FBI Busted
Could this be a way station on the return to reason?
WASHINGTON - Republicans and Democrats alike sternly warned the FBI on Tuesday that it risks losing its broad power to collect telephone, e-mail and financial records to hunt terrorists because of rampant abuses of the authority.
The threats were the latest blow to the embattled Justice Department and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who is already on the defensive and fighting to keep his job over the firings of federal prosecutors.
The warnings came as the department’s chief watchdog, inspector general Glenn A. Fine, told the House Judiciary Committee that the FBI engaged in widespread and serious misuse of its authority to issue national security letters, which resulted in illegally collecting data from Americans and foreigners.
Rampant abuses of authority. Can anyone tell me they’re really surprised? Well, anyone other than Alberton Gonzales, that is. It’s good to see that there is bipartisan concern over illegal collection of information.