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CAPITAL SOURCES

Who’s Listening to Your Phone Call?

A senator explains the case against the Protect America Act.

By Seth Colter Walls | Newsweek Web Exclusive
Feb 4, 2008 | Updated: 12:51  p.m. ET Feb 4, 2008

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Member Comments
  • Posted By: MilwaukeeMom @ 04/06/2008 5:11:31 PM

    Comment: Our founding fathers weren't naive. They knew that a president, once elected, could turn tyrannical. That's why they gave us a system of checks and balances, and separation of powers to rein in the president and keep him from oppressing his own people. Unfortunately, in the wake of 9/11, Americans got so scared, that, instead of protecting our democracy from President Bush, we gave him the keys to the kingdom. We handed over our rights like a trembling child hands over his lunch money to a school yard bully. It is tragic for America that the people and Congress didn't put up more of a fight to preserve our liberty. But, liberty is not for the weak. Russ is the rare exception -- he's a true Patriot. It's a shame there aren't more like him. May those of us fighting for our liberty prevail. And, all you ditto-heads -- you can thank us later.

  • Posted By: Real Patriot @ 03/12/2008 5:25:19 PM

    Comment: All I hear is a bunch of people protesting the war, or worrying about their privacy. I really can't stand the people that are willing to stand back , do nothing, and take the opposite view of whats going on. If you're going to be in the shadows, stay in the shadows and shut up.

  • Posted By: Real Patriot @ 03/12/2008 5:17:53 PM

    Comment: I, m o.k. with the goernment knowing what I'm doing, cause I've got nothing to hide.

  • Posted By: burbank @ 02/19/2008 10:11:28 PM

    Comment: I would worry more about Senator Feingolds's position on how to protect America than I would the government's.

  • Posted By: dannasvir @ 02/14/2008 10:28:56 PM

    Comment: I'm proud to tell my grandchildren that I saw the end of the USSR. It is with extreme sadness that I will also have to tell them that the USSA rose from the ashes.

  • Posted By: nawawimohamad @ 02/09/2008 11:56:31 PM

    Comment: You can strike off the word "PRIVACY" in the US English dictionaries.

  • Posted By: RobLACal @ 02/08/2008 4:33:36 PM

    Comment: "But maybe you would rather be part of an unthinking crowd, a mob that marches wherever it is told to go."

    Look at who the unthinking crowd is. Those braindead zombies who follow their masters and soak up their every lying word in mass and refer to them as "RISING STARS".

    "a mob that marches wherever it is told to go."

    Idiot , you have just described the democrat party to the "T". It's a fact , common knowledge. Are you now trying to tranference more democrat $hit onto Republicans? You are pathetic and your party of democrats are 100% hatefilled liars. That is also a fact and common knowledge and even you know it.

    "Clinton was impeached on lies (that cost no one there life)."

    Wrong , It should go that if you could not lie for Clinton , you lost your life as so many did. BJ Clintons incompetence with the help of his cohorts left in office were responsible for 9/11. Sore loser democrats obstructed and tried to steal the election in the Courts and were busted and stopped by the Supreme Court.





    "As despots everywhere know, if you tell a lie big enough and often enough, it will eventually become true."

    How did that work out for BJ?

    "Clinton was impeached on lies"

    That right , his many many lies. Besides, since when do democrats give a $hit about the law? Democrats are the party of felons , criminal frauds , traitors and communists. The only reason democrats are whining , crying and pretending to care about the law is because there is a Republican in the White House and he is going to do his job no matter how many lies and attack democrats throw at him.

    True Patriot? Don't make me laugh.

  • Posted By: True Patriot @ 02/08/2008 2:35:58 PM

    Comment: We have laws and a constitution that makes it illegal for the government to spy on you without a warrant. Your right to privacy in your home, in your possessions and in your communications is not something that you merely hope the government will respect. You have a legal right to it. Government is not reined in merely by its own good interntions. It is held in check by laws. But if we decide that we will trust to the benevolence of government officials and nothing else, we have lost our system of laws and government for something else. A government can't rest merely on the promises of so-called leaders. I wouldn't trust our government to behave, but I would trust our laws to hem it in. If you want to believe in the noble impulses of a leader who is not restrained by laws, you should see what that has done for the good people of North Korea.

    • Posted By: RobLACal @ 02/08/2008 16:50:00

      Comment: "You have a legal right to it."

      We have a legal right to not have our wages garnished by some power hungry communist pig who has been an abominable failure in every venture. A verbal and abusive B!tch when she doesn't get her way many in her own party will not even vote for her no matter what. Who the hell does she think she is that she is "going take those Profits...." ? TAKE? That is how dictators talk ,but you already know that.

      HEY DEMOCRATS, SHUT YOUR LYING TRAPS!

