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04/27/26 4:48:40am [ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, [2] ]

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Date Posted: 12/17/05 7:57:19pm
Author: Ken
Author Host/IP: 205.188.116.202
Subject: National Security Agency Abuses

"I'm the President, and I can do anything I want", which is what Bush is really saying if you read between the lines of his response to the disclosure that his National Security Agency has been secretly intercepting email and phone communication between US citizens and foreign countries. No, Mr. President, just because you authorize something, does NOT make it legal!

Normally, govt needs a warrant from a Federal court to wiretap or otherwise intercept the private communications of US citizens. In 1978, the law on this was revised, as it pertained to intelligence matters, which allowed the Federal govt to obtain a warrant from a "secret court" that was established to oversee intelligence operations. After 9/11, and as part of the Patriot Act, this law was further revised which allowed the govt to begin such intercepts without a warrant as long as a warrant was issued from this "secret court" within 72 hours of an intercept being initiated. Although I've always found this procedure highly troublesome, at least if the govt acted within the parameters of this law, it at least was acting within the law.

But now, its been exposed that Bush has authorized such intercepts without EVER obtaining ANY warrants whatsoever. Its been estimated that thousands of such intercepts have been authorized by him. And some govt officials are now saying many of these intercepts may have involved cases where there weren't any foreign connections at all. All of this is so reminiscent of when Herbert Hoover, head of the FBI, kept thousands of files on American citizens, later using some of them to harass and even blackmail his opponents - some of them high govt officials, even Presidents.

There are those who accuse judges of legislating from the bench. I wonder if those same people now are acknowledging that we have a President who thinks he can legislate from the Oval Office? Here's a quick refresher on Political Science 1001, Mr. President: Congress legislates laws, courts interpret laws, and the Executive Branch enforces laws. One more time, Mr. President...the Executive Branch (that's you) enforces existing laws, it (you) doesn't make up its own laws.

We're supposed to be a govt of law, not of men, meaning that even Presidents must obey the law...and this President is NOT. All of this is just a classic example of "absolute power corrupts absolutely", and is a sign that those in power have been in office too long. I applaud the action of the Senate this week not to extend the Patriot Act beyond the end of this year. From the beginning, its been a threat to American Civil Liberties, and we probably won't know the full extent of its abuses until years from now. And I think this is further evidence of the importance of the upcoming 2006 elections where hopefully the Democrats can win back at least on house of Congress which would increase long-overdue Congressional oversight of this Administration, an Admistration that has not only run amok - but has also run afoul of the law.

If you would like to comment on this, or share your views on a wide variety of political and socioeconomic issues, as host and creator of Earthforum's Interactive Editorial Page, I invite you to visit EarthForum at http://members.aol.com/earthforum2/introduction.htm EarthForum has a Liberal slant...but ALL viewpoints are welcome!

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