Judge orders the Bush administration to stop a domestic wiretap

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

They all just spout off about how we have to make sure the program is legal, and lets make sure the president isn't overstepping his powers and we've got to make sure we protect americans civil liberties.

Which is what this is really all about. The laws of the land do apply to the President whether the ** he (or you) likes it or not. Period. Surveillance has been and will continue to be done for decades - within the framework of the law duly enacted by the legislature. The President ought to abide by the law not break it. It's really quite simple...

Edited August 24, 2006 by ET-US2004

[Dean iWait 0]

This judge is some left wing nut job and her decision will be overturned by a higher court.

Left wing nut job...yes, let the cliche's fly... she must be a liberal and all liberals of course are nutty.... that's rich.

She is what she is. Can a zebra lose it's stripes? I think not. Mark my words, her left wing nut job decision will be overturned by a higher court.

Did I say all liberals are left wing nut jobs? No I didn't, so don't imply that I did please . I have plenty of liberal friends with whom I won't ever likely agree an politics. We can have a good conversation though and I repect their opinions and they repect mine.

The far left wing isn't any nuttier than the far right wing in my opinion.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Mark my words, her left wing nut job decision will be overturned by a higher court.

What makes you so sure? The highest court has put Bush into his place more than once already. I am quite confident that it will do so again once this particular case gets there.

[Dean iWait 0]

They all just spout off about how we have to make sure the program is legal, and lets make sure the president isn't overstepping his powers and we've got to make sure we protect americans civil liberties.

Which is what this is really all about. The laws of the land do apply to the President whether the ** he (or you) likes it or not. Period.

No, it's not what it's about about since you are taking my words out of context. What it about is getting elected for the next term. They don't give shite about any of this, they just pretend they do.

Again can anyone here name one Democrat who has called for the end of this program? No? Didn't think so. Because if they did they wouldn't win that next election. This is politics, they don't really give a shite about any of this.

The lawmakers gave the president the power to implement this program! Whether the ** they (or you) likes it or not. Period.

Mark my words, her left wing nut job decision will be overturned by a higher court.

What makes you so sure? The highest court has put Bush into his place more than once already. I am quite confident that it will do so again once this particular case gets there.

ROFLMAO! Oh yeah, they followed the constitution. Guess that should only apply when it fits your agenda.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

The lawmakers gave the president the power to implement this program! Whether the ** they (or you) likes it or not. Period.

Really? Which piece of legislation did that?

[Dean iWait 0]

The lawmakers gave the president the power to implement this program! Whether the ** they (or you) likes it or not. Period.

Really? Which piece of legislation did that?

Yes, on 9/18/01 Congress gave the President Authorization to Use Military Force to fight the war terrorism.

So now they are trying to say we shouldn't try to listen to the phone conversations of terrorists? Come on.

Ok now I answered one of your questions. Please answer one of mine.

If the Dems truly believe that this program is illegal, the president is overstepping his authority or americans civil rights are being violated please tell me why just one Democrat hasn't come out and called for an end to this program? I mean if they really believe this they should all be out demanding this program be stopped now right?

Edited August 24, 2006 by Dean iWait

[PsychoKat 0]

I tried it and this one seems to fit what is considered conservative these days

Racist, liberty-hating half-wits who love government intervention

Because those who are questioning the government these days are called liberal, and in the wire tapping issue the ones being called liberal are those concerned about the destruction of liberty by the government.....

See as I was saying the terms have been flipped somehow

Give me a break! Would you please wake up. The only reason liberals pretend to be concerned is that we have a Republican in the whitehouse. They will do anything to to thumb their nose at him. If a Democrat was in the office you wouldn't here a peep out of them on the same friggin program. Oh and by the way can you name one Democrat lawmaker who has come out publicly and said we should end this program? Oh wait you can't name one because none of them have. They all just spout off about how we have to make sure the program is legal, and lets make sure the president isn't overstepping his powers and we've got to make sure we protect americans civil liberties. They don't give a shite, it's just politics and all they care about is getting winning the next election and a lot of Republicans sadly are the same way in that regard. Unfortunately for reasonable liberals the far laft wing is taking over the Democrat party. Take back your party and make it respectable again for god's sake ( if assuming that's your party lol).

I really don't claim loyalty to any particular party although I find I'm often labeled as liberal. It doesn't really bother me, I just find it ironic that what makes me "liberal" is my lack of blind faith in our elected officials, and what they tell us. Just because they were elected to powerful positions, doesn't ensure absolutely that they won't abuse the power they have been given, they are still only human. This is why the branches of our government are set up as they are, they supply a means of checks and balances so we don't end up with one person just doing whatever the hell they please at the expense of everyone. In other words to protect our country and our way of life.

