A San Francisco-based privacy group claims in a new class-action suit that telecom giant AT&T Inc. Violated the law by cooperating with the National Security Agency as part of a massive program to eavesdrop on and extract data from Americans' communications.
"In the largest fishing expedition ever devised, the NSA uses powerful computers to data-mine the contents of these Internet and telephone communications for suspicious names, numbers and words, and to analyze traffic data indicating who is calling and emailing whom in order to identify persons who may be linked to suspicious activities, suspected terrorists or other investigatory targets, whether directly or indirectly," the Electronic Freedom Foundation said. "But the government did not act-and is not acting-alone. The government requires the collaboration of major telecommunications companies to implement its unprecedented and illegal domestic spying program."
I just wonder if this type of tactic will ultimately expose the governments activities, since it does not seem that the disorganized Democant's don't have the stomach or the fortitude to ask the tough questions. Unfortunately, I can see this issue being swept under the rug, which will effectively limit the power of Congress in the long run. What a major mistake. This weeks Time Magazine sums it up best:
Starting Feb. 6, the Senate will plunge ahead with hearings on eavesdropping, and Bush could face trouble if facts come out indicating he has described the program inaccurately or incompletely. After Bush delivered his war-on-terrorism defense of the program, however, Democrats seemed to have lost their stomach for battle. "I'm not sure that's a winning issue for Democrats," party strategist Harold Ickes said. Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid preferred to focus on Medicare snafus and what he called G.O.P. corruption.
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