Recently in NSA Category

And the Democrats are outraged. How do we know they are outraged? Because they leaked it:

A conference call to the committee's nine Democrats on Wednesday to inform them of the aide's suspension prompted outrage, said two congressional officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about internal committee business.

The officials said that the National Intelligence Estimate was marked "secret," rather than "top secret" or another more restrictive classification. As a result, thousands of people would have had access to it, including the intelligence, armed services and international relations committees of the House.

While I'm encouraged that some effort is being made to determine the sources of the leaks, this story is near zero for me. Why? 'Cause there is nothing but suspicion here so far. The Democrats correctly state that a large number of people have access to the NIE, and we don't know if the staffer ordered the report for someone else or for himself.

What I still don't get is why Congress ignores the press (and their role) in all of this. Classified information requires controls and boundaries. Once it crosses outside of those boundaries, it's no longer classified information - it's stolen classified information. One would think the government could leverage this to compell reporters to reveal the leakers as part of a criminal investigation, since receiving stolen goods is a crime. Until we do, the leaks will never stop. And while the left may think it's cute to leak classified data for political purposes, the fact is that it harms our country when they do so.

So until I see someone being prosecuted, I'm going to have to assume that this staffer suspension (along with all of the promises of investigation for past leaks) is simply intended to be eyewash - red meat for the base.

For me, though, it's a flavorless meal that leaves me not just unsatified, but starving.

This revelation from Bill Keller as to who the White House supposedly asked to intervene on the lastest exposure of secret anti-terror programs.

Are you ready?

Jack Murtha.

Yeah, the one and only.

Keller insists that "not all of them urged us not to publish". Bryan at Hot Air deduces that Murtha was the odd man out.

If this is the case, Murtha has some big-time 'splainin to do. But don't count on the NYT to tell us - Keller doesn't mind publishing national security related secrets, but considers his conversation with Murtha to be confidential.

This wound up flying under the radar due to other news:

DETROIT -- The Bush administration argued in U.S. District Court in Detroit on Monday that it cannot defend itself against accusations that a domestic spying program is illegal and unconstitutional because details of the program would be revealed, rendering it ineffective and jeopardizing national security.

"The president has decided that the program is necessary to protect and defend the United States of America against a terrorist attack by the al-Qaida network, which has already killed thousands of Americans," Anthony Coppolino, a lawyer for the Department of Justice said in the nation's first court hearing on the spying program.

"Without evidence that goes to the heart of the matter, the president's claims cannot be addressed."

The domestic surveillance program -- in which the National Security Agency taps telephone calls between United States and other countries -- is being challenged by a host of lawyers, academicians, journalists, advocates for civil liberties and Nazih Hassan, a Lebanese immigrant who lives in Ypsilanti. They all asked U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor to order a halt to the spying.

One of the major issues is the "standing" required to bring suit. The ACLU lawyer, Ann Beeson:

Beeson said her clients have had to discontinue making or receiving overseas calls out of fear the government is intercepting private conversations protected by the First and Fourth amendments and other federal laws.

The problem the left has in this case is that they lack a victim - so they have to cynically argue that their clients "fear" the government. None of them can claim any direct harm. I see their argument as backwards. Sue the government with zero evidence, and demand a fishing expedition to force the government to prove they didn't do it.

Under that kind of reasoning, I should be able to sign on to any class action suit against a drug company over side effects. When asked for proof that I used the medication in question, I should be able to respond, "Make the drug company prove I didn't use it." It would also work for discrimination suits as well.

The next hearing is on July 10.

Further reflection (9:20am EST): It also seems that if these people "fear" their calls being intercepted, perhaps the NYT, DNC, and the ACLU itself deserve the blame. After all, the non-stop dishonest branding of the program as something that it's not (illegal widespead domestic spying with Americans as primary targets) by the ACLU, the media, and the left has been intended to instill fear for political gain.

Via AP/Yahoo:

USA Today reported last week that three of the four major phone companies provided information on the calling records of millions of Americans. Two of the companies — Verizon Communications Inc. and BellSouth Corp. — have since disputed key assertions that they provided vast amounts of customer data to the NSA.

In an interview, Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., a former FBI agent and intelligence committee member, said: "I can assure you there are no customer records involved. None." But he would not elaborate on the briefings he received.

But it came from an unnamed source. Doesn't it have to be true?

"I think it was inaccurately reported and completely overblown about what is and what isn't available to the NSA," he said.

Oh, my. What's the left gonna do without victims?

Added - Sad thing is, USA Today will probably get a pulitzer anyway, as a reward for making the administration look bad and because they thought they were publishing classified information. It wasn't their fault it wasn't true...

After all, it's the thought that counts...

Over the last few days, several things have happened:

Congressional Panels to Get NSA Briefings

And I'm sure that just as the limited briefings produced a bipartisan crowd that a) wants the programs to continue and b) doesn't complain about legality, this new round of briefings will have a similar effect. Ain't truth wonderful?

Hatch Says Court Briefed on Surveillance

Way back in 2001. Who wants to float the theory that the administration is afraid of courts now?

BellSouth Denies It Gave NSA Call Data
Verizon Denies Giving NSA Phone Records

Hang on - I thought that unnamed sources were always reliable?

If the trend continues, some books may sell better in the humor category.

Uh, that would be Joseph Nacchio.

I wouldn't be surprised if that isn't the only bad decision he's ever made.

Via AP/Yahoo:

Congress Demands Phone Records Answers

WASHINGTON - Congressional Republicans and Democrats demanded answers from the Bush administration Thursday about a government spy agency secretly collecting records of ordinary Americans' phone calls to build a database of every call made within the country.

Presumably this has been discussed with key members of the intelligence committees as the terrorist surveilance program was. I suspect we'll get the same level of silence from those members. And once again, there will be calls for hearings, but no one will call for the program to end.

I don't believe that Congressional Republicans are as loyal to the President as the left suggests. Shoring up my belief that the NSA terrorist surveilance program was legal was the low number of complaints from the right. If the "R" crowd in congress really thought the President broke the law, they'd throw Bush under the bus in a heartbeat. And it would help them gain (instead of lose) seats this fall.

Watch what congress doesn't do. That will tell you more than the pandering statements made to the press.