ThinkFast: February 15, 2008
ThinkFast: February 15, 2008
In the Washington Post today, Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell badgers the House to accept without reservation the Senate extension of the Protect America Act that includes retroactive immunity for telecoms, claiming there will be “gaps or lapses in gathering intelligence” if there is “a failure to shield private parties from liability.”
“There have been at least three accidental drug overdoses and four suicides” between June 2007 and Feb. 5 among soldiers “in so-called ‘warrior transition units‘” the Army set up to help soldiers make the move “toward either a return to uniform or back into civilian life.” Three other deaths are still under investigation, Army officials said yesterday.
Yesterday, Office of Legal Counsel head Steve Bradbury said the Justice Department hasn’t determined whether waterboarding would be unlawful. “The department, as I’ve tried to indicate, has not had occasion to address the question since the enactment of these new laws.” “It is the first time the administration has gone that far,” the AP noted.
“The Bush administration asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to review an appeals court decision that it said had created a ’serious threat to national security’ by requiring the government to supply extensive evidence supporting the classification of more than 180 Guantánamo detainees as enemy combatants.”
The federal government said it would “intensify its efforts to move Gulf Coast hurricane victims out of trailers and into apartments or hotels” after the CDC “confirmed that many trailers were contaminated with high levels of formaldehyde.” “About 38,000 families are still living in the trailers and mobile homes.”
“A federal judge ordered the Bush administration yesterday to tell him whether two CIA interrogation videos destroyed in 2005 were relevant to a case before him.” The Justice Department “has urged judges not to seek information about the tapes.”
Yesterday, Defense Secretary Robert Gates “privately rebuked a four-star general for suggesting the Air Force intended to buy twice as many sophisticated F-22 Raptor aircraft as the Bush administration had approved.” One senior official called Gen. Bruce Carlson’s remarks “borderline insubordination,” because they contradicted a decision by the president.
Iran has postponed a fourth round of talks between the U.S. and Iran “on security issues facing Iraq that had been expected to take place in Baghdad this week,” the U.S. embassy said on Thursday. “No reason was given for the delay.”
Two suicide attackers “targeted worshippers leaving a Shiite mosque Friday” in the northern Iraqi city of Tal Afar, “killing at least three people and wounding 17.”
And finally: At yesterday’s memorial service for Tom Lantos, U2’s Bono sang the late congressman’s wife a Valentine’s Day song: The Beatles’ “All You Need is Love.” Watch it here.
What did we miss? Let us know in the comments section.
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If you’re not still standing and cheering you didn’t hear Keith Olbermann’s Special Comment last night.
An outraged Keith called Bush a Fascist and Liar.
In a commentary that was specifically aimed at his cowardly, lazy and brain-dead associates in the corporate media Keith sent the message loud and clear…We are no longer afraid!
Did they hear Keith? Will they join him? Will they leave him twisting in the wind alone?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAArNJj8puA
February 15th, 2008 at 9:02 amMike McConnell was on NPR already this morning telling us Americans we have to grant immunity to Telcos even though we and Congress don’t even know what the Telcos are doing.
February 15th, 2008 at 9:14 amSURGE!
BAGHDAD – Baghdad florist Yussef Mohammed, who once sold flowers to Saddam Hussein, is not having a happy Valentine’s Day.
“There are not many customers buying roses,” he says, blaming the lack of security in the Iraqi capital for the fact that this year, as for the past three years, the focus has been more on making war than love.
In his shop in Baghdad’s central Karrada district, the scent of flowers freshens the air which is otherwise heavy with fumes, dust and despair.
Small glass boxes inscribed with the words “I Love You” in English sit on shelves alongside red cushions in the shape of hearts. But the customers are staying away.
“A few people bought roses yesterday but no one came in today,” says Mohammed despondently. “People are afraid of attacks. They are also hampered by the security measures which prevent them from moving freely.”
Not far from his shop, which he opened in the 1970s, 19 people were killed on Monday when two car bombs exploded one after the other.
February 15th, 2008 at 9:15 amAmericans, the only way we can keep you safe is to eliminate the 4th Amendment of your constitution. Do not worry, your government will never misuse this grant of power to intrude upon your private lives. Trust Big Brother. Love Big Brother.
