Posted on 08/06/2009 6:06:32 AM PDT by Mrs. Don-o
The White House request that members of the public report anyone who is spreading "disinformation" about the proposed national health care makeover could lead to a White House database of political opponents that will be both secret and permanent, according to Republican lawyers on the Senate Judiciary Committee who are examining the plan's possible implementation.
On Monday, White House director of new media Macon Phillips posted a note on the White House web site complaining of "disinformation about health insurance reform." "These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation," Phillips wrote. "Since we can't keep track of all of them here at the White House, we're asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov."
In a letter to Obama Tuesday, Republican Sen. John Cornyn wrote that, given Phillips' request, "it is inevitable that the names, email address, IP addresses, and private speech of U.S. citizens will be reported to the White House." Cornyn warned the president that "these actions taken by your White House staff raise the specter of a data collection program."
"I can only imagine the level of justifiable outrage had your predecessor asked Americans to forward emails critical of his policies to the White House," Cornyn continued. "I urge you to cease this program immediately."
Senate Judiciary Committee lawyers studying the proposal say that although there is no absolutely settled law on the matter, the White House plan is likely not covered by the Privacy Act, which prohibits government agencies from keeping any records "describing how any individual exercises rights guaranteed by the First Amendment unless expressly authorized by statute or by the individual about whom the record is maintained." Therefore, it appears the White House can legally keep records of the emails and other communications it receives in response to Phillips' request.
Those lawyers also point out that the White House is not covered by the Freedom of Information Act, which means it would not have to release any information on the plan to members of the public who make a request.
In addition, the lawyers say the collected emails likely will be covered by the Presidential Records Act, which requires the White House to preserve and maintain its records for permanent storage in a government database. Phillips' request suggests that whatever information the White House receives on health-care reform "disinformation" will be used to further the goal of passing a national health-care makeover, which is, of course, one of the president's main policy initiatives. Such material, and whatever the White House does with it, would qualify as presidential records. Only after more than a decade would such records be publicly available.
"So the White House, whether by design or accident, has requested information from the public that will become 'records' under the Presidential Records Act, yet would be impermissible for any government to otherwise collect under the Privacy Act," writes one Judiciary Committee source. "Where were the lawyers in all of this? What is their legal basis for authorizing the collection of these records?"
Linda Douglass, head of communications for the White House Office of Health Reform, says the White House is "not compiling lists or sources of information" on opponents of health care reform. But if "fishy" information is indeed collected, as Phillips' request suggested, the laws involved mean that the information obtained by the White House could not only be secret but permanent. A dissident database, in whatever precise form it ultimately takes, could be around for a long time to come.
PIF,
I’m “green” as far as IP #s, internet security, etc. If one were to use a different wireless ISP than their home ISP, could the IP be traced back to the home ISP? Does the IP # remain fixed even if being a “guest” on another ISP, kind of like a fingerprint?
“I GOT MY OUTFIT FROM LL BEAN.”
Or this one - “Hey SENATOR Boxer, threads are from J. Crew”
or a raggy old tee that says “Brooks Brothers” on it,,
what a cesspool messpool!
We used to intecept vast amounts of Russian data to find one thing, but never could figure out when to look - several warehouses later... nothing.
Sure you can use some service to mask your IP but don’tcha thing the Feds would get those logs if they actually wanted them?
We can run, but we cannot hide. I had guys following me around for years, tapping phone, taking pictures.
So just do as you do. Don't be afraid. They'll telegraph what's coming - the big guys will go first. When they've disappeared all of them, then it will be our turn.
Don't worry, be happy,
PIF
ping
Nothing that Rahm Emmanuel or David Axelrod does, is by accident. Nothing.
This is such an incredibly chilling and intimidating act, not seen since the days of the Nixon administration. People loved to compare the secrecy of Bush's White House with that of Nixon's. However, there wasn't a SINGLE allegation that Bush was using the Patriot act, or any Federal agency to compile information for political purposes. And yet, this is exactly what the STATED purposes is for this collection of information in the Obama White House.
People need to wake up before it's too late to correct the damage that's been done to the Republic.
Every poster to this site is monitored, Mrs. Don-o.
I caught it through Google, which collects the data.
It is OK, though, to drop the dime on Seamus Haney?
Well, yesterday I forwarded a lie and obfuscation filled email about the health care bill to them.
One I received from my most lefty Senator.
Since his email repeated the same lies that 0bama keeps telling about it, I don’t know if they will give me a shiny red star for being a good snitch, or put me up near the top of their enemies list for tweaking their noses.
If you didn’t know the rest of the story, and you saw the email flag@whitehouse.gov , wouldn’t you think it was all about the American flag, any maybe all the state flags? Would it ever occur to you that it was about flagging citizens for retribution?
Obviously “flag” means something different to this administration than it means to Americans. Maybe next time we’ll put an American in that office. If there is a next time.
My name is SPARTACUS!
It will be PUBLIC.
Transparent; you know...
Oh?
I recall SOMETHING about missing IRS records...
My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS! My name is SPARTACUS!
I agree. The best thing we can do is create a web site www.outthemlefties.com and post the data for all to see. Check the list before you hire anyone. if they are statists, let the state hire them. Don't waste precious free market resources paying socialists. Hire free market people only...
I think those were FBI files, and yes I forgot about them. I would say that Obama's little trick seems to me even more nefarious. Clinton pulled the FBI jackets on fairly public people - not excusable in any way, but it's different than Obama just casting a wide net hoping to scoop up whatever information comes his way on average, non-public, unassuming people who are just engaged in political discourse. That's just chilling to me.
I cannot thank you enough for a wonderful time laughing at your post.
Didn't Goebbels feed his wife and EIGHT children cyanide, then take some himself?
Goering took cyanide whilst awaiting hanging.
And I can't remember how Adolph killed himself.
Trotsky was axed to death by other Commies while in Mexico;
Che was gunned down in Bolivia;
Seems Marxists have all kinds of ways of killing their own.
Cheers!
How is this any different than the crimes they accused Nixon of???????!!!!!!!!!!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.