NPR's All Thing's Considered recently aired a story on lawyers trying to get a hold of NSA evidence against their clients. It's really scary. Orwellian scary.
The long and the short of it is that the NSA/Fed. Gov't won't release any records that may have come from the warrant-less wiretaps. These records won't even be released to defense lawyers with the proper security clearance.
Take a listen, it's pretty good. So much for allowing defendants the right to a fair trial....
Friday, March 31, 2006
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
You spin me right 'round...
Can someone in the administration define "Civil War" for us, please?
'Cause I don't think they can.
And if you're unveiling a bold new vision, don't you think it should be, well, new?
And telling us you're listening to us isn't the same as actually doing it.
Ug, the last few weeks, Georgie's been on another popularity kick, trying to appease the base and win back, well everyone who's jumped ship since the beginning of the year. And lately it's been all about Iraq, big surprise. After former PM Ayad Allawi, called the current sectarian violence "civil war," Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld all rushed to the press podium to refute the claim. Only it doesn't seem like anyone's really listening anymore, with casualties amongst the Iraqis still on the rise, and the new gov't's seeming inability to even form a coherent government.
Yet, the Bush camp remains hopeful, and really they can't afford to seem anything else. We are almost back to the "everything's fine, please ignore the fanatic bombers behind the curtain" sunny-days of old.
Which is in stark contrast to the image The White House is trying to portray. While we haven't had any more "mistakes were made" admissions from the top, Georgie's been trying to show he's still listening, he's still in control, and he understands our concerns.
And one has to wonder if the resignation of CoS Andrew Card will have any effect, let alone the "shake-up" everyone's been hoping for.
Here's to more waiting and watching....
Ed. 4-2-06
'Cause I don't think they can.
And if you're unveiling a bold new vision, don't you think it should be, well, new?
And telling us you're listening to us isn't the same as actually doing it.
Ug, the last few weeks, Georgie's been on another popularity kick, trying to appease the base and win back, well everyone who's jumped ship since the beginning of the year. And lately it's been all about Iraq, big surprise. After former PM Ayad Allawi, called the current sectarian violence "civil war," Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld all rushed to the press podium to refute the claim. Only it doesn't seem like anyone's really listening anymore, with casualties amongst the Iraqis still on the rise, and the new gov't's seeming inability to even form a coherent government.
Yet, the Bush camp remains hopeful, and really they can't afford to seem anything else. We are almost back to the "everything's fine, please ignore the fanatic bombers behind the curtain" sunny-days of old.
Which is in stark contrast to the image The White House is trying to portray. While we haven't had any more "mistakes were made" admissions from the top, Georgie's been trying to show he's still listening, he's still in control, and he understands our concerns.
And one has to wonder if the resignation of CoS Andrew Card will have any effect, let alone the "shake-up" everyone's been hoping for.
Here's to more waiting and watching....
Ed. 4-2-06
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Puppet theatre
Welcome to Constitution-trashing 101.
Our instructors for the day are the Republican members of the Senate Intelligence Committee, who have decided to toe the party line and allow Georgie to continue wiretapping for up to 45 days without a warrant. Then he has to go to FISA, OR convince members of congress that it's necessary. And since FISA was pretty darn compliant to begin with, and, well, Congress is Congress, AND no one is explicitly saying that Georgie was wrong and supporting what are, constitutionally illegal actions, or threatening action if Georgie doesn't comply, we're.... pretty much where we've been since the story broke.
What kills me is that this "accommodation" has no teeth whatsoever. While the members of Congress who voted down the Dem-led push for an investigation are claiming oversight privileges, the White House has yet to acknowledge them. Through the press office, Georgie is still claiming the authority for the wiretaps, with or without permission. What's an oversight committee going to do- call a press conference and say how disappointed they are? Been there, done that.
So, basically Congress is offering Georgie the ultimate out. If he acts like he's asking permission every 45 days or so, we're just going to let him continue on his merry way. No investigation into previous acts, and likely only a cursory investigation into any future requests. After all, we all know what a great job Congressional Oversight and Intelligence did in looking at pre-war intelligence.
And while Arlen Specter threatening to hold up funding until the Judiciary Committee gets some answers looks good on paper- we all saw/read the last round of Gonzales' testimony. There are no teeth there, either. Funding will come where it will come. They don't call them discresionary funds for nothing.
It's called the Bill of RIGHTS, folks.
Not the Bill of Perks-you-get-for-being-like-us-but-only-when-we're-not-looking-for-a-scapegoat.
Our instructors for the day are the Republican members of the Senate Intelligence Committee, who have decided to toe the party line and allow Georgie to continue wiretapping for up to 45 days without a warrant. Then he has to go to FISA, OR convince members of congress that it's necessary. And since FISA was pretty darn compliant to begin with, and, well, Congress is Congress, AND no one is explicitly saying that Georgie was wrong and supporting what are, constitutionally illegal actions, or threatening action if Georgie doesn't comply, we're.... pretty much where we've been since the story broke.
What kills me is that this "accommodation" has no teeth whatsoever. While the members of Congress who voted down the Dem-led push for an investigation are claiming oversight privileges, the White House has yet to acknowledge them. Through the press office, Georgie is still claiming the authority for the wiretaps, with or without permission. What's an oversight committee going to do- call a press conference and say how disappointed they are? Been there, done that.
So, basically Congress is offering Georgie the ultimate out. If he acts like he's asking permission every 45 days or so, we're just going to let him continue on his merry way. No investigation into previous acts, and likely only a cursory investigation into any future requests. After all, we all know what a great job Congressional Oversight and Intelligence did in looking at pre-war intelligence.
And while Arlen Specter threatening to hold up funding until the Judiciary Committee gets some answers looks good on paper- we all saw/read the last round of Gonzales' testimony. There are no teeth there, either. Funding will come where it will come. They don't call them discresionary funds for nothing.
It's called the Bill of RIGHTS, folks.
Not the Bill of Perks-you-get-for-being-like-us-but-only-when-we're-not-looking-for-a-scapegoat.
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