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Bush Pushes for More Police Power
In his last months, President Bush is working to ensure that his successor will have the greatly expanded power of the executive branch - unprecedented in American history - that Bush instituted after 9/11. His chief enabler in this ever-increasing surveillance of American citizens is Attorney General Michael Mukasey.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy and ranking minority member Arlen Specter are aware of Mukasey's plan for new FBI guidelines that could begin national security and criminal investigations of racial and ethnic groups without any evidence of wrongdoing. They have asked Mukasey to delay implementation until Congress can review the changes. Mukasey agreed but wants the expanded surveillance to begin Oct. 1.
Four Democratic senators - with the lamentable absence of their leader, Harry Reid - also have reminded the attorney general of his oath to protect the Constitution. Russ Feingold, Richard Durbin, Edward Kennedy and Sheldon Whitehouse warn not only Mukasey but also the rest of us that the new rules "might permit an innocent American to be subjected to such intrusive surveillance based in part on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, or on protected First Amendment activities."
As Lara Jakes Jordan of The Associated Press (Aug. 18) pointed out: "The new policy, law enforcement officials said, would let agents open preliminary terrorism investigations after mining public records and intelligence (including tips from informants) to build a profile of traits that, taken together, were deemed suspicious." There would be no evidence of criminal activity.
Such "traits" could include a person's race or ethnicity.
Michael German, an FBI agent for 16 years and now a policy counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union, warns that if Mukasey goes ahead, he will undermine the restrictions placed on the FBI after the dragnet approach of FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover's COINTELPRO (domestic counter-intelligence program) during the 1950s and 1960s: "... These were corrections originally designed to prevent the type of overreach the FBI engaged in for years."
Long after those years, I obtained my FBI file through the Freedom of Information Act and found I had been "a person of interest" to COINTELPRO agents even though I was on record as a passionate anti-communist. I was just one of millions of innocent Americans looked into as Hoover promised "an FBI agent behind every mailbox."
Mukasey also has "proposed a new domestic-spying measure that would make it easier for state and local police to collect intelligence about Americans, share the sensitive data with federal agencies and retain it for at least 10 years" (The Washington Post, Aug. 16). State and local police agencies would not be hampered by Fourth Amendment's requirements that they must search and seize traces of our activities and beliefs only upon "probable cause" that we are, or have been or plan to be, involved in criminal actions. They would need only a suspicion that we somehow are involved in terrorism or are providing "material support" to terrorism. "Material support" can mean sending a check to a charitable organization that, unknown to the giver, provides funds to a group later listed by the government as a terrorist group.
The Fourth Amendment, contrary to Bush and Mukasey, mandates that state and local police and the FBI "particularly describe the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized" before an American can be entered into a database without probable cause of criminal activity.
If Bush and Mukasey succeed, state and local police and the FBI will increase their infiltration into organizations that object to administration policies as well as keep an unsleeping eye on various individuals with suspicious traits.
On Sept. 17, the occasionally independent FBI director, Robert Mueller, will testify at a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
He will have a patriotic opportunity to insist that Bush and Mukasey return to American citizens our Bill of Rights intact. And he should insist that public hearings be held on Mukasey's plan.
Meanwhile, I've heard nothing from Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain about the Mukasey revisions of the Bill of Rights. Do they care?
Do they remember that Sept. 17 is Constitution Day? Do you?
- Posted in
32 Comments so far
Show AllDear George Wanker Bush: Wait until you shuffle off this mortal coil, arrive in Hell and the goons start wailing on your head. You'll get a taste of police power.
So the biggest criminal of all wants more police power. With "bi-partisan" support (appeasment), he'll probably get it.
Lord_Buckley--
You give the spineless Democrats way too much credit. When have those lickspittles ever stood up to that strutting Mussolini who currently occupies the White House? Of course he'll get more police power (and anything else he wants as well).
I believe it was the late, great George Carlin who said "The term 'bipartisan' merely means some larger-than-usual deception is taking place."
Mukasey and company didn't wait. Just study the reports and pictures from St/Paul. The Gestapo-like preconvention intimidation raids were organized and led by/cordinated by the FBI.
But I could be wrong !
I was amazed to watch MPs assisting with crowd control as well as 'regular' parade-marching cops in full battle-dress during some of the videos of the protests.
Distinctions between the two services have become so vague one can no longer certifiably distinguish who is in who's uniform.
We have seen proof positive in Minneapolis that expanded powers granted to the government will be abused.
Lobo Gris
We complain a lot but we won't run for office. Why? If we have the answers, how can we be afraid people won't vote for us?
"We complain a lot but we won't run for office. Why? If we have the answers, how can we be afraid people won't vote for us?"
Probably because so very few of us have the 1 million dollars to spare that it costs (at a minimum) to run for Congress, or the desire to turn tricks for the bankers and military industrial complex in order to raise the money. Congressmen need to raise $2000 a day, 7 days a week, just to prepare for their next election. Where, pray tell, do you think that kind of swag comes from?
Ofcourse BushCo. & Conspirators Inc are pushing for more police power... because us US citizens are coming for them and we're going to send their treasonous asses to the Hague.
If it is a "proposed new domestic-spying measure" we can be certain it is already in effect.