February 15th, 2008 at 9:17 amAmericans, the only way we can keep you safe is to eliminate the 4th Amendment of your constitution. Do not worry, your government will never misuse this grant of power to intrude upon your private lives. Trust Big Brother. Love Big Brother.
Comment by Briseadh na Faire — February 15, 2008 @ 9:17 am
Ah, yes, the conservatives. They hate government intrusion — unless they’re the government.
February 15th, 2008 at 9:19 amI want to remind everyone here yesterday Senator Cornyn from Texas said we would be at risk of Telcos mishandling intelligence if we don’t shield Telcos from lawsuits.
February 15th, 2008 at 9:20 amclaiming there will be “gaps or lapses in gathering intelligence†if there is “a failure to shield private parties from liability.â€
WTF! If we don’t give permission to corporations to violate the law, there will be gaps in intelligence? Do these idiots really want to set a precedent that our government can have corporations break our laws with impunity?
February 15th, 2008 at 9:21 amAmericans, the only way we can keep you safe is to eliminate the 4th Amendment of your constitution. Do not worry, your government will never misuse this grant of power to intrude upon your private lives. Trust Big Brother. Love Big Brother.
Comment by Briseadh na Faire — February 15, 2008 @ 9:17 am
With the congress refusing a 21 day extension and closing shop we actually have the momentum in our favor. We need to capitalize on this.
Everyone needs to call their reps. and let them know we support them and will stand behind them if they refuse to put immunity in the legislation.
1-800-828-0498.
February 15th, 2008 at 9:22 am(Capitol Hill switchboard, ask operator to connect you to any Senator/Rep.)
that it said had created a ’serious threat to national security’ by requiring the government to supply extensive evidence supporting the classification of more than 180 Guantánamo detainees as enemy combatants.â€
So how is it a “serious threat to national security” to require our government to supply proof that these men at Guantanamo did anything wrong? The fact of the matter is that they have no proof. The Emperor has no Clothes.
February 15th, 2008 at 9:26 amOlbermann delivered another scathing commentary last night. See the video at CrooksandLiars.com, where you can download a transcript of you like.
February 15th, 2008 at 9:27 amYesterday, Defense Secretary Robert Gates “privately rebuked a four-star general for suggesting the Air Force intended to buy twice as many sophisticated F-22 Raptor aircraft as the Bush administration had approved.â€
Ok, I’m a little confused here. Did the four-star general let the cat out of the bag and that is what he is being reprimanded for? Or did the four-star general say something that is not true? My bet’s on the first one.
February 15th, 2008 at 9:29 amPerhaps Liebermann should be in charge of determining what is torture — Lieberman asserted that waterboarding isn’t torture because it leaves no “permanent damage.”
“It is not like putting burning coals on people’s bodies. The person is in no real danger. The impact is psychological,” Lieberman said.
How did this person ever become close to being vice president?
February 15th, 2008 at 9:30 amI want to remind everyone here yesterday Senator Cornyn from Texas said we would be at risk of Telcos mishandling intelligence if we don’t shield Telcos from lawsuits.
Comment by Guido OBGYN Lover
Ok, do you have an article to link to? This doesn’t make sense. Is he saying that the Telcoms will intentionally mishandle the data if we don’t shield them from lawsuits?
February 15th, 2008 at 9:33 amWith the congress refusing a 21 day extension and closing shop we actually have the momentum in our favor. We need to capitalize on this.
Comment by 2MillionLightYearsToAndromeda
I agree with the sentiments in your post, but I do believe that this statement is incorrect. Congress did not refuse a 21 day extension. Bush refused it. They offered a 21 day extension and Bush and the Republicans refused to take it in a power squeeze play that didn’t work this time, thank goodness.
February 15th, 2008 at 9:36 amThat is exactly what he implied. And there is no link. This is a soundbite that got played 4 times lastnight on 770 am radio in Dallas.
February 15th, 2008 at 9:37 amHow did this person ever become close to being vice president?
Comment by Marie
I know what you mean. I shudder every time I think about that possibility. I also wonder how he ever got on the ticket in the first place.
February 15th, 2008 at 9:38 am2 million, here’s the video:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/23174929#23174929
February 15th, 2008 at 9:39 amOk, do you have an article to link to? This doesn’t make sense. Is he saying that the Telcoms will intentionally mishandle the data if we don’t shield them from lawsuits?
