With so many bad decisions by judges, who would trust our lives to a FISAjudge when wiretapping alQaida calls?
92411
Two things I want to point out:\n\nFirst, the NSA program isn't "wiretapping"; it's a process called "data mining", which basically means that, when the U.S. captures a terrorist's computer, they feed the data on it into the NSA supercomputers & see what gets spat out.  That gives them new things to look at, and follow new leads from there.\n\nAlso, FISA was written 30 years ago -technology has come a long way since then.  It's designed for wiretaps of conversations taking place entirely in the U.S. (but with Voice-Over Internet Protocols on cell phones), a guy in Afghanistan could call a guy in Pakistan, and the phones would read as a call from, say, Philadelphia to New York.  The FISA judges have no jurisdiction in these matters -foreign policy & national security are under the purview of the president -and he did notify those in Congress who needed to know (Senate Majority & Minority Leaders, Speaker of the House & House Minority Leaders, Chairs and Ranking Members of the House & Senate Intelligence Committees).  It's legal.\n\nOh, and the FISA judge who "resigned in protest"?  Said judge had received a few rebukes from the FISA Court of Appeals for being too restrictive when issuing warrants or overstepping constitutional bounds.
273253
for the reason we all do, hun...society is a devilish judge
87813
Yes, as others said, it takes a court order from a Judge and the legal requirements are very tough.  Patriot Act!  I wish idiots would learn to read something before criticizing.  The Patriot Act has many, many parts.  Wiretapping has been allowed for years - way before the Patriot Act.   Wire taps pertaining to spying and domestic terrorism have been authorized, again for years, when signed a Judge in a Secret Court.  None of this has anything to do with what Bush has been recently accused of or the Patriot Act.  Yes, wiretapping is Constitutional and legal under law.
761465
Good question. There are many times that I have felt that we have been under a dictatorship of the judiciary.
1078476
Its a fine line between "information" and "need to know."  I think punishment might be warranted in this case because the data the government was snooping on is kept by private companies for marketing purposes anyway.  Now that al queda knows they can't move money around this way it hinders the governments ability to catch people bent on killing all of us.  I think they errored badly in this case; and should be punished.  However I reallly think the "leak" needs to be identified and imprisoned.  (even if its a Congressmen).  This kind of "leak" can cost people their lives.
699945
It depends on Who would do the arrest, Who would make the judgment and Who would execute the decisions!\n\nWhy an I asking? Because the results greatly depend on the above!
917031
Government records of who they listen in on are labeled secret information but yes they are supposed to be only calls in which at least one party is on foreign soil as far as not having to get the court approval.actually I think it could be two way American calls if one is already being investigated for possible terrorism. But it is really kinda moot who the hell would know? They don't have an overseer and its national security ya know. and if your not guilty you don't have anything to hide...right? Stupidest argument in the world I apologize for repeating that nonsense.... just_curious if they pass a law where they can put your grandmother in a consentration camp it would be legal!
565157
Legally speaking, it is a brilliant strategy! Obviously, any self-respecting al-Qaeda operative (is that an oxymoron?) will plan everything in graphic detail on ordinary, everyday domestic telephone lines. This is exactly how we foiled those vicious bastards on 9/11, remember? We were all over that plan... erm... no, wait. Well, if our dictator-for-life wants it, it just has to be good for us, right? I mean, that's what life under an ultra right-wing neo-fascist regime is all about, isn't it? Welcome to America! Love it or leave it!\n\n(God, did I just say that? Even in a satirical context that felt dirty... I'll go have a thorough wash, lol...)
613864
You have a very easy country to sneak into.. If they catch you they just let you go and set a court date for a couple of years later..By then they have no idea where the person is
156267
You can author your own legal loop-holes. We all live our lives with "good faith" intentions.\n No one wants to spend time in a courtroom.
692768
Sounds like trust issues.
531223
I have a problem with the fact that the Commander-in-Sheik is issuing orders that ignore and/or violate federal law (FISA).\n\nNow, unfortunately, the phone call database is not a violation of federal law, since there is no presumed right to privacy in the records of what calls get made. I think that it's unreasonable, and thus in violation of the 4th Amendment, but the Courts haven't ruled on that issue yet.\n\nUPDATE. Actually, the phone call database IS apparently being compiled in violation of federal law. See the Stored Communications Act of 1986.
254705
Nobody can know for sure unless they're privy to that classified information.  However, I don't think it would be possible for them to run a server so huge that it can keep track of everybody's conversations like that.  It's possible that they only do this for people who are already under suspicion.  There could be various reasons why someone could make the "suspicion list," though, such as making a phone call to a certain country.
377602
I would think with him going to prison for 10 years cingular would understand that he will not be around to pay it. Explain it to them and it they say not than I would just let them go back and it isn't in your name...Cejay
558961
Yes I agree to the empowering of a Federal Judge and I only say this is just because he is the president he still has to obey the laws just like a regular citizen......Then again I would say no about the recording of all communications because recordings can be altered....but having a judge there and signing something now that just leaves what ever happens to a single judge that was there...and can be accountable....recordings don't really do nothing in a trial...
835441
Betray your trust if you can't trust your brothers,your sisters or mom or dad than whom can you trust?
418970
My phone conversations are listened to by every government organization.  They know all my dirty little secrets and will expose them to the world.  The police storm into my house and destroy everything all the time.  What are you, blind?  I can't even sleep at night for fear of my rights being violated by a document that I actually have never read and know nothing about.