Posted on 05/18/2006 5:46:42 PM PDT by RWR8189
Enough already! It's harmful enough that ideological conflict and partisan politics are preventing this country from solving its long-term challenges on health care, fiscal policy and energy. Now, it's threatening our national survival.
I do not exaggerate. Bush-hatred has reached such intensity that CIA officers and other bureaucrats are leaking major secrets about anti-terrorism policy and communications intelligence that undermine our ability to fight Islamic extremism.
Would newspapers in the midst of World War II have printed the fact that the U.S. had broken German and Japanese codes, enabling the enemy to secure its communications? Or revealed how and where Nazi spies were being interrogated? Nowadays, newspapers win Pulitzer Prizes for such disclosures.
In Congress and in much of the media, the immediate reaction to news that the National Security Agency was intercepting international terrorist communications was not to say, "Good work -- and how can we help?" Rather, it was to scream about a "domestic spying" scandal ...
And the reaction has been much the same to USA Today's story last week that the NSA "has been secretly collecting the phone call records of tens of millions of Americans" ...
Similarly, Newsweek's cover this week blares "Spying On Your Calls" -- no question mark used -- and implies that the Bush White House could be tapping everyone's telephones.
In fact, what seems to be happening, though the details are secret, is that most long-distance phone companies have given the NSA their billing records identifying what numbers are calling what other numbers, when and for how long. Names are not included. And the NSA -- not for the heck of it but to protect us from attack -- is using the records to track terrorist networks and calling patterns. If a known terrorist in Pakistan calls a number in Los Angeles, I want the government to know what numbers that person calls. Don't you? ...
The NSA call logs also apparently are being mined to establish patterns of terrorist-related communication -- the use of pay phones, duration of calls, times of communication, etc.
But all this scarcely constitutes "reaching into homes and businesses across the nation." ...
The phone companies that are cooperating with the government ought to be congratulated for participating in the war on terrorism -- as they would have been in WWII. Instead, they are being hauled before the Senate Judiciary Committee as though they were criminals. ...
The Senate Intelligence Committee, when it quizzes former NSA Director Michael Hayden ... [Hayden] should tell the committee and the country why these programs are so essential and what the legal basis for them is. ...
But the fundamental problem infecting much of Congress, the media and the political class -- especially those left of center -- is that they are consumed with loathing for President Bush and all his works and are prepared to do anything to undermine him, even if it makes the country less safe. ...
This is more than serious. It's dire.
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I like Mort. A reasonable Democrat. If there were more like him then the country would be much better off and we wouldn't have RINOs.
Good find!
You got it spot on Mort!!
Go Mort!
"Instead, they are being hauled before the Senate Judiciary Committee..."
This is the part I don't understand, why are the REPUBLICANS doing this?
If Roosevelt had been a conservative Republican they certainly would have.
This is how modern espionage is done.
In the old days, a spy or a turncoat would use spy-craft to deliver information to his handler. If he got caught, it would be life in prison, or worse.
Now, you pass it to the New York Times, they print it on page one, and your handler reads it with his morning coffee.
If Aldrich Ames or Jonathan Pollard had been smart enough to let the Times be the middle man, they would be bouncing their grandkids on their knees, instead of rotting behind bars.
Until we treat this as an espionage breach, a case of double agents betraying war plans to the enemy, its only going to get worse. We either lock these people up, or we owe Aldrich Ames an apology and a pension. If all his pals at the agency are getting by with it, why not him?
The Marxist-Pragmatists (otherwise known as Democrats), wouldn't have it any other way.
Whatever they can do to undermine this administration (and ultimately this nation), they will do.
They have no principles, scruples, or honor.
Mort is right. Ideological differences also equates to the Dems being willing to do ANYTHING to regain power.
Had there been a declaration of War, the Pres would have full authority to shut down those rags that printed these stories. There wasn't, so things continue on as if there is no war.
That's what gives these treasonous bastards the ability to circumvent our efforts.
Mort has some perspective here.
too bad the RINO HQ and Demorat HQ are completely clueless....
I wonder why we don't try to get a declaration of war. Doesn't the President's party control the Congress?
The Republicans went against all warnings given by the rank and file and placed Sphincter in charge of the Judiciary Committee.
It's up to "W", not some language in a declaration of war.
To get the otherside of the story out and show the voters just how weak the Democrat Party leadership is on the protecting them
These are are the reasons for the death penalty for treason or sedition in time of war. Seems that we've forgotten.
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