I meant to post a link to this story last week, but I never got around to it. (Since I gave up coffee, my late-night, cheese-eating, full-nude blogging parties have been seriously curtailed.) At any rate, an article on Wired News announced that John Poindexter’s proposed database system to spy on American citizens, known at the Total Information Awareness program, has been shot down by US Senators. Apparently, they felt as though the government was overstepping its bounds, even in light of the current concerns over terrorism. (story)
I don’t know that I believe it, but the folks in DC say that they’re pulling back, at least for now. My suspicion is that it will go forward in some capacity though, probably hidden from our view. This is a good sign though. It means there’s a line over which even Bushie’s people cannot cross, at least publicly.
Here’s a clip from the article:
Saying they feared government snooping against ordinary Americans, U.S. senators voted Thursday to block funding for a Pentagon computer project that would scour databases for terrorist threats.
By a voice vote, the Senate voted to ban funding for the Total Information Awareness program, under former national security adviser John Poindexter, until the Pentagon explains the program and assesses its impact on civil liberties.
