Ending NSA’s TSP
Prior to Wednesday, Democrats could say that they didn’t want to shut the NSA’s TSP down, that they only wanted the “White House to follow the law.” That facade is gone now that 71 Democrats and a Socialist filed an amicus brief to a lawsuit asking the courts to shut the program down.
“It is very disturbing that, on the same day we learn that the NSA has been secretly collecting the phone records of tens of millions of Americans, we also learn that the Department of Justice has abruptly cancelled its investigation into the Agency’s warrantless wiretapping program,” said Rep. John Conyers, the ranking House Judiciary Democrat who is spearheading the initiative. “These developments clearly point to the urgent need for oversight and review of this program. Congress has failed to provide this critical oversight which has led us to the courts.”
Mr. Conyers would be a national embarassment if he weren’t such a nobody. He was quick to express outrage when the 9/11 Commission said we didn’t connect the dots. Now he’s outraged that we’re connecting the dots. That makes sense but only in the mind of a liberal.
“As our brief makes clear, this Congress dealt with this issue authoritatively almost 30 years ago, warrantless spying on American soil is flatly prohibited,” Conyers added. Conyers cited the Church Committee, a special senatorial committee in the 1970s that gave Congress more oversight of the intelligence community in the wake of President Nixon’s Watergate scandal.
No, it isn’t, Mr. Conyers. Sit down and shut up. Forever.
The following 72 Representatives signed the amicus brief:
John Conyers, Jr. , MI, Neil Abercrombie, HI, Gary Ackerman, NY, Brian Baird, WA, Tammy Baldwin, WI, Howard Berman, CA, Shelley Berkley, NV, Earl Blumenauer, OR,Rick Boucher, VA, Corrine Brown, FL, Michael Capuano, MA, Julia Carson, IN, William Clay, MO, Artur Davis, AB, Peter DeFazio, OR, Diana DeGette, CO, William Delahunt, MA, Sam Farr, CA, Chaka Fattah, PA, Barney Frank, MA, Al Green, TX, Raul Grijalva, AZ, Maurice Hinchey, NY, Ruben Hinojosa, CA, Michael Honda, CA, Jesse Jackson, JR, IL, Sheila Jackson-Lee, TX, Eddie Bernice Johnson, TX, Stephanie Tubbs-Jones, OH, Dale Kildee, MI, Carolyn Kilpatrick, MI, Dennis Kucinich, OH, Tom Lantos, CA, Barbara Lee, CA, Zoe Lofgren, CA, John Lewis, GA, Carolyn Maloney, NY, Edward Markey, MA, Jim McDermott, WA, James McGovern, MA, Marty Meehan, MA, George Miller, CA, James Moran, VA, Jerrold Nadler, NY, Eleanor Holmes Norton, DC, James Oberstar, MN, John Olver, MA, Major Owens, NY, Don Payne, NJ, Charlie Rangel, NY, Linda Chavez, CA, Bernie Sanders, VT, Janice Schakowsky, IL, Bobby Scott, VA, Jose Serrano, NY, Brad Sherman, CA, Louise Slaughter, NY, Hilda Solis, CA, Fortney Pete Stark, CA, Bennie Thompson, MI, John Tierney, MA, Tom Udall, NM, Chris Van Hollen, MD, Debbie Wasserman-Shultz, FL, Melvin Watt, NC, Maxine Waters, CA, Diane Watson, CA, Henry Waxman, CA, Robert Wexler, FL, Lynn Woolsey, CA, David Wu, OR, Albert Wynn, MD.
It’s time for America to notice how little Democrats care about protecting the American people. They demand that we connect the dots but then file lawsuits to prevent the dots from being connected. That’s logical only in the mind of a liberal.
UPDATE:
Michelle Malkin: “In Defense of The NSA”
Technorati Tags: NSA, National Security, Democrats
Cross-post at LetFreedomRingBlog
May 12th, 2006 at 11:41 am
[...] Cross-posted at California Conservative Categories: Homeland Security, National Security, Moonbats, Terrorism | [...]
May 12th, 2006 at 12:00 pm
And exactly which dots is it that we’re connecting? Please enlighten us.
May 12th, 2006 at 2:26 pm
The dots that we don’t hear details about. That we don’t hear about them doesn’t mean they aren’t happening. I saw a report on TV this morning that the NSA TSP has stopped roughly 300 attacks since 9/11. Obviously, I can’t verify that but I wouldn’t be surprised by it, either.
May 12th, 2006 at 2:41 pm
NSA secret database report triggers fierce debate in Washington
A massive government database containing the phone records of tens of millions of Americans reporte
May 12th, 2006 at 3:34 pm
SB, Here’s something that Hugh Hewitt had posted on terrorist plots thwarted:
07 October 2005
White House Issues List of 10 Foiled al-Qaida Plots Foiled plots targeted U.S. government, tourists
In a major address outlining his strategy on the war against terrorism delivered to the National Endowment for Democracy October 6, President Bush said that 10 major al-Qaida plots were disrupted since September 11, 2001 — two involving a plan to use commercial airliners to attack targets on the East and West Coasts of the United States. (See transcript.)
The president said the United States and its partners had also foiled at least five additional al-Qaida efforts to case potential U.S. government sites and locations frequented by tourists.
For more on U.S. policy, see Response to Terrorism.
The following October 6 White House fact sheet offers background to the president’s references:
(begin fact sheet)
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
October 6, 2005
Plots, Casings, And Infiltrations Referenced In President Bush’s Remarks On The War On Terror
“Overall, the United States and our partners have disrupted at least 10 serious al-Qaida terrorist plots since September 11 — including three al-Qaida plots to attack inside the United States. We have stopped at least five more al-Qaida efforts to case targets in the United States or infiltrate operatives into our country.”
