US Senator Arlen Specter is up in arms over alleged spying in the National Football League, but nationwide illegal wiretapping doesn't seem to show up on his radar. Way to keep your eye on the ball, Sen. Specter.
Arlen Specter, the Republican leader of the Senate Judiciary Committee, on Wednesday demanded an independent investigation into "Spygate."
The announcement came three years after it was first disclosed President Bush had authorized a secret electronic eavesdropping program on Americans without warrants in the wake of the September 11 terror attacks.
But Specter wasn't referring to that.
Instead, the Pennsylvania senator is demanding an inquiry into the New England Patriots' secret videotaping of opposing NFL coaches' signals on the sidelines -- an affair sports writers have dubbed "Spygate."
We are not making this up. Specter said such behavior, a violation of NFL rules, is damaging to the sport. Call it Specter's own Patriot Act.
"It's really an insult to the people who follow it," Specter said. He added that the Patriots "owe the public a lot more candor and a lot more accountability."
The league has fined the Patriots and coach Bill Belichick $750,000 each. The team's video assistant has turned over to the NFL eight tapes of opposing coaches giving signals during games.
Apparently real-world warrantless spying isn't as egregious as snooping on opposing NFL coaches.
Source: blog.wired.com
[T]he threat of expanded spying in the NFL is such a serious problem that Sen. Specter doesn't seem to have much time to investigate spying programs that affect those of us who don't play football for a living.
Source: techdirt.com
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