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White House Asks FISA Court To Ignore 2nd Circuit's Decision On Bulk Surveillance

schwit1 sends news that the Obama Administration has made a legal request to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance court to ignore a ruling from the Second Circuit Court of Appeals making bulk surveillance illegal. The government says it's doing so to create an "orderly transition" between now and the beginning of USA Freedom Act provisions in six months. Their legal argument is that the Circuit Court's rulings are only binding for lower courts — the FISA court is secretive and separated from the normal legal process, so it doesn't necessarily fit in the normal court hierarchy.

ACLU deputy legal director Jameel Jaffer said, "While the FISA court isn’t formally bound by the second circuit’s ruling, it will certainly have to grapple with the second circuit’s interpretation of the ‘relevance’ requirement. The [court] will also have to consider whether Congress effectively adopted the second circuit’s interpretation of the relevance requirement when it passed the USA Freedom Act." The issue is further complicated because the Circuit Court did not actually issue an injunction against bulk surveillance, deferring instead to the congressional debate already underway about the Patriot Act and USA Freedom Act.

111 of 165 comments (clear)

  1. To all you Obama supporters by DoofusOfDeath · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Go Fuck. Yourselves.

    1. Re:To all you Obama supporters by geekmux · · Score: 4, Funny

      Go Fuck. Yourselves.

      Ah, tread carefully here.

      That particular combination of words is trademarked and copyrighted by the Obama administration.

      After all, it is their official motto.

    2. Re:To all you Obama supporters by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Like you have anything better to offer--and no Rand Paul with his: "Lets try the terrorists in absentee" grandstanding filibuster is not better.

    3. Re:To all you Obama supporters by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Oh, was a magical third Bush term going to make this any better? Or a McCain or Romney administration? Why don't you address the actual problem instead of a symptom: our entire federal political machine. It only makes you look like a child when you just blame individuals in a system so hopelessly corrupt that the only presidential candidates presented in a general election anymore are already sold to the highest donors.

      Disclosure: I think Obama has been a massive failure.

    4. Re:To all you Obama supporters by Grog6 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It seems we already are; with no reach-around...

      He ran on the proviso that all the illegal BS we were doing would be shut down. (as well as the billion-dollar-a-day wars we were fighting...)

      Instead, it's way beyond what was left to him by Bush.

      Now he's Asking a Secret Court to allow the Government to Break a Lawful Ruling that basically Affirmed that the Program was Unconstitutional.

      WTF?

      --
      Truth isn't Truth - Guliani
    5. Re:To all you Obama supporters by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Oh, was a magical third Bush term going to make this any better? Or a McCain or Romney administration?

      Considering that R-Money recognized the difference between a state-run healthcare law and a federal-run healthcare law as a constitutional issue, I think he would have done much better in respecting the balance of power, rather than Barrack "Fuck the Constitution, Fuck the legislature, Fuck the courts, I'm in charge here, eat my shit in the form of Executive Orders" Obama.

    6. Re:To all you Obama supporters by ckatko · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Dude, you realize half the people that voted for Obama did so to keep Sarah Palin out of office? What alternative did you think we had? A race between Obama VS a clone of George Washington, and we chose Obama because he's black?

    7. Re:To all you Obama supporters by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      stating the obvious is now "insightful"

    8. Re:To all you Obama supporters by dunkindave · · Score: 4, Informative

      Now he's Asking a Secret Court to allow the Government to Break a Lawful Ruling that basically Affirmed that the Program was Unconstitutional.

      WTF?

      Not really break since the ruling is only binding on actions performed within the jurisdiction of that court's circuit, so legally the FISA court doesn't have to follow it, but each court tries to follow rulings by other courts unless they disagree with it. Obama is trying to convince them to disagree with it.

    9. Re:To all you Obama supporters by lophophore · · Score: 2

      it's change you can believe in!

      Get ready for version 2.0 when Hillary gets elected.

      --
      there are 3 kinds of people:
      * those who can count
      * those who can't
    10. Re:To all you Obama supporters by NicBenjamin · · Score: 1, Troll

      Oh, was a magical third Bush term going to make this any better? Or a McCain or Romney administration?

      Considering that R-Money recognized the difference between a state-run healthcare law and a federal-run healthcare law as a constitutional issue, I think he would have done much better in respecting the balance of power, rather than Barrack "Fuck the Constitution, Fuck the legislature, Fuck the courts, I'm in charge here, eat my shit in the form of Executive Orders" Obama.

      When has he said fuck the courts?

      As far as I can tell he's yet to disobey a single Court Order. He's certainly better then Bush. Most of the problems folks on Slashdot have with him come from him obeying the FISA Court, which is a real Court.

      When he says "fuck the Legislature," it's typically after several years of Congress saying "We really need to get something done," but then failing to pass a bill.

    11. Re:To all you Obama supporters by NicBenjamin · · Score: 1

      Court Rulings are symbolic unless they're also accompanied by orders. Which means they're almost all accompanied by a specific set of orders at the very end. Except this decision, which seems mostly intended to influence Congressional debate on the issue and put Obama on notice that if Congress failed to act he'd have a Second Circuit Order to deal with. Which, given that the Second Circuit rulings apply only within three states, would have brought up some interesting arguments about whether the decision applied in the other 47, whether the Second Circuit can overturn FISA decisions in those three states at all (the FISA Court does not have a level so it's clear the Supremes could over-rule it but not clear whether anyone else could), etc.

