Domestic Spying
Domestic spying isn't anything new. Of course, it is being made a big deal of in the news since shortly before the President's State of the Union Address last week. The media, of course, had made a big deal about it, that's what they do. However, what NSA and the President has authorized is nothing new. The NSA has been doing this sort of work since their inception. However, what is at stake is if the President can authorize monitoring/spying on citizens international calls without a warrant. Should the President be allowed to act without a warrant? I truly believe the president should secure a warrant before eavesdropping on Americans' international calls. This is a fundamental privacy issue. There are many citizens that have normal dealings in the international arena and this sets a bad precedent.
I heard, flipping through the channels, on Foxnews the other day, that Republicans in the Senate, I believe, are ok with what the president is doing, they just want oversight over this particular issue. To me, this is pretty cut and dry. Should Congress allow the President the authority to eavesdrop without a warrant? My answer to that question is no. If President Bush is able to keep going on his current path, what is there to stop him from beginning this with just regular run of the mill calls between friends, spouses, colleagues? It sets a bad precedent, and plain and simple, it's a violation of presidential power, and of people's privacy.
I heard, flipping through the channels, on Foxnews the other day, that Republicans in the Senate, I believe, are ok with what the president is doing, they just want oversight over this particular issue. To me, this is pretty cut and dry. Should Congress allow the President the authority to eavesdrop without a warrant? My answer to that question is no. If President Bush is able to keep going on his current path, what is there to stop him from beginning this with just regular run of the mill calls between friends, spouses, colleagues? It sets a bad precedent, and plain and simple, it's a violation of presidential power, and of people's privacy.