Through a FOIA request, details of the FBI's wiretapping program have been released. The system, "called DCSNet," can tap "traditional land-line operators, internet-telephony providers and cellular companies," and the details in the article indicate this system is pretty awesomely powerful.

Of additional concern, though, are the security flaws:

...documents show that an internal 2003 audit uncovered numerous security vulnerabilities in DCSNet -- many of which mirror problems unearthed in the bureau's Carnivore application years earlier.

In particular, the DCS-3000 machines lacked adequate logging, had insufficient password management, were missing antivirus software, allowed unlimited numbers of incorrect passwords without locking the machine, and used shared logins rather than individual accounts.

The system also required that DCS-3000's user accounts have administrative privileges in Windows, which would allow a hacker who got into the machine to gain complete control.

Poorly-security software and hardware is pretty much on par for the government.

But, for a system of this magnitude, this all seems especially egregious. Knowing the government's poor record on security as well as the vendor's apparent lack of concern on these issues, there's little reason to believe the current system is properly configured and secured.

I'm convinced of it now. Spare us all the drip-drip-drip of this story, and, all of you, please just come out.

Seriously, look at them. Gonzales? Gay. Huckabee? Gay. Brownback? Gay.

Tancredo?

Totally gay.

Just come out of the closet. Or, the water closet.

Whatever you're into...

Of all the conventional wisdom-driven journalism I've heard over the last few days, perhaps none is as misplaced as this notion that the departure of Rove and Gonzales somehow provides the Bush Administration with a "fresh start."

From the archives, we see Bush also had a chance at a fresh start when Snow was nominated at Treasury, and when Tenet resigned at the CIA, and when Ashcroft resigned from Justice, and when CoS Andrew Card resigned, and when Rumsfeld resigned as SecDef.

Plenty of "fresh starts," yet the same old Presidency rolls along. Bush is not interested in a fresh start, as much as the apparent naivete of reporters compels them to believe.

Heckuva job, journalists.