Goooodnesss!!!! The
Republican Party [edited for abrasive content. It is one thing to posit that the Republicans are behaving in a facist manner, it is quite another to say they are facist.] is working O.T . to spin this new crisis away from themselves and onto democratric party members:
Quote:
http://www.rnc.org/
Latest Headlines
05.12.06 - The Real Dem Agenda: Cut and Run
05.11.06 - The Real Dem Agenda: Obstruct Qualified Judges
05.11.06 - Democrat Ethics Breakdown: News For The Week Of May 8, 2006
http://www.rnc.org/News/Read.aspx?ID=6313
THE REAL DEM AGENDA:
STOP TERRORIST SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM
Dems Put Politics First, National Security Second
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72 House Democrats Filed A Motion To Stop The Terrorist Surveillance Program:
"[C]ongressman John Conyers, Jr. [D-MI] And 71 Other Representatives Filed Papers Seeking To End The President's Warrantless Eavesdropping Program." (Rep. Conyers, "Conyers And 71 Other Members File To Stop Warrantless Wiretapping Program," Press Release, 5/11/06)
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"The Members Filed An Amicus Brief In Two Federal Courts Reviewing Challenges To The National Security Agency's Warrantless Wiretapping Program." (Rep. Conyers, "Conyers And 71 Other Members File To Stop Warrantless Wiretapping Program," Press Release, 5/11/06)
Democrat House Leaders Introduced Legislation To Weaken Terrorist Surveillance Program:
"Reps. Jane Harman (D-CA) And John Conyers (D-MI) Today Introduced The 'Lawful Intelligence And Surveillance Of Terrorists In An Emergency By NSA Act' (The LISTEN Act)." (Reps. Harman and Conyers, "Harman And Conyers Introduce Legislation To Force President's Entire Domestic Surveilance Program To Comply With The Law," Press Release, 5/11/06)
* Rep. Conyers: "This legislation could not be more timely. Today's USA Today article made clear that the Administration's eavesdropping is larger than anyone imagined and sweeps in the activities of millions of innocent Americans." (Reps. Harman and Conyers, "Harman And Conyers Introduce Legislation To Force President's Entire Domestic Surveilance Program To Comply With The Law," Press Release, 5/11/06)
Senate Democrats Put Politics First, National Security Second And Attacked The Terrorist Surveillance Program:
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV): "Today's press report that the government may be secretly collecting phone call records on millions of ordinary Americans is the latest example of why congressional oversight is so critical." (Sen. Reid, "Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid Released The Following Statement On Today's Press Report On The NSA's Collection Of Phone Records," Press Release, 5/11/06)
Sen. Pat Leahy (D-VT): "Those entrusted with great power have a duty to answer to Americans what they are doing." (Laurie Kellman, "Lawmakers Question Government Collection Of Americans' Phone Call Records," The Associated Press, 5/11/06)
* "'It's Our Government, Our Government!' [Sen. Leahy] Said, Turning Red In The Face And Waving A Copy Of USA Today. 'It's Not One Party's Government, It's America's Government!'" (John O'Neil, "Bush Says U.S. Spying Is Not Widespread," The New York Times, 5/11/06)
Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI): "This Administration's arrogance and abuse of power should concern all Americans. ... Congress needs to find out exactly what the Administration is doing and whether it is legal." (Sen. Feingold, "Statement Of U.S. Senator Russ Feingold On The Reported Massive NSA Database Of Americans' Phone Calls," Press Release, 5/11/06)
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL): "We need more. We need to take this seriously, more seriously than some other matters that might come before the committee because our privacy as American citizens is at stake." (Laurie Kellman, "Lawmakers Question Government Collection Of Americans' Phone Call Records," The Associated Press, 5/11/06)
Sen. John Kerry (D-MA): "[T]he NSA isn't just listening to international calls but is collecting the phone call records of tens of millions of Americans who aren't suspected of wrong-doing." (Sen. Kerry, Remarks At American University, Washington, D.C., 5/11/06)
Senators Have Been Briefed On The Program And Assert It Is Legal:......
