ABA Poll: Americans say president shouldn't suspend rights

[cal04]

Most Americans believe a president should not be allowed to suspend constitutional guarantees in order to fight terrorism, a poll released on Friday said. The poll, taken for the American Bar Association in the wake of the controversy generated by President Bush's domestic spying program, found the public divided over whether government eavesdropping on personal communications could ever be justified.

"As our poll shows, and legal scholars agree, the awesome power of government to penetrate citizens' most private communications must not be held in one set of hands," Michael Greco, the group's president, told a
news conference. "To prevent the very human temptation to abuse this power there must be checks and balances in the form of oversight by the courts and Congress," he said.

"I personally reject the false choice that is being offered Americans that they must give up their liberties to have security. We must protect both, and we can protect both," he added. With the administration refusing to provide details of the eavesdropping program, which was a closely held secret until recently, the extent of any violations are unclear, Greco said.

The program, authorized by Bush in 2001, allows the National Security Agency to monitor the international phone calls and e-mails of U.S. citizens to track people with suspected ties to al Qaeda and other militant groups.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060210/pl_nm/security_eavesdropping_poll_dc

[OneBlueSky]

1. "Aw, what the hell do THEY know? . . . They're only peons! ". .. n/t

.

[magellan]

2. Why do Americans hate Amerika? (nt)

[kentuck]

3. Why do they have a poll to ask that ??

Shouldn't that be a given?

[LynnTheDem]

4. "track people with suspected ties to al Qaeda" BULLSHIT.

Gawd when will we ever get a REAL media???

How about them terra-ist QUAKERS?

Over 5000 Americans illegally spied on...they were all "suspected ties"?

FBI says not.

[converted_democrat]

5. What, you mean you don't fear the Quakers?

Quakers... Al Qaeda.. There are q's, a's, and e's in both of their names.. You mean you don't see the connection there?? They have letters in common.. 3 letters in common to be exact.. You don't see that huge connection? They must be the same group, or at the very least they must have common goals since they have common letters in their names.. Why do you hate America?



:sarcasm:

[LynnTheDem]

6. 4 letters if you make it "al Qaedas".

:D

[Viva_La_Revolution]

7. "The program, authorized by Bush in 2001"...

BEFORE 911!!!!!!!!!

[Road Scholar]

8. They've used that war of choice to justify everything they do. This

time it's to spy on political enemies.