Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsGOP Surveillance Judiciary -- Can We the People Disband FISA Court? (Scott Horton)
The G.O.P.s Surveillance Judiciary
Is it possible to simply disband the partisan FISA court?
By Scott Horton
Harper's, July 29, 2013
In Fridays New York Times, Charlie Savage takes a closer look at the judges hand-picked by John Roberts for the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court.
Ten of the courts 11 judges all assigned by Chief Justice Roberts were appointed to the bench by Republican presidents; six once worked for the federal government. Since the chief justice began making assignments in 2005, 86 percent of his choices have been Republican appointees, and 50 percent have been former executive branch officials.
Not surprisingly, the Times review shows that Roberts has fashioned a court in his own image: movement conservative, Republican, largely consisting of persons who previously worked in the government. In sum, Roberts has picked a court that can be relied upon to quickly approve any government request for surveillance, through whatever instruments and according to whatever rules the government wishes.
The two chief justices who preceded Roberts, William H. Rehnquist and Warren E. Burger, were also conservative Republicans, and like Roberts they also ensured that a majority of the FISA courts judges were conservative Republicans. However, neither of his predecessors was nearly so obsessive about it as Roberts two-thirds of their selections were Republicans, while for Roberts, all but one have been Republican.
SNIP...
The special judicial body put in place by FISA to check government surveillance activities has been transformed by John Roberts into a cheerleader for such programs. This judicial adulteration leaves NSA critics in Congress with little alternative but to push for laws establishing further limits on NSA activities though even if they manage to pass such a law, they must be wary of the demonstrated ability of the Justice Department, the NSA, and the FISA court to find secret understandings of statutes that justify unforeseen forms of overreach.
CONTINUED...
http://harpers.org/blog/2013/07/the-gops-surveillance-judiciary/
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
3 replies, 1535 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (2)
ReplyReply to this post
3 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
GOP Surveillance Judiciary -- Can We the People Disband FISA Court? (Scott Horton) (Original Post)
Octafish
Dec 2013
OP
G_j
(40,372 posts)1. yes please
and the CIA too!
Octafish
(55,745 posts)2. Yeah. Ever since Dulles hired the NAZIs and contracted the Mafia, there's been a problem.
When Jim Garrison pointed out its relevancy to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, President Lyndon B Johnson said he agreed that there was a conspiracy and CIA had something to do with it (note last paragraph):
http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/viewer/showDoc.do?docId=57085&relPageId=112
I would think this, too, would be on the front page and leading the newscasts every day until the surviving traitors, warmongers and banksters who've benefited were imprisoned. However, we are told to "Move on" and it's business as usual, meaning the rich get richer, our rights continue to vanish, and democracy falls victim to wars without end.
G_j
(40,372 posts)3. so how does the Constitution even allow for these agencies?
you may have seen this:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024216348