lesopp
join:2001-06-27
Land O Lakes, FL
1 edit | reply to jc100
Re: Immunity Response #1 contains a lie. The Republicans had full control from Jan 2003 to Jan 2007, that's only 4 years. The Democrats controlled the senate from Jan 2001 to Jan 2003.
Response #2 is your opinion, personally I don't think its that bad. I believe Greenspan has already said it is the Federal Reserves fault for not tightening the money supply sooner.
Please cite your sources for #3
Response #4: I watched a congressional hearing on CSPAN yesterday about the NSA program.
Those testifying described the program this way. Surveillance targets are always foreign persons calling from a foreign country. Sometimes these calls transit the US and even though both calling parties are not US citizens or in the US they have to follow FISA (as per federal court rulings) and get a warrant. He explained that even under the FISA emergency provisions it takes time and the probable cause elements have to be met before the surveillance can go forward. He then relayed an incident where three US soldiers had been captured in Iraq by Al Queada sympathizers who were trying to contact someone in another country for disposition instructions and the call transited the US. It took several days to get the warrant and they were able to retrieve the soldiers and capture the insurgents. He said they were lucky in the the person that was supposed to provide the disposition instruction was slower in responding. His position (and I agree with it) is that foreign people in foreign lands should not be afforded US constitutional protections. This is one of the big things they are trying to change.
He went on to say that sometimes a target initiates or receives a call from a someone in the US, when this happens they follow a minimization process laid out in the original FISA. If this minimization reveals no ties to criminal activities then the entire conversation including the phone number are deleted. If the call reveals ties to criminal activities then a warrant is obtained through the FISA court. He pointed out the this exact same minimization process has been applied to court approved Mafia wire taps pursuant to the 1978 FISA Law. He said they are not seeking a change to this part.
When questioned about how many times this had happened he stated since 2005 when he took the job there had been zero (0) warrant-less surveillance's, the vast majority were foreign to foreign not transiting the US and there less than 100 where they had to obtain a warrant. When asked how many times a minimization resulted the the conversation being deleted he said he would have to get back with them. When asked how many warrant-less surveillance's occurred he restated zero while he was there. Finally when asked how many warrant-less surveillance's happened before he was there he said he would have to get back with them. |
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2 edits | Response #1 - Lesop 4 or 6 years, they had PLENTY of time with full control to dictate the course of Iraq and this country. In the time span since Bush has been president (2001) to now, things have gotten VERY BAD. I am not going to rehash the list. READ UP. Tit for tat Republicans had 4-6 years to fix Iraq and this country and they have overwhelmingly FAILED.
The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the Twenty-first Census of the United States in 1990. Both chambers had a Republican majority until June 6, 2001, after which the Senate had a Democratic majority...
So on this Very basis, Republicans have held FULL control since 1995. They lost control in the Senate from 2001-2003 and regained it there after. Hence, FOUR years recently of COMPLETE control and twelve years of being in ALMOST total control with the exeception of the two years they lost Congress.... That' makes it even worse, now doesn't it, since they held power on which polices ran this country for the last decade more or less?
Response #2 - A Weakening U.S. DOLLAR is horrible. It means Americans who are losing their jobs left and right, NOW pay higher for goods. We import so much these days, that most materials are not made in America. This means every element of our lives will simply get more expensive. For the first time in 30 years, since Nixon, the U.S. dollar is at a record low. To top that off, people are losing their homes at a very fast rate. Even worse, many areas of the U.S. are in a downtown for jobs. Hell, the Midwest and South have 1.5-2 percent rates above the national unemployment. Couple this with the fact those who lose their benefits are not counted, and this country is in a mess. It's not the least bit of an opinion. It's facts put into a logical and consequential argument.
Response #3 - DO you not recall the blanket letters the FBI was sending out demanding YOUR information for all sorts of cases. You claim to watch Cspan. You must have then heard about the judicial review finding ABUSE of the patriot act within the FBI. They were sending out COPIED letters whenever their heart desired demanding AMERICAN'S information. As for the NSA, who knows what they are listening too. Its the fact they do not have a court order. I don't care if that court order takes a week. Things need judicial review. The minute you give all the power to one person, you take away what makes this country a democracy. No justification you tell me will ever override the fact we need oversight. Without it, we're not a democracy, in the least. |
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Ahrenl
join:2004-10-26
North Andover, MA | reply to lesopp
The patriot act allowed FISA warrant authorization after the fact. The problem was they never bothered to.