  • Posted By: True Patriot @ 02/08/2008 1:58:13 PM

    Comment: To have unlimited information about someone is to control him. With all due respect, you don't seem to know anything about history. When a represssive government wants to throw someone in jail, there is nothing, no matter how innocent you may be, that can't be used against you. Why are you willing to give up all details of your private life to a government? A tyrant is likely to start out acting as if he is your protector, your big brother, your kindly father. Your right to privacy is part of your right to be an individual, your right to be left alone, free from the orders and harassment of government. But maybe you would rather be part of an unthinking crowd, a mob that marches wherever it is told to go.

    • Posted By: Pluck&Luck @ 02/13/2008 01:37:05

      Comment: Of course, if the gov't has information it can use it to harass or intimidate, but there are laws that make them liable if they do. Not to mention the political reprcussions, and the fact that Fed law enforcement and military are very sensitive to these issues. The question is are they actually doing anything improper. The slippery slope is generally a fallacious argument as one can always postulate horrible hypotheticals. We are not a fascistic country,except in the mind of some lunies. Abraham Lincoln illegally suspended habeaus corpus, but the country didn't descend into a century of dictatorship. We face true danger from terrorists, not some hypothetical danger from NSA or FBI. A little trust of our country and institutions is called for here

  • Posted By: reinadelaz @ 02/07/2008 2:56:34 PM

    Comment: I don't intend to be simple-minded about this, but if you aren't doing anything wrong, what does it matter if the gov't listens to your conversation?

    • Posted By: map-it-out @ 02/08/2008 11:28:34

      Comment: i totaly agree...what do you have to hide if you are doing nothing wrong!!!

  • Posted By: Neiman277 @ 02/07/2008 11:31:56 AM

    Comment: What does it matter what you or I or anyone thinks, says, or does? If the president refuses to obey the law, any law, all laws, then the debate over warrentless wiretapping and telecom immunity is worthless. Bush will do what he wants and spit in the eye of not only Congress, but the American people and the rest of the planet. He will issue immunity for the telecoms and DARE anyone to challenge him. He will continue to listen in to whomever he wishes and DARE anyone to challenge him. He will start more wars and kill more people and DARE anyone to challenge him. But the really amusing part of all this is that no one WILL challenge him. Bush is the government and there is nothing congress WILL DO about it. There is plenty they CAN do, they are just SOOOOO cowardly I really don't see how they get to work every day. Regardless, they have left us at the mercy of Bush and Cheney. And just look at how well they have done in Iraq. We can only hope they don't turn their military on us.

  • Posted By: True Patriot @ 02/07/2008 12:51:30 AM

    Comment: The Bush Administration convinced several telecommunications companies to break federal law by placing surveillance systems on telephone and internet communications. It was and remains a felony to illegally create such a system. On the other hand, it is not at all hard for a government agent to obtain warrants when necessary. There are judges available round the clock to grant warrant requests. The problem here is that the Bush Administration did not want to comply with the law. They did not want any restrictions on their activities at all. A technical fix to the FISA law was not all the Administration was after; it wanted to conduct unlimited surveillance without obtaining warrants, so long as one party to the communication is outside the U.S.
    This so-called Protect America Act really destroys our right to privacy in telecommunications, and lets off the telecom companies which cooperated with the Bush Administration's illegal requests. These programs were so sweeping that it is laughable to suppose that only terrorists were being tracked. The items tracked were actually in the millions of communications.
    Why would anyone assume that no decent upright American's communications were being tracked? The surveillance was extremely broad, and it was illegal.

    • Posted By: map-it-out @ 02/20/2008 22:11:35

      Comment: have you ever heard of checks and balences...is is a law that gives no single branch of goverenment power over the other. so how can you blame the president. first he has to go to congress to even see if they approve then throught all the other stuff. so before you blame the president look up your facts. and by the way if the president was doing something outside the law...he would already be busted! believe me there are millions of peole just waiting for him to "color out side of the lines"

    • Posted By: Pluck&Luck @ 02/07/2008 04:44:44

      Comment: No-- the question is why would you assume that communications of innocent Americans are being tapped, without any evidence whatsoever that this is happening. I don't believe in "my country right or wrong", but I think that one should at least give it the benefit of the doubt until evidence proves otherwise. Why are you assuming the worse about you country? You also need to read Truong case 629 F 908 and In re Sealed Case 310 F3d 717(FISA ,2002) before you make the claim that the President is acting outside the law. Precedent is clearly on his side

  • Posted By: map-it-out @ 02/06/2008 11:02:20 PM

    Comment: i think that it is the best thing for our country!!! we are so big and bad America but yet we complain when our country tries to catch and prevent another 9/11. if you have a problem with this, i think you have a problem, expecialy if one of your love ones of friends is fighting for our country. they should be the ones supporting this because 9/11 is the whole reason there fighting. if this happened before 9/11 i strongly believe that 9/11 could have been prevented. i also think that this makes a statement about our country: when you rattle our cage, you better know good and well that the dog will bit back. people we are the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!! we have always been told to fight for what we believe in, that is how our country became what it is today. so why, when we stand up and try to prevent this, we cry and complain like little first graders. get over it and put your big people panties on!!!!!

