Why aren't all calls in and out of the white house recorded?

I'm watching The Event and one of the things that keeps bothering me is how they never know who's doing what. They have all these damming phone calls that no one is listening to even when they find the person super suspect...

In real life, if you work in the white house, pentagon etc. would you be able to make calls to terrorists so easily? Would it be so hard for them to find you or surveill (real word?) you?

But why should terrorists and gangsters and corrupt politicians be entitled to privacy? Also, why would one expect it?

Yes. I have considered that regular people also call the white house.

But, when you consider the extreme screening measures for visitors to the white house (people excluded for saying negative things on their facebook) it seems odd that the same measures aren't taken once you get on the list.

I wonder because in corporations you're notified that all your internetting and phone calls are monitored. Some places, even when you call in you get a message letting you know. And that's perfectly okay because you're not allowed to break certain rules or say or do certain things.

You get flagged if you go to a porn site or if someone reports you, and management can look back on records as evidence.

(By the way, I don't think the government should, I'm just surprised they don't.)

That's probably very true too. There were a lot of things that seemed like convenient, rather than actual, logic.

Also one of those plot points where after a while you're like "serves you right, now." then, hoping it's not how things actually work.