Government lawyers are demanding that the US District Court immediately throw out an ACLU lawsuit against NSA surveillance, insisting that there is no avenue by which “ordinary Americans” could even theoretically challenge its legality.
The ACLU is arguing that the surveillance, involving collecting every phone record of every American, exceeds the authority the NSA has under either the Patriot Act or the Constitution.
The government is arguing that only phone companies could challenge the collection orders, however, and then only in super-secret FISA courts, which have already rubber-stamped the surveillance time and again.
The lawyers are also arguing that the judge himself isn’t qualified to hear questions of “national security” and that he should simply trust the administration’s officials to figure things out on their own, outside of courts.
Wow! What astounding arrogance by the government lawyers. I do not really see where the Constitution allows the federal government to establish a "NSA" or a "Patriot Act". Yeah, "ordinary Americans", shaddup and mind youse own business, we'll do all the thinkin here!
The arrogance you point out took root in the last Administration when their lawyers justified (in secret memos) the institutionalization of torture, rendering from the streets of Allies, suspension of laws we've followed for decades all because the accused were not citizens, and the coercion of phone records from the phone companies…and the Courts signed off on all these violations of the Constitution. It doesn't say in the article but the Courts should be outraged…but I suspect that they will be content being neutered by the Executive. And the American people sat back and watched – mostly – and said little except to thank the government for protecting them. And we wonder where Congress gets the stones to continually screw the people. All we need to do is look in the mirror.
The Obama administration's arguments are themselves impeachable offenses.
same argument Bush gave, and yes it is an impeachable offence but also a criminal one, Best chance of impeachment is to prosecute Bush and have him found guilty! An Obama Impeachment will be seen as Party Political and nothing more unless Bush is charged first!
Problem for impeachment is that there are senators and House members who are co conspirators!
Agreed. Can you think of another strategy that might have any impact? petition, ballot initiative,
demonstrations, strikes, with holding taxes? There is no pre-planning at this point that will escape the notice of the NSA, and therefore the presence of a heavily armed (SWAT) government supplied
intimidating anti-free speech fascist "protectors of the public".
It's only a matter of time, before these scoundrels in our unconstitutional Federal government monstrosity, are vanquished. Please do not pity them. They will get exactly what they deserve. Ron Paul is my President.
"YOU CANNOT JUST WALK INTO MORDOR"
When will the truth be told – It is now "ordinary americans have no rights- period."
If you want rights just hoist yourself by your boot straps into the 1%.
"In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury."
"In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury."
Sound like something Don Corleone would say, " ordinary Americans,"? what about "WE THE PEOPLE."
"No avenue for ordinary Americans…"
Well at least the freaks are being up front about how they view Americans. The sheeple are corralled.
When any government crosses the line between "keeping us safe" to "keeping themselves safe" you know the relationship is over.
This is a government of criminals, who should be treated as the outlaws they are.
I fully subscribe to what you say.
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable."
It's getting closer by the day.
"Standing" is not Constitutional. It was created in 1922 and is an attempt to stymie,to pervert Justice! We citizens are denied access to the Courts " to petition our government for a redress of grievances". The doctrine is UNCONSTITUTIONAL!!!!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_to_petition
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standing_(law)
How can the concept of ordinary citizen be of any relevance in a democracy?
So now they're not just admitting, but TELLING us that it's a dictatorship.
A good working definition of government is: a gang of moral perverts who will do what ever they want and then refer their victims to a Diebold electronic voting machine for redress of grievances. "Lawyers" are government-subsidized frauds whose mission is always to establish beyond question that law trumps morality.
"Ordinary Americans" are paying their damned salaries ! The narcissistic, hubristic ingrates belong behind bars !!
USA=Ultimate State of ***holes.