Leading Conservatives Call for Extensive Hearings on NSA Surveillance; Checks on Invasive Federal Po

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=59381 ^ | January 17, 2006 | Patriots to Restore Checks and Balances

[Perlstein]

Leading Conservatives Call for Extensive Hearings on NSA Surveillance; Checks on Invasive Federal Powers Essential

1/17/2006 6:36:00 PM

To: National Desk

Contact: Laura Brinker, 202-715-1540, for Patriots to Restore Checks and Balances, laura.brinker@dittus.com

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Patriots to Restore Checks and Balances (PRCB) today called upon Congress to hold open, substantive oversight hearings examining the President's authorization of the National Security Agency (NSA) to violate domestic surveillance requirements outlined in the Federal Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).

Former U.S. Rep. Bob Barr, chairman of PRCB, was joined by fellow conservatives Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform (ATR); David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union; Paul Weyrich, chairman and CEO of the Free Congress Foundation and Alan Gottlieb, founder of the Second Amendment Foundation, in urging lawmakers to use NSA hearings to establish a solid foundation for restoring much needed constitutional checks and balances to intelligence law.

"When the Patriot Act was passed shortly after 9-11, the federal government was granted expanded access to Americans' private information," said Barr. "However, federal law still clearly states that intelligence agents must have a court order to conduct electronic surveillance of Americans on these shores. Yet the federal government overstepped the protections of the Constitution and the plain language of FISA to eavesdrop on Americans' private communication without any judicial checks and without proof that they are involved in terrorism."

The following can be attributed to PRCB members:

"I believe that our executive branch cannot continue to operate without the checks of the other branches. However, I stand behind the President in encouraging Congress to operate cautiously during the hearings so that sensitive government intelligence is not given to our enemies." -- Paul Weyrich, chairman and CEO, Free Congress Foundation

"Public hearings on this issue are essential to addressing the serious concerns raised by alarming revelations of NSA electronic eavesdropping." -- Grover Norquist, president, Americans for Tax Reform

"The need to reform surveillance laws and practices adopted since 9/11 is more apparent now than ever. No one would deny the government the power it needs to protect us all, but when that power poses a threat to the basic rights that make our nation unique, its exercise must be carefully monitored by Congress and the courts. This is not a partisan issue; it is an issue of safeguarding the fundamental freedoms of all Americans so that future administrations do not interpret our laws in ways that pose constitutional concerns." -- David Keene, chairman, American Conservative Union

"If the law is not reformed, ordinary Americans' personal information could be swept into all-encompassing federal databases encroaching upon every aspect of their private lives. This is of particular concern to gun owners, whose rights guaranteed under the Second Amendment are currently being infringed upon under the Patriot Act's controversial record search provisions." -- Alan Gottlieb, founder, Second Amendment Foundation

Patriots to Restore Checks and Balances is an organization dedicated to protecting Americans' fundamental freedoms guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment and ensuring that all provisions of the Patriot Act are in line with the Constitution. For more information, visit the Web site at http://www.checksbalances.org.

http://www.usnewswire.com/

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/© 2006 U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/

[atomicpossum]

Wiretaps in the case of military intelligence monitoring the communications of foreign persons outside the country engaged in actions against the United States? I don't have any problem with ceding that power to the Presidential office, and as has been argued, that power is inherent under Article II.

The term 'wiretap,' being completely innaccurate in this instance, has muddied the waters of the debate. No one can make the case that the NSA has selected specific American citizens, decided to monitor their communications, and sent out someone to attach a listening or recording device to their phone lines, and had an operative sitting in some dank basement with a set of headphones like in the old movies. No American citizen is targeted (selected, etc.) in this.

Any persons in this country, should they be ensnared in this system, are secondary, as one side of a conversation. They are not being monitored, but the party they are speaking to is, and is being monitored not in the interest of criminality (which would be covered by the Fourth Amendment), but in the interest of military intelligence (inherent under Article II).

The control for this activity is still provided for under the Constitution-- through impeachment. Should the Executive abuse this power for political or other purposes not pertinent to military intelligence, they can be impeached and tried by Congress.

[darkwing104]

First of all before I accept your premise I must assume that the folks at the NSA don't follow the law. Guess what, they do follow the law and are Patriots.