Comment by bilbobaggins — February 15, 2008 @ 9:33 am
Well that makes perfect sense – if we don’t give them immunity, they’re going to cover up their illegal activities.
February 15th, 2008 at 9:42 amThat is exactly what he implied. And there is no link. This is a soundbite that got played 4 times lastnight on 770 am radio in Dallas.
Comment by Guido OBGYN Lover
God, talk about hyperbole. Here’s what he says on his website:
“I come to the floor to express my grave concern with reports out of the House of Representatives that they intend to adjourn and basically go on vacation for the next week or so without taking action on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Reauthorization Act. This is the legislation we passed out of the Senate, which provides the eyes and ears for the intelligence community in the United States to detect and to deter future terrorist attacks against the United States. It is unthinkable that the House of Representatives would adjourn and be so irresponsible as to leave this unfinished business undone and to leave America unprotected against future terrorist attacks.”
You will notice that there is no mention about 1) they turned down a 21 day extension and 2) Bush will veto the bill if it doesn’t have telcom immunity, thereby in their words “putting this country at risk”.
I am so happy that the Democrats in Congress finally grew enough of a spine that they are not allowing themselves to be bullied again. It’s too bad that the Senate couldn’t do the same.
February 15th, 2008 at 9:43 amas Olbermann pointed out,
1. Bush says without the FISA bill, countless American citizens will die.
2. Bush vetoed the FISA bill because it did not grant retroactive immunity to companies accused of violating the law.
ergo: Bush vetoed that which would prevent the needless deaths of countless American citizens just to protect a few phone companies from criminal liability.
Phone company profits mean more than American lives.
February 15th, 2008 at 9:44 amComment by bilbobaggins — February 15, 2008 @ 9:36 am
Thanks for correction.
February 15th, 2008 at 9:45 amHeh – they’re using the term “9iu11ani” at Crooks & Liars, too. Yay! It’s catching on! :)
February 15th, 2008 at 9:55 am#1 As Olberman said – It’s George W. Bush, the Fascist, who cares more about the corporate telecoms than the american people. He’s the one who vetoed the renewal of the FISA bill because it did not contain immunity. He’s the one who has the current FISA provisions in place for yet another year – yet he spews his fear mongering agenda on the people filled with lies and propaganda.
If we have a failure in security, it will be thanks to George W. Bush who has betrayed the people in favor of big business (this time the telecoms).
He’s been failing this country in terms of providing security for 7 years. It’s about time that the people stand up to this overreaching executive and put him in his place, where he belongs…..as a SERVANT OF THE PEOPLE.
February 15th, 2008 at 9:56 amBesides, what do the telecoms need immunity for if they’re not violating the FISA laws? FISA provides for “immediate spy power” with a defacto warrant to be secured within 72 hours of the spying….so what the heck would fall into the telecom category if not “ILLEGAL SPYING ON POLITICAL FOES OF THIS ADMINISTRATION”?
This is why Bush can’t provide info to congress about whom they’ve been spying on….this is why Bush can’t go to theFISA court for a defacto warrant…..this is precisely why George W. Bush is a traitor to our constitution.
February 15th, 2008 at 9:58 amYou can bet your bottom dollar that if Bush were actually spying on AQ or terrorists, he’d be sashaying this information all over congress and plastering it on every media outlet in the country.
I’d like to get more info on Sibel Edmonds blockbuster and how Grossman was traitoriously selling nuclear secrets to the middle east….along with high level pentagon officials….now this is making this country less secure if you ask me. The public deserves to hear Sibel out on this. The rest of the world is now hearing all about it yet our sycophantic media whores haven’t carried one shred of it. How do you say “propaganda tools”??
February 15th, 2008 at 10:00 amIt’s safe to say that the rest of the world is laughing their asses off at the United States right now. And here we sit listening to more Bush propaganda and lies. It’s time to turn the corner on this overt corruption. It’s time to begin to take back this country of ours. This is not the United States of the Bush Cabal – it’s still the country of the people, by the people, and for the people.
