About that Data-Mining…

Actually, my biggest complaint about this letter, from John Conyers, Jerrold Nadler, and Robert Scott, is that they don’t use the word "Data-Mining."

We read with interest the disclosures in yesterday’s New York Times and Washington Postthat a 2004 dispute over the NSA’s secret surveillance program whichled to threatened resignations by Department officials involved a“massive electronic database” program.

We have two potential concerns with the disclosure. First, at a timewhen the Administration is seeking to make changes to the ForeignIntelligence Surveillance Act, it is imperative that all members of theHouse Judiciary Committee be fully apprised of these controversial, andpossibly unlawful, programs, and any related programs. It is difficultto craft appropriate legislative responses unless we have all of therelevant facts concerning these programs.

We have previously requested background information on the so-called“warrantless wiretapping,” “Terrorist Surveillance Program,” or theirpredecessors, as set forth in letters to you dated January 19, February1, and May 17, 2007, and have also sought from you the same informationbeing sought by the Senate Judiciary Committee related to theseprograms and we would reiterate those requests here. We now requestcopies of all opinions, memoranda, and background materials, as well asany dissenting views, materials, and opinions regarding the same,concerning the data base program disclosed by the media yesterday.

Second, we are concerned that this disclosure, stemming from“current and former officials briefed on the program,” may simply be aneffort to respond via Administration leak of potentially classifiedinformation designed to rehabilitate previous controversial testimonyby you. In this regard, we would inquire whether you or anyone in yourfront office has any knowledge or involvement in these leaks, and ifso, who and the nature thereof. [my emphasis]

After all, on the unlikely chance (ha!) that DOJ actually were to respond to this request, they could fairly provide information solely about the databases, without describing what was wrong with the data-mining they were using to analyze the databases. Perhaps "databases and data-ming" would have been smarter?

But I do like the inquiry into leaks. Leaking classified information to win the spin wars is like mother’s milk to these thugs. We would do well to start harassing them about that.