This pattern should be clear enough for us all to see by now, from the Patriot Act through FISA.
The fascist tactic is to first break the law, then intimidate the weaker party into legislation designed to make their crime "legal".
http://davedubya.com
now, instead of "an FBI agent behind every mailbox."
You'll have, "A Neocon Republican browing through your email inbox"
Lovely "freedom" you got there America...hahahahaha
truly pathetic
"The only means of strengthening one's intellect is to make up one's mind about nothing, to let the mind be a thoroughfare for all thoughts." - John Keats
This will be the death knell for American democracy and prosperity. It's all about trust.
If 'they' don't trust the American people then the people will not trust them or each other.
Both our democracy and the trust based unity that has allowed America to prosper will die.
It's nearing time to secede, migrate or revolt before the whole country turns into another Haiti.
"Sed quis custodiet ipsos custodes?" Juvenal
We will. Its our duty.
The funny thing is that all these law and order types say that if you have nothing to hide, there's nothing to worry about. Or they'll say that the government won't use the new powers unless they have to.
Well. Why would the government create for itself all these powers to spy on and arrest citizens based on what they "might" do, if they don't intend on using them? The government never asks for powers it won't use. This is just another clear indication that the US government views it's own citizens as enemies to be feared.
You must also consider there are enemies among us. Just like the Loyalist during the reveloutionary war and the American Nazi's during WW2. There are always some among a countries citizens that want to destroy it.
The question is always how much power do we give our government to protect us? And you are quite correct in my view that "the government never asks for powers it won't use."
One of the outrageous spectacles of the past eight years has been the fearmongering tactics the elites used to scare the people into dropping their own interests to embrace the elites' hierarchical domination/control. So let's ignore the phantom menace depicted by the elites. The elites themselves are the enemy among us.
Oh goody, this means we'll get to see the Democrats assume their 'submissive dog' posture, roll over on their back, and let the Republicans do whatever they want.
Don't you really wish that there was a Green majority in Congress that would really stop this stuff?
----------------------------
"To know, and not to do, is not to know"
www.samsonsworld.blogspot.com
Anyone here believe they'll allow a democratic to be elected?
that "ic" wasn't supposed to be on there.
This is where I want to again promote the notion of preemptive voting. We know that the process is heavily subject to fraud when the electronic voting machines are in use -- I think it's called preemptive vote counts. Were voters to vote absentee -- in advance -- it would necessitate the use of paper (re-countable) ballots. It's a lot harder to fix the outcome when there is something on paper to recount upon challenge. It also might pre-empt the efforts to purge citizens from the rolls. It would at least provide advance warning that such a strategy has been set in motion. So, if you can, pre-vote: Vote Absentee.
So where is Obama standing on this? Change? Right.
"might permit an innocent American to be subjected to such intrusive surveillance based in part on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, or on protected First Amendment activities."
By protected First Amendment activities, this means you have a right to say it, but if you question government or voice disapproval of their wars and other policies, you can be investigated.
Ha ha. That email about the election. I was just kidding of course. Ha.
ha.
IP address logged, email obtained, personal information accessed, agents sent to address, house entered w/o warrant, computer files scanned and examined, suspect detained, sent for examination to determine status - retraining or termination. Status determined. File closed, noted and recorded that 4 lbs oil extracted from remains. Subject files archived for historical purposes.
Welcome to 1984.
George W Bush has spent the first half of his adult life drunk on bourbon and the second half drunk on power. Giving this tyrant-wannabe more power is like handing an alcoholic a case of booze, but more dangerous.
Alex
A Vote of Confidence Amendment will give American voters the power to dismiss any elected official, or their appointees, who choose to ignore the public will.
Without the leverage of a Vote of Confidence Amendment Barack Obama has no incentive to roll back the Bush agenda.
VOCA, Now!!
A police state by any other name!
The peaceful protesters in Minnesota had their doors knocked down and automatic weapons pointed in their faces.
Several were roughed up and hurt.
A warrant was provided several hours later, but it was for the house next door.
The crime thet were charged with was bogus: obstructing traffic.
It was political intimidation.
And a violation of what used to be the 4th amendment.
They were only planning a peaceful protest, nothing more.
You can thank the leader of the "opposition" party, Barack Obama.
Several months ago he voted for the new FISA bill which erased the 4th amendment.
The new FISA bill no longer requires police to prove probable cause to a judge and procure a warrant to listen to your phone, internet and now apparently to enter your home with guns drawn.
All the Obama supporters must now ask themselves if this is the type of "Change" they believe in.
Hitler said the only thing that could have stopped the Nazis rise to power was confrontation in the street, ie counter terror.
We are confronting an enemy that only understands power...and intimidation.
Its time to start publicizing the individuals who make up our police and paramilitary (Blackwater) on the internet and other media.
Lets shine some light on these shadow individuals; lets see them going into and out of their homes on You-tube.
We need to inject a little fear of our own into the debate...
Evil has only one tool - that is the disruption of peace - it is applied in infinite ways but it is always the same tool - JC
"You can thank the leader of the "opposition" party, Barack Obama.
Several months ago he voted for the new FISA bill which erased the 4th amendment."
Exactly.