Why don't liberals get upset about Clinton authorizing illegal wiretaps & searches during his time in office?

Question

Found the following while messing around on the web:


http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-271.html


The Clinton administration claims that it can bypass the warrant clause for "national security" purposes. In July 1994 Deputy Attorney General Jamie S. Gorelick told the House Select Committee on Intelligence that the president "has inherent authority to conduct warrantless searches for foreign intelligence purposes." [51] According to Gorelick, the president (or his attorney general) need only satisfy himself that an American is working in conjunction with a foreign power before a search can take place.

Attorney General Reno has already signed off on the warrantless search of an American home on the basis of the dubious "inherent authority" theory. [54] The actual number of clandestine "national security" searches conducted since 1993 is known only to the White House and senior Justice Department officials.

Answer 1

Only partially right.

You're missing an important part. Hmmm. Seems to be missing from the site you posted as well.

First, if trying to construct an argument, you may want to pull facts from something other than a conservative spin house. By the way, the same goes for liberals. I'm tired of seeing people posting links to places of strong bias.

Anyway, let's get back to this. The part your missing is when Clinton got the smack layed down on him.

You see, he had the authority in 1993 but he didn't use it (or get caught rather) until a few years later. When he did, the courts basically said "Are you insane?". After that, Clinton had to go get FISA warrants.

You may be to young to remember, but there was indeed an uproar over this. At least, amongst the people I knew then (many of them liberals).

My view on the whole thing is to get rid of it. It's to dangerous in the hands of the executive, especially when said executive has granted himself to power to declare whether or not someone is an enemy.

I don't want to see ANYONE with that power. Period. It goes against everything this country stands for.

~X~

Answer 2

Sorry, yet you're incorrect. possibly it extremely is why you listed a non-working hyperlink, hoping no person could call you on it. Clinton's EO authorized the AG to accomplish searches without courtroom order as long because of the fact the"actual seek is only directed at premises, suggestion, fabric, or property used completely by utilising, or below the open and unique administration of, a foreign places capability or powers." meaning no US voters could fall below this authority. to boot, you're incorrect approximately Bush having conflict powers, when you consider that we are actually not technically at conflict. ok, now you declare the warrantless searches have been executed on human beings, that's only incorrect. FISA isn't warrantless. the situation with what Bush did substitute into he did it without utilising FISA, that's a very consumer-friendly technique, almost a rubber-stamp for warrants. when you consider which you're patently incorrect, why do no longer you only admit it?

Answer 3

It's just human nature, I guess. People are more likely to make an issue of things like that when it involves a political opponent, as opposed to a political compadre.

A similar question could be asked about today's anti-war crowd with regard to Clinton's bombing of Yugoslavia.

For some reason, the very people who now protest the Iraq war were utterly silent when Clinton attacked a Balkan country that had nothing to do with us whatsoever.

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Answer 4

The New York Times didn't feel it was necessary to run with that story. So nobody knew. Or was it that no republican staffer felt that the safety of America wasn't as important than a pay off from a news paper reporter

Answer 5

I think one reason is because President Clinton didn't broadcast that he would do it because he was president... no matter what. President Bush seems (I'm not saying I agree or disagree) to have a God complex when it comes to issues such as this. My friends think he practically bullied congress into getting his way.
Either way... it comes down to National Security... and anyone, regardless of stature, can abuse that power. That goes for Democrats and Republicans. Neither party is perfect...

Answer 6

Clinton was following the FISA law which says you can get warrants after the facts. Bush does not want to get warrants at all which is illegal and immoral and unconstitutional.

Answer 7

Why are our liberties being taken away? I know my house has not been searched, but if it was, would anyone else care? They'd probably forget about it within a day.

Answer 8

because it was more fun to bash Shrub!

We gotta get our money's worth, only two more years before he swings back out into the trees

Answer 9

Thanks for bringing this out!! I think people tend to forget a lot of the things that went on in that adm and a lot of the young people will never hear it!

Answer 10

because they hate america they love to se america fail they hate all the great presidents like gwb and reagan and bush does this to see if u r talking to terrorists and if ur not then u dont have a problem so the liberals jsut need to shut up and face the fact they are all homo loving, america hating, racists bastards, dirty mexican loving gays