Notes from the Right Tea Wing Party

Surveillance in America

Read this in Opinions in Al Jazeera America. Americans should be aware of this impending Congressional vote:

"Section 215 is set to expire in June, and it could serve as a litmus test for where presidential hopefuls stand on surveillance. Repeatedly, the bulk collection of Americans’ phone records under 215 has been shown to be overly broad and ineffective at fighting terrorism. Even the NSA debated internally whether the program’s value justifies the damage it has done to civil liberties. If any candidates want to make a strong statement against mass surveillance, making sure Section 215 stays dead would be the way to do it. If they do the opposite, you can be sure they’ll be singing the NSA’s praises all the way to the presidential primaries.

Last year Obama pushed cosmetic changes to NSA surveillance while ignoring most of the recommendations of his own expert panel, which concluded that the 215 program should end because it is illegal, is probably unconstitutional and has not once helped stop a terrorist attack. It underscored just how much Obama has retreated from the strong stance he took against warrantless domestic surveillance while on the campaign trail."

This section should expire...it should never have been passed. Damage has been done.