Posted on 06/10/2013 5:39:31 AM PDT by IbJensen
‘Under This Logic, They Can Do Anything!’
In the last 24 hours, it has been revealed that the National Security Agency (NSA) has been indiscriminately monitoring all Verizon phone records for the past seven years.
The stunning revelation sent Fox News host Shep Smith and Judge Andrew Napolitano into a frenzy on Thursday. In fact, Napolitano said it represented the “most extraordinarily broad search warrant ever issued in the history of the federal courts of the United States.”
Lawmakers like Sens. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Thursday tried to downplay the bombshell report, arguing that such surveillance has been going on for a long time and as long as you aren’t talking to terrorists, you have nothing to worry about.
“Harry Reid says we should just calm down Judge,” Smith began.
He went on to mock Reid’s position: “This has been going on a long time, they’ve been able stop some sort of terrorism, this, that or the other thing. So just don’t worry about it, just relax everybody.”
Napolitano said the “screwy” law allows the executive branch to tell select members of Congress about secret domestic surveillance programs, but prohibits them from telling other members of Congress or the American people.
“Just because Harry Reid knew about this for seven years and it’s been going on for seven years does not mean it’s constitutionally permissible,” Napolitano said. “This is a fishing expedition on the grandest scale we’ve ever seen in American history.”
He went on to say the Constitution requires the government to present evidence to a judge relating particular individuals if it wants to seize personal information like phone records of American citizens.
“Rather than doing that, they got a search warrant for 113 million phones,” Napolitano added.
“That we know of!” Smith interjected.
Judge Napolitano then speculated that Director of National Intelligence James Clapper “lied under oath” when he testified that the NSA wasn’t collecting any type of data at all on hundreds of millions of Americans.
“Not wittingly,” Clapper said in March. “There are cases where they could inadvertently perhaps collect, but not wittingly.”
Smith went on to say that only the court order relating to Verizon’s records have leaked, meaning that the NSA is likely monitoring other phone companies as well.
“Who are we to think they didn’t do this with all of them?” he asked.
The idea that Americans would sacrifice liberty for safety is a “canard,” Napolitano chimed in. He said “this is the most extraordinarily broad search warrant ever issued in the history of the federal courts of the United States.”
“Under this logic, the government could send people to all of our homes, put them in a bed next to us, have them watch everything. Under this logic, they can do anything!” Smith added.
Hopefully you are familiar Judge Napolitano. He is one of the more outspoken critics of current Federal Governmnet activities which are in violation of the Constitution. This video is hard to find and "they/ someone" seems to be making every effort to make sure it does not get seen. If you aren't a fan of Big Brother best watch this quick. Links to it disappear quick.
This is the rant that got Andrew Napolitano fired from Fox News. He was spouting the truth.
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2012/02/the-5-minute-speech-which-got-judge-napolitano-fired-from-fox-news.html
I didn’t know he was fired from Fox.
Shep must be concerned about what goes on in his bed gettin' out!
If we as a people have “consented” to this activity then why is it a crime for someone to disclose to the public the government behavior they have supposedly consented to?
Oddly, with this regime, it’s the least of my worries. Using the IRS against people on the President’s enemies list? DOJ going after unfriendly journalists? Benghazi coverup? Welfare doubled. People on Disability doubled.
If you really want to get technical, I truly believe there’s not only a 4th Amendment case here, but a 3rd Amendment case as well!
The Founders understood that quartering soldiers meant that the government had a spy in every home. Given the distinction, I don’t really see a difference.
That was a sad day for Freedom, Truth & Liberty, for Fox News.
You don’t see him anymore do you?
Look at the video I indicated in my comments. Fox is an establishment network that wants to further the ‘status quo’.
Catherine Herridge just told WMAL that the Rosen affair has had a ‘chilling effect’.
Read his book: Napolitano is not the paragon of Constitutional integrity he’s reported to be....
Interestingly enough, my employer blocks ‘livelink’. I didn’t know he’d been fired either. I will be sure to let Fox News know my opinion.
I knew they cancelled his show. But he still sppears on Fox with his opinion.
It’s gone already.
These scandals are far, far worse then anything Nixon ever dreamed of. Yet this morning on CBS they spent most of their “news” time on summer movies and the love lives of Hollywood “stars”. What crap.
What has happened to our watchdog media?
The left thoroughly took over the journalism schools 60+ years ago. That’s what happened to the media.
Then it's achieved it's desired goal - to keep sources from talking to the press.
Sad day if FOX fired him.
They are blinded by the reduced reflection of light from Obama.
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