Ray McGovern: Bowing To The Police State

[Syrinx]

Is Congress aiding and abetting the creation of a police state? Recently, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich., helped to give the CIA and NSA unprecedented police powers. By inserting a provision in the FY07 Intelligence Authorization Act, Hoekstra has undermined the existing statutory limits on involvement in domestic law enforcement. This comes after revelations in January of direct NSA involvement with the Baltimore police in order to "protect" the NSA Headquarters from Quaker protesters.

Add to this, the disquieting news that the White House has been barraging the CIA with totally improper questions about the political affiliation of some of its senior intelligence officers, the ever widening use of polygraph examinations, and the FBI’s admission that it acquires phone records of broadcast and print media to investigate leaks at the CIA. I, for one, am reminded of my service in the police state of the U.S.S.R., where there were no First or Fourth Amendments.

Like the proverbial frog in slowly boiling water, we have become inured to what goes on in the name of national security. Recent disclosures about increased government surveillance and illegal activities would be shocking, were it not for the prevailing outrage-fatigue brought on by a long train of abuses. But the heads of the civilian, democratically elected institutions that are supposed to be our bulwark against an encroaching police state, the ones who stand to lose their own power as well as their rights and the rights of all citizens, aren’t interested in reigning in the power of the intelligence establishment. To the contrary, Rep. Hoekstra and his counterpart at the Senate, Pat Roberts, R.-Kan., are running the risk of whiplash as they pivot to look the other way.

When the writers of the Constitution envisioned a separation of powers to ensure checks and balances in our government, they were relying on the leaders of those branches to fight to maintain their own power within the system. Fresh from the struggle against King George, they could not have predicted that some of our leaders would voluntarily sign away their own rights to another George who would be king.

http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2006/05/16/bowing_to_the_police_state.php

[Mythsaje]

1. I think some of them DID predict it, actually...

We were warned by Thomas Jefferson, among others, that we needed to remain vigilant.

And rather than teaching our kids about Jefferson and Paine, we taught them about Washington and a fucking mythical cherry tree.

And his wooden goddam teeth.

And how to follow the rules even if the rules are stupid.

Ack. Don't get me started. It's never pretty.

[BeHereNow]

2. Is this a trick question? I mean the answer is too obvious. Yes.

The congress critter piggies are owned by the people
who stand to benefit from the one party corporate controlled
government that controls its citizens by militant force and intimidation.
So, what's the question?
BHN

[Media_Lies_Daily]

3. Ray McGovern is definitely one of the good guys. Good article.

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

4. K & R.

[DianaForRussFeingold]

5. Former CIA analyst Ray McGovern asks Rumsfeld about lies into going to war

Thank You for your post,Ray Mcgovern is great; Here's Keith oberman's take on him in the video,from CountDown; Ray McGovern confronts Rumsfeld about his lies concerning Iraq.
;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1FTmuhynaw&search=Ray%20McGovern%20CIA%20Rumsfeld%20lie Ray McGovern tells Paula Zahn why Donald Rumsfeld is a liar;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRp-L74o6wU&search=Ray%20McGovern%20CIA%20Rumsfeld%20lie Truthdig salutes Ray McGovern, the 27-year CIA veteran who articulated the outrage of a nation by publicly and heroically challenging Donald Rumsfeld’s lies about Iraqi WMD at an Atlanta public on May 4.



You can follow any of the links from here, to get a full picture of the man, the encounter and the dust-up he left in his wake. http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20060505_truthdigger_week_ray_mcgovern


:patriot: :yourock: :loveya::patriot:

[Syrinx]

6. thanks for the links!

I will check them out tomorrow.

I'm a big fan of Russ Feingold too. I remember last year when he came down here to Alabama, toured some of the poorer areas of the state, and spoke about why we are Democrats. He spoke wisely, and without condescension. I could definitely support him for president. But I also think Gore/Feingold has a nice ring to it!

Thanks again! :hi:

[joeunderdog]

7. k-r

[life_long_dem]

8. I heard Ray McGovern speak last Friday in Duluth, MN.

It was an honor to meet him, I feel, he is a much bigger celebrity than any of those hollywood types.

He is a very down to earth man. I'm not going to explain everything he discussed, but there is one thing he said that I won't forget. He has "outrage fatigue," everyday there is a new outrage.

Gotta go, my phone is ringing.

[malaise]

9. Tice needs to address the Court

of public opinion at a mass rally. The Constitution says "We the people..."
<snip>
Hoekstra is a master at Catch-22. On the one hand Hoekstra insists that those in intelligence who have information on illegal or improper behavior report it to his intelligence committee; then he refuses to let them in the door. Russell Tice, a former NSA employee, has been trying since last December to give Hoekstra a first-hand account of illegal activities at the NSA. He has rebuffed Tice, with the lame explanation that the NSA will not clear Hoekstra or any of his committee members for the highly classified programs about which Tice wants to report. With the door locked to the intelligence committees, Tice has turned to the Senate Armed Services Committee and said that he will meet soon with committee staff in closed session to tell of “probable unlawful and unconstitutional acts” at the NSA while Gen. Michael Hayden was in charge.