An old but relevant editorial from the NY Times

[kentuck]

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/20/opinion/20tue1.html?ex=1292734800&en=825d9a85592d751f&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

<snip>
But none of these phony choices were as absurd as the one Mr. Bush posed to justify his secret program of spying on Americans: save lives or follow the law.

Mr. Bush said he thwarted terrorist plots by allowing the National Security Agency to monitor Americans' international communications without a warrant. We don't know if that is true because the administration reverts to top-secret mode when pressed for details. But we can reach a conclusion about Mr. Bush's assertion that obeying a 27-year-old law prevents swift and decisive action in a high-tech era. It's a myth.

<snip>
Mr. Bush and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales offered a whole bag of logical pretzels yesterday to justify flouting this law. Most bizarre was the assertion that Congress authorized the surveillance of American citizens when it approved the use of "all necessary and appropriate force" by the United States military to punish those responsible for the 9/11 attacks or who aided or harbored the terrorists. This came as a surprise to lawmakers, who thought they were voting for the invasion of Afghanistan and the capture of Osama bin Laden.

<snip>
Chillingly, this is not the only time we've heard of this administration using terrorism as an excuse to spy on Americans. NBC News recently discovered a Pentagon database of 1,500 "suspicious incidents" that included a Quaker meeting to plan an antiwar rally. And Eric Lichtblau writes in today's Times that F.B.I. counterterrorism squads have conducted numerous surveillance operations since Sept. 11, 2001, on groups like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Greenpeace and the Catholic Workers group.

Mr. Bush says Congress gave him the power to spy on Americans. Fine, then Congress can just take it back.

....more

[1-Old-Man]

1. And today, with a Democratic President, we have no reason to think domestic surveillnce has ceased

and of course indefinite detention does not end with Democratic President either.

[Smarmie Doofus]

2. I believe the NSA aspect was exposed by Thomas Tamm, a DOJ lawyer/whistleblower...

... warrantless wiretaps....who then was investigated , arrested, and hounded out of gov't.

Bradley Manning-haters are you paying attention?

K and R