In an eye popping move, the Obama administration has decided not to grow its domestic spying bigger, and intrude further than they are already doing in our lives. Our Department of Homeland security, the one that could not get water to Katrina survivors, decided it won’t EXPAND a current Interior Dept. spy satellite program that would further intrude into our lives.

White House to Abandon Spy-Satellite Program

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration plans to kill a controversial Bush administration spy satellite program at the Department of Homeland Security, according to officials familiar with the decision.

The program came under fire from its inception two years ago. Democratic lawmakers said it would lead to domestic spying.

The program was to share satellite information with state, county, and city governments for threat and emergency preparedness, and to identify weak links in port defense. It would have created the National Applications Office.

The plans to shutter the office signal Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano’s decision to refocus the department’s intelligence on ensuring that state and local officials get the threat information they need, the official said. She also wants to make the department the central point in the government for receiving and analyzing terrorism tips from around the country, the official added.

Lawmakers alerted Ms. Napolitano of their concerns about the program-that the program would violate the Fourth amendment right to be protected from unreasonable searches-before her confirmation hearing.

Once she assumed her post, Ms. Napolitano ordered a review of the program and concluded the program wasn’t worth pursuing, the homeland official said. Department spokeswoman Amy Kudwa declined to speak about the results of the review but said they would be announced shortly.

So it comes down to them not wanting to get sued for violitating our rights. Also, Los Angeles Chief William Bratton, spoke refreshingly when he said:

…he police chiefs would be concerned about privacy protections and whether using military satellites for domestic purposes would violate the Posse Comitatus law, which bars the use of the military for law enforcement in the U.S.

The further erosion of our rights, bit by bit, chunk by chunk has been ongoing for decades. Can we see this as a pause in the action? Nahhhh…. Get ready for 1984…

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