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U.S. Spy Net on Israel Snares Congress

26 points by coloneltcb 11y ago

super2 11y ago
If you conspire with a foreign entity, your discussions should be subject to surveillance.
staunch 11y ago
> A U.S. intelligence official familiar with the intercepts said Israel’s pitch to undecided lawmakers often included such questions as: “How can we get your vote? What’s it going to take?” This kind of out-right bribery will be the cause of a political revolution in America within a decade. Politicians, Police Chiefs, and Wall Street CEOs are all in for a rude awakening, thanks to the internet.
- iofj 11y ago
  I think the bigger story here is that the NSA spied on, and tries to publicly shame, the lawmakers that are supposed to control it. For the NSA this should be totally and completely inexcusable. Democracy does not work if the branches of the government are allowed to pull this crap on eachother. NSA is part of the executive, and publicly shames members of congress with information they collected through covert means. Sure Israel has interests, and tries to convince lawmakers. Great. So does every other country on this planet.
  - newsjunky 11y ago
    No state should talk to my congress! Nor my congress to another state.. Treason! I have a commander and chief that represents our interests. these ppl are excepting donations from other states and help maintains lobbys to undermined a commander and chief.. They were not aressted so the confidence is not lost in our government I'm sure.. But they need to be eliminated from position soon for short sighted government and endangering the people to support a foreign state with out getting permission of the united States.. We know the punishment if a soldier decided to do the same and I expect congress to be held to an even higher standard!
littletimmy 11y ago
Isn't this a clear case of Israel interfering in US foreign policy to the detriment of American interests as determined by the administration? The article says "Mr. Netanyahu and his advisers had... coordinated talking points with Jewish-American groups against the deal; and asked undecided lawmakers what it would take to win their votes..." If ANY other country in the world except Israel had done this, the US government would be going ballistic. What a shameful surrender of American sovereignty.
- tracker1 11y ago
  Lobbying happens from all sorts of coordinated efforts from nation-states to large international corporations, to unions and voter groups. I'm not sure that it's really all that proper, but it does happen, and has always happened. Which is actually pretty sad, all things considered.
  - ethanbond 11y ago
    Which is totally tame compared to the fact that Israel also leaked American secrets (obtained through spying) to American lawmakers. Boy, that's some effective "lobbying!"
- brandonmenc 11y ago
  > If ANY other country in the world except Israel had done this, the US government would be going ballistic. Typical disgusting anti-Israel attitude. Foreign governments lobby all the time - the TPP, for a recent example. http://observer.com/2015/06/many-foreign-governments-pay-k-street-big-money-to-peddle-tpp-to-congress/ http://observer.com/2015/06/many-foreign-governments-pay-k-s...
- azinman2 11y ago
  Nah. Lobbying is done all kinds of ways from different people/countries at a variety of levels.
  - meric 11y ago
    Example. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_Lobby https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_Lobby
kmfrk 11y ago
How do you access these articles again? Can't make the Google trick work.

26 points by coloneltcb 11y ago

If you conspire with a foreign entity, your discussions should be subject to surveillance.

> A U.S. intelligence official familiar with the intercepts said Israel’s pitch to undecided lawmakers often included such questions as: “How can we get your vote? What’s it going to take?” This kind of out-right bribery will be the cause of a political revolution in America within a decade. Politicians, Police Chiefs, and Wall Street CEOs are all in for a rude awakening, thanks to the internet.

iofj 11y ago
I think the bigger story here is that the NSA spied on, and tries to publicly shame, the lawmakers that are supposed to control it. For the NSA this should be totally and completely inexcusable. Democracy does not work if the branches of the government are allowed to pull this crap on eachother. NSA is part of the executive, and publicly shames members of congress with information they collected through covert means. Sure Israel has interests, and tries to convince lawmakers. Great. So does every other country on this planet.
- newsjunky 11y ago
  No state should talk to my congress! Nor my congress to another state.. Treason! I have a commander and chief that represents our interests. these ppl are excepting donations from other states and help maintains lobbys to undermined a commander and chief.. They were not aressted so the confidence is not lost in our government I'm sure.. But they need to be eliminated from position soon for short sighted government and endangering the people to support a foreign state with out getting permission of the united States.. We know the punishment if a soldier decided to do the same and I expect congress to be held to an even higher standard!

littletimmy 11y ago

Isn't this a clear case of Israel interfering in US foreign policy to the detriment of American interests as determined by the administration? The article says "Mr. Netanyahu and his advisers had... coordinated talking points with Jewish-American groups against the deal; and asked undecided lawmakers what it would take to win their votes..." If ANY other country in the world except Israel had done this, the US government would be going ballistic. What a shameful surrender of American sovereignty.

tracker1 11y ago
Lobbying happens from all sorts of coordinated efforts from nation-states to large international corporations, to unions and voter groups. I'm not sure that it's really all that proper, but it does happen, and has always happened. Which is actually pretty sad, all things considered.
- ethanbond 11y ago
  Which is totally tame compared to the fact that Israel also leaked American secrets (obtained through spying) to American lawmakers. Boy, that's some effective "lobbying!"
brandonmenc 11y ago
> If ANY other country in the world except Israel had done this, the US government would be going ballistic. Typical disgusting anti-Israel attitude. Foreign governments lobby all the time - the TPP, for a recent example. http://observer.com/2015/06/many-foreign-governments-pay-k-street-big-money-to-peddle-tpp-to-congress/ http://observer.com/2015/06/many-foreign-governments-pay-k-s...
azinman2 11y ago
Nah. Lobbying is done all kinds of ways from different people/countries at a variety of levels.
- meric 11y ago
  Example. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_Lobby https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_Lobby

kmfrk 11y ago

How do you access these articles again? Can't make the Google trick work.