The Professional Liars of the Bush Administration

Mike McConnell was made the Director of National Intelligence because he was such a straight shooter. Here's what happened in the last two days:

• McConnell claimed that the new FISA law, enacted barely more than a month ago, was responsible for breaking up the German terror plot.

• The Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee calls him a liar, saying that the intelligence in the German case was collected several months ago, well before this new law was rammed down the throats of the Democrats and the American people.

• McConnell admits he lied to the Senate.

During the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing on September 10, 2007, I discussed the critical importance to our national security of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), and the recent amendments to FISA made by the Protect America Act. The Protect America Act was urgently needed by our intelligence professionals to close critical gaps in our capabilities and permit them to more readily follow terrorist threats, such as the plot uncovered in Germany. However, information contributing to the recent arrests was not collected under authorities provided by the Protect America Act.

Some straight shooter.

The new, draconian FISA bill has nothing to do with our national security. We disrupted a terrorist attack by collecting foreign intellligence after getting a warrant. This wasn't good enough for the authoritarian ideologues in the White House, and now they're claiming victories where none exist.

Good for Jane Harman.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — A leading congressional Democrat on Wednesday accused the director of national intelligence of undermining the authority of his office by taking political positions.

Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif., lashed out at DNI Mike McConnell for taking a political role in recent negotiations with Congress about updating the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), the law that regulates foreign intelligence eavesdropping.

"He appeared to be taking orders from the White House, negotiating for the White House," said Harman. The role he played, "whether he intended it or not, appeared to be political," she said.

Hey Democrats, it's time not to lay down like dogs again and give up even more of our civil liberties.