Alberto Gonzales a lying scumbag - but at least the N.Y. Times should know FISA was updated

So, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales got up in front of Congress again and lied his ass off, and probably came with in 10 seconds of telling them to screw themselves and that he was bullet-proof.

But the guy's a scumbag criminal, so that's neither here nor there.

One of his lies is rather irritating, however, especially considering how easily the mainstream media just accepts it, and how easy it is to debunk:

From the N.Y. Times

Mr. Gonzales said he wanted to focus on his department’s "No. 1 priority, keeping our country safe from terrorists, and the urgent need, quite frankly, for more help from Congress in this fight." Specifically, he said, Congress should update the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to address the vast advances in telecommunications technology in recent years and ease restrictions on gathering intelligence.

From Glenn Greenwald, here's what President Bush said in Oct. 2001 - after FISA had been updated:

The changes, effective today, will help counter a threat like no other our Nation has ever faced. . . .

We're dealing with terrorists who operate by highly sophisticated methods and technologies, some of which were not even available when our existing laws were written. The bill before me takes account of the new realities and dangers posed by modern terrorists. It will help law enforcement to identify, to dismantle, to disrupt, and to punish terrorists before they strike. . . .

Surveillance of communications is another essential tool to pursue and stop terrorists. The existing law was written in the era of rotary telephones. This new law I sign today will allow surveillance of all communications used by terrorists, including e-mails, the Internet, and cell phones. As of today, we'll be able to better meet the technological challenges posed by this proliferation of communications technology. . .

And then the next day Bush said:

The bill I signed yesterday gives intelligence and law enforcement officials additional tools they need to hunt and capture and punish terrorists. Our enemies operate by highly sophisticated methods and technologies, using the latest means of communication and the new weapon of bioterrorism.

When earlier laws were written, some of these methods did not even exist. The new law recognizes the realities and dangers posed by the modern terrorist. It will help us to prosecute terrorist organizations -- and also to detect them before they strike. . . .

Surveillance of communications is another essential method of law enforcement. But for a long time, we have been working under laws written in the era of rotary telephones. Under the new law, officials may conduct court-ordered surveillance of all modern forms of communication used by terrorists.

So really, this is more for the media then to Gonzales. The current Attorney General is a liar, so he's plenty aware that FISA was updated. Maybe it's time others caught on to that as well. Click here to read the rest of Greenwald's post.

--WKW