Smithee comment: It's curious that the most vocal critics of administration programs to thwart future attacks are the same ones who said the administration didn't do enough to prevent 9-11.
Alan, I hope you weren't referring to me. Personally, I'm more inclined to blame Klinton for 9-11, if any president is to be blamed at all. Even more blame can be dumped on the Democrats in Congress who stopped the CIA's HumInt programs back in the early '90s.
Please don't take my position on these privacy issues to indicate that I side with the Dems in other instances. I'm just a pretty strict constructionist when it comes to the Constitution. I refer you to the Fourth Amendment:
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers,and effects,against unreasonable searches and seizures,shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and persons or things to be secured.
I don't object to the gov't being able to gather the specific information they need about a suspect, I object to data bases on everybody, with multiple cross references. For all we know, the IRS is including their files in the same database. |
