Bush Caught Allowing Eavesdropping on the American People w/o Warrants

[Ant]

Another reason why Cwalker is an ass....

The Department of Homeland Security is now interrogating College Students simply because they attempted to borrow Mao Tse-Tung "the little read book" from a inter-library loan... remember that little bullshit about how the patriot act allows the govt. to track library loans?  This is an early consquence of that and keep in mind this whole patriot act nonsense is a 'new' idea give them time to expand their powers to do even more bullshit.  They are bringing it back to the old paranoia's.... interrogating students that want to read books about communism?  seriously give me a fuckin break... What the fuck is a book about communism even doing on a 'watch list' its a well known book by a historical figure.   Anyone that can say with a str8 face that we should seriously be monitoring people who read books on communism has fuckin issues... what's next?  this so called 'war on terror' has nothing to do with communism and whether you like communism, find it interesting, don't really give a shit, or hate it with a passion there is no justification for spying on college students that want to do research on it or anyone who is interested in it for that matter...


Agents' visit chills UMass Dartmouth senior
By AARON NICODEMUS, Standard-Times staff writer

NEW BEDFORD -- A senior at UMass Dartmouth was visited by federal agents two months ago, after he requested a copy of Mao Tse-Tung's tome on Communism called "The Little Red Book."
Two history professors at UMass Dartmouth, Brian Glyn Williams and Robert Pontbriand, said the student told them he requested the book through the UMass Dartmouth library's interlibrary loan program.
The student, who was completing a research paper on Communism for Professor Pontbriand's class on fascism and totalitarianism, filled out a form for the request, leaving his name, address, phone number and Social Security number. He was later visited at his parents' home in New Bedford by two agents of the Department of Homeland Security, the professors said.
The professors said the student was told by the agents that the book is on a "watch list," and that his background, which included significant time abroad, triggered them to investigate the student further.
"I tell my students to go to the direct source, and so he asked for the official Peking version of the book," Professor Pontbriand said. "Apparently, the Department of Homeland Security is monitoring inter-library loans, because that's what triggered the visit, as I understand it."
Although The Standard-Times knows the name of the student, he is not coming forward because he fears repercussions should his name become public. He has not spoken to The Standard-Times.
The professors had been asked to comment on a report that President Bush had authorized the National Security Agency to spy on as many as 500 people at any given time since 2002 in this country.
The eavesdropping was apparently done without warrants.
The Little Red Book, is a collection of quotations and speech excerpts from Chinese leader Mao Tse-Tung.
In the 1950s and '60s, during the Cultural Revolution in China, it was required reading. Although there are abridged versions available, the student asked for a version translated directly from the original book.
The student told Professor Pontbriand and Dr. Williams that the Homeland Security agents told him the book was on a "watch list." They brought the book with them, but did not leave it with the student, the professors said.
Dr. Williams said in his research, he regularly contacts people in Afghanistan, Chechnya and other Muslim hot spots, and suspects that some of his calls are monitored.
"My instinct is that there is a lot more monitoring than we think," he said.
Dr. Williams said he had been planning to offer a course on terrorism next semester, but is reconsidering, because it might put his students at risk.
"I shudder to think of all the students I've had monitoring al-Qaeda Web sites, what the government must think of that," he said. "Mao Tse-Tung is completely harmless."

[Sikotic™]

Using scare tactics to hide the truth. Typical Bush Administration bullshit.

[Trauma-san]

Question for all the liberals:

Was it alright when Clinton and Carter did it?  Or is this just something you don't like that Bush did?

[Ant]

Question for all morons^^^ Do you not realize that liberals aren't the only one's upset about this? 

http://thinkprogress.org/2005/12/20/drudge-fact-check/

The top of the Drudge Report claims "CLINTON EXECUTIVE ORDER: SECRET SEARCH ON AMERICANS WITHOUT COURT ORDER..." It's not true. Here's the breakdown -

What Drudge says:

    Clinton, February 9, 1995: "The Attorney General is authorized to approve physical searches, without a court order"

What Clinton actually signed:

    Section 1. Pursuant to section 302(a)(1) [50 U.S.C. 1822(a)] of the [Foreign Intelligence Surveillance] Act, the Attorney General is authorized to approve physical searches, without a court order, to acquire foreign intelligence information for periods of up to one year, if the Attorney General makes the certifications required by that section.

That section requires the Attorney General to certify is the search will not involve "the premises, information, material, or property of a United States person." That means U.S. citizens or anyone inside of the United States.

The entire controversy about Bush's program is that, for the first time ever, allows warrantless surveillance of U.S. citizens and other people inside of the United States. Clinton's 1995 executive order did not authorize that.

