Wiretapping

Did NSA Illegally Wiretap A Scholar? Congressional Panel Wants To Know

New York Times | ERIC LICHTBLAU and JAMES RISEN | Posted 01.07.2009 | Home


WASHINGTON -- A Congressional oversight panel plans to ask the National Security Agency to start an investigation into new evidence that the agency il...

A Coup in Canada?

Emma Ruby-Sachs | Posted 01.02.2009 | Politics


Emma Ruby-Sachs

It's an exciting time the United States, but there are even bigger things happening to the north. No, it's not picking a national security team. Canada is on the verge of a coup.

Kristol Calls On Bush To Pardon Torturers And Wiretappers

Think Progress | Posted 12.30.2008 | Politics


In his new Weekly Standard column, right-wing pundit Bill Kristol lays out a to-do list for President Bush before he leaves office. He urges Bush to d...

Gitmo Gotcha, You Betcha

Jeff Schweitzer | Posted 11.20.2008 | Politics


Jeff Schweitzer

Illegal conduct implemented at Gitmo has now metastasized to the shores of the United States. Where is the outrage?

White House: Spying Misconduct, Which Included Eavesdropping On Phone Sex, Must Be Investigated

AFP | Posted 11.14.2008 | Politics


The White House spokesperson Dana Perino said today that she couldn't speak to the accuracy of an ABC news report that came out last week citing misco...

Friday Talking Points [51] -- Some Positivity

Chris Weigant | Posted 11.10.2008 | Politics


Chris Weigant

While we're all waiting for someone to leak the Palin Troopergate Report (which is reminiscent of waiting for "Fitzmas" during the whole Scooter Libby...

Finally, Whistleblowers Report from the Inside on the NSA Program

Shayana Kadidal | Posted 11.09.2008 | Politics


Shayana Kadidal

Finally, thanks to Brian Ross and surveillance expert Jim Bamford we have a report from the inside on what the NSA was eavesdropping on. And the facts are almost as bad as we expected.

Domestic Wiretapping First Hand Account: NSA Listened To Phone Sex

ABC | BRIAN ROSS, VIC WALTER, and ANNA SCHECTER | Posted 11.09.2008 | Politics


Despite pledges by President George W. Bush and American intelligence officials to the contrary, hundreds of US citizens overseas have been eavesdropp...

Friday Talking Points [48] -- Throwing Out The Rulebook

Chris Weigant | Posted 10.20.2008 | Politics


Chris Weigant

Back in Volume 36 of this Friday Talking Points column, I pointed out what seemed to me to be an obvious observation -- that the media was going a lot...

New FBI Rules Would Make Domestic Surveillance Even Easier

Washington Post | Carrie Johnson | Posted 10.13.2008 | Politics


The Justice Department will unveil changes to FBI ground rules today that would put much more power into the hands of line agents pursuing leads on na...

Jason Linkins

Slate's Mapped Diagram Of Administration Wrongdoing Demonstrates The Awfulness Of Alberto Gonzalez

HuffingtonPost.com | Jason Linkins | Posted 08.04.2008 | Politics


The only thing in all the world I love more than flowcharts, which are awesome, are Venn diagrams. I especially adore interactive Venn diagrams and I...

FISA Fight: Attack Of The Epic Failure

Martin Bosworth | Posted 07.17.2008 | Politics


Martin Bosworth

This was a battle the Democrats absolutely could have won. Instead, they knuckled under and granted a corrupt and authoritarian president one of his greatest victories.

Are Progressives Making Too Big A Deal Out Of FISA?

Matthew Yglesias | Posted 07.16.2008 | Politics


Scott wonders if people are making too big a deal out of FISA: While I understand there are dozens of real policy difference to disagree with Pre...

The Spying Started Before September 11 -- That's The Whole Point

Dave Johnson | Posted 07.13.2008 | Politics


Dave Johnson

Despite what the LA Times said on Saturday, spying actually started a few weeks after Bush took office -- at a time when the administration was ignoring the terrorist threat.

Why We Don't Mind Uncle Sam Tapping Our Phones

Joel Schwartzberg | Posted 07.11.2008 | Living


Joel Schwartzberg

I guess it makes more sense to celebrate our freedom from government tyranny and interference before we give them the okay to monitor our private conversations. No one wants to be a party pooper.

In the Theater of the Obtuse

Leslie Harris | Posted 07.01.2008 | Politics


Leslie Harris

The new FISA bill makes U.S. citizens' most private conversations when communicating with people abroad rendered more vulnerable to eavesdropping without adequate judicial oversight. Some in Congress see this as a compromise.

Friday Talking Points [36] -- End The Media's Pro-McCain Bias! Now!!

Chris Weigant | Posted 06.28.2008 | Media


Chris Weigant

McCain has joked that the media is "his base" of support. It was a funny line, but there is a truth at its core: the media has been hard on Obama but unbelievably light on McCain. And this has to stop. Now.

FISA: It's Time For Some Accountability

Kevin Powell | Posted 06.28.2008 | Politics


Kevin Powell

I cannot sit idly by and watch Congress cut backroom deals on warrantless wiretapping. I urge all Congresspeople of conscious to reject any bill that would grant big telephone companies immunity.

Senate Dems Won't Block Wiretapping Compromise

The Hill | Manu Raju | Posted 06.25.2008 | Politics


Senate Democratic leaders said Tuesday that they would not stand in the way of a compromise overhaul of the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act...

Debate Questions I'd (Still) Like To Ask

Chris Weigant | Posted 04.24.2008 | Politics


Chris Weigant

Unfortunately these questions remain largely unanswered, almost two months after the last debate.

Jason Linkins

Alarmist Lede Drives Times Wiretap Story

HuffingtonPost.com | Jason Linkins | Posted 03.28.2008 | Politics


The New York Time's Eric Lichtblau is all a flutter today because, as his headline reads, "In Wiretap's Stead, Uncertainty." Harrowing, terrifying, "...

Court Rejects ACLU Challenge to Wiretaps

AP | MARK SHERMAN | Posted 03.28.2008 | Politics


WASHINGTON — An attempt to blast a crippled U.S. spy satellite out of the sky using a Navy heat-seeking missile _ possibly on Wednesday night _ ...

Wiretap Law Expires As Dems Stand Up To Bush

TPMmuckraker | Paul Kiel | Posted 03.28.2008 | Politics


What happened? The administration did everything right. The invocation of "countless American lives" hanging in the balance, the specter of terrorists...

Bush Admin Plan To Broaden Wiretapping Powers Gains Victory In Senate

New York Times | ERIC LICHTBLAU | Posted 03.28.2008 | Politics


A White House plan to broaden the National Security Agency's wiretapping powers won a key procedural victory in the Senate on Thursday, as backers def...

Cheney Wants Surveillance Law Expanded

AP | TOM RAUM | Posted 03.28.2008 | Politics


WASHINGTON — Vice President Dick Cheney prodded Congress on Wednesday to extend and broaden an expiring surveillance law, saying "fighting the w...