The Algore calls it "outrageous", ACLU asking for investigations. Can't libs/cons agree on this?

[Taylor]

I was expecting a United front from both Cons and Libs on this, and we better.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/05/politics/n...index.html

Report: Secret court order forces Verizon to turn over telephone records of millions

Former Vice President Al Gore also criticized the move.

"In the digital era, privacy must be a priority. Is it just me, or is secret blanket surveillance obscenely outrageous?" he said in a post on Twitter.

Reacting to Wednesday's disclosure, the American Civil Liberties Union called for an immediate end to the order and a congressional investigation into the move.

"It's a program in which some untold number of innocent people have been put under the constant surveillance of government agents," Jameel Jaffer, the ACLU's deputy legal director, said.

"It is beyond Orwellian, and it provides further evidence of the extent to which basic democratic rights are being surrendered in secret to the demands of unaccountable intelligence agencies."

Liberals: This is NOT the same as under Bush
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/06...lp00000003
"The broad, unlimited nature of the records being handed over to the NSA is unusual. FISA court orders typically direct the production of records pertaining to a specific named target suspected of being an agent of a terrorist group or foreign state, or a finite set of individually named targets."

[Carlos M]

If AL Gore is for or against something be very careful it may be fake treasure, but this invasion proves we do not have to worry about an invasion by our enemies our own Government is destroying our country and our constitution.

[biggalloot2003]

In America it is all about US vs THEM. The saints engaged with an endless battle with the demons!

No matter how obviously wrong something is, the side responsible will never, EVER admit it.

It plays well to the dummies!

[justagrandma]

You do know that this is authorized under the Patriot Act a Bush proposal enthusiastically made into law by the Republican House and Senate rubber-stamp that Bush enjoyed.
It is not wiretapping, its phone numbers which were called, and it is part of that act.
While it is unusual it is still legal, and was done legally.

There are a lot of unnamed sources revealing national security secrets here, that may or may not be the whole story. In any event they are not listening in, they are seeing how many times a suspected terrorist is being called an by whom. I could see where that could be useful.
While it is bulk numbers why would most of us care at all, after all, Verizon has those records too.
Do we think that's some sort of invasion of privacy?

[AnOldGuy]

I believe we will get mostly bipartisan support on this. The hardcore supporters may try and justify this, just as many on the right tried to explain away the Bush wiretaps. But mostly, one concept both the left and right have traditionally agreed on: The government should spy on its citizens without specific justification.

BTW, you're correct this is not quite the same as the Bush wiretapping. This is far more widespread, invading the privacy of many more people. But also far less intrusive, as it only tracks who calls who, not what was said. So we can't say one is worse then the other, both are/were completely wrong.

After watching the White House navigate through several pseudo-scandals, there finally is a real one. And an absolutely disgusting one. Talk about big brother!

And it is fortunate we seem to have bipartisan support. After the congressional republicans repeatedly made huge commotions over nothing, they've lost credibility.