By Jim Spencer
SpencerSpeaks.com
The National Republican Senatorial Committee’s first shot in the Mark Udall-Bob Schaffer U.S. Senate race turns out to be a blank.
The 48-second YouTube ad says Udall’s support for an updated version of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act – or FISA – would make it easier for terrorists to attack
Actually, the ad doesn’t mention FISA. It’s too busy talking about “known terrorists†calling the
And so, the lying begins.
Udall supports an intelligence bill that let’s the government tap communications in emergency situations before it gets the FISA court’s permission. The court just has to review the emergency action within 45 days after it starts.
But that kind of accuracy has no place in a sound bite meant to promote fear rather than fact.
The FISA update that Udall backs not only allows for emergency surveillance before warrants are issued, it actually lets the government get non-specific, open-ended warrants to monitor people or group for up to a year. That is not probable cause. It is a fishing expedition.
But it is the kind of tool that both political parties know is needed in the war on terror. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Udall understands better than most of his colleagues. If the Republicans want to smear him with a wussy factor, they’ll need to do better than their current effort.
Here, according the Congress’ website, is what both parties agree on: You don’t need a court warrant to intercept communications of “non-United States person when both ends of the communications are outside the
Both sides also agree that you need an individual court warrant “when targeting persons in the
The debate starts there.
In the Colorado Senate race Republicans can begin by saying what their guy believes. Schaffer should articulate his points about warrantless wiretaps and aim them at actual differences with Udall.
Where Udall differs with Republicans generally is in his support for tough auditing of any wiretaps that do take place. The purpose of the audits is to try to minimize the impact of intelligence-gathering on innocent American citizens and legal
But make no mistake. No matter which version of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act the men in the Colorado Senate race - or any others - choose, a simple fact exists.
The government will have the capacity to listen first and explain later.
Under one plan it will just have a little more explaining to do after the fact.
Benjamin Wittes, the Brookings Institution’s Research Director in Public Law and Governance Studies, said it well in an article:
Under either the Republican or Democratic approach, “the National Security Agency will have the legal authority to listen to your calls without first going to the
As long as that’s true for regular Americans, it’s going to be true of terrorists. And as long as that’s true of terrorists, the YouTube attack on Udall is a lie.
Copyright 2007 by Jim Spencer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
5 users commented in " Attack Ad Substitutes Fear for Fact "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackJim, it’s great that the inaccuracies can be discovered and the ad can be disputed, but the sad issue is that, it’s inaccuracy is no accident and IS a lie developed to incite fear and mislead the public. Once any sound bite gets out, a new idea and life takes flight and spreads ever so more inaccurately throughout the misinformed electorate. An electorate that selectively hears sound bites to support their bias. Udall and every candidate, this includes Republicans, must turn on a dime to dispute inaccuracies. The problem with that is once your opponent puts you on the defensive you expend your energies and moneys playing catch up.
This is not a new way to politic, but the art has been refined by the Rove Republicans to discredit anyone that gets in the way of winning. Look at the smear campaign against McCain in South Carolina during the 2000 presidential primary. There is no accountability or liability for loose lips or lying lips in the press. The lies are front page and the retractions are back page if at all. This is only exacerbated by the fact that the media has increasingly been gobbled up by conservative interests that promote this behavior. Does The Denver Post sound like a familiar pawn in this game?
I guess journalism has always been a mix of truth and deception. The problem today is that the reach of “news” is further and deeper than at any point in our history. Who will have the greatest stamina?
Lies, of omission as well as commission, are a specialty of the right wing of the Colorado Republican Party. More and more, the acquisition of power and decision-making seems to be the goal, as opposed to serving the interests of the public.
We are not better off as a result, and the republic continues its drift into dangerous waters as long as ideologues (from either party) are running the show.
Just another example of how the GOP doesn’t get the FISA law or the Bill Of Rights. Let’s scare the public. It’s worked before so it will work again. Big question is will it? Or will the voting public see through this sham?
I recall that during the 04 election there was a report out of the White House that the terror risk was so high we might not even be able to have the election. There was a great hue and cry from the public.
After Tom Ridge stepped down he even said that some of the terror alerts were not really high risk. Let’s hope the GOP may have called wolf once too often.
Jay,
I hate to break it to you>> but if they are allowed to listen to your phone calls, without a warrant, for up to a year with only a cursory review at 45 days at the FISA court, it seems like Udall doesn’t get the Bill of Rights either (specifically the 4th Ammendment). This ammendment doesn’t cover “fishing expeditions” as Jim puts it. I guess that this is Jim’s ultimate underlying point. That Udall isn’t a wuss, as he’s just as willing to trample on our freedoms and liberty as the GOP.
Be proud.
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