February 15th, 2008 at 10:01 amBesides, what do the telecoms need immunity for if they’re not violating the FISA laws? FISA provides for “immediate spy power†with a defacto warrant to be secured within 72 hours of the spying….so what the heck would fall into the telecom category if not “ILLEGAL SPYING ON POLITICAL FOES OF THIS ADMINISTRATION�
Comment by whatevah — February 15, 2008 @ 9:58 am
From Morning Edition today:
So the telcos did nothing illegal and therefore they have to be protected by federal law from being sued for something they did that wasn’t illegal.
Someone please explain this to me. I’m completely baffled.
February 15th, 2008 at 10:05 amThe public deserves to hear Sibel out on this. The rest of the world is now hearing all about it yet our sycophantic media whores haven’t carried one shred of it. How do you say “propaganda tools�?
Comment by whatevah — February 15, 2008 @ 10:00 am
Why doesn’t she just write a book? Richard Clarke did. Michael Scheuer did. Valerie Plame did. John Perkins did. If her story is that amazing, why not publish it and hit the talk show circuit?
February 15th, 2008 at 10:07 amhas any one seen or heard from keith this morning?
man, i fear for his safety…
BUT WASN’T THAT GREAT?!!!? WOO HOO!!!
watch your back, sir… and bring us MORE!
THANK YOU, KEITH OLBERMANN!
February 15th, 2008 at 10:13 amIf her story is that amazing, why not publish it and hit the talk show circuit?
Comment by toasterhead
I suspect that as long as the Republicans are in the White House, she just might have a hard time finding a publisher. I doubt that many publishers would be willing to go up against our current government.
February 15th, 2008 at 10:14 amAny fight fans here?
When two fighters meet the one who imposes his will on his opponent usually wins.
Mike Tyson was so menacing, during his reign as champion, he won most of his fights before the bell rung.
In February, 1990 a 42-1 unknown longshot named Buster Douglas imposed his will on the unbeatable Tyson.
The veneer of invincibilty of Iron Mike was forever broken. He was exposed for the bully that he was. He was never the same.
This is our nation’s Buster Douglas moment.
It’s time for the press and congress to stop being afraid. Past time. Way past time.
You know that Bush, like Tyson, is a bully. Expose him. Follow Buster Douglas’ lead. Take Olbermann’s advice. Fear no more.
It’s a battle of wills. Who will blink first? Bush will. And they know it.
No excuses anymore.
We can have our country back. Or we can slide further and irretrievably into the abyss.
Do you understand?
February 15th, 2008 at 10:14 amIt should be clear to even the most dense, conservative, bush-loving, brownnose that the reason Bush wants to continue the spying on Americans with telecom assistance is because he intends to spy on his political opponents, from Democrats, bloggers, to any one of us who speak out in disagreement with him.
For any actual intelligence issue, FISA courts do not deny the warrants, which can be granted retroactively, if time were of the essence. But domestic spying on ordinary Americans? No judge worthy of his office would agree to blatant destruction of the individual’s Constitutional rights – unless of course, he was appointed by Bush and bribed to act for him.
There is no plausible reason for Bush&Co to insist on this, except for nefarious reasons.
As for retroactive immunity for the telecoms — if there is no guilt there is no need for immunity.
February 15th, 2008 at 10:17 amI suspect that as long as the Republicans are in the White House, she just might have a hard time finding a publisher. I doubt that many publishers would be willing to go up against our current government.
Comment by bilbobaggins — February 15, 2008 @ 10:14 am
The big ones, probably not. But there are plenty of small, independent publishers who’d be willing to take the chance, and with Internet distribution they don’t need to worry about being rejected by Wal-Mart and Borders and the other retailers.
February 15th, 2008 at 10:19 am“There is no plausible reason for Bush&Co to insist on this, except for nefarious reasons.
As for retroactive immunity for the telecoms — if there is no guilt there is no need for immunity.”
Comment by Marie
I think it’s just the authoritarian nature of republicans. This “tool” is also being used to build drug-trafficing, industrial espionnage, child-porn, and other cases totally unrelated to terrorism. They were unable to get evidence before, but this unchecked power has allowed them the access they were formerly denied – to wiretap anybody at all, with no oversight.
February 15th, 2008 at 10:23 amthe story about the CDC and the FEMA trailers is curious…
just a few days ago i posted some headlines about FEMA using
trailers for tornado victims… now what?
here are some stories:
February 15th, 2008 at 10:23 amhttp://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=&q=FEMA+TRAILERS%2C+TORNADO&btnG=Search+News
The Bush administration asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to review an appeals court decision that it said had created a ’serious threat to national security’ by requiring the government to supply extensive evidence supporting the classification of more than 180 Guantánamo detainees as enemy combatants.
