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Gore Assails Domestic Wiretapping Program


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Gore Assails Domestic Wiretapping Program

Former Vice President Says Bush Repeatedly Broke Law

By LARRY MARGASAK, AP

WASHINGTON (Jan. 16) - Former Vice President Al Gore asserted Monday that President Bush "repeatedly and persistently" broke the law by eavesdropping on Americans without a court warrant and called for a federal investigation of the practice.

Speaking on Martin Luther King Jr.'s national holiday, the man who lost the 2000 presidential election to Bush only after a ruling by the Supreme Court on a recount in Florida, called Bush's warrantless surveillance program "a threat to the very structure of our government." Gore charged that the program has ignored the checks and balances of the courts and Congress.

Gore said that Bush's actions - which the president has defended as indispensable in the war against terrorism - represented a "direct assault" on the special federal court that considers, and decides whether to authorize, administration requests to eavesdrop on Americans.

Tracey Schmitt, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee, shot back: "Al Gore's incessant need to insert himself in the headline of the day is almost as glaring as his lack of understanding of the threats facing America. While the president works to protect Americans from terrorists, Democrats deliver no solutions of their own, only diatribes laden with inaccuracies and anger. "

Gore said the concerns are especially important on King's birthday because the slain civil rights leader was among thousands of Americans whose private communications were intercepted by the U.S. government.

King, as a foremost civil rights activist in the 1950s and 60s, had his telephone conversations wiretapped by the FBI, which kept a file on him.

Gore said that there is still much to learn about the National Security Agency's domestic surveillance program: "What we do know about this pervasive wiretapping virtually compels the conclusion that the president of the United States has been breaking the law repeatedly and persistently," he maintained.

Bush has pointed to a congressional resolution passed after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, that authorized him to use force in the fight against terrorism as allowing him to order the program. The program authorized eavesdropping of international phone calls and e-mails of people deemed a terror risk.

Gore was repeatedly interrupted by applause Monday as he spoke to the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy and the Liberty Coalition, two organizations that expressed concern with the legality of the surveillance program.

Gore, also a former member of the Senate from Tennessee, proposed that a special counsel be appointed by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to investigate whether there have been violations of the law.

Referring to reports that private telecommunications companies have provided the Bush administration with access to private information on Americans, Gore said any company that did so should immediately end its complicity in the program.

source

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Good luck with that Mister Gore!

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Tracey Schmitt, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee, shot back: "Al Gore's incessant need to insert himself in the headline of the day is almost as glaring as his lack of understanding of the threats facing America. While the president works to protect Americans from terrorists, Democrats deliver no solutions of their own, only diatribes laden with inaccuracies and anger. "

I wonder if Tracey is so willing to point out the republicans that inserted themselves into the headlines when they opposed the Patriot Act?

Although I am no fan of Gore; he has a valid point and was the VP of the US and has 4 years of dealing with Constitutional law;For Tracey to avoid the meat of the issue by playing the "bitter old Gore" routine is a mistake and sounds like a copout.

I have no doubt that tapping phones would help find terrorists, but then again imagine how successful we could be if we turned the US into complete police state and monitored every citizen ala the KGB. Although that might be an extreme of the slippery slope, I think that every time freedoms are infringed upon, it is only a matter of time before people become comfortable with this infringement and then the next little infringement is placed on us...

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when you take a way a freedom you never give it back. Is this were where headed. all calls monitored to find deviants in society. the NSA is dangerous to our freedom and constitutional rights.

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Looks like America is becoming what you detested an authocratic state, cant seem to see any difference in how your Goverment treats you and the old Russian communism.

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Someone needs to put AlGore in his place. I have taken the liberty of doing just that!

user posted image

What a jerk! Get over the 2000 elections would you dude? You are a pathetic piece of Liberal hypocrisy and we loath you! At least I do!

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Looks like America is becoming what you detested an authocratic state, cant seem to see any difference in how your Goverment treats you and the old Russian communism.

You really need a history lesson...

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Someone needs to put AlGore in his place. I have taken the liberty of doing just that!

user posted image

What a jerk! Get over the 2000 elections would you dude? You are a pathetic piece of Liberal hypocrisy and we loath you! At least I do!

...and that relates to wiretapping how exactly?

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...and that relates to wiretapping how exactly?

lol, Some people just can't stay on topic.

