Can’t wait for 2008!
8 January 2007 by StardustThis really pisses me off, as I am sure it does most of you. Chimpy continues to stretch the law and do whatever the hell he wants.
Bush quietly authorizes opening of Americans’ mail
By James Gordon Meek
New York Daily News
Posted on Thu, Jan. 04, 2007
(MCT)WASHINGTON – President Bush has quietly claimed sweeping new powers to open Americans’ mail without a judge’s warrant, the New York Daily News has learned.
The president asserted his new authority when he signed a postal reform bill into law on Dec. 20. Bush then issued a “signing statement” that declared his right to open people’s mail under emergency conditions.
That claim is contrary to existing law and contradicted the bill he had just signed, say experts who have reviewed it.
Bush’s move came during the winter congressional recess and a year after his secret domestic electronic eavesdropping program was first revealed. It caught Capitol Hill by surprise.
“Despite the president’s statement that he may be able to circumvent a basic privacy protection, the new postal law continues to prohibit the government from snooping into people’s mail without a warrant,” said Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., the incoming House Government Reform Committee chairman, who co-sponsored the bill.
Experts said the new powers could be easily abused and used to vacuum up large amounts of mail.
“The (Bush) signing statement claims authority to open domestic mail without a warrant, and that would be new and quite alarming,” said Kate Martin, director of the Center for National Security Studies in Washington.
“The danger is they’re reading Americans’ mail,” she said.
“You have to be concerned,” agreed a career senior U.S. official who reviewed the legal underpinnings of Bush’s claim. “It takes Executive Branch authority beyond anything we’ve ever known.”
A top Senate Intelligence Committee aide promised, “It’s something we’re going to look into.”
Most of the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act deals with mundane reform measures. But it also explicitly reinforced protections of first-class mail from searches without a court’s approval.
Yet in his statement Bush said he will “construe” an exception, “which provides for opening of an item of a class of mail otherwise sealed against inspection in a manner consistent … with the need to conduct searches in exigent circumstances.”
Bush cited as examples the need to “protect human life and safety against hazardous materials and the need for physical searches specifically authorized by law for foreign intelligence collection.”
White House spokeswoman Emily Lawrimore denied Bush was claiming any new authority.
“In certain circumstances – such as with the proverbial `ticking bomb’ – the Constitution does not require warrants for reasonable searches,” she said.
Bush, however, cited “exigent circumstances” which could refer to an imminent danger or a longstanding state of emergency.
Critics point out the administration could quickly get a warrant from a criminal court or a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court judge to search targeted mail, and the Postal Service could block delivery in the meantime.
But the Bush White House appears to be taking no chances on a judge saying no while a terror attack is looming, national security experts agreed.
Martin said that Bush is “using the same legal reasoning to justify warrantless opening of domestic mail” as he did with warrantless eavesdropping.
In response to those government officials who state that nothing has changed, Ann Beeson, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union stated: “The question is: What does that mean and why has he suddenly put this in writing if this isn’t a change in policy?” Good question!
8 January 2007, on 4:51 pm
May he be anthraxed as he opens all that mail. Oh, and he can pay my bills if he’d like. Fascist asshole!
8 January 2007, on 5:01 pm
We should all SEND him our bills and junk mail. That would be a huge message!
8 January 2007, on 6:06 pm
One step closer. If another false flag operation happens, you can kiss our freedoms good bye.
And I wouldn’t be surprised to see it happen either, so we can justify invading Iran with our bullet sponges we like to call soldiers.
(And now, for the sake of the Gestap… Homeland Security, who is obviously listening): I’ve always said the reason Bush won’t be assassinated, no matter what he does or who he angers, is because no one wants Cheney as president.
8 January 2007, on 6:20 pm
Oh come, Stardust! Why do you hate America so much?
8 January 2007, on 7:02 pm
Oh come, Stardust! Why do you hate America so much?
Because it’s run by a megalomaniacal, delusional, religious psychopath…
…Wait a minute, that sounds just like the UK!
8 January 2007, on 8:05 pm
Oh come, Stardust! Why do you hate America so much?
Bob, It really ticks me off when people accuse liberals of hating America simply for disagreeing with current administration policy and stating the known fact that our current president is a complete idiot.
I have Republicans (unfortunately) in my own family who use the “socialist termite” type jargon in political debates (which I LOATHE and try to avoid getting sucked into most of the time.) They try to lump people into either/or categories…”for us or against” us when it isn’t that simple. And some of us know that America can be better than it has been (and will be once we get that chimpanzee out of office and elect someone who has at least half a brain.)
8 January 2007, on 9:03 pm
Ramen Star. I agree with everything you said. You know what else I hate? When people say they can’t support the troops without supporting the war.
What I really love is the hypocracy of our president. He’s “pro-life” only when it suits the xian agenda, but he has no qualms about throwing even MORE people in the path of bullets and explosions.
I wonder what the religious right think now, since Bush said gawd commanded him to cause the deaths 600,000 Iraqis and 3,000 troops.
8 January 2007, on 9:17 pm
I wonder what the religious right think now, since Bush said gawd commanded him to cause the deaths 600,000 Iraqis and 3,000 troops.