  • Posted By: RobLACal @ 02/06/2008 9:26:49 AM

    Comment: "I would like to know if any innocent Americans (not in league with Al Qeada or other terrorists) have had their phones conversation tapped and the information used to embarass or harass them?."

    The immoral liberals in Hollywood have yet to perfect or come up with a script or an actor capable of acting out for us the exact moment they felt their civil rights being violated via the telephone. They can't , won't because it didn't happen. Yet the democrat criminal mind will accuse others of what in fact only they are guilty of. Democrats just assume everyone is corrupt and scheming criminals like themselves. Best accuse Republicans of what democrats are doing before they actually catch us and inform the American public.

    It's called TRANSFERENCE.

    Democrats had a hard time getting a chubby chick in a blue dress past the security and into the Oval Office. So Russ , Schmucky and the rest of the rats settled for this fantasy senario. Or what I like to refer to as the democrats desperate attempts to "CLINTONIZE" President Bush. What miserable losers.

  • Posted By: RobLACal @ 02/06/2008 8:55:39 AM

    Comment: "Comment: RobLACal- Hatered will get you no where. Your party is slipping and you knew it. I am so glad that I am complete opposite of you on political and social views. You'll talk like this on this board but you'll go into church on Sunday. Hypocrite"

    This is why democrats are complete liars and frauds. They don't know $hit and talk out their a$$.
    Hatred? No idiot , hatred is what you and the party of democrats do. I simply want the rule of law enforced and traitors executed. and criminals prosecuted. I can see why you would take offense since felons can't vote ,until they die that is. Democrats think everything is a joke and they can lie their way out of anything since they are experts when it comes to lying their way into office.

    My Party? What party would that be?

    I'm Registered democratic which doesn't mean $hit just like you being an American citizen

    "I am so glad that I am complete opposite of you on political and social views."

    Ya , I'm an American and you are closet commy democrat.

    " You'll talk like this on this board but you'll go into church on Sunday. Hypocrite"

    Just more proof that democrat lemmings don't know the facts about half of what they speak of and just lie and make up the rest. The Party of bigots , racists and liars serving round the clock , perpetual fraud.

    I don't go to church and never said I did. Boy don't you feel dumb.

  • Posted By: Pluck&Luck @ 02/06/2008 6:03:32 AM

    Comment: I would like to know if any innocent Americans (not in league with Al Qeada or other terrorists) have had their phones conversation tapped and the information used to embarass or harass them. If not, Mr. Feingold is positing hypotheticals for political gain, at serious risk to our national security. Seems to me that Feds would not waste their time on grandma, since they have so much other really important survelliance to conduct against actual terrorists

  • Posted By: FryeDaddy @ 02/06/2008 1:43:17 AM

    Comment: This United States media and their black balling of DR Ron Paul is and will be the greatest injustice I have ever witnessed. I am ashamed of our media and what they have done to this nation as a whole, by leading the ignorant masses to follow after the Hillary and McCain in the destruction of America. The only hope we as American's have at this point in history is Dr. Paul. He is a honest American who beleive's in the Constitution of the United States, whom as President would bring it back to that great document that we all take for granted. He by doing that would alone improve the quality of life in these United States, as well as make the rest of this world Respect us again, and not Fear us for our radical outlook on foriegn policy which by the way is unconstitutional. This truly is a shame, I predict that by 2012 we as a people will be resorted to standing in bread lines, our military will be depleted, and we will be as other third world countrys for our monetary system will be too far gone. Thank's to the Media and the ignorant voting masses for they will be the blame for the destruction of the greatest nation on earth. What a shame !!! Dr. Paul, to you Sir, I say this please know that there really is critical thinking, non politically correct, constitution Loving people out there, however, we were outnumbered by the ignorant and a corrupt media. Don't give up the fight Sir, for neither will we.

  • Posted By: razedbywolveswi @ 02/05/2008 9:30:44 PM

    Comment: Feingold is an idiot. He cheerfully votes to give big brother control over every aspect of our lives from political speech to health care and will bankrupt the country in pursuit of mooches paradise, but listen to Aunt Beas phone calls ??? oh the horror!

