We've got nothing to hide, we're married to the same bride

posted by The Vidiot @ 5:07 PM Permalink

She eats away from inside
And we got nothing to hide [/Spirit]

Civil liberties panel criticized at hearing

A presidential advisory commission created two years ago to monitor the effects of anti-terrorism measures on civil liberties held its first public hearing Tuesday amid criticism from advocacy groups that the panel was a paper tiger and indications that its members were wrestling with their watchdog role.
[...]
Created by Congress in response to a recommendation by the bipartisan Sept. 11 commission, the panel was conceived as a way to ensure the administration considers implications on privacy and civil liberties when implementing "all laws, regulations and executive branch policies." In practice, though, its power is limited by the fact that its members are appointed by the president, whose policies they are supposed to scrutinize.
[...]
But board members said at the hearing that they were taking their job seriously. They have received classified briefings on the secret surveillance program and a separate program that monitored international bank data, and were also briefed on legislation to put new limits on the surveillance program.
[...]
"It is important for us to maintain the confidentiality of the recommendations that we might or might not take," Alan Raul, a Washington lawyer and vice chairman of the panel, said in response to a question. "To share some of the private views we might have would undermine our ability to be effective as the statute contemplated."

Correct me if I'm wrong, but shouldn't a panel on 'civil liberties' not meet in secret? Shouldn't they have folks who have had their liberties curtailed/stolen actually testify? Shouldn't they not be appointed by the guy who stole our liberties?

And all they did was go ask various secret federal agencies if they'd done anything wrong. I'm fairly certain the answer was a (resounding whispered and classified top secret) no.

This panel wasn't just window dressing, they spent their time discussing exactly what shade of lipstick to put on the pig. In secret.