one sip at a time

Let’s see. The FBI conducts surveillance that, at least 15 years ago, would have been obviously, unquestionably, indisputably illegal (today it’s still pretty obvious, but there are some who dispute that). So now some FBI lawyer wrote a memo inventing a justification for the (warrantless, processless, oversight-less) surveillance, which the DOJ Office of Legal Counsel agreed with in a written opinion. But that opinion is being kept secret from those who would challenge the surveillance (and even from Congress). Not the surveillance program’s details, mind you - the legal OPINION approving it. As in, “We can spy on American citizens, without approval from anyone, even though that seems illegal - because don’t worry, we figured out a way to make it legal. How? We can’t tell you how. But don’t worry, our secret legal reasoning is sound. Trust us.” http://www.eff.org/press/archives/2011/05/19