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HUMOR: Justice Dept. memo translated into non-legalese |
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Written by Jack Kus
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Saturday, 21 January 2006 |
Here's how Tim Dickinson of Rolling Stone on Friday translated "the canon of constitutional avoidance" invoked in the Justice Department's justification for the president's illegal (or as power-worshippers like to say, "extra-legal") program of spying on Americans without a warrant, even though that's specifically prohibited by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (50 USC 1801-1811): "Fuck you, we'll spy when we want." ...
National Affairs Daily
FOURTH AMENDMENT FOLLIES
By Tim Dickinson
Rolling Stone
January 20, 2006
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/nataffdaily/story/9166397
Is the President's NSA spying scandal just so much ado about nothing? Let's look at the Justice Department defense of the program:
"Even if there were ambiguity about whether FISA, read together with the AUMF, permits the President to authorize the NSA activities, the canon of constitutional avoidance requires reading these statutes in harmony to overcome any restrictions in FISA and Title III, at least as they might otherwise apply to the congressionally authorized armed conflict with al Qaeda. "
Right. Translation: Fuck you, we'll spy when we want.
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 21 January 2006 )
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