BillCosby

THis is disgusting....................

Did anyone hear Obama or hillary condemning this today??? I didn't????

WASHINGTON — After more than a year of heated political wrangling, the Senate handed the White House a major victory Tuesday by voting to broaden the government’s spy powers after giving legal protection to phone companies that cooperated in President Bush’s warrantless eavesdropping program.


The Senate rejected a series of amendments that would have restricted the government’s surveillance powers and eliminated immunity for the phone carriers, and it voted in convincing fashion — 69 to 29 — to end debate and bring the issue to a final vote. That vote on the overall billwas an almost identical 68 to 29.

The House has already rejected the idea of immunity for the phone companies, and Democratic leaders reacted angrily to the Senate vote. But Congressional officials said it appeared that the House would ultimately be forced to accept some sort of legal protection for the phone carriers in negotiations between the two chambers this week.

The Senate debate amounted to a proxy vote not only on the president’s warrantless wiretapping program, but also on a range of other issues that tested the president’s wartime authority, from secret detentions to wiretapping issues. The discussion in effect presaged the debate over national security that will play out this year in the presidential and congressional elections.

Senator Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut, who spoke on the Senate floor for more than 20 hours in an unsuccessful effort to stall the wiretapping bill, said the vote would be remembered by future generations as a test of whether the country heeds “the rule of law or the rule of men.”

But with Democrats defecting to the White House plan, he acknowledged that the national security issue had won the day in the Senate, even among many of his Democratic colleagues. “Unfortunately, those who are advocating this notion that you have to give up liberties to be more secure are apparently prevailing,” Mr. Dodd said. “They’re convincing people that we’re at risk either politically, or at risk as a nation.”

With resistance led by Mr. Dodd and Senators Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, critics of the administration’s plan argued that it effectively rewarded phone companies by providing them with legal insulation for actions that violated longstanding law and their own fiduciary responsibilities to their customers. Immunity would protect the phone companies from some 40 lawsuits now pending that charge the firms broke the law by taking part in the program.

But supporters of the plan said the phone carriers acted out of patriotism after the Sept. 11 attacks in complying with what they believed in good faith was a legally binding order from the president. Republicans were able to garner the support of 19 Democrats and Senator Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut. Democratic leaders charged that the tactics the Republicans used smacked of fear-mongering.

“This, I believe, is the right way to go for the security of the nation,” said Senator John D. Rockefeller IV, the West Virginia Democrat who leads the intelligence committee and who was a pivotal supporter of the White House-backed plan approved Tuesday.

Beyond the immunity provision, the Senate measure would also widen the executive branch’s surveillance powers by allowing the National Security Agency and intelligence agencies to use broad orders — without getting court orders in advance — to eavesdrop on groups of overseas targets, rather than using individualized warrants.

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Preventive war is not war!!!!Counter-terror is not terror

Richterscale

This makes me sick. I know it won't do any good, but I wrote to every single fucking Democrat who caved into this anti American piece of shit bill.

The last chance to save us from this travesty is if the House holds fast with their version which doesn't contain blanket immunity.

This from TPM...

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"How many people died from the Kama Sutra as opposed to the Bible? Who wins?" - Frank Zappa

Jonesy

Every official who supported this should be sued for the maximum amount.

Again, it only reinforces the idea people should stop depending so much on government mandate. This practice, in itself, is one of the greatest of our countries failings. Ruled by the people, for the people... we have the constitution to protect us from any congressionally-supported atrocity.

Black_Knight

Anyway after we vote the connies out we can repeal this law and prosecute the telecom companies?

Richterscale

I'm not sure. From everything I've read, no. And even if it were challenged in the Supreme Court, this court has been packed with pro-corporate ideologues, so I doubt a challenge would be successful.

Another reason why whether you like the Dem candidate or not, whoever gets picked will be making Supreme Court picks, so we have to think long term.

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Google Sibel Edmonds

"How many people died from the Kama Sutra as opposed to the Bible? Who wins?" - Frank Zappa

mudwhistle

19 Democrats showed some sense for once. The rest want terrorists to be able to plot against the US in privacy.

TrueBlueAmerican

Id expect nothing less from the spineless democrats. Glad I left the party.

jdanton

19 out of 50?

This is why we need at least 60 democrats elected to the senate.

I'd also like some kind of open debate about this whole issue. If the government itself engages in illegal surveylance, and the government itself asks private companies to help, this raises some interesting questions.

Let's assume, for the sake of argument that all of this is investigated down the road, but Bush, Cheney, Gonzales, et al have been pardoned.

Would you then want to prosecute any private company who did what their government asked?

Why do 68 of our senators play so loosely with our constitutional rights?

It all makes me sick, too.

It's worth noting, however, that once again the republicans seem to have voted as a united group, while the dems were split 19 -31.

These same republicans will, if they have 41 senators next year, block any legislation they don't like.

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Author: Memoirs of a Sleepless Mind, a book you CAN judge by its cover.

Richterscale

Once again, Mud, you fail to grasp any reality outside of Rush's talking points.

__________________
Google Sibel Edmonds

"How many people died from the Kama Sutra as opposed to the Bible? Who wins?" - Frank Zappa

BillCosby

SOme good points..................

But I am not hearing any of these companies being forced to do this either............ Why are they not speaking out against this either???

I have no doubt that those looking back on this & similar crimes will condemn them as cowardly acts.....

I have little doubt that thee criminals will go free.......... THey always seem to find ways around pulling time...........

History on the other hand will not be as kind & these dark days for our democracy will be looked upon w/ sorrow & these criminals & their legacies w/ disdain..............

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Preventive war is not war!!!!Counter-terror is not terror