Judges and Justice Dept. Meet Over Eavesdropping Program

[Rose Siding]

The Justice Department held an unusual closed-door briefing Monday for judges on a secret foreign-intelligence court in response to concerns about President Bush's decision to allow domestic eavesdropping without warrants.

A number of judges from around the country who serve on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which issues eavesdropping warrants in terror cases, flew to Washington to hear the administration's defense of the legality and use of the program, officials said.
....
At Monday's briefing, judges were expected to question Justice Department officials intensely about the legal underpinnings of the program, but afterward they would say little about the session. Judge Kollar-Kotelly did not return calls seeking comment on the briefing, which was held at the Justice Department, and officials for the department and the court would not discuss any aspect.
....
A group of 13 law professors and former government officials weighed in Monday in the heated legal debate, writing in a letter to Congressional leaders......that "the Justice Department's defense of what it concedes was secret and warrantless electronic surveillance of persons within the United States fails to identify any plausible legal authority for such surveillance. Accordingly the program appears on its face to violate existing law."

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/10/politics/10nsa.html?ex=1294549200&en=6367ade2b57c3874&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

[Lochloosa]

1. To be a fly on that wall.....

[rodeodance]

2. A few weeks ago I was delighted that these judges wanted to meet

with jr to talk about this. Now I am not so sure.

Mixing our judicial system with bush judicial cronies. Not good.

[Rose Siding]

3. Here's the letter and the list of signatories, fyi

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/geoffrey-r-stone/why-the-nsa-surveillance-_b_13522.html

[snippy]

4. These judges probably were targets of Bush's surveillance program. n/t

[bobthedrummer]

5. Another odd coincidence: DOJ offices were closed for hours

yesterday due to a possible threat involving a bus.

[Miss Chybil]

6. So what does this mean? Now what? Nothing, like always? nt

[librechik]

7. it's a secret court--I'd be surprised if they said anything

although something might get leaked (I hope)

[Festivito]

8. Spying on Dems as a topic? I guess 2.5 seconds, max.

Will they okay a list of words that would be certain to highlight conversations between
candidates and aides,
leakers and press, and
CEOs competing against word-choser's portfolios.

DOJ now compromised, we need a special prosecutor.

[HuffleClaw]

9. telling 'em to keep their damn mouths shut

a meeting to keep everyone in line and on the right page. 'ok, fellas, this is our story and we're sticking to it'

[bee]

10. so.. the question is now...

whats Congress going to do about it? The letter clearly says what * did was illegal.