To destroy what's left of the 4th amendment...

[confrontationclaws]

just take away the "expectation of privacy." That expectation has always been central to the interpretation of the 4th amendment by the courts. If you have no expectation of privacy, then there need not be probable cause shown and a warrant obtained in order to listen in. (Like walking down the sidewalk talking to a friend, or talking to the person next to you at a football game.) If our fascist president keeps going on TV and telling everyone that he'll continue to order the NSA or whomever to listen in on phone conversations, all of a sudden no logical person would "expect" that phone conversations are private. Expectation gone, probable cause requirement gone, privacy gone, constitution gone, country gone....

[RufusEarl]

1. From Institute For Public Accuracy

CHRISTOPHER H. PYLE
In 1970, Pyle disclosed the U.S. military's surveillance of civilian politics and worked as a consultant to three Congressional committees, including the Church Committee -- which wrote the FISA statute. He is co-author of the book The President, Congress, and the Constitution and author of the book Military Surveillance of Civilian Politics.

Pyle said today: "Bush is asserting an inherent war power to violate the Fourth Amendment. Senator Church's committee sought to end warrantless electronic surveillance. The method laid out in FISA is the only method. They made it very easy to get these wiretaps by creating a special court. Bush has violated that Act and the Act has a criminal statute associated with it. Anyone who violates that act is guilty of a felony punishment by up to five years imprisonment." Pyle is currently a professor of politics at Mount Holyoke College.

[newyawker99]

2. Hi confrontationclaws!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast: