Former 9/11 Commissioner Jamie Gorelick (who created the “wall of separation” that prevented sharing intelligence among the Federal government prior to 9/11) heartily endorsed “no-warrant” searches under a Democrat President in 1994. (hat tip – The Corner)

“The Department of Justice believes, and the case law supports, that the president has inherent authority to conduct warrantless physical searches for foreign intelligence purposes,” Deputy Attorney General Jamie Gorelick testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee on July 14, 1994, “and that the President may, as has been done, delegate this authority to the Attorney General.”

“It is important to understand,” Gorelick continued, “that the rules and methodology for criminal searches are inconsistent with the collection of foreign intelligence and would unduly frustrate the president in carrying out his foreign intelligence responsibilities.”

Now, of course since a Republican is in the White House, Gorelick believes such wiretapping of known al-Qaeda terrorists is wrong.

“The issue here is this: If you’re John McCain and you just got Congress to agree to limits on interrogation techniques, why would you think that limits anything if the executive branch can ignore can ignore it by asserting its inherent authority?”- Jamie Gorelick, former deputy attorney general under President Clinton, in today’s Washington Post, p. A10.

Liberal Terrorist-Fighting Plan: It is okay to do when we are in power, but when Republicans are running a war, their evil ways must be stopped or it will be Judgement Day — if we believed in God.

UPDATE: Clinton Executive Order 12949 authorizing secret searches of Americans with no court order – Feb 9, 1995 Federal Register

Carter Executive Order 12139 authorizing electronic surveillance to acquire foreign intelligence information without a court order – May 23, 1979 Federal Register
(hat tip – DrudgeReport)

[RELATED STORY - Al-Qaeda Relocates to US for Spy-Free Calling - Scrappleface]

-Bruce (GayPatriot)

UP-UPDATE (from GPW): On FoxNews @ about 9:20 PST (12:2o EST), Eleanor Clift called this program “defensible.” I need a transcript (or Malco-vision)!

UP-UP-UPDATE (from GPW): At least one Clinton Department Justice Department official is not playing politics with our national security. John Schmidt, who served as associate attorney general under Clinton, writes in today’s Chicago Tribune that the president had legal authority to OK taps. (H/t: Michael Barone, appearing on FoxNews w/Eleanor.)

The head of the Portland, Oregon chapter of the charitable organization, Goodwill, will take a 24 percent pay cut. Why? His $835,000 pay and benefits package had become a “distraction” to the organization following an audit showing his pay was significantly out of line with other heads of charities.

Significantly? I’d say! But you all might be surprised as to how well-off the heads of non-profits are these days. I remember about five years ago there was a ripple of a scandal with reports that the heads of AIDS-related non-profits were making a pretty penny. But it seemed to get lost in the drone of other news, so I’m sure there is still some skimming going on.

Time was that you went to a non-profit to work out of the goodness of your heart and to give something back to the community. I don’t expect people who head non-profits to starve or not make a decent living. But I have to say that I question the personal morality of anyone who thinks that making $500,000 at a non-profit is okay. Just think of those TV ads telling you that $1.50 will buy a family in Africa food for a month. That’s a lot of food the head of Goodwill could have been sending to Africa.

-Bruce (GayPatriot)