Posted on 08/06/2009 12:12:35 PM PDT by yoe
We and many others have ridiculed the Obama administration's heavy-handed effort to gather information on the "fishy" opponents of its government medicine proposal (Bryon York), meanwhile, takes a serious look at the legal implications of the administration's data-gathering program:
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. ...
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.
A secret and more or less permanent dissident database--in America! That's quite an accomplishment for an administration still in its seventh month. It seems longer, somehow.
* Main Entry: tyr·an·ny
* Pronunciation: \ˈtir-ə-nē\
* Function: noun
* Inflected Form(s): plural tyr·an·nies
* Etymology: Middle English tyrannie, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin tyrannia, from Latin tyrannus tyrant
* Date: 14th century
1 : oppressive power ; especially : oppressive power exerted by government
2 a : a government in which absolute power is vested in a single ruler; especially : one characteristic of an ancient Greek city-state b : the office, authority, and administration of a tyrant
3 : a rigorous condition imposed by some outside agency or force 4 : a tyrannical act
All one has to do is somehow convince a mainstream journalist that Bush did it, and see the reaction.
Wouldn’t it be great if somehow a person like Kouric, Gibson or Lauer were “punked” - give them a report that Bush had done something that one knows the host would rip apart, and then correct them and say it was an Obama program? Even if it just happened in a casual conversation, or at a public speech, it would be sweet - especially if recorded.
I don’t see the opportunity to do such a thing, but I can dream. :)
Obama’s Enemies List Member No. 08- 3 -722976
At what point do our government officials become domestic enemies of the Constitution?
At what point should the military say to them “F-ck you!” and then proceed to march in on them, hold military tribunals for such crimes as negligence, dereliction of duty, fraud, and treason?
How much blood, when the dam breaks, will flood across the country?
Be sure to write your Congress Critters. Ask them about the program. Ask how they intend to protect us from government spying. Ask what steps they will take to honor our Constitution, that they have sworn to uphold.
In other words; Get the Bastards on record and make them deny it. They can wear their lies around their necks. 0bama will soon be one very heavy stone.
Something like this could not have been started and implemented without Obama’s expressed consent. No way !! We are heading down a dark dark dusty road.
Game, Set, Match:
SEC. 802. DEFINITION OF DOMESTIC TERRORISM
(5) the term `domestic terrorism' means activities that--
`(A) involve acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State;
`(B) appear to be intended--
`(i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population;
`(ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or
`(iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; and
`(C) occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States.'.
SEC. 802. DEFINITION OF DOMESTIC TERRORISM
(5) the term `domestic terrorism’ means activities that—
`(A) involve acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State;
`(B) appear to be intended—
`(iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, and
`(C) occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States.’.
Well, while B and C are fulfilled, the connecting clause is an ‘AND’ which means that only if the Military honoring their oath to the Constitution (which is the supreme law of the land) is illegal could it be considered that I was advocating domestic terrorism.
I am sure that all these “duck and cover” legal aspects were well fleshed out by the Obamaites before publicizing this Obamastapo program.
It's a dark road, but I disagree with you...it's muddy, not dusty.
Having been news-deficient all day today, does anyone know whether there has been any public reaction by the 0bama, Gibbs, the lady who made the “turn them in” video? as to this letter from the senator?
Didn't we hear that from Algore in the 90s regarding fundraising from Buddhist nuns?
Didn't we hear that from Algore in the 90s regarding fundraising from Buddhist nuns?
I could say that again. ;o)
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