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Today's NSA Warrantless Surveillance Hearing

By Jeralyn, Section War on Terror
Posted on Mon Feb 06, 2006 at 09:37:54 AM EST
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Update: You can listen live here. Afternoon news update is here.

Bump and Update: Reddhedd at Firedoglake live-blogged the morning session.

News recap of the morning is here.

Update: Sen. Arlen Specter said Bush broke the law and Sen. Patrick Leahy said he expects the Committee will have to subpoena internal documents if Gonzales is not more forthcoming at the hearing than he has been to date.

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Original Post:

This post will be updated throughout the day with news and other information from the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Bush's warrantless NSA electronic surveillance program.

First up: Leah at Corrente will be live-blogging the hearing. So will Glenn Greenwald.

Here's Talkleft's most recent coverage of Gonzales' planned testimony and debunking the Administration's myths about the program.

NYU Law Prof Noah Feldman's Sunday NYT magazine article is a good primer of the issues and possible outcomes. Law Prof Geoffrey Stone provides his latest take here.

[Graphic created exclusively for TalkLeft by CL.]

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    Today's NSA Warrantless Surveillance Hearing | 9 comments (9 topical)
    Re: Today's NSA Warrantless Surveillance Hearing (none / 0) (#1)
    by Linkmeister on Sun Feb 05, 2006 at 11:01:25 PM EST
    Interestingly, Prof. Feldman says, "(It would be fascinating to know whose conversations were overheard and how many wiretaps proved useful, but the answers to such inquiries may be classified, and a public accounting is unlikely.)" and over in the WaPo an article states "Fewer than 10 U.S. citizens or residents a year, according to an authoritative account, have aroused enough suspicion during warrantless eavesdropping to justify interception of their domestic calls, as well." Timing is everything, even when writing op/ed pieces.

    Re: Today's NSA Warrantless Surveillance Hearing (none / 0) (#2)
    by profmarcus on Sun Feb 05, 2006 at 11:09:52 PM EST
    meanwhile, the bushco smear machine tries to kneecap the crs by using one of their favorite tactics, shooting the messenger... georgia10 at kos details bushco's proxy attack on the crs...
    On Feb. 1st, Representative Peter Hoekstra, Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, sent a letter to the Director of the Congressional Research Service whining about how Cumming's [Alfred Cumming, the CRS Specialist in Intelligence and National Security] reports were partisan in nature and not based in law or fact. The letter was the last in a series of attacks on Cumming. On January 25th, the Washington Times ran a hit piece on Cumming, saying he was a registered Democrat, a former Democratic staffer, and he committed the gravest of sins--donating some money to Kerry's presidential campaign. Right wing blogs have picked up on this, and FOX News has done its part as the obligatory megaphone for baseless propaganda.
    how many times do we have to sit by and watch bushco and its toadies denigrate, belittle, besmirch and otherwise attempt to destroy the credibility of those who bring bad news or don't line up precisely with its twisted world view...? such a sad, sad bunch of people... Visit my blog: And, yes, I DO take it personally

    Re: Today's NSA Warrantless Surveillance Hearing (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Feb 06, 2006 at 04:53:53 AM EST
    If you are inocent then probable cause, or real probable cause doesn't exsist and a warrant should not have been issued in the first place. Once you've been unusually surveyed, and are not guilty of anything, you wonder how demanding can the warrant process be? Or perhaps 'let the judge know I'll get the donuts on the way over'.

    Re: Today's NSA Warrantless Surveillance Hearing (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Feb 06, 2006 at 06:07:14 AM EST
    Pearyb Probable cause does not mean the subject of the search has to be proven guilty of anything before a search warrantis issued. I'm not a lawyer but I'm sure someone here can explain the definition of Probable cause in laymens terms to you and the rest of us. TL can you enlighten us?

    Re: Today's NSA Warrantless Surveillance Hearing (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Feb 06, 2006 at 10:35:04 AM EST
    What is the history of swearing in people who testify before Congress? With Gonzales and earlier with the oil executives (who went on to lie about their participation in Cheney's meeting) the Republicans in control specifically refused to make the witnesses take oaths. Is this a departure from tradition? What traditionally determines whether someone gets sworn in or not, and how common has it been to have unsworn witnesses in the past?

    Re: Today's NSA Warrantless Surveillance Hearing (none / 0) (#6)
    by Dadler on Mon Feb 06, 2006 at 12:27:08 PM EST
    This guy is a joke. A lackey and yes-man. For example, you could've eliminated hijacking and plane bombs entirely by 1) investing a few million bucks per domestic airport to install genuine explosives detection devices/aniimal, and 2) seating people, to a great degree, according to age and sex, making sure a younger, stronger male is always seated around the same, so his chances of doing anything are exponentially decreased. Instead, we have a paranoid administration, grasping at straws, breaking the law, all because they don't have the real brains (actionable intelligence anyone?) or rhetorical ability (which is how you REALLY win people, domestic AND foreign, to your case). This administration cannot see past its own fear. And only far past this is the necessary imagination, humilty, and respect found.

    Re: Today's NSA Warrantless Surveillance Hearing (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Feb 06, 2006 at 03:29:39 PM EST
    why did the Republicans prevent the AG from testifying under sworn oath?

    Re: Today's NSA Warrantless Surveillance Hearing (none / 0) (#8)
    by Sailor on Mon Feb 06, 2006 at 03:31:02 PM EST
    At least this time the repubs had to vote down the dems IRT swearing in. Since he is a proven liar before congress when he was sworn in, no wonder they didn't want to make the topcop of the nation actually tell the truth.

    Re: Today's NSA Warrantless Surveillance Hearing (none / 0) (#9)
    by unbill on Mon Feb 06, 2006 at 04:33:56 PM EST
    Does anyone happen to know whether there is a website for organizing Americans living abroad who want to protest the illegal spying? It would be a great help, because I am living abroad, ready for some political action and livid at the government. At any rate, voices from Americans living abroad are necessary in this debate. Americans living abroad are already met with skepticism, now I have to worry about the NSA listening to my phone conversations with relatives?

    Today's NSA Warrantless Surveillance Hearing | 9 comments (9 topical)