How do I know, I used to work there and wouldn't mind working there again. You know how these persons being monitored where identified...They called a known terrorist in another country! Well golly gee! they might be bad guys on our soil. We are dealing with people here who don't follow the Geneva conventions.

As for monitoring Americans, the NSA do not have the resources and the manpower to do that. I get a kick out of reports making the NSA bigger then it really is. Also it is illegal to monitor law abiding Americans and the Employees at NSA are more like you then you think. They are just everyday people protecting this country to the best of their ability.

Having worked there and knowing people at the NSA I find it offensive when anyone suggest they are spending their time spying on Americans..It's a blatant waste of their time and your tax dollars. They are too busy watching the bad guys so they won't harm us to waste their time listening to your phone call.

[Carolinamom]

Do you not agree that our country's being in a WAR constitutes "probable cause" to spy on those suspected terrorists or their allies...including American's who are in contact w/them?

[churchillbuff]

Hillary will do this stuff anyway."""

But if she does it without precedent, she could be impeached. What you're allowing is precedent to be created that will allow her to do it with impunity. I believe in the rule of law. That's why I'm a conservative. Liberals don't believe in the rule of law - - they ignore the law, and checks and balances, when it gets in the way. Astonishing that we have so many people with a liberal mindset, on FR

[conserv13]

I am very skeptical of warrantless wiretaps of US citizens for any reason. Of course we should be listening to terrorist conversations, but get a warrant first.

[Lakeshark]

Hillary did this stuff already and they weren't impeached for it. I'm afraid you didn't read what I said.

[USS Alaska]

"So you are okay with warrantless wiretaps?

I'm not."

Not only am I OK with the surveilance, I'd be outraged if we weren't doing them. We've been doing this for years {pre-dates Bush}. Don't be naive about what the NSA is doing and has done for decades. It's become a big deal because GWB is doing it.

[Carolinamom]

I resent your assumption that Hillary Clinton will ever be voted President.

[conserv13]

I'm a conservative because I believe in constitutional restraints, no matter which party is in power.

Well put, I agree 100%

[newcthem]

Sorry but Grover Norquist is NO conservative, he is a damn communist bought and paid for by CAIR and the rest of the muslims.

[joesbucks]

Actually, everyone should realize that this is a press release. In other words, the people and group named in this article wrote it and released it.

Why should we realize that this newswire is basically pay for play? It's too much fun just to be reactionary and blame the MSN without thinking about the source.

C'mon, you're spoiling our fun with facts.

[lugsoul]

You should be well-aware that no one has to "wait" to get a warrant. FISA allows the Feds to tap and seek a warrant within 72 hours. Any 'immediate' need for a tap is already covered.

So your point fails completely.

We do not invest any public official with the authority to simply do whatever they think is right. We are a government of laws, not of men. Those here who so slavishly worship the President and think that whatever he does must be okay need to pause and think about giving those same powers to a very different President.

[MineralMan]

Bob Barr? Bwahaha!

[churchillbuff]

I resent your assumption that Hillary Clinton will ever be voted President."""

So you don't think there will ever be another Democratic president? That's pretty unrealistic. Whether it's Hillary or Obama or Bayh - - whoever it is - there will someday be a Democrat president, and I don't want him/her spying on Americans, in America, without judicial permission. You really ought to read up on the importance of the rule of law.

[conserv13]

Of course we should be monitoring terrorists overseas and here. When it comes to US citizens, get a warrant.

[Just A Nobody]

Letter from Asst. Atty. Gen.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1545787/posts

[churchillbuff]

good for Barr. It takes courage to stand up for constitutional principles when doing so is guaranteed to get you hooted at. a lot of his critics were cheering him when he was blasting Bill Clinton for violating constitutional principles. and if Hillary becomes president, you can bet she'll try to violated the constitution - and I doubt that Freepers will say nasty things about Barr when he protests against Hillary's illegalities.

[pissant]

I can't even IMAGINE that Washington and the Continental Congress would not intercept British communications this way.

Or Lincoln intercepting Confederate telegraphs.

Or Wilson and FDR not monitoring phone calls to Germany.

It's no different now. If I call Zarquawi or he calls me, there is no reason the CIC needs to get permission to listen in.

[Carolinamom]

I have. I hope any president...dem or rep...IN A TIME OF WAR...will do the same.

[Lakeshark]

but....but....

You'd be infringing on his civil liberties....

/sarcasm