  • Posted By: Kevinpsu160 @ 02/05/2008 9:27:17 PM

    Comment: RobLACal- Hatered will get you no where. Your party is slipping and you knew it. I am so glad that I am complete opposite of you on political and social views. You'll talk like this on this board but you'll go into church on Sunday. Hypocrite

  • Posted By: Kevinpsu160 @ 02/05/2008 9:27:12 PM

    Comment: RobLACal- Hatered will get you no where. Your party is slipping and you knew it. I am so glad that I am complete opposite of you on political and social views. You'll talk like this on this board but you'll go into church on Sunday. Hypocrite

  • Posted By: RobLACal @ 02/05/2008 7:42:11 PM

    Comment: Stupid democrats , I don't give a damn how you feel or what you want. You blithering losers can't feel good unless one of your felon leaders gets elected. That's your mental defect and it went into overdrive when you democrats got busted by the Supreme Court trying to steal the 2000 election. The democrat party of perpetual hate , fraud and lies can go right to h#ll.

    You racist hate spewing cry babies can't control your hate for anyone smarter than you , who doesn't whine and think like you, and doesn't need you for #hit. Why do you whine on about Impeachment , stfu and bring it on. Thanks to the uncontrolable outbursts and acts of treason of your stupid democrat leaders like Pelosi and Reid and A$$holes like you, I NO LONGER IGNORANTLY SUPPORT or VOTE DEMOCRAT.

    THIS COUNTRY BELONGS TO AMERICANS , NOT STUPID DEMOCRATS.

    WHEN DEMOCRATS LIED THREE MILLION DIED. "YOUR WORDS ARE KILLING US"
    This is what the democrats are all about. Democrats betrayed our Country because of their hate for President Bush. All you losers can do is try to "Clintonize" Bush. You failed. Clinton is a lying POS , not Bush and you know it. DEAL WITH IT!

    You want to attack the President in a time of war, undermine our Country's war effort and give aid and comfort to the enemy, YOU ARE NO AMERICAN. Quite lying and blaming Republicans for your failures and for the fact that democrat party is a worthless incompetent sack of $hit.

  • Posted By: RobLACal @ 02/05/2008 7:39:21 PM

    Comment: "Between them they probably represent half the felons in this country.Felons are an important part of the democrat base.
    Veterans, not so much."

    Never forget , 85% of felons vote democrat. From the mouth of Hilary Rotten herself.


    "When liberals continue to trample the facts and continue to insist that their bogus beliefs are the real facts, what is that called? I know there???s a name for it."

    DELUSIONAL!

    • Posted By: reinadelaz @ 02/07/2008 14:47:01

      Comment: Right. Here in Florida, it was a BUSH who gave thousands of convicted felons the right to vote (for his big brother?)

  • Posted By: Kevinpsu160 @ 02/05/2008 6:29:55 PM

    Comment: I am not advocating for myself or my children. I am living a very comfortable life with great health care. My children will attend outstanding public schools. I have worked very hard to provide this for my family. I am advocating for the injustice that stills exists in our society because of people like you. "Personal responsibility" is easy for someone to say when they are in the majority. You haven't been outside of your "Mayberry Village". You enjoy your me first attitude. In the words of Bob Dylan, ???The times they are a changing.???

    Democrats have already fixed the fiscal irresponsibility of Reagan and Bush administration. We can do it again. Vote for Obama, because you can see what the other side believes. See you at the polls.

  • Posted By: LucyGirl @ 02/05/2008 4:37:17 PM

    Comment: I've never called him My President. I think, spending wise, he's the worst we've ever seen. And I think that most fiscal conservatives realize that.

    But to think a Dem is going to come in and lessen that burden is truly insane.

    "I don't want you to have anything to do .... with any children". Well said! Yet again (and I'm sounding like a broken record on this point) but typical LIB once again!! Because I disagree with your viewpoint, I'm not fit to have children. Wow. My children will grow up to be strongwilled and will carry a strong work ethic. Can yours do the same? Or do you teach them to sit back and let the government pat them on the head, all the while telling them it will be okay? I hope that someday the children of this nation never have to see firsthand how a socialist state has shortchanged this lives. And I, unlike you, understand that concept.

    My views are a 'cancer' because I advocate for personal responsibility? I'm not telling YOU how to raise your children. But you are saying that the government, and in turn We the People and our tax money, owe you something, a la education and healthcare?? Have you ever thought about going out and 'doing it for yourself'? Don't like your health care? Get a new plan? Is the government not providing for your children in a public educational system? Why not work harder to get them into private school?

    Your view , sir, is the cancer. The welfare/nanny state, created by the Dems are the truest form of cancer on this nation.

    You say, "yes we can". To what, exactly? Strip away all his optimistic rhetoric and what do you have left?? He's a bumper sticker, nothing else. You're just don't have the intelligence to understand that.

  • Posted By: Kevinpsu160 @ 02/05/2008 3:54:58 PM

    Comment: If you are totally against government, then why does your president need 3 trillion dollars? You can keep lying to yourself about your belief that republican means less government. We are here on this post because your president wants more government. We are more in debt because your president wants more government. However, I am the socialist. You better go look up the definition of socialism. Thanks for posting I enjoy the debate. Consequently, I don't want you to have anything to do with my children or any children. Your beliefs are the cancer of this nation. Vote for change. Vote Obama 2008. Yes we can and yes we will.

