Watching The Watchmen

Below is a roundup of links relating to the investigation of the President's secret spying program...

The main one I wanted to highlight was this by the Washington Times' magazine-
Wiretaps fail to make dent in terror war; al Qaeda used messengers

In the post I did last night, I detailed growing concerns about not just the program's legality... but its effectiveness as well. After all, if a program is not only a gross violation of law, but useless for national security, then the President's crimes are doubled. The article begins, "The Bush administration's surveillance policy has failed to make a dent in the war against al Qaeda". It also later notes this startling revelation- "despite the huge amount of raw material gathered under the legislation, the FBI has not captured one major al Qaeda operative in the United States. Instead, federal authorities have been allowed to use non-terrorist material obtained through the surveillance program for investigation and prosecution."

Surprising revelations coming from a publication that is normally very pro-Bush. I think this represents an interesting shift in some conservative corners. Distrust of the government used to be a staple of conservatism. Maybe it's making a comeback.

-The administration's assurances that the spying program doesn't involve domestic activity doesn't make sense with their main argument:
Limiting NSA Spying Is Inconsistent With Rationale, Critics Say

-Glenn Greenwald explores this point as well... and notes how Gonzales' language may indicate a second program:
A Catch-22 for the Administration

-A Salon columnist also explores the rhetorical tricks employed by Gonzales:
Words by Gonzales, logic by Kafka

Alberto Gonzales' bizarre defense of Bush's illegal domestic spying revealed him to have unsuspected imaginative gifts.

-ThinkProgress catches Gonzales in another lie- this one on FISA's probable-cause requirement:
Washington Post: Gonzales Misled Congress Again

And where do we go from here?

-Former Deputy Attorney General Comey (who tried to stop the program) has been asked to testify:
Comey Asked by Specter to Testify Before Judiciary Committee

-White House talking points of solely Democratic concern continues to get squashed:
Majority Leader Boehner Supports Congressional Investigation Of Bush’s Warrantless Surveillance