Feinstein denies NSA abuses; Holder refuses to call them ‘illegal’
Published: June 17, 2009
Updated 5 months ago
Update: Times reporter questions whether NSA is following the law or being straight with Congress about its activities
The chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee came to the defense of the National Security Agency today, saying that the federal agency didn’t commit flagrant abuses in its program to intercept American’s phone calls and emails — but stopped short of denying that the agency had overstepped its bounds or broken the law.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) responded to comments made by Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ), chair of the House Select Intelligence Oversight Panel, in a New York Times story, that he was ”increasingly troubled by the agency’s handling of domestic communication.”
The Times reported that the NSA’s “recent intercepts of the private telephone calls and e-mail messages of Americans are broader than previously acknowledged,” and that that there are “legal and logistical difficulties” with the Agency’s monitoring of domestic communications.
The NSA has the “ability to collect and read domestic e-mail messages of Americans on a widespread basis,” the Times said — even though the agency’s mandate is to monitor communications between the U.S. and foreign points.
“Some actions are so flagrant that they can’t be accidental,” Holt told the newspaper.
In a hearing today, Sen. Feinstein said: “Everything that I know so far indicates that the thrust of this story — that there are flagrant actions to collect content of this collection [sic] — just simply is not true to the best of my knowledge.”
According to the Associated Press, Holt is standing by his remarks to the Times. His spokesperson, Zach Goldberg, confirmed today that the House Representative had “nothing to add or retract.”
Meanwhile, Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) of the Senate Judiciary Committee criticized Attorney General Eric Holder, for refusing to declare that the warrantless wiretapping program started under the Bush administration is against the law. Holder testified before the committee today.
“I was disappointed by Attorney General Holder’s unwillingness to repeat what both he and President Obama had stated in the past – that President Bush’s warrantless wiretapping program was illegal,” Feingold said in a statement. “For an administration that has repeatedly stated its intention to restore the rule of law, this episode was a step backward.
“While the Attorney General restated his belief that the program was inconsistent with the FISA statute, his testimony today, and the administration’s delay in withdrawing the Bush Administration’s legal justifications for the program, are troubling,” Feingold said.
Earlier this year, the Justice Department said it had limited the NSA’s practice of monitoring domestic communications.
Update: In an interview Wednesday with MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann, New York Times reporter James Risen expressed doubts as to whether Feinstein is correct in her belief that the NSA is following the law. Read the Raw account of Risen’s remarks here
This video is from C-SPAN, broadcast June 17, 2009.
Download video via RawReplay.com
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I trust Dianne Feinstein about as far as I can throw a tank. Truth and Justice mean nothing to her. It is absolutely useless to listen to her words. Her deeds are always for the Plutes, and therefore always against the People.
Amazing!
It amazes and shocks me to think who’s in charge of our so called “National Security these days.
This coming from a person whose husbands healthy defense contracts help them make substaintial profit.
Corporate Fascist War Profiteirs! Plain and simple.
And this surprises anybody? What would you expect these Bush-accomplice War Criminal parasites to say? DUH.
DiFi is a DINO, and former Bush enabler. IF her lips move, then she’s probably lying! She is about as slippery as they come. She has absolutely no core democratic values except, perhaps, support of Roe v Wade. I can only hope she retires as soon as her term is over, and that she does not seek other office. She and her war-profiteering husband, Richard Blum, have done quite well for themselves at the public trough. Or at least they did until she quietly resigned a sub-committee where her earmarks for her husband’s businesses and other conflicts of interest were becoming a little too much.
True. There’s talk here in CA that war-profiteer Feinstein will run for governor. Ugh. Blum is also chair of the University of California Board of Regents. More $$$$$$$$$$$$ for the two war-profiteers.
Her proble is the same as pelocy. The NSA listened in on her or her husband.
The NSA has something on them it is that simple. Question is what could be so embarrasing?
Dear Mr. Obama,
Remember when Bush SAID that NO WIRETAPS were done domestically without a WARRANT. Did you believe him? We didn’t. And we are now beginning to feel that way about you on this issue. WHY?
Sincerely,
America’s Citizens
And we are now beginning to feel that way about you on this issue.
———————————–
We are BEGINNING to feel that way? No, it’s waaaaaaaaaaaaaay past beginning, at least for me. Some of us saw what this man was about during the campaign. We examined his Bush-accomplice senatorial voting record. We listened to what he said OUTSIDE of his “hope” and “change we can believe in” marketing slogans, which is why some of us didn’t vote for him. We voted for Nader or McKinney, who were the TRUE progressives, unlike this fraud.
Di-Fi - the ignorant skank who - along with Chuck “The Schmuck” Schumer -gave us Muksaey as Attorney General. What a pile of crap this old hag is.
