NSA can legally tap international calls, that falls within their jurisdiction. The story is being spun to make it appear it was domestic spying, but the very first 'breaking news' on this clearly stated they were international calls and e-mails.

The real law breakers are those who leak national secrets and those who falsely report the news.

[golfisnr1]

The President has followed the law on this matter.

[oceanview]

did you even read the original article? even the Times piece itself mentions how many justice department reviews took place during each use of this. what the hell do you want the president to do, ask the ACLU and the NYT their opinion on this matter before exercising this?

[Victoria Delsoul]

I signed the petition.

[popdonnelly]

If the notion of a special prosecutor hasn't been thoroughly discredited by now, I vote that it should be. To be as blunt as possible, special prosecutors are a waste of time and money, and only serve to trash the reputations of otherwise worthy individuals.

[Jay777]

Thanks!

[muawiyah]

We are not particularly interested in whether or not "W" broke the law ~ we are confident he didn't.

On the other hand, we are very interested in bringing the New York Times and their running dog lackeys before the bar of justice and sending them all to prison for a very long time.

[AmishDude]

Welcome to FreeRepublic. How'd ya find your way here?

[oldfart]

Admittedly, I have not read the law in question. I doubt any of you have either since it's probably pretty dry reading. I did receive a thumbnail description of it though.
The NSA can eavesdrop on anything it wants, but there are restrictions on what it can record. On a conversation between an American citizen and a citizen of any other country only that portion of the conversation spoken by the foreign citizen can be recorded without a warrant issued by a court.
As was pointed out earlier this evening, that leaves the government in the possible position of recording "What do you plan to attack," from the alien and being unable to record the answer from the American. While I admit such a situation is not very good, I still say it's better than trashing the Fourth Amendment.

[FunkyZero]

Ummm... can the ACLU come up with a single person who has suffered unjustly becasue of this?



I didn't think so...

[oceanview]

watch the opening segment of OReilly on the replay (Tony Snow hosts) and listen to some informed people talking about this. that's all I can tell you.

[Cringing Negativism Network]

Someone broke the law alright - the Official Secrets Act.

They signed it. Promised, under penalty of a world of hurt dropping on their head, to uphold it, for America.

Then somebody didn't. They should go to jail.

Simple.

[oceanview]

and no, its not "better then trashing the 4th amendment". the constitution is not a suicide pact.

[concretebob]

[oldfart]

I wouldn't mind doing that either, I just want to do it legally.
You say "we" are confident W didn't break the law. I wish I could be as certain as you. He is, after all, a human being and a politician and therefore capable of error. I voted for him and when I consider who he was running against, I would do it again. I do not believe him to be infallible though. time will tell.

[demlosers]

this was obviously well planned to be released this week during the iraqi elections and the Patriot Act revote,...

You got that right. The Rats at the New York Slimes sat on this for a year until they thought the time was right to spring it. No good news for President Bush can go on for long before Slimes & Co. manufacture negative news.

[ZULU]

I'd like to shock the ACLU with about 10,000,000 volts.

[oceanview]

did you even read the original article?

who gets to decide what is "legal"? the ACLU and the NYT, do we have to get them to sign onto it?

[carton253]

How do you stop the leaks that come from the CIA and the Pentagon? Do you duct tape the mouths shut of everyone who works there? Do you follow the employees making lists of everyone they talk to.

Every administration has had leaks precisely because you can't stop it.

[bray]

The Anti-American Communist Lawyers Ass is shocked, shocked! Another group firmly against Iraqi Democracy!

This is nothing more than a Book Promotion!!!!

Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighters

[concretebob]

Here's the way I see it..

If an American citizen is having a conversation with a foreign national, and that conversation contains language which includes any reference to blowing up, running into, flying into, or dropping anything on, a building, train, tunnel, bridge, or structure inside the borders of the United States, all rules are cancelled, all bets are off, and all rights of the participants are revoked.
We're fighting a war..A WAR!!!! Just like 1941...we are AT WAR!!!
Tell ya what, let AQ fly another plane into a building full of liberals..like the NYT building..and lets see if there is a change of heart.
These people will get us all killed..

[DJ Taylor]

"According to the report, this spying occurred without any court order and was focused on telephone and e-mail communications of "hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people inside the United States" with persons abroad.

Nothing to see here folks, no crime committed, move along now.