WSJ brings NSA data-mining to page 1

NSA’s Domestic Spying Grows As Agency Sweeps Up Data
By SIOBHAN GORMAN
March 10, 2008; Page A1
According to current and former intelligence officials, the spy agency now monitors huge volumes of records of domestic emails and Internet searches as well as bank transfers, credit-card transactions, travel and telephone records. The NSA receives this so-called “transactional” data from [...]

Telecoms spending big on Capitol Hill

In an obvious development, it turns out the telecom industry has been quite generous to members of Congress these past few years. One could make the case that this compromises Congress’ objectivity in regards to FISA extensions — the so-called ‘Protect America Act — with telecom immunity.
The 68 senators who voted “yes” on the legislation [...]

FISA: It’s the emails

It is now official: the fight over FISA extensions is not about phone conversations — it’s about internet data.
At a Monday breakfast sponsored by the American Bar Association, Assistant Attorney General for National Security Kenneth Wainstein remarked that the fight over the eavesdropping bill actually centers on US interception of email.
“In response to a [...]

A week in review: cable news’ vaudeville act

I’m a firm believer in free speech, but the clowns on cable news opinion need to have their bullhorns taken away. Under the banner of ‘news,’ they are polluting America’s airwaves with slander, fear, and sententious monologues. They don’t inform, they prosthelytize, as serious matters are sullied with sophomoric crass. They are all doing [...]

Fear Mongering Over FISA Extensions

The Republican National Committee released a video today attacking Senate Democrats for their opposition to the Orwellian FISA extensions. The fear mongering in this video is Tancredo-esque: complete with ticking clocks, jingoism, and simplistic conclusions.

While these scare tactics are especially disturbing, the Arabic like pronunciation of Barack Obama’s name and the vilification of Democrats in [...]