Group hits Walz on intelligence law

Posted at 9:57 AM on February 25, 2008 by Tom Scheck (7 Comments)

A group called the Defense of Democracies has started running an ad in Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District. The group is criticizing the House for failing to vote for an extension to a terrorist surveillance law. Here’s the ad.

The Foundation of Defense of Democracies says they are “the only nonpartisan policy institute dedicated exclusively to promoting pluralism, defending democratic values, and fighting the ideologies that drive terrorism.”

There’s some other background on the group here and here.

DFL Rep. Tim Walz said the ad is reckless:

“Implying that America’s surveillance against terrorists is crippled is a lie. What's worse, this group has encouraged terrorists to think our country’s surveillance system is weak, when nothing could be further from the truth. Why on earth would any group go on television and claim that America's intelligence agencies can't do their job?”

The Owatonna People's Press writes about the ad flap here.

Comments (7)

Please note: A damaged link from the second "here" in the sentence "There’s some other background on the group here and here."

Posted by Leigh Pomeroy | February 25, 2008 2:02 PM

Lots more at Bluestem Prairie, as you well know, Tom. Since the Owatonna People Press has no rss feed, after all...

Posted by Ollie Ox | February 25, 2008 2:08 PM

What's the matter, Tom? Isn't anyone commenting about this post?

Posted by Ollie Ox | February 25, 2008 4:01 PM

Sorry I was late with the posting of comments. I was stuck on the House floor with the transpo debate. I'm not having a problem with the second link. Please let me know whether it's still a problem...

here are the urls that you could copy and paste :

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Foundation_for_the_Defense_of_Democracies

http://rightweb.irc-online.org/profile/1475

Posted by Tom Scheck | February 25, 2008 7:21 PM

Walz and his house colleagues recklessly went on vacation leaving the senate bill, which extended our surveillance abilities on the table.

We're now back to 1978 when we have to go to a court first, ask for a warrant and hope that by the time we get the warrant approved we haven't lost the call. We live in a world where people can buy disposable cell phones by the truck load. Leaving Washington while FISA is broken is the most irresponsible thing Congress has done in recent memory.

Posted by First District Resident | February 25, 2008 8:14 PM

So what is Donna Brazile doing on The Board of Advisors for the Defense of Democracies with all of those conservatives and neo-cons?

You can excuse Schumer and Lautenberg because of their proximity to 9/11, but Donna Brazile?

What's that about?

Posted by Zol Heyman | February 25, 2008 9:46 PM

First District Resident, your post is factually incorrect. The FISA bill - updated numerous times, up to and including 2006 - provides for immediate surveillance of Americans as long as the warrant application takes place within three days.

As always, no warrant is necessary for surveillance of non-American targets.

As has been proven numerous times throughout human history, those in political power will abuse surveillance if there is no oversight. All anyone is asking for is a warrant.

Why does the Bush Administration have to junk the 4th Amendment?

Posted by sfHeath | February 26, 2008 10:14 AM

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