      As for the rest, if you want to live in a country where a politician always keeps all his promises move to Canada. A system involving Checks and Balances, Separation of Powers, etc. is designed to be small-c conservative and thwart the plans of politicians great and small. That is the design of the system, and complaining that the guy you voted for only did some of what you thought he should do is exactly like claiming that the Space Shuttle was a failure because it could not go under water. The Canadians, OTOH have Responsible Government and Unity of Powers which mean that the PM is supposed to be allowed to try whatever he wants (within the Constitution), and then you hold him responsible for his actions at the next election.

    12. Re:To all you Obama supporters by Mashiki · · Score: 1

      The chance of Hillary getting elected is about as good as me becoming a US citizen in the next 8 seconds.

      --
      Om, nomnomnom...
    13. Re:To all you Obama supporters by sycodon · · Score: 1, Insightful

      I guess you haven't been paying fucking attention

      God Damned Face Painting Homer.

      --
      When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
    14. Re:To all you Obama supporters by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      How did it get to the point where those assholes were the only ones emerging from the primaries? Why do people STILL refuse to vote for anything but a repug or demoncrat? Just keep this shit up, voting R or D and you'll keep getting more and more tyranny.

    15. Re:To all you Obama supporters by buybuydandavis · · Score: 1

      I thought they had trademarked BFYTW.

    16. Re:To all you Obama supporters by buybuydandavis · · Score: 1

      Naive?

      Plenty of people want a King, particularly if he promises to stick it to their enemies.

    17. Re:To all you Obama supporters by NicBenjamin · · Score: 4, Interesting

      And you didn't pay very careful attention to my post.

      I very carefully used the words "Court Order," because (as the summary points out) there is no Second Circuit order for him to disobey. There's a ruling, but rulings are where the Courts explains why it told you to do something, not where they tell you to do something. It is literally impossible to disobey a ruling that does not have an order attached because there's nothing in a ruling to disobey.

      Why would the Second Circuit issue a ruling (likely to get a lot of press), but no order (rendering the ruling a prestigious op-ed)? Because they wanted to a) force Congress to act while b) putting Obama on notice that if something wasn't done they'd give him an order.

      Since he and Congress did something they're not very likely to issue that order, and his request to the FISA Court for six more months is not a fuck you.

    18. Re:To all you Obama supporters by minijedimaster · · Score: 1

      Go Fuck. Yourselves.

      I agree with this. Also, it doesn't matter who is elected in, they all serve the same masters. Which is why you see Nobama acting just as bad as Bush etc... whoever comes next, assuming Obama doesn't declare himself Emperor... will be worse.

    19. Re:To all you Obama supporters by Teancum · · Score: 2

      The net result of appealing to the FISA Court in this situation more or less means that the issue will be forced into the U.S. Supreme Court. That is one place where even the FISA Court must follow precedent, or else be taken for what it has become as an extra branch of the government answerable to nobody.

      To me, that even risks the potential of having the FISA Court itself ruled unconstitutional and a whole can of worms that the Obama administration really doesn't want opened. While I think it is unlikely that SCOTUS will go that far (no matter how I would love to see that happen) it could very well be that some strong oversight by SCOTUS might happen, which has the ability to run the judiciary.

      It also opens civil litigation opportunities if somebody wants to be a real jerk about this, again depending on whatever the nine justices want to see done. While perhaps the weakest of the three branches of government, they do have some bite and can demonstrate to Obama and in particular set a precedent for future presidents that he shouldn't dismiss judicial actions so casually.

    20. Re:To all you Obama supporters by rtb61 · · Score: 1

      Isn't DMS the most significant message of the Obama administration along with what collateral damage, there was no collateral damage, we intended every to be a recipient of the DMS message. DMS being of course https://www.thebureauinvestiga.... It seems that the very first DMS sent by Obama three days into his control, created the first nine non-collateral damage victims and the numbers of victims only grew from there, along with the number of terrorists needed to be targeted by DMS messages. So no BFYTW from Obama, just a random DMS based upon, usually very inaccurate bulk collection of data.

      Now why is Obama coming off like a puppet in these discussion and exactly how much dirt does the NSA and CIA have on him, to keep him so tightly on the leash from day one or is that day three.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    21. Re:To all you Obama supporters by Taco+Cowboy · · Score: 1

      Court:

      Peeping Tom is immoral

      FISA:

      hmm...

      OBAMA:

      You need not agree with that To me it is not only NOT immoral but is actually essential for your own existence. I encourage you to ignore whatever they say and continue what we have been doing all the while, comrade!

      --
      Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !
    22. Re:To all you Obama supporters by Taco+Cowboy · · Score: 1

      The chance of Hillary getting elected is about as good as me becoming a US citizen in the next 8 seconds

      As an American citizen and an American who never miss a chance to vote, I am not that confident!

      I have watched in horror what my fellow Americans had done, for the past 2 decades

      First, they elected that bumbling idiot Bush Jr, twice , and then they turned around elected this horror architect supremo Obama twice

      Will they end up elect Hillary twice ??

      I dunno, but viewing from their past performance I have a hunch that they might just do so

      --
      Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !
    23. Re:To all you Obama supporters by NicBenjamin · · Score: 1

      Dude, in six months it will be illegal for them to rule on this because the program the Second Circuit ruled against will be replaced. The EFF/ACLU can't appeal to the Supremes because they won, so they have to ask the Second Circuit to amend it's ruling to include an Order. They can appeal that ruling to the Supremes. That's a three-step process. Each individual step would take six months unless some Judge was so worked up that he said "ok we'll rule next week." And you'd need that to happen three times. The last time it happened at the Supreme Court level the emergency requiring immediate action was the 2000 Presidential election.

