Howard Dean launches FOIA for information on Bush's illegal spying

[understandinglife]

Please send this letter to everyone you know:

Have you heard that George Bush is using the National Security Agency to conduct surveillance on American citizens without the consent of any court?

This is specifically against the law. Bush says political appointees in the Justice Department outlined the legal authority to get around the restrictions in our laws and the Constitution, but those legal memos are classified.

I just added my name to a formal Freedom of Information Act request to see these documents. We need to know if the president broke the law, and where this administration thinks the line of its authority is.

You can sign on to the Freedom of Information Act request here:

http://www.democrats.org/page/petition/domesticspying/fduabf

Text of the FOIA:

Ms. Elizabeth Farris
Supervisory Paralegal
Office of Legal Counsel
Room 5515
950 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
U.S. Department of Justice
Washington, D.C. 20530-2038

Re: Freedom of Information Act Request

Dear Ms. Farris:

This letter constitutes a request under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. §552 (“FOIA”), and is submitted by the undersigned individuals who are concerned about the Bush Administration’s reported decision to undertake a massive program of spying on American citizens in apparent violation of the law and the Constitution.

President Bush stated on December 19 that his legal authority to have the National Security Agency conduct such spying derives from his inherent constitutional powers and from the congressional authorization for the use of military force in Afghanistan. Of course, these assertions made no sense, in view of the express statutory provisions of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978, 50 U.S.C. §§1801 et seq. that flatly prohibit any such spying without a court order. It is the duty of your Office to advise the President on precisely such questions relating to his constitutional and statutory authority. The American people certainly have a right to know whether the President has knowingly acted in blatant violation of the law or believed he was acting within the law based on advice of your office.

· We therefore request all documents in the possession, custody or control of the Office of Legal Counsel, prepared on or after January 20, 2001, referring, relating to or discussing the authority of the President of the United States to authorize any agency of the U.S. Government, including but not limited to the National Security Agency, to conduct electronic surveillance of a United States person, as defined in FISA, 50 U.S.C. §1801(i), or where there is a substantial likelihood that the surveillance will acquire the contents of a communication to which such a United States person is a party, without obtaining a court order as required by FISA.

We urge you, in considering this request, to forego invoking Exemption 5 to FOIA allowing the government to withhold documents based on deliberative process or attorney client privilege. In these exceptional circumstances, where the President of the United States may have acted in gross disregard of the law and the Constitution, the stakes for the American people are too high for the Bush Administration and the Department of Justice to hide behind legal privileges as an excuse for withholding these documents.

The undersigned requestors fall in the category of “other requestors” for purposes of FOIA and the Department’s FOIA fee regulations. On behalf of the undersigned requestors, the Democratic National Committee will pay any fees for searching or copying the requested records.

We look forward to your response within twenty (20) working days as the law requires. If you have any questions or need any further information concerning this request, please contact the first signatory below, Governor Howard Dean. Thank you for your prompt attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,
Governor Howard Dean
430 South Capitol Street SE
Washington, DC 20003

Link:

http://a9.g.akamai.net/7/9/8082/v001/democratic1.download.akamai.com/8082/pdfs/20051220_OLC_FOIA_2p.pdf

Peace.

[wicket]

1. Fantastic!

Signed, kicked and recommended.

:thumbsup:

[Moosepoop]

65. Done.

I can't wait to tell my Dad about this!!!

[texpatriot2004]

2. Thanks a million Dr. Dean. Howard speaks for me. n.t

[AuntiBush]

43. And Another Big "Thank You," Dr. Dean!

He speaks for me as well, always.

K/N and ready to sign!

[Trevelyan]

62. Signed this one and Rep. Conyers letter to begin Impeachment Inquiry

Please sign also:

http://www.johnconyers.com/ - Conyer's Action Items

"Join me in this declaration that we will no longer accept an imperial presidency. Add your name and encourage as many of your friends and family to join as well. With your help and commitment we can succeed in finally bringing the Bush White House to justice."
:kick: Nominate

[PegDAC]

80. I've sign these two

and Barbara Boxer's petition to Arlen Specter to investigate the illegal wiretaps.

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :dem:

[Nordmadr]

3. DONE!!!!! Recommended! N/T

[madfloridian]

4. The page seems hard to load. Hope it is very busy. Good for him.

.
Recommended.