Drudge pulls the same trick with Carter.

What Drudge says:

    Jimmy Carter Signed Executive Order on May 23, 1979: "Attorney General is authorized to approve electronic surveillance to acquire foreign intelligence information without a court order."

What Carter's executive order actually says:

    1-101. Pursuant to Section 102(a)(1) of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (50 U.S.C. 1802(a)), the Attorney General is authorized to approve electronic surveillance to acquire foreign intelligence information without a court order, but only if the Attorney General makes the certifications required by that Section.

What the Attorney General has to certify under that section is that the surveillance will not contain "the contents of any communication to which a United States person is a party." So again, no U.S. persons are involved.

[Mr. O]

I didn't pay my tax to get phone tapped.

[Trauma-san]

So it was o.k. when Clinton and Carter did the exact same thing? 

[Mr. O]

So it was o.k. when Clinton and Carter did the exact same thing? 

it's same with clinton and Carter..

[Ant]

So it was o.k. when Clinton and Carter did the exact same thing? 

They didn't do the same thing.  Do you have a hard time reading?

Here try this article... It talks about how republicans feel about what the president has done. 

Hagel seeks hearings on domestic spying
'We don't have all the facts'; Nebraska senator says allegations must be dealt with

By Robert Pore

Allegations of potential abuse by the Bush administration involving domestic spying is a "very serious issue," said Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., Wednesday.

Hagel said he was one of four members of the Senate Intelligence Committee calling this week for a joint inquiry by the Senate judiciary and intelligence committees on alleged domestic spying abuses by the Bush administration.

"We don't have all the facts," Hagel said. "We know some things based on revelations that have come out, but we need to know more facts."

Hagel said oversight is needed any time when the government is spying on American citizens because of the potential of abuse.

"The civil rights of Americans must always be protected," he said.

While there are people plotting harm to America, the United States was founded on a set of laws rooted in the concept of civil liberties and personal rights, he said.

"The Bill of Rights are our precious rights and you cannot violate those rights under any circumstances," Hagel said.

But while Hagel recognizes that there are extraordinary circumstances where domestic spying is necessary for national security reasons, he said there are right and wrong ways to go about it.

"We must find the equilibrium and center of gravity that protects our national security as well as our civil rights," Hagel said. "We have been able to do that for more than 230 years."

He said that accountability is what's at issue and why the hearings are necessary.

Hagel said a law that was passed in 1978, The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, has worked "very well."

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) provides a statutory framework for the use of electronic surveillance in the context of foreign intelligence gathering. The legislation was passed by Congress to strike a balance between national security interests and personal privacy rights.

"It holds any administration accountable," Hagel said. "The Congress is part of it. The courts are part of it. It plays out the way these kind of intelligence oversight issues should be handled."

He said the law was passed in 1978 because of abuse of domestic spying by the Nixon administration over Watergate and Vietnam.

This week Vice President Dick Cheney defended the spying program and called for "strong and robust" presidential powers.

Cheney -- a former member of congress, defense secretary and White House chief of staff under President Gerald Ford -- said executive authority has been eroding since the Watergate and Vietnam issues during the Nixon era.

"Every president, that we know of, has complied with the law (FISA)," Hagel said. "No president is above the law. We are a nation of laws and no president, majority leader, or chief justice of the Supreme Court can unilaterally or arbitrarily avoid a law or dismiss a law. If the vice president holds a different point of view, then he holds a different point of view."

Based on the facts that are out there concerning whether domestic spying abuses were taking place, Hagel said, there was a "breakdown."

"I take an oath of office to the Constitution," he said. "I don't take an oath of office to the vice president, a president or a political party. My obligation and responsibility are to the people I represent and the country I serve. I do what I think is right for the people I represent and the country I serve."

And part of that responsibility, Hagel said, is assuring that Americans' civil liberties are not violated or abused.

Hagel, referring to President Ronald Reagan, said people trusted him because he was not a "vitriolic person or one to impugn the motives of people who disagreed with him."

"Never did he do that," Hagel said. "There is no place for that in politics because it debases our system and our process. You can agree or disagree with your leaders and say whatever you like about your elected leaders and throw them out, but I do draw the line on the vilification and impugning of motives because someone disagrees with you."

He said the American people are "sick and fed up" with that type of politics.

"Cheney's poll numbers are very, very low," Hagel said. "This should be about elevating the debate and enhancing America and finding the solutions that we need to move forward. It doesn't help when you characterize people who disagree with you or threaten them or characterize them as unpatriotic or not caring about our people or our security. The American people see through that and it is beneath the dignity of this country."