Arlen Specter: “Let me be brief with one comment about 30,000. I urge the Senator from Wisconsin to get a classified briefing and not to…”

“Let me be brief with one comment about 30,000. I urge the Senator from Wisconsin to get a classified briefing and not to take the facts of the Washington Post, because the Washington Post is totally wrong. I am not at liberty to tell the Senator what the facts are, although I asked the Department of Justice to put those facts before the public. Too much is classified, and I think this is inappropriately classified. I would like to be able to detail it. Let me talk about the delayed notice provisions. Existing law provides for notification of the target in a reasonable period of time, which could mean anything. The Senate bill called for 7 days, the House bill wanted 180 days, and we got 30 days. I suggest in the totality of the legislation that we are in the 85 to 15-percent range, 85-percent Senate provisions, 15-percent House provisions, and the 15 percent which the House has does not impinge on civil liberties. I wouldn't take 1 percent if this were an inappropriate impingement on civil liberties. The 30 days can be extended by a court on cause shown for specific reasons. With respect to the wiretap provision, I joined the Senator from Wisconsin in opposing the roving wiretaps. I have never liked wiretaps. When I was district attorney for Philadelphia, this issue came up for consideration of our body, and I was the only one of 67 county district attorneys to object to wiretapping.…”