[wicket]

14. Try this link, it seems to be loading much faster:

http://www.democrats.org/page/petition/domesticspying/

[madfloridian]

18. Yes, that link worked pretty fast.

:hi:

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

5. Kick

It's taking a while for the page to load for me, but I'll sign when it comes up.

[FSogol]

6. Great. K&R n/t

[katinmn]

7. Signed and forwarded!

[in_cog_ni_to]

8. Go get 'em Howard! K & R!

:kick:

[Straight Shooter]

9. And keep it in the right-wing faces with this bumper sticker

It's on this web site, click on bumper stickers and it's the fourth page. $3.00.
http://www.unemployeddemocrats.com/shop/index.php?shop=1&cart=66977

Or contact them directly:

The Unemployed Democrats Company, Inc.
1805 S 1st St
Austin TX 78704-4251
Phone: Local: 512-462-1600 / Toll Free: 866-854-DEMS
Fax: [phone]

[email protected]

I am not affiliated with this company in any manner; I just remember seeing this bumper sticker a long time ago on their site and thought it most appropriate in light of what's been revealed. :)

edit: oops, it will be available January 14th. I bet this is going to be one hot item. I wish they still had the T-shirt for it.

[Cha]

47. Thank you, that is one bumpersticker

I would sport that has anything to do with them. I've always had positive ones..that include DU, Dean For America, Kerry/Edwards, Protect Our Troops!, GreenPeace..ect. But, this is Perfect..and the more exposure of this the more bush's spying will become impotent.

[Straight Shooter]

56. You're welcome, zidzi.

We need to keep the public focused on this because bush wants it to go away, just like everything else he's done has gone away.

[Just Me]

10. King George & his "court" don't give a damn about laws,....

,...let alone feel obliged to respond to a FOIA request.

I'm just so freakin' disgusted with the tyrants-in-charge. EW!! :grr: :mad: :grr:

[Ellipsis]

11. K&R

he he he... Tis a beautiful thing this week before Christmas.

Now, if only R*ver meets Ben Dover... what a happy "Fitzmas" it will be.

Peace.

[understandinglife]

12. Text of email message from Gov. Dean:

This is not an easy letter to write, and I'm afraid it may be a hard one to believe.

By now you have probably heard the news that George Bush is using the National Security Agency to conduct surveillance on American citizens without the consent of any court. After initially refusing to confirm the story, the President has admitted to personally overseeing this domestic spying program for years and he says he intends to continue the program.

These actions explicitly violate a law designed to protect US citizens. But the administration says that other laws somehow allow for this unprecedented use of a foreign intelligence agency to spy on Americans right here in the United States. According to reports, political appointees in the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel wrote still-classified legal opinions laying out the supposed justification for this program.

I have asked our General Counsel to draft a Freedom of Information Act request for the relevant legal opinions and memos written by that office. Since the program's existence is no longer a secret, these memos should be released -- Americans deserve to know exactly what authority this administration believes it has.

You can help pressure the administration to release these documents by signing on to our Freedom of Information Act request in the next 48 hours:

www.democrats.org/foia

This extra-legal activity is even more disturbing because it is unnecessary -- the administration already has access to a secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. That court was created precisely to provide speedy, secure judicial review to the actions of our intelligence agencies.

To allow authorities act as quickly as possible, officials can even apply for a retroactive warrant days after the surveillance has already begun. Secret warrants have been approved over 19,000 times -- only five applications were rejected in nearly thirty years. The court, which regularly acts within hours, is hardly a roadblock, but it prevents abuse by providing the oversight required by our system of checks and balances.

This administration must demonstrate clearly what legal authority allows it to disregard criminal prohibitions on unilateral domestic spying. Sign on to the request now -- it will be delivered on Thursday:

www.democrats.org/foia

In an interview on Monday, Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez admitted that the administration asked certain Members of Congress about getting a new law to allow spying on Americans without a warrant. Realizing that even a Republican-controlled Congress wouldn't authorize such a measure, they decided to manipulate current law and proceed with the program anyway.