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al gore with all his frustration is at least speaking out, ...the wiretapping is wrong. :yes:

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al gore invented the internet

but yeah, i hope we can establish whether or not what occured was actually illegal first, and if it wasn't, i hope the Government charges the guy who leaked it with treason. Wheres all the outcry that came with plame:\

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al gore invented the internet

but yeah, i hope we can establish whether or not what occured was actually illegal first, and if it wasn't, i hope the Government charges the guy who leaked it with treason. Wheres all the outcry that came with plame:\

Gore did not invent the internet. Why do so many people beleive this?

lol, That reminds me of a Bush quote: "If Al Gore invented the internet, why do all the pages start with W?"

Edited by RagePatriot
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I think he is just being cheeky Rage...

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...and that relates to wiretapping how exactly?

The Guilty Dog always barks first. Anything AlGore criticizes Bush for is something that AlGore would have taken 100 steps further....

...and I apologize for putting AlGore in the 'wrong' place...he isn't a Nazi...he belongs here:

user posted image

Gore did not invent the internet. Why do so many people beleive this?

Because he said he did.

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where was this blowhard inventor of the internet when Eschelon was getting started? I doubt he's decided to grow a spine recently... must be another new "The New Albert Gore" makeover.

Where were you Mr. Gore when this was happening in the Clinton years!????

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The President has done nothing illegal, he has certain executive powers that enable him to do this. I'm personally glad they're monitoring these foreign calls. And believe me they can only monitor a small percentage of those. If it helps 'connect the dots', like every law maker insisted, then we should continue to do it. If it stops but 1 terrorist attack(and I'm certain it has) then its worth it.

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ok this is out of topic but the military was the one to invent the internet in order to have really good communication. (thats what my friend told me )

yeah al gore said that he invented the internet so what? iam going to search iam not going to believe him.

there are many people that say stupid staff, that why you have to be really careful what you believe

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The President has done nothing illegal, he has certain executive powers that enable him to do this. I'm personally glad they're monitoring these foreign calls. And believe me they can only monitor a small percentage of those. If it helps 'connect the dots', like every law maker insisted, then we should continue to do it. If it stops but 1 terrorist attack(and I'm certain it has) then its worth it.

Hypocrisy at its best Artymoon, it seems like all our public officials have such a short memory span.

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Hypocrisy at its best Artymoon, it seems like all our public officials have such a short memory span.

How is it that everyone jumps on the bandwagon here and just assumes illegal wiretapping is going on? Big brother is watching and all that crap.

Artymoon is correct...absolutely. There is no illegal wiretapping going on.

And, Al Gore is nuts...his own administration, and every other before him right down to Jimmy Carter wiretapped people, and there should've likely been some ranting about that...but in this case...

It is called intelligence gathering in time of war. It is an OBLIGATION of the President of the United States, as well his right to do so, to utilize the means he deems necessary to gather information on the enemy.

People are talking from the U.S. with terrorist groups overseas, and have been doing so for a long time. If the President wasn't listening in to these (which again, he's allowed to) then we'd try to hang him for not doing his job.

As it is, we're attempting to hang him for doing it.

Jesus...I'm no conservative republican, but my God, people, what the heck is going on with this crap? You actually think big George is listening to all your cell-phone calls?

They're tracking calls to and from known terrorists to the United States. They're allowed to do this...explicitly.

I cannot understand why the controversy still goes on. The people who revealed this covert operation, a matter of national security, are the ones who should be investigated...

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Yah I quoted the wrong post, this was what I meant to quote.

"Where were you Mr. Gore when this was happening in the Clinton years!????"

And then say, Gore is such a hypocrite

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they shouldn't be investigated, this is no valery plame! :P

No, I think they should be investigated.

The Valerie Plume matter is a dead issue, as no crime was committed in her case...she wasn't even an operative at the time someone leaked her status as a CIA employee.

In this case, a covert, secret operation was revelaed by someone in the media.

It's a touchy legal situation to be sure...the stuff of months-long controversy, but I could see where the revelation of such operations could be considered treasonous.

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one thing i find amazing is they havent got a special prosecuter yet....every time clinton turned around they had one. is it because its wartime? :huh:

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No, I think they should be investigated.

The Valerie Plume matter is a dead issue, as no crime was committed in her case...she wasn't even an operative at the time someone leaked her status as a CIA employee.

In this case, a covert, secret operation was revelaed by someone in the media.

It's a touchy legal situation to be sure...the stuff of months-long controversy, but I could see where the revelation of such operations could be considered treasonous.

i was being facetious, i agree with you 100%

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i was being facetious, i agree with you 100%

sorry bath.... :cry:

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