10 PLOTS
1. The West Coast Airliner Plot: In mid-2002 the U.S. disrupted a plot to attack targets on the West Coast of the United States using hijacked airplanes. The plotters included at least one major operational planner involved in planning the events of 9/11.
2. The East Coast Airliner Plot: In mid-2003 the U.S. and a partner disrupted a plot to attack targets on the East Coast of the United States using hijacked commercial airplanes.
3. The Jose Padilla Plot: In May 2002 the U.S. disrupted a plot that involved blowing up apartment buildings in the United States. One of the plotters, Jose Padilla, also discussed the possibility of using a “dirty bomb” in the U.S.
4. The 2004 U.K. Urban Targets Plot: In mid-2004 the U.S. and partners disrupted a plot that involved urban targets in the United Kingdom. These plots involved using explosives against a variety of sites.
5. The 2003 Karachi Plot: In the Spring of 2003 the U.S. and a partner disrupted a plot to attack Westerners at several targets in Karachi, Pakistan.
6. The Heathrow Airport Plot: In 2003 the U.S. and several partners disrupted a plot to attack Heathrow Airport [outside London] using hijacked commercial airliners. The planning for this attack was undertaken by a major 9/11 operational figure.
7. The 2004 U.K. Plot: In the Spring of 2004 the U.S. and partners, using a combination of law enforcement and intelligence resources, disrupted a plot to conduct large-scale bombings in the U.K.
8. The 2002 Arabian Gulf Shipping Plot: In late 2002 and 2003 the U.S. and a partner nation disrupted a plot by al-Qa’ida operatives to attack ships in the Arabian Gulf.
9. The 2002 Straits of Hormuz Plot: In 2002 the U.S. and partners disrupted a plot to attack ships transiting the Straits of Hormuz.
10. The 2003 Tourist Site Plot: In 2003 the U.S. and a partner nation disrupted a plot to attack a tourist site outside the United States.
FIVE CASINGS AND INFILTRATIONS
1. The U.S. Government & Tourist Sites Tasking: In 2003 and 2004, an individual was tasked by al-Qa’ida to case important U.S. government and tourist targets within the United States.
2. The Gas Station Tasking: In approximately 2003, an individual was tasked to collect targeting information on U.S. gas stations and their support mechanisms on behalf of a senior al-Qa’ida planner.
3. Iyman Faris & the Brooklyn Bridge: In 2003, and in conjunction with a partner nation, the U.S. government arrested and prosecuted Iyman Faris, who was exploring the destruction of the Brooklyn Bridge in New York. Faris ultimately pleaded guilty to providing material support to al-Qa’ida and is now in a federal correctional institution.
4. 2001 Tasking: In 2001, al-Qa’ida sent an individual to facilitate post-September 11 attacks in the U.S. U.S. law enforcement authorities arrested the individual.
5. 2003 Tasking: In 2003, an individual was tasked by an al-Qa’ida leader to conduct reconnaissance on populated areas in the U.S.
I don’t know if each of these were thwarted by the NSA’s TSP but I know a couple were because they were cited by President Bush.
May 12th, 2006 at 6:36 pm
This is an old list, and for the most part, it is rehashing information that was previously known, and previously discredited as far as the NSA spying on average Americans. Most of the points that Bush (and you) profer were substantiated by Khalid Sheik Mohammed. After he was captured. And it wasn’t over the telephone.
So, you suggest that if the liar-in-chief says it, we should just believe it? Hardly. This administration is truth- and honesty-challenged, and its hard to tell if what they’re claiming is innuendo, exaggerated, or a total fabrication.
I think the most telling argument that the illegal data collection conducted by the NSA is without merit is that if it were truely working, we wouldn’t have found out from USA Today… we would have heard all about it from Bush during the election. Instead, we get another lie: “… any time you hear the United States government talking about wiretap, it requires — a wiretap requires a court order. Nothing has changed, by the way. When we’re talking about chasing down terrorists, we’re talking about getting a court order before we do so.” (April 20, 2004)
Meanwhile, according to the New York Times:
I believe the total number of American citizens whose activities caused enough suspicion to warrant eavesdropping amounts to fewer than 10 people — between 9/11 and today. And that is the crux of this issue, and it comes down to the most basic of our rights granted under the Constitution: the right to be secure in our persons and papers, the right to face our accusers in open court, and without big brother watching over our shoulders.
I’ve seen Benjamin Franklin’s quote “Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both” on this site, and it strikes me as odd that you’re willing to allow the give the government so much latitude. Yet, I suspect, if we started talking about a gun registry, you’d scream all the way to the next NRA convention.
The bottom line is that the Founding Fathers set up a system of checks and balances that, for the most part, has worked for more than 225 years. There is no need to break the law and violate our rights. The Congress has provided for warrantless surveilance, and that law (FISA) simply states that the government must show probable cause if they want to surreptitiously listen to a private conversation. If the government can’t show probable cause, they have no business conducting the surveilance.
May 15th, 2006 at 4:32 am
House members want investigation of Border Patrol/
In related news, Michelle Malkin went to the National Cryptologic Museum in Maryland for a special report on the history of the NSA that gives a positive perspective about it, much better than what the horrible MSM is giving.
November 9th, 2009 at 2:12 am
Using wellbutrin after heart attack….
Wellbutrin dosage. Wellbutrin migraine….