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Judge Rejects Bush's View on Wiretaps - NYTimes.com »

Posted by: brendoman 1 month, 3 weeks ago

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A federal judge in California said Wednesday that the wiretapping law established by Congress was the "exclusive" means for the president to eavesdrop on Americans, and he rejected the government's claim that the president's constitutional authority as commander in chief trumped that law.

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disraeli1 month, 3 weeks ago

Yet another judge slaps down Bush's claims to absolute unfettered power.
Of course when the FISA/Telecom Immunity bill passes this avenue of exploring the Bush administration's illegal and unconstitutional activities will be shut forever.
What difference does it make if something is illegal, if caught, they simply make it retroactively legal.
Great system.
There is very little backbone in Congress in either party. The founders would be so pleased as to what their little republic has puked up 232 years down the road as fearless defenders of the constitution.

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  Beau78901 month, 3 weeks ago
  
  There seem to be quite a few court rulings against Bush's methods recently. That means that at least some of the damage done to our way of life over the past seven years can be easily undone.
  I don't see why the retroactive telecom immunity wouldn't be overturned...if challenged. It'd be a perfect suit for the ACLU.
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    disraeli1 month, 3 weeks ago
    
    I hope that you are right and it would seem, on the face of it, to be an unconstitutional appropriation of the power of the courts by the executive and the legislative branches of government, ie predetermining the verdict of cases before the courts without the court's review. I don't know enough about the law to feel confident that would be the case.
    I think that the more damaging and more important part of the bill currently before the Senate is that it allows the president to wiretap any and all communication between the US and the rest of the world without the need for warrants or any judicial oversight. So that could (and will) include communications between American citizens in the US and anywhere else in the world.
    Hello big brother, 24 years late, but glad you made it.
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      Beau78901 month, 3 weeks ago
      
      I agree with your assessment of the biggest danger of the bill. But if the retroactive immunity were overturned, it would invalidate the entire law, not just that section.
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        Radiofreeeuropa1 month, 3 weeks ago
        
        Frankly the telecom exclusion concerns me greatly.
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        Beau78901 month, 3 weeks ago
        
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