Report: Bush surveillance program was massive

AP on Yahoo ^ | 7/10/09 | Pamela Hess - ap

[NormsRevenge]

WASHINGTON – The Bush administration built an unprecedented surveillance operation to pull in mountains of information far beyond the warrantless wiretapping previously acknowledged, a team of federal inspectors general reported Friday, questioning the legal basis for the effort but shielding almost all details on grounds they're still too secret to reveal.

The report, compiled by five inspectors general, refers to "unprecedented collection activities" by U.S. intelligence agencies under an executive order signed by President George W. Bush after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

Just what those activities involved remains classified, but the IGs pointedly say that any continued use of the secret programs must be "carefully monitored."

[DoughtyOne]

Just what those activities involved remains classified, but the IGs pointedly say that any continued use of the secret programs must be "carefully monitored."

It was just terrible I tell you, but we can still do it.

[doc1019]

Kept us safe for years.

[Pearls Before Swine]

Bush’s surveillance program may have been massive, but you ain’t seen nothing yet. And, the motivation will be quite different.

[Bryan24]

2 Points.

#1 - No more attacks in the US.

#2 - How many US citizens have been prosecuted for crimes OTHER than terrorist related acivities due to these programs?

[Two Ravens]

"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

--Benjamin Franklin

[doc1019]

Just say’n ;-)

[FlingWingFlyer]

This probably explains why we never had the promised 09-11-01 II while President Bush was in office.

[Typical_Whitey]

So then are we to assume that Obama is not using the same techniques? or he is only because its Obama its OK?

[joejm65]

This is being made public now for the following reason: Nobama’s poll numbers have been tanking, so it’s time to drag Big Bad Bush out of the closet so The Kenyan can demonize him - again. The political game that is being played with our national security is astounding. And, disgraceful as well.

[davetex]

This is nothing new. We already knew all about this. What we are seeing here is just the drive-by digging up a corpes and dragging it around the courthouse square to divert attention from zero’s meltdown economy. It’s all kabuki theater. Makes me want to puke.

[davetex]

Beat me by 22 seconds. You are spot on.

[Gator113]

Okay.

He kept us safe for nearly 8 long years, regardless of the democrats efforts to undermine the war and our own country.

[JavaJumpy]

This is being made public now for the following reason: Nobama’s poll numbers have been tanking, so it’s time to drag Big Bad Bush out of the closet so The Kenyan can demonize him - again. The political game that is being played with our national security is astounding. And, disgraceful as well.

*************************************

Indeed! And have you noticed the lazy Southern drawl is back at times?

Anyway, didn’t Obama decide to continue this surveillance?

[Sacajaweau]

Thank God for President Bush....He did the job he was supposed to do....COMMANDER IN CHIEF means you do what you gotta do!!

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

Wrong context.

so you have been on freepr since Feb of this year...and have no qualms about Obama’s destruction on a massive scale of our society...yet use this quote in relation to Bush?

TROLL lurking.

[Luke21]

Boola boola boola Bush, the boogey man.

[IrishPennant]

I will say this...a year ago I used to go to bed at night knowing there were a great many people out there doing stuff I was NEVER going to know about...and I slept better because of it.

Now, not so much...

[annieokie]

I guess they finally decided that Nixon was really dead, they kept dragging him out of his grave when convenient, now it’s Bush.

[NormsRevenge]

McClatchy takes a shot at it..

Report: Effectiveness of Bush wiretap program in dispute

[SeattleBruce]

“2 Points.

#1 - No more attacks in the US.

#2 - How many US citizens have been prosecuted for crimes OTHER than terrorist related acivities due to these programs?
+++++++++++++

Excellent points..

[count-your-change]

Gentlemen don’t read other people’s mail, but since you have already, what did they write?

[SeattleBruce]

“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”
—Benjamin Franklin
++++++++++++++

Do you suppose they had jihadists capable of delivering dirty nukes back then? Just askin’...

[SeattleBruce]

So then are we to assume that Obama is not using the same techniques? or he is only because its Obama its OK?
++++++++++++++++

Another great question for the freakin’ hypocrites...

