Day: February 3, 2006

Although President Bush publicly claims he has limited spying on
Americans by the National Security Agency to overseas phone calls
involving members of al-Qaeda, privately he has authorized a massive
multi-agency domestic surveillance operation that routinely pries into
the lives of millions of Americans who have no involvement in terrorism
or represent no threat to the security of the United States.

A former aide to U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett has acknowledged embezzling
more than $166,000 from the Democrat’s campaign fund and from other
groups, according to her attorney.

Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal calls them “secrecy
orders” — nondisclosure agreements that the federal government is
requiring citizens in his state to sign before they can see plans for a
liquefied-natural-gas station on scenic Long Island Sound.

Senators traded bitter barbs over President Bush’s wiretapping
initiative Thursday, with Republicans accusing its critics of aiding
terrorists and Democrats charging its supporters of violating the
Constitution.

President Bush said in his State of the Union address this week
that we Americans are “addicted to oil.” He thinks oil “dependency” is
a problem. Apparently he believes we should be burning wood chips or
something instead.

Having lassoed eight Academy Award nominations, millions more
Americans likely will see director Ang Lee’s “Brokeback Mountain.”
Social conservatives should be among those who catch this widely lauded
motion picture.