What answer do you want?

 

U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor in Detroit ruled Thursday that the NSA's warrantless wiretapping of suspected terrorists program violated the rights to free speech and privacy, as well as the separation of powers enshrined in the Constitution.  That's the one where one end of the call has to be outside the USA. 

(That's also the one that is "warrantless" because (1) it sometimes takes too much time to get a warrant, and (2) mysteriously, the bad guys sometimes find out about the warrant before the good guys can set up the wiretap.)

You just knew the MSM would make headlines of,

"Federal Judge Rules President Bush's Wiretap Program Unconstitutional"

 

So, MSNBC had a "Live Vote".  Ever since I participated in my first MSNBC "Live Vote", I've been pissed at the way they ask questions.  It's like the no-way-to-answer joke questions we use as kids, "Do you like eating shit? (Y/N)"  You can't answer the question.  (Unless you really have tasted the floating Baby Ruth......yuck!)

MSNBC's approach is a tad different - they ask a straight question, but sabotage the poll with the answers.

Do you agree with the judge's ruling that the government's warrantless wiretapping program is unconstitutional?   

(1) Yes, warrantless wiretapping is an invasion of my privacy.

(2) No, the practice is not unconstitutional.  I am willing to sacrifice some civil liberties in the name of security.

 

After reading the available answers, who in their right mind would answer "No"?

I used to trust the media.  (until blogs)  If it was written, it had to be true!  "They can't print it unless it's true!"  "If they say it on TV, they have to tell the truth, it's an FCC law!"  Whatever Walter Cronkite said, you could take it to the bank!

Then RatherGate happened and I started questioning things. 

I suspect there are those who still believe if the team of Microsoft and NBC print or say something, by god, it must be true. 

Almost 4-out-of-10 readers answered "No".  I was one of them.  I'll be on the lookout for the same poll with simple and singular "Yes" or "No" answers - should be an interesting comparison.

 

This MSNBC poll proves that 61% of the people think that President Bush's "Warrantless Wiretapping Program to Trap Terrorists" is a violation of the US Constitution!

 

...but that's B.S. ....... so keep reading...

 

In May, 2006,  a CBS News Poll asked:

"In order to reduce the threat of terrorism, would you be willing or not willing to allow government agencies to monitor the telephone calls and e-mails of Americans that the government is suspicious of?"

Willing = 69%

Not Willing = 26%

Unsure = 5%

Is this a "fair" question?  Read it carefully; this question only asks about Americans - and it doesn't specify the traffic must be international.  The lead-in question before this one asked the same thing, but asked it about "ordinary Americans", not ones under suspicion.  The answers were quite the opposite:

Willing = 30%

Not Willing = 68%

Unsure = 2%

 

So... these are NOT B.S., but they're not squeaky clean either.  How about asking the real question:

 

"In order to reduce the threat of terrorism, would you be willing or not willing to allow government agencies to monitor the telephone calls and e-mails (that must either start or end outside of the United States)  of foreigners and Americans that the government is suspicious of?"

 

Gee, I wish some MSM would run that question!

...and that's not B.S.!