      BTW, the FISA Court run by John Roberts. Each member is personally handpicked by him. Their removal from their normal district court to the FISA Court is not subject to Senate Confirmation.

    24. Re:To all you Obama supporters by davester666 · · Score: 1

      Stupid public court precendents don't apply to our super-secret court!

      --
      Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
    25. Re:To all you Obama supporters by Merk42 · · Score: 1

      Oh, was a magical third Bush term going to make this any better? Or a McCain or Romney administration?

      Considering that R-Money recognized the difference between a state-run healthcare law and a federal-run healthcare law as a constitutional issue, I think he would have done much better in respecting the balance of power, rather than Barrack "Fuck the Constitution, Fuck the legislature, Fuck the courts, I'm in charge here, eat my shit in the form of Executive Orders" Obama.

      R-Money recognized that before becoming President.

      The bigger issue that GP is pointing out is that candidates (of any party) say one thing while running, then do something different once in office.

    26. Re:To all you Obama supporters by Merk42 · · Score: 1

      Why do people STILL refuse to vote for anything but a repug or demoncrat? Just keep this shit up, voting R or D and you'll keep getting more and more tyranny.

      Because it's been one vote per person for a while.

    27. Re:To all you Obama supporters by Holi · · Score: 1

      I thought that was the official White House motto regardless who's residing there.

      --
      Sorry, teleporters just kill you and then make a copy. A perfect, soul-less copy.
    28. Re:To all you Obama supporters by Coren22 · · Score: 1

      The funny thing is, Hillary is the same age as McCaine was when the Democrats were talking about how old he was and we were a heartbeat away from Palin.

      I personally would have preferred Palin than Obama, at least she is patriotic. She is also pretty smart, which makes all the smear campaigns of the press pretty funny. But if you prefer a liberal, she obviously isn't the one for you.

      --
      APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
    29. Re:To all you Obama supporters by Coren22 · · Score: 1

      What false premise? It was pretty clear at the time that everyone thought there were WMD in Iraq. Before Bush was elected all the Democrats were saying it.

      http://politics.slashdot.org/c...

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I...

      Heck, WMD were found:

      http://www.defense.gov/News/Ne...
      http://www.nytimes.com/interac...

      So I guess Saddam gassing all the Kurds didn't really happen, and we should have never gone in there to put a stop to the systematic genocide Saddam was up to...

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H...

      --
      APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
    30. Re:To all you Obama supporters by Coren22 · · Score: 1

      At least McCain actually served his country.

      --
      APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
    31. Re:To all you Obama supporters by operagost · · Score: 1

      Oh, was a magical third Bush term going to make this any better? Or a McCain or Romney administration?

      How about a straw man? Or a false dilemma? Would either of those help?

      --

      Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
    32. Re:To all you Obama supporters by operagost · · Score: 1

      Obama also ignored the restraining order and unilaterally issued 2,000 immigration permits.

      He also de facto bypassed an injunction against his moratorium on Gulf drilling following the Deepwater Horizon disaster by imposing unlawful requirements for companies when reapplying for permits-- like making CEOs assume personal liability.

      --

      Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
    33. Re:To all you Obama supporters by operagost · · Score: 1

      Did you choose Biden over Palin because she's female?

      --

      Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
    34. Re:To all you Obama supporters by PitaBred · · Score: 1

      Privacy wouldn't matter if the country's economy implodes, which is what would have happened under Ron Paul. I'm no huge fan of Obama, but I'm also not dumb enough to think Ron/Rand Paul is the answer to anything but "Which candidate knows nothing about actual economics?"

    35. Re:To all you Obama supporters by PitaBred · · Score: 1

      The funny thing is, Hillary is the same age as McCaine was when the Democrats were talking about how old he was and we were a heartbeat away from Palin.

      I personally would have preferred Palin than Obama, at least she is patriotic. She is also pretty smart, which makes all the smear campaigns of the press pretty funny. But if you prefer a liberal, she obviously isn't the one for you.

      See, you can't tip you trolling hand by calling Palin smart...

    36. Re:To all you Obama supporters by PitaBred · · Score: 1

      I'm guessing you'd have preferred Romney? Or McCain? Because... more spending on wars? More cuts to taxes that you won't actually see?

    37. Re:To all you Obama supporters by butchersong · · Score: 1

      What do you believe Ron Paul would have done to damage the economy?

    38. Re:To all you Obama supporters by Coren22 · · Score: 1

      Link me a single instance of her actually being dumb. Not saying something that was later proven to actually be correct, and not a Saturday Night Live joke about her (I can see Russia from my house).

      --
      APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
    39. Re:To all you Obama supporters by lophophore · · Score: 1

      I would say it is considerably more likely. The stupidity of the American voter continues to astound me. I'd be willing to put money on it. Maybe not too much, but perhaps enough for a 4-pack of St. Bernardus, for instance.

      --
      there are 3 kinds of people:
      * those who can count
      * those who can't
    40. Re:To all you Obama supporters by mea_culpa · · Score: 1

      What about Ron Paul? Did you let the media decide for you that there was a choice only between Romney or Obama?