  • Posted By: LucyGirl @ 02/05/2008 2:57:02 PM

    Comment: No we wouldn't be having this debate if he were alive. He'd rig the elections like he did in Chicago back in '60. How wonderful for our country!

    But why do I have to spend my tax dollars on providing health coverage for YOUR children? It takes a village, right? That's what you people think, no?

    I had to wait in line at the bank this morning and it was a bit of a hassle. Then I started thinking, wow, this is what it will be under a socialized state of Obama or Clinton. Only far, far more dangerous. If they have their way, we'll be waiting in bread lines.

    Elect socialist candidates and you'll get socialized EVERYTHING and for ALL citizens. But as long as I can care for the sniffles of YOUR children, I guess that's most FAIR right?

    Disgusting.

    Provide for your own children and keep the government out of it. That's the only way we can live in a truly free country.

  • Posted By: Kevinpsu160 @ 02/05/2008 2:44:27 PM

    Comment: Yes, because this is MY country and I believe that MY money should be spent on MY children in MY country to fix MY economy. Where do you want to spend MY money? Iraq When my government is taking more and more away from me then I am concerned. JFK- What a great men with a great vision. We wouldn't be having this debate if he were alive. Changes would have happened long ago. Vote Obama "Yes we can."

  • Posted By: LucyGirl @ 02/05/2008 2:22:13 PM

    Comment: Typical LIB mindset. Where is MY healthcare? Why has the economy failed ME? Where is MY education?

    ME, ME, ME. That's the party platform. You quit asking years ago as JFK stated, What can I do for my country, but rather what can the GOVERNMENT do for me.

    Pitiful lot with no concept of personal responsiblity. You all will be the downfall of this once great nation. And if you weren't so scary, I may laugh with you. Unfortunately I try to look for solutions, not blame. That's why I vote Republican.

    And

  • Posted By: Kevinpsu160 @ 02/05/2008 2:11:41 PM

    Comment: Why are we in Iraq? Where are the terrorist? Where should we be? I know Bush was never good at baseball. However, he really took his eye off the ball here. Surge = No health care + failed NCLB + failing economy + unsecured borders Where should the money be spent? Yes, just another example of failed policy. LucyGirl thanks for another example- Are you certain you are not a liberal at heart. By the way, I get my news from FOX. I enjoy the comedy.

  • Posted By: LucyGirl @ 02/05/2008 1:48:49 PM

    Comment: Greatest minds of the century?? Oh wow. Yet again, another delusional Dem.

    Whoever coined the phrase, "Liberalism is a mental defect" has a great mind in my book.

    Failed policies. Okay my response to that: Surge. I know they don't report that in the news, but you may want to try to read something more than Huffington or the Daily Kos. You may actually just learn something.

  • Posted By: Kevinpsu160 @ 02/05/2008 1:25:08 PM

    Comment:
    Yes, Feingold is on of the greatest minds of this century. He is a person that can see beyond the tip of his nose. He can see the ramifications of failed policies before they go through congress. When you and I see the failed policies he has already voted against it and explained his reasoning behind it. By the way, Feingold voted to proceed with impeaching Clinton. Clinton was impeached on lies (that cost no one there life). Bush and Cheney's lies have cost thousands of lives. You can do the math. Who would you impeach? However, I don't believe Bush should be impeached because he is the biggest "tool" the Democratic Party has had since the first Bush. Go Bush the Democratic Party loves you.

  • Posted By: Kevinpsu160 @ 02/05/2008 1:09:58 PM

    Comment: I believe in protecting America but not at the cost of giving up our civil liberties. The right to live in a free society is what our country was founded on. If you don't believe in your own freedoms then I question your patriotism. This country has been run by fear for seven years. It is time we stand up to the terrorist and say no more. I will not live in fear. If we continue to live in fear then the terrorist win. The Iraq war and Patriot Act were rushed through congress because of fear. We defeated the greatest nation at the time to gain our independence. We can't give away what are founding fathers fought for because of are fears.

  • Posted By: LucyGirl @ 02/05/2008 12:56:15 PM

    Comment: For all you TOTAL IDIOT LIBS talknig about impeachment, I say you go back to the idiot government school that educated you and take a civics course. There is no constitutional basis to impeach the President or the Vice President.

    We really should have really implement IQ tests in time for the 2008 election. I can't believe how ignorant most of you sound. Then again, you also talk about what a "thinker" Feingold really is. "Thinking" is about the last term that comes to mind when I think about today's Democratic voters.


