Our spying government

CNN has published a summary of Time Magazine's cover story. It's entitled, "Inside Bush's secret spy net". Here's part of what it says:

-- Around the White House, an abrupt change in the president's public schedule is known as an "audible," and generally, it's the last thing anyone wants to suggest to a boss so allergic to disruption that he makes everyone turn off their cell phones when he's in the room.

But last week, when USA Today broke a story that the federal government has been secretly keeping track of the phone calls that tens of millions of ordinary Americans make each day, it was George Bush himself who proposed an impromptu appearance before the television cameras. "I want to say something about this myself," he told aides who had gathered in the Oval Office.

To reporters, Bush offered no denial, or even much by way of explanation. "The intelligence activities I authorized are lawful," he said, without specifying which laws in particular had authorized them.

And he added, "So far, we've been very successful in preventing another attack on our soil."

There was a time -- say, four years and nine months ago -- when news that the government has been gathering up phone records might have the makings of a scandal, or even a constitutional crisis. But while there have been protests from civil libertarians and some criticism on Capitol Hill, early indications suggest the disclosures could actually give a political boost to a president who hasn't had many of those lately.

The day after USA Today broke the story that the National Security Agency (NSA) aimed to "create a database of every call ever made" within the U.S., as one of the paper's sources put it, a Washington Post-ABC News poll found that 63 percent of those who were asked said they found the NSA program to be an acceptable way to fight terrorism, and 44 percent said they strongly approved of it.

First of all, the president is a control freak. It's a serious character defect not to be able to tolerate a change in schedule or an ordinary disruption.

Secondly, it's beyond horrible that the spying scandal (yes, I will call it a scandal) could actually give Bush a boost. But I don't trust that poll. I'd like to know something about their sample. Because the CNN Quick Vote polls (admittedly not scientific) indicated the exact opposite - that people were "creeped out" and "bothered" by the spying. Is it only liberals who log on to the CNN web site? I doubt it very much.

The article ends this way:

White House officials hint that only long distance calls, not local ones, are in the database, but they won't go much further. Even some of the president's friends say they need more answers. And given Bush's expansive view of his powers in fighting terrorism, the revelation has only fueled speculation as to what else the government may be doing.

Well, I think the "hint" is pure spin. And I also want to knw what else the goverment may be doing. It's clear these people have no conscience and no respect for the Fourth Amendment at all.