Issue:Credibility - Bush Lets U.S. Spy on Callers Without Courts - New York Times

Specific: "Under a presidential order signed in 2002, the intelligence agency has monitored the international telephone calls and international e-mail messages of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people inside the United States without warrants over the past three years in an effort to track possible 'dirty numbers' linked to Al Qaeda, the officials said. The agency, they said, still seeks warrants to monitor entirely domestic communications"

Comment: There are 2 aspects of this that are troubling. First and foremost is that it was without judicial branch supervision. The President did not feel encumbered by any sense of check or balance. The other is that it has been 3 years it has been going on.

Remeber, this is an administration that has been inclined towards propaganda and disinformation. So, when after 3 years, we NOW find out that about the surveillance - is it reasonable to believe that it was ONLY international calls?

I recognize that "conspiracy" thinking can enables one to jump to conclusions too soon. That is a bad thing to do. To be avoided. Let's face it, even the President did that concerning WMD. Oh, excuse me - he had faulty intelligence.

But it is worth noting that social click's do exist. Social groups don't have to be secretive to not share information. They simply do not communicate. So as I have suggested on past occasions, there could be a social group that happen to be in control of both the federal government and a popular political party - that simply does not communicate. The Neo-Cons could be should a group.

Is this group something to be discussed? Just not over the phone. Where can one have privacy?

Address:http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/16/politics/16program.html?hp&ex=1134795600&en=c7596fe0d4798785&ei=5094&partner=homepage