Fed lawyers ask judge to toss states' domestic spying lawsuits

[MaineDem]

Source: AP/Portland Press Herald

SAN FRANCISCO — The Bush administration asked a federal judge to toss out lawsuits seeking to unearth information about the U.S. telecommunications industry's alleged participation in a warrantless government eavesdropping program.

Five states including Maine want consumer records the telecommunications companies allegedly turned over to the National Security Administration as part of a domestic eavesdropping program President George W. Bush authorized after Sept. 11, 2001.

Lawyers for New Jersey, Vermont, Maine, Missouri and Connecticut argued that they are pursuing complaints by consumers that their privacy rights may have been violated if phone records were turned over to the NSA without their consent.

Department of Justice lawyers argued Thursday in U.S. District Court that such disclosures would harm national security and foreign affairs.

Read more: http://news.mainetoday.com/updates/013197.html

[gratuitous]

1. No, administration lawyers, what harms national security most

Is a lawless administration that spies on its own people, tortures others, and prosecutes imperial wars of aggression. Tends to damage our foreign affairs, too.

But on the other hand, what else are they going to argue? "Yeah, we're a bunch of crooks and criminals, and you shouldn't trust us any further than you could caber-toss the Washington Monument. So, whaddya gonna do about it, huh?"

[rodeodance]

3. they have nothing else--Nat. security is their response to everything!

[Blaze Diem]

2. Toss out Cheney too..

...Department of Justice lawyers argued Thursday in U.S. District Court that such disclosures would harm national security and foreign affairs....

If this is the argument for all things with this admin. of Bush & Co. Then toss out Dick Cheney TOO!

[Solo_in_MD]

4. IMO, this kind of spying predates Bush

and a Dem administration will take the same position. Has any serious candidate said otherwise?