Hayden: A colossal failure lacking credibility to head the CIA?
I got to admit, when I saw the words "Credibility Gap" and "Hayden" in the same headline above Dave's latest column, I nearly choked on my early-morning coffee. Could Dave actually be coming around to his senses, taking a stand against Bush's pick to be the next head of CIA?
That was simply a case of wishful thinking. Of course Dave, good Bush apologist that he is, stands behind Dubya's pick to head the CIA. The "credibility gap" Dave is referring to refers to Senator Ron Wyden, who in discussing Hayden's nomination stated: "General, having evaluated your words, I now have a difficult time with your credibility."
And with good reason, too. As a director for the Natonal Securtiy Agency, Hayden oversaw the warrantless survelliance program of United States citizens. This program has led to a huge database of millions of Americans' phone calls, tracking traffic and patterns in a supposed effort to "fight terrorism." These phone records, mind you, were forcefully collected from phone companies by the federal government without a court order or the issuing of any warrant. Qwest was the only company that resisted the federal government's intrusion into their customer's privacy, early reports indicated, which raises the question: if the database of phone calls created by the federal government was legal, couldn't they have used court orders to demand Qwest to hand over these records?
But wait, I'm ahead of myself here. To begin with, Bush informed American voters that any time he was talking about a wiretap, that required a court order. As he said that, he was lying, as his administration, with the help of Hayden, had begun the implementation of the warrantless wire-tapping program of American phone-calls. This program was revealed to the general public last winter, and Bush ostensibly declared that the only phone calls being wiretapped involved those between a U.S. citizen and of foreigners, 'allegedly' terrorists.
I use the term 'allegedly' as not one single terrorist has been caught using this warrantless surveillance program. Not one. Oh, and also, the claim that the only calls being tapped were between the U.S. and overseas? That's anotehr lie, as the revelation of this database proves. That, and the fact that ABC News has reported that government officials are tracking their phone records in an attempt to reveal sources. When you consider that Hayden's brainchild has now led to the FBI claiming that all journalists' phone records are 'fair game,' leading to an undeniably chilling effect on political discourse, I don't have time to listen to Dave's hogwash about Senator Wyden's "credibility gap."
When you consider that Jack McCafferty, a conservative commentator, notes that Hayden's brainchild has brought this country "one step closer to a dictatorship" then it should be pointed out that its not just Democratic Senators that feel there is a "lack of credibility" with General Hayden. Sheesh, it reminds me of a recent Tom Tomorrow cartoon, about the "revised revised revised" story. Are transcripts of individual phone calls going to be released next?
But Dave says "we're in a time of war." Against who? Us? Why is this administration so intent on fighting a war against Americans? Our border is so porous that hundreds enter our country illegally every day, and Hayden's NSA is more interested on who we're calling? Contrary to Bush saying that Hayden is the "right man at the right time"- the same thing he said about Porter Goss 19 months ago, by the way- Hayden is not the right man to head the CIA. As a director of security, Hayden has been a colossal failure.
Of course, that never prevented Paul Bremer from receiving the Medal of Freedom.
That was simply a case of wishful thinking. Of course Dave, good Bush apologist that he is, stands behind Dubya's pick to head the CIA. The "credibility gap" Dave is referring to refers to Senator Ron Wyden, who in discussing Hayden's nomination stated: "General, having evaluated your words, I now have a difficult time with your credibility."
And with good reason, too. As a director for the Natonal Securtiy Agency, Hayden oversaw the warrantless survelliance program of United States citizens. This program has led to a huge database of millions of Americans' phone calls, tracking traffic and patterns in a supposed effort to "fight terrorism." These phone records, mind you, were forcefully collected from phone companies by the federal government without a court order or the issuing of any warrant. Qwest was the only company that resisted the federal government's intrusion into their customer's privacy, early reports indicated, which raises the question: if the database of phone calls created by the federal government was legal, couldn't they have used court orders to demand Qwest to hand over these records?
But wait, I'm ahead of myself here. To begin with, Bush informed American voters that any time he was talking about a wiretap, that required a court order. As he said that, he was lying, as his administration, with the help of Hayden, had begun the implementation of the warrantless wire-tapping program of American phone-calls. This program was revealed to the general public last winter, and Bush ostensibly declared that the only phone calls being wiretapped involved those between a U.S. citizen and of foreigners, 'allegedly' terrorists.
I use the term 'allegedly' as not one single terrorist has been caught using this warrantless surveillance program. Not one. Oh, and also, the claim that the only calls being tapped were between the U.S. and overseas? That's anotehr lie, as the revelation of this database proves. That, and the fact that ABC News has reported that government officials are tracking their phone records in an attempt to reveal sources. When you consider that Hayden's brainchild has now led to the FBI claiming that all journalists' phone records are 'fair game,' leading to an undeniably chilling effect on political discourse, I don't have time to listen to Dave's hogwash about Senator Wyden's "credibility gap."
When you consider that Jack McCafferty, a conservative commentator, notes that Hayden's brainchild has brought this country "one step closer to a dictatorship" then it should be pointed out that its not just Democratic Senators that feel there is a "lack of credibility" with General Hayden. Sheesh, it reminds me of a recent Tom Tomorrow cartoon, about the "revised revised revised" story. Are transcripts of individual phone calls going to be released next?
But Dave says "we're in a time of war." Against who? Us? Why is this administration so intent on fighting a war against Americans? Our border is so porous that hundreds enter our country illegally every day, and Hayden's NSA is more interested on who we're calling? Contrary to Bush saying that Hayden is the "right man at the right time"- the same thing he said about Porter Goss 19 months ago, by the way- Hayden is not the right man to head the CIA. As a director of security, Hayden has been a colossal failure.
Of course, that never prevented Paul Bremer from receiving the Medal of Freedom.
posted by true_slicky at 5:04 PM
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