Day: December 2, 2006

Democrats Learn about Secret Gov’t Data Mining Program

Jon Ponder

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), the incoming chairman of the Judiciary Committee, has learned that for the past four years the Bush Administration has been secretly tracking the personal data of millions of Americans who have traveled abroad.

Leahy also learned that the government has been sharing its citizens’ personal data with just about everyone but the citizens:

“It is simply incredible that the Bush administration is willing to share this sensitive information with foreign governments and even private employers, while refusing to allow U.S. citizens to see or challenge their own terror scores,” Leahy said. This system “highlights the danger of government use of technology to conduct widespread surveillance of our daily lives without proper safeguards for privacy.”

As Olbermann pointed out last night, it is outrageous that the program was kept secret from Democrats. The authoritarians have been unsurpervised for six years. Imagine what else they’re hiding.

On This Date – December 2

Jon Ponder
  • 2005 – Pres. Bush bails on jury duty. [PR]
  • 2005 – Claiming that an “intoxicated” and “scantily clad” Anna Nicole Smith marred this summer’s Live 8 concert in Philadelphia, organizers of the charity fundraiser yesterday sued the Trimspa diet firm for failing to control its erratic spokesmodel and not paying a six-figure promotional fee. According to a federal lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. The concert raised funds to help impoverished people in Africa. [TSG]
  • 1997 – Republican David Cantania became the first openly gay person to be elected to the Washington DC city council.[365Gay]