Missing the Point Part II

Judges Back Court Review of Eavesdropping

By PETE YOST
The Associated Press
Wednesday, March 29, 2006; 9:46 AM

WASHINGTON -- Five federal judges gave a boost Tuesday to legislation that would bring court scrutiny to the Bush administration's domestic spying program.

At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing chaired by Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., the judges reacted favorably to his proposal that would require the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to conduct regular reviews of the four-year-old program.

The existence of the warrantless surveillance by the National Security Agency was revealed by The New York Times three months ago.

The judges stressed that they were not offering their views on the NSA operation, which they said they knew nothing about.

But they said the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court has operated capably for 28 years and is fully able to protect civil liberties and give the administration all the speed and flexibility it needs to execute the war on terror.

The administration contends the president has inherent war powers under the Constitution to order eavesdropping without warrants.

"I am very wary of inherent authority" claimed by presidents, testified U.S. Magistrate Judge Allan Kornblum. "It sounds very much like King George."

Before word of the warrantless surveillance leaked publicly, the Bush administration revealed it to just eight members of Congress and to the presiding judge on the surveillance court.

The hearing Tuesday focused on Specter's bill. A rival approach, drafted by Senate Judiciary Committee member Mike DeWine of Ohio and three other Republicans, would allow the government to conduct warrantless surveillance for up to 45 days before seeking court or congressional approval.

I wonder if Mr. Yost of the Pest..uh,,Post or Mr. Lichtblau of the New York Lies...er Times even attended the committee meeting yesterday.

Pete, just for your edification, since you apparently didn't hear Judge Kornblum entire statement, he went on to state:

"If a court refuses a FISA application and there is not sufficient time for the president to go to the court of review, the president can under executive order act unilaterally, which he is doing now. "I think that the president would be remiss exercising his constitutional authority by giving all of that power over to a statute."

Hmmm. Kind of puts a different light on the matter doesn't it Pete? Especially because the other four judges concurred with his opinion.

See what happens when you don't pay close attention Pete? If you want to be a good reporter, you must remember to tell the whole story, not just the part that you agree with. If you do that, it is called an "E-d-i-t-o-r-i-a-l." Editorials are where you put your opinion, not news stories.

I highly recommend that you and your twin Mr. Lichtblau attend a remedial journalism school so that you can learn to report the whole truth, not just portions of it.

Full Story: Failing Journalism Class

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