[38special]

They had to get Bush back in the headlines now that O’s polls are slipping! The way the media is covering for the recent G8 ogling photo is disgusting.

[Two Ravens]

Modernists love to cite contemporary reasons as to why every one of our founding principles are no longer relevant. But those principles will always apply

[DJ MacWoW]

I doubt Ben would apply that to our enemies. But a lefty would.

[Mr Rogers]

“#2 - How many US citizens have been prosecuted for crimes OTHER than terrorist related activities due to these programs?”

There you go - introducing logic. You might as well sprinkle holy water on a vampire as confront a liberal with logic...

[ltrman61]

Do two ravens make a right? Nah...didn’t think so!

[mathurine]

Ergo, BO is free to sniff teenage butt.

[DJ MacWoW]

I agree with your assessment.

[Two Ravens]

I doubt Ben would apply that to our enemies. But a lefty would.

There were real dangers aplenty when Franklin made that quote, and he was certainly aware of them. Foundational principles don't change

[DJ MacWoW]

That doesn’t address my statement.

[Miss Didi]

They had to get Bush back in the headlines now that O’s polls are slipping! The way the media is covering for the recent G8 ogling photo is disgusting.

They even had a pic of W with his arms stretched out posted on Yahoo Mail all day...gee, you'd think with Barry and his bride visiting the Pope and all.

[Two Ravens]

That doesn’t address my statement.

I posted the Franklin quote to apply founding conservative wisdom to the case of a modern liberal president (Bush). Your personal views concerning "lefties" are off topic and of no interest to me.

[roses of sharon]

How many US citizens have been prosecuted for crimes OTHER than terrorist related acivities due to these programs?

Come to think of it....people in my neighborhood disappeared regularly during Bush's evil reign!

[popdonnelly]

These apparently are not the IGs who have been fired for not playing along with the Democrats.

[popdonnelly]

What liberty has anyone given up?

[DJ MacWoW]

I posted the Franklin quote to apply founding conservative wisdom to the case of a modern liberal president (Bush). Your personal views concerning "lefties" are off topic and of no interest to me.

And you are dodging. I said, I doubt Ben would have applied that statement to our enemies. But a lefty would. You've danced but not addressed what I said.

[Venturer]

No terrorist attacks after 911 in the United States.

Nuff said.

[popdonnelly]

If it kept innocent American citizens from being murdered, I don’t care if they found out every single thing about me.

[Venturer]

Benjamin Franklin wsnt dealing with people flying airplanes into buildings and killing 3,000 people.

[Two Ravens]

And you are dodging. I said, I doubt Ben would have applied that statement to our enemies.

"Our enemies" existed when Franklin made his statement, and what he said applies now the same as when he spoke. It's not complicated.

[DJ MacWoW]

So you think that Ben wouldn't spy on our enemies?

You're either a nut or a troll.

[Two Ravens]

Benjamin Franklin wsnt dealing with people flying airplanes into buildings and killing 3,000 people.

That is precisely the sort of moral relativism that has lead to the trashing of our Constitutional principles in almost every regard.

[jveritas]

Thank you President Bush for keeping us safe.

God bless President Bush and our brave troops.

[DJ MacWoW]

Benjamin Franklin wsnt dealing with people flying airplanes into buildings and killing 3,000 people.

Franklin was referring to our own citizens and not enemies of our country. A fact that seems to have slipped by the noob.

[jveritas]

What is your solution for the evil terrorists living among us? How do you expect us to know what they are doing? The only goal of the government is to protect us from domestic and foreign enemies and that is what President Bush had done for the last eight years.

God bless President Bush and our brave troops.

[DJ MacWoW]

I suppose you agree with reading terrorists "their" Miranda rights too.

The quote from Franklin was referring to our own citizens and not terrorists.

[Two Ravens]

So you think that Ben wouldn't spy on our enemies?

Franklin would have never approved of eavesdropping on American citizens inside the United States to search for evidence of terrorist activity without the court-approved warrants ordinarily required for domestic spying.