Comments on: Wiretaps moved to Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court

By: Kim Ritter

Kim Ritter — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 14:47:03 +0000

OK- Tully- a year ago then. They seemed to go out of their way to court controversy -Pardon my pun. As with so many things with the Bush administration, it could have and should have been handled so much better. After all, they caved in to the court system in the end, so they must have known all along their argument was weak.

By: Davebo

Davebo — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 03:14:48 +0000

Previously FISC had refused to amend their procedures to meet the needs of modern terrorist surveillance, so the admin stepped around FISC using war powers.

Really? Where did you hear this?

And what war powers? Article 2?

By: Tully

Tully — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 03:09:14 +0000

Oh, and FISA processes and procedures aren’t classified, only actual operations. The processes and procedures, the “forms,” are set by published statute. It’s not until you hit actual cases that classification applies.

By: Tully

Tully — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 03:06:32 +0000

I wasn’t referring to FISA, Paul, but to the TSP. Previously FISC had refused to amend their procedures to meet the needs of modern terrorist surveillance, so the admin stepped around FISC using war powers. Now apparently the FISC and the admin have reached an agreement on procedural streamlining, so a step-around is no longer required.

Or maybe outing the program rendered it useless, and there was no reason to not put it under FISC anymore. More likely a bit of both. We’ll likely not get the real story until around the time we have grandkids.

By: Paul Silver

Paul Silver — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 01:09:03 +0000

Tully,
I thought FISA processes were classified?

By: Tully

Tully — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 00:55:11 +0000

Why didnâ€™t they just say they would work with the court two years ago

Because two years ago the program was still secret, and still producing results because it had yet to be splashed all over the front page of the New York Times?

Duh.

By: Kim Ritter

Kim Ritter — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 23:41:25 +0000

Soooooooo, after all of the rhetoric, these cases are going back to the FISA court. Why didn’t they just say they would work with the court two years ago, instead of trying to appear like the president was above the law? Misplaced arrogance that really hurt the administration’s cause in the long run.

By: Mike P.

Mike P. — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 21:25:25 +0000

The house of cards is wobbling, and a nor’easter is headed for Pennsylvania Ave.

By: Davebo

Davebo — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 19:57:34 +0000

Pretty convenient timing wouldn’t you say?

Doesn’t Gonzales testify to congress tomorrow?