Government Secretly Obtained AP's Phone Records

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:
To all of you outraged by Benghazi and the IRS, I submit that this is far more serious. When the government spies on it citizens without impunity, we are not living in the country we thought we were.

No, it's more like we are not living with the presidency that the progressive media had been portraying. That fact is finally starting to penetrate even the thickest skulls. Some of us, however, were never deceived.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Let's see Benghazi is a drummed up controversy, the dumb Repubs can't even find Libya on the map. The IRS scandal again nothing much, just a bunch of middle aged white men acting like drama queens over two low level IRS employees who were probably just doing their jobs anyway (patterns -- looking for patterns).

The government secretly obtained the AP's phone records? Red alert. All hands on deck. Sound the alarms! We have a serious issue here!

Yes, that's about it. Even if you think Benghazi and the IRS are important stories, I don't know why you wouldn't get excited about the Government spying on news agencies. More importantly, the AP story is part of a bigger story of government spying on Americans. The government believes it can access your email without a warrant. All kinds of warrantless wiretapping has gone on.

Just from a strategic viewpoint, if you actually want to create change, why not choose and issue on which the left and right can agree? On the other hand, if you just want to scream and yell and at the end of the day maintain the status quo, continue as you have been.

His point is that NOW you recognize the crookedness of this administation? We are years ahead of y'all in this regard so this, while a big deal, comes as no surprise to conservatives

Double amen to this!

[Anonymous]

Wait a minute, wait a minute.... so now I am hearing, not that the administration just did a blanket, "get us all the records of the press because we are going all Big Brother on them....". What I am hearing is that there was a LEAK, which Fox News was very concerned about! A leak from inside the administration to the press, and it was as a part of the investigation of that very troubling leak that the records were obtained?

Do we know if the records were actually subpeonaed? Or did the govt hack into the phone system and steal the info?

Context is important here.....

[Anonymous]

So to answer my own question: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/05/14/lawmakers-rip-justice-department-over-ap-phone-record-grab/

"
The letter notifying AP that its phone records had been obtained through subpoenas was sent Friday by Ronald Machen, the U.S. attorney in Washington."

[Anonymous]

Do we know if the records were actually subpeonaed? Or did the govt hack into the phone system and steal the info?

Context is important here.....

don't think we know. However, it is still troubling-no matter what the context.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Do we know if the records were actually subpeonaed? Or did the govt hack into the phone system and steal the info?

Context is important here.....

don't think we know. However, it is still troubling-no matter what the context.

It's not as troubling as I thought it was IF this was part of an ongoing investigation of a leak which involved the press, specifically those members of the press whose phone records were targeted.

I'm a big believer in the fourth estate but the press is not above investigation if a crime has been committed. If this wasn't just a fishing expedition - if it was limited in scope - if it was as a result of an ongoing criminal investigation - if it went through due process - then I am much less alarmed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, this is going to be Big. So will the IRS story.

Gosh this all seems so new toyon.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NSA_warrantless_surveillance_controversy

and your point is? ..............

Actually, what I was asking for clarification was the "new toyon". With fresher eyes this morning I've figured out you meant "to you". No, not at all new to me. I'm one of those that's been concerned about this and jumping up and down about how Orwellian the news has been of late.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:According to this article:

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/govt-obtains-wide-ap-phone-records-probe

The Obama Administration was essentially spying on the Associated Press, secretly obtaining telephone records in response to an article about a CIA operation to stop a terrorist attack originating in Yemen.

The Obama Administration's continual spying and even assassination of Americans have been things that I have frequently criticized. Unfortunately, liberals seem to go along with it because they trust Obama and conservatives go along with it because they think it only affects Arabs and Muslims. Now, maybe people will realize this is worth some attention.

To all of you outraged by Benghazi and the IRS, I submit that this is far more serious. When the government spies on it citizens without impunity, we are not living in the country we thought we were.

I agree that this isnt making any sense and I hate the excuse most of us (dems) give in that we "trust" Obama or said Dem so we should ignore it. Well the same will be said of conservatives and a republican president, so when does it stop?

Ive said plenty of times on here that this selective outrage people tend to have because of the R or D after someone's name needs to stop. Sometimes, we need to act clear headed here and just see things as right or wrong without determining if the person is on "our side".

If you cant equally get upset about this if you are a conservative and a republican president did this, you might as well stop. all you are doing is being upset cause it obama.

i havent read responses but im sure weve gotten to the back and forth on republican or democract president x did something similar (and its probably not similar but you need something to pull out your ass) and the constant back and forth on the tit for tat which brings us to nothing

[Anonymous]

These republicans remind me of that episode of Seinfeld where George *thinks* he busted someone and gives this great big, "AH HAAA!" So gleeful. It's hilarious.

[Anonymous]

Holder is now before us denying any animus from the Ringmaster In Chief towards the press. How many times have we witnessed the inappropriate reference from the Ringmaster In Chief to specific members of the press: OReilly, Limbaugh, Hannity.........what a joke all of it is.

Let the sun shine.

[Anonymous]

Holder is now before us denying any animus from the Ringmaster In Chief towards the press. How many times have we witnessed the inappropriate reference from the Ringmaster In Chief to specific members of the press: OReilly, Limbaugh, Hannity.........what a joke all of it is.

Let the sun shine.

Who is the ringmaster in chief...is that the republican who is head of the hearing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Holder is now before us denying any animus from the Ringmaster In Chief towards the press. How many times have we witnessed the inappropriate reference from the Ringmaster In Chief to specific members of the press: OReilly, Limbaugh, Hannity.........what a joke all of it is.

Let the sun shine.

Those guys aren't "the press". They're GOP operatives. Te equivalent of Dick Morris or James Carville or Ann Coulter. The fact that you think so says a lot about your savvy. There are rubes and hucksters in this game. You're clearly one of the former.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Do we know if the records were actually subpeonaed? Or did the govt hack into the phone system and steal the info?

Context is important here.....

don't think we know. However, it is still troubling-no matter what the context.

Sorry, this is airy-fairy horseshit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Do we know if the records were actually subpeonaed? Or did the govt hack into the phone system and steal the info?

Context is important here.....

don't think we know. However, it is still troubling-no matter what the context.

Sorry, this is airy-fairy horseshit.

Why are we even discussing this, when practically every news article says it? It was a subpoena issued by a court.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Do we know if the records were actually subpeonaed? Or did the govt hack into the phone system and steal the info?

Context is important here.....

don't think we know. However, it is still troubling-no matter what the context.

Sorry, this is airy-fairy horseshit.

Why are we even discussing this, when practically every news article says it? It was a subpoena issued by a court.

Sorry, my response was to the idea that "context is not important", not that this was a legitimate investigation via perfectly legal channels. Here are the points we should be discussing:

If the press compromised active counter-terror operations for a story that only tipped off the terrorists, that sounds like it should be investigated.

It was not acceptable when the Bush Administration exposed Valerie Plame working undercover to stop terrorists from attacking us. It is not acceptable when anonymous sources do it either.

Is this story about a government source blowing the whistle on government misbehavior, or about a source gratuitously exposing ongoing counter-terrorism operations?

Did Republicans in Congress who are now exploiting the situation to score political points oppose the media shield law that likely would have protected the Associated Press in this situation?

How should the Justice Department strike the balance between respecting our free press and investigating damaging leaks that jeopardize counter-terrorism operations?

The idea that "the press" gets a free pass in any circumstance where national security was breached is misguided. And the idea that right-wing partisans would even think twice about this if the news gathering org was, say, Al Jazeera instead of the AP is beyond ludicrous.