********************************************
Oh, of course — deity forfend that the Bush administration should actually be expected or required to provide evidence in support of the decisions they make, right?
Actually, considering how reliable the “evidence” that the Bush administration produced to justify the War In Iraq turned out to be — which is to say virtually not at all — one is inclined to wonder how much confidence could reasonably be placed in any evidence the Bush administration happened to produce…
February 15th, 2008 at 10:31 amI suspect that as long as the Republicans are in the White House, she just might have a hard time finding a publisher. I doubt that many publishers would be willing to go up against our current government.
Comment by bilbobaggins — February 15, 2008 @ 10:14 am
The big ones, probably not. But there are plenty of small, independent publishers who’d be willing to take the chance, and with Internet distribution they don’t need to worry about being rejected by Wal-Mart and Borders and the other retailers.
Comment by toasterhead — February 15, 2008 @ 10:19 am
There are plenty of publishers who would have no trouble with a book like this, and not just the little guys. Penguin published “Fiasco”, for one example off my shelf.
February 15th, 2008 at 10:31 amThere are plenty of publishers who would have no trouble with a book like this, and not just the little guys. Penguin published “Fiascoâ€, for one example off my shelf.
Comment by gummitch — February 15, 2008 @ 10:31 am
Exactly. And if they balk, she can type it up, distill it to PDF, and distribute it virally. I don’t get why she’s pushing so hard for a TV interview.
February 15th, 2008 at 10:34 amTwo suicide attackers “targeted worshippers leaving a Shiite mosque Friday†in the northern Iraqi city of Tal Afar, “killing at least three people and wounding 17.â€
a little word switching and you have home-grown terror:
One suidice attacker “targetted students gathered in a lecture hall
February 15th, 2008 at 10:38 amon Thursday” in the northern Illinois town of DeKalb at the campus of
Northern Illinois University, “killing at least 7 and wounding 16.”
Key US Lawmakers Seek To Resolve Standoff Over Wiretap Bill
Voice of America - 2 hours ago
By Deborah Tate The chairman of the US Senate Intelligence Committee is to meet with his House counterpart Friday to try to resolve the political standoff over legislation to overhaul wiretapping legislation before current law expires Saturday.
[...]
The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Senator Jay Rockefeller, a Democrat from West Virgnia, is to meet with his House counterpart, Democratic Congressman Silvestre Reyes of Texas, in an effort to end the standoff. He believes that much of the problem is political, that House Democrats did not want to be pressured to accept the Senate bill without adequate time to consider it.
“There is something called human nature. It is not illegal to talk about human nature on the floor of the United States Senate. They have been jammed, they have been pushed down to a two or three-day period when they need to make a decision. They resent that. But if they were given a period of time, they would come, in my judgment, to where we are, and the bill would go to the president and he would sign it,” he said.
Rockefeller played a key role in getting the Democratically-led Senate to approve the provision granting legal immunity to phone companies.
what a condescending jack-off…
February 15th, 2008 at 10:46 amsounds like we’d better be shoring up reyes’ back…
send him some love, folks…
Analyst Says Bush’s Africa Trip Avoids Controversial Countries
By James Butty
Washington, D.C.
15 February 2008
President Bush is scheduled to leave Friday on a visit to Africa that will take him to five countries, including Benin, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana and Liberia. The President had said Thursday that he might delay his departure if it would help the U.S. Congress pass new rules for a domestic spying program that is expected to expire this Saturday.
Robert Rotberg is Adjunct Professor of Public Policy and director of the program on intra-state conflict at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He told VOA President Bush’s trip to Africa is an easy one and somewhat disappointing because the president is going to less controversial countries.
“He picked some countries where there is no controversy and where he avoids all the critical issues of Africa. The countries that he needs to talk about are not the ones he’s visiting. He needs to talk about Kenya, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Chad and Congo, but he’s not visiting any of those countries. He can even talk about Nigeria. But he’s going to Benin possibly because it would provide him an opportunity to talk about some of the democratic progress that Benin has made,†he said.
