Friday, August 18, 2006

Judge Orders Halt to Warrantless Surveillance
Bush Administration Says It Will Appeal the Ruling
By SARAH KARUSH, AP

"DETROIT (Aug. 18) - Noting "there are no hereditary Kings in America and no powers not created by the Constitution," a federal judge ruled Thursday that President Bush had exceeded his authority when he allowed the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on Americans without a warrant.

U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor in Detroit said the surveillance by the NSA violates the rights to free speech and privacy, as well as the separation of powers enshrined in the Constitution..."

Thank God there are still judges left who actually use the Constitution as their guide to interpreting the law, rather than these neo-cons who prefer to make it up and/or change the law as they go along.

That Bush/Gonzalez type of monkey business might play in Texas, but it took a woman judge from Motown to show these sleazy weasels how the cow ate the cabbage.

Let's just hope the Supremes don't get their hands on this ruling.

4 comments:

in.dog.neato said...

wait, though...the NeoCon crew are about to start slagging the lady for being an "Activist Judge." They love doing shit like that.

What IS an "Activist Judge," Anyhow? If you take it literally, it's any member of the bench who uses his/her judicial powers to push an agenda motivated by their particular personal beliefs...not the context of the Constitution.

If you take it that way, then there are an awful lot of "Activist Judges" in the NeoCon camp...trying to push their "moral" agenda on all of us.

The Educated Eclectic said...

I am very afraid it will get to SCOTUS. Sad to say.

Karen Zipdrive said...

Well, we pretty much know if it gets to SCOTUS, Bush will get a free ride.
What a state this nation is in. :(

Lulu Maude said...

While I applaud the ruling (and agree with its snarky aside), I have read that the legal reasoning is splotchy, even to those who agree with the ultimate decision. That can't help but kick it up to the next level of the judiciary.

Rats.