Congress wants courts involved in government eavesdropping

The Bush administration’s contention that it has authority to wiretap U.S. citizens without getting court approval isn’t holding up in Congress. Leading Senate Republicans have said they want some degree of judicial oversight — including Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan, who said last week that he would like to see the program brought under the authority of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. And Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told “Fox News Sunday” that “I am adamant that the courts have some role when it comes to warrants. If you’re going to follow an American citizen around for an extended period of time believing they’re collaborating with the enemy, at some point in time, you need to get some judicial review, because mistakes can be made.”
Exactly. Critics of the program aren’t saying that the government shouldn’t wiretap; they just believe the program needs some oversight to guard against abuses.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee

7 Comments

  1. writerdog
    Posted February 21, 2006 at 2:34 am | Permalink

    That seems totally unreasonable to me. The President is doing a fine job and I for one sleep sounder knowing that he is in charge!

    I trust him without qestion and since I am doing nothing wrong why should I care if he is listening in on my phone or reading my e-mails without court approval. I am sure he is doing what ever is right for this country and if he decides we would be better off without any rights for a period of time. That is OK by me.

    Sorry, I fell asleep in front of the computer and dreamed I was Joe and Hank.

  2. CF
    Posted February 21, 2006 at 7:27 am | Permalink

    Indeed. No brain, no headache.

  3. Tater
    Posted February 21, 2006 at 7:55 am | Permalink

    writerdog

    Good thing that was a dream, I was ready to buy you a plane ticket out of this country to a country where you could live like that.

  4. Tater
    Posted February 21, 2006 at 7:57 am | Permalink

    The courts should get involved, but should it be the same one that put this Prez in office?

  5. ksfarmgrrl
    Posted February 21, 2006 at 8:27 am | Permalink

    ROFLMAO writerdog. You’ve been hittin’ on all eight this week.

  6. steve
    Posted February 21, 2006 at 8:51 am | Permalink

    If England had the spying resources of this admin. we would still be their subjects.

  7. Don Murphy
    Posted February 21, 2006 at 3:39 pm | Permalink

    Did I just read you correctly? “Critics of the program arent saying the government shouldnt wiretap…”?! Didn’t these same critics call the wiretaps unconstitutional just a couple of weeks ago? What happened? If they were unconstitutional then, they are now. If the critics are not willing to push the issue now, they are joining the President and are now in collusion. they cant have it both ways. Unless, that is, those in the media dont point this out, thereby betraying the call to report intelligently. Ooops… too late.