    41. Re:To all you Obama supporters by Grog6 · · Score: 1

      I agree we had few choices there; but Obama's blackness wasn't why I voted for him. :)

      Sarah Palin's votes were proportional to boob size, not intellect.

      I have to admit: I Really thought he would be different.

      WTF was I thinking, lol.

      They're only in office because enough of us bought their BS.

      Think we'll do better next time? :)

      --
      Truth isn't Truth - Guliani
    42. Re:To all you Obama supporters by KeensMustard · · Score: 1
      These ones: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/... Are you now going to claim that Powell acted alone?

      Heck, WMD were found: http://www.defense.gov/News/Ne... [defense.gov] http://www.nytimes.com/interac... [nytimes.com]

      You're embarrassing yourself.

      So I guess Saddam gassing all the Kurds didn't really happen, and we should have never gone in there to put a stop to the systematic genocide Saddam was up to...

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H... [wikipedia.org]

      Saddam gassed the Kurds with the gas that you gave him. And later Rumsfeld dropped by to shake his hand.

      Don't expect to be given the moral high ground over Saddam. During their mercifully brief but incredibly bloody reign, Rumsfeld/Cheney killed more Iraqis than he did during any period of the same length.

      That gas was expired long before the lying started: the best the Iraqi Air Force could have done with it would be to hurl it from the plane and hope to hit someone in the head with the canister.

    43. Re:To all you Obama supporters by ckatko · · Score: 1

      Except I voted for Ron Paul, he failed at the primaries, and we were left with Palin and McCain.

      Is there anyone left here old enough to vote, or understand the absolute most fundamental and basic tenants of how elections work in the USA?

    44. Re:To all you Obama supporters by PitaBred · · Score: 1

      Single? But there are so many instances of ignorance and lies to choose from.

      http://www.politifact.com/pers...

    45. Re:To all you Obama supporters by PitaBred · · Score: 1

      Be a Libertarian?

    46. Re:To all you Obama supporters by Coren22 · · Score: 1

      So, you are calling the DoD liars in that article I posted? They claim to have found the WMD, but I guess you and the media links you provide must know better than the solders on the ground. Are you also then claiming that the NY Times is lying? That the specific details given in the Times article are somehow fabricated?

      Do you have a mental disorder? At this point it seems you are just sticking to the lie hoping to make the US look bad instead of seeing the truth that there were chemical weapons in Iraq, they were found by the military and dealt with. But I guess that doesn't fit your narrative.

      --
      APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
    47. Re:To all you Obama supporters by daviskw · · Score: 1

      How does this particular eloquent insulting flame bait get Scored all the way up to Insightful? What a dipshit.

      --
      Beware the wood elf!!!
    48. Re:To all you Obama supporters by KeensMustard · · Score: 1

      So, you are calling the DoD liars in that article I posted?

      Well, someone's lying. Them. You. Don't much care who.

      They claim to have found the WMD, but I guess you and the media links you provide must know better than the solders on the ground.

      You're only embarrassing yourself. The 'weapons' they found were manufactured during the Iran-Iraq war. They were found on a scrapheap behind an abandoned building. The Iraqis didn't even know they were there. The Rumsfeld/Cheney/Wolfowitz regime claimed that WMD were still being manufactured. Powell claimed there were facilities still producing weapons.

      These 'weapons' were about as dangerous as a cup-a-soup. If aluminium tubes frighten you enough that you think it justifies killing 500 000 people, you need to see a psychiatrist.

    49. Re:To all you Obama supporters by Coren22 · · Score: 1

      It seems that many of those statements are possibly true, but are so chopped down it is very hard to even tell, looking through without even checking any I see:

      SARAH PALIN
      Says Attorney General Eric Holder recently revealed "this idea to have government have gun owners wear special bracelets that would identify you as a gun owner."

      It looks like, OMG, he really did say that.

      http://www.breitbart.com/big-g...

      Or do you have some kind of proof he didn't say that to the house committee?
      He was talking about requiring guns to have fingerprint readers (which are terrible if you have ever actually used one) or bracelets so that they would only fire for the authorized user. How was she lying?

      That is just from me reading through, I spent maybe 5 minutes working on this.

      Now, however, this does not in any way show her being dumb, it shows her exaggerating and possibly lying. I asked for dumb, not lies, which is what politicians do, or did you get to keep your health plan?

      --
      APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
  2. Typical by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I know Obama is quite used to ignoring the law, but that's not how things work. Fuck off.

  3. How can these judge assholes accept this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    How can a judge accept the president asking him to ignore the law?
    Why isn't this guy in prison yet?

    1. Re:How can these judge assholes accept this? by whoever57 · · Score: 2

      How can a judge accept the president asking him to ignore the law?

      Because it is not "the law". A second circuit decision is only binding on the second circuit. Judges in other districts may take notice of such a decision, but they are not bound by it. If the Supreme Court had reviewed the decision and either ruled on it or declined to review it, then it would be binding on the whole country.

      --
      The real "Libtards" are the Libertarians!
  4. that's a nice 2nd Circuit you got there.... by turkeydance · · Score: 2

    it would be a shame if something....

  5. Re:I don't think this is it by fustakrakich · · Score: 2

    Not for a long time. Most people are too comfortable to care about whatever the NSA is doing. In fact most people approve of the spying.

    --
    “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
  6. Just because a lawyer asks you to do something by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Doesn't mean it's right.

    Or legal.

