Ex-President Bush Lied To FBI Director About Warrantless Surveillance By Marcus Baram | HuffPost | 01/27/2012 4:29 pm Excerpts: Former President George W. Bush lied to FBI Director Robert Mueller in the Oval Office to protect White House programs that secretly eavesdropped on Americans, according to an upcoming book by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Tim Weiner. In "Enemies," the former New York Times reporter reveals the extent of the bureau's long war against terrorists, spies and anyone considered subversive, including American presidents. Among its explosive claims, Weiner reports that the FBI was penetrated by agents working for China, Russia, Cuba and al-Qaeda and that the bureau gathered evidence that was sufficient to impeach Presidents Bill Clinton, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. In the wake of 9/11, when the Bush administration expanded its anti-terror programs to include warrantless eavesdropping of Americans' phones and emails, FBI director Mueller was one who opposed the program because he felt that the White House was "trying to do an end run" around the law. After drafting a letter of resignation, Mueller met with Bush one-on-one on March 12, 2004, telling him that "he would resign if the FBI was ordered to continue warrantless searches on Americans without an order from the Department of Justice." The meeting came the day after the infamous bedside visit to Attorney General John Ashcroft, when White House chief of staff Andy Card and legal director Alberto Gonzalez unsuccessfully tried to get the ailing Ashcroft to sign off on the program. Weiner writes of Bush and Mueller: "Both men had sworn upon taking office to faithfully execute the laws of the United States. Only one still held to his oath. "The president pleaded ignorance of the law and the facts. He said he hadn't known there had been legal problems with Stellar Wind. He said he hadn't known Attorney General John Ashcroft had been in the hospital. He said he hadn't known Mueller and acting Attorney General James Comey had been blowing the whistle. He was almost surely deceiving the director, and deliberately. "Bush promised to put the programs on a legal footing. This did not happen overnight. It took years. But based on the president's promise, Mueller and his allies backed down from their threats to resign. Bush kept the secret for twenty more months." A spokesman for Bush did not return an email for comment from The Huffington Post. Read full article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/27/bush-lied-to-fbi-director_n_1237262.html?ref=politics . With Weiners new book coming out, there may be some more investigations and finally something being done about the scurrilous, inhumane activities of the Bush Regime. But politicians cover each other pretty well when it comes to serving time for war crimes. But when we do not learn from these horrible displays of treason, criminal negligence, and disregard for all humanity, we only repeat them.
Telecom companies immune from gov't. wiretap lawsuits... Justices uphold government immunity over domestic eavesdropping program October 9th, 2012 - The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday left in place a law that allows the Justice Department to stop suits against telecommunications companies for participating in wiretaps of potential terrorists.
First, I am against warrantless searches and all other violations of the 4th and 5th amendments. I think out government has gone completely out of control, but...why is it only Bush's name when Reagan and Clinton are also there in the article?
Come on, guys. This point is so pointless and not because of any personal reasons towards the poster. I have this theory. It says that whatever the government asks permission for, they are already doing. They just think it would be a lot easier if they didn't have to hide it. Illegal surveillance is freakin pre-Babylonian. It's called spying and even your girlfriend does it. Your parents do it. The government is certainly doing it to whomever they want whenever they feel it should be done. If you think you approval or disapproval effects its actual use rather then it's clandestine disclosure, keep dreaming. With or without your permission, the camera stays on my friend.
Warrantless wire-taps on U.S. Citizens should be illegal under the Constitution. But warrantless wire-taps on non-U.S. Citizens and those on student and temporary Visas thought to be possibly involved in anti-U.S. terrorism should be allowed. But, eventhen, I believe before the Federal Government can "force" a private company to participate in the investigation/wiretapping, they should have to present a Court Order to the private Company. In other words, the federal investigators should not be allowed to force the Companies or private individuals(say a landlord or employer) to allow a wiretap without a court order or some other legally recognized document. I never agreed with the entire SafePort ACT especially when they threw in the UIGEA at the last minute. And, especially when the warrentless wiretap provision included U.S. Citizens that should be protected by the U.S. Constitution from such intrusion. I don't find that the Constitution should apply to those on Visas or illegally in the Country and I might add that I don't believe any provision of the Constitution that pertains to U.S. Citizens should automatically pertain to those on visas that are potential threats to the U.S. and definately those here illegally should have no rights under the Constitution. That does not mean they don't have the right to be treated as provided under the Genieva Convention and U.N. laws.
I know you didn't write it, OP, but it is extremely disrespectful to call President Bush "Ex-President" I may not support him but he was elected by the people. And he deserves at least that much respect.
Why else would the Huff write an article about it right now? Why else would their AGENT post his usual Huff thread here? BECAUSE WE CAN'T TALK, THINK, OR QUESTION ANYTHING ABOUT LIBYA BEFORE THE ELECTION. Diversion tactics 101.