Now here we are fighting this war on terror, we are fighting this war to protect our way of life so that these terrorists don't destroy what we have, people are dying for this. If they can die to protect our way of life, how can we not question it when our president knowingly bypasses the checks and balances in place to protect our way of life within the country. How can we just blindly accept this without question, and accept that it's all to protect us.....when those checks and balances that have been ignored and bypassed are in place to protect our way of life internally.

The war on terror becomes a bit of a moot point if we allow a member of our government to decide he is above the law, and the safeguards built into our government to protect us from despotism, without at least raising serious questions regarding those actions, and holding him accountable for them.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I tried it and this one seems to fit what is considered conservative these days

Racist, liberty-hating half-wits who love government intervention

Because those who are questioning the government these days are called liberal, and in the wire tapping issue the ones being called liberal are those concerned about the destruction of liberty by the government.....

See as I was saying the terms have been flipped somehow

Give me a break! Would you please wake up. The only reason liberals pretend to be concerned is that we have a Republican in the whitehouse. They will do anything to to thumb their nose at him. If a Democrat was in the office you wouldn't here a peep out of them on the same friggin program. Oh and by the way can you name one Democrat lawmaker who has come out publicly and said we should end this program? Oh wait you can't name one because none of them have. They all just spout off about how we have to make sure the program is legal, and lets make sure the president isn't overstepping his powers and we've got to make sure we protect americans civil liberties. They don't give a shite, it's just politics and all they care about is getting winning the next election and a lot of Republicans sadly are the same way in that regard. Unfortunately for reasonable liberals the far laft wing is taking over the Democrat party. Take back your party and make it respectable again for god's sake ( if assuming that's your party lol).

You errantly assume that this is a partisan issue or that it is liberals who are the only ones disgusted. Bush doesn't represent the true conservative ideology anymore than Clinton represented liberalism.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I tried it and this one seems to fit what is considered conservative these days

Racist, liberty-hating half-wits who love government intervention

Because those who are questioning the government these days are called liberal, and in the wire tapping issue the ones being called liberal are those concerned about the destruction of liberty by the government.....

See as I was saying the terms have been flipped somehow

Give me a break! Would you please wake up. The only reason liberals pretend to be concerned is that we have a Republican in the whitehouse. They will do anything to to thumb their nose at him. If a Democrat was in the office you wouldn't here a peep out of them on the same friggin program. Oh and by the way can you name one Democrat lawmaker who has come out publicly and said we should end this program? Oh wait you can't name one because none of them have. They all just spout off about how we have to make sure the program is legal, and lets make sure the president isn't overstepping his powers and we've got to make sure we protect americans civil liberties. They don't give a shite, it's just politics and all they care about is getting winning the next election and a lot of Republicans sadly are the same way in that regard. Unfortunately for reasonable liberals the far laft wing is taking over the Democrat party. Take back your party and make it respectable again for god's sake ( if assuming that's your party lol).

You errantly assume that this is a partisan issue or that it is liberals who are the only ones disgusted. Bush doesn't represent the true conservative ideology anymore than Clinton represented liberalism.

Not $hit! We're back to that massive philosophical gap in reasoning some self-professed conservatives seem to demonstrate whenever they approach any political issue.

1) If I don't like it, it MUST be liberal.

2) Liberal is a term of abuse.

3) Anyone who doesn't like Bush MUST be a Democrat supporter.

4) ALL Democrats are Liberal.

And so on and so on.

Heaven forbid people use their brain and actually challenge their preconceived assumptions...

[GaryC 7]

U.S. District Judge Who Presided Over Government Wiretapping Case May Have Had Conflict of Interest

(Washington, DC) Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption and judicial abuse, announced today that Judge Anna Diggs Taylor, who last week ruled the government’s warrantless wiretapping program unconstitutional, serves as a Secretary and Trustee for a foundation that donated funds to the ACLU of Michigan, a plaintiff in the case (ACLU et. al v. National Security Agency). Judicial Watch discovered the potential conflict of interest after reviewing Judge Diggs Taylor’s financial disclosure statements.

According to her 2003 and 2004 financial disclosure statements, Judge Diggs Taylor served as Secretary and Trustee for the Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan (CFSEM). She was reelected to this position in June 2005. The official CFSEM website states that the foundation made a “recent grant” of $45,000 over two years to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan, a plaintiff in the wiretapping case. Judge Diggs Taylor sided with the ACLU of Michigan in her recent decision.