Manipulation of a law like this is dangerous. The same Office of Legal Counsel used vague assertions of sweeping authority in the infamous torture memos. The victim of this reasoning is the rule of law itself -- when this administration asserts sweeping authority to step over any line of legality, it asserts that there are no lines at all.

Does this administration believe there are any lines it can't cross? Americans deserve to know. Join our Freedom of Information Act request now:

www.democrats.org/foia

Some Republicans will try to pretend that this is just another political fight. But Americans of every political viewpoint are rightfully disturbed by this extra-legal activity. The Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Arlen Specter, shocked by the report of this activity, promised to convene hearings in January.

Even Bob Barr, who was one of the most conservative members of Congress and the first member to file articles of impeachment against President Clinton, said:

"What's wrong with it is several-fold. One, it's bad policy for our government to be spying on American citizens through the National Security Agency. Secondly, it's bad to be spying on Americans without court oversight. And thirdly, it's bad to be spying on Americans apparently in violation of federal laws against doing it without court order."

We need to know whether George Bush went beyond the limits of the law -- and whether he and his administration believe that there are any limits at all. Please join this important request:

www.democrats.org/foia

Even after the press found out about these actions, the administration tried to cover up its existence. According to Newsweek, George Bush summoned the publisher and executive editor of the New York Times to the Oval Office to try to stop them from running the story of these illegal activities.

We have seen this kind of arrogance of power before.

Richard Nixon once said in an interview that, "if the president does it, it can't be illegal."

He found out that wasn't true. This administration may need a reminder.

Thank you.

Governor Howard Dean, M.D.

He definitely understands the vast breach of law Bush, his shyster Yoo, and other neoconster minions have committed - and attempted to cover-up - and then arrogantly admitted.

"Mirandize and book'um."


Peace.

[Cha]

48. Thanks, I especially like this..

"We have seen this kind of arrogance of power before.

Richard Nixon once said in an interview that, "if the president does it, it can't be illegal."

He found out that wasn't true. This administration may need a reminder.

Thank you.

Governor Howard Dean, M.D."

[emulatorloo]

13. KICK KICK KICK GO HOWARD AND DNC!!!! n/t

:dem:

[Rose Siding]

15. Done

:thumbsup:

[FarLeftRage]

16. It was only a matter of time...

Before the good Doctor took some action on this.

[stickdog]

17. Why does Dubya hate us for our freedoms? (nt)

[Pachamama]

19. Proud to have signed that and to whatever "list" its added me to!

:patriot:

[Cha]

49. Yeah, it's not "terrists" that bush

wants to spy on ..it's The Peace Makers!

[understandinglife]

20. Perhaps this could be a DU Activist endeavor ?? If anyone thinks ...

... it merits that level of DU effort, please let Skinner know.

Thanks.


Peace.

[understandinglife]

21. Kick. Please spread the request.

Peace.

[Just Me]

22. K & R

:kick:

[DemReadingDU]

23. K&R

[Rainscents]

24. Kick and nominated!!!

:kick:

[David Zephyr]

25. Kick & Nominated.

:kick:

[troubleinwinter]

26. I greatly credit our Understandinglife's

series of letters to express to Dean that we are out here paying attention, clearly understanding and following what is going on.

I cannot thank you enough, UL, for your unrelenting work in educating us and following through with Dean, Conyers, etc.

Thank you, for what you have done to help us work to retain our democracy.

[understandinglife]

32. Very kind of you. Thank you.

Peace, my friend.

[AzDar]

27. kick! n/t

[MellowOne]

28. kick and nominated n/t

[confludemocrat]

29. HAIR STANDING UP as I say, WAAAAAY TO GOOOOOO, Howard Dean!

get 'em, get 'em get the goddamn motherfucker.

[Cha]

50. "Hair standing up", eh?

[confludemocrat]

74. more like on my arms and back of my neck

you know, chicken skin

[LuCifer]

30. ROCK ON!!!!!!

This story MUST keep its legs and RUN. Disgusting, rediculous, and just plain RETARDED. "OH BE WE AM BE MUST MONITOR GRANDMA! SHE AM BE CHECK OUT A COPY OF 'DUDE WHERE'S MY COUNTY' SO SHE AM BE MUST BE A TERRAIST!" OH GOD!!!!! I'd LOVE to break these retards off SOMETHING PROPER!!!!!!