All I will say is O’Bushabama.
So where is that nut who keeps spamming that useless petition on here? When you have Holder serving as a Bush-accomplice, as I’ve been saying, you really expect that petition to go somewhere? Duh. Dream on.
Dennis Kucinich would not be refusing to call this shit illegal.
I’m not surprised…once the Executive power of “over-reaching” is established, becomes a “precedence”, with out so much as a whimper from “the people”…those “over-reaching “powers”, (crimes ignored, unpunished, etc.,) are less and less likely to be challenged by the next administration, no matter which party….. unconstitutional, even illegal powers can be a very “heady experience” makes one actually believe they are the King and above the law (you think that might have been the whole reason the Fathers of our Democracy wrote the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence in the first place!?) ..I mean..who is going to challenge the administrations..who..? the nicely divided and misinformed(that the politicians and talking heads have spent a fortune and hours of their time to provide) American people? ..certainly not…! Not the sheep (just let me have my six pack, my TV and American Idol, I won’t make trouble…!) in America
Ok so we get it. Can someone shoot this over to the other prog blogs and wake some blind muther’s up?
(Obama U.S. Attorney subpoena’s Nevada newspaper for “commenter’s” IP address, home address, names, etc. due to “implied” threats in an internet article about tax fraud… most people on this site support that complete bullshit b/c of tiller and von brunn. I am too old to be scared of the boogieman. Plus I know facts. Like violent crime is currently at record lows according to the FBI NCIC)
insidious is the word used in another article.
What the fuck is this, the National Enquirer? AG “Warm” to Wiretaps? Fucking do some research and come out with facts, not speculation. I know the Alex Jones-Clones eat this shit up, but this is just irresponsible.
Ed. note — Headline edited — thanks for your comment.
Cheers Editor. Good to know these get read.
The reality is
Many prominent Democratic Politicians Are Pro-Torture!
They enabled Bush’s illegal invasion of Iraq and did nothing about his WMD Lies and now they are continuing the coverup.
The “line in the sand” for us is Torture Prosecution.
Bush ordered Torture and our Democrats
are covering it up and refusing to
enforce our Federal Anti-Torture Laws.
DINOs won’t prosecute, patriots will. Their action on this one issue will define them for the rest of their political career.
Keep the pressure on Obama to prosecute.
SIGN THE PETITION
To Prosecute Them For Torture
http://ANGRYVOTERS.ORG
Over 250,000 have signed
Join them and call yourself a Patriot
Will Obama stand for Justice or get in the way of it?
.
Several years ago I read that Feinstein’s husband is on the board of directors of a company that got a $600 million dollar army contract. I found a link.
http://24ahead.com/blog/archives/000468.html
Amazing!… Zionists debating with other Zionists as to weather the Zionists broke the law and ruined our, once great, nation. Naw!! Of course not. Israel is our friend.
feinstein is a joke. bush was wiretapping before 911 not after as his usual lying goes. This was proven. It WAS illegal and if California gets feinstein as governor they will really be screwed.
“…to the best of my knowledge.” There’s no better indication that a pol is lying through his or her teeth than that phrase.
I concur with all of you on Feinstein, and I found Holder’s testimony chillingly reminiscent of the last three AGs’ appearances before Congressional committees. It was one more indication that the Obama DOJ is unlikely to press any charges against the former administration and also unlikely to restore Constitutional protections. Why can’t all defense lawyers use Holder’s term “unwise” instead of illegal or wrong when representing their clients? “My client’s decision to embezzle $200 million from the company was (merely) an ‘unwise one’.”
Obama is a fucking jackoff whose father should have gotten a blow job instead of having intercourse with Barack’s mother. Only three years, some months and days before he can be thrown out of office! Then Kucinich can run. Goddamn people better fucking wake up and demand he run and get his ass elected.
As far as Feinstinky and smelly Pelosi go, when someone finds some shit on them, post it as has been done above, and then everyone send those assholes a “letter”, not a friggin e-mail. E-mails have quality control–the DELETE key. Actually letters mean more. Invest the money in a stamp. Be nice, but also send them what you found out.
My name is Randy Albert and I have an incredible story about getting my calls blocked by the feds to destroy my taxi service. Check out the story on topix.com log into the Elk City,Oklahoma area zip code 73644 look under the topic I heard osbi and fbi are investigating police. You won’t be disappointed by what you read. I want to break this story even if it gets my neck broke. e-mail me at insanityexpress@hotmail.com or call 580821ACAB 580225TAXI I’m almost certain it will be one of the most horrid stories you will ever hear and it should have never happened.
Another two for the TF&E Program: Tar, Feather & Exile
And Bill Clinton did not have sex with Monica Lewenski ether.