[...]
http://www.voanews.com/english/Africa/2008-02-15-voa5.cfm
imagine that…
February 15th, 2008 at 10:52 amSyria ‘to name Mughniyeh killer’
BBC News – 1 hour ago
Syria has said it will soon present “irrefutable” proof of who was behind the killing of Hezbollah commander Imad Mughniyeh in Damascus on Tuesday.
Israel’s ‘Non-Denial Denial’ Wall Street Journal
Hezbollah Chief Warns Israel of Wide War Washington Post
uuuuuuuughhh…
February 15th, 2008 at 11:02 amHow did we end up with a Director of National Intelligence who looks like Mr Whipple?
February 15th, 2008 at 11:08 amwell… slow news for now…
watch out though… it’s news dump friday…
i’m off today… on the road…
play fair.
February 15th, 2008 at 11:08 amIn the Washington Post today, Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell badgers the House to accept without reservation the Senate extension of the Protect America Act that includes retroactive immunity for telecoms, claiming there will be “gaps or lapses in gathering intelligence†if there is “a failure to shield private parties from liability.â€
Ya think McConnell has seen Sylvester Reye’s letter to Bush yet?
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Intel_chair_to_Bush_on_FISA_0214.html
President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
The Preamble to our Constitution states that one of our highest duties as public officials is to “provide for the common defence.” As an elected Member of Congress, a senior Member of the House Armed Services Committee, and Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, I work everyday to ensure that our defense and intelligence capabilities remain strong in the face of serious threats to our national security.
Because I care so deeply about protecting our country, I take strong offense to your suggestion in recent days that the country will be vulnerable to terrorist attack unless Congress immediately enacts legislation giving you broader powers to conduct warrantless surveillance of Americans’ communications and provides legal immunity for telecommunications companies that participated in the Administration’s warrantless surveillance program.
Today, the National Security Agency (NSA) has authority to conduct surveillance in at least three different ways, all of which provide strong capability to monitor the communications of possible terrorists.
First, NSA can use its authority under Executive Order 12333 to conduct surveillance abroad of any known or suspected terrorist. There is no requirement for a warrant. There is no requirement for probable cause. Most of NSA’s collection occurs under this authority.
Second, NSA can use its authority under the Protect America Act, enacted last August, to conduct surveillance here in the U.S of any foreign target. This authority does not “expire” on Saturday, as you have stated. Under the PAA, orders authorizing surveillance may last for one year – until at least August 2008. These orders may cover every terrorist group without limitation. If a new member of the group is identified, or if a new phone number or email address is identified, the NSA may add it to the existing orders, and surveillance can begin immediately. We will not “go dark.”
Third, in the remote possibility that a new terrorist organization emerges that we have never previously identified, the NSA could use existing authority under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to monitor those communications. Since its establishment nearly 30 years ago, the FISA Court has approved nearly every application for a warrant from the Department of Justice. In an emergency, NSA or the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) may begin surveillance immediately, and a FISA Court order does not have to be obtained for three days. The former head of FISA operations for the Department of Justice has testified publicly that emergency authorization may be granted in a matter of minutes.
As you know, the 1978 FISA law, which has been modernized and updated numerous times since 9/11, was instrumental in disrupting the terrorist plot in Germany last summer. Those who say that FISA is outdated do not understand the strength of this important tool.
If our nation is left vulnerable in the coming months, it will not be because we don’t have enough domestic spying powers. It will be because your Administration has not done enough to defeat terrorist organizations – including al Qaeda — that have gained strength since 9/11. We do not have nearly enough linguists to translate the reams of information we currently collect. We do not have enough intelligence officers who can penetrate the hardest targets, such as al Qaeda. We have surged so many intelligence resources into Iraq that we have taken our eye off the ball in Afghanistan and Pakistan. As a result, you have allowed al Qaeda to reconstitute itself on your watch.
You have also suggested that Congress must grant retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies. As someone who has been briefed on our most sensitive intelligence programs, I can see no argument why the future security of our country depends on whether past actions of telecommunications companies are immunized.
The issue of telecom liability should be carefully considered based on a full review of the documents that your Administration withheld from Congress for eight months. However, it is an insult to the intelligence of the American people to say that we will be vulnerable unless we grant immunity for actions that happened years ago.
Congress has not been sitting on its hands. Last November, the House passed responsible legislation to authorize the NSA to conduct surveillance of foreign terrorists and to provide clarity and legal protection to our private sector partners who assist in that surveillance.
