Carnal Reason

3 Responses to “Spreading the love”

1. Paco Malo, on May 27th, 2006 at 12:11 pm Said:

   I only wish the American public understood just how illegal this behavior on the part of the Executive branch is. Indeed, maybe they do — Bush’s approval rating in under 30% now and headed toward Nixon’s benchmark 24%.

   Maybe criminal-politicians put off a stink that most can smell, even if they don’t know what it is that needs scrapin’ from their shoes.

2. pwyll, on May 27th, 2006 at 12:27 pm Said:

   I completely disagree. The executive branch did not act alone, it had a warrant from a federal judge. Two branches acting as checks on the third. That is how it is supposed to work. What exactly is it that was done illegally in your opinion?

3. Paco Malo, on May 28th, 2006 at 8:53 am Said:

   This story isn’t completely in.

   At this point, the legality of data mining domestic phone traffic is still to be determined. Maybe after watching Alberto Gonzales perform, and hearing about the deference universally paid to the NSA, my illegality button was hit by all this work done without warrants and subpeonas. Work, that is, in the area of security justified, secret-if-they-can-keep-it-so “monitoring” of our phone calls without Article III court oversight.

   Bottom line, maybe we just draw our line of permissibility differently. “Phone dumps” by detectives with warrants probably don’t bother either of us.