Senators Rap FBI Over Domestic Spying

[Judi Lynn]

Senators Rap FBI Over Domestic Spying

By LARA JAKES JORDAN
The Associated Press
Wednesday, December 6, 2006; 11:16 AM

WASHINGTON -- Senators frustrated by scant details on the Bush administration's domestic eavesdropping program on Wednesday rapped FBI Director Robert Mueller for refusing to show how it has curbed terrorist activity in the United States.

Mueller said he was unable to talk about the warrantless spying program because it is classified.

"What assurances can you provide that the program is worthwhile?" asked Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa. "Have arrests been made? Have terror cells been broken?"

The FBI has briefed congressional intelligence committees on the controversial program, but Mueller said he did not have permission to share that information with other lawmakers _ including the judiciary panels that oversee the bureau.
(snip/...)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/06/AR2006120600825.html

[Supersedeas]

1. the Congress has LOST its oversight authority--NO permission granted

[williesgirl]

2. Cut off their budgets til they comply. Simple. It'll work.

[EVDebs]

6. No it won't. Read Tim Weiner's book Blank Check

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1510/is_n76/ai_12520582

and understand that the funding via the Pentagon circumvents effective oversight. Reading between the lines with Alfred McCoy's Politics of Heroin and you come the the conclusion that the ongoing 'war on drugs' is a smokescreen designed to keep the covert funding going and avoid constitutional checks, not to mention oversight. Also, ask yourself how many congressmen/women receive $ from this network or have staff w/ "intell" backgrounds...

Not even the ACLU could stop this covert illegal funding

[Cass]

3. Everything is classified so there is basically no oversight.

Just great. Sometimes I scare myself by wondering what else this Administation is doing that we don't know about.

:scared:

[sarcasmo]

4. kick for the truth.

[donkeyotay]

5. The new totalitarian democracy

We are in perpetual war, and while we're at war, you can't question what we do. Since the war is permanent and global, everything we do is secret because of national security. We'll kick in an election every couple of years so y'all can tell yourselves you're free.