Im watching the 3 Stooges myself not to be confused with the 3 Jokers below... and betting one of them is the culprit aka leaker.
Posted on 12/31/2005 7:26:14 PM PST by nj26
The top deputy to then-Attorney General John Ashcroft refused two years ago to approve important parts of the secret program that allows domestic eavesdropping without warrants, prompting two leading White House aides to try to win the needed approval from Mr. Ashcroft himself while he was hospitalized after a gall bladder operation, according to officials knowledgeable about the episode.
With Mr. Ashcroft recuperating from gall bladder surgery in March 2004, his deputy, James B. Comey, who was then acting as attorney general, was unwilling to give his certification to crucial aspects of the classified program, as required under the procedures set up by the White House, said the officials, who asked for anonymity because the program is classified and they are not authorized to discuss it publicly.
That prompted two of President Bush's top aides - Andrew H. Card Jr., his chief of staff, and Alberto R. Gonzales, then White House counsel and now the attorney general - to make an emergency visit to George Washington University Hospital to review the program with Mr. Ashcroft during what aides have described as a difficult recovery, the officials said.
The White House and Mr. Ashcroft, through spokesmen, declined to comment Saturday on the emergency meeting. "As the president has stated, the intelligence activities that have been under way to prevent future terrorist attacks have been approved at the highest levels of the Justice Department," said Jeannie Mamo, a White House spokeswoman.
Accounts from other officials differed as to exactly what was said at the meeting at the hospital. Some officials indicated that Mr. Ashcroft, like his deputy, was also reluctant to give his signoff to continuing with aspects of the program in light of concerns among some senior government officials about the program's legality and its operational controls.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
I have read/heard (radio/tv comments)that the "spying has been by way of picking up signals in cyberspace and running them through the computer by the millions to pick up a clue to some person or number they have gleaned. They follow the signals and listen/read emails that are currently going on. These signals from cell phones and computers have no expectation of privacy in cyberspace (recall the famous cell call among Repubs spied on by Dem operatives who picked it up on their cell, gave it to the Dems, and caused a big stink). Of course, when picking up a happening call/email, there is no time for a warrant, no matter how fast Nepolitano on Fox says it could be done. Often, even when applications for warrants are finally presented, they are sent back for more info.
I also heard two phone company employees saying that when these clues are snatched from space, there is no way to even know which phone co. to go to for info about a warrant.This spying is not like they have a person in the US whose home or office phone they are going to bug.
Now, the MSM and Dems are making a big thing about the feds having a 72 hour window to apply after the fact. But someone else on radio said if they DID apply after the fact and got a warrant, they could not share the total info with the FBI, CIA, etc.-- they could only give the side gleaned from the international side. After the info trouble re. Jamie Gorelick's statute tieing the hands of info sharers, it would not make sense to share just half the info.
Any comments re. this, anyone? vaudine
Yea .. that part really didn't pass the smell test
"Hang them."
I second the motion. :)
These two guys are DETERMINED to make this into a "scandal"...
I wonder which one was first contacted by George Soros??
Maybe Comey is still bitter that he didn't get Ashcroft's job...and is telling stories, just like a lot of bitter people have done lately...that have worked in the Bush Administration.
BTW...since I have "found" you...Happy New Year, freeper friend...
I see you are partying as hardy as I am....LOL
I'm having a Wild & Crazy time watching Nemo with the kids :0)
Happy New Year to you and your family
ha
This on Comey in April. He picked Fitzzy.
http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1113987915498
Im watching the 3 Stooges myself not to be confused with the 3 Jokers below... and betting one of them is the culprit aka leaker.
Now that is a classy Happy New Year banner...I want one....since Norm got one...
Burn em!
Wow!
Ah...and he also pushed to have the torture memos released..
Yeah...he could be a problem.
Been busy dropping a bunch of links to Blogs over here:
Justice Department To Follow Plame Precedent....
Orignial thread ...is....CBS- Dozens knew about NSA program, so the leaks are ok. (Unlike Plame)
Thanks for the link
It sure is gonna be an interesting new year
This might be a good Blog to watch...it's very active:
Friday's is here :
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