Source: http://www.judicialwatch.org/5862.shtml

Edited August 24, 2006 by Iniibig ko si Luz forever

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

The lawmakers gave the president the power to implement this program! Whether the ** they (or you) likes it or not. Period.

Really? Which piece of legislation did that?

Yes, on 9/18/01 Congress gave the President Authorization to Use Military Force to fight the war terrorism.

So now they are trying to say we shouldn't try to listen to the phone conversations of terrorists? Come on.

Ok now I answered one of your questions.

Actually, you didn't. You told me that the Congress authorized the President to use the military to fight terrorists. I asked what piece of legislation Congress passed that gave the President the power to set aside the National Surveillance Act, FISA and various protections provided by the Constitution?

[Alex+R 0]

I tried it and this one seems to fit what is considered conservative these days

Racist, liberty-hating half-wits who love government intervention

Because those who are questioning the government these days are called liberal, and in the wire tapping issue the ones being called liberal are those concerned about the destruction of liberty by the government.....

See as I was saying the terms have been flipped somehow

Give me a break! Would you please wake up. The only reason liberals pretend to be concerned is that we have a Republican in the whitehouse. They will do anything to to thumb their nose at him. If a Democrat was in the office you wouldn't here a peep out of them on the same friggin program. Oh and by the way can you name one Democrat lawmaker who has come out publicly and said we should end this program? Oh wait you can't name one because none of them have. They all just spout off about how we have to make sure the program is legal, and lets make sure the president isn't overstepping his powers and we've got to make sure we protect americans civil liberties. They don't give a shite, it's just politics and all they care about is getting winning the next election and a lot of Republicans sadly are the same way in that regard. Unfortunately for reasonable liberals the far laft wing is taking over the Democrat party. Take back your party and make it respectable again for god's sake ( if assuming that's your party lol).

You errantly assume that this is a partisan issue or that it is liberals who are the only ones disgusted. Bush doesn't represent the true conservative ideology anymore than Clinton represented liberalism.

Not $hit! We're back to that massive philosophical gap in reasoning some self-professed conservatives seem to demonstrate whenever they approach any political issue.

1) If I don't like it, it MUST be liberal.

2) Liberal is a term of abuse.

3) Anyone who doesn't like Bush MUST be a Democrat supporter.

4) ALL Democrats are Liberal.

And so on and so on.

Heaven forbid people use their brain and actually challenge their preconceived assumptions...

At what point did our society begin to value blind faith in our elected officials and a complete suspension of critical thought, and to consider that synonymous wtih patriotism?

Nowadays we don't have a division of so-called liberals and conservatives so much as we have a division of those willing to ask questions and those trying to shut those people up.

How can it be that the only opinion allowed is no opinion of your own at all?

A sad thread to read first thing in the morning.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

At what point did our society begin to value blind faith in our elected officials and a complete suspension of critical thought, and to consider that synonymous wtih patriotism?

Nowadays we don't have a division of so-called liberals and conservatives so much as we have a division of those willing to ask questions and those trying to shut those people up.

How can it be that the only opinion allowed is no opinion of your own at all?

That happened right about the same time that President GWB became King George. The Bushies shamelessly exploited 9/11 to the max. Fortunately, they seem to be maxed out and now on a significant downward spiral. The King will be no more come the end of the year when there will be a Congress, differently assembled, taking charge of it's responsibilities again and put this administration firmly back in it's place.

[Alex+R 0]

At what point did our society begin to value blind faith in our elected officials and a complete suspension of critical thought, and to consider that synonymous wtih patriotism?

Nowadays we don't have a division of so-called liberals and conservatives so much as we have a division of those willing to ask questions and those trying to shut those people up.

How can it be that the only opinion allowed is no opinion of your own at all?

That happened right about the same time that President GWB became King George. The Bushies shamelessly exploited 9/11 to the max. Fortunately, they seem to be maxed out and now on a significant downward spiral. The King will be no more come the end of the year when there will be a Congress, differently assembled, taking charge of it's responsibilities again and put this administration firmly back in it's place.

That is very optimistic. Do you really think it's going to happen? Is there some sort of article I can read to make me as optimistic as you? (Seriously, that's not sarcasm although I know it sounds like it.)

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Of course there's always the risk that we could end up with someone worse - although at present I'm inclined to think the next candidate will likely win on a more isolationist foreign policy stance.

I'm glad at least that someone is standing up to this increasingly imperialistic government, and their overarching desire to gather and consolidate executive power while simultaneously weaken other branches of government.