What follows has political content. For those of you who don't like to discuss political things, this is to let you know you might not want to get involved.

FROM CNN:

This story doesn't include that today Bush publicly admitted authorizing what the story talks about, but it does address the basic issues, the impact on the senate's voting in regards to the Patriot Act and a few high-up officials feelings about it.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/12/16/bush.nsa/index.html


This next article is an updated version of the last article. It includes Bush admitting the program exists.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/12/17/bush.nsa/index.html


Also of note, the CNN quickvote poll:

Should the government have been given the authority to spy on Americans without warrants after the 9/11attacks?

70% of the responders so far have said "NO".
30% of the responders so far have said, "Yes".
187,602 people have responded up to 11:17 AM. By 1:38 pm the percentages were the same and 201668 had voted.


From MY YAHOO:

This story, from Reuters, says what the above stories say, except it seems to emphasize the republican side more than it does the actual issues.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&u=/nm/20051217/pl_nm/security_patriot_dc_16


This story frm AP seems more in line with public reaction:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051217/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush

It also has a statement that's incongruous to the events. Apparently this eavesdropping was started shortly after 911, yet the story says, "He said it is designed in part to fix problems raised by the Sept. 11 commission, which found that two of the suicide hijackers were communicating from San Diego with al-Qaida operatives overseas."

The 911 commission didn't draw up any resolutions (from the sounds of it) until well after the orders were originally given. It didn't even exist at the time.

I also find the following quote from Senator Feingold very interesting. Feingold said it was "absurd" that Bush said he relied on his inherent power as president to authorize the wiretaps.

"If that's true, he doesn't need the Patriot Act because he can just make it up as he goes along. I tell you, he's President George Bush, not King George Bush. This is not the system of government we have and that we fought for," Feingold told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.


This next one is also from the AP, but focuses on the Patriot Act:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051217/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_patriot_act

Again, it seemed to dwell more on Bush's defense in wanting the act renewed. This time Senator Leahy's remark was of special interest to me:

"Fear mongering and false choices do little to advance either the security or liberty of Americans," Leahy said. "Instead of playing partisan politics and setting up false attack ads, they should join in trying to improve the law."

This is a fascinating day.

[ December 17, 2005, 07:02 PM: Message edited by: Vi ]