You have seen me voice my displeasure at The Obama Administration’s use of the FISA court, with the caveat that he has to use all the tools at his disposal, because a terrorist attack of 9/11 proportions would spell the end of the Democratic Party, if he failed to do so. Only Republicans are gifted enough at BS to have allowed 9/11, through their incompetence, at best, to blame Democrats for it, and to survive. I am fortunate that my elected Senators and Representative, all of whom I have supported, lead the struggle to bring FISA onto the 21st century.
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) says he is likely to support legislative proposals to overhaul the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and is once again raising concerns over how intelligence agencies are tracking the cellphones of law-abiding Americans.
Wyden said in an interview airing Sunday that the secret surveillance court used by federal officials to seek further permission to track terrorism suspects “is just anachronistic.”
“They’re using processes that simply don’t fit the times,” Wyden said. “When the FISA Act was passed in the [1970s], nobody envisioned, for example, some of the astounding reach that the court has gone to with respect to the Patriot Act and its definition of relevance. The statute talks about relevance, in nowhere does it even suggest that you can collect the phone records of millions and millions of law-abiding Americans.”
Wyden spoke on Sunday’s episode of C-SPAN’s “Newsmakers,” which included questioning by a Washington Post reporter. He is a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a leading critic of how the NSA has been collecting telephone and Internet records of U.S. citizens.
The senator said he is likely to support legislative proposals to overhaul the secretive court, because “it’s the most one-sided legal process in the United States. I don’t know of any other legal system or court that really doesn’t highlight anything except one point of view.” He said later that lawmakers should seek to “diversify some of the thinking on the court.”… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <Washington Post>
I couldn’t find the actual clip, because it was ‘temporarily unavailable’ but here’s one from Widen on the subject that is only three says old.
When Wyden said “expand the thinking”, I bet he was referring to the fact that every FISA judge has been appointed by John Roberts, head goose-stepper of the Fascist Five Injustices of SCROTUS.
Once again, I’m pleased and proud that Oregon is leading the way!
8 Responses to “FISA Obsolete”
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I believe that the head of the SCOTUS choses each and every member of FISA and Chief Justice Roberts comes to my mind… He has the authority for the rest of his life on the Supreme Court. Hense, all are Republicans except one.
You believe correctly. Disgusting, isn't it?
Wyden provides a good short history of the FISA court and its original intent. Although, I question whether it was really needed if it was effectively doing the work of federal courts and its jurists are federal judges. But I believe Wyden said that that changed following amendments after 9/11 and the Chief Injustice was given the task of being the sole person appointing the FISA judges. Not a good thing at all given his partisanship.
There must be one law for all without secrecy which does nothing but obfuscate.
Lynn, the FISA Court was set up to prevent Republican abuse of wire taps, as a result of Nixon using the system to spy on political enemies. For a long time, it did its job as intended, but as you said, it's role changed due to Republican abuse of wire taps, as a result of Bush using 9/11 fear to spy on political enemies. Now Obama is using the system to protect America, but the system itself is bloated beyond what is Constitutional or should be permissable.
It seems that this would never have been discussed had Snowden not released the info he has – FISA and NSA are bookends to the surveillance question – thank you Mr. Snowden
Lee, lets take that retionale one more step to see why I disagree. Following your logic, the incompetence and herartlessness would never neen discussed had not global climate change propelled hurricane Katrina'sdevestation of New Orleans. — thank you you globval climate change.
Something bad becomes no better, just because it has some good consequences.
I think that FISA and the NSA are two of the most heinous things that have been done to the American people. I am all for ending this lifetime job for Supreme Court Justices right now. I want to see the end of FISA and the NSA. Think of the millions of dollars this program has to be costing to spy on innocent Americans, while the Republicans are trying to end Social Security, Medicare, and Unemployment benfits. It is disgusting and terrifying.
Edie, it is neither FISA nor the NSA that is the problem here. It is their abuse.