Bush Uses Signing Statement to Legalize Warrantless Searches of US Citizens' Mail

[babylonsister]

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/78885/#more

Bush Uses Signing Statement to Legalize Warrantless Searches of US Citizens' Mail

Posted by Jesse Wendel, Group News Blog at 11:04 AM on March 6, 2008.

I feel safer already.


On December 20, 2007, President Bush signed routine postal legislation. In a "Signing Statement", the President claims Executive Power to search the mail of U.S. citizens inside the United States without a warrant, in direct contradiction of the bill he had just signed.

The Seattle Times

The move, one year after The New York Times' disclosure of a secret program that allowed warrantless monitoring of Americans' phone calls and e-mail, caught Capitol Hill by surprise.

"Despite the president's statement that he may be able to circumvent a basic privacy protection, the new postal law continues to prohibit the government from snooping into people's mail without a warrant," said Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., the incoming House Government Reform Committee chairman, who co-sponsored the bill.

"You have to be concerned," a senior U.S. official agreed. "It takes executive-branch authority beyond anything we've ever known."

Yet, in his statement, Bush said he will "construe" an exception, "which provides for opening of an item of a class of mail otherwise sealed against inspection in a manner consistent ... with the need to conduct searches in exigent circumstances."

White House spokeswoman Emily Lawrimore denied Bush was claiming new authority.

"In certain circumstances -- such as with the proverbial 'ticking bomb' -- the Constitution does not require warrants for reasonable searches," she said.

Bush, however, cited "exigent circumstances" that could refer to an imminent danger or a long-standing state of emergency.

I feel safer already.

[asdjrocky]

1. We should never be surprised at what these asshats do.

[bdamomma]

2. they just keep interpreting the laws they way they want too.

this has got to stop and someone or alot of somebodies have to stop them.

[texastoast]

7. That would be the American people

But a revolt might inconvenience many of them.

[bdamomma]

11. so sad that there are some percentage of us who know what's

happening in our country, while others just are ignorant, denial or just scrapping some change to acquire the so called American dream.

[superkia]

35. I hope more and more people wake up soon because it will...

hit us all eventually. If you aren't part of the corruption and your aren't part of the elite, you better start thinking about helping your fellow neighbor. Even our police and military that dont go along are in it with us, Canada and Mexico will just come in wearing the riot gear, carrying weapons now that bushy has made that possible. They have all of their bases covered and the American people will only survive in numbers. Their plan, divide and conquer. Together we stand, divided we fall!

9/11 = The Reichstag fire


First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me.

[texastoast]

44. Yes, already the union-busting

and outsourcing have made an impact, but not a big enough one. The middle class is not starving yet, but if things don't change, that is: people take back their government from the corporatists, we will get to experience many humans deprived of basic needs.

I saw that happen during the evacuation from Houston of a million people during Hurricane Rita, and it is not pretty.

[Heywood J]

48. "Canada and Mexico will just come in wearing the riot gear, carrying weapons now that bushy ..."

"... has made that possible. They have all of their bases covered and the American people will only survive in numbers. Their plan, divide and conquer. Together we stand, divided we fall!"



Are you fucking serious? Are you for real?

Like the rest of the world has absolutely nothing better than to come in and "take over the US". Because, with all the issues going on in the world, all the domestic issues in every other country, and with that pesky thing called earning a living to pay the bills, it's all about you and the US, and how those damned foreigners just sit around, thinking of ways to come in and take over.

Persecution complex and self-centeredness much? Yeah, those bad Canadians and Mexicans are coming for you. I think you forgot this: :tinfoilhat:

[superkia]

49. You sound very angry, if you take any SSRI medication, seek...

medical attention now, they say that those medications can make people go into rages like we've had here in the recent past at the colleges. Are all of your 600+ posts this angry? You may want to skip message boards if they do this to you, it can fluctuate your blood pressure in dangerous ways.

Now with respect to my post, I was wrong on Mexico but wanted to share some information with you so you can read it when you are calm and not seeing red. This is a message board and everything will be ok, alright? Now I think we can all agree that we have an amazing police force and military and shouldn't need assistance during martial law, I think our own can handle the situation. Now if martial took place and allot of our police and military didn't believe in what was taking place and decided to step down, then I could see the need. I don't understand why our own men and women in uniform would ever do that to us if we were just under a martial law for a legitimate reason?

Read on:

The United States and Canada have inked an agreement to help one
another during civil emergencies.

"This document is a unique, bilateral military plan to align our
respective national military plans to respond quickly to the other
nation's requests for military support of civil authorities," Renuart
said in a statement.

This agreement helps to further erode the sovereignty of both nations by
allowing a foreign military to support that nation's military during
any type of civil emergency. Essentially, Canadian military forces
would be allowed to support U.S. military forces during a declaration
of martial law.

[Uncle Joe]

29. I agree who needs an "activist judiciary" when you have an activist President, can you imagine

how the Republicans would be reacting if you had a President ruling from the far left in such a manner?

[mainegreen]

3. Lets be clear: his signing statement does not legalize it.

If ever put on trial, I think he will find these signing statement provide no cover.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

23. Wish I could say, I foresee this tyrant taken to trial.

I can't say that.

This despotic administration is and has been emboldened by the lack of restraint, limits or consequences.

[superkia]

50. Its the good ole boy system, no matter what take care of each...

other. Hopefully one day, the American people will join together and take care of each other so we can get our country back on track. By the turnouts, I think Obama has hit a nerve with some and it could help.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

4. K&R

[truebrit71]

5. I'm confused...where are "signing statements" in the Constitution?

How is it even remotely possible that the pResident gets to pick and choose which laws he will obey, and where is it stated that he can simply create legislation via "signing statements"...

