Bringing The War On Terror Home

The NY Times front-pages (below the fold) a dispute on eavesdropping between the Justice Dept and the NYPD.  New York's Finest think that the Feds are too cautious in presenting and approving FISA applications for surveillance of terrorism suspects, thereby endangering the greatest city in the world.  The Times duly notes that the Feds are unlikely to become more aggressive in their use of surveillance under Obama.  Hey - extremisim in the defense of civil liberties is no vice, yes?  And if the cost is a few thousand dead New Yorkers, well, freedom has its price.  Here we go:

WASHINGTON — An effort by the New York Police Department to get broader latitude to eavesdrop on terrorism suspects has run into sharp resistance from the Justice Department in a bitter struggle that has left the police commissioner and the attorney general accusing each other of putting the public at risk.

The Police Department, with the largest municipal counterterrorism operation in the country, wants the Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to loosen their approach to the federal law that governs electronic surveillance. But federal officials have refused to relax the standards, and have said requests submitted by the department could actually jeopardize surveillance efforts by casting doubt on their legality.

Much later in the story the gist of that dispute is fleshed out.  The NYPD thinks that the Justice Dept. ought to take even the "close call" warant applications to the FISA court; if some are turned down, so be it. 

Arguing the other side, Justice claims that FISA approvals come quickly because the judges know that the applications have been carefully vetted and are of the highest standard; if judges have to pause and reflect on the close calls, eventually they will pause and reflect on everything, thereby slowing the well-oiled process and jeopardizing us all.  Bureaucracy in action. 

The Obama mention comes early:

New York’s department, as a local police force, cannot apply directly [to the FISA court], but must seek warrants through the F.B.I. and the Justice Department. The police want those agencies to expedite their requests, and say that the federal agencies unfairly blocked the city’s applications for surveillance warrants, first in June and then in September. The disagreement, in which the Bush Justice Department has taken a more cautious approach than police officials, is something of an unexpected twist for an administration that has more often seemed willing to stretch legal boundaries to fight terrorism.

...

Even in the best of times, the police and the F.B.I.’s New York office can be quarrelsome partners, and current and former officials say the dispute between the two — which share overlapping responsibilities for security in New York — has brought the relationship to a new low.

The inability of the Justice Department to resolve the conflict may mean that the matter ends up in the hands of Eric H. Holder Jr., who is expected to be nominated by President-elect Barack Obama to become the next attorney general. Based on Mr. Obama’s statements during the campaign, it appears unlikely that his administration would adopt a more permissive attitude toward eavesdropping than the Bush administration.

Change we can believe in.  Suck it up. 

ERRATA:  Those with a long memory will recall that when the Times first broke the warrantless eavesdropping story the high approval rate of FISA applications was cited by Bush critics as proof that the FISA process was a rubber stamp upon which Bush should have relied; others explained that a high approval rate may mean something else entirely, which appears to be the case.  Sorry, just now my memory exceeds my Googling time...

Comments

[bad]

Whatever the future holds, the NYTimes is safe. Al Quaida won't waste a bomb on them.

[Vinman]

Dang, Tom. . .Can't keep up with you today!

[neuddelia]

Классно, вещь полезная!

[JM Hanes]

Imagine the NYTimes' chagrin when they discover they didn't need to credit BushCo with caution. Apparently, their vaunted investigative journalists weren't burning the Midnight Rule Making oil: "Law Enforcement Would Get Greater Surveillance Authority."

[Pofarmer]

Wow. Oil is trying to bust $50.

[clarice]

When it comes to fighting terrorism, I can only hope that Holder and Obama's other friends were like the NYT--utter hypocrites.

[PeterUK]

"The Bush Justice Department has taken a more cautious approach than police officials, is something of an unexpected twist for an administration that has more often seemed willing to stretch legal boundaries to fight terrorism."

It's called,"The new management will hang us out to dry to make a political point,so least done soonest mended".

[RichatUF]

Pofarmer-

from drudge

This little nugget out to make Rick misty eyed:

Oil market sentiment was also dampened this week after broker Goldman Sachs said it would close all of its oil trading recommendations as the US investment bank "did not expect significant upside potential.

Good job Goldman Sachs, well-played.

[RichatUF]

out->ought

[Dick C.]

"McInturff [McCain's official pollster] said that the most effective commercial of the campaign was the Spanish-language spot, put up by the now president-elect, which claimed that conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh was a McCain ally on immigration."

Suh-weeet!

[kim]

Heh, the market will fluctuate. Climate, too.
===========================

[kim]

Lingua de retilo.
==========

[matt]

seems like the Times is just flip flopping all over itself now to somehow rationalize the successes of the Bush Administration and rationalize Obama's continuation of same....why am I not surprised?

[Pofarmer]

Oil market sentiment was also dampened this week after broker Goldman Sachs said it would close all of its oil trading recommendations as the US investment bank "did not expect significant upside potential.

speechless. So much for the perma bulls.

[JM Hanes]

Dick C:

LOL! I'm not sure I'd be all that thrilled to know how effectively my candidate can lie through his teeth.

[Dick C.]

Spare me the lie crap, yellowcakes.

The beauty of it is hanging Limbaugh around Republican necks like the big fat lead weight he is and dragging them down to the depths. Forever.

Too delicious. Palin 2012? Please. Hell, Limbaugh really is her ally!

[bad]

The beauty of a lie is too delicious. Got it dick.

[clarice]

Dick, anyone ever tell you what an appropriate name you have?

Now for the others, my pistolas are locked and loaded.

[JM Hanes]

Dickie:

I'll put you down as an extra for the Colosseum scene where the hoi polloi go positively orgasmic at the sight of blood.

[Dick C.]

