Secret wiretaps for national security: Clinton did it too.

[usregimechange]

Or so that is what the Right is claiming. Is there anything to this? Did Clinton authorize secret wiretaps on Americans? They mentioned Jamie Gorelick. See my oped and their comments here: http://www.joplinglobe.com/story.php?story_id=216862&PHPSESSID=ff0f1bdc5930da24913569a899922db8

[Lex]

1. It was debunked here on DU about a week ago.

There were several threads.

I'll try to find one.

[handsignals4theblind]

10. Yes both DEMS and REPubs use dirty techniques

Why be surprised it was Mr Clinton who passed all the welfare reforms on behalf of the usual suspects.

[Sanity Claws]

2. But not without FISA authority

So yes, they were probably secret, they were probably on Americans but they went through the proper channels.
The issue is not whether secret wiretaps were used but whether they were probably authorized by the FISA court.

[electropop]

3. Please. This is the latest Rove meme "but...but...Mommy they did it too!"

It's as much of a lie as the idea that Dems were raking in Abramoff $$ and voting for Indian casinos in return.

[usregimechange]

5. I am aware of that but I need information to refute.

[Lex]

7. Prior DU thread that comes up with a search:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=5656283

I think this is the one I was remembering.

There are others too, I believe.

[MazeRat7]

4. No... that has been debunked....

Myth 4 from mediamatters.com
<snip>
4: Clinton, Carter also authorized warrantless searches of U.S. citizens

Another tactic conservatives have used to defend the Bush administration has been to claim that it is not unusual for a president to authorize secret surveillance of U.S. citizens without a court order, asserting that Democratic presidents have also done so. For example, on the December 21 edition of Fox News's Special Report, host Brit Hume claimed that former presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton issued executive orders "to perform wiretaps and searches of American citizens without a warrant."

But as the ThinkProgress weblog noted on December 20, executive orders on the topic by Clinton and Carter were merely explaining the rules established by FISA, which do not allow for warrantless searches on "United States persons." Subsequent reports by NBC chief foreign affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell and The Washington Post also debunked the conservative talking point while noting that the claim was highlighted in the December 21 RNC press release.

</snip>

here is the link to the other 11 falsehoods about wiretaps...

http://mediamatters.org/items/200512240002

Enjoy,

MZr7

[usregimechange]

6. Oohh, I want that Andrea Mitchell article. looking...

[sandnsea]

8. Have a hinterland holiday???

Because otherwise I can't figure out how you missed this story. It's been posted 5 times a day since it broke.

Why do we post right wing talking points. :shrug:

[tularetom]

9. Who cares if he did?

Clinton isn't the president anymore in case these asswipes haven't noticed. If he was doing something illegal the pukes are even stupider than I thought because he got away with it even though they were watching his dick 24/7. bush ain't smart enough to do it, I guess.