A.G to Turn Over Wiretapping Docs

"WASHINGTON (AP) – Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Wednesday he will turn over secret documents detailing the government's domestic spying program, ending a two-week standoff with the Senate Judiciary Committee over surveillance targeting terror suspects."

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http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/01/31/dom…g.ap/index.html


"The documents held by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court – including investigators' applications for permission to spy and judges' orders – will be given to some lawmakers as early as Wednesday."

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"The records will be given to Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, and the panel's top Republican, Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pennsylvania, who two weeks ago lambasted Gonzales for refusing to turn over documents that even the FISA Court's presiding judge had no objection to releasing. At the time, Gonzales said it was unclear whether the court orders could be released without exposing sensitive security information.

The documents also will be available to lawmakers and staffers on the House and Senate intelligence committees. These people already were cleared to receive details about the controversial spy program.

Leahy said he welcomed the Bush administration decision to release the documents, which he said he would review to decide "what further oversight or legislative action is necessary." "

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It'll be interesting to see Leahy and Specter's re-action to the information they've obtained (assuming it hasn't been heavily redacted). Pete

http://www.papillonsartpalace.com/patleahy.htm

In his home state of Vermont, more than a few of his constituents remember him best as "Leaky Leahy," the one-time vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, who had to resign the post in disgrace 14 years ago after acknowledging he divulged secret information to a reporter.

http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:DHx-9…;cd=5&gl=us

He earned himself the nickname "Leaky Leahy" after inadvertantly disclosing a top secret communications intercept during a 1985 television interview.

Lord help us!

http://cdt.org/

"Senators Introduce Strong Data Breach Bill

Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) today introduced legislation to protect consumers when their personal privacy is compromised by data breaches. First introduced in 2005, the Personal Data Privacy and Security Act is one of the stronger data-breach proposals that have been proposed in Congress. CDT is particularly supportive of a provision in the measure that strengthens oversight of the government's use of commercial databases to collect information about citizens. CDT supports federal data breach legislation so long as it improves on existing protections and does not undermine the strong protections already established by the states. February 06, 2007

http://www.cdt.org/privacy/20070100databreach.pdf "

I believe that Sen. Leahy quite learned his lesson back then - and I totally trust him now. One only has to review some of his questions to such luminaries as Gonzales during hearings to see that.

I don't really get you, Susan. It seems as though you advocate un-restricted spying on U.S citizens, regardless of the fact that it violates the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Privacy Act (among others).

You seem quite content to throw out the baby with the bathwater and seem to feel that the Executive branch should be given whatever power they want, whenever they want it.

I can assure you that - with Adminstration changes via future elections - you'll come to seriously regret that stance. Pete