Lu

[understandinglife]

31. Dear Gov. Dean -- "From Conservative Scholars to Sigint specialists …"

20 December 2005 (# 15)

First, thank you for your leadership in helping Americans defend both their Constitutional and statutory rights in the face of Bush’s lawless and un-American behavior.

Within the past few days, many experts have commented on the breach of law and trust that Bush’s willful and persistent violation of FISA and the 4th Amendment represent. Interestingly, one finds even staunch conservatives on the side of the law in these matters:

QUESTION FROM DIANE REHM: Is spying on the American people as impeachable an offense as lying about having sex with an intern?

BRUCE FEIN, constitutional scholar and former deputy attorney general in the Reagan Administration: I think the answer requires at least in part considering what the occupant of the presidency says in the aftermath of wrongdoing or rectification. On its face, if President Bush is totally unapologetic and says I continue to maintain that as a war-time President I can do anything I want – I don’t need to consult any other branches – that is an impeachable offense. It’s more dangerous than Clinton’s lying under oath because it jeopardizes our democratic dispensation and civil liberties for the ages. It would set a precedent that … would lie around like a loaded gun, able to be used indefinitely for any future occupant.

NORM ORNSTEIN, AEI scholar: I think if we’re going to be intellectually honest here, this really is the kind of thing that Alexander Hamilton was referring to when impeachment was discussed.

Link: http://tinyurl.com/9p2m3

Well, we know that Bush has been both unapologetic and has brazenly proclaimed he’ll continue to violate the law and the Constitution.

I think you will find the following brief comments gathered at the DEFENSETECH.org blog of interest:

Wiretap Mystery: Spooks React

A few current and former signals intelligence guys have been checking in since this NSA domestic spying story broke. Their reactions range between midly creeped out and completely p*&^ed off.

All of the sigint specialists emphasized repeatedly that keeping tabs on Americans is way beyond the bounds of what they ordinarily do -- no matter what the conspiracy crowd may think.

"It's drilled into you (http://cryptome.org/ussid18-guide.htm) from minute one that you should not ever, ever, ever, under any f&^*$*g circumstances turn this massive apparatus on an American citizen," one source says. "You do a lot of weird s&*^. But at least you don't f*&% with your own people."

Link: http://www.defensetech.org/archives/002032.html

Bruce Schneier has a summary on domestic spying at:
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2005/12/nsa_and_bushs_i.html

Background on Poindexter's "Total Information Awarness" program (i.e., the "TIA" mentioned in Senator Rockefeller’s letter to Cheney) is available here:
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20051220-5808.html

Larry Johnson, the 21 year veteran of the CIA, blogged the following yesterday – "Roving Wiretaps Capture a Terrorist."

The claim by President Bush that he needs to ignore the FISA process in order to nab terrorists shows that he either does not understand that this law has been used to actually capture a terrorist based on a phone call from a foreign country or he is hiding something. In 1989 an Avianca plane exploded in mid-air in Colombia. The culprit? - A henchman of Pablo Escobar, Dandeny Munoz-Mosquera. Mosquera was arrested in New York City on 21 September 1991. Here is the press account, which appeared in the Washington Post on 27 September 1991:

Federal authorities reported the arrest in Queens of, described as a leading assassin, and said they stopped a plot to kill a "very important target," possibly a world leader attending the U.N. General Assembly meeting.

<clip>

Now for the real story: Mosquera was grabbed thanks to a roving wiretap. I've heard the story from friends who were involved with the operation. DEA officials learned that Mosquera's mom was going to call him. They moved quickly to set up a roving wiretap. They knew he was in New York but did not know where. Mosquera took many precautions, including having the in bound call bounce around the United States. He sent a third party to answer the phone. Once certain the coast was clear Mosquera climbed out of his car. DEA agents closed in and put a major league killer in jail. He was later convicted and is serving a long sentence in a high security US penal facility. The FISA authorization was obtained subsequently.

So, President Bush is wrong. You don't have to break a law to get quick action. Not only can you catch terrorists using FISA, we have caught terrorists.