    --
    -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
    1. Re:Just because a lawyer asks you to do something by jopsen · · Score: 2

      Doesn't mean it's right.

      Or legal.

      I know the US is an adversarial system (crazy), but when your own govt plays tricks it's not super cool...

    2. Re:Just because a lawyer asks you to do something by meta-monkey · · Score: 1

      Well, in this case, I think that it's 1) wrong but 2) legal. 2nd Circuit decisions are not, in fact, binding on the FISA court.

      Even so...I don't think the 2nd Circuit decision really binds anything, anyway. They didn't decide if bulk collection itself was illegal or unconstitutional. Only that section 215 of the Patriot Act didn't authorize it. Section 215 of the Patriot Act doesn't authorize NSA agents to eat bagels, either, but that doesn't mean it's illegal for NSA agents to eat bagels. Even if the NSA asserted that Section 215 of the Patriot Act did authorize them to eat bagels, and the court said "no it doesn't," that still doesn't make it illegal to eat bagels.

      --
      We don't have a state-run media we have a media-run state.
  7. Technically, they are correct. by BitterOak · · Score: 5, Informative

    The FISA Court is not under the jurisdiction of the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeal. In the Federal Court system, the Supreme Court is at the top. Immediately below the Supreme Court are the Courts of Appeal for the different circuits which cover different geographical regions of the country. Also sitting directly below the Supreme Court are the Federal Circuit Court of Appeal which handles specialized cases like patent cases, and the FISA court, which handles cases whose national security implications require secrecy. Below the various Circuit Courts of Appeal are the district courts, which are the lowest courts in the federal system.

    So, the FISA court, sort of sits beside the 2nd Circuit court, not below or above it. Only the Supreme Court can direct how the FISA court must interpret the law. That's not to say that the FISA court can't be guided by opinions in other circuits. Courts of appeal frequently look to opinions in other Circuit courts of Appeal for guidance on cases involving issues they haven't decided before, but they are not bound to follow opinions in other Circuits.

    --
    If I can be modded down for being a troll, can I be modded up for being an orc, or a balrog?
    1. Re:Technically, they are correct. by timrod · · Score: 4, Interesting

      This is true, but there would still be a huge contradiction in the law if the FISA courts ignore the Second Circuit. You'd have the FISA courts saying "Bulk surveillance is authorized under the USA Freedom Act for six months in the entire United States" versus the Second Circuit saying "Bulk surveillance is unconstitutional and any law authorizing it within the jurisdiction of the Second Circuit is void for that reason."

      My guess is, if the FISA courts ignore the Second Circuit there will be a Supreme Court case on this, as tends to happen when you have conflicting authority at the appeals court level.

    2. Re:Technically, they are correct. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I still don't understand how a secret court can ever work.
      How does a legal system work with only one actor? Is the Judge considered the opposing party? (seems blatantly conflicting)
      Any secret court basically amounts to legalized mafia. The USA is just a very, very big and very powerful mafia.

    3. Re:Technically, they are correct. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      ... the FISA court, sort of sits beside the 2nd Circuit court ...

      "Respect for, and adherence to the rule of law is the premise upon which the United States was founded, and it has been a cornerstone of my Presidency."
            - Barack H Obama, President of the USA, 2015-04-30

      So a secret court that denies a defendant representation, is sort-of the same as one that does. Those sort-of weasel words allow the US President to preach the law, then ignore it later, because that law doesn't really apply. It's like when he shutdown wire-tapping then expanded meta-data collection.

      "Two things form the bedrock of any open society - freedom of expression and rule of law. If you don't have those things, you don't have a free country."
          - Salman Rushdie, novelist in hiding, 2008-01-16

    4. Re:Technically, they are correct. by Tokolosh · · Score: 5, Interesting

      What you say may be technically correct, but it is impossible for the Supreme Court to consider the case. Because that would first require someone to have "standing" and the secret FISA system does not permit that. So our Kafkaesque so-called adversarial system has negated any possibility of reining in these star chambers and we no longer have rule of law and a government of the people, by the people, for the people.

      Our rulers are so far over to the dark side that reclaiming our freedoms will be more difficult that blowing up a death star.

      Note well, Republicans and Democrats are only slight variations on this odious evil.

      --
      Prove anything by multiplying Huge Number times Tiny Number
    5. Re:Technically, they are correct. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Genuinely curious here, what place do secret courts operated by secret police and underground judges have in a free, democratic society? Why are the Schutzstaffel enforcing secret laws in the "Land of the Free" and who gave them the right to trump everyone else's rights?

    6. Re:Technically, they are correct. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Technically FISA is not a court. No adversarial process, secret laws and rulings, etc. It's a star chamber rubber stamp mess of a situation. however a court it is most certainly not.

    7. Re:Technically, they are correct. by Livius · · Score: 2

      Yes, but the Executive telling the Judiciary what the law is is completely backwards in the first place.

    8. Re:Technically, they are correct. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      You are wrong on a number of counts.

      Circuit splits do occur and it's not a huge contradiction in the law. Every court in the country will have an opportunity to follow it or decide otherwise, if that issue pops up. The district courts in the 2nd circuit will have to follow 2nd Circuit law. Not a biggie, the Federal Circuit has done that time and again when they are given an opportunity to hear a copyright complaint like in the case of Google v. Oracle. They are happy to ignore other circuit law and create abominations in legal interpretation.

