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Domestic Surveillance Oversight Act

Posted by michael on from the qui-custodiet dept.

miladus writes "PCWorld is running a story about the latest effort by the Senate to oversee the FBI's use of anti-terrorist laws and 'excessive secrecy'. Senator P. Leahy (D-Vermont) along with C. Grassley (R-Iowa) and A. Specter (R-PA) are proposing the Domestic Surveillance Oversight Act (pdf file) which will require the FBI and the Department of Justice to tell 'how often they spy on American citizens under powers granted by the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Act (FISA) and expanded in the Patriot Act of 2001'. The senators released a report charging the FBI and the DOJ of 'excessive secrecy' and of 'inadequate training with respect to the FISA provision' concerning the balance between privacy and security.
"

24 comments

  1. Face It by baldass_newbie · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Because we all know we can trust the U.S. Senate with sensitive information.

    --
    The opposite of progress is congress
    1. Re:Face It by macdaddy357 · · Score: 1

      Now that the House and Senate are past the November elections, why don't they repeal the Patriot act, and scale back all the post 9/11 reactionary crap in the Homeland Security Act. Just establishing an oversight board isn't enough.

      --
      How ya like dat?
    2. Re:Face It by baldass_newbie · · Score: 1

      Sure. Congress repeals their dumb laws all of the time.
      Look at Campaign Finance Reform.
      Oh, wait.
      I guess limiting Free Speech is okay now.

      --
      The opposite of progress is congress
  2. Um... by tha_mink · · Score: 0, Troll

    That's just like the senate. Stupid hippies.

    --
    You'll have that sometimes...
  3. Alex Jones - INFOWARS.COM by kolombangara · · Score: 1, Informative
    For News that Americans NEED NOW:

    INFOWARS.COM

    and for mp3 stream of the live radio show

    In WinAmp http://sce.msktalk.com:8010

    You will not f'ng believe it. You won't.

    1. Re:Alex Jones - INFOWARS.COM by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I am a long time Alex Jones fan but I couldn't resolve the name sce.msktalk.com. Did you mis type the URL ? I would love to listen again (had to cancel cable due to excessive fees, can't get his public access channel anymore).

    2. Re:Alex Jones - INFOWARS.COM by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Never mind. Found the link on infowars.com. It works in linux too ! So I can keep my two main prophets happy, RMS and Alex Jones !

    3. Re:Alex Jones - INFOWARS.COM by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      try this one too,
      http://www.halturnershow.com
      He netcasts on weeknights starting at 6pm est.
      You can listen with xmms, winamp or realplayer..

  4. Finally by nemui-chan · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You know, its finally nice to see someone challenging the things trying to be passed through the senate. Things like the Patriot Act, and Patriot Act II. I -LIKE- seeing people saying "Wait, WHY is our government doing this?" Its something that is happening less and less frequently. I don't know about you, but I'm not a terrorist, and I'd STILL like to have my civil liberties in tact after this is all said and done. Things like being able to speak freely in public without fear of being secretly arrested. Things like being able to go to the library to do a report on nucleur missiles without getting reported to the FBI. Things like being able to leave my home and not have to worry about the FBI breaking into my house without a warrant. And most of all things like being able to practice the freedoms that were the reason we broke off into our own country to begin with. nems a.k.a. The Anti Terrorist Freedom Preserving Tree Hugging Hippy Bastard

    1. Re:Finally by DarkKnightRadick · · Score: 1

      I whole heartedly agree, and I wish I could do more than make you a /. friend (too bad I can't give you my /. karma or something equally valuable).

      In lieu of that, March is the date my web server is going online, how'd you like to start a "Stop The Madness" website/campaign?

      --
      "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." Proverbs 16:25 (NKJV)
    2. Re:Finally by Radical+Rad · · Score: 1
      Things like being able to speak freely in public without fear of being secretly arrested.

      Or even more importantly, to be able to speak freely in private without fear of being publicly arrested.

  5. The Senate? What a joke. by DarkKnightRadick · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Anything less then the revoking of Patriot Act I and unanimous support for blocking Patriot II (whose powers are outlined in the ACLU's Interested Persons Memo: Section-by-Section Analysis of Justice Department draft "Domestic Security Enhancement Act of 2003," also known as "PATROIT Act II")is (and should be by any self-respecting American) totally and irrevocablly unacceptable.

    Of course this will most likely get modded down as troll (whatever) and offtopic (duh, this is directly relating to the article posted if you haven't noticed), but that's okay. I know I'm writing all my congressmen to denounce this peice of legislation. My freedom IS my security. I just wish the rest of the sheep in this country would get the fuck off their lazy asses and realize that.

    I for one REFUSE to live in a Soviet or Nazi America, land of the oppressed.

    --
    "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." Proverbs 16:25 (NKJV)
    1. Re:The Senate? What a joke. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Dude,
      I read your Patriot II journal entry and I wanted to reply to it but I'm not sure how to do that so I'm posting here anonymously (so people won't have to see it if they consider it off topic).

      If you sent that to your congressmen and the president then I wonder if it did any good. Yes it might be tallied by an aide as an nay on P2 by a constituent, but I don't think it will be taken seriously because you came across like some crackpot conspiracy theorist.

      I know you have the best intentions and the highest ideals and your attitude embodies the spirit of the free thinking patriots who fought for independence to found this nation, but... you need to blow off the steam with your close friends and focus in your letters on sounding like a well informed, respectable, stable citizen instead of alienating the reader. You will win more converts to your way of thinking that way especially in letters to newspaper editorials.