Link: http://noquarter.typepad.com/my_weblog/2005/12/roving_wiretaps.html

Today, Congressman Conyers released a report entitled "The Constitution in Crisis: The Downing Street Minutes and Deception, Manipulation, Torture, Retribution and Coverups in the Iraq War." As comprehensive as it is, it will require a new chapter on the Bush, Cheney neoconster regime’s spying on American citizens. The report, however, is more than adequate to justify the three resolutions Congressman Conyers submitted on December 18, 2005:

First, I have introduced a resolution (H. Res. 635) creating a Select Committee with subpoena authority to investigate the misconduct of the Bush Administration with regard to the Iraq war and report on possible impeachable offenses. In Watergate, for example, the Congress did not begin matters as an impeachment inquiry, but investigated matters - through the Ervin Committee - and referred impeachable evidence to the Judiciary Committee.

Second, I have introduced Resolutions regarding both President Bush (H. Res. 636) and Vice-President Cheney (H. Res. 637) proposing that they be censured by Congress based on the uncontroverted evidence already on the record and their failure to respond to Congressional and public inquiries about these matters and have never accounted for their many specific misstatements in the run up to War.

Link: http://www.conyersblog.us/archives/00000328.htm

Congressman Conyers’ courageous action is based on his perception, shared by many, that the Republic now confronts a Constitutional Crisis – it’s not about to happen; it’s not something that might happen; we’re in it.

The scope of Bush and Cheney’s violations of FISA and the 4th Amendment inform us that the Constitutional Crisis is underway. And, their vociferous proclamations that they intend to continue violating the law and the Constitutional rights of those whom they are sworn to protect from just such abridgement, should be more than ample evidence that Mr. Fein’s metric for impeachment has been met, if not exceeded.

I urge you to take the next logical step and call upon all Americans to support Congressman Conyers by signing his letter to Mr. Bush at http://tinyurl.com/9vgne. That letter informs Mr. Bush of our intentions to have Congress investigate his administrations numerous abuses of power and to have Congress censure him and Mr. Cheney.

Thank you for your continued leadership,

[understandinglife]

33. Cumulative index:

# 1 -- Dear Gov. Dean --- America, Or Not?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=5531641

# 2 -- Dear Gov. Dean -- Bush knows he's lying ...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=5541924

# 3 -- Dear Gov. Dean -- Talk about extreme hiking …
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=5551415

# 4 -- Dear Gov. Dean -- About those “Niger forgeries” ...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=5560254

# 5 -- Dear Gov. Dean -- On Passing the "Nuremberg chalice" …
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5568226

# 6 -- Dear Gov. Dean -- Beyond a wall for “The Fallen Legion” …
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=5574037&mesg_id=5574037

# 7 -- Dear Gov. Dean -- Let’s take Wally O’Dell at his word …
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x404707

# 8 -- Dear Gov. Dean -- “Making it up” … Must Be Stopped
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=5593443&mesg_id=5593443

# 9 -- Dear Gov. Dean -- "Accumulated evil of the whole"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=5601256&mesg_id=5601256

# 10 -- Dear Gov. Dean -- Just dial 1-800-CALL-SPY ...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=5608382&mesg_id=5608382

# 11 -- Dear Gov. Dean -- "Same Intel as Congress," NOT ...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=5611041&mesg_id=5611041

# 12 -- Dear Gov. Dean -- On Concealing Crimes …
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=5608382&mesg_id=5615989

# 13 -- Dear Gov. Dean -- No One Is Above The Law In America
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=5630443&mesg_id=5630443

# 14 -- Dear Gov. Dean -- Why did Bush violate FISA and the 4th Amendment?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=5638345&mesg_id=5638345

# 15 -- Dear Gov. Dean -- "From Conservative Scholars to Sigint specialists …"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=5647673&mesg_id=5649953

You are free to distribute these and otherwise make use of them without having to contact me. If anyone would like a .pdf compilation of all the letters, just pm me with an email address and I'll send you a copy.


Peace.

[Pastiche423]

34. Signed w/great pleasure!

Thank you, Gov Dean!

[mom cat]

35. Just signed! Sending to all I know.

[bklyncowgirl]

36. Oh boy if I wasn't on the list I am now.

Patrick Henry I hope you're proud of me.