I take my name in salute to the biggest Dick this nation has ever seen Clarice.

And sorry bad, but for any JOM regular to feign horror at a lie is a little f'in ridiculous, (although not more so than being a JOM regular).

It's true the Obama campaign commercial wasn't under oath at the time, so I acknowledge it fails to meet you standard Bush regime standards of lying, still, give Obama a little time to get up to speed.

[PeterUK]

"The beauty of it is hanging Limbaugh around Republican necks like the big fat lead weight he is and dragging them down to the depths. Forever."

The Fuckwit obviously wants a one party state.

[PeterUK]

Would that be THE Dick Cretin?

[bad]

It's true the Obama campaign commercial wasn't under oath at the time...

hmm, ya really want to use that argument?

[Dick C.]

I don't need to argue bad!

That's the beauty of it. I don't have to battle your bullshit for at least 4 sweet years.

Your types have no political power. You are as irrelevant as you have so long deserved to be.

And judging by the anti-genius thinking I se from the right, your exile will be longer than Gilligan's!

[bad]

I don't have to battle your bullshit for at least 4 sweet years.

And you are here because...?

[PeterUK]

bad,
If that was on Obama's CV for an ordinary job... Just part of the great ponzi scheme of lies on which the president elect built his life.

[PeterUK]

"I don't have to battle your bullshit for at least 4 sweet years.

And you are here because...?"

Dick Cretin is here because of the tight knot of fear in his gut,they all have it.Progressives are going nowhere.

[Dick C.]

I never give up on sinners.

[Dick C.]

Well, Puk may be too far gone.

[PeterUK]

Oh look whilst the Democrats procrastinate, the world is falling out of Obama's bottom.

[U]

Then last week, Weaver says, he was watching television when another message from God came to him. "The glory of the Lord has departed from the Democratic Party," Weaver says, reading from the message. "You have chosen a secular messiah. . . . You will see the Democrats take America farther down the road to insecurity."

LBW

[bad]

I never give up on sinners.

The messiah thing is a bit out of hand.

[PeterUK]

Nice to have Dick Cretin,it is as if syphiliticleo never left us.

[DrJ]

There are other interpretations, bad. Barack Hussei Nobama. 666. Mark of the devil. :)

[PeterUK]

"I never give up on sinners."

"Let those who are without sin cast the first stone".

[JM Hanes]

Looks to me like Dickie really needs some stones, PUK. How does a powerful, relevant guy like that get stuck trying to run his victory laps in a place like this?

[PeterUK]

Drj

There have been rumours that Obama is the AntiChrist.Not saying Dick C is strangling babies in their cots for the One,probably waiting for instructions,but winning does not seem to have made them less rabid.

[clarice]

Why should it,PUK? They campaigned their tushies off to keep Clinton out of office only to find out The One had subcontracted out the entire operation to her.

[clarice]

I thought it was let those without stones, cast the first sin...shows you...

[richard mcenroe]

Looks like it's time for the cops to bring back the old Red Squads...

[Jane]

I don't have to battle your bullshit for at least 4 sweet years.

The irony of you showing up to announce that is nothing short of delicious. What dear Dick will you find to do with yourself?

[bad]

I don't have to battle your bullshit...

Like FISA?

[Appalled]

If a blog dissenter is going to give himself the name Dick -- well, he either has stones, or he has no comprehension of the stones that will be flung his way...

[PeterUK]

"What dear Dick will you find to do with yourself?"

Well another monotestacular celebrity invaded Poland. What those with an empty jockstrap do I'm not sure,cruise the Bay Area?

[Rick Ballard]

"This little nugget ought to make Rick misty eyed"

What would make me misty eyed would be Goldman-Sachs investment bankers suspended by hemp from every light pole in Manhattan.

OTOH - I will be very dry eyed should GS as a company sink beneath the waves generated by their idiotic promotion of Peak Oil, just as I will be dry eyed when Treasury announces that Citi is no longer among the living. They both deserve capital punishment.

Oil closed under $50 and it's trading under $49 on Globex. Citi closed at $4.71 and NYT at $5.72. I still think $0 is the correct price for both of them - and I think they can get there.

[bgates]

I thought it was let those without stones, cast the first sin
No, that's what it would be if you read it right to left.
...
Huh.

[bad]

As president, Bush scuttled the playing of "Hail to the Chief" in his honor...

Will Obama resurrect Hail to the Chief or just go with Handel's Messiah?

[Pagar]

"And you are here because...?

IMO, the words Obama supporter and socialist are interchangeable.

Here's an experienced voice:

"Azuno Rodriguez"

to explain:

"I have never met an intelligent socialist and I don’t think I ever will, even though I have met a lot of them in my lifetime."

"Socialism has an irrefutably perfect track record of total failure. Any socialist has to be blind or stupid to believe that such an economically barren system could actually function to the benefit of anyone other than these moron leaders that infect their societies with ignorance. "

"It is my firm belief that if the socialist president-elect is not dumb, then he is intent on destroying this country in the name of our enemies. Either way, dumb or smart, this Country of ours will lose."

Babalu Blog has had some great posts lately, and this is one of the best. Cuba under Castro is the perfect example of what America is now faced with,IMO. The Obama supporters that think the next four years are going to bring paradise to them, might want to check with the original Castro supporters.

[Dick C.]

Oh you tired and and toothless old tigers, I said I didn't HAVE to do battle with you anymore. And why would I, you have no teeth!

Dropping by to poke you with a stick, and at least make you move your raggedy bones, is a whole 'nother ball game, however.

[kim]

We're just quivering with delight over the succession of clowns, criminals and terminal nincompoops Obama is assembling for his juggernaut. Quick, pal, get out of the way.
====================================