I Am So Fucking Over This Already

[Galraedia]

Before:

One provision that troubles me a great deal is a provision that permits the government under FISA to compel the production of records from any business regarding any person, if that information is sought in connection with an investigation of terrorism or espionage.

Now we’re not talking here about travel records pertaining to a terrorist suspect, which we all can see can be highly relevant to an investigation of a terrorist plot. FISA already gives the FBI the power to get airline, train, hotel, car rental and other records of a suspect.

But under this bill, the government can compel the disclosure of the personal records of anyone — perhaps someone who worked with, or lived next door to, or went to school with, or sat on an airplane with, or has been seen in the company of, or whose phone number was called by — the target of the investigation.

And under this new provisions all business records can be compelled, including those containing sensitive personal information like medical records from hospitals or doctors, or educational records, or records of what books someone has taken out of the library. This is an enormous expansion of authority, under a law that provides only minimal judicial supervision.

During:

Lawmakers who are now expressing outrage over the government’s surveillance of phone records and Internet activity should have paid closer attention when they were voting to reauthorize provisions in the Patriot Act, Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, said Sunday.

Reacting particularly to fellow Republican Sen. Rand Paul’s assertion this week the programs amount to an “assault on the Constitution,” McCain told CNN chief political correspondent Candy Crowley that members of Congress had not been left in the dark on what powers to government has in monitoring Americans.

“The Republican and Democrat chairs, and … members of the Intelligence Committee have been very well briefed on these programs,” McCain said. “We passed the Patriot Act. We passed specific provisions of the act that allowed for this program to take place, to be enacted in operation. Now, if members of Congress did not know what they were voting on, then I think that that’s their responsibility a lot more than it is the government’s.”

After:

OMG- DID YOU HEAR? THE NSA IS DOING PRECISELY WHAT THOSE WHO WERE AGAINST THE PATRIOT ACT SAID THEY WOULD DO AND THOSE WHO SUPPORTED IT HOPED THEY WOULD!

I am so sick of this bullshit. Now let’s play the typical American political game. Some Dems will rush to the defense of Obama and help to make sure these policies are not undone because, well, Republicans and evil civil libertarians are saying bad things and tribalism, even though the issue is not Obama or the need to defend Obama, the most POWERFUL FUCKING MAN IN THE WORLD WHO IS NEVER RUNNING FOR OFFICE AGAIN. BUT HEY, WHEN YOU ARE A PARTISAN, YOU GOTTA DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO.

Read more: http://www.balloon-juice.com/2013/06/09/i-am-so-fucking-over-this-already/

[pkdu]

1. You forgot one thing....

[toby jo]

2. The world is a whole lot bigger than most folks can conceptualize.

Now they're lost.

OMG, some guy leaked classified info. The sky is fucking falling!

Meanwhile, a McCain hands a Paul his asshole. He's pointed out a pretty good truth - congressman don't know what's going on. They don't know what they're signing.