The Senate has voted on the key amendments to the FISA and they have failed.
Dodd’s amendment to strip Title II–the immunity provisions fails 32-66. Specter’s amendment to limit retroactive immunity fails, 37-61. Bingaman’s amendment that would delay the immunity until an Inspector General’s report is completed fails 42-56.
If you are as upset as I am about our elected officials deciding to protect telecom companies over the constitution, help fight back against these actions. Blue America has been leading the way to fight for our rights and to elect new candidates that will uphold the constitution.
George Washington University Law proffessor Jonathan Turley discusses the FISA bill on last night’s Countdown.
Glenn Greenwald explains what Congress is about to do and why FISA matters to everyone.
They are taking away from the judiciary the power to adjudicate allegations of lawbreaking. They are creating a two-tiered system of justice in which our most powerful corporations can break the law with impunity and government officials remain immune from consequences. And they are, in unity, spewing rank propaganda to the commoners — who continue to be subjected to the harsh punishment for violations of the law and one of the world’s most merciless justice systems — in order to convince them that granting license to our political and corporate elites to break the law is necessary for their own Good and for their Safety.
If you feel strongly about this please call Sen. Harkin at (202) 224-3254 and Sen. Grassley at (202) 224-3744 this morning.
Tell them to vote no on any FISA bill that has telecom immunity in it and remind them they took the oath to protect the constitution and not to protect the telecom companies.
White people, wake up before it is too late. Do you want Negroes working beside you, your wife and your daughters, in your mills and factories? Frank Graham favors mingling of the races.
Hopefully, we can say that with Helms’ passing away that it is an end of an era.
If conservatives tend to see patriotism as an inheritance from a glorious past, liberals often see it as the promise of a future that redeems the past.
Over at Daily Kos, mcjoan takes a look at the Declaration of Independence and the FISA bill that the Senate will vote on next week. Included is this quote from former Sen. Frank Church from back in the 1970’s…
Crisis makes it tempting to ignore the wise restraints that make men free. But each time we do so, each time the means we use are wrong, our inner strength, the strength which makes us free, is lessened.
Speaking of FISA, Glenn Greenwald thinks Obama’s current stance is worthless.
In 2004, the Democrats began the year with a 2.3 percentage point edge over the GOP. That grew to 4.0 points by March before moving in the Republican direction for the rest of the year. By Election Day in 2004, the edge for Democrats was a mere 1.6 percentage points.
In 2006, the Democrats began the year with just a 1.6 percentage point advantage. That grew to 6.1 percentage points by November.
Polls done last month show Democrats with a 9.5% advantage.
Sen. Russ Feingold spoke yesterday at the New America Foundation in Washington about the nation’s intelligence needs. Feingold was asked the latest FISA bill that includes immunity for telecom companies.
“I do think this is a total farce with regard to the immunity [for telecommunications companies]. It basically guarantees the immunity,” Feingold said. “It doesn’t simply have the impact of potentially allowing telephone companies to break the law. It may prevent us from ever getting to the core issue … which is the president ran an illegal program that could’ve been an impeachable offense.”
Olbermann talks with George Washington law professor Jonathon Turley…
Rep. Tom Udall (D-NM) who is running for US Senate in New Mexico released a great statement explaining his decision to vote against the so-called compromise on FISA.
The FISA bill we considered today would compromise the constitutionally guaranteed rights that make America a beacon of hope around the world.
Today’s vote was not easy. I stood up to leaders of my own party and voted against this bill, because I took an oath to defend Americans and our Constitution, and it was the right thing to do.
That duty is most important when it is most difficult. We can protect our nation while upholding our values, but unfortunately, this bill falls short.
Yesterday, Sen. Russ Feingold released a statement about the Democratic leadership caving in on the FISA to allow Telecom immunity.
The proposed FISA deal is not a compromise; it is a capitulation. The House and Senate should not be taking up this bill, which effectively guarantees immunity for telecom companies alleged to have participated in the President’s illegal program, and which fails to protect the privacy of law-abiding Americans at home. Allowing courts to review the question of immunity is meaningless when the same legislation essentially requires the court to grant immunity. And under this bill, the government can still sweep up and keep the international communications of innocent Americans in the U.S. with no connection to suspected terrorists, with very few safeguards to protect against abuse of this power. Instead of cutting bad deals on both FISA and funding for the war in Iraq, Democrats should be standing up to the flawed and dangerous policies of this administration.