      If there is a split in legal reasoning the Supreme Court *may* take up the issue.(The US supreme court is the "laziest court" in the entire world, they choose what they want to rule on and even then, they can decide not to rule on it or rule on issues not presented and so on ...) Even if the FISA and Second Circuit decisions diverge, the SC may not take up the issue. Even if they did take up the issue it will be moot when they finally hear it, so they probably won't take it up, because it will become moot in six months.

      So, really the administration is arguing that FISA should ignore the second circuit as a circuit split will be moot before there is time to run up to the supreme court. However, what they don't count on is that mootness will not bar an action if there is a possibility that someone might use mootness to repeat an unlawful act. Now arguing that its an exception to mootness is difficult to pull off without diluting the strength of your appeal brief. So, for all intends and purposes the issue is moot if FISA agrees with the administration.

    9. Re:Technically, they are correct. by Livius · · Score: 1

      The US started with a rebellion.

      Which pretty much sums up his attitude about the rule of law.

    10. Re:Technically, they are correct. by NicBenjamin · · Score: 1

      Dude, it's six months. By the time the Supremes get around to hearing it there won't be a case anymore because the program will have ended.

      Moreover there's no Court Order involved from the Second Circuit here. A ruling is analogous to the documentation a programmer writes explaining why his code is set up the way it is. The actual code would be analogous to an Order, and the Second Circuit decided not to write an Order because they figured Congress might do something, and if Congress failed to act they could always add the code later.

      Which means the legal system only has one set of actual rules to follow, and that set comes from the FISA Court.

    11. Re:Technically, they are correct. by NicBenjamin · · Score: 1, Redundant

      Genuinely curious here, what place do secret courts operated by secret police and underground judges have in a free, democratic society? Why are the Schutzstaffel enforcing secret laws in the "Land of the Free" and who gave them the right to trump everyone else's rights?

      Your analogy is flawed.

      The FISA Court does not convict anyone of crimes. Very little of what it does involves law enforcement. It it intended to ride herd on the Military's non-law enforcement data gathering so it can't do anything involving police.

      That means there are no defendants. It's a military operation. It's designed to be extremely unfair to the targets because the ultimate goal is to kill the targets with as little loss of American life as physically possible.

      Information can be turned over to the police, but then they have to do their own investigation (in many cases rediscovering the info that the NSA told them existed), and that entire investigation is fair game at trial.

    12. Re:Technically, they are correct. by buybuydandavis · · Score: 1

      Dude, it's six months. By the time the Supremes get around to hearing it there won't be a case anymore because the program will have ended.

      Democracy theater. All the hardware and software spying on us is going *nowhere*.

    13. Re:Technically, they are correct. by buybuydandavis · · Score: 1

      "Respect for, and adherence to the rule of law is the premise upon which the United States was founded, and it has been a cornerstone of my Presidency."

            - Barack H Obama, President of the USA, 2015-04-30

      The Dear Leader is a great comedian too! All Hail The One!

    14. Re:Technically, they are correct. by buybuydandavis · · Score: 1

      Genuinely curious here, what place do secret courts operated by secret police and underground judges have in a free, democratic society?

      Democracy theater. "Oh yeah, it's all above board, see, we've got a Judge signing off on it."

    15. Re:Technically, they are correct. by CrimsonAvenger · · Score: 1

      Dude, it's six months. By the time the Supremes get around to hearing it there won't be a case anymore because the program will have ended.

      Would you care to make book on that? "That" being defined as "the program will have ended", NOT "the Supremes get around to hearing it"....

      --

      "I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
    16. Re:Technically, they are correct. by Zordak · · Score: 1

      This is true, but there would still be a huge contradiction in the law if the FISA courts ignore the Second Circuit. You'd have the FISA courts saying "Bulk surveillance is authorized under the USA Freedom Act for six months in the entire United States" versus the Second Circuit saying "Bulk surveillance is unconstitutional and any law authorizing it within the jurisdiction of the Second Circuit is void for that reason."

      My guess is, if the FISA courts ignore the Second Circuit there will be a Supreme Court case on this, as tends to happen when you have conflicting authority at the appeals court level.

      While I don't remotely agree with the NSA's bulk surveillance program, what you describe is called a "circuit split," and it happens all the time. In fact, it's one of the best indicators that the Supreme Court will take up a case.

      --

      Today's Sesame Street was brought to you by the number e.
    17. Re:Technically, they are correct. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      One though that a lot of people seem to forget though is, the law which authorized it in the first place is expired and no longer valid. Using the patriot act as justification is incorrect as the patriot act doesn't exist any more and is no longer on the books. You can't just say "well, an old law which has been repealed allowed this, so we're going to keep doing it".

    18. Re:Technically, they are correct. by swb · · Score: 1

      And here I thought there would be a fire sale on storage systems and racks of CPU because they were literally powering it off and getting rid of the equipment.

    19. Re:Technically, they are correct. by dcw3 · · Score: 1

      Anything that holds a 1 or a 0 would be destroyed.

      --
      Just another day in Paradise
    20. Re:Technically, they are correct. by dcw3 · · Score: 1

      Your lies are worse than Bushesque

      Yes, they're an Obamanation.

      --
      Just another day in Paradise
    21. Re:Technically, they are correct. by dcw3 · · Score: 1

      Who should the AG report to then?

      --
      Just another day in Paradise
    22. Re:Technically, they are correct. by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      AFAIK, the sole purpose of FISA is to grant search warrants based on probable cause. This is normally not a public operation, since law enforcement officers normally don't want to advertise their search warrants, and so a normal court would operate secretly when granting such a warrant.

