NBC - Feds bugged mayor's office

[Gunit_Sangh]

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 8 — A hidden electronic listening device discovered in the City Hall office of Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street was placed there by federal investigators, NBC News has learned. However, a law enforcement official cautioned that the presence of the bug does not necessarily mean that the mayor is under investigation.

THE SURVEILLANCE equipment was found Tuesday morning — four weeks before the Nov. 4 mayoral election — during a routine sweep of Street’s office by city police, a procedure that police have been performing for nearly 20 years. Police described it as a battery-operated transmitter with several tiny microphones in the ceiling at points throughout the office, NBC’s Pete Williams reported.

FBI spokesman Linda Vizi said Tuesday that the equipment was not connected to any campaign espionage, but she refused to say whether Street was being investigated or whether the FBI planted the device. She also wouldn’t comment on how the FBI was able to conclude so quickly that the device was not connected to the mayor’s race.

Two federal corruption investigations are under way in Philadelphia, dealing with a scheme to fix parking tickets and with the awarding of maintenance contracts at the airport.

More ...
http://www.msnbc.com/news/977614.asp?0cv=CB10

[Cha]

1. Then why the heck did the "feds bug" Steets office?

[piece sine]

19. answer:

we don't know. Anything beyond that is conjecture, unless any FBI agents looking-in happen to feel like leaking.

[goobergunch]

2. Well, there goes Street's campaign (n/t)

[noonwitch]

3. That's standard practice for the feds when a Repub is president

and the mayor of a large city is black. Street needs to check his staff out for a plant, and ensure that the plant is the one who goes to jail.

Just another tactic from the Coleman Young files.

[kainah]

4. whenever Pete Williams is the reporter

you have to suspect that the White House line is being put out. Don't ever forget that Williams originally came to Washington, DC from a stint as a TV anchor in Casper, WY, to serve as the press secretary for Rep. Dick Cheney and then moved with Cheney to the Defense Department. The two have a very close relationship, especially since Cheney was once urged to throw Williams overboard because he is gay & Cheney stuck by him.

So, whenever you hear Pete Williams reporting, ask whether what he is saying could be White House spin. I'm not saying that all of his reporting always is White House spin, but I am saying that it is a question you should always consider.

[La_Serpiente]

5. Yeah...what's up

The FBI was bugging the office of a Democratic candidate for Mayor. IN fact, he's already the mayor. The type of device they used is the same kind that is used by the federal government.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. So the plumbers have moved to the FBI now, huh

[tom_paine]

7. No, the Plumbers are now EVERYWHERE

If you are thinking along the scope of Watergate, nadia, you are WAAAY off.

The entirety of the Watergate corruption is but one tiny aspect of the full-court and corrupt Bushevik press to end the American Experiment and replace it with Bushevik-Occupied Imperial Amerika.

Think bigger. watergate was a long time ago, and since then the Busheviks have gotten away scot-free with some tremndous levels of corruption since then, including the October Surprise and Iran-Contra.

And, as we well know, getting away with crimes ALWAYS makes the criminal frightened to expand their operations.

:puke: :puke:

[JasonBerry]

8. Let's Not Be hypocritical

I already posted this in GDF, but we need to THINK about this...
There are already various people looking into why a firm his brother is involved with got a 13 million dollar contract. Let's not drown ourselves in hypocrisy! If we are pissed at Cheney and Halliburton (and rightfully so!) we should be just as pissed at municipal corruption. Just because Street has a (D) by his name doesn't mean he's immune from scrutiny - and legal investigation.

[FlaGranny]

11. Shouldn't there be a "bug" in Cheney's office and

in Halliburton CEO's office too? You see, what pisses people off is who is bugged and who isn't - particularly who isn't.

[JasonBerry]

12. I agree!

You are absolutely right! Cheney SHOULD be investigated. But, so what?Street is a tad on the seedy side and should GO DOWN if he's a corrupt municipal leader. If he is guilty of corruption in office, he shouldn't GET OFF because there are corrupt Repubs in the world. In my world anyway, two wrongs don't make a right.

[Demoiselle]

16. um....excuse me...

I'm a Philadelphian, and a Democratic ward committeeperson and I have I have trouble with the fact that there's a lot of easy assumption about John Street. Perhaps I'm naive, but I've watched the man for many years and I don't see seedy and I don't see corrupt either. He is a man who has risen from very humble beginnings, and he's fought his way politically through the ranks out of necessity. When a man succeeds in such a struggle he often makes enemies along the way, but I really don't see corrupt. Yes he's tough, and his demeanor is not as warm smiley-cheerful as many of us would like, but he was a really effective City Council President and in that role helped Ed Rendell, Pennsylvania's current Democratic hero succeed mightily as Philly's mayor. This Street-Katz race is shaping up to be as racially polarized as their last one, which is a shame, but I cannot blame that on Mayor Street! I believe he has accomplished a great deal in the very tough four years of his first term, and has earned the right to re-election. Sorry for the lecture, but this bugging thing is a horrible piece of news. It will further polarize this election, since those who want to see him as a hero will see him as a victim (probably Bush) conspiracy and those are want to see him as a villain will point to it as evidence of wrong doing. I think the FBI has one helluva lot of explaining to do.

[IndianaGreen]

13. It is also true that Nixon used the FBI to spy on political opponents

and I wouldn't dismiss the possibility that Ashcroft would sink to the same level as John Mitchell.

[Drifter]

9. Sounds like a case of ...

Repukes misusing the FBI for political gain. Didn't Nixon roughly do the same thing ?

Cheers
Drifter

[JasonBerry]

10. Why does it "sound that way"

To me - knowing Street's style --- it sounds like another case of political corruption and it SHOULD be investigated! Dems aren't all saints ---- Street for damn sure is no saint.

[Rose Siding]

15. That doesn't make sense

What would a warrent for this kind of tap look like? I can see someone being wired but this kind of bugging looks more like a broad fishing expedition. Unless they got it through on a terrorism law, what law would apply?

[NNN0LHI]

17. And what has Street done? Has he ever been charged with a crime?

You seem to be saying you know for sure this guy is guilty of some unknown crime because of his style. What does his style have to do with anything? Maybe I am reading your post wrong? But it sure seems that way. Please explain what you mean or know about the guy.

Don

[DoYouEverWonder]

14. Makes you wonder

who else's office is bugged? If I were a politican, I think it might be a good time to 'clean' my office.

[truthisfreedom]

20. excellent idea. write to your congressmen, and warn them to have their

offices swept for bugs, and homes as well. and someone should be sweeping gray davis' office RIGHT NOW.

[screembloodymurder]

18. Bush uses the FBI to investigate his opponents

People the time has come to take to the streets. See you Oct. 25th in DC.

[lazarus]

21. dupe

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=155394