True, it does appear that warrants on entirely domestic calls are still required.
According to the NY Times:
"Under a presidential order signed in 2002, the intelligence agency has monitored the international telephone calls and international e-mail messages of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people inside the United States without warrants over the past three years in an effort to track possible "dirty numbers" linked to Al Qaeda, the officials said. The agency, they said, still seeks warrants to monitor entirely domestic communications."
However, that is entirely irrelevant as these warrant-free wire taps were still placed on calls generated from or leading to parties within the US. Now according to the 4th ammendment of my quaint little constitution -which if I'm not mistaken is still the "Law of the Land":
"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."
Granted, Mr.Yoo was able to convince Mr.President that this was legally justified, but many of the President's aides (especially his legal council) have led Mr. President astray. Not to mention that "Fishing Expeditions" are still illegal no matter what your justification.
Also, it seems that Chairman Spector thinks that this is pretty significant:
"That's wrong, clearly and categorically wrong," Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican, said today on the Senate floor. "This will be a matter for oversight by the Judiciary committee as soon as we can get to it in the new year -- a very, very high priority item."
Thats an ally.
Warning: I wouldn't cling too close to the apologists on this one. They're wrong, and Bush is going to get reemed. Sure they're gonna try and play the al Qaeda card on this one, but what choice do they have? Admit that they were wrong? No, I think beating back the critics by invoking 9/11 and the "War on Terror" are pretty much the only feasible option. Unfortunately for the President, he's cried wolf a few too many times, and other then the true believers, most Americans have gotten over his fear-mongoring. You don't fuck with civil liberties the way these clowns have without getting burned.
Check out a funny site dedicated to the absurdity and satire nature of saying "It's All George Bush's Fault!"
http://www.itsallgeorgebushsfault.com
Regards
Notta Libb
It seems that the onslaught with which the ever growing right wing media is using to discredit this story tells me there is something to it. Bush has been weakened. After being elected to a first term under questionable circumstances, unilaterally ending the ballistic missile treaty and Kyoto, going to war with dubious reasoning, completely blowing it with Social Security, CIA secret jails and flaunting the Geneva Convention with concern to torture, what fascinates me is that it has taken this long.
Um, If you haven't noticed, the Media is still liberal, still saying that the spying was domestic, and overall taking it out of proportion. The President only used it about 30 times, on international calls from known Al Queda terrorists. It is the Left-wing media that is spinning it, not the nonexistent right-wing. The "conservative" media never mentioned Carnivore or Echelon- why? Because Clinton was a Democrat, and Bush is a Republican. Not only that, Bush consulted with both the congress and the judicial branch, even Harry Reid admitted he was informed.
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