      FISA is not going to hear any criminal cases. They are pretty much incapable of making law (in the US, court decisions are precedents, and make case law), and apply existing laws that anybody can read. FISA judges are actual judges, which means they can issue search warrants.

      I still don't like it, but they don't violate people's rights without cause, they have no secret laws, and they do fit into the US legal structure.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  8. Hey, I didn't know that's possible! by Opportunist · · Score: 1

    Next time the courts decide against me I can just go and ask them to ignore their ruling. Heh. Who'd have thought it's that easy, I didn't even get the idea!

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    1. Re:Hey, I didn't know that's possible! by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      You can ask the court to ignore a precedent, particularly if it isn't from a court superior to the one you're in. You might not get the court to do so.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  9. Flashbacks by ckatko · · Score: 1, Informative

    Remember when Dick Cheney declared himself to be his own branch of government so he wasn't subject to law?

    1. Re:Flashbacks by dcw3 · · Score: 1

      No, and neither do you.

      --
      Just another day in Paradise
    2. Re:Flashbacks by ckatko · · Score: 1

      Are you too young to remember 2007, or just incredibly stupid?

      http://www.dailykos.com/story/...

  10. Re:Bend the Constitution for a while, please? by Livius · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Is it really as dire as a civil war?

    The 1% are trying to reduce the 99% to serfs. And succeeding.

    What would you call it?

  11. Re:FISA, NSA, Obama, FBI, CIA, et al. by buckfeta2014 · · Score: 1

    So what are you going to do about it?

    --
    Buck Feta. You know what to do.
  12. Stop calling it a court. by jcr · · Score: 4, Informative

    In a court of law, issues are argued by two sides before a neutral magistrate.

    This FISA bullshit is nothing but a rubber-stamp circle jerk for government lawbreakers to pretend that they're on the up-and-up.

    -jcr

    --
    The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
    1. Re:Stop calling it a court. by Wyzard · · Score: 1

      In a court of law, issues are argued by two sides before a neutral magistrate.

      I've seen this same point made in a few other places too. Maybe I'm missing something, and I'm certainly not a lawyer, but I don't think it holds water.

      In a trial, the case is argued by two sides. But other things happen in courts besides trials — such as warrant requests. Those don't use the adversarial process AFAIK.

      FISA aside: if the police suspect you have stolen property in your house and want to search your house to find it, they go to a judge and explain why they think you have stolen property. If the judge agrees that it's a reasonable suspicion, he or she issues a search warrant. You're not notified of this, and you don't get to come in and defend yourself. Probably the first you hear of it is when the police show up at your door with the warrant in hand. If they arrest you and charge you with a crime, then you get a trial where you can defend yourself against the charges. But for the search, it's the judge's job alone to weigh the evidence against your privacy rights.

      The FISA court issues search warrants; no one is on trial there. You don't get to defend yourself in FISA court, but how is it any different from a normal court in that regard?

    2. Re:Stop calling it a court. by Wyzard · · Score: 1

      Furthermore, how does the foreign intelligence court have jurisdiction on matters involving domestic surveillance?

      The FISA court's job is to issue warrants for surveillance of suspected foreign agents (e.g. spies, terrorists) within the US. Americans' privacy rights are protected by the Fourth Amendment, so the warrant is necessary. (Foreigners don't have Fourth Amendment protection, so no warrant is needed for the US to spy on them.)

    3. Re:Stop calling it a court. by Whorhay · · Score: 2

      The thing that sets the FISA court apart from any other judge issuing warrants is that the evidence shows they act purely as a rubber stamp. Any court or judge who has never denied a warrant after having seen thousands of them is suspect. On top of that they've made their own secret interpretations of law that further show that their sole purpose is to rubber stamp the feds doing essentially whatever they want.

    4. Re:Stop calling it a court. by Wyzard · · Score: 1

      The thing that sets the FISA court apart from any other judge issuing warrants is that the evidence shows they act purely as a rubber stamp. Any court or judge who has never denied a warrant after having seen thousands of them is suspect.

      "Never denied a warrant" is hyperbole, but the court does have a very high acceptance rate. That's a little misleading, though: the Wikipedia page mentions that the 99% acceptance rate only reflects "final" submissions, and that many requests have been changed or dropped before that point based on informal advice from a judge that the request was unlikely to be approved. Also, the NSA knows what the FISA court's rules are, and can avoid submitting requests in the first place that are unlikely to make it through. So it's not 99% of "whatever the NSA wants", it's 99% of things that the NSA thought were likely to be approved even after informal feedback from a judge. That's a very different beast.

      It's valid to be concerned about the FISA court approving things it shouldn't. (In particular, I think the court overstepped its constitutional authority in approving the bulk phone metadata collection.) But the 99% approval rate doesn't support a claim that the court is a rubber stamp; it's a misleading statistic if used that way.

    5. Re:Stop calling it a court. by Whorhay · · Score: 1

      Cops and DA's know what the rules are for getting a warrant also. And guess what, they still don't get anywhere near that kind of approval success. I might be willing to accept that the NSA has smarter than the average bears working for it, but enough to account for a better than 99% success rate? I doubt it.

  13. Re:I don't think this is it by spacepimp · · Score: 1

    This is what Obama is doing though. Don't conflate the two wrongs.

