LIVE THREAD: SJC hearing on the NSA surveilance program - C-span 1; 9:30 am EST

[ken5050]

Good Monday morning, once again, fellow political jinkies. The NFL season may be over, but the political season inside the Beltway is 24/7/365. So join us, if you can, as those wacky Dems on the Senate Judiciary committee reprise their pitiful efforts to once again smear President Bush and score political points..

[Txsleuth]

back at YA!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Brownback just read into the record this:

A 2004 NBC report graphically illustrated what not having this program cost us 41/2 years ago. In 1999, the NSA began monitoring a known al Qaeda "switchboard" in Yemen that relayed calls from Osama bin Laden to operatives all over world. The surveillance picked up the phone number of a "Khalid" in the United States — but the NSA didn't intercept those calls, fearing it would be accused of "domestic spying."

[auboy]

I frankly shudder to envision a possible CIC Clinton running this program.

What makes you think a Clinton II would be any different from a Clinton I regime? They (Clintons) consider themselves above the law, and so does the MSM. Hillary has NEVER played by the rules.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Brownback now talking about the pre-911 phone calls from Yemen to one of the hijackers.

Earth to Brownback. That Yemeni terrorist thug that which you speak of, tunneled out of prison like a gopher.

[A Citizen Reporter]

It could be he was looking for an out for Jane Harmon. But she's already on record on the talking head shows. She was briefed, but basically said that she was too dumb to know the law, so she didn't object.

NOW that the Move-on crowd is calling for hearings, now she objects.

[prairiebreeze]

Ah yes, the Tides Foundation. And the Ruckus Society. Well isn't that special..

Precisly what Mrs. Mooooo is most interested in.

[billhilly]

"Oh My!! will someone please pick me up off the floor?"

I'm sorry if that hurt.

[Bahbah]

What are they discussing?

Ian has a teacher that is blatantly anti-Bush and who also apparently found justification in the reactions to the Mohammed cartoons. (Sorry it took so long to respond. I was away for a bit.)

[small voice in the wilderness]

Now THERE'S a hearing! Prison Escapes: How THE HELL are these terrorists escaping again and again?

[maggief]

Yeah...I guess they have figured the "culture of corruption" is a real winner for them.

Must be The Plan

[Cboldt]

If those being briefed in Congress had an objection to the program on legal grounds what was their remedy?

They can "blow the whistle" to others in Congress or make a public fuss, directly or indirectly. The assertion that they would thereby be breaking the law (being sworn to secrecy) is a circular argument. If they are apprised of an illegal act, they are stuck between conding that illegal act, or "breaking" a law that forbids disclosure. That bottoms out on their sense of what's best - and that calculus can be selfishly personal, risk averse, or aimed at making the situation better "for all."

[BigSkyFreeper]

Now THERE'S a hearing! Prison Escapes: How THE HELL are these terrorists escaping again and again?

If they scrap this NSA program, we'd never know who helped them on the outside.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I'm getting a headache.

I'm already there!

[sofaman]

which argues strenuously for taking "permanent" action against these Islamoloonies..

[Mo1]

what is Brownback getting at?

[sofaman]

"I was away for a bit."

For a bit of what, might I ask?

[Mo1]

Why do I get the feeling some of these senators are more worried about themselves and this wiretapping ...

And why am I thinking of the Barret report?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I think that was aimed at the the Demo's because they were asking specific questions about numbers and he was using this as an answer that without the program we lost 3000 souls....that's the way I read it.