Daily Archives: February 6, 2008

Using Fear and Threats To Pass Spy Laws

Once again, President Bush — in a 12-page letter to Senate leaders from Attorney General Michael Mukasey and National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell — has reportedly issued another veto threat as the debate to update terrorist surveillance laws continues, once again putting telecom immunity above protecting the public.

The threat comes as lawmakers are preparing to vote on an update to a 1978 surveillance law without violating privacy rights — Democrats are trying to deny retroactive immunity for telecoms that helped the government spy on U.S. residents after the attacks of 9/11 (although it allegedly started days after taking office), and Republicans continue to rubber stamp the Bush administration’s illegal activities at the cost of every American.

In the letter sent to Senate leaders and top Democrats and Republicans of the Senate Judiciary and Intelligence committees, Mukasey and McConnell wrote “if the president is sent a bill that does not provide the U.S. intelligence agencies the tools they need to protect the nation, the president will veto the bill.”

Once again, just like last August before the ‘Protect America Act’ was passed, McConnell has resorted to his usual lies and fearmongering — “Al Qaeda is improving its ability to attack within the United States by recruiting and training new operatives.” As I’ve noted a few times in the past, McConnell has done a fabulous job of destroying his credibility while Mukasey has done a fabulous job of proving himself to be a mirror image of the former Attorney General he replaced.

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