MB Civic

To the Editor:

Re “A Leap of Faith, Off a Cliff” (editorial, June 15):

As a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, I have been briefed on the terrorist surveillance program. Contrary to what the Bush administration asserts, I believe that this program should operate exclusively under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. That is why I drafted legislation, co-sponsored by Senator Arlen Specter, Republican of Pennsylvania, that would preserve the individualized warrant process now required by FISA.

In a June 11 editorial, you claimed that the Feinstein-Specter bill “leaves a gaping loophole for Mr. Bush to go on ignoring FISA.” Now you contend that the bill is “highly premature.” I respectfully disagree.

First, there is no loophole. And second, I believe it is crucial that Congress reaffirm that this domestic electronic surveillance should occur only in concordance with FISA.

In fact, the American Bar Association, after rejecting other bills pending in the Judiciary Committee, endorsed my legislation, and noted, “We particularly welcome the provisions in the bill that reiterate that FISA and Title III of the criminal code are the exclusive means for conducting electronic surveillance and that prohibit the use of funds for surveillance being conducted outside of this framework.”

Dianne Feinstein
U.S. Senator from California
Washington, June 15, 2006

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To the Editor:

To expect any Republican senator to challenge the legality of the National Security Agency’s domestic surveillance program in an election year is fantasy.

Despite all claims of the program’s legality, the administration fought every attempt by the courts or Congress to find out just what the N.S.A. is really doing. In addition, the administration has repeatedly misled Congress and the public about the extent of the spying, conceding new methods of investigation only after information is leaked.

In these highly partisan times where power trumps all ideals, what Republican will risk his job and his party’s control just to expose illegal domestic spying, particularly when 50 percent of Americans don’t seem to care. It took years before the Republican Party recovered from the scandal of Watergate, so no senator will voluntarily sacrifice everything just to protect our freedoms.

Dan Hancock
Media, Pa., June 15, 2006

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To the Editor:

You rate the quality of the different domestic spying bills currently being discussed as if the outcome really mattered.

This is exactly the kind of legislation for which President Bush will concoct one of his bogus “signing statements” and then simply ignore the law.

Brock Adler
Brooklyn, June 15, 2006