More Newsweek Anti-Bush Propaganda

The NSA Al Qaeda snooping issue is getting absurd. The following link will take you to one of the more absurd editorials I’ve seen, once again brought to you by Newsweek. Yes, the same Newsweek of Koran flushing fame.

Because We Can

Suddenly, the media and the left are staunch defenders of civil liberties. The big government promoters now are up in arms against big government.

Please note that this editorial comes to many conclusions without displaying one fact. The liberal (no pun intended) use of the word ‘may’ is my favorite tactic.

To many people, the most perplexing aspect of the Bush administration’s domestic spying program is that it was largely unnecessary.

To many people? To many people, Newsweek isn’t worthy of anything short of flushing itself. To many other people, Bush did the right thing. But that’s not mentioned.

President George Bush could have simply invoked the emergency provisions of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which would have allowed the government to eavesdrop on suspected terrorists 72 hours before receiving authorization from the FISA court.

Well, what if it takes a week? That would leave a three and a half day gap. But that’s not mentioned.

Alternatively, the White House could have gone to Congress to amend the FISA statute.

Well, unless he was doing something illegal, which clearly he wasn’t, why in the heck would he give Congress, which happens to be the largest collection of secret leakers in the country, a shot at this. They were informed about the program and never made a peep until the NY Times decided to damage our security by publishing secrets probably gained from that very same body. But that's not mentioned.

So why did the White House take such a controversial step, one that would inevitably open it up to serious charges of violating the civil liberties of American citizens? The answer may be as simple as this: a zealous belief that it could, regardless of whether doing so was necessary.

Or the answer may not be that simple. That statement is pure conjecture and garbage.

As a result, the administration formulated a series of policies—from Guantanamo to Abu Ghraib—that have weakened America’s hand in the world and sown distrust at home.

The obligatory Abu Ghraib/Gitmo reference, of course.

In the pursuit of the proper balance between security and liberty, both sides in the debate should collectively take a deep breath.

Private Eightball: “I guess they'd rather be alive than free. Poor dumb bastards.”

Note: This story was written by the same Daniel Klaidman who had the following to say about the Koran flushing blunder:

"We think that people acted responsibly and professionally"

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