And from Sen. Chris Dodd…
I cannot support the so-called ‘compromise’ legislation announced today. This bill would not hold the telecommunications companies that participated in the President’s warrantless wiretapping program accountable for their actions. Instead, it would simply offer retroactive immunity by another name.
“As I have said time and time again, the President should not be above the rule of law, nor should the telecommunications companies who supported his quest to spy on American citizens. I remain strongly opposed to this deeply flawed bill, and I urge my colleagues in Congress to join me in supporting American’s civil liberties by rejecting this measure.”
The agreement would also pave the way for companies such as AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. to shed the nearly 40 lawsuits they face for allegedly participating in a prior version of the NSA program, which have cast a shadow over their reputation on Wall Street and Main Street. To win immunity, they would have to pass review from a U.S. District Court.
It faces hurdles to becoming law, namely whether it will have enough support from other lawmakers in both parties in the House. Telecommunications companies, which have lobbied lawmakers aggressively in recent weeks, support the compromise as does the White House.
Critical to sealing the deal was a compromise that would grant conditional immunity to telecommunications companies for assistance they provided from September 2001 through January 2007. If the companies can show a federal district court judge “substantial evidence” they received a written request from the attorney general or head of an intelligence agency stating the president authorized the surveillance and determined it to be lawful, the cases against them will be dismissed.
This week, the White House and Democratic and Republican leaders on Capitol Hill hope to announce a “compromise” on a domestic spying bill. If they do, it will be presented as an indispensable tool for protecting the nation’s security that still safeguards our civil liberties. The White House will paint opponents as weak-kneed liberals who do not understand and cannot stand up to the threat of terrorism.
The bill is not a compromise. The final details are being worked out, but all indications are that many of its provisions are both unnecessary and a threat to the Bill of Rights. The White House and the Congressional Republicans who support the bill have two real aims. They want to undermine the power of the courts to review the legality of domestic spying programs. And they want to give a legal shield to the telecommunications companies that broke the law by helping Mr. Bush carry out his warrantless wiretapping operation.
A potential revolt by a group of Democrats pressed party leaders into compromising on a rewrite of electronic surveillance rules that could come to a House vote by week’s end, a top Democrat said Wednesday.
The House will vote on this tomorrow. If you live in Iowa’s 3rd district, call Leonard Boswell and tell Telecom companies should not get immunity for breaking the law and ask him to vote against this bill.
Rep. Leonard L. Boswell, D-Iowa — Phone: (202) 225-3806
I thought I should update on how Boswell voted on the issue. After calling for telecom immunity in a January 28th letter to Nancy Pelosi, Boswell flipped on the issue and ended up voting against telecom immunity and siding with the majority of Democrats and against the Bush administration and corporate interests.
This marks the 3rd time that Boswell has flipped on an issue since rumors of Ed Fallon challenging him began last last year. In December, Boswell voted, for the first time, against a war funding bill that didn’t include a date for withdrawal. Then in February, Boswell was a late sponsor to a bill that would seek to impeach Vice President Dick Cheney. Now, Boswell votes against immunity for telecom companies.
These are all great developments and I would like thank Rep. Boswell for voting with the majority of his Democratic colleagues and standing up for the wishes of his constituents.
This change of heart on the part of Boswell is the exact reason why a primary challenge is beneficial.
At this very moment the House is voting on an updating FISA legislaton. At stake is immunity for telecom companies for participating in illegal wiretapping of American citizens. Bush and Republicans have been trying to strike up fear while defending retroactive immunity for telecom companies, while the other side is defending the rule of law and sticking up for the Constitution.
The way Leonard Boswell votes on this bill will be very telling. On January 28th, Boswell was one of 21 Blue Dog Democrats that wrote a letter to Nancy Pelosi urging her to include immunity for telecom companies. Adding to that, Boswell has received money from telecommunications PACs including $5,000 from AT&T.
However, the net roots has been putting pressure on these 21 Blue Dogs, and Boswell is in the middle of a tough primary race with Ed Fallon. Boswell has flipped on a number progressive issues since it came clear that Fallon would be challenging him. The question is if Boswell will flip again?