It sounds like he was commenting on the wiretap program of calls going to/from the US from outside of the US. This is a separate issue from the AT&T issue, and pre-dates this administration. |
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| Exactly. Bush has broken the law and so has his cronies. If there is no oversight, no one can deem if the actions were appropriate or not. Bush's underhanded tactics are literally undermining the foundation this country was built upon. |
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lesopp
join:2001-06-27
Land O Lakes, FL
4 edits | reply to Ahrenl
said by Ahrenl:The patriot act allowed FISA warrant authorization after the fact. The problem was they never bothered to. It actually says "he (the AG) may authorize the emergency employment of electronic surveillance if a judge having jurisdiction under section 1803 of this title is informed by the Attorney General or his designee at the time of such authorization that the decision has been made to employ emergency electronic surveillance and if an application in accordance with this subchapter is made to that judge as soon as practicable, but not more than twenty-four hours 72 hours after the Attorney General authorizes such surveillance." In government speak this means paper work is exchanged, which takes time, before any surveillance actions begin.
»www.epic.org/privacy/terrorism/f···_911.pdf
Since the federal government is the only party in FISA warrant proceeding how would know they never bothered to obtain a warrant? It doesn't square with the media reports like this:
In 2002, there were 1238 FISA warrants issued, up from 934 in 2001. All requests were granted in both years. In 2003, the number jumped to 1727, and in 2004, to 1758.
»www.talkleft.com/story/2005/12/27/065/54085 |
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lesopp
join:2001-06-27
Land O Lakes, FL | reply to jc100
Apportionment has nothing to do with the Senate which the Dems controlled.
Your original comment #2 was "Housing market IS VERY ABYSMAL!!"
Your original comment #3 was "U.S Dollar is at a 30 year record low since November, 1976. IE Nixon. Why is it our economy always tanks under Republicans? Regan got us in our first trillion deficit, then Bush Sr, Then Bush Jr. Clinton was the ONLY president to have a fiscal surplus in 29 years (jeopardy question). Amazing, considering Republicans claim to be for small government and fiscal conservancy. HAH!!"
I guess you don't have any sources. Since we're talking about the past 30 years lets not forget those wonderful Carter years with double digit inflation, home loans in the double digit range, a hollow military, the birth of Iranian extremism and gas prices that are to this day used as a benchmark to convince us we're not paying too much for fuel. |
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| Lessop,
You got to be kidding. Congress has to confer any presidential appointment. Congress includes the Senate and the House. Since when did the Senate become the only body of Congress? my god, people posting on this board SERIOUSLY amaze me. No wonder we're in this mess. People like you and moon are the exact reason politicians get away with this crap. Instead of thinking, you guys type first.
As for #2. Well let me combine. The weakening U.S. dollar means higher prices for goods. As we know, many goods are made overseas. It means also means higher Prices for everything else. Combine that with a lackluster Housing market and the stagnating economy in many places, and you have what's known as a downturn. If people can't afford to feed their families, and they are put out of work by companies laying off due to the weak dollar, that means they lose their houses. Foreclosures in this country are at a record high.
As for the deficit. Let me do you the courtesy of providing you some.
»archives.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITIC···on.debt/
Clinton had a surplus, the first time in 29 years.
Debt under EACH president. Notice how it SKYROCKETS under those supposed fiscally conservative Republicans who advocate small government.
»zfacts.com/p/318.html
Here a "perty lil graph with big pikshures to make it eazy" |
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| reply to lesopp
How do we know? It's called Judicial review showing ABUSES and the Bush administration stating it does NOT have to get court order. Do you or do you NOT recall Congress finding the FBI photocopying letters demanding information on Americans. Over hundred such abuses were recorded with the use of those Fisa letters. Give me a break man. How do we know, we watch the news and read. How don't you know? you must do neither. |
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lesopp
join:2001-06-27
Land O Lakes, FL | reply to jc100
Article II (presidential powers), Section II of the Constitution states in part "with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States".
Notice how the term "congress" is not used? Look it up for yourself. I guess you typed before thinking.
Your CNN link (article for 2000) shows
"the United States would pay off $216 billion in debt this year, bringing to $355 billion the amount of the nation's debt paid down in the three years since the government balanced the budget and began running surpluses"
and
"the U.S. government still has a long way to go before it pays down the entire national debt, which now stands at $5.7 trillion"
That was the media's attempt to blow sunshine up our butts. In reality its like taking a celebratory position when you make a monthly credit card payment while there is still a large balance.
Your other link shows the national debt hasn't gotten a high as when Clinton was in office. Although it is getting close.
None the less its still a negative trend and congress should fix it. The party that had congress let us down and the party that has congress is letting us down, so I don't expect to see any progress in this matter. |
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