This is BLATANTLY unconstitutional and if we had a Congress with any balls this sort of shit would have been challenged years ago...

[superkia]

52. Whats the constitution? What does it do? Must have been a book...

or something. :sarcasm: If needed.

[DJ13]

6. This is why we need an educator that taught Constitutional Law in the WH

[Muttocracy]

9. Biden! sorry, couldn't resist ;-)

[mmonk]

8. Does this apply to Fedex or UPS as well?

[babylonsister]

12. Per another article, no, but I remain skeptical:

http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20080306/1a_lede06_dom.art.htm

The Postal Service handles 214 billion pieces of mail each year. Correspondence and packages transported by private carriers, such as FedEx and UPS, are not subject to the surveillance.

[Muttocracy]

17. they use U.S. roads and airports, so there must be some way to get at them

Time to start a private pony and pigeon express.

[mmonk]

26. Thanks.

[L. Coyote]

10. Who else notes that some of their mail is opened?

[babylonsister]

13. Me, occasionally. I know I'm not alone. Also, books I sent to

Dad in FL were opened.

[Supersedeas]

14. there must be a million Emily Lawrimore's in the world

[Subdivisions]

15. Democratic Party mail too. So there! n/t

[walldude]

16. People still get snail mail?

All I get is catalogs and coupons. Bush is so clever he wants the right to look at my catalogs? He doesn't need a law for that I'd be happy to forward all my crap to him.

[Muttocracy]

18. that would be a great counterattack - we all sign up for more

catalogs and junk mail! bad for the environment though.

[liberal4truth]

43. Dont forget all the junk mail too. Gotta save some trees, ya know ?

[librechik]

19. "Now mah job is to make ever body think there's always a tickin bomb 24/7!"

Thank you Jack Bauer!"

[Torn_Scorned_Ignored]

20. so, .

that explains it.

Waxman knows things are done without warrants or reason.

[wiggs]

21. I expect the WH to behave like the power-grabbing rogue administration that

it is....they are completely off the reservation. But what is most frightening and disappointing is the complete lack of outrage and action by dc dems and the MSM on something as important as this.

[alarimer]

22. Fuck you, you Unamerican piece of shit.

Jesus. I Really Hate This Guy. And Republicans in general for forcing this asshole on us. And all those stupid voters who thought "he was keeping us safe". Why in the hell was 2004 even close enough for them to steal it? Kerry should have won running away.

[swag]

24. This happened on 12-20-06, not 07. Not to diminish the significance

of the topic, but the news isn't that new:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=signing+statement+search+mail

Best to you,

s

[babylonsister]

25. Nice catch, swag. I wonder if the

author of this article realizes that; I didn't, or forgot.

[swag]

27. It's hard to keep track of all the outrages.

At first, I was thinking that he had probably made the same signing statement twice.

[gratuitous]

28. The corpse of J. Edgar Hoover just came in its coffin

Hoover's FBI practiced the art of the "mail cover" for decades, sending his agents out to open people's mail without probable cause. President after president sought to either rein in the practice or turn it to their own purposes, but Hoover was smarter than all of them.

If a new administration wanted to end the practice, Hoover would drop a hint that the new president might have something to fear from information that Hoover had already obtained, invoking his dreaded secret files. And any president that tried to appropriate the practice for his own purposes would have Hoover smiling his little smile and offering everything the president could possibly want from mail covers. That is, if the president was willing to sign an executive order specifically authorizing the practice. None of them would, naturally, because of the insuperable constitutional difficulties. So Hoover and the FBI kept snooping and blackmailing to their mean little hearts' content.

Now it appears that Hoover died just a few disappointing decades early, for George W. Bush would have surely given official authorization for mail covers. Somewhere in Hell, a soul in torment enjoys a fleeting smile.

[bumblebee1]

38. Was this corpse wearing a flowered dress?

Was Hoover's boyfriend's casket with him.

[Solly Mack]

30. Oh now, I'm sure if Bush was a threat to America and Americans

or if he was engaging in violations of the Constitution, or attempting to circumvent the law in any way, that Congress would display courage and integrity, as well as a keen sense of justice, and do everything in its power to stop such a President.

[babylonsister]

32. How's that tongue an' cheek doing?

:rofl:

[Solly Mack]

33. I bit myself

:)

[DS1]

31. They write laws just like this solely for the signing statements allowing them do it

[tom_paine]

34. The Sovietization/Naziification of Imperial Amerika proceeds apace.

Is anyone truly surprised? And, if so, what fantasyland have you been living in these past seven years?

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

36. .

[bumblebee1]

37. Oh hell. Better start writing letters with big words. Bush will be reading them. n/t

[bluesmail]

39. is bush setting the stage for a signing statement

to suspend the general election? It's not so far out of mind, out of body. edit grammar

[crimsonblue]

40. WTF?

This is pure fucking bullshit. How hard would it be for engineers to make an xray machine that can read the inside contents of mail, even folded and multiple papers? I doubt it would be very hard at all... So I think we can expect xray machines at every sorting facility. In addition, how the fuck would spying on regular mail help in a ticking bomb scenario? Considering mail still takes 2-5 days for most people, how is this even feasable, unless you are "inspecting" every letter at the point of destination... Are we really living in this reality, because it seems like a shitty dystopian novel sometimes..

[Swamp Rat]

41. Welcome to DU... and reality.

[kenny blankenship]

42. Why is this criminal still running around free?

[bluesmail]

45. wait'll he uses a signing statement to suspend the election

HA! Sanctity of the mail! HA!

[Supersedeas]

46. Emily Lawrimore....another name always to be associated with the Bush cabal

[me b zola]

47. K&R

[laylah]

51. I never believed in hate

until these past 7 years. I hate that low-life fucker from hell and hope he experiences a slow and painful demise! What a bastard!