FBI raiding home of NSA leaker as Dems cave on eavesdropping...

[elizm]

This past week, the Bush administration added insult to injury over its illegal program of NSA domestic surveillance. During the very time Congress was debating codifying President Bush's lawbreaking by revising the FISA law many of his allies have been afraid to publicly challenge as unconstitutional, Alberto Gonzales' DOJ was raiding the home of a former Justice official to identify the person who first brought the illicit program to light.

If you can stand to read anymore, here is the link...

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/8/5/12401/37411

[StClone]

1. Kick are DUers reading this!!!!

Two donkey hooves up...

[elizm]

2. Thank you for the kick....

I was beginning to think I was losing my mind if I was the only one here who thought this was outrageous.

[StClone]

16. And Valerie Plame's outing

Is *yawn* no big deal.

[Benhurst]

3. Recommended #4

:kick:

[Jackpine Radical]

4. There's #5 for ya.

[acmavm]

5. Does anyone expect anything else? Give them an inch...

They get braver by the day. But I suppose that's only natural when they know they're going to get away with it.

[Nostradammit]

29. They are not going to get away with it.

[Frisbee]

33. It kind of looks to me...

It kind of looks to me like they are. And I am feeling less confident every day that they will ever be stopped. Looks like this is going to be a pessimistic week. :-(

[katty]

38. they have already gotten away with it-and continue to

[ananda]

39. They ARE getting away with it.

That's a fact on the ground.

[Nostradammit]

41. Ultimately the Bush crime family will be punished for their

malfeasance.

It appears, at this hour, like they are going to "get away with it" but I have great faith in the American people and our ability to recognize snakes. I am on a one-man crusade to counter every post I see that promotes despair.

In order to save our country we must first believe that we can save our country.

That's a fact on the ground.

[TechBear_Seattle]

35. Give them an inch and they will think themselves a ruler

Congress has already given the President 11 inches; one more and he really will be a ruler.

[dajoki]

6. Why am I not shocked?

Because this administration has always gotten to pick and choose who does and doesn't get away with its constant criminal activity. I guess the leakers of covert agents does not qualify in their feeble minds. And to top it off, AG Gonzales gets to determine who gets spied on. K&R

[elizm]

13. Truly frightening...While Americans are sleeping. nt

[loudsue]

7. This is TOTALLY outrageous!! Whistleblowers being treated as criminals!

From the most criminal administration in the history of this country...which says a LOT!

I hope the bill to allow bush more leeway with the FISA warrants gets thrown in the trash can after this. Dems should be VERY afraid of giving this psycho-administration even ONE INCH more power.


:kick::kick::kick:

[troubleinwinter]

8. Most important. Thank you. And another thread here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1518452&mesg_id=1518452

[kansasblue]

9. MESSAGE RECEIVED: Illegal programs will be made legal, whistle-blowers hung.

KandR

[The Backlash Cometh]

10. How is it that the Pentagon reached the conclusion that Whistle Blowers

deserved stronger protection, and the Justice Department is doing just the opposite?

[young_at_heart]

11. I don't know why but this reminds me of "Silver City"

I recently saw this 2004 movie and saw a lot of parallels.

[sarcasmo]

12. Here comes the Gestapo.

[flpoljunkie]

14. This is very disturbing, but not surprising coming from Bush's consigliere Gonzales' Justice Dept.

[Hydra]

15. Don't expect to hear about any more of the illegal programs

Even I wouldn't stick my neck out if I were them, and I'm a professional monkey wrench!:yoiks:

Here's how it works- you reveal illegal program trying to do the right thing, you get sent to invisible prison somewhere, the Prez calls you a traitor and says you're "endangering america", and they Congress makes it legal for him.

I hope that puts into perspective what happened on this FISA thing. The dems made it impossible to report on *'s wrongdoing.

Now we won't even get a warning when the trains arrive to take us to the camps.

"Purgatory here we come...!"

[elizm]

19. Exactly....we are screwed. And America sleeps...

And the Democrats just sealed the deal.

[Hydra]

20. *sigh*

I wish it were not so, but all of these people who have risked their jobs and their freedom to leak all of these "anti-terrorist" programs have just been b*tchslapped into silence.

This was the best hope of bringing *'s sweeping power grab up short, also the best chance other than the lying that got us into the iraq war or the torture for impeaching him, and now 2 of the 3 of those is now legal.

I wonder if they'll get around to making it legal from * to lie us into some other catastrophe. That would really be the icing on the cake.

[elizm]

21. 534 days left and the chimp has absolute power...

No need to worry.

[Hydra]

23. Hah!

:spray:

I feel like Evey From V for Vendetta these days. I *know* how scary these people are, but I have no fear left for them.

[stlsaxman]

17. kick and rec fer real n/t

[dickbearton]

18. K&R.

[sampsonblk]

22. And they are in the minority party.

They can't do shit without our party's help.

[nolabels]

24. Would that be the corporate party you are getting on about?

There is no more party, it is of the haves and have-not's. The romanticism of tradition is dead and whatever idea of party you have just went on vacation :shrug:

Btw, it's called being outflanked

[sampsonblk]

25. Where are all the apologists tonight?

I am waiting for some idiot to tell me that this is all part of an elaborate strategy to carry more swing voters in 2008.

[robinlynne]

26. sshhhh. let them sleep.

