Here is Di Feinstein's response to NSA phone captures [View all]
I just had an opportunity to review the Guardian article and Id like to make the following points.
As far as I know, this is the exact three month renewal of what has been the case for the past seven years. This renewal is carried out by the FISA Court under the business records section of the Patriot Act. Therefore, it is lawful.
It has been briefed to Congress and the letters that we have distributed and youll note on the dates, this is prior to the Patriot Act amendments coming before the body, each of those. As you know, this is just metadata. There is no content involved. In other words, no content of a communication. That can only be, these records, Im not talking about content, the records can only be accessed under heightened standards. The information goes into a database, the metadata, but cannot be accessed without whats called, and I quote, reasonable, articulable suspicion that the records are relevant and related to terrorist activity.
As you know, and Ive pointed out many times, there have been approximately 100 plots and also arrests made since 2009 by the FBI. I do not know to what extent metadata was used or if it was used, but I do know this: That terrorists will come after us if they can and the only thing we have to deter this is good intelligence. To understand that a plot is being hatched and to get there before they get to us.
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Is there any possibility she can be primaried? I'll donate! Also, one wonders if her hubby is making millions off of the surveillance operations.
More at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/06/06/transcript-dianne-feinstein-saxby-chambliss-explain-defend-nsa-phone-records-program/