[Vision2020] Spying on Americans Can't Be Justified (By Molly Ivins)

[Joan Opyr]

On 5 Jan 2006, at 17:03, Pat Kraut wrote:

>  Bush cannot trust the people who are supposed to be keeping his 
> warrants secret. Someone at NSA is a very dishonest person and has no 
> sense of morals. So, he in order to keep us safe must do it without 
> them or do you not remember 9/11. It makes a serious difference to our 
> safety. Molly Ivins has made her name slamming Bush and I would expect 
> the world to stop spinning if she had anything good to say about him. 
> She is unbelievable.

Let's answer this in reverse order, shall we?  Molly Ivins was a 
popular and widely-published syndicated columnist for 20 years before 
George W. Bush was elected Governor of Texas.  She'd published several 
books, guested regularly on a wide variety of talk radio and television 
shows, and written many, many hilarious columns before Bush the Younger 
put down the bottle and picked up Karl Rove.  And so, Pat, the fact of 
the matter is that Molly Ivins made her name long before George W. Bush 
made his.

Second, domestic spying warrants don't go through the NSA; they go 
through a special court called FISA.  That court does not leak.  Mr. 
Bush is making pathetic excuses for what is a clearly impeachable 
offense -- and you should note that he is the first sitting President 
to ever publicly admit to an impeachable offense.  Domestic spying can 
take place legally under the secret auspices of FISA; there is 
absolutely no justification whatsoever for Bush's actions.  He has 
grotesquely abused executive privilege.  Worse than Nixon?  Yes.

And stop already with the 9/11.  The Bush Administration could have 
wiretapped any of the 9/11 hijackers without breaking the law.  At the 
time, the Bush Administration was not interested in Al Qaeda; they were 
interested in Iraq.  (No -- Iraq and Al Quada not the same.  Please 
don't be confused by the fact that both names are spelled with a "q.")  
If you'll recall, a few alert FBI agents had their beady G-men eyes on 
the men in flight schools who had expressed an interest in learning to 
fly jumbo jets but not in learning how to land them.  They requested 
wiretaps but their requests were denied up the chain of command which 
led to Louis Freeh -- the guy George W. Bush said did a "great job" 
prior to 9/11.  Funny how all of George's inept flunkies are doing a 
"great job," don't you think?  Louis Freeh, George Tenet, Donald 
Rumsfeld, Michael "Brownie" Browne . . .

But I'm sure you won't let these facts trouble you.  Until President 
Bush drops a Brownie on your house, you'll recast his clear 
incompetence as clear-eyed leadership.  If you could only bottle your 
talent for self-hypnosis, Pat, you'd be a millionaire.  Imagine if 
instead of trying to teach us to love George W. Bush, you instead 
convinced people to quit smoking that whacky tobacky?

Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishment
www.joanopyr.com