Senator "Scottish Law" is at it again

Senator Arlen Specter, R-PA, who famously cited some obscure Scottish law as a reason for not voting for President Clinton's guilt in the Monica Lewinsky affair (I still fail to see how Scotland has something to do with Slick Willie lying under oath, as he most assuredly did), has now authored legislation that would allow the U.S. government to monitor the communications of its citizens, as well as search their houses without a warrant and without court oversight whenever they felt like it, as long as they state that the spying is being done on "suspected terrorists or spies".

According to this article, the proposed legislation (my comments in bold):

"Redefines surveillance so that only programs that catch the substance of a communication need oversight. Any government surveillance that captures, analyzes and stores patterns of communications such as phone records, or e-mail and website addresses, is no longer considered surveillance."

How special. Just change the definition of surveillance, and we're not doing it anymore!

"Expands the section of law that allows the attorney general to authorize spying on foreign embassies, so long as there's no "substantial likelihood" that an American's communication would be captured."

What's the definition of "substantial likelihood? 1 percent? 50%? Who gets to make that determination? Let me guess, the people doing the spying in the first place!

"Repeals the provision of federal law that puts a time limit on the government's wartime powers to conduct warrantless wiretapping and physical searches against Americans. Under current law, the president has that power for only 15 days following a declaration of war."

So the government can wiretap me or search my house whenever they feel like it, and be accountable to no one? Brilliant!

"Allows the attorney general, or anyone he or she designates, to authorize widespread domestic spying, such as monitoring all instant-messaging systems in the country, so long as the government promises to delete anything not terrorism-related."

Because the governent never uses terrorism information for other purposes, such as criminal acts, do they? Oh wait, they already do. There goes that promise.

"Moves all court challenges to the NSA surveillance program to a secretive court in Washington, D.C., comprised of judges appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Only government lawyers would be allowed in the courtroom."

I guess my lawyer won't be invited to the party.

"Allows the government to get warrants for surveillance programs as a whole, instead of having to describe to a judge the particular persons to be monitored and the methods to be used."

Seems kind of broad, don't you think?


And now, the kicker of the whole article:

"Specter has moved to have his bill voted upon next week by voice vote, called a unanimous consent motion, according to the ACLU's Graves. Such a procedure would leave no record of who voted for or against the bill."

The gutless bastard doesn't even want the Senators to stand up and be counted, so the cowards won't be held accountable to their constituents.

Everyone, please call your Senators to make sure that this abominable piece of legislation never gets passed. When both right and left groups oppose something, you can be pretty sure that it's a very bad thing for the country.