Notes on the Hearings

For your consideration, some liveblogging of the NSA hearings. From Attorney General Alberto Gonzales opening statement:

• Alberto Gonzales apparently believes that the express intent of Congress in crafting the AUMF in 2002 is defeated by what they actually wrote in the authorization. Apparently it's not good enough for Congress to say what the President is authorized to do-they must also say what he is not authorized to do.
• By the way, "Terrorist Surveillance Program" is an absurd name for the program. Considering that we seem to have listened in on the conversations of only a handful of those who might possibly be suspected of terrorism, out of thousands of Americans who certainly are not terrorists, the program should more appropriately be called the "Innocent Americans Surveillance Program."

That's it for now.