Authored by the Justice Department and intelligence officials, a new bill has been proposed by the Bush administration as an alteration of a 1978 law regarding domestic eavesdropping. Just like everything else coming out of the White House, the administration says the new bill would be an important tool in fighting terror.

The Bush administration asked Congress on Friday to expand the number of people it can subject to electronic surveillance in the United States.

The request was contained in a proposed bill authored by intelligence and Justice Department officials that also protects companies that cooperate with spy operations.

In a seemingly contradictory statement, the White House claims that the bill will help to protect our individual freedoms by putting us all under surveillance. Does that make sense to anyone?

“The Justice Department is selling this new bill as a better way to protect our privacy and civil liberties. Lawmakers should reject such false advertising,” said Caroline Fredrickson of the American Civil Liberties Union.

FISA, which requires the government to get court warrants for surveillance, was at the center of political controversy over President George W. Bush’s domestic spying program, which allowed the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on the international telephone calls and e-mails of U.S. citizens without warrants.

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