Fox follows Bush's lead, renames domestic spying program as "terrorist surveillance program"
SUMMARY: Fox News has adopted the Bush administration's terminology for its warrantless domestic spying program, calling it the "terrorist surveillance program."
Not long after the Bush administration adopted new rhetoric to describe its warrantless domestic surveillance program, Fox News reporters and anchors began using the White House's terminology, referring to it as a "terrorist surveillance program." Beginning on January 25 -- during a week that saw the administration go on the offensive to promote its practice of spying on U.S. residents without obtaining warrants -- Fox News began slipping the term, without qualification, into its news reports and commentary. For example, reporter Harris Faulkner, on the January 25 edition of The O'Reilly Factor, used the term during a news brief when she noted that " '[s]trange and farfetched' ... is what New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton is calling President Bush's defense of his terror surveillance program."
During what many in the media have described as the White House's weeklong "blitz" to foster support for the wiretapping program, on the January 24 edition of the Fox News morning show, Fox & Friends, co-hosts E.D. Hill and Steven Doocy used the term "terrorist surveillance program" while discussing the president's January 23 Kansas State University speech in which he began using the term publicly. Hill and Doocy concurred that the White House's terminology "sounds better" and "is more accurate" -- presumably than other descriptions of the program, such as "domestic spy program," "warrantless wiretapping" and "NSA domestic surveillance program." The following day on Fox & Friends First, Doocy and co-host Brian Kilmeade announced their intention to refer to the program as "the terrorist surveillance program."
On January 22, the White House Press press office released a backgrounder -- called "Setting the Record Straight" -- on the NSA spy program, in which the term "terrorist surveillance program" appeared 10 times in reference to the NSA's controversial practice, authorized by the White House, of the warrantless surveillance of people in the United States, including U.S. citizens. The term "terrorist surveillance program" appears to have originated with the right-wing news website NewsMax.com on December 22; operators of right-wing weblogs began to pick up the term on January 20, according to a timeline at the Think Progress blog.
As Media Matters for America has noted, Fox also followed the White House's lead in replacing the terms "suicide bomber" and "suicide bombing" with "homicide bomber" and "homicide bombing" to describe attackers who kill themselves and others with explosives. On April 12, 2002, then-White House press secretary Ari Fleisher adopted the term, and Fox News immediately followed suit in its reporting. According to an April 13, 2002, Associated Press report, "Dennis Murray, executive producer of [Fox News'] daytime programming, said executives there had heard the phrase ["homicide bombing"] being used by administration officials in recent days and thought it was a good idea." In a February 23, 2005, item, Media Matters documented Fox's doctoring of AP articles featured on the Fox News website concerning terrorist attacks in the Middle East to conform to Bush administration terminology -- even altering a quote from Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) to fit the White House jargon.
Initially, when using the phrase, "terrorist surveillance program", Fox News reporters and anchors noted that it was the term promoted by the Bush administration. For example, on January 23 broadcast of Your World with Neil Cavuto news update anchor Uma Pemmaraju highlighted the switch:
PEMMARAJU: President Bush on the offensive against critics of domestic wiretapping in the war on terror. The president, speaking at Kansas State University, relabeled his effort the "terrorist surveillance program." He says it was within the law to eavesdrop on people communicating with Al Qaeda associates outside the U.S. after 9-11.
But beginning January 25, use of the phrase began to appear in Fox News reports without any indication that the White House has promoted it.
From Faulkner's news brief during the January 25 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor:
FAULKNER: "Strange and far-fetched," that's what New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton is calling President Bush's defense of his terror surveillance program. For example, President Bush has said Congress gave him the authority as part of a terror fight resolution passed after 9-11. Senator Clinton says she doesn't buy that argument, calling it "a stretch."
From the January 25 broadcast of Fox & Friends First:
KILMEADE: Let's call it the terrorist surveillance program. That would be a lot easier. And right now, if you're--
DOOCY: And more accurate.
KILMEADE: Yeah, more accurate too. If you're for the NSA wiretapping without going to the FISA court, I guess warrantless, then most likely you're Republican. If you are against it, you most likely are a Democrat. Here is what the president is going to be focusing on: the independents.
As Media Matters has previously documented, numerous Republicans and conservatives have expressed concern over the legality of the NSA warrantless spy program.
From the January 24 broadcast of Fox News Channel's Fox and Friends:
DOOCY: I wouldn't be surprised if George W. Bush is looking for a house in Manhattan, Kansas, because the audience yesterday at the Alf Landon Lecture Series at Kansas State University gave him a warm reception. He was talking at great length about the terrorist surveillance program -- that's now how it is being referred to by the White House -- and as we heard the president say at the top of this program just four minutes ago --
HILL: It sounds better, doesn't it? It's more accurate.
DOOCY: It is more accurate, and it tells you what it's about. And he made a good point: He said, "If I wanted to break the law, why was I briefing Congress?"
on this issue or any other issue. They are only interested in how many people they can convince into believing their lies.
I have been on business staying in a B&B, and they have Faux News on in the morning. Hard to eat breakfast, but wanted to see if I could stomach it. Faux & Friends was the least professional thing I have seen on TV in years. They may as well been wearing cheerleading outfits with a big-ass "W" on the front.
Fox is apparently strengthening its position as top lap dog and bootlicker for the administration as part of its “domestic lying” program. Or is it the administration’s “familial fabrication” program?
