Bush Administration Has Been Using Illegal Wiretapping and Spying Activity for Political Purposes. Doubt It?
A BUZZFLASH EDITORIAL
In an under covered trial in a California courtroom, a Constitutional drama of major significance is unfolding.
It is a federal lawsuit filed by Americans who claim that the Bush Administration, with the cooperation of AT&T, illegally spied on them. The Bush Administration has taken the Orwellian position that the trial must not be allowed to proceed because it would require the White House to reveal if they indeed have illegally monitored the plaintiffs – and that, the Bush Politburo argues, would violate "state secrets."
Why do we sometimes think that we are living in the Soviet-era, Stasi run East Germany?
Maybe that’s because a headline last week read, "US moves to use spy satellites for domestic surveillance."
Or maybe, returning to the trial in California, that the White House refused to sign a document assuring the court that their "eavesdropping" was not being used domestically under the guise of claiming it was being used to stop terrorism:
But the 9th Circuit judges were skeptical. They wondered why at least one key issue cannot be explored -- whether there was domestic spying on Americans without court approval, which civil liberties lawyers say violates the law.
Judges Margaret McKeown and Michael Daly Hawkins, both Clinton appointees, cited public comments by President Bush and other administration officials denying any such warrantless domestic surveillance, and asked the government why it can't provide similar statements under oath in the court case.
McKeown, who stressed that she didn't expect Bush himself to provide the sworn statements, questioned how such evidence would jeopardize national security.
And when an AT&T lawyer later told the judges that Bush has already issued denials publicly, Hawkins said that public statements aren't the equivalent of statements under oath in court or in court declarations.
"No court in the land would be satisfied with public statements, be it the president of the United States or the president of AT&T," Hawkins said.
In short, we once again have the White House playing the game of we’ll talk with you, but we won’t testify under oath because then you can legally charge us with perjury because, of course, we’re going to lie.
But this is about spying on American citizens.
Reaching back into the recesses of our memory, we recall that in one of Alberto Gonzales’s farcical appearances before Congress – when the FISA illegal eavesdropping first broke in The New York Times (after they sat on the story for a year) – Gonzales was asked if the spying might have been used for domestic purposes other than terrorism. Gonzales responded, in essence, that he couldn’t say for sure.
In a recent BuzzFlash editorial, we noted that the acquisition of domestic spying powers for political purposes was one of three key strategies in the Republican effort to achieve long-term control of the United States apparatus of government.
With domestic spying powers just recently legally expanded by a Democratic Congress to include, according to The New York Times, certain types of physical searches on American soil and the collection of Americans' business records, the Bush Administration now has legal authority to achieve what Nixon attempted to do illegally in the Watergate burglary.
And if the Democratic Party were to sue over a modern day Watergate-style operation, the Bush Administration would tell the court that it can’t reveal why it conducted the spying operation on a political party because it would violate national security.
This is not BuzzFlash idle speculation; it is what the Bush Administration, now enabled by the lack of caucus discipline in a Democratic Congress, has achieved.
God help us all.
A BUZZFLASH EDITORIAL
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Spying
Like millions of Americans, I suspected this Bush crowd from the beginning of their rise to power. It seems like every day a new scandal involving this administration begins to arise for public scrutiny. In less than a decade this Nation has transgressed from a just and civil society into a third rate banana republic. If we allow these crimes to go unpunished, we deserve the abyss.
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H.R. 1955
I just saw a video of a synopsis of H.R. 1955 and it is incredibly scary. What is even more disturbing is that a majority of house members voted for it. I think our government is so corrupt and so "evil" that unless the people rise up there is no hope. It does not matter who is elected when corporations are running the country and lobbyists are writing the laws. Who are these immoral individuals that are so enamored of money and power that they would throw their own children and grandchildren under the bus. We all need to wake up! I am voting for Edwards. I think Hillary is part of the problem and Obama sounds wonderful, but "they" will destroy him as he is too inexperienced. But with Diebold machines, voter caging and the like, we will probably end up with Huckabee or McCain (whom I think needs psychiatric help).
I am seriously thinking about moving to another country.
Then there is Sibel Edmonds and her absolutely frightening story that MSM won't even touch.
Come on people, we need to stand up, but then there is H.R. 1955 and we will all be arrested (or shot) to never be seen again for standing up for what is right.
Sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure this is really happening in a country I used to believe in.
Oh, the synopsis is at www.brasscheckTV.com
The "axis of evil" is Bush, Cheney and Rove.
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Not Just Political Purposes
I have little doubt that the domestic spying is being used for political purposes, but I think it also has another intent. All of the data-mining is being done by outside contractors and few government/CIA/NSA watchdogs are monitoring the data collection. So if the data bases get sold off for additional profits, who would know? The data bases could then be 'mined' for other information, marketing, insider corporate information for stock manipulation, etc, etc. Think about it - it's a business bonanza!
buzzflash editorial
I agree 100% with your editorial. The scary part is the way they
are getting control of the country as we all sit by doing nothing.
They're Doing It Because They're Desperate & They Ain't Stupid
They know what's in store for them once we force Congress to cut off all funding for the Iraq war, so, no matter the cost, they're doing whatever they can to prevent such from happening. And they'll get away with it too, their fascist coup, unless right away we end the war in Iraq, after which, empowered by our victory over the powers that be, the only thing that Bush/Cheney/Rove et al will have to look forward to is their impeachment trial, followed, of course, by their being put on trial at the International Court of Criminal Justice. What a glorious moment that'll be, when, with the whole world watching, the presiding judge turns to the jury and says, "Members of the jury, on the charge of crimes against humanity, how do you find the defendents?" "Guilty as charged, your honor."
Spying on Americans From Day One!
I sincerely believe that this gang of thugs have been playing their spy games since they seized office in 2000.
Less than three months after their arrival the SS (Secret Service) turned up at my front door telling me that they had grabbed an email that I wrote to a Florida legislator (copies to Jeb & George). The SS agents told me that they had seized my email with their Carnivore program.
When that happened I posted in a number of forums that this was only the beginning. I was called a nut case for saying that these guys had big plans for shutting up U.S. Citizens who were doing nothing more than expressing an opinion. http://www.granniesagainstgeorge.us/secret_service_man.htm
A month later the "Free Speech" zones were established to keep people from protesting king george & three grandparents were arrested for trying to enter one of his public appearances in Tampa, FL.
http://www.granniesagainstgeorge.us/welcome_to_amerika__bush_style.htm
I have been posting since that day in April 2001 that the Bush/Cheney thugs were spying on us. I have read all the excuses that members of Congress & the media have given for the obscene laws, etc. that have been passed. Support for an illegal war..no problem. FISA changed to make illegal activities legal... You betcha'...Done just for you George!
I am convinced that at the very least key members of Congress have been blackmailed and continue to be blackmailed with the info that has been gathered by this dictatorship. What else could explain the actions of this Congress?
The next question, of course, is what kind of information has Bush/Cheney gathered that could silence this Congress? What about our so-called media? Are they being blackmailed too?
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