    We really should have really implement IQ tests in time for the 2008 election. I can't believe how ignorant most of you sound. Then again, you also talking about what a "thinker" Feingold really is. "Thinking" is about the last term that comes to mind when I think about today's Democractic voters.

  • Posted By: LucyGirl @ 02/05/2008 12:55:18 PM

    Comment: For all you TOTAL IDIOT LIBS talknig about impeachment, I say you go back to the idiot government school that educated you and take a civics course. There is no constitutional basis to impeach the President or the Vice President.

    We really should have really implement IQ tests in time for the 2008 election. I can't believe how ignorant most of you sound. Then again, you also talking about what a "thinker" Feingold really is. "Thinking" is about the last term that comes to mind when I think about today's Democractic voters.

  • Posted By: sdlatl @ 02/05/2008 12:37:38 PM

    Comment: It is with good reason that some commentators refer to Sen. Feingold's branch of the Democratic Party as the "Loony Left." For all the hysterical paranoia, all the references to President Bush as a "tyrant," or "BusHitler," all the apocalyptic hyperventilation about assaults on our fundamental civil liberties, not a single individual -- not one -- has come forward with a credible claim to have been injured or restrained in any way.

    The obvious truth is that the NSA is straining to process the vast volumes of information it acquires to learn what real terrorists are doing. If they do happen to come across an innocent conversation between you and your Aunt Tilly in England, or even between you and your Uncle Mahmoud in Iran, they haven't the time, the resources, nor the interest to pay any more attention to it than necessary to conclude that it is irrelevant.

    At some point, when you hire someone to do something that involves life and death, be it your surgeon, your airline pilot, or your government, you have to get out of the way and let him do his job, or you're liable to end up dead. If I must choose between trusting the career professionals at the NSA, or Mohammed Atta's remaining buddies in Germany, England and the Middle Ease, I'll take my chances with the NSA. If they happen to pick up a snippet of one of my phone conversations, I haven't the slightest worry that they'll use it against me in any way or even pay any attention to it.

    If Sen. Feingold is really worried about protecting our privacy, and not simply scoring partisan points against President Bush, he should work at putting out of business the many companies like Choice Point that mine the Web for sensitive data about all of us, and sell it to those hoping to exploit us. That does represent a threat that Congress could fix.

    Otherwise, Feingold is simply an unpatriotic buffoon, who could best serve his country by sitting down, shutting up, and letting patriotic professionals do what they must to protect us from the murderous savages who killed 3000 of us on 9/11 and who desperately want to kill millions more.

  • Posted By: Kevinpsu160 @ 02/05/2008 12:30:14 PM

    Comment: Appman- What are you talking about? There is no relationship between Feingold and Rosenberg. Do you subscribe to the Bush book of lies? This is where you say the lie long enough, often enough, and loud enough, until you believe it. Don't mislead people on this discussion forum with your lies. Keep them to yourself. We have heard them for a long eight years. NO MORE!!!! By the way, the US is changing get on board or left behind. VOTE OBAMA!!!! Your own GOP members are jumping ship. Don't be the last one Appman.

    • Posted By: Appman @ 02/05/2008 14:03:45

      Comment: Vote for Obama!

      No experience and a black clone of the hostage abandoning Peanut Farmer.

      He like all libs refuses to defend the USA!

  • Posted By: Appman @ 02/05/2008 12:07:27 PM

    Comment: Foolsgold is whacko!

    Any reason to NOT defend the USA .. a lib tradition since the hostage-abandoning Peanut Farmer Days.

    He is related to Julius Rosenberg?

  • Posted By: Appman @ 02/05/2008 12:05:21 PM

    Comment: Foolsgold is a nut job!

    As with liberals since the Carter days - he refuses to defend the USA.

    A relative of Julius Rosenberg?

  • Posted By: Kevinpsu160 @ 02/05/2008 11:50:57 AM

    Comment: Feingold is a true American hero. He is one of the only politicians in Washington that continues to safeguard Americans from this tyrant (Bush). His voting record stands for itself. The only senator to vote against the Iraq War (he believed we needed more intelligence). Boy was he right. Russ was one of the only senators to vote against the Patriot Act. He wanted to protect our civil liberties (as did our founding fathers). He has worked across party lines to reform corrupt politics. I am proud that Russ Feingold is a US senator that believes in the rights of the people he serves. For all of you skeptics, please read his book Feingold a New Democratic Party. You???ll then understand what a marvelous thinker this man truly is. He will always receive my vote here in North Carolina.

  • Posted By: Kevinpsu160 @ 02/05/2008 11:50:09 AM

    Comment: Feingold is a true American hero. He is one of the only politicians in Washington that continues to safeguard Americans from this tyrant (Bush). His voting record stands for itself. The only senator to vote against the Iraq War (he believed we needed more intelligence). Boy was he right. Russ was one of the only senators to vote against the Patriot Act. He wanted to protect our civil liberties (as did our founding fathers). He has worked across party lines to reform corrupt politics. I am proud that Russ Feingold is a US senator that believes in the rights of the people he serves. For all of you skeptics, please read his book Feingold a New Democratic Party. You???ll then understand what a marvelous thinker this man truly is. He will always receive my vote here in North Carolina.

