From the Associated Press via Yahoo News:
GOP Senators Introduce Eavesdropping Bill
Four Republican senators introduced a bill Thursday that they hope will end the furor over President Bush's surveillance program by writing it into law.
One of the bill's chief sponsors, Sen. Mike DeWine of Ohio, said the bill requires the president to go to court as soon as possible to get approval for wiretapping and other forms of monitoring.
The proposal came under immediate criticism from advocacy groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union.The ACLU said in a statement that the bill would allow "Americans' phone calls and e-mails to be monitored for 45 days without any court oversight and makes court review after that period optional" — in violation of the Fourth Amendment's guarantees against unreasonable searches.
"Congress cannot approve an illegal program when so many questions remain unanswered," said Caroline Fredrickson, director of the ACLU's Washington legislative office. "When the rule of law has been broken by anyone, especially a president, the proper response is a full and independent investigation."
The bill would give the government up to 45 days to monitor calls and e-mails of suspected terrorists when one party is in the U.S. and the other is overseas. Like Bush's existing program, the government would not have to get court approval.
After 45 days, federal officials would have to stop the eavesdropping, get a court warrant or explain to House and Senate intelligence subcommittees why the monitoring must continue.
14 comments:
I was suspicious when DeWine seemed to disapprove of Bush's eavesdropping. Now I know why. They just want to eavesdrop on their political competition or detracters. This bill is ridiculous. You get 45 days of free eaevesdropping and then after that all you have to do is stop or go to your secret committee and explain why you just cannot stop. Right.
Karena,
Yeh....what DeWine and the other Republicans want to do is legalize what Bush has been doing illegally, and make it easier to do.
Two more reasons they're doing this; they want to make null and void any investigation the Dems want, and to squash Feingold's Resolution for Censure.
OMG... yet ANOTHER shady move on the part of DeWine.
What a frickin tool.
Why am I cursed to be surrounded by such corruption, evil, and imcompetence in Ohio?
Of course Mikey supported this. This way he and his "good ole boys" (which oddly enough includes J. Kenneth Blackwell, but if ya were to ask black Americans what the J stood for, they'd say Judas)
can get down to the business of making the Constitution obsolete.
If Bush can circumvent the Fourth Amendment then he can circumvent ANY and ALL amendments, no? I wonder how Blackwell would like it if Bush started owning slaves?
Tina,
Bush has done real swell already circumventing the Constitution. The last thing he needs is help.
I wonder how Blackwell would like it if Bush started owning slaves?
Hey, there have been black slaveowners before.....soooo...there could be again.
Hi Grampa! I haven't seen you in a while.
Yes, the Repukes are shredding the Constitution. But where are the mad as hell Democrats or Independents???
It is okay to question authority...hell it is AMERICAN!
What I don't understand is why this NSA wiretapping thing is DYING. I posted a speech the Shrub did in April 04 where he clearly states he knows you have to have a warrant. FUCK! Alberto Gonzales must be a flippin genius. Guess we are gonna have to wait til Nov. 06, get a bunch of Congressmen and women with some BALLS to hold full impeachment hearings with this bastard UNDER OATH!!!
Shelly,
Yeh, where the hell is Harry Reid and John Kerry and Ted Kennedy and Nancy Pelosi. Just where are all the "mad as hell Democrats" anyway.
Cowering...'cause they don't have half the guts that the Founding Fathers had.
I think if Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and Patrick Henry were to come back they would be ashamed to be associated with the wimps in DC.
Whadidja expect, Pops? They're certified douchebags. *sigh*
Econ,
Yeh, yeh, I know, I know....but douchebags is a little mild for those motherfuckin' assholes as far as I'm concerned.
Hey...I guess I covered that one :^)
I figured it would end like this: if it's illegal, they just rewrite the law. That's why they are always so smug. They are above the law (which makes 'em easy targets when the revolution comes...)
which makes 'em easy targets when the revolution comes
Shea,
Yes it does!
Unfortunately for them, the first thing that will go down in the Revolution will be Law Enforcement personnel. Too bad, so sad, but the cops have to be 'gently' disarmed and sent home so their guns can no longer uphold the status quo. Don't think they don't know it, either. One definition of 'government' is 'those who have the monopoly on violence'. Not that I'm suggesting anything, but that's what the 2d Amendment is all about...
Gordon,
Your are absolutely correct.
They won't be able to trust the cops 'cause there's too many of 'em that are still "free thinkers."
They're gonna need those who will follow orders blindly...ergo, the military.
I wouldn't want to be the military officer who is ordered to order his troops to start firing on Americans. The troops who don't tell him to get laid will have to be dealt with, I guess. The ones with any stones will pass the 'get laid' comment upwards. It could get ugly. That's too bad.
Gordon,
I think it's gonna get real ugly.
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