Black Woman Federal Judge Orders Halt to NSA Wiretapping - but it won't happen until Sept 7th at earliest.

Dan Eggen of the Washington Post reports at 5.18 pm EST U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor in Detroit, Mich. wrote in a strongly-worded 43-page opinion that the NSA wiretapping program violates privacy and free-speech rights and the constitutional separation of powers between the three branches of government. She also found that it violates a 1978 law set up to oversee clandestine surveillance.

It is worth recording here thatIn 1979, Anna Diggs Taylor a graduate of Yale Law School in 1957 became the first black woman judge to be appointed to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Nineteen years later, she became the first black woman Chief Judge for that circuit as well.(see Pic)

"Obviously, of course I'm disappointed," said the sobbing, creepy Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said at a briefing for reporters. "I believe very strongly that the president does have the authority to authorize this kind of conduct, particularly in a time of war, conduct that's very consistent with what other presidents have done in a time of war. And we believe the authority comes from the authorization to use military force and from his constitutional authority as commander in chief."

Of course the little runt is unhappy, 43 pages of legal arguyment to upset his tawdry script that the President can do any goddam thing he wants, because there is a "War on terror".

"Today's ruling is a landmark victory against the abuse of power that has become the hallmark of the Bush administration," said ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero. "Government spying on innocent Americans without any kind of warrant and without congressional approval runs counter to the very foundations of our democracy."

He called the ruling "yet another nail in the coffin of the Bush administration's strategy in the war on terror. . . . The judge very clearly points out that this, at its core, is about presidential powers."

Three cheers for Democracy and the separation of powers!!!!


However ... As the Justice Department have appealed, a hearing will be held before Judge Taylor on Sept. 7, and her decision will not be enforced in the meantime

I caught up with Seth Tumbleweed for his reaction to this shock , awe and horror legal announcement.... he said " I jes' tell you, this here is the classical paradigm affecting the post war, post industrial society as the globalisation of war by that runty Texan hits the old air conditioning ... just as long as that they airconditioning works ... probably not if it's made in Korea." Hew whittled some more on an antique coon dog collar made out of buffalo hide and continued..." That Texan carpetbagger may talk big but , when they call the lawyers in the front line... well you jist , ...you know they got a beating comin'." I left him whittling.