[Blaze Diem]

38. Abuse of Power..it is what took Nixon down. but

it is up to Congress to decide if the President has taken his authority too far..if there is no way to stop Bush from over-using his Presidential Powers then it is their right and duty to America to remove him from Office.

ahhh..Give us all liberty or give this Nation death.. and that's just NOT going to happen in OUR America..Not in Our America!!
Bush will go down long before America ever does.
DU would have to sign off with not one member left posting..That's not going to happen either...I'm with you 'bklyncowgirl'...

"...he went down down down in that burning ring of fire..and it burned, burned, burned"...sssssssssssssst..

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

37. I Love Dr. Dean!

K&R

[Blaze Diem]

39. Anyone got that cute, hottie Dr Dean picture of Howard's

college days??
Can you post it?
I love him too..then and now..
Fearless Dr. Dean. He just never ceases to amaze me in his fight for America. Great Patriot and humanitarian. Great Spirit..Thank You Dr Dean.

Rock On indeed!!

[bigwillq]

40. I just signed

kicked and nominated!!! :bounce:

[Triana]

41. DONE. I'm sure all our names will be registered with the NSA

..in short order.

[zippy890]

42. kick for Dean

:dem:

[bleever]

44. The key question: Why did they circumvent FISA?

Therein lies the really interesting part of this crime.

Given that this administration is like Nixon on crack, how can we not suspect politically-motivated abuse of the process to investigate and intimidate not only their enemies, but even their allies who might be tempted to stray from allegiance to their agenda.


Thank you again, so much, for this work, UL.

[Time for change]

45. Go Dr. Dean!

It's good to see that he has so much fire in his belly now.

[Cha]

46. K&R..now I feel like

I've done something besides call hillary and chuck, and sherwood.

[Laurab]

51. Thanks! Done, K&R n/t

:kick:

[mod mom]

52. As someone who helped investigate the election fraud in Ohio, I am

glad this is being pursued. Last winter, a long time activist told me to assume we were monitored, so this story doesn't surprise me. I have always felt what I was doing was not only lawful, + respective of the constitution, but served the best interests of the American people, so I was willing to jeopardize myself and family. I am still glad that this story is making it's way into the households of the American people. It is unlawful and immoral, just like the administration that utilizes it.

[understandinglife]

55. "It is unlawful and immoral, just like the administration that utilizes...

... it."

Exactly. And, thank you for taking the risks in order to help save our Republic.

My next letter to Gov. Dean, tomorrow, will be about the considerable legal consequences the NYTimes must face for being willing bystanders to these crimes, for more than a year.


Peace, my friend.

[1776Forever]

53. Its time for the President to be truthful with the American people.

Signed and sent to friends and family! Fight this - don't give up!

2006 - Time to wake up Liberty - Vote Democratic! 1776 Forever!
:dem:

[madfloridian]

54. And Marshall Wittmann, Bull Moose and DLC fellow, say be careful

Here is my post on it in GDP

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2324716&mesg_id=2324716

Here is the blog there, saying we need to be careful about criticizing Bush in this area. This made me furious, and as I said in the post...his Republican Christian Coalition lobbyist roots are showing.


http://www.bullmooseblog.com/2005/12/big-brother-w.html

"We are at war with a Jihadist enemy who wants us and our families dead. It is not clear that some of our elites recognize that fact or care any more. And some on the left fear that President Bush is a greater threat to our nation's security and liberties than the Jihadists. (Well, yes, he is a threat to our freedoms.)

If the ACLU is upset about the Patriot Act, fine, It is their job to push the outside of the envelope. But it is another thing when a Party almost unanimously obstructs its reauthorization over minor objections after significant compromises have been achieved. And it does not provide any solace that Larry Craig and John Sununu were on the Democrats' side.

When it comes to the War Against Terror, there is no room for right wing or left wing libertarianism. Of course, we should guard our freedoms and be vigilant for excesses. But, our robust democracy is not endanger. If international phone calls by terrorist suspects were monitored, good and fine. What is in question is whether some of our elites continue to believe that we are actually at war with a devious foe. Memories of 9/11 are fading and many act as if the threat has gone away.

On the political front, in the past month, there has been a systematic effort at self-branding by the Democratic Party, and it is not good. From the defeatist Iraq talk to the obstruction on the Patriot Act, the donkey is effectively "rebranding' and "framing" itself as weak on national security. George Lakoff should be proud! Rather than the 2006 election being about the GOP' s weak ethics, it may be about the Democrat's anemic defense credentials."