  • Posted By: voice in the wilderness @ 02/05/2008 11:15:08 AM

    Comment: What short memories........9/11 what is that? Just a small incident ......forget it. That is what Russ F. wants us to do. The old expression if one doesn't learn from the past then you will repeat the horror a second time. So it will take another incident like a dirty bomb to get us to debate the issue....that is if we are alive to discuss the matter. Like it or not taking away this right to intercept all calls is penny wise and pound foolish.

  • Posted By: Sploot @ 02/05/2008 10:57:46 AM

    Comment: Sen. Fiengold: It would be amuzing how anti-government you are when it suits your thinly veiled political agenda if ultimately it wasn't so tragically dangerous to the security of the Nation. You have intellectually dishonestly framed the issue and dishonestly mischaracterized the administration's position vis-a-vis the PAA wherein you state the administration's poistion as: "'If we're not given these powers immediately, we will be attacked." A fair and honest characterization of the administration's position is that if it is without these necessary and effective tools, our hands are tied in fulfulling our constitutional duty to secure the safety of the American people making the possibility, indeed, likelihood that another terrorist attack will be visited upon us in the future as indisputably and expressly promised by a wide array of very elusive Islamic fascists. Your thinly veiled pandering framing of the issue and irresponsible blind eye to the reality of this unprecedented war may buy you votes in the short run, but will cerrtainly expose my family and yours to a heightened likelihood that 9/11 will be repeated in the long run, and when it does, I'll bet my bottom dollar you will be the last person to accept responsibility for failing in your constitutional duty to secure our safety. Wise up, Senator and quit trying to pulling the wool over the eyes of We the People!

  • Posted By: FatKat66 @ 02/05/2008 10:55:05 AM

    Comment: "This is about the bulk sucking-up of information by the government. " Really Mr. Feingold? What do you call fingerprinting, iris scanning, computer data banks, lugage searches, body searches, x-ray, and video cameras? This is just more of the same imposed by a government that has entered the arena of usurping the rights of the American people "for the common good" or "to protect Americans." These incursions into freedom also include stealing our money, stealing our property, destroying our sovreignty, stealing our retirement funds, dictating our personal habits, deciding what our children will be taught, deciding how our children will play, and restricting our speech. Next you will be telling us what we should weigh, what we should eat, and how we should care for our health. You and your Congressional friends are swine who would be dictators. None of you is the slightest bit concerned about the freedoms of the American people and all of you make me sick.

  • Posted By: Sploot @ 02/05/2008 10:54:59 AM

    Comment: Sen. Fiengold: It would be amuzing how anti-government you are when it suits your thinly veiled political agenda if ultimately it wasn't so tragically dangerous to the security of the Nation. You have intellectually dishonestly framed the issue and dishonestly mischaracterized the administration's position vis-a-vis the PAA wherein you state the administration's poistion as: "'If we're not given these powers immediately, we will be attacked." A fair and honest characterization of the administration's position is that if it is without these necessary and effective tools, our hands are tied in fulfulling our constitutional duty to secure the safety of the American people making the possibility, indeed, likelihood that another terrorist attack will be visited upon us in the future asindisputably and expressly promised by a wide array of very elusive Islamic fascists. Your thinly veiled pandering framing of the issue and irresponsible blind eye to the reality of this unprecedented war may buy you votes in the short run, but will cerrtainly expose my family and yours to a heightened likelihood that 9/11 will be repeated in the long run, and when it does, I'll bet my bottom dollar you will be the last person to accept responsibility for failing in your constitutional duty to secure our safety. Wise up, Senator and quit trying to pulling the wool over We the People!

  • Posted By: FatKat66 @ 02/05/2008 10:49:20 AM

    Comment: "This is about the bulk sucking-up of information by the government. " Really Mr. Feingold? What do you call fingerprinting, iris scanning, computer data banks, and video cameras? This is just more of the same imposed by a government that has entered the arena of usurping the rights of the American people "for the common good." These incursions also include stealing our money, stealihng our property, destroying our sovreignty, dictating our personal habits, deciding what our children will be taught, and restricting our speech. Next you will be telling us what we should weigh, what we should eat, and penalizing us if we do not have health insurance. You and your ruling class friends are swine who would be dictators. You are beneath contempt.

