President Bush wants to wiretap American citizens without a warrant...what do you think??

Question

http://political.moveon.org/censure/

Answer 1

This is clearly wrong. The courts have said so repeatedly. There are legitimate reasons for getting a wiretap and an easy and secret process for doing so. Just follow it.

Answer 2

I think if he wants to do that, then he should follow the law.

FISA (50 USC 1801 et seq) has been in place since 1978, and allows wiretapping for foreign surveillance. The FISA courts for obtaining the warrants are secret, and the suspect is never informed of the tap. And FISA wiretaps can be initiated, with the warrant obtained after the fact (3-15 days) if necessary. Read the law yourself.

Bush didn't break the law because it stopped him from doing anything. He broke the law for no other reason than he couldn't be bothered to follow it.

Answer 3

This sounds like a liberal asking the question-my answer is this not about wiretapping Americans-- first off, former Pres. Clinton used the law that was in place to wiretap-- amazing how people forget this little matter-- there was a law enacted that allowed the wiretapping to investigate foreign nationals- it allows for investigating people that might do harm to this country-- the wiretapping is not designed to listen in to every American's phone call-- by the way, I am a former Democrat but I finally wised up and opened my eyes and LISTENED to what was being said--I am sick of the liberals rhetoric and half truths and outright lies--If you think I am a know nothing, I Have a 4 yr degree to teach secondary education--you must think everyone believes the crap you put out at MOVE ON--disgusted in
columbus, oH

Answer 4

Here is a partial list of the "foreign terrorist groups" that President Bush has spied on without a warrant: war protestors, Catholic charities, Quakers, gay rights activists, enviromentalists, vegetarians, and me. I posted about Jeff Gannon on Hannity.com. Not surprisingly I was banned from that site, but when I tried to log onto annecoulter.org in the next few days I found out I was prebanned from annecoulter.org, a site I had never visited before, so my IP address or my Internet connection is on a list somewhere.

Anybody who claims they have nothing to hide is in denial thinking "It can't happen to me". Well it can. Bush Supporters: Maybe you bought your wife or girlfriend some thong underwear. Or rented a porno DVD. Or bought a kid a Harry Potter book. Or listened to Howard Stern on the radio. Or stated you were tolerant of gays if they stayed in their own neighborhood. All of those are crimes to Bush's fundamentalist base. Or maybe you did NONE of those things but if someone in the government decided to take you down they'd listen in on you until they found something. Once you open that door it doesn't get shut.

The American Constitution is document that for 217 years weathered far worse than what we are going through now and still has survived pretty much intact. I will take our Founding Fathers over turning over all my rights and liberties to King George anyday. If any of you Bush Supporters want to tell me why I shouldn't send me a message and we'll talk.

Answer 5

I have nothing to hide, either, but I want oversight.

There is a secret judicial review process already set up, which should be used. It allows for after-the-fact notification, and could be revised further if need be. The President and Attorney General don't want to have any monitoring but their own.

Perhaps if others, most notably Nixon and JE Hoover, had not already used confidential data to harm US citizens we could be naive about this, but we should have learned by now. Some of this secretive conduct was experienced by out forefathers, hence the Bill of Rights. Maybe we should all read it again, not as students, but as adult citizens.

Haven't you heard the adage, "Absolute power corrupts absolutely." So, too, does exercising "inherent powers" away from watchful eyes. In the only case to be allowed to reach the current Supreme Court, the Justices ruled unanimously against this administration - a court that many would consider the most conservative in out lifetimes, so it's not "liberals legislating from the bench."

"Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty."

"It is the common fate of the indolent to see their rights become a prey to the active. The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance...."—John Philpot Curran: Speech upon the Right of Election, 1790.

"There is one safeguard known generally to the wise, which is an advantage and security to all, but especially to democracies as against despots. What is it? Distrust."—Demosthenes: Philippic 2, sect. 24.

Answer 6

It doesn't matter what I think, there is a constitution and the courts. The judges' reference to" King" is in reference to signing statement authorizing the President to wire tap with a presidential order; in this country laws are written by Congress, there isn't any constitutional provision for laws by decree/order of the president/king. In 1978 a bill was passed reguarding wire tapping, due to Pres. Nixon activities including wire tapping A court was established, and again in the patroit act. Now wiretapping can be done with out warrant, but must be reported to court in 72hrs.

Answer 7

Just another example of his thinking he's mightier than the courts that define the laws in this country. Face it, he's been doing it for years, the courts said no more, he's going to continue to do it in defiance of the court. THIS IS AN IMPEACHABLE OFFENSE!!! Isn't it time someone with some guts got up in Congress and introduced a Bill of Impeachment? I believe the operable phrase is "High Crimes and Misdemeanors."

Answer 8

This stuff has been going on for years. It is simply easier to do with today's technology. If anyone thinks that they are only listening to overseas stuff, they aren't THINKING. I'm sure that EVERY ONE OF US has been listened to because of something or another that we've said or written or e-mailed. If you think that your support of Bush gives you an exemption, review the Nixon tapes.

Answer 9

Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaam! another paranoid liberal, they have done this in WW 1& 2 and every other war, this is no different, if your not making calls to terrorists what the hell are you worried about. The President dosen't give a dam about your personnal calls, unless your planning some kind of terrorists act or talking to a terrorists organazation, they no who to listen in on and who not to. By the time they get warrents the asshole could have set off a bomb or something. Dam who gives a rats a*s. Let them do their job protecting this country. You should be more worried about the invasion from the south of the border, their not doing a dam thing about that.

Answer 10

Bush only wiretaps Americans who spend time on the phone talking to known terrorists.
Just send your terrorist friends letters, and don't worry about it.
Did you know that webstite is a commie anti-American group?
Do you work for them?