U.S. Threatens Suit if Maine Probes Verizon Ties to NSA

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

by Kevin Wack

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0804-09.htm

<snip>

The Bush administration is threatening to sue if Maine regulators decide to investigate whether Verizon Communications illegally turned over customer information to the National Security Agency.

Verizon customers in Maine have asked the state's Public Utilities Commission to investigate whether the telecom giant violated privacy laws by cooperating with a domestic surveillance program. The PUC is expected to decide Monday whether to open such a probe.

In a July 28 letter to the PUC, the U.S. Department of Justice cites national security as a key reason for its opposition to a state investigation. The seven-page letter suggests a lawsuit is likely if Maine regulators decide to investigate.

"We sincerely hope that, in light of governing law and the national security concerns implicated by the requests for information, you will decline to open an investigation and close these proceedings, thereby avoiding litigation over the matter," the letter reads...

[aquart]

1. Fight, Maine.

Force it into the Court.

[last1standing]

2. I think my head just exploded.

The bush* administration is telling the state of Maine, that if it pursues criminal activity they will sue them. I can now honestly say that I hope every single person who voted for this insanity is paid back in full one day. They've cost us at least 8 years of state sanctioned cruelty, murder, theft, and corruption.

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

4. And it won't be long before they...

...criminalize any investigation or challenges to their criminality.

[stepnw1f]

23. This Sounds Extreme

but in order for them to do such a thing and get away with it, they would have to kill us all. We will not stand back and allow our country to become a dictatorship. We have gone far enough and have put up enough.

[Doctor_J]

30. You're kidding right?

"We will not stand back and allow our country to become a dictatorship"

:rofl:

Most would welcome it.

[stepnw1f]

34. I Don't Find Anything Funny

about what I posted. Should I retract my sentiment and just laugh too?

[lonestarnot]

11. I would rather be a hermit the rest of my entire life than associate

with anyone that was a part of this 8 year take down. Hate them and all they stand for!

[NoodleyAppendage]

3. US is now Bizarro World.

At what point does the US citizenry rise up and overthrow the Neocon/pro-fascist coup? And, I mean "rise up" in the sense of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. I mean hundreds of thousands taking to the streets; facing down the guns of our Neocon overlords; and restoring our Constitutional Democracy the way our forefathers would have done so in similar circumstances.

J

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

5. This will be required if we're to restore...

...our country to anything remotely resembling what it once was. Mexico might be a country we can learn from as their citizens fight to overturn an obviously corrupt/stolen national election.

[MrCoffee]

8. When in the course of human events

TJ said it long before we did. Let's listen to the founders. There's LOADS of original intent in the Declaration of Independence.

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

9. A great document we need to revisit.

http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/index.htm

[rodeodance]

6. delay and threats -that is how the WH operates

[MrCoffee]

7. Maine should go State's Rights on their NeoCon asses

That should be good for a laugh.

[bonito]

10. A kick needed here. n/t

[lonestarnot]

12. And there.

[me b zola]

26. and everywhere

[HuffleClaw]

13. 'national security' my foot

'republican security' yes. they've tried to slap a 'national security' label on anything that hurts their party.

[radfringe]

14. The hell with the legal-smeagle stuff

<sarcasm on> Just invade Maine and any other state that has the gall to challenge the bush mis-administration. I heard on the "tubes of the internets" that Maine is hiding LMDs (Lobsters Most Delicious) </sarcasm off>

[54anickel]

15. wtf? How bizarre. The US gov't suing a US state. Let me guess -

it's in the interest of national security which cannot be confirmed or denied without harming the Bushco regime. :crazy:

...would place Verizon in a position of having to confirm or deny the existence of information that cannot be confirmed or denied without harming national security."

[MaineDem]

16. Verizon is trying to divest itself of Maine

They want to sell the land-line portion of their business. I doubt it has anything to do with this privacy law issue; they've had us "for sale" for a while now.

[hootinholler]

17. You go on ahead Maine!

There are those of us out herewho can't do much but will do all we can and try to do more to help your cause.

-Hoot

[C_U_L8R]

18. Sounds like an admission of guilt

what are they hiding????

[GoddessOfGuinness]

32. and perhaps grounds for a countersuit?

Wouldn't such a lawsuit be an attempt to obstruct justice?

[lonestarnot]

19. kick

[Mr_Spock]

20. This suppression of truth is a massive problem

These sorts of cases will decide if we will continue to have a working democracy in this country.

How can we have a democracy if any time the goverment wants to break a law they simply scream "national security!"?

This kind of crap makes me want to have a revolution in this country.

[Vidar]

21. So much for states' rights & smaller government.

[lpbk2713]

22. Verizon has a hell of a lot to gain by playing ball with the NSA.

Their profit could be in the billions if the FCC would tailor the internet to Verizon's specifications, just to give one example. And the BushCo administration would have no problem in bending over backwards to please (and profit from) Big Business.

[Akoto]

24. So, in other words ...

They did it, and they know Maine will find out if it investigates. Something tells me they don't want another massive hit in the polls so close to election time. :)

[WhiteTara]

25. OMG * is suing a STATE?

is this a common occurance?

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

27. No, I don't believe it's at all common.

[WhiteTara]

28. how can they do that? I mean is there a mechanism

for suing a state? :wow:

[Doctor_J]

31. Yes, the "turn the power over to the states" party is suing

Maine for investigating their fascist activities.

[hedgetrimmer]

29. Here we hide behind national security

Other times we hide behind civilians, terrorists, lies, corporate person-hood, talking heads and whatever other b*llshit we can toss in the mix to suffocate the Constitution and federalize every state into the way we tell them to be...

What we have here folks is the NSA trying to intimidate the state of Maine from pursuing the law to defend the rights of our fellow citizens... These tactics are similar to the mafia. However, in this country we the people have the right to question our governments actions, we the people have a right to question our governments motives and we the people have the right to knock it on it's ass when it clearly defies the Constitution... Let Maine stand as a open doorway into the affairs of this administration, it's overreaching NSA program and the vile gnawing on this countries civil liberties....

Now lies the moment when fate is enacted, when courage is called for and for Maine to move forward as if no letter from the NSA ever arrived.

[MaineDem]

33. 8/7 editorial in Maine newspaper

Now, it turns out, the federal government is trying to bully Maine into swallowing the same argument. In a July 28 letter to the PUC, the U.S. Department of Justice threatens to sue Maine if it undertakes an investigation of Verizon. "We sincerely hope that, in light of governing law and the national security concerns implicated by the requests for information, you will decline to open an investigation and close these proceedings, thereby avoiding litigation over the matter," they wrote.

They're sincere all right -- and threatening.

The federal government has similarly hounded other states that have said they want to investigate the issue; they've filed lawsuits in both New Jersey and Missouri to prevent the disclosure of information.

Mind you, this is the same government that rode into power on a platform of state's rights.

Furthermore, the feds have argued that any proceeding, if it goes forward, will force them to admit or deny the existence of a surveillance program, thus giving important information away to our enemies.

This is a ludicrous assertion, given that the program's existence has been covered in the worldwide media for months.

Forgive us if we feel that we're heading down the rabbit hole.

http://morningsentinel.mainetoday.com/view/columns/1992083489.shtml