Is it “propaganda” if it’s true?

January 6, 2006 in Political Animals | No comments

Jay at Stop the ACLU has yet another screed about the terrible thing the ACLU is doing by holding up President Bush’s use of warrantless wiretaps to the cold light of scrutiny.

The point, as always, is carefully and deliberately missed. Of course phone calls into and out of the US are being wiretapped. We expect the administration, regardless of its political affiliation, to gather intelligence in this way in order to catch the bad guys. But every administration has the duty to operate within the law. The President takes an oath to that effect on Inauguration Day. The Bush administration seems prone to ignoring the law whenever it deems fit. Is this truly how Americans want their government to operate: as a government of men, not laws?

After reviewing the latest ACLU ad (also in PDF format) and the accompanying press release, there are a few questions I would pose to those who defend the President’s actions and claim that the ACLU is engaging in a smear campaign:

  1. What does the ACLU say in the ad or press release that is demonstrably false?
  2. Why is it ‘propaganda’ to note that the actions of the president may be illegal?
  3. How is national security harmed by revealing that the President ordered wiretaps without getting warrants, a requirement clearly spelled out in FISA?

Anyone care to answer these questions?