In March 2004, Comey, Mueller, and several Bush DoJ appointees almost resigned over metadata!

[Bolo Boffin]

Last edited Sun Jun 16, 2013, 02:31 AM - Edit history (1)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/us-surveillance-architecture-includes-collection-of-revealing-internet-phone-metadata/2013/06/15/e9bf004a-d511-11e2-b05f-3ea3f0e7bb5a_print.html

Now here's some bombshell material, folks!

Telephone metadata was not the issue that sparked a rebellion at the Justice Department, first by Jack Goldsmith of the Office of Legal Counsel and then by Comey, who was acting attorney general because John D. Ashcroft was in intensive care with acute gallstone pancreatitis. It was Internet metadata.

At Bush’s direction, in orders prepared by David Addington, the counsel to Vice President Richard B. Cheney, the NSA had been siphoning e-mail metadata and technical records of Skype calls from data links owned by AT&T, Sprint and MCI, which later merged with Verizon.

...Lawyers for the agency came up with an interpretation that said the NSA did not “acquire” the communications, a term with formal meaning in surveillance law, until analysts ran searches against it. The NSA could “obtain” metadata in bulk, they argued, without meeting the required standards for acquisition.

...When Comey finally ordered a stop to the program, Bush signed an order renewing it anyway. Comey, Goldsmith, FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III and most of the senior Bush appointees in the Justice Department began drafting letters of resignation.

WHAT THE WHAT?

This is all based on a classified history of a Bush-era program called STELLARWIND. No word yet if this is more of Snowden's leak. Some crazy stuff going on in this article.

And for the record, once again, all roads lead to David Fucking Addington.

ETA: This is how it was explained back in 2007:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/15/AR2007051500864.html

Not a mention of Hayden saying he would continue the program without the AG signature. Not a word about Addington's role.

[neverforget]

1. meh. Snowden had boxes in his garage and he left his girlfriend in Hawaii.

Metadata and Prism are the best programs evah! Protectin' us from terra by logging who, when and how long I call someone. I have nothing to hide so I have nothing to fear! Right? RIGHT?

[Bolo Boffin]

2. Gellman didn't say this came from Snowden.

It may have. It's probably the best guess. But Gellman was able to speak to someone off the record to walk him through some questions, at any rate.

[ReRe]

3. 2004, Mueller & Comey balk....

K&R

.... marking to come back to later. Thanks for OP!

[Egalitarian Thug]

4. Well sure, but shrub wasn't a Jedi Chess Master... n/t

[Monkie]

5. semantics and the difference between acquiring and obtaining

i have tried to make this point a few times before.
the way in which they can both tell the truth about limitless surveillance while lying about it is simple.

collect all data about everyone without a warrant, and once they decide they have a reason you are suspect of being "un american" they have their probable cause and their warrant and can "rewind" your entire life.

[hobbit709]

6. Almost only counts with hand grenades and horseshoes.