Monday, January 23, 2006

Of Spies and Speeding Tickets

Well, I got my first Speeding ticket today. 71 in a 55 zone. now don't go and think that I go that fast all the time, especialy in the winter. I was a safe distance behind someone who was going that fast, and I was just keeping up. and of course the CHP only likes to pull over one speeder at a time. And of course it was me, the guy in back. over all the dealing with the Hypo wasnt that bad though. he was a nice guy, and I think I have had coffee with him durring my Thrid Ride with SEMSA (the local ambulance company, and a thrid ride is time you have in an ambulance when becoming and EMT) anyhow, I got the ticket. I don't know how much it cost me yet.
Now I'm not that mad, but I must admit that it has been on my mind since I got it at about 12:30 this after noon.
The only thing that got my dander up enough to keep the ticket out of my mind was seeing Alberto Gonzalas (the Clarence Thomas of Latinos) lie on national television (The News Hour with Jim Lerher).
What did he lie about? Spying. In particular electronic surveilance of phone calls. He claimed that the program which El Presidente instated which bypassed the FISA courts only monitored calls with suspected members of Al Queda, and those people conversing with them. The lie in this has to do with not being able to get a warrant. If, as our good friend Atourney General Speedy stated, people linked to Al Queda were the only targets a FISA warrant would be a non issue. the NSA wouldn't even have to get a warrant first, they could get one afterwards. If these people being monitored were truly tied to Al Queda then a warrant would not be hard to get. (it should also be noted that in it's entire existance the FISA court has rejected less than 10 warrants) Clearly not all the people monitored were truly connected to Al Queda.

yay for violating the Fourth Ammendment.

well at least googles with me on this stuff.

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