Our government got more incensed at Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee today than they do about our civil liberties, the U.S. Constitution and JUSTICE. You can break the law and be the President of the United States and Senate gives immunity for you and your partners in crime. This is so out of balance. It is outrageous.
WASHINGTON: President Bush, at loggerheads with House Democrats over how closely the government can eavesdrop on U.S. citizens, warned Wednesday that terrorists were planning fresh assaults that would make the Sept. 11 attacks "pale by comparison."
Bush called on the image of planes crashing into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in 2001 as he pressured lawmakers to rewrite the intelligence rules governing how phone calls and e-mails are monitored for terrorist activity. Democrats and others fear the changes Bush and his Republican allies support would unduly encroach on civil liberties.
The House is considering the Senate version of the bill that Bush favors, one that includes retroactive protection from lawsuits for telecommunications companies that cooperated with government eavesdropping following the Sept. 11 attacks. The House bill does not provide telecom immunity.
Rather than wait for the House and Senate to negotiate differences in their versions of the intelligence legislation, Bush wants a rubber-stamp of the Senate bill so he can sign it into law immediately. The current law expires at midnight Saturday, and Bush said he wouldn't approve another extension. The House wouldn't either — Republicans led a 229-191 vote turning down a 21-day extension."At this moment, somewhere in the world, terrorists are planning new attacks on our country," the president said. "Their goal is to bring destruction to our shores that will make September the 11th pale by comparison."
About 40 lawsuits have been filed against telecom companies by people alleging violations of wiretapping and privacy laws."In order to be able to discover ... the enemy's plans, we need the cooperation of telecommunication companies," Bush said. "If these companies are subjected to lawsuits that could cost them billions of dollars, they won't participate. They won't help us. They won't help protect America."
Caroline Fredrickson, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's legislative office in Washington, accused Bush of "fear mongering," and she urged the House not to pass the Senate bill. The ACLU is particularly opposed to the Senate bill's immunity to phone companies.
......The 68-29 Senate vote Tuesday to update the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act belied the nearly two months of stops and starts and bitter political wrangling that preceded it. The two sides had battled to balance civil liberties with the need to conduct surveillance on potential adversaries.......
Full Story
* (Below) find out how Barack Obama Votes in Senate..........................................................................
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Keith Olbermann Special Comment FISA
Here's an excerpt:
In a Presidency of hypocrisy, an Administration of exploitation, a labyrinth of leadership, in which every vital fact is a puzzle inside a riddle wrapped in an enigma hidden under a claim of executive privilege supervised by an idiot, this one is surprisingly easy.
President Bush has put, protecting the Telecom giants from the laws...ahead of protecting you from the terrorists.
He has demanded an extension of the FISA law, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, but only an extension that includes retroactive immunity for the Telecoms who helped him spy on us.
Congress has given him, and he has today signed, a fifteen day extension, which simply kicks the time bomb down the field, and has changed nothing of his insipid rhetoric, in which he portrays the Democrats as 'soft on terror' and getting in the way of his Superhuman efforts to protect the nation... when, in fact, and with bitter irony, if anybody is 'soft on terror' here it is Mr. Bush.
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WATCH THIS on Countdown with Keith Olbermann
"Congress's Cover-Up" of February 13, 2008, aired show
Senate OKs immunity for telecoms in intelligence bill
another article FISA
While our elected officials care more about Roger Clemens' lying than President Bush's lies, I have just cause to be very angry.
Priorities, please!
House Defeats FISA Extension
By Daniel W. Reilly
FEB. 13, 2008(The Politico) House Democrats were unable to hold together their caucus on a key intelligence vote on Wednesday, as a coalition of Republicans, Blue Dog Democrats and liberals helped defeat a measure to extend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act as the deadline approaches.
The measure, which failed 191 to 229, would have extended the bill an additional three weeks to work out differences with the Senate on the issue of granting immunity to telecom companies which aided the federal government in wiretapping.
The Democratic bill was undone by strong opposition from Republicans and 34 Democrats, including both members of the moderate Blue Dog Coalition who want to see a bill passed, and liberal members who oppose many other aspects of the wiretapping program.
Now Democratic leaders are left scrambling as they try to find a solution before the law expires on Friday. The temporary extension also faced a veto threat from President Bush and strong Republican opposition in the Senate, so it had little chance of becoming law. The Senate passed a broad FISA bill with telecom immunity provisions on Tuesday, 68-29.
"We have a situation where our members have to understand we have very limited options," said House Intelligence Committee Chairman Silvestre Reyes (D-Texas).
"I was surprised at the number of members that voted against [the extension] but different members had different reasons," he added.
The vote was a defeat for House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), who worked furiously behind the scenes for an extension, saying President Bush is trying to "foment fear" by claiming that another extension would harm intelligence gathering capabilities.
Source
And a Reuters article, too
Bush May Win on Eavesdropping by Evoking Terror Fears (Update2)
By James Rowley
Bloomberg
US House defeats stopgap extension of spy program
Bush opposes extension of spy program
This story is being reported around the world.
By the way....
Section 1, Clause 8 of the U.S. Constitution:
Before he (the President) enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:--"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:
OBAMA FOR AMERICA
* Find out how Barack Obama Votes in Senate
Apparently, Hillary Clinton didn't come to the Senate to vote on FISA.
View the record for the previous 109th Congress.
Senator Obama's Voting Record February 12, 2008: | |||||
| Vote No. | Session | Date | Vote Question Description | Result | Position |
| 20 | 2 | 2/12/08 | On Passage of the Bill S. 2248 An original bill to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978, to modernize and streamline the provisions of that Act, and for other purposes. | Bill Passed (68-29) | Not Voting |
| 19 | 2 | 2/12/08 | On the Cloture Motion S. 2248 An original bill to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978, to modernize and streamline the provisions of that Act, and for other purposes. | Cloture Motion Agreed to (69-29, 3/5 majority required) | Nay |
| 18 | 2 | 2/12/08 | On the Amendment S.Amdt. 3919 to S.Amdt. 3911 to S. 2248 (FISA Amendments Act of 2007) To provide for the review of certifications by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. | Amendment Rejected (41-57, 3/5 majority required) | Yea |
| 17 | 2 | 2/12/08 | On the Amendment S.Amdt. 3927 to S.Amdt. 3911 to S. 2248 (FISA Amendments Act of 2007) To provide for the substitution of the United States in certain civil actions. | Amendment Rejected (30-68) | Yea |
| 16 | 2 | 2/12/08 | On the Amendment S.Amdt. 3912 to S.Amdt. 3911 to S. 2248 (FISA Amendments Act of 2007) To modify the requirements for certifications made prior to the initiation of certain acquisitions. | Amendment Rejected (37-60) | Yea |
| 15 | 2 | 2/12/08 | On the Amendment S.Amdt. 3907 to S.Amdt. 3911 to S. 2248 (FISA Amendments Act of 2007) To strike the provisions providing immunity from civil liability to electronic communication service providers for certain assistance provided to the Government. | Amendment Rejected (31-67) | Yea |
| 14 | 2 | 2/12/08 | On the Amendment S.Amdt. 3979 to S.Amdt. 3911 to S. 2248 (FISA Amendments Act of 2007) To provide safeguards for communications involving persons inside the United States. | Amendment Rejected (35-63) | Yea |
| 13 | 2 | 2/12/08 | On the Amendment S.Amdt. 3910 to S.Amdt. 3911 to S. 2248 (FISA Amendments Act of 2007) To provide a statement of the exclusive means by which electronic surveillance and interception of certain communications may be conducted. | Amendment Rejected (57-41, 3/5 majority required) | Yea |
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