Cross posted from TortDeform.Com

"It is a universal truth that the loss of liberty at home is to be charged to the provisions against danger, real or pretended, from abroad."--James Madison

Senator Dodd read this quote during hearing statements last fall over whether telecommunications companies that illegally spied on the American public should be granted retroactive immunity for violating our constitutional right to privacy. Yesterday, the Senate Judiciary Committee's proposed amendment to the FISA bill, which would have eliminated the option of so-called "liability protection" for telecom law-breakers, was tossed out by a 60-34 vote. Next up was the SSCI bill, which would grant retroactive immunity to telecoms. As Senate considered that bill its supporters--a largely Republican group with a hefty sprinkling of Dems in the mix--made every effort to block any amendments that would have addressed its glaring civil liberties concerns. And on this Monday at 4:30 p.m., the Senate will vote on whether to stop considering amendments to the SSCI bill and just move forward with passing it.

I've ranted about this issue before. But the Administration's apparently increasing gall and contempt for the law notwithstanding, and its undying commitment to shielding corporate friends from the effect of the law aside, let's focus instead on the lie of so-called "liability protection" and what it really means for the public and our civil justice system.

...The single largest anti-Constitutional contribution to the Bush Regime by the PAA is its effective cancellation of legislative and judicial oversight on warrantless wiretapping. When this bill was signed into law, the Constitution's separation-of-powers principle had its arms ripped off...

Reprinted from The Satirical Political Report http://satiricalpolitical.com

Within the past few days, both Vice President Cheney and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales have attacked critics of the Bush Administration's warrantless surveillance program, including a federal judge who ruled last August that the program was unconstitutional.

As Gonzales succinctly said, "we shouldn't let facts like the U.S. Constitution get in the way of our fight to defend freedom."

Gonzales also criticized judges who recognized such facts as the Enlightenment, the Geneva Convention, Congressional statutes, the New Deal, the Great Society and global warming.

Despite the Democrats' midterm election victory, the Attorney General insisted that the Administration would continue to push for federal judges who share the philosophy of a Scalia or Thomas: "We believe that judges should adhere to "original in-tent," that is, the norms of pre-Magna Carta feudal society, when most folks were living in tents."

CONTINUED at: http://satiricalpolitical.com/?p=420

If you are like me, you've found yourself appalled and frightened by recent revelations of US government electronic surveillance of citizen, but have had a difficult time articulating a rationale why.  Federal programs like Carnivore, Total Information Awareness , MATRIX (.pdf), and of course extrajudicial surveillance of American phone calls by the NSA fill me with dread.  Yet I have had difficulty articulating an coherent rebuttal to claims that such spying is necessary to protect our citizens with more than stuttering, apoplectic rage. (Follow me below the fold . . .)

In recent days there has been an uproar in the German media about revelations that the German intelligence agency "BND" has spied on journalists in order to crack down on internal leaks.

Today, German Chancellor (and new Bush buddy) Angela Merkel has barred the BND (the German equivalent of the CIA) from recruiting journalists stating that freedom of the press outweighs the BND's interest to protect itself.

After today's new revelations in the US about the NSA tracking journalist's calls, maybe Bush can learn something from his new friend Angela.

Links and details below the fold.

I'm currently reading a fabulous book, "What We Believe but Cannot Prove: Today's Leading Thinkers on Science in the Age of Certainty". Inside, editor John Brockman assembles the world's foremost scientists and experts and asks them to take logical leaps, leaps that, when made in the past, have led to today's conventional wisdom.

The brilliant Big Thinking in the book got me to thinking about the wonderfully devious question posed in the title: What do I believe but cannot prove? Searching my thoughts, I decided to take a look at recent headlines and take a leap that, while something I cannot now prove, I'm confident will soon be seen as fact.

I believe, but cannot prove, that the Bush administration is not only tracking international calls and mining phone records, but is also actively listening to purely domestic calls. What's more, that, at the behest of the highest authorities, the administration is actively spying on its political opponents, from massive, nationwide groups to everyday individuals.

I wrote a brief email to Verizon expressing disgust at my phone records being given to the NSA, and this is what I am assuming is their form response (despite the personal touch from "Terry"). I guess I should just trust they're doing the right thing, since Terry says they have followed all the "statutes":

Dear A. Johnson,

Thank you for contacting the Verizon eCenter. My name is Terry, and I will be handling your request today. This message is in response to your email dated May 12, 2006. You inquired about the NSA news article . I will be happy to assist you.

We appreciate that the USA Today article and other reports about the possibility that the NSA is able to analyze local call data records is causing concern. Please be assured that Verizon places the highest value on protecting the privacy of our customers.

Anything to do with the NSA is of course highly classified, so we can not comment on whether or not the news article causing concern is even accurate. But we can say that, to the extent that we cooperate with government authorities, we are confident that we are complying with all applicable statutes. We appreciate the continuing opportunity to provide you with service. Thank you for using Verizon. We appreciate your business. Sincerely, Terry Verizon eCenter

"As nightfall does not come all at once, neither does oppression. In both instances, there is a twilight. And it is in such twilight that we all must be aware of change in the air -- however slight -- lest we become unwitting victims of the darkness." -- Justice William O. Douglas, US Supreme Court (1939-75)

Why do so many Americans not see this now?