US judge halts warrantless wiretapping (Bush overstepped his authority)

[ProSense]

US judge halts warrantless wiretapping

by NSA by Mira Oberman
16 minutes ago

CHICAGO (AFP) - A US judge halted warrantless wiretapping by the National Security Agency and ruled that President George W. Bush overstepped his authority when authorizing the unconstitutional program.

Federal Judge Anna Diggs Taylor ordered a permanent injuction barring the Terrorist Surveillance Program, which has been used to monitor millions of US citizens.

"It was never the intent of the (Constitutional) Framers to give the President such unfettered control, particularly when his actions blatantly disregard the parameters clearly enumerated in the Bill of Rights," Taylor wrote in a 43-page opinion.

"In this case the President has acted undisputably as FISA (the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) forbids. FISA is the expressed statutory policy of our Congress. The presidential power, therefore, was exercised at its lowest ebb and cannot be sustained."

more...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060817/pl_afp/usjusticeintelligence_060817184454

[ProSense]

1. Think Progress: Wingnuts call it "terrorist-friendly ruling"

UPDATE II: Kathryn Jean Lopez at The Corner blasts the decision as a “terrorist-friendly ruling.”

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/08/17/nsa-unconstitutional

[man4allcats]

2. K & R

:thumbsup: