9/11 Changed Nothing (More)
Heard this yesterday - at least somebody's talking about it:
Warrantless surveillance of U.S. citizens is often defended as a necessary security measure in a post-Sept. 11 world. But NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr says the administration's push for expanded surveillance powers actually began months before the Sept. 11 attacks.
Haven't seen this on memeorandum yet (unless I missed it) ... what the hell is going on? Anyone else seen coverage?
In other Orwelllian news, it turns out Verizon caved in to the Bushies and gave them whatever phone records they wanted:
Verizon Communications, the nation's second-largest telecom company, told congressional investigators that it has provided customers' telephone records to federal authorities in emergency cases without court orders hundreds of times since 2005.
The company said it does not determine the requests' legality or necessity because to do so would slow efforts to save lives in criminal investigations.
Can we impeach them now?
UPDATE: Warren Olney is going to discuss this issue on To The Point at about 2:45 EST (820 AM in New York City).
I dunno, dude...the WaPo was talkikng about it, which is how Talking Points found out about it:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/12/AR2007101202485.html
Posted by: actor212 | October 16, 2007 at 08:53 AM
I dunno, dude...the WaPo was talkikng about it, which is how Talking Points found out about it
Yeah, but the headline is "Former CEO Says U.S. Punished Phone Firm." It should be: "Former CEO Says Warrantless Wiretap Program Started Before 9/11."
Posted by: blogenfreude | October 16, 2007 at 09:00 AM
Fair point. It should have been highlighted.
Posted by: actor212 | October 16, 2007 at 11:41 AM
Colbert has been all over this issue the past two nights.
Posted by: actor212 | October 17, 2007 at 12:16 PM
I mean, Olbermann.
Posted by: actor212 | October 17, 2007 at 12:16 PM
I keep wishing for more info on this. It's come out in trickles, with the Nacchio stuff the first major story to highlight it. There can't be enough push on this. The Bushies need to be investigated on everything.
Posted by: Batocchio | October 17, 2007 at 03:51 PM
Not to blogwhore or anything but I've been doing my best to get it out there. I posted at Newshoggers and worked it into a post at Detroit News.
By the way there's also this DoD surveillance that I think has been way underreported.
Posted by: Libby Spencer | October 19, 2007 at 06:47 AM