Democrats Scrambling to Expand Eavesdropping ?????

Question

Democratic leaders have expressed a new willingness to work with the White House to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to make it easier for the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on some purely foreign telephone calls and e-mail. Such a step now requires court approval.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/01/washington/01nsa.html?ei=5088&en=253f11b410284915&ex=1343620800&adxnnl=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1185963607-CNSmdwERoEfgGb2qnASRzw

Answer 1

I never had a problem with checking calls etc to foriegn countries and I am not even Republican. Even the fastest and most available of courts could seriously delay important investigations. If you call a foriegn country and are doing nothing wrong, who cares if someone can listen? Democrats are scrambling now because they really always knew how important it was. They just used it as a political issue for a little while before it expired.

Answer 2

FISA always required court approval -- a secret court, with closed proceedings where the target of the investigation was never notified of the investigation or the warrant.

And apparently most people don't realize that the laws already allowed the govt to initiate a wiretap, and then apply for a warrant up to 72 hours AFTER the tap starts.

This just clarifies ambiguities in the statute over how certain entirely foreign calls are classified when they are routed through hardware inside the US.

But I'll wait to see the final bill proposal before forming a further opinion on the possible ramifications.

Answer 3

at least the dems are protecting the free press....no more revealing sources! yayay now Bush can be outed again in all his depravity

Answer 4

they think they will win in 08 and have a nifty new tool...

Answer 5

you are right! screw democrats and republicans. THIRD PARTY IN 2008!

Answer 6

Yet when Bush does it they call him evil....