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From the other side:
Quote:
http://mediamatters.org/items/200605120014#2
.............<b>Richard Morin strikes again; skewed Post poll offers misleading support for NSA call monitoring</b>
The Washington Post continues <a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/200604150001#3">its long history of highly questionable polling practices</a> under the leadership of polling director Richard Morin, rushing to print the results of a hasty and poorly worded poll question about the Bush administration's monitoring of Americans' phone calls.
On Friday morning, the Post <a href="http://mediamatters.org/rd?http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/polls/postpoll_nsa_051206.htm">reported</a> the results of a poll that it conducted over only one evening, just hours after the call-tracking program was first revealed to the American people. As if the timing and duration of the poll weren't reason enough to be skeptical about its results, the question itself was worded in a way that must have pleased White House senior adviser Karl Rove:
It's been reported that the National Security Agency has been collecting the phone call records of tens of millions of Americans. It then analyzes calling patterns in an effort to identify possible terrorism suspects, without listening to or recording the conversations. Would you consider this an acceptable or unacceptable way for the federal government to investigate terrorism? Do you feel that way strongly or somewhat?
The Post twice asserted that the purpose of the program is to fight terrorism. Aside from the fact that playing up the purported anti-terrorism purpose of the program was likely to influence respondents, the Post simply had no basis for this assertion -- other than the word of the Bush administration.
The only reason to believe the call monitoring is used only to fight terrorism is that the Bush administration says so -- the same administration that said Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, and the same administration that said it was monitoring only international calls of suspected terrorists. Not exactly the most credible people you'll ever encounter. On the other hand, we've seen credible reports that <a href="http://mediamatters.org/rd?http://www.mydd.com/story/2006/2/6/1628/90153">the administration is spying on Bush critics and war protestors.</a> Interestingly, Hayden, who played a key role in developing and implementing the Bush domestic spying operation, has <a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/200605080011">twice refused</a> to explicitly say that the administration is not spying on political opponents..............
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How much imagination does it take to understand and be very dismayed about the potential for abuse and repression that this obsessively partisan and secretive administration might be capable of, using the phone bill data it has perusaded the telcos to hand over to it.
If war breaks out with Iran, or is seriously contemplated, how about a list of phone numbers of Americans who make or receive frequent calls to or from those Americans of Iranian descent who live in the U.S., singled out by the calls that they make to and receive from Iran?
How about a search that reults in lists of names and addresses of all those who call the NRA, or gun or ammo dealers? How about a list of all the folks who make and receive calls from the first group who are known to call the NRA or gun and ammo dealers? It's an easy way to make lists of homes to search first when and if 2nd amendment rights are suspended....
How about searches to find out who makes and receives frequent calls to M&A houses, like Goldman Sachs....who is suddenly talking frequently to Sachs M&A department...without warrants for these searches issued by a judge, even members of a trustworty and ethical executive branch, in a restored climate of 2 party, 3 branch "checks and balances" could be tempted to use the database to illegal or unfair financial advantage....
How about Sen. Russ Feingold? He called for a censure resolution of president Bush. Who is he calling frequently? Can we blackmail him into capitulation with knowledge of his calling and receipt of calls, patterns?
Who were John Kerry's most influential advisors and potential cabinet picks....say....one month before the 2004 presidential election? Who was Kerry talking to less or mor frequently than in September, 2004, Who did he stop talking to...have briefer or longer conversations with? Was he talking to anyone new?
Did he make any calls to numbers that might be spun as embarassing or difficult to explain, if the press was informed discretely.
C'mon...even die hard...."nothing to see here", reflexively supportive, terror fightin' folks who give Bush & co. every benefit of a doubt, must be able to sift through the potential for abuse when judicial oversight of phone number search requests are removed! Do you really believe that this secretive group at NSA and in the executive branch have had the entire depth and breadth of their unlawful activities totally exposed by the press?
If you still advocate for this? When would you object to it? It may already be too late to turn this back and hold these abusers accountable, now. Will it be easier on some future date, when you decide to object to it?