Presidential memorandum signed by the President on May 5 LOOK!!!

I've been trying to figure out why the phone companies waited six days to deny the US News story.
I came across this info on Think Progress:

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/17/new-executive-order/

snip>>>>

In recent days, AT&T, Bell South and Verizon have all issued statements denying that they’ve handed over phone records to the NSA, as reported by USA today.

There are three possibilities:

1) The USA Today story is inaccurate;

2) The telcos left enough wiggle room in the statements that both the USA Today story and their statements are accurate; or

3) The statements from the telcos are inaccurate.

Ordinarily, a company that conceals their transactions and activities from the public would violate securities law. But an presidential memorandum signed by the President on May 5 allows the Director of National Intelligence, John Negroponte, to authorize a company to conceal activities related to national security. (See 15 U.S.C. 78m(b)(3)(A))

There is no evidence that this executive order has been used by John Negroponte with respect to the telcos. Of course, if it was used, we wouldn’t know about it.

end snip>>>>

CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS SHIT???????


edit: Title of post

with more info:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1226909

I'm so glad this is getting attention today. I'm going to send more info to the media. They have got to start defending themselves and not bend over anymore! this is ridiculous

whether the companies can disseminate info that they know is wrong, to conceal their activities. I'd guess that the answer is no, but it's illegal to begin with, idn't it? The sky's the limit! :silly:

And sadly, I have no choice but to believe this shit. :grr:

There are a lot of suspicions about the story

CBS says:
A Story Slipping Away?


(AP / CBS)
Are we watching a story fall apart before our very eyes? Something is certainly going on with that USA Today front-page splash about the secret NSA program to collect and analyze all the phone calls made within the United States. The story, published last week, sparked a fierce debate about privacy and the government’s ability to spy on Americans. It drew rebukes from even administration allies. There were no blanket denials made by the administration and no protestations of inaccurate reporting by those in the know. And there were no denials made by the phone companies named in the story as having provided information to the NSA – at least until now.

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2006/05/16/publiceye/entry1622693.shtml

leaked to Miller so the probability that bush signed a Presidential Memorandum retro-actively is very likely, imo.

crappola is really happening. These F*ing CROOKS!

R:kick:

I can't believe this murderer crook Negroponte can have this kind of power! I know I believe anything is possible with these assholes but I can't help saying "I can't believe it"

Kick!

I am going to write my guy Durbin and I'll send an email to Keith O and maybe Jon S.
Can any one suggest a reporter fron one of the newsprint media? David Schuster is NBC right?

they gave a non-denial denial at first. Now they are flat out lying. I highly doubt the reporter, Leslie Cauley, whom has countless contacts (I think I heard 5 Rolodexes worth) in the telco industry would get this wrong. I used to think she was right and after seeing this piece of evidence I definitely know she is right.

I wonder if they were tapping her phone, and knew when the paper was going to publish this story. Then they put out this memo to cover it up, so the companies could lie. It was ten days before the story, but it probably took some time to write it.

This makes me wonder what more she was on to. Remember, we know they are tracking reporters call habits from ABC, NYT, and WashPo, and I don't think it is that much of a stretch for these people to track her calling habits. We also know they engaged in wiretapping without court orders, so it is not too far of a stretch to think they would do it here. Hell they may even have some sort of internet monitoring system to track her e-mails and other electronic communications.

I don't hear much about it anymore. I thought they would be attacking her like they did Rather. But instead it's just mums the word. I had heard that there were alot of law suits filed and I was wondering how the telcoms were going to squirm out of it. Is the media really being blackmailed with threats on "National Security" whistleblowing? Even when the Administration is breaking the law and shreading the constitution?

No difference between corp. and gov. anymore

All part of the new and improved Urinary Authoritarian Executive*.

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* based on the newly dicovered inherent (i.e., faith-based) constitutional authority to piss down the back of the American People and tell them it's raining.

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Greg Palast seemed to imply (on Randi Rhodes) that the records go to Choice Point (of voter list fame). And the Government buys the records on an "as needed" basis. Does this offer enough of a crack for a denial to fall into??

am hoping he will comment on it.