Never Fear!

Congress to the rescue

Lawmakers will review domestic surveillance laws in the wake of leaked document showing the National Security Agency has collected millions of phone records, which provoked an uproar in the Capitol.

The government's admission of "PRISM," a classified program in which data is mined from the servers of nine leading Internet companies, is also expected to garner scrutiny.

  The Hill

Ooooh. They’re trembling in their boots at the NSA.

Congress has repeatedly voted to reauthorize language in the 2001 PATRIOT Act granting intelligence agencies broad discretion to collect phone data but many lawmakers were not fully aware of the implication of their votes.

Need we say anything more?

Okay, we will.

Democrats emphasized the broad surveillance program began under the administration of former President George W. Bush.

Your point?

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) would review the law and the surveillance program.

“Is the program perfect? Of course not,” said Reid. “I think what we should do is make sure Sen. Feinstein has an opportunity to review what has gone on.

[...]

Feinstein expressed concerns over how The Guardian obtained a secret court order authorizing the surveillance and said it warrants an investigation.

[...]

Feinstein and Sen. Saxby Chambliss (Ga.), the ranking Republican on the Intelligence Committee, said the blanket surveillance practices have been going on for seven years and lawmakers were informed of it.

[...]

Feinstein said colleagues should have known about the details of the surveillance program from briefings offered by the Intelligence panel.

“They don’t come,” she said.

See? No problem. Now calm down and go back to your room, or we’ll have to sedate you. For your own good. Meanwhile, Diane will find out what traitor leaked this information.

The Value of a Scoundrel's Pledge

“Political source: Netanyahu decided to build 3,000 new housing units in east Jerusalem and in settlements in the West Bank in response to the Palestinian action at the UN,” said a Hebrew tweet by Barak Ravid.

“Despite the commitments he gave to (US) President (Barack) Obama, PM Netanyahu gave the order to advance construction in the E1 area between Maaleh Adumim and Jerusalem which will cut off the northern part of the West Bank from the south,” he said.

Israel had pledged to freeze the E1 project as part of its commitments under the international roadmap for peace which was launched in 2003.

  Raw Story

The bully's bride. Pure evil. What will the bully have to say?

The White House  and the State Department said on Friday a new Israeli settlement expansion plan was "counterproductive" and could make it harder to bring Israel and the Palestinians back to the negotiating table.

[...]

"Direct negotiations remain our goal and we encourage all parties to take steps to make that easier to achieve."

  NBC

By all means. Encourage away.

And, back to pledging:

Four big-name Republicans have broken with Grover Norquist in recent days, saying they won’t be bound by their Norquist-sponsored pledges to oppose any and all tax increases.

The moves by Sens. Lindsey Graham (S.C.), Bob Corker (Tenn.) and Saxby Chambliss (Ga.) and Rep. Peter King (N.Y.) represent the opening steps of a delicate dance for the GOP.

  WaPo

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.