Category Archives: Veterans for Common Sense News

Can the government spy on citizens without a warrant?

Posted on December 22, 2005 by Team VCS

President Bush’s decision to allow the super-secret National Security Agency to spy on Americans without court warrants has touched off stormy debate about his aggressive approach to the war on terror. This clash – between civil libertarians and the administration’s … Continue reading →

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Arizona Senator decries Defense earmarks for games, museums

Posted on December 21, 2005 by Team VCS

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., Tuesday decried as “obscene” and “disgraceful” millions of dollars in earmarks in the fiscal 2006 Defense appropriations conference agreement and criticized colleagues for an excess of local and special interest items in the $453.5 billion spending … Continue reading →

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Add-Ons To Defense Bill Ill-Serve Troops And America

Posted on December 21, 2005 by Team VCS

The U.S. House of Representatives wrapped up 2005 by adopting a $453 billion budget for the 2006 Defense Appropriations Act. It is now left up to the U.S. Senate to decide which amendments to include or not include in its … Continue reading →

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Spy Court Judge Quits In Protest

Posted on December 21, 2005 by Team VCS

A federal judge has resigned from the court that oversees government surveillance in intelligence cases in protest of President Bush’s secret authorization of a domestic spying program, according to two sources. U.S. District Judge James Robertson, one of 11 members … Continue reading →

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What Torture Does to Torturers

Posted on December 21, 2005 by Team VCS

Last week, President Bush agreed to legislation banning cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment of prisoners in US custody. His U-turn ended months of debate about the ethics of torture. Now come revelations that the White House approved eavesdropping on American … Continue reading →

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’78 Law Sought to Close Spy Loophole

Posted on December 20, 2005 by Team VCS

In 1978, Congress thought it had closed a loophole in the law when it passed the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The loophole concerned secret spying authorized by the president on grounds of national security.     On Friday, many in Washington were … Continue reading →

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Shocking The Conscience Of America

Posted on December 20, 2005 by Team VCS

If the events I am about to describe were taking place in a movie, or novel, I would lose my ability to suspend disbelief: Who could conceive of an American President and Vice President demanding that Congress give them authority … Continue reading →

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McCain says some torture justified

Posted on December 20, 2005 by Team VCS

Sen. John McCain, who pushed the White House to support a ban on torture, suggested Sunday that harsh treatment of a terrorism suspect who knew of an imminent attack would not violate international standards. The Arizona Republican said legislation before … Continue reading →

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Torture Ban May Include a Backdoor

Posted on December 19, 2005 by Team VCS

U.S. President George W. Bush suffered a stinging defeat Thursday when overwhelming congressional support forced him to abandon his opposition to anti-torture legislation and reach an agreement with its sponsor, Sen. John McCain, an Arizona Republican. The president’s reversal came … Continue reading →

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America’s Anti-Torture Tradition

Posted on December 19, 2005 by Team VCS

It is nice that the Bush administration has finally been pressured into backing a ban on cruel and inhumane treatment of prisoners. But what remains shocking about this embarrassing and distasteful national debate is that we had to have it … Continue reading →

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