NSA Surveillance Leak Case,  Politics

NSA Surveillance Watch: President Bush Defends Scope of NSA Surveillance

President Bush makes remarks at the Celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and Presentation of the President’s Volunteer Service Awards in the East Room of the White House in Washington Friday, May 12, 2006.

ASSociated Press: Bush Defends Scope of Domestic Spying

President Bush defended the scope of the government’s domestic surveillance programs that have riled privacy advocates and threatened to impede the Senate confirmation of Bush’s new pick to lead the CIA.

“The privacy of all Americans is fiercely protected in all our activities,” Bush said Saturday in his weekly radio address. “The government does not listen to domestic phone calls without court approval. We are not trolling through the personal lives of millions of innocent Americans.”

Without specifically confirming the database effort, Bush defended the intelligence activities he has authorized, saying they are focused on al-Qaida terrorists and their affiliates. He reiterated that they are lawful and that appropriate members of Congress, both Republican and Democrat, have been briefed on the surveillance activities.

“Americans expect their government to do everything in its power under our laws and Constitution to protect them and their civil liberties,” Bush said. “That is exactly what we are doing. And so far, we have been successful in preventing another attack on our soil.”

Flap has NO concerns of his civil liberties being violated and appreciate the government protecting him and his family from terrorist activity.

John Hinderaker over at Power Line has the statuatory language authorizing the telephone data mining.

And, yes, here is a controlling court case:

A quick note to drive-by journalists about NSA illegally collecting telephone records without first obtaining a warrant.

U.S. Supreme Court
SMITH v. MARYLAND,
442 U.S. 735 (1979)
No. 78-5374.
Argued March 28, 1979.
Decided June 20, 1979.

The telephone company, at police request, installed at its central offices a pen register to record the numbers dialed from the telephone at petitioner’s home.
Held: The installation and use of the pen register was not a “search” within the meaning of the Fourth Amendment, and hence no warrant was required. Pp. 739-746.

This is an old story, covered in the New York Times coverage in December 2005 and simply a media attempt to discredit President Bush and derail Michael Hayden’s confirmation as CIA Director.

What will be the fall-out?

NOT MUCH.

The lawsuit filed against Verizon Communications will go nowhere.

The Senate Democrats will cry outrage burt will do nothing to interrupt the collection of data and……

America will be safer…..

Discuss this blog post and MORE…. at the FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blogs, My Dental Forum.
Previous:

NSA Surveillance Watch: NSA’s Telephone Data Collection and Analysis Program – Is It LEGAL?

NSA Surveillance Watch: NSA Has Massive Database of Americans’ Phone Calls

NSA Surveillance Watch: Senate Intelligence Committee Decides NOT to Pursue Investigation

NSA Surveillance Watch: Congressional Probe of NSA Surveilance Is in Doubt

NSA Surveillance Watch: Two Lawsuits Filed Today to Seek End of President Bush’s NSA Electronic Surveillance Program


NSA Surveillance Watch: Specter Skeptical of Domestic Spy Program

NSA Surveillance Leak Case Watch: Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to Testify


NSA Surveillance Watch: AP Poll- Most Say U.S. Needs Warrant to Snoop? – RECYCLED

NSA Surveillance Leak Case Watch: Vice President Cheney Strongly Defends Eavesdropping Operation

Cox & Forkum: One Man’s Whistleblower

Global War on Terror Watch: Why the NSA Monitors Communications of Al-Qaida


NSA Surveillance Leak Case Watch: President Bush Defends NSA Surveillance

NSA Leak Case Watch: New York Times’ Reporter James Risen


NSA Leak Case Watch: Justice Deptartment Probing Domestic Spying Leak

NSA Surveillance Watch: President Had Legal Authority to OK Taps

NSA Surveillance Watch: Carter and Clinton Executive Orders Authorizing Secret Searches Without a Warrant


NSA Surveillance Watch: Calls for Congressional Hearings

NSA Surveillance Watch: President Bush defends Spying as “A Necessary Part of My Job to Protect” Americans from Attack


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