Yet more spying

Preznit Bush, Saturday:

"This is highly classified program crucial to our national security" and "its purpose is to detect and prevent terrorist attacks," Bush said.

Done in a limited manner and only in context of anti-terrorism, in other words.

Oh, REALLY?:

WASHINGTON - Counterterrorism agents at the Federal Bureau of Investigation have conducted numerous surveillance and intelligence-gathering operations that involved, at least indirectly, groups active in causes as diverse as the environment, animal cruelty and poverty relief, newly disclosed agency records show.
[snip]
One F.B.I. document indicates that agents in Indianapolis planned to conduct surveillance as part of a "Vegan Community Project." Another document talks of the Catholic Workers group's "semi-communistic ideology." A third indicates the bureau's interest in determining the location of a protest over llama fur planned by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

Now, yes, I realize that the two programs (FBI versus NSA) are two different things. I realize that the fact that the FBI program was expanded to surveil such HORRIBLE threats to America as Catholic Worker and PETA doesn't mean, necessarily, that the NSA program expanded similarly. But the fact that the one was abused means all the more that we, the people our government SUPPOSEDLY serves, should know the who, what, where and when of the NSA surveillance.