Someone should have called Gonzales out yesterday...

[hopein08]

My mom picked up on something when Gonzales cited FDR monitoring telephones during WWII, Wilson monitoring telegraphs and telegrams in WWI, Lincoln getting copies of telegrams in the Civil War, and Washington having his troops copy British mail.

The three most recent presidents can all be legitimately (somewhat, as Lincoln had no modern day electronic devices) cited as back-ups for Gonzales' point. But Washington just doesn't fit. Do you know why?

Washington had NO CONSTITUTION to refer to regarding rights and such things as that!!!! The Constitution wasn't written until 1789!!

So I think Gonzales bombed out on that one. Too bad no Senator (that I saw, and I may have missed it) caught that one.

[formercia]

1. Everything changed after FISA

to paraphrase Fearless Leader's own words.

[demosincebirth]

2. He's nothing but a " tio tomas."

[madmom]

3. He also said Washington approved electronic surveillance.

[dflprincess]

4. I think Feingold mentioned in the hearings yesterday

that 4th amendment protection wasn't extended to telephone until some decision in the 1960s I can't remember what year so I don't know if JFK, LBJ or Nixon was president when the decision came down. At any rate, any president before that decision didn't need a warrent - after the decision they do.