DOJ files 2d lawsuit to prevent states from learning about surveillance program

By Lee Russ

Wednesday, July 26, 2006 at 03:29 PM

Having already sued to prevent New Jersey officials from learning about details of the NSA electronic surveillance program, the DOJ has now filed a similar suit to prevent Missouri officials from enforcing subpoenas issued last month to find out whether AT&T Inc. supplied Missouri customer information and calling records to the NSA in violation of Missouri privacy rules.

So individual citizens have no right to know whether their records have been compromised.  State officials responsible for protecting the state's citizens from abuses by telecommunication companies have no right to know whether records of their citizens have been compromised.  The court specifically set up to deal with foreign intelligence surveillance has no right to know which citizens have been selected for surveillance, what criteria were used for selection, or the strength of the evidence on which surveillance was ordered.  Congress has no right to those same details.

My, my, how could anyone think this program was subject to serious abuse that might threaten not only personal privacy but the very foundation of our system of government.

What Bush and friends really want (and need) is a nation of Sergeant Schultzes, from the old t.v. series Hogan's Heroes: people who See Nothing, Nothing!