Left is Outraged that the NSA is Keeping US Safe, Bush Responds!
Please! This is just silly!
Today, the Left, is outraged with news that the NSA is doing its job and tracking phone records. As Bob from StL notes, the NSA is tracking statistics of phone calls made but not content. Umm, this is what the NSA is paid to do and has been doing for years. But maybe since it has to do with keeping Americans safe, the Left, as usual, is being skunky.
Retailers keep track of records too!
It's funny that the Left wasn't very upset when two Democratic operatives were stealing Steele's credit report!
It's only when private information that could save American lives is looked at that Democrats scream "allah Akbar" or "bloody Christian" or whatever it is they scream.
Confederate Yankee has the scoop.
Strata-Sphere has more on this latest leak to the media.
Stop the ACLU has a roundup of blogger reaction to this article.
Update: President Bush responded to these Leftist attacks today:
THE PRESIDENT: "After September the 11th, I vowed to the American people that our government would do everything within the law to protect them against another terrorist attack. As part of this effort, I authorized the National Security Agency to intercept the international communications of people with known links to al Qaeda and related terrorist organizations.Now that's what I'm talking about!
In other words, if al Qaeda or their associates are making calls into the United States or out of the United States, we want to know what they're saying.
"Today there are new claims about other ways we are tracking down al Qaeda to prevent attacks on America. I want to make some important points about what the government is doing and what the government is not doing.
"First, our international activities strictly target al Qaeda and their known affiliates. Al Qaeda is our enemy, and we want to know their plans. Second, the government does not listen to domestic phone calls without court approval. Third, the intelligence activities I authorized are lawful and have been briefed to appropriate members of Congress, both Republican and Democrat. Fourth, the privacy of ordinary Americans is fiercely protected in all our activities.
"We're not mining or trolling through the personal lives of millions of innocent Americans. Our efforts are focused on links to al Qaeda and their known affiliates. So far we've been very successful in preventing another attack on our soil.
"As a general matter, every time sensitive intelligence is leaked, it hurts our ability to defeat this enemy. Our most important job is to protect the American people from another attack, and we will do so within the laws of our country.
"Thank you."
posted by Gateway Pundit at 5/11/2006 03:50:00 AM
9 Comments:
NSA is keeping track of the statistics of phone calls made but not content. I don't belive this fact is being made by the media.
I wonder if I should tell USA Today about this large book that mysteriously appears once a year at my house.
It contains phone numbers and addresses of everyone in my city, and has a section where the pages are yellow instead of white with information on city businesses.
If USA Today isn't interested, maybe I can get the New York Times to do an expose on this outrageous invasion of privacy.
I certinaly don't feel any safer. And I trust big corporations even less than the inept government that let America down after Katrina. This government needs to start focusing on things that really make a difference in our lives instead of wasting money chasing phantoms.
It contains phone numbers and addresses of everyone in my city, and has a section where the pages are yellow instead of white with information on city businesses.
Well, of course this points out how easy it is to cross-reference the database the government is keeping with names, addresses and other information.
But my main question for Bob is whether this is information the government normally has access to without a warrant. I read that Qwest asked the NSA to go to FISA for permission for the program before it would cooperate, and the NSA refused. Why would they refuse if what they were doing was legal?
This is really a question of whether the NSA is obeying the law. Even if they are only using the information for benign purposes, if they are breaking the law it sets a dangerous precedent that future administrations will be able to exploit.
If you're a Republican, think about it this way. Any power you feel comfortable giving to the Bush administration you should also feel comfortable giving to Hillary Clinton in 3 years. And you should assume that every successive administration will push the envelope a little further.
Bob,
No it isn't but when have they ever passed up lying or spinning something so hard you feel like you have spent an hour in the dryer in order to attempt to bash the Bush administration or protect the Democrats.
Memo to Dave:
Hillary will just go after your FBI file and credit records. She and Chuckie Schumer have done it before.
But, I am sure that would not bother you. For your sake I hope both of
them are clean.
P.S. You know what hun? I can BUY your freaking cell phone records. I guess that anyone having the ability to buy them has never bothered you either seeing that has been general knowledge for years.
Oh you are aware that they can track your movements by pinging your cell phone, too. They can track your ass like a Caribou.
I guess all the mouth breathing paranoia on the part of the MSM and their LLL friends has flopped despite their best efforts.
http://powerlineblog.com/archives/014065.php
ABC reports on the results of its overnight poll on the public's response to the leak about the NSA's phone record analysis program:
Americans by nearly a 2-1 ratio call the surveillance of telephone records an acceptable way for the federal government to investigate possible terrorist threats, expressing broad unconcern even if their own calling patterns are scrutinized.
Lending support to the administration's defense of its anti-terrorism intelligence efforts, 63 percent in this ABC News/Washington Post poll say the secret program, disclosed Thursday by USA Today, is justified, while far fewer, 35 percent, call it unjustified.
66% of respondents also said it wouldn't bother them if their phone records were collected.
Only the government is "keeping records" across borders that retailers and private businesses live within.
I have a suggestion for better security - let's post check-points all over, and have everyone show ID and be subjected to full searches when passing. Let's put them at all entries to cities - big and small, and additional efforts where we have transit points. Let's make things so NOBODY can move with dangerous guns, bombs etc. on them - we'll search everything and everyone in the name of security for all. All those pesty personal freedoms are just in the way of security - let's get rid of them all. RANDOM searches in homes. No warrant nessesary! We can't allow those terrorists to think they're safe just because they don't move around!
Next, let's log all sites everyone goes to, and use it to look for criminal activities. A criminal is a terrorist too, just on a smaller scale. Let's use all our governmental powers to make things EXTRA safe; be pro-active and arrest those who's behaviour is suspecious. That way they won't even get a chance to try. No judge needed - we trust the judgement of our government officials!!
Have you ever wondered why there's so much better security in a dictatorship? Maybe this gave you idea why ...
P.S. You know what hun? I can BUY your freaking cell phone records. I guess that anyone having the ability to buy them has never bothered you either seeing that has been general knowledge for years.
Actually, some liberals have objected to the fact that cell phone records are available for sale. As a repeat victim of identity theft myself, it's obviously something that concerns me.
But again, this is about whether the executive branch of the government is breaking the law and claiming powers that have not been given to it. By bringing up what private companies can do, you are just trying to confuse the issue.
To Dave in nyc,
Yes, I see your point, is the collection of the data even legal? I assume I am summing up your first point correctly?
From what the administration is saying, they have the legal high ground on this and can collect this data. I do think it is fair for people to question if it is legal and to air it in the proper legal venue (Supreme Court?)If the Dems doubt the validity of it, let them bring it to the proper legal venue. Right now they are insinuating that we're all under big brother's watch for political points.
My original post was to clarify what the NSA is doing, according to what I have read. I'm making the point because the MSM spins this to suggest we are all being listened in on. It is also my understanding that in order to listen in to the actual conversation, a warrant is required. Another piece of information that the MSM seems to leave out.
As for my concern with Hillary listening in within 3 years, if we are still at war, I would not mind either, as long as a warrant is required to actually listen in to the conversation.
Besides, Hillary is going to need to be able to legally listen into phone conversations to keep track of what Bill is up to!:)
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