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Author Topic: Domestic Surveillance
Veers
You first
Member # 661

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And we now have an investigation into the leak itself:

Inquiry into leak of NSA spying program launched

It's good to see the Justice Department is done with all of the other leak investigations--you know, like that Plame thing.

--------------------
Meh

Registered: Jul 2001  |  IP: Logged
Jay the Obscure
Liker Of Jazz
Member # 19

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Are you insinuating that the Administration isn't really serious about finding the leak in the Valerie Plame case?

Why do you hate America!

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Great is the guilt of an unnecessary war.
~ohn Adams

Once again the Bush Administration is worse than I had imagined, even though I thought I had already taken account of the fact that the Bush administration is invariably worse than I can imagine.
~Brad DeLong

You're just babbling incoherently.
~C. Montgomery Burns

Registered: Mar 1999  |  IP: Logged
Jay the Obscure
Liker Of Jazz
Member # 19

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The question arises, if Mr. Bush broke the law in authorizing the warrantless surveillance, is it an impeachable offence.

John Dean, of Watergate fame and now a legal commentator, writes this:

quote:
There can be no serious question that warrantless wiretapping, in violation of the law, is impeachable. After all, Nixon was charged in Article II of his bill of impeachment with illegal wiretapping for what he, too, claimed were national security reasons.
And here is Article 2 of the Articles of Impeachment against Richard Nixon:

quote:
Article 2
Using the powers of the office of President of the United States, Richard M. Nixon, in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in disregard of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, has repeatedly engaged in conduct violating the constitutional rights of citizens, impairing the due and proper administration of justice and the conduct of lawful inquiries, or contravening the laws governing agencies of the executive branch and the purposed of these agencies.

This conduct has included one or more of the following:

1. He has, acting personally and through his subordinates and agents, endeavoured to obtain from the Internal Revenue Service, in violation of the constitutional rights of citizens, confidential information contained in income tax returns for purposed not authorized by law, and to cause, in violation of the constitutional rights of citizens, income tax audits or other income tax investigations to be intitiated or conducted in a discriminatory manner.

2. He misused the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Secret Service, and other executive personnel, in violation or disregard of the constitutional rights of citizens, by directing or authorizing such agencies or personnel to conduct or continue electronic surveillance or other investigations for purposes unrelated to national security, the enforcement of laws, or any other lawful function of his office; he did direct, authorize, or permit the use of information obtained thereby for purposes unrelated to national security, the enforcement of laws, or any other lawful function of his office; and he did direct the concealment of certain records made by the Federal Bureau of Investigation of electronic surveillance.

3. He has, acting personally and through his subordinates and agents, in violation or disregard of the constitutional rights of citizens, authorized and permitted to be maintained a secret investigative unit within the office of the President, financed in part with money derived from campaign contributions, which unlawfully utilized the resources of the Central Intelligence Agency, engaged in covert and unlawful activities, and attempted to prejudice the constitutional right of an accused to a fair trial.

4. He has failed to take care that the laws were faithfully executed by failing to act when he knew or had reason to know that his close subordinates endeavoured to impede and frustrate lawful inquiries by duly constituted executive, judicial and legislative entities concerning the unlawful entry into the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee, and the cover-up thereof, and concerning other unlawful activities including those relating to the confirmation of Richard Kleindienst as Attorney General of the United States, the electronic surveillance of private citizens, the break-in into the offices of Dr. Lewis Fielding, and the campaign financing practices of the Committee to Re-elect the President.

5. In disregard of the rule of law, he knowingly misused the executive power by interfering with agencies of the executive branch, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Criminal Division, and the Office of Watergate Special Prosecution Force, of the Department of Justice, and the Central Intelligence Agency, in violation of his duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed.

* Emphasis added.

It appears we have parallels.

--------------------
Great is the guilt of an unnecessary war.
~ohn Adams

Once again the Bush Administration is worse than I had imagined, even though I thought I had already taken account of the fact that the Bush administration is invariably worse than I can imagine.
~Brad DeLong

You're just babbling incoherently.
~C. Montgomery Burns

Registered: Mar 1999  |  IP: Logged
Shakaar
Member
Member # 1782

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Yes and no... Nixon had surveillance conducted against news agencies that didn't report nice things about him. This is why article 2 section 2 states "for purposes unrelated to national security"- which is very different from communications involving Americans to overseas individuals suspected of terrorism.