There is an equal amount of spin going on with either "terrorist surveillance program" (Fox's term) or "domestic spying program" (MMFA's term).
The more appropriate term at the moment should be "warrantless surveillance program".
It's simply wrong to argue that "domestic spying" and "terrorist surveillance" are the same things. The first describes what it is and the second describes what it might be.
The Bush administration has trashed the rule of law in this case. The legal concept of "innocent until proven guilty" is easily bypassed if we decide up front that someone is a terrorist.
I have totally given up the cable "news" programs and other talking head crap. I became addicted to them back when they were crucifying Clinton all night every night, but I just can't take it anymore. The blatant rightward tilt is so obvious that anyone who denies it is either fundamentally dishonest or just not paying attention.
that I spend more time watching the Science Channel shows about dinosaurs. I guess I better tape them before the Theonazis have them taken off the air.
I like it....
This new name is clever, because when the administration enhances the "program" to include warrantless physical searches of our homes, it will still fit. Or perhaps it will become "Terrorist Surveillance - Plus".
You're definitely onto something. The Administration needs to intruduce their new product with adequate Advertising and Public Relations impact.
They need to look to the marketing of Diet Drinks, and call their illegal, extra-Constitutional spying as ... drum roll please ... "The NEW, IMPROVED, STREAMLINED FISA-FREE!"
Ad copy: "When unnecessary and burdensome FISA is cramping your style, slowing you down, and giving those terrorists the upper hand, you need new FISA-FREE. FISA-FREE eliminates 100% of the aggravation of conducting LEGAL surveillance, and makes our spies happier and more productive. So, when the pesky LAW gets in the way of your having a wonderful day, take FISA-FREE, and your troubles disappear!"
- from the makers of Healthy Forests(tm).
Faulkner made the same reference later in the night on Hannity & Colmes
[link to www.newshounds.us]
Also, Hannity said it last night during an interview with 9/11 victim Debra Burlingame who just happened to have written an editorial in the WSJ condemning those who "politicize" the Patriot Act. Hannity implied that Burlingame represented all 9/11 victims at the same time that he used the Bush Admnistration talking points on NSA spying. “When the details of the president’s secret program for monitoring terrorist communications was leaked late last year, his critics, predictably went into overdrive but how do those who have actually lost loved ones to terrorism feel about the controversy?”
[link to www.newshounds.us]
These professional liars have been working in concert with the GOP for years. Rush used to joke about getting his "marching orders" every morning by fax. Apparently, it was no joke.
After spending 6 years working for NSA, I can attest that there is nothing more hammered into you than "Thou Shalt Not Listen To Domestic Conversations". It's the first and only commandment. It's hammered into you day and night for 2 years before they even let you listen to intercept. I feel sorry for the poor schmucks that Bush is using to do this surveillance. It goes against everything they believe in. And, in case you were wondering, I'm talking about the actual analysts doing the work not the politicos like Hayden who've never had to sit at a rack with a set of headphones, a two hour cold cheeseburger, and a feckin mission to save the free world.
Isn't the primary focus of the program calls coming into the US from abroad, containing key words that cause a flag to go up? Isn't it possible that perhaps the reason FISA court apparently been involved is because there is nothing as of yet to take to the court? Isn't it possible that the revelation of the program will cause terrorists to communicate by other means?
"Isn't the primary focus of the program calls coming into the US from abroad, containing key words that cause a flag to go up?"
I don't think so, at least according to Administration descriptions. Hayden described it as "targeted and focused", not as any sort of "net surveillance" program.
"Isn't it possible that perhaps the reason FISA court apparently been involved is because there is nothing as of yet to take to the court?"
Bush was simply authorizing the NSA the power to eavesdrop based on a lower standard. That applies to your first question as well. If the NSA was applying their standard, then FISA could have been applying their own (and the fourth amendment's) standard, and they should have been.
"Isn't it possible that the revelation of the program will cause terrorists to communicate by other means?"
I doubt it. The only real difference between the program and what anybody would expect us to be doing anyway is the warrant. I'm sure anyone would expect that their phone calls could be tapped, even by the probable cause standard listed in the Constitution. And besides this, some have said that Al Queda has relied on couriers more anyway.
The title said it all.
ARE YOU REALLY SURPRISE??? KARL ROVE TELLS FOX NEWS TOO JUMP AND THEY SAY HOW HIGH!!!
If you don't fall into line with the new terminology, you may find yourself checking into the re-education camp at Gitmo.
It is a wonder anyone is surprised with this. Obviously the entire Fox network is in direct contact with the upper-echelons of the Republican Party. Roger Ailes personally sends memos around the company declaring what kind of slant the newscasts should take that day!
this is good news because it will absolutely solidify Fox News as a mouth piece for the administration. If they are the only ones saying it, it will further isolate and expose their bias.
Also, I would ask, if we know they're terrorists, why aren't we going after them? Since there is no judicial oversight, we have to automatically trust the government that the AMERICAN CITIZENS they are eavesdropping on without a warrant are talking to terrorists?
And of course, Fox News and other Right Wingers would have absolutely no problem giving this same power to a Democratic President, right?
I love how the Fox "commentators" make sure they point out how the new term "sounds better," in case the sheep in their audience didn't catch it or don't understand why they are saying it.