Monday, July 02, 2007
Lieberman Uses Foiled British Terror Plot To Push For Greater U.S. Domestic Spying
Appearing on ABC's This Week, Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) used the foiled terror attempts in London to call for greater domestic spying here in the United States. Lieberman said, "I hope these terrorist attacks in London wake us up here in America to stop the petty partisan fighting going on about ... electronic surveillance," in apparent reference to the Senate Judiciary Committee's subpoenas for documents related to Bush's NSA warrantless wiretapping program.
Lieberman claimed, "We're at a partisan gridlock over the question of whether the American government can listen into conversations or follow email trails of non-American citizens." This is false; the NSA spying program covered the surveillance of American citizens. The "gridlock" exists over whether the administration will cooperate with Congress by explaining why it feels current law is inadequate and why President Bush decided to ignore the law in authorizing a spying program that almost led to mass resignations at the Department of Justice.
Lieberman went further in his calls for greater domestic spying. "The Brits have got something smart going. ... They have have cameras all over London. ... I think it's just common sense to do that here much more widely."
It is entirely unsurprising that Lieberman advocates the use of closed circuit cameras here.
The bedwetting coverage in the U.S. of the fizzled London car bombings has had the distinct message of promoting the use of British-style CCTV systems in U.S. cities.