Many of them probably cheer. >:(
8 January 2007, on 9:27 pm
Matt, the 600,000 Iraqi deaths is almost certainly wrong. There was only one study that came up with that number, at least 10 times higher than even the most liberal of the other studies.
8 January 2007, on 10:23 pm
When I see the trumped up shit that this “administration” (and I use that word with a grimace on my face)has done over the last 6 years I often think of the pleading lyric from Pink Floyd’s The Wall – “Mother should I trust the government?”
I personally wouldn’t trust any bastard that has anything to do with the current White House! They all would fuck you in the ass and smile while doing it.
The unfortunate thing about being an athetist is I can’t even curse them with the classic “I hope they all rot in hell”! About the best I can hope for is that Bush&Dick&Company die a slow, agonizing death with a camel dick in their ass and donkey dick in their throat!
8 January 2007, on 10:59 pm
Bob, It really ticks me off when people accuse liberals of hating America simply for disagreeing with current administration policy and stating the known fact that our current president is a complete idiot.
Well said, Stardust…
About the best I can hope for is that Bush&Dick&Company die a slow, agonizing death with a camel dick in their ass and donkey dick in their throat!
Ummm…well said, Russman?
8 January 2007, on 11:00 pm
What I really love is the hypocracy of our president. He’s “pro-life” only when it suits the xian agenda, but he has no qualms about throwing even MORE people in the path of bullets and explosions.
That’s because abortion is the decision of a woman, and women aren’t competent to make life and death decisions. But sending young men to get killed in a war is a decision made by a man.
8 January 2007, on 11:20 pm
Hey Stardust, something I thought you might like…
8 January 2007, on 11:53 pm
Bob, ROTFLMAO! I should stock up and wear them around my Republican family members. It will drive them crazy. Those are awesome! I am definitely buying at least one.
9 January 2007, on 12:05 am
My job here is done…
9 January 2007, on 1:00 am
Marcy, I’ve never thought about it that way before. I like the way you think.
Revenant, I had no idea that was refuted. My mistake. Since you said ten times higher, I’ll go ahead and amend my statement: 60,000 Iraqis and 3,000 troops.
9 January 2007, on 4:35 am
Bob: Great stuff! Thanks!
And, erm, I left a comment on “RJ Eskow…”. It seems there’s more. Two more, in fact!
Naomi
9 January 2007, on 5:30 am
Stardust…your comment in #6 [with which I totally agree]:
“…some of us know that America can be better than it has been (and will be once we get that chimpanzee out of office and elect someone who has at least half a brain.)”…
started, perhaps half of MY brain…the lamer half, no doubt…thinking up some possible new [starting in the Washington D.C. area?] Fundie aimed, WalMart-like..
“SUPERMARTS”
How ’bout…
“Brain-Mart”…NO?
Ok…”Half-Brain Mart”?
Maybe…”Chimps-R-Us”?
And how ’bout…for a new Fundie Book store chain…
“Bibles-Up-Our-Ass”!….Wait!…make that…
“Bibles-Up-YOUR-Ass”!
[Needless to say, I thought of some Muslim versions, too!...YIKES!]
Yeah…I guess you’re right…
OK…how ’bout, something up your musical ‘alley’
like…a new Xtian version of an old Tony Bennett hit:
“I Left my brain…
Inside My Asshole…
high on a turd…it calls to me!”
Yeah…I can hear y’all now….”Booooooh!!!”…”You Suuuuuck!!!” [and much worse!]
[OK...That's really a variation of an old 1970s musician's favorite...
"I Left My Chart in Sam Frank's Disco!"]
That’s all…Sorry for the interruption…
Carry on!
9 January 2007, on 2:11 pm
Time to break out the code book. Why do these idiots think that anyone with half a brain will provide them with posted clues to their terrorist plans? Who uses “snail mail” these days anyway? I thought I was the only person in the world who wrote letters on paper judging from the response I get when a recipient responds to one.
Bush and his security advisors will always be just one step behind those terrorist folks.
9 January 2007, on 3:15 pm
Time to break out the code book. Why do these idiots think that anyone with half a brain will provide them with posted clues to their terrorist plans?
The way my snail mail is handled, one would indeed have to be a complete moron to send terrorist plans via the postal service. I have gotten to know my neighbors mostly by receiving their mail by mistake and having to take it to their door, and vice versa. It gets worse every year. The mailman just yesterday put a box of books I ordered from Amazon on top of the mailbox at the curb instead of bringing it to the door! Someone could just come along and snatch it.
If Bush and his administration are so concerned about mail, why don’t they find out why their postal delivery system is so fucked up. I sent a package out two weeks before xmas and the person still has not received it yet. This is not the first time something has gone missing. I sent my daughter a parcel for her birthday last year and instead of leaving a note for her to pick it up, they left it in the hallway of her building and someone stole it. She was so sad, and so was I. I now have to send everything return receipt and pay more.
I am trying not to be paranoid but this feels like just a way to be able to see what anyone is saying via phone or now mail at any given time and for whatever “secret” reason they choose to make up. I would not be surprised if we atheists are on some list somewhere already.
10 January 2007, on 10:52 am
Welcome to 1984.