Now don't get me wrong, I hope this is investigated and everyone gets charged for whatever crime has been committed. I think Bush deserves some punishment over it- but it's certainly not as bad as what Nixon did.

Registered: Dec 2005  |  IP: Logged
Cartman
just made by the Presbyterian Church
Member # 256

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Well, let's see...

Abuse of power: check.
Contempt of Congress: check.
Obstruction of justice: check.
Undermining of political opposition: check.

Now all we need is enough people marching through the streets of Washington again, and we can really party like it was 1974.

Registered: Nov 1999  |  IP: Logged
Cartman
just made by the Presbyterian Church
Member # 256

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Oh, and, apparently, this is what happens when you express dissent for a school project in The Dear Leader's United States. Parallels? We have NOTHING BUT.

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".mirrorS arE morE fuN thaN televisioN" - TEH PNIK FLAMIGNO

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Ritten
A Terrible & Sick leek
Member # 417

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Sam Wall always did say he wanted to give it to the little guy, so the emplyee was just doing Sam's work.

Don't worry, in a few years the Russians will wonder why they gave up the freedoms of communism when they look at us.

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"You are a terrible human, Ritten." Magnus
"Urgh, you are a sick sick person..." Austin Powers
A leek too, pretty much a negi.....

Registered: Sep 2000  |  IP: Logged
TSN
I'm... from Earth.
Member # 31

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"Sam Wall"...?
Registered: Mar 1999  |  IP: Logged
Nim
The Aardvark asked for a dagger
Member # 205

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In my country we can criticize our prime minister and king in live TV, no one will raise an eyebrow. I wonder where all this US government sensitivity stems from, has it been like this forever? Was it like this even under Carter? Reagan? Clinton?

I can understand that public death threats to the pres is punishable, but a thumbs-down photo?

Registered: Aug 1999  |  IP: Logged
Ritten
A Terrible & Sick leek
Member # 417

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Sam Wall, founder of Wal Mart and Sam's Club. Once said that his purpose fo making Wal Mart and Sam's Club big was to knock the little guy out of business. I have not shopped at Walley World in a couple of years.

--------------------
"You are a terrible human, Ritten." Magnus
"Urgh, you are a sick sick person..." Austin Powers
A leek too, pretty much a negi.....

Registered: Sep 2000  |  IP: Logged
Siegfried
Fullmetal Pompatus
Member # 29

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Sam Walton, actually. I've tried thinking of something additional to add here of a witty or humorous nature so that it wouldn't seem like I'm just nitpicking, but I've failed.
Registered: Mar 1999  |  IP: Logged
Ritten
A Terrible & Sick leek
Member # 417

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I knew something was screwed, but I couldn't figure it out....

Walley World is where I got the Wall from....

Night Sam boy

--------------------
"You are a terrible human, Ritten." Magnus
"Urgh, you are a sick sick person..." Austin Powers
A leek too, pretty much a negi.....

Registered: Sep 2000  |  IP: Logged
Jay the Obscure
Liker Of Jazz
Member # 19

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 -

--------------------
Great is the guilt of an unnecessary war.
~ohn Adams

Once again the Bush Administration is worse than I had imagined, even though I thought I had already taken account of the fact that the Bush administration is invariably worse than I can imagine.
~Brad DeLong

You're just babbling incoherently.
~C. Montgomery Burns

Registered: Mar 1999  |  IP: Logged
Jason Abbadon
Rolls with the punches.
Member # 882

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How ya dong Jay?

You know, I think my "worst fear" senearo is coming to pass.

Several months back, I suggested that Bush would nominate someone completely unsuitable to the Supreme Court (Hitler's Brian in a jar, I said) to draw attention away from his real choice- a stealth conservative to sway the cort into Neo-Con territory for years to come.

Man, I wish I was wrong.

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Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering.
-Aeschylus, Agamemnon

Registered: Aug 2002  |  IP: Logged
TSN
I'm... from Earth.
Member # 31

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"How ya dong Jay?"

Well, that's rather personal, don't you think?

Registered: Mar 1999  |  IP: Logged
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