Posted on 12/27/2005 12:24:55 PM PST by NotchJohnson
Bush Reaches Out And Taps ... Your Phone And Mine December 22, 2005
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I’m sure President Bush had a hard time figuring out what Christmas present to give us Americans. Peace in Iraq? Impossible. Balanced budget? Too many tax cuts.
Bipartisanship? Against his nature. Still, you think he could’ve come with a better idea ... than tapping our phones.
And make no mistake about it: What Bush is doing is totally against the law. Bush and his lackeys insist he has legal authority under the Congressional resolution authorizing the use of force in Afghanistan, the Constitution, and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA. Besides, they add, they briefed leaders of Congress on what they’re doing, so what’s the big fuss? They’re dead wrong on all counts.
The Constitution clearly does not give the president unlimited powers. There’s also no way, even in Bush-speak, that a resolution authorizing war against foreign enemies can be interpreted as authorizing war against citizens of the United States. And while there are provisions in FISA that allow instant wiretapping to protect the nation, the Bush administration did not follow them.
Under the FISA law, enacted by Congress in 1978 to protect Americans from another Richard Nixon, it’s a federal crime to monitor phone calls made by any American without approval of a special, secret court in the Justice Department. In times of national emergency, however, the president may order immediate wiretaps — as long as he seeks court approval within 72 hours. President Bush knew what the law required. In a speech on April 20, 2004, he said: “Any time you hear the United States government talking about wiretap, it requires — a wiretap requires a court order.” In that speech, he was talking about the Patriot Act. But one day earlier, he made the same point about court orders required by “the FISA act.”
So, Bush knew the law. Nonetheless, he never sought or received a court order. He knowingly and deliberately broke the law. He refused to comply with the FISA process, for which briefing members of Congress is no excuse. Again, the law requires a special court order. Bush can’t argue: Oh, I decided to chat with a few friends on the Hill instead.
The question is: Given that it was relatively easy, under the law, to obtain legal authority to wiretap — since 1978, only five requests out of thousands have been turned down by the special court — why didn’t Bush simply follow the rules? Answer: Because, ever since 9/11, Bush believes he’s above the law. Just listen to him. For the last four years, he and Cheney have repeatedly asserted, “We’re fighting a different kind of war.” Or, just as often: “Sept. 11 changed everything.”
Wrong! Sept. 11 did not change everything, Mr. President. Even after Sept. 11, we are a nation of laws, not of men. Even after Sept. 11, we have a president, not a dictator. Even after Sept. 11, the president of the United States, like every other citizen, must obey the law. And if he breaks the law, he must pay the consequences.
Members of Congress are, understandably, reluctant to take action against the president until they gather all the facts. This is why Republicans and Democrats have joined in calling for hearings to begin immediately upon Congress’ return from the Christmas break. But here, too, Bush refuses to cooperate. Public hearings on the spy scandal, he complains, would reveal our secrets to the terrorists.
Laugh out loud at that one. What’s so dangerous about showing the world that we expect every American, including the president, to obey the law? Isn’t that what America’s all about? Don’t be fooled. President Bush doesn’t oppose hearings because they might undermine national security. He opposes hearings because they’ll unmask him as a law-breaker.
Of course, Bush’s admission that, shortly after Sept. 11, he directed the National Security Agency to begin secretly intercepting international phone calls made or received by American citizens should come as no surprise. This is the same president, after all, who invoked 9/11 as a license to: invade Iraq, dump the Geneva Conventions, torture prisoners, sic Pentagon spies on antiwar protestors, and turn the FBI loose on Greenpeace, the Catholic Workers League and PETA.
Still, Bush’s illegally wiretapping of phone calls made by law-abiding citizens is the most brazen abuse of power since J. Edgar Hoover bugged Martin Luther King’s hotel room. Big Brother lives. His name is George W. Bush.
. . . or Bill Clinton, but who cares about facts.
I actually like the fact that the liberals are identifying themselves as people who want to preserve people's right to talk to known terrorists overseas.
Old days, wiretapping was an attachment to the line. New days, "wiretapping" mainly means intercepting transmissions.
PS No one is a bigger Brother than Hillary Clinton. :-)
Actually my phone is not tapped. However, Bill Press and the Al Queda terrorist MAY have their phones tapped because they hate America and work to take it down.
I never make/take calls to/from al Qaeda overseas, so I'm safe.
Bill Press is a talking bowel movement.
It's time to flush.
Um, I don't think he's tapping my phone because no one from Al Qaeda has been calling me. However, I can't speak for Bill Press.
A few hundred, or a few thousand emails to this moron might leave at least a little impression....
Press has enjoyed a high-profile career in government, politics and broadcasting, spanning three decades. He was chairman of the California Democratic Party from 1993 to 1996. He served as Chief of Staff to California State Senator Peter Behr, a Republican.
He also served as Director of the California Office of Planning and Research under Democrat Jerry Brown. He has managed several local and statewide political campaigns, and in June 1990, Press was a candidate in the Democratic primary for California State Insurance Commissioner.
Go Figure.
Not mine, Billy-boy. You see, as opposed to some of your friends, I am not making overseas phone calls to known Al Qaeda operatives to exchange information.
I hereby give my permission to President Bush to tap my phone and any other electronic communication if terrorist a is on the other end.Signed
Mr and Mrs. Raycpa
If they tapped my phone, they're probably swearing out a warrant against me for 1st-degree murder...
...because whoever listened to my phone calls probably died of boredom...
Geee ..... if Bill Press is so concerned about the President tapping his phone .. does that tell us that Bill Press is aiding and abetting the terrorists ..??
To my knowledge (but obviously not stupid Press') only people with known ties to the terrorists are being monitored - OVERSEAS. If they happen to call Americans - say like Bill Press - then yes, I think Bill should be worried!
Actually, the NSA uses special voice-recognition software that recognizes Arabic:
"dirka dirka jihad" triggers the tape recorder (/Team America reference)
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