  14. They needn't have bothered. by lhowaf · · Score: 1

    The FISA Court has apparently never heard of the Constitution.

  15. Why is it that you guys still believe in Obama?? by Taco+Cowboy · · Score: 2, Informative

    Now why is Obama coming off like a puppet in these discussion and exactly how much dirt does the NSA and CIA have on him, to keep him so tightly on the leash from day one or is that day three

    What the hell is wrong with you guys??

    Obama has shown his true color to all of us, not one day, not one year, but for more than FIVE MOTHERFUCKING YEARS ALREADY and you guys STILL having that faint hope that, deep inside, Obama has a conscience?

    Obama needs no leash from NSA / CIA / FBI, Obama is *ONE OF THEM*, and has been their *MOST VALUED SUPPORTER* all the while!!

    Obama doesn't have even one single iota of conscience in him. The guy is a egoistical maniac. All he wants is POWER, and he intends to RULE OVER ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING

    Please man, please open up your fucking eyes and look at Obama for what he actually is, not what you hope he to be

    --
    Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !
  16. Not part of government by Culture20 · · Score: 1

    Their legal argument is that the Circuit Court's rulings are only binding for lower courts â" the FISA court is secretive and separated from the normal legal process, so it doesn't necessarily fit in the normal court hierarchy.

    If it's not part of the judiciary, it's not really part of the government then, right?

  17. Re:The perplexing thing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    He intends to pass it on to Hillary, who is just as corrupt as he is. Besides, the "other party" is the same and things will go in the same direction anyways, so why would he care who's getting the power as long as it is still down the path he wants?

  18. Re:Why is it that you guys still believe in Obama? by thrich81 · · Score: 2

    OK, I'll give you an answer to your implied question -- it's "the boy who cried wolf syndrome". Considering that he was "a kenyan, muslim, socialist" who famously "palled around with terrorists" and was bent on destroying America from the day he was inaugurated (actually the day it started looking like he would win the election), I have to examine the criticisms of the man with a skeptical eye and deeply consider the source as to whether there is a trace of truth in any accusations as most of the time there wasn't. The actual failures of this administration have been so overshadowed by the crazed lies and bullshit slung around starting in about 2007 that they have desensitized us to the real problems. Even in this case, which does look really bad, it's no worse than the previous administration (notice I didn't say "any better" either). So anyone bitching now had better have a history of it going back to the original passing of the Patriot Act in 2001. So you can blame the nuts who went berserk at Obama's election for the teflon he wears now.

  19. Re:Bend the Constitution for a while, please? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Enslavement.

    It's only a civil war once the slaves-to-be start fighting back.

  20. Re:Why is it that you guys still believe in Obama? by rtb61 · · Score: 1

    I don't get, what you don't get about the idea of extortion and it's basis and, that it implies corruption. It just seems that many statements seem to have very little political benefit for him and just make him look publicly much worse and should ego be the driver for the original corruption as it normally is, then ego will also seek to not damage the public image of the egoist. So less likely to be one of them and more likely to be controlled by them but inherently that control by others was accepted in order to gain corrupt benefit. The corrupt egoist politician will inherently seek to make themselves look great and will refuse to take actions that destroy their public image, when they do so, it is a sign that others are controlling some of their actions are making use of the discovered corruption in order to force actions the ego of the politician would prefer not to take because it damages their image.

    --
    Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
  21. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss by n3r0.m4dski11z · · Score: 1

    Fool me once, shame on, shame on you. Fool me ... you can't get fooled again!

    YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

    --
    -
  22. Re:Why is it that you guys still believe in Obama? by operagost · · Score: 1

    So what you're saying is that if Obama never had any wingnut critics, you'd believe what the facts are telling you about his motivation?
    Whether any of his critics are radicals or wingnuts is irrelevant to the question as to whether Obama favors big corporations, mass surveillance, and bypassing the courts and Congress to execute his policies.

    --

    Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
  23. Re:Why is it that you guys still believe in Obama? by PitaBred · · Score: 1

    Obama is bad, true.

    But every single candidate from the Republican and Libertarian parties are worse. Which is scares the shit out of me.

  24. Re:Bend the Constitution for a while, please? by dcw3 · · Score: 1

    WTF does this have to do with the 1%?

    --
    Just another day in Paradise
  25. Re:The perplexing thing by butchersong · · Score: 1

    That would only be perplexing were he to come from a conservative / constructionist background. The progressive perspective is that the constitution is a living document and subject to whatever interpretation a given generation chooses apply to it.

  26. Then vs. Now by NoKaOi · · Score: 1

    "No more warrantless wiretaps if you element me." -Barrack Obama, 2008
    "Fuck off, I'm president and I do what I want!" -Barrack Obama, 2015

    1. Re:Then vs. Now by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      Wiretaps based on FISA-issued search warrants are not warrantless. Nor is a request to ignore a ruling from a court the FISA court is not subordinate to out of line, although I disagree with this particular request.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
    2. Re:Then vs. Now by messymerry · · Score: 1

      The warrants issued by the FISA court do not meet constitutional standards... The FISA court itself is operating outside the spirit of the law. This court has no credibility whatsoever with anybod that gives a shit about this republic.

      --
      Dear Microlimp: I give you 2 valid product keys for win7 and you reject both of them. Piss off you wankers!!!
  27. Re:Why is it that you guys still believe in Obama? by daviskw · · Score: 1

    Now you are just being stupid.

    --
    Beware the wood elf!!!