  • Posted By: gamaha @ 02/05/2008 10:48:31 AM

    Comment: Watching the machinations of this government for the last eight years, my one question is: "Who is going to jail?" Short answer as usual is that no one will be going to jail or at best the wrong person. I don't recognize the current United States of America anymore. A country and its citizens which used to be admired worldwide has now become a country of questionable elections and what's worse, a country where somehow existing freedoms and guarantees continue to be broken, twisted and thrown away. For what? Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheny's version of a safe and perfect America? Wake up, look at these people and what they have done.

  • Posted By: JW4JW4 @ 02/05/2008 9:22:59 AM

    Comment: Canabylane - What about when they then "interpret" that conversation as a "code" for a terrorist attack against Bush and you are swept up by the government and locked away. May sound far fetched, but that is what can happen, and precisely why can't let them get away with this type on infringement on our privacy and freedom.

  • Posted By: zeke227 @ 02/05/2008 7:51:27 AM

    Comment: the Protect America Act does not protect americans. If bush has his way, it will protect the telecomm companies that colluded with bush and cheney to abridge our constitutional rights. I agree with Tane55. Impeachment proceedings can't start soon enough.
    Gotta love the irony. Protect America Act? As despots everywhere know, if you tell a lie big enough and often enough, it will eventually become true.

    • Posted By: observer101 @ 02/12/2008 16:50:11

      Comment: I believe your pal Clinton was impeached for something real, not made up like Dems are doing to Bush...:)

  • Posted By: carnabylane @ 02/05/2008 7:47:20 AM

    Comment: If they want to listen to my friends and I discuss what an arrogant, ignorant idiot Bush is then have at it.

  • Posted By: Tane55 @ 02/05/2008 12:13:18 AM

    Comment: Our elected officials job is the defense of our constitution and the rule of law.
    All elected government officials are sworn to do so.
    By executitive order and congressional act the constitution has been nullified and the honor of all of us has been forsaken, The laws have been broken and twisted to serve the few. The dollar devalued by 50% and the Treasury Robbed to give Iraqi's Freedom, Pork the Budget, Fatten Wall Street, Bailout Bush Buddies and throw you a bone. We have been shamed by our Complicity in the horror, deceit, corruption and incompetence. We can either show that we object, by impeachment proceedings. And get to the bottom of these crimes. Or Accept that we deserve the criticism of the world for not having the courage to try to stop them.
    Call, write and e-mail congress tell them to do their duty "Restore the Constitution and Impeach Bush and Cheney". Or be included in the criminal charges and suffer at Home and in the Elections. Wake up America. Or continue to shame all those who died in war and embrace Fascism!

  • Posted By: skd500 @ 02/04/2008 11:37:39 PM

    Comment: There is a big difference between being "protected" and being "exploited". Those are spelling words President Bush missed the meaning of and difference between apparently when he created the "Patriot" Act, which gives him the right to videotape us and listen to us in the privacy of our homes for his entertainment. I don't feel very protected these days, but I feel very, very exploited and taken advantage of by all the people who get to be in his big boy"club"......... which one is our right as a citizen, again, I have forgotten, it has been so long since I felt "protected" as a free woman by him, thank God I had a good lawyer who was truly a gentleman to restore my faith in the integrity of men............skd500

  • Posted By: thisisnotamerica @ 02/04/2008 6:57:08 PM

    Comment: It's funny how the Republicans, with their shoot-and-spend excesses, will accuse the Dems of wasting money, despite the Republicans creating the biggest national debt ever. And it's equally funny how the Republicans will spout platitudes about smaller government and getting the government out of our lives and will then try to vote in measure that make government even bigger and more intrusive.

    Why are so many Republicans such hypocrits?

  • Posted By: kpgfield @ 02/04/2008 6:45:24 PM

    Comment: Nothing to hide? Why not get strip searched before you go into a bank or on an airplane. Anyone who supports this legislation has their head where it would only be found if they were strip searched.

  • Posted By: Peaceful Warrior @ 02/04/2008 5:48:24 PM

    Comment: Nothing to hide? No reason to be concerned about the government using technology that taps into international communications to insure our safety. Just another scare tactic by those in office who like to get their names in the headlines while pretending to be interested in our freedoms, etc. What a crock! This is just another Bush bashing party that has gone on and on since 2000.

  • Posted By: ThePrairiePrankster @ 02/04/2008 5:25:18 PM

    Comment: Actually, it's the Bush administration who thinks we are idiots. Listening to every international phone call will not protect us from anything. Oh the horror, a FISA judge would have to review the phone tap of terrorists or affiliated organizations of which ZERO have been blocked since the mid-1970's. Seems like the government can't live within the laws we have and are willing to sacrifice freedom to listen on millions of calls for no good reason.

  • Posted By: PETERCH02 @ 02/04/2008 1:37:52 PM

    Comment: SO THE SEN. IS SAYING WE ARE ALL UNINFORMED IDIOTS WITH NO COMMON SENSE IF WE DON'T SEE IT HIS WAY.
    PC,NH

 
 
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