RAW STORY/WaPo: Spy court judge calls classified briefing

[Patsy Stone]

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Spy_court_judge_calls_classified_briefing_1221.html

A classified briefing has been called by the presiding judge of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to address concerns about the legality of President Bush's domestic spying programs, according to a story set for Thursday's edition of The Washington Post, RAW STORY has learned.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/21/AR2005122102326.html

<snip>

One government official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the administration complained bitterly that the FISA process demanded too much: to name a target and give a reason to spy on it.

"For FISA, they had to put down a written justification for the wiretap," said the official. "They couldn't dream one up."

<snip>

ed: WP link

[henslee]

1. Why, does it feel,like folks are getting ready to roast Georgie's ass??

[Ilsa]

6. Yes,we're having roasted W ass for Christmas dinner! eom

[ShockediSay]

8. And W stands for ...

WORST US President in History.

[woodsprite]

7. Wish I felt as optimistic as you. I just figure the slimey

weasels will always find a way out. Guess I'm afraid to get my hopes up. But you know, when I really think about it, I can't help but think someone out there has to be honest enough, have enough integrity AND love for our country that this could be fixed.

[Patsy Stone]

10. If only Fitz could handle every case...

That would be great. Just put him in charge of the entire BFEE investigation. That's what I say.

I think they're going to have to prove a lot of things are legal which aren't. This is gonna be a thing.

[gkhouston]

14. From your mouth to God's ears, Patsy.

I'm hoping they can pry loose a list of the folks that have been wiretapped... and that Mr. and Mrs. Joe Wilson are on that list, because I think that could give Fitzgerald a backdoor into this pile o' putrefaction. That would be a thing-and-a-half.

[Patsy Stone]

16. Absolutely Fabulous

wish for the Fitzmas Star. I'd hate for the Wilsons to have been tapped, but you're right, that would certainly give him access to this latest BFEE chazerai. In my wildest Tin Foil Hat moment, all of these cases come together into one big investigation.

[usregimechange]

2. What authorities do they have in that role?

[Patsy Stone]

9. Well, if they're not satisfied

and they issue a statement/decision to that effect, it's a legal opinion on record about the legality of the "President's Program". Then there's a FISA Appeals Court too, so the BFEE could appeal and continue to try and defend it's legality. At the very least, there are decisions based on the facts (and maybe those "classified" legal opinions) trying to justify this BS. I'm not sure that there's anything secret being discussed (except maybe individual cases) so we may learn more about this thing through these proceedings.

I don't know if they have any authority per se, other than to say they will never allow material collected through it as evidence in that court again.

[in_cog_ni_to]

3. A classified briefing? With those peons?

:eyes: why would they bother? Seriously, will they show up for it or ignore it?

[madeline_con]

4. Uhoh! DUH-bya may have finally stepped in it!

From the article:

"... they want to know why the administration believed secretly listening in on telephone calls and reading e-mails of U.S. citizens without court authorization was legal."

Do they say, "Cuz Gonzales said so!"???

[Patsy Stone]

5. Gonzales, Yoo, Dinh.

All of them have an appetite for de(Con)struction.

[tinrobot]

11. "They couldn't dream one up."

Because they weren't spying on individuals.

They were spying on EVERYONE.

[DemReadingDU]

12. K&R

[greiner3]

13. The repugs have gotten out of storage;

Some old admin types from Reagan years. One was on Abram's reports spouting off. I have to believe that the judges that make up the senior judiciary in this country will come to the aid of the common folk on this. Legislative branch will do little and/or too late. :cry:

[bleever]

15. To quote *: "Who cares what you think?"

Accountability is for chumps. Just do it.


:mad:

[Patsy Stone]

17. Name the speaker:

"If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a lot easier...just as long as
I'm the dictator..." -- Washington, DC, Dec 18, 2000.

:hi: