Rawstory's latest: Gonzo says that Bush has the right to wiretap...

[The Backlash Cometh]

...within US borders.


"NYT Friday: Gonzales says Bush has authority to wiretap
calls exclusively within United States... Developing"

Do you suppose he's now laying the groundwork to defend the possibility he was wiretapping his political enemies?

[converted_democrat]

1. Does this officially make it a dictatorship yet? n/t

[Freedom_from_Chains]

5. Not technically, but look for the pace of the coup to speed up now.

[madokie]

16. And a coup it is we are living

[bullimiami]

2. wiretap, torture. whatever. gonzales is one of the criminals.

of course he says its fine.

[Canuckistanian]

3. They're daring us, aren't they?

GONE is whole "when Al-Qaeda's calling" argument.

This is beyond pushing the envelope. This is provocation.

[Jack Rabbit]

4. Gonzales is wrong

But then he was wrong about torture and that is why he should join the rest of the gang in the home for retired neoconservatives . . . .



United Nations Prison, The Hague

[aquart]

7. Lovely prison.

Just right for George's royalist tendencies.

[Jack Rabbit]

12. Bush and the gang should be very happy there

They've earned it.

[opiate69]

6. ahem.. Gonzo..perhaps you should read this..

TITLE 50 > CHAPTER 36 > SUBCHAPTER I > § 1802 Prev | Next

§ 1802. Electronic surveillance authorization without court order; certification by Attorney General; reports to Congressional committees; transmittal under seal; duties and compensation of communication common carrier; applications; jurisdiction of court
Release date: 2005-03-17

(a)
(1) Notwithstanding any other law, the President, through the Attorney General, may authorize electronic surveillance without a court order under this subchapter to acquire foreign intelligence information for periods of up to one year if the Attorney General certifies in writing under oath that—
(A) the electronic surveillance is solely directed at—
(i) the acquisition of the contents of communications transmitted by means of communications used exclusively between or among foreign powers, as defined in section 1801 (a)(1), (2), or (3) of this title; or
(ii) the acquisition of technical intelligence, other than the spoken communications of individuals, from property or premises under the open and exclusive control of a foreign power, as defined in section 1801 (a)(1), (2), or (3) of this title;
(B) there is no substantial likelihood that the surveillance will acquire the contents of any communication to which a United States person is a party; and
(C) the proposed minimization procedures with respect to such surveillance meet the definition of minimization procedures under section 1801 (h) of this title; and
if the Attorney General reports such minimization procedures and any changes thereto to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence at least thirty days prior to their effective date, unless the Attorney General determines immediate action is required and notifies the committees immediately of such minimization procedures and the reason for their becoming effective immediately.
(2) An electronic surveillance authorized by this subsection may be conducted only in accordance with the Attorney General’s certification and the minimization procedures adopted by him. The Attorney General shall assess compliance with such procedures and shall report such assessments to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence under the provisions of section 1808 (a) of this title.
(3) The Attorney General shall immediately transmit under seal to the court established under section 1803 (a) of this title a copy of his certification. Such certification shall be maintained under security measures established by the Chief Justice with the concurrence of the Attorney General, in consultation with the Director of Central Intelligence, and shall remain sealed unless—
(A) an application for a court order with respect to the surveillance is made under sections 1801 (h)(4) and 1804 of this title; or
(B) the certification is necessary to determine the legality of the surveillance under section 1806 (f) of this title.
(4) With respect to electronic surveillance authorized by this subsection, the Attorney General may direct a specified communication common carrier to—
(A) furnish all information, facilities, or technical assistance necessary to accomplish the electronic surveillance in such a manner as will protect its secrecy and produce a minimum of interference with the services that such carrier is providing its customers; and
(B) maintain under security procedures approved by the Attorney General and the Director of Central Intelligence any records concerning the surveillance or the aid furnished which such carrier wishes to retain.
The Government shall compensate, at the prevailing rate, such carrier for furnishing such aid.
(b) Applications for a court order under this subchapter are authorized if the President has, by written authorization, empowered the Attorney General to approve applications to the court having jurisdiction under section 1803 of this title, and a judge to whom an application is made may, notwithstanding any other law, grant an order, in conformity with section 1805 of this title, approving electronic surveillance of a foreign power or an agent of a foreign power for the purpose of obtaining foreign intelligence information, except that the court shall not have jurisdiction to grant any order approving electronic surveillance directed solely as described in paragraph (1)(A) of subsection (a) of this section unless such surveillance may involve the acquisition of communications of any United States person.

[leftchick]

8. who the hell is going to make him read it?

and make them be accountable? Like John Dean said tonight, we have ourselves something other than a Democracy.

[cal04]

9. More up at Rawstory

(looks like the same thing the WP has)

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales suggested for the first time on Thursday that the president might have the legal authority to order wiretapping without a warrant on communications between Americans that occur exclusively within the United States, the NEW YORK TIMES reports Friday. Excerpts:


"I'm not going to rule it out," Gonzales said when asked about that possibility at a House Judiciary Committee hearing. The attorney general made his comments, which critics said reflected a broadened view of the president's authority, as President Bush offered another strong defense of his decision to authorize the National Security Agency to eavesdrop without warrants on international calls and e-mail messages to or from the United States.

Bush, in an appearance in North Carolina, told a questioner who attacked the program that he would "absolutely not" apologize for authorizing it. "You can come to whatever conclusion you want" about the merits of the program," Bush said. "The conclusion is I'm not going to apologize for what I did on the terrorist surveillance program."

At the House hearing, Gonzales faced tough questioning from Democrats and Republicans but declined to discuss many operational details. Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr., the Wisconsin Republican who is chairman of the Judiciary Committee and one of the administration's staunchest allies, accused the administration of "stonewalling."

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Gonzales_suggests_that_Bush_has_authority_0406.html

WPost's story
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=866803&mesg_id=866803

[The Backlash Cometh]

13. It all boils down to this:

Take this paragraph:
"Bush, in an appearance in North Carolina, told a questioner who attacked the program that he would "absolutely not" apologize for authorizing it. "You can come to whatever conclusion you want" about the merits of the program," Bush said. "The conclusion is I'm not going to apologize for what I did on the terrorist surveillance program.""

Now, if we can manage to get a list of names of the people he wire-tapped, if the names are ethnic sounding like Abdul or Amin, Bush will get the support of the American people. But if the names are like Sissy Robinson from Stony Brook, or Bill Watkins from Ridgewood,Pennsylvania, Bush is toast.

[GeorgeGist]

10. Unitary Executive and a Unitary Judge...

who works for him; who needs Congress?

[bvar22]

11. BREAKING....According to Heinrich Himmler,

Adolf Hitler was well within his rights to murder 6 million Jews!!!!
That is ALL!
:patriot:

[slipslidingaway]

14. NYT link

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/07/washington/07nsa.html?hp&ex=1144382400&en=9aedb40ee43d7452&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[oasis]

15. T.V. lawyer, Jeffery Toobin expects this story to have legs. (n/t)

[The Backlash Cometh]

18. Like a centipede has legs.

[cynatnite]

17. John Dean commented about this on KO tonight

He said that when the executive branch runs unchecked we no longer have a democracy. I'm paraphrasing, but that's basically what he said.