NSA Wiring Telecoms For More Domestic Spying

New York Times:

For months, the Bush administration has waged a high-profile campaign, including personal lobbying by President Bush and closed-door briefings by top officials, to persuade Congress to pass legislation protecting companies from lawsuits for aiding the National Security Agency's warrantless eavesdropping program.

But the battle is really about something much bigger. At stake is the federal government's extensive but uneasy partnership with industry to conduct a wide range of secret surveillance operations in fighting terrorism and crime.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[Mark701]

10:33 AM on 12/17/2007

"A government official said the N.S.A. intended to single out only foreigners on Qwest’s network..."
Do these people think we're fucking stupid? My God that's almost verbatim what Bush said when he claimed to be monitoring only overseas calls. They are all lying pigs.
Here's the deal. If not already doing it, the government wants to know your every move. They want to know what you saying, doing, reading, spending money on, where you are, the books your read, the people you know, the man or woman you have sex with, the clothes you wear, the food you eat, when your sick, when you crap or if your constipated. They want us to be totally transparent to them. They claim only to want this during the times of emergencies or national security issues. But who decides what an emergency or national security issue is??? Contrast this with the fact that Cheney removed the sign in list from the Whitehouse because he felt it was an invasion of privacy for Americans to know who was coming and going from there. He had the air photo of his house scrubbed from google earth, he refuses to keep notes on important conversations, nobody ever seems to know where he is. Again I ask, do these pigs actually think we're so fucking stupid that they can tell outrageous lies and get away with it. My God, if there was ever a case for revolution, this is it.

[MajorKong]

10:34 PM on 12/16/2007

George Orwell is banging on the lid of his coffin and shouting "1984 was a cautionary tale you idiots! Not a how-to manual!"

[ejeder]

09:34 PM on 12/16/2007

I really hope the Democrats have the guts to block him on this.

This man wants to turn this country into a police state.

[milo9]

09:19 PM on 12/16/2007

The New York Times revealed that the Bush Administration is following the same pattern as the runup to the war in Iraq. Notice the wandering rational, first the illegal wiretapping was to protect us from the terrorists, now since that excuse lost it's potency, they're throwing in the old "War on Drugs". Why, again, did they have to break the law? And pray tell, why must they have these unlimited spying powers without a watchdog looking over their shoulders?

Congress is about to cover up the Bush Administration's lawbreaking. It's a sin of commission unlike their inability to stop the war. If you haven't ever called your Senator, now's a good time to start.
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Don't be afraid it's for a good cause: freedom.

[charon]

07:21 PM on 12/16/2007

Likely as not they are monitoring HuffPo, and have all of us cross-referenced with all our posts. While the trolls have wet-dreams of those on the left getting waterboarded, I doubt it'll come to that.

Just another bunch of treasonous bushies wasting our time and taxes eavesdropping on Americans.

[BlueStateMan]

05:28 PM on 12/16/2007

Sorry if I seem to proselytizing here.... but if we are TRULY fed up with the monied interests stranglehold on our government, the ONLY viable candidate who has proven himself time again in his abilities to rein the corporations in is John Edwards.

Does anyone think that he would EVER sign something like this Telecom Bill..... or that ATROCIOUS "Energy Bill" (writ in big oil) that just got through?

EDWARDS / DODD

EDWARDS / OBAMA

[Vr6]

04:47 PM on 12/16/2007

Are we still a real Republic, or just pussies?

[GoodwithWood]

04:42 PM on 12/16/2007

John Lennon ain’t around to wire tap any more so who they listening to now?

The Dixie Chicks
Bruce Springsteen
Pink
Eminem
Pearl Jam
Dave Matthews
Jackson Browne
Bonnie Raitt
John Mellencamp
REM

??????
GWW

[HumeSkeptic]

04:41 PM on 12/16/2007

Since the first news of wire-tapping came out, if there are any terrorists discussing their plans over phone lines or on the internet, they need to get in touch with a mental hospital, immediately. If they don't, they might turn just as stupid as, for example, sgtjiggs.

[Vr6]

04:38 PM on 12/16/2007

Who write the Laws, who passes them and what do you know about Anti-Trust Law, let alone the precedent that this BS establishes. The shower of men that call themselves the administration, have repeatedly shown themselves to be liars, crony-ists, pederasts, charlatans and just about everything else you'd not want a Politician to be - and you still find the notion of giving up freedoms as OK? - If that's you, then ask yourself - what gives you the right to be the arbiter of others rights? I think the answer you give is based in anger and ignorance - eitherway you're an arsehole!

[LaFeminazi]

04:31 PM on 12/16/2007

Looks like Ilikedod.

The troll QB

Got sacked

[bija]

04:26 PM on 12/16/2007

Why does Bush get to break the law and get away with it? I am sick of having my civil liberties taken away!

[KewlHand]

04:24 PM on 12/16/2007

Hey, I can think of an act of omission that had bad consequences. Dubya ommitted catching bin Laden when he was cornered in Tora Bora. He ommitted catching al Zawahiri and Mullah Omar of the Taliban as well. But I guess Dubya was too busy hacking into my computer.

[JackSlappyNotYourPappy]

04:17 PM on 12/16/2007

.

*** BREAKING NEWS - BREAKING NEWS ***
________________________________

Bye Bye Awe Shucks Huck!

"Huckabee Squashed Charges Against His Son For Stoning, Hanging Dog"

Seems junior has a little Michael Vick in him!

Link: http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/12/16/huckabee-squashed-charges-against-his-son-for-stoning-hanging-dog/
.

[KewlHand]

04:12 PM on 12/16/2007

ATTN; JOHNKEMP

Acts of omission always have more grave results than do acts of commission; libs have yet to figure that one out.

??? Could you back this up with some specific examples??? Always???