      I'm sorry if this sounds patronizing. I don't mean it to. I care just as deeply about liberty as you do and for that reason I hope to help you make more of a difference. This battle for freedom will never be won completely. To paraphrase a quote attributed to Thomas Jefferson, 'The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.'

      But you did a good thing writing your representatives. You will find over the years that the more you write the easier it becomes. And the more people who convey that desire to regain our freedom the more likely it is to happen.

      And never get so discouraged that you could give up. That is the main battle. And always vote.

    2. Re:The Senate? What a joke. by DarkKnightRadick · · Score: 1

      I thank you for reading my journal entry and taking the time to reply.

      Yeah, several hours after I wrote it (and re-read it), I realized I probably came off sounding like a crackpot, but P2 just really buffed my buttons, and none of my friends whom I talk politics with regularly were online!

      Ah well. Perhaps in a few days I'll re-write it, but alot of what I stated will stay. I'll just say it differently.

      Again, thanks for responding. :)

      --
      "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." Proverbs 16:25 (NKJV)
  6. I'll second that by zogger · · Score: 1

    --Alex Jones is WAY up there in the real independent broadcasting. Beats the pants off most other radio guys, especially the "party" shills who I won't name *shuffle papers shuffle papers* a-hem

    Genesis communications is the network he is on, they have a variety of great hosts, I especially like ThePowerHour show in the morning.

    They just released a press release that they now have 5 people who have told them they were part of or had knowledge of US forces touching off those kuwaiti oil fires back in desert storm 1 war, so that saddam could be blamed for it and the mil/industrial complex could get more public support. They also have been at the forefront of exposing a lot of other cover-ups, the DOD covering up the gulf war syndrome disease in the vets, etc.

    URL to genesis, broadcasting on am/fm, shortwave, satellite and on the net

    http://www.gcnlive.com

    Has all the hosts and streams and freqs, etc, plus links to their various websites

    I'll also plug one of alex's videos "911-Road to Tyranny". You get that video and watch it, then watch it again. Then you do your own research, try to find anything that isn't 100% factual in it. Once you find that out, you just can't look at what's going on in the USA and the world the same way again. It literally causes a political paradigm shift with most people once they see it.

    We are definetly in a late 1930's germany type level now in this nation, and given the technology advances, it's *scarier*.

  7. What scares me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting
    As a non-American, I am more worried about all the powers the various U.S. authorities have to spy (and arrest and kill...) non-American people. Especially when the XX government seems to take the same attitude towards non-XX people, and the "secret" agnecies of U.S. and XX can make underhand agreements to do each others dirty work.

    Once upon a time the government was there to protect its citizens from attacks from other governments - today we ("the people") need protection from the government, and of other governments, and of the government "protecting" us from other governments...

    1. Re:What scares me by DarkKnightRadick · · Score: 1

      How true, but as was recently told to me by another AC, "The price for freedom is eternal vigilence." (attrib. to Thomas Jefferson). A lot of American's have forgotten that and are now only too willing to give up their freedoms in the guise of making it harder for terrorists to operate within not only U.S. borders, but anywhere else in the world.

      --
      "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." Proverbs 16:25 (NKJV)
  8. Every journey begins with a single step by Tyriel · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Guys, i think what we need to realize here is that this is PROGRESS, no matter how you might feel about the patriot act. This applies to acts passed many years before Sept. 11, and keeps ol' Johnny A a little more honest. We need all the help we can get in that regard, and this is help. Those who advocate for radical change all at once are shooting themselves in the foot. Progress happens incrementally.

    --
    -Steve
  9. Becoming as irrelevant as the Roman Senate by Eric+Green · · Score: 1

    Go take a look at your Roman history as the Republic slumped towards Empire, then look at modern American history. Is our Republic, too, slumping towards Empire?

    --
    Send mail here if you want to reach me.
    1. Re:Becoming as irrelevant as the Roman Senate by DarkKnightRadick · · Score: 1

      I believe it's possible. That's why there need's to be major change now. Not small, progressive change.

      --
      "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." Proverbs 16:25 (NKJV)
  10. You're right, I won't. by Eric+Green · · Score: 1
    I do not think that Bush is anywhere near as bright as Mr. Jones seems to think. Bush does possess a sly feral cunning that should not be underestimated, but complex plans and complex conspiracies are not Bush's style, nor the style of the people around him (really, can you see John Ashcroft engaged in a conspiracy? The man is a bull in a china shop!). But I believe enough of it to be alarmed (as a click on my own URL should show).

    -E

    --
    Send mail here if you want to reach me.
    1. Re:You're right, I won't. by kolombangara · · Score: 1

      Bush is following Clintons agenda x10. His voting record and budgets show this. It isn't about Bush, it's about the Big Picture-the Overall Plan. May be too complex for you. It's called Compartmentalization. Ashcroft is a perfect example of this. He's just doing his job, playing his role. All these roles fit in a perfect puzzle. It's called strategy. Feral cunning not needed; stupid lazy American ready to trade their birthright for a meal is.

  11. FBI misconduct exposed -- TWICE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    I -LIKE- seeing people saying "Wait, WHY is our government doing this?"


    At this point, they ought to be saying "Wait, do you KNOW what you are DOING here?"