The proper course is now to conference the House bill with the Senate bill that was passed on Tuesday. There are significant differences between these two bills and a conference, in regular order, is the appropriate mechanism to resolve the differences between these two bills. I urge you, Mr. President, to put partisanship aside and allow Republicans in Congress to arrive at a compromise that will protect America and protect our Constitution.
I, for one, do not intend to back down – not to the terrorists and not to anyone, including a President, who wants Americans to cower in fear.
We are a strong nation. We cannot allow ourselves to be scared into suspending the Constitution. If we do that, we might as well call the terrorists and tell them that they have won.
Sincerely,
Silvestre Reyes
February 15th, 2008 at 11:44 amMember of Congress
Chairman, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
“The Bush administration asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to review an appeals court decision that it said had created a ’serious threat to national security’ by requiring the government to supply extensive evidence supporting the classification of more than 180 Guantánamo detainees as enemy combatants.â€
Bingo! We can’t release the evidence that you’re a terrerest, because that would put the country in peril from terrerests…
Circular logic that would send Excel crashing down in flames.
February 15th, 2008 at 11:49 amIranian Oil Bourse Opening
The Iranian Oil Bourse establishing Euro-based pricing of oil is set to open on February 19th 2008 and could have devastating effects on the US dollar.
Currently all three major oil markets (WTI, NYMEX, IPE) trade barrels of oil in US dollars. Consequently any country buying oil needs dollars to pay for it. This enables the US Federal Reserve to issue huge volumes of dollars to meet increasing demand for oil. In return oil producing nations invest dollar proceeds in US treasury bills, allowing for the current US budget deficit.
But this balance may become unsettled after a fourth major oil market opens this month, trading in Euros: the Iranian Oil Bourse (IOB).
Unlike other bourses, the IOB relies on a peer-to-peer trading model, using the Internet. IOB has been in the works for several years and encountered many hurdles on the way, the last of which are severed underwater internet cables creating an Internet outage throughout the Middle East days before the IOB’s opening and prompting conspiracy theories. In recent years the US has outfitted some of its submarines with the capability to splice optical fiber underwater so these theories may not be far-fetched.
http://oil-price.net
THATS WHAT CUTTING INTERNET CABLE WAS ABOUT
February 15th, 2008 at 12:27 pmTwo suicide attackers “targeted worshippers leaving a Shiite mosque Friday†in the northern Iraqi city of Tal Afar, “killing at least three people and wounding 17.â€
A little word switching and you have home-grown terror:
One suidice attacker “targeted students gathered in a lecture hall
on Thursday†in the northern Illinois town of DeKalb at the campus of
Northern Illinois University, “killing at least 7 and wounding 16.†— Katy
****************************************
Katy, didn’t you get the memo? It’s impossible for an American to really be a terrorist or for a terrorist to really be an American, and it doesn’t matter if the actions are effectively the same once the ideology is removed. After all, if memory serves, Eric Rudolph wasn’t charged with committing acts of terrorism despite bombing not only the Atlanta Olympics but also abortion clinics and at least one gay/lesbian nightclub — nor was he accused of being an “enemy combatant”, stripped of his American citizenship and his Constitutional rights, or refused trial for his crimes.
February 15th, 2008 at 1:12 pmFull court press on the “We have no argument to make but fear itself” front. Between Dubya’s “They’re gonna getcha if I don’t have my way, Boehner’s “I’ll hold my breath until I turn blue”, and McConnel’s prevarications, I’m ready to hurl.
February 15th, 2008 at 5:25 pm.
Q U E S T I O N:
If warrantless wiretapping is the patriotic thing to do, during a time of war, to keep America safe, so that we can fight them there, so as to not fight them here, then why the need for immunity?
The Fourth Amendment is clear… thus the need for immunity… NO?
So, is the Fourth Amendment incorrect?
Is the Fourth Amendment an Amendment that lacks in Patriotic cause?
.
February 15th, 2008 at 6:44 pmi’m just hearing crickets, max…
but i’m gonna say “NO”…
…
have been getting those memos for years, Bluestocking…
such a sad sad state we are in…
my heart aches for the families torn by the violence… ALL of them…
February 15th, 2008 at 9:22 pm…