[Kurovski]

27. Just freaking amazing.

Impeach, indict, imprison.

[me b zola]

28. k&r

:grr:

[AJ9000]

30. Nothing short of impeachment, with the corruption laid bare, will stop this cabal.

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

31. This story getting out made BushCo plenty mad...

...and they were quick to get a reminder message out to the NYT of just how easy it is for them to reach out and "touch" at will, whomever, whenever, and wherever they please. It was delivered back in January of '06 in the form of the bludgeoning death of long time NYT Editor/Reporter David E. Rosenbaum:

http://www.nbc4.com/news/6060888/detail.html

http://fourwinds10.com/NewsServer/ArticleFunctions/ArticleDetails.php?ArticleID=278

This message was no more lost on the NYT than it was on Congress when they received the same reminder in the form of weapons grade anthrax sent through the USPS.

And the message? -- very clear: "We're dangerous, we play for keeps, cross us at your peril."

[Norquist Nemesis]

32. Almost makes you wonder if this was "anonymous" that's been posting

things relevant to oh, I dunno...Inherent Contempt just to pull something out of thing air. *sigh*

I'm PO'd the Dems caved also to, once again, give Bush everything he claims is "needed". Funny how I keep hearing about a terrorist attack, even right down to the banner on CNN saying that the bridge collaps in MN had no evidence of being a terrorist attack. Gosh, it didn't occur until the Government brought it up! grrrrrr

So, let's just for the sake of agument say that "something" or "X" happens between today and December 15th. And, just for the sake of argument, that "X" event has a secret DVD produced and released by OBL/AQ mentioning event "X"...even though there is no evidence they had any involvement with event "X", but use it as a propaganda tool. Hmmmm...will Bush(Rove) be blaming Democrats for not 'keeping us safe' and stick out his pointy finger with an "I told you so!!!"??? Will Bush acknowlege that Democrats gave him EVERYTHING he hasked for?

Event "X" instead of being recognized for the real tragedy it is will become more political bashing by Rove...OR the Democrats had better be prepared to come out with a vengeance to say, "We gave him the tools he asked for and expected him to use them. He didn't." That's going to be about the best they'll be able to claim. :(

[redqueen]

34. God...

:banghead:

[Gregorian]

36. NOW HIRING: Freepers and snitches needed.

Uncle Sam George wants you.


Sure, it sunsets in only six months. Right. I have a bridge, etc.


However, I like the positive comments over at 'Kos. I agree that the people of this country won't like this one bit. It's bye bye time for this administration.


Edit-

"Don't be stupid,
don't be a smarty.
Come and join
the Nazi party."

[NI4NI]

37. Under new executive privlege

isn't it possible he may lose his home and property?

[caligirl]

40. UPDATE: Tamm , same one?,comments on USA firings at Media Matters, ticked off Gonzo?

I wrote this letter and sent it via email to three senators with phone calls to their office to point this out as a possible motive for the raid in addition to the leak charge.


August 6, 2007

Hon. Senator Feinstein, *as well as Feingold and Leahy.

Aside from my complete befuddlement as to the FISA vote you cast August 3, 2007 I am writing to express outrage at the FBI raid on DOJ lawyer Thomas M Tamm. This raid took place Friday August 3 2007 while the FISA vote was being delt with.

He is now being accused of leaking information on the spy program even Ashcroft would not approve and Comey and others threatened to resign over. But there is another possible reason for the raid. a Thomas M Tamm, calling himself a former DOJ lawyer, wrote this on July 25, 2007 at Media Matters:

"Corespondence Corner:

Name: Thomas M. Tamm
Hometown: Potomac, Maryland USA

Dear Eric: Is not the administration's position that they would not permit the U.S. Attorney to prosecute a Congressional Contempt referral an implicit admission that they allow politics to impact prosecutions? They are admitting that they would interfere with the independent judgment of a prosecutor on a specific case. I suggest that this is precisely what the firings of the U.S. Attorneys are ultimately about. Yes, they serve at the pleasure of the president, but they do not prosecute at the pleasure of the president. The White House is guilty of taking the blindfold off lady justice, not just covering her breasts. I am a former DOJ lawyer, for what that is worth."

http://mediamatters.org/altercation/200707250008#9


The raid on Tamm's house, even taking his kids laptops and right before school is about to start when they will need them, is a political witch hunt selectively carried out by a revengeful President who refused to go after the Plame leaker, who tolerated his own Vice President to leak parts of the 2002 NIE document in the run up to an unjust war.There have been other leaks by members of the Republican party from time to time, nothing is done.


Thomas Tamm is entitled to Whistle blower protections, as I am sure his lawyer is telling him. But Democrats in power should give him immunity to testify and protect him from a witch hunt that is only in progress to hide an illegal spy program and to further cover the unlawful politicization of the DOJ.

We may be stuck with a bad President for now but we needn't make matters worse by allowing political witch hunts of the brave DOJ people trying to protect the Constitution and the values I grew to believe would always be a part on my country and my son's country.

[glitch]

42. K & R especially for this post. Edit: damn, missed the 24 hour cuf off for recs. nt

[farmhand]

43. Who were the Dems in the House that voted for this?

The legislation that was passed couldn't have been passed without some Dem votes, who were they and lets make sure they can never ever get elected again.

[cosmicdot]

44. you can check the roll call votes here

in the senate:

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00309


in the House

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll836.xml