Can You Hear Me Now?
Congressional Democrats and the Bush Administration have struck a "deal" on warrantless wiretapping. Bush is happy, but we don't think you're going to like the details:
"The deal, expanding the government’s powers in some key respects, would allow intelligence officials to use broad warrants to eavesdrop on foreign targets and conduct emergency wiretaps without court orders on American targets for a week if it is determined important national security information would be lost otherwise."Oh, and the bill also gives immunity for telecoms which participated in the administration's old warrantless wiretapping program. This is the real win for the administration because it will shut down any future investigations of the illegal activities the White House and the companies engaged in. But hey, Congressional Democrats also tried their hands at something called "oversight of the executive branch:"
"Perhaps the most important concession that Democratic leaders claimed in the proposal was a reaffirmation that the intelligence protocols are the “exclusive” means for the executive branch to conduct wiretapping operations in terrorism and espionage cases. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had insisted on that element, and Democratic staff members asserted that the language would prevent Mr. Bush, or any future president, from circumventing the law."Congress is trying to prevent this President from "circumventing the law," how quaint.
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