Posted on 12/26/2005 8:29:41 AM PST by kellynla
The New York Times' Christmas gift -- sorry, holiday gift -- to the nation's political dialogue was its Dec. 16 story reporting that the National Security Agency has been intercepting telephone conversations between terrorism suspects abroad and U.S. citizens or legal residents in the United States.
What the Times didn't bother telling its readers is that this practice is far from new and is entirely legal. Instead, the unspoken subtext of the story was that this was likely an illegal and certainly a very scary invasion of Americans' rights.
Let's put the issue very simply. The president has the power as commander in chief under the Constitution to intercept and monitor the communications of America's enemies. Indeed, it would be a very weird interpretation of the Constitution to say that the commander in chief could order U.S. forces to kill America's enemies but not to wiretap -- or, more likely these days, electronically intercept -- their communications. Presidents have asserted and exercised this power repeatedly and consistently over the last quarter-century.
Great scenario!! I wish.....
In other news, the failed Media's current Job Approval rating has sank to 38% while President Bush's is now over 50% for the 1st time since July. Critics point out that the Failed Media is now a lame duck for the last 3 years of President Bush's Presidency. Media insiders are desperate for a strategy to restore the Dinosaur Media's crashing credibility with the American people. The atmosphere of out right panic at such Failed Media Icons as the New York DNC Times is palatable. One high ranking NY Time staffer, speaking on conditions of anonymity said "It's all gone. Next stop Bankruptcy. There no way to stop the rot".
I like your theory.
they'll drag him out and it'll be the same one guy who's
library book choices were looked into and the same one guy who has actually seen ANWR in person.
See post 19..
ping
American citizens are subject to warrantless searches all the time. Airport TSA searches, questioning and detaining at border points of entry, random DUI roadblocks. These all constitute a warrantless search on behalf of the executive branch, and occur daily without report from the press.
I believe the most relevant comparison is that of the citizen re-entering the country from abroad, because the eavesdropping took place during phone calls originating outside our borders.
Imagine the outrage if another big attack occurred and it was made known that the administration had the ability to listen in on international calls made to known terror suspects but did nothing. And the outrage would be justified.
The truth is in their value trend.... What person in his right mind would invest in such a consistent loser...... Which begs the followup question, "Who purchases this drivel?"
The media has been on a jihad against Bush, for sure. Unfortunately, the NYT's crusade against legal surveillance has alerted terrorists' awareness of the tools that are used against them and as a result seriously diminished our capacity to thwart terrorist schemes.
Fact check regarding claims that Clinton and Carter authorized warantless surveillance:
what Drudge says: Clinton, February 9, 1995: "The Attorney General is authorized to approve physical searches, without a court order"
What Clinton actually signed:
Section 1. Pursuant to section 302(a)(1) [50 U.S.C. 1822(a)] of the [Foreign Intelligence Surveillance] Act, the Attorney General is authorized to approve physical searches, without a court order, to acquire foreign intelligence information for periods of up to one year, if the Attorney General makes the certifications required by that section.
What Drudge says:
Jimmy Carter Signed Executive Order on May 23, 1979: "Attorney General is authorized to approve electronic surveillance to acquire foreign intelligence information without a court order."
What Carter's executive order actually says:
1-101. Pursuant to Section 102(a)(1) of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (50 U.S.C. 1802(a)), the Attorney General is authorized to approve electronic surveillance to acquire foreign intelligence information without a court order, but only if the Attorney General makes the certifications required by that Section.
bump
Are you saying there is a conflict between what Drudge reported, and the law as it reads in the excerpt you gave?
They sound the same to me.
'Administrative warrants' allowed by law, so what's the problem?...
Love it... Thanks for the after Christmas present! Makes my day to see the Slimes, their shareholders & pensioners losing their commie @sses.
It's true. We are winning. I plan on remaining confident that our ideas are superior. Dislodging the media elites from their perches will require just a bit more time.
AG Gonzales made the appropriate Certifications as both the DNC paymasters, and the Dinosaur Media stooges, know. I know it really bugs the usual suspects, but they have NOTHING here. Object to the law? Lobby to change it. DO NOT lie to the American people about it "being broken".
Once again the Democrat Party shows it is absolutely unworried by any consequences of their actions and is more then willing to crawl back into power over the bodies of dead Americans. They will have to relearn the lessons of 2002 and 2004 all over again in 2006. Hard to decide who is more stuck on stupid. The American "Journalists" with their 30-38% JA number or the Democrat Party Leadership.
It is simply mind boggling.
For anyone to think the Bush administration is in any trouble over this is simply laughable. I had 2 or 3 real life lib friends telling me last week how this was going to be the one to destroy Bush.
The beauty of it all is, every time they do this, it becomes more clear to more people that they are just crying wolf. Most folks don't even listen to them anymore.
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