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Two Groups File Domestic Spying Lawsuits
An anonymous reader writes "The Center for Constitutional Rights and the ACLU both recently filed lawsuits, in New York and Detroit respectively, claiming that President Bush's electronic eavsdropping program is illegal and exceeds his constitutional powers. From the article: 'The Detroit [ACLU] lawsuit, which names the National Security Agency and its director, said the program has impaired plaintiffs' ability to gather information from sources abroad as they try to locate witnesses, represent clients, do research or engage in advocacy.'
Do I have some misconception about your law, or is "filing a lawsuit" in this case referring to civil law (as opposed to criminal law)?
If so, why is this? As far as I can tell spying is considered a criminal offense. In this case, the juridical system should automatically start to investigate Georg W. Bush for charges of "illegal espionage against the american people". in other words: high treason.
"The more prohibitions there are, The poorer the people will be" -- Lao Tse
In other matters, such as the Second Amendment, they argue against civil liberties in opposition to the clear wording and intent ("..the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."), by arguing it somehow doesn't recognize an individual right.
"National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
Bush had the power to do spy on people legally, but for whatever reason, he did it illegally.
How are you supposed to trust ANYTHING the Bush Administration does after they admit to starting a war based on false pretenses? They defended the invasion of Iraq SO HARD that they would demonize their opponents and always would deny any wrongdoing was done, until it came out that it was all a lie. It is shameful.
It is unfortunate to say, but this Bush Administration is one of the most corrupt in history. Look at the Abramoff lobbying scandals, FEMA's failure with Katrina, the huge deficit and debt, the no-bid contracts for rebuilding Iraq, the $9 Billion that just went missing that was supposed to be spent on rebuilding Iraq, the lies about the reasons to invade Iraq, the torture of innocent prisoners, and the military contracts for inferior armor.
If President Clinton can be impeached for an affair, what makes Bush immune from impeachment for lying and spying?
He who knows best knows how little he knows. - Thomas Jefferson
You hit EVERY DNC talking point.
Now go back and actually do some critical thinking.
Amongst, the people that Abramoff paid off includes Democratic congresscritters as well as Republicans. (Including Dem leadership.)
President Clinton claimed the right to perform warrantless phsical searches for "national security" reasons that included drug raids.
As for Katrina let's all go take a dip in the Mayor Ray Nagin memorial motor pool or sit down in one of those empty trains that left NOLA just before the hurricane hit. Maybe we could sit around with the Red Cross relief supplies that the mayor and the governor wouldn't let reach the dome were the non-existent child-raping and murdering was going on. Or you could just go down there and find the missing 9,000 dead people that showed how Bush-Co hated black people.
--- I wish I could hear the soundtrack to my life. That way I'd know when to duck.
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"Regarding gun ownership, isn't that down to a particular interpretation of the constitution (and its ammendments). Do you think the ACLU should be defending the rights of white supremacists (or radical muslims, for that matter) to own machine guns, nuclear weapons etc?"
Everything comes down to an "interpretation" of the Constitution, so your argument is kind of silly. It's funny, though, how their interpretations seem to line up _exactly_ with the Democratic party's interpretations. If they're defending citizens' liberties, why aren't they doing so for the right to own whatever property they want?
And, yes, I support white supremacists being able to buy machine guns, assuming they haven't been convicted of a crime before.
-Erwos
Plausible conjecture should not be misrepresented as proof positive.
Please show me where the consitution grants you the right to perform your religious rituals during governmental business.
Please show me where the constitution grants you the right to refuse to pay taxes and ignore the rightful orders of law enforcement?
If you had a grasp of reality, you'd realize your statements make no sense. Please, think about what you believe, challenge yourself over WHY you believe that. The lack of ciritcal thinking is going to destroy us all.
Blar.
"I'm personally outraged that my confidential communication with my clients may have been listened to by the U.S. government," said Rachel Meeropol, an attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights.
Who is Rachel Meeropol?
Rachel Meeropol, attorney with the Center for Constitutional Rights. She is the grand daughter of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg who were executed on June 19, 1953.
She is a member of the litigating team in Doe v. Bush, a case seeking legal representation for the unnamed detainees in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. She was a researcher on the recent Supreme Court cases Rasul v. Bush, another Guantánamo case, and Wilkinson v. Austin, which challenged due process at supermaximum-security prisons.
Meeropol is currently lead counsel in Turkmen v. Ashcroft, a class action on behalf of Muslim men held in immigration sweeps following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, currently before the Eastern District of New York; Walton v. NYDOCS and MCI, a suit against New York state and the phone company MCI Inc. over MCI's monopoly contract on phone calls made from prison, on appeal in New York state court; and Daniels v. The City of New York, a racial-profiling class action against the New York City Police Department, which settled two years ago and resulted in modified training for police officers. In addition, Meeropol is the co-vice president of the New York City chapter of the National Lawyers Guild; a co-editor and primary author of the Jailhouse Lawyers Handbook, a reference guide for prisoners without an attorney to learn their rights; and the editor of America's Disappeared: Secret Imprisonment, Detainees, and the "War on Terror."
Center for Constitutional Rights my ass.
Executive ability is deciding quickly and getting someone else to do the work. --John G. Pollard