Apr 08 2009
Obama DOJ argues to legalize warrantless wiretaps
In a move that even one ups the Department of Justice under Bush, Obama’s DOJ is arguing that under the PATRIOT Act, the federal government immune from suit for any illegal surveillance of Americans.
The case concerns Jewel v. NSA, litigation from the Electronic Frontier Foundation against the National Security Administration for warrantless wiretapping of countless Americans. In the EFF’s blog, they say Obama’s DOJ makes two disturbing arguments in their attempt to dismiss the case.
First, the DOJ the favored argument of Bush - the state secrets privilege requires the court to dismiss the case with no further action. Allowing the case to go on, they say, “would cause exceptionally grave harm to national security.” Yet as a candidate, Obama argued passionately against this same abuse under Bush.
Secondly, Obama’s DOJ argued the U.S. government is completely immune from suit for any illegal spying, that they can never be sued for breaking federal privacy laws.
Bush’s DOJ argued the U.S. had “sovereign immunity” from suit for violation the FISA Act, but Obama’s DOJ has gone on to say they are also immune from the Wiretap Act and the Stored Communications Act as well. For those keeping track, that would make the United States government immune from suit for any violations under all three key federal surveillance laws.
Is this the change all of you Obama fans voted for? Personally, I happen to prefer a government that adheres to its own laws. Silly, I know.
Source: Electronic Frontier Foundation - In Warrantless Wiretapping Case, Obama DOJ’s New Arguments Are Worse Than Bush’s April 7, 2009
The Obama admin and the Just-is Department also reserve the right to kidnap people and detain them indeffinantly without charge or trial. Obama is little different than any of the presidents the US has had he is a party politician who inherited an empire and will behave like an emperor. Thats why I didn’t vote for him or any of those other bastards who held office in my life time. “If voting could change anything, it would be agasint the law” Mark Twain. The “democratic system” in the US is a fraud. Real political action is personal and inter personal, when at last the people of a nation decide to raise their standards for justice thats when it begins to happen, and eventually the political system catches up.