[McCamy Taylor]

57. Done.

[understandinglife]

58. Larry Johnson: "If the intelligence community and President Bush realized

... that FISA was inadequate to meet the challenge why didn't they seek authority from the Congress to deal with the new threat? That my friends is the crux of the issue. Bush and Cheney and Mclaughlin want to argue after the fact that they had to act to "save" the nation, while sacrificing the law and Constitution without seeking a change to either. This stinks and this is wrong. That Mclaughlin is allowed on television without tough questioning by media is a whole other issue.

Link: http://noquarter.typepad.com/my_weblog/2005/12/john_mclaughlin.html

Yes, it stinks and the stench rises from all the death and destruction that the Bush, Cheney neoconster crime syndicate, including their financial enablers, like Kovner, and media enablers, like Sulzberger and Keller, have wrought.


Peace.

[understandinglife]

59. Thank you, DU Administrators, for placing Gov Dean's call for action ...

... on the DU homepage.

Perhaps you will consider a DU Activist "holiday mission" to spread the word to support both Howard Dean and Congressman Conyers' endeavors.


Peace.

[FreedomAngel82]

60. Good!

Go Dean! What happens if they don't do the request in the twenty days?

[understandinglife]

61. Dowd: "It isn't on yet, big guy," Rummy sighs. "The Kid is yakking again

... to the nation. He's so desperate he's pre-empting 'Desperate Housewives.' The gals won't be on for 20 minutes."

Dick glowers, sinking deep into his leather chair.

"Hey, I've got a great idea!" Rummy grins. "You wanna read a phone transcript of a big cat fight between Teri Hatcher and Nicollette Sheridan? Mueller just sent it over. Hot stuff!"

Dick perks up. Half his mouth inclines, indicating extreme joy. "More Nicollette Sheridan," he nods.

And, more at the link:

http://select.nytimes.com/2005/12/21/opinion/21dowd.html?hp

If TruthOut or some other site posts Ms. Dowd's full text, I'll provide the link. I no longer will be posting Dowd, Herbert, Krugman or other NYT items that require payment because I am canceling my NYT Sunday subscription (which I've had for more than 30 years) because of their co-criminality in all matters Bush and neoconster. If I cite NYT items, it will be because they are either from a freely downloaded URL or because someone has cross-posted the information.


Peace.

[DiverDave]

63. God dammit! , enough is

ENOUGH!!.

This is NOT the way my country acts, Fuck you bush and the fascists that control you.
I signed it, and sent it to everyone that would care that our country isn't ours anymore.

[Bread and Circus]

64. Thanks Howard Dean!

:)

As time goes on, I'm a converted Deaniac

[livvy]

66. Signed and passed along. n/t

[Nightwing]

67. Signed and forwarded to friends

Let's hope this latest scandal is the one that breaks *'s ass!! Impeach the bastard NOW!

[YourBrother]

68. how come they are still in charge?

how come no citizen/member of congress has plain approached them and placed them under citizens arrest for not only breaking your own laws, those of international treaties

which part of your lawbook states its ok to create new laws bypassing the very laws upon which your people fought so hard for?

i see pearls of wisdom on here everyday, almost all pertaining to preventing the nazification of the USA

kikk em out, make a spectacle of them and show the world what AMERICA really thinks of people who would li, deceive and trample the things they hold most dear and fought os hard for?

if they used language lies and their supposed legitimacy to get themselves this far .. they will use it to go further and justify all they do

when is enough enough?

make it happen america, please, for your own sakes

[IronLionZion]

69. YEARGH!!!

That's our chairman!

[OnyxCollie]

70. Done nt

[rd_kent]

71. I have signed with entusiasm!!!

I hope they give up the info asked for. I will be watching the news to see if there is ANY mention of this.

[LincolnMcGrath]

72. Go Dr. Dean!

[thereismore]

73. Done. nt

[understandinglife]

75. Kick. Please keep distributing to all you know ....

Peace.

[mod mom]

76. Kick.

[yorkiemommie1]

77. done

thankee!

[Independent_Liberal]

78. Kick!

[Name removed]

79. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[understandinglife]

81. Kicking for the truth!!

Peace.