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Dems Win on FISA! (Momentarily)

It looks as though House Democrats are going to head into the President's Day recess without acting on FISA, meaning that the Protect America Act will expire in a few days.

Most Democrats were happy to pass an extension of PAA, which allows the federal government to spy on foreign-to-foreign communications routed through the United States without a warrant, but the White House insisted it would veto the bill if it didn't include retroactive immunity for telecom companies that have helped the Bush Administration spy on Americans. (Chris Dodd recently lost this fight in the Senate.)

The House leadership (which is getting ballsier and ballsier) decided to risk the political attacks Republican will surely launch about leaving America unprotected instead of caving and passing a bad bill that helps undermine the Constitution. Kudos to them!

More info here.

Comments

["The House leadership (which is getting ballsier and ballsier) decided to risk the political attacks Republican will surely launch about leaving America unprotected instead of caving and passing a bad bill that helps undermine the Constitution. Kudos to them."]

Let's be clear and thorough here: The SENATE Republicans (a Minority) were unanimous in violating their oath of office, violating the Bill of Rights and supporting a very bad bill (P.A.A. replacement law) on Tuesday.

However, the bill would NOT have passed without the help of some from the Democratic party.
Senat Republicans didn't need Many of the Democrat's votes, but they got fully 40% of them! And oddly, Senators Clinton and Obama chose to abstain from voting on such an important issue as this!

Hopefully, the House will stick to it's guns and do what's right on this one (the way they have NOT done on so many other issues and promises from the 2006 campaign)

Posted by: Alternate Reality Check on 02/14/08 at 2:58 PM Respond

Kudos, my enormous backside. We expect the Congress and Senate to *prohibit* these activities (the non-foreign spying). We expect them to *defend* our rights against this power-grabbing administration. Boldly going on recess is not sufficient. Bush is going to ignore them and keep doing what he wants anyway.

Posted by: JG on 02/14/08 at 2:58 PM Respond

“They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”-–Ben Franklin

Catch a clue people! Domestic spying has never netted ONE terrorist.

Domestic Spying is NOT about protecting WE THE PEOPLE!

Domestic spying is about BUSH and the GOP spying on their political opponents!

Bush began Spying on Americans BEFORE 9/11; did ya know that?

Bush and the GOP Republicans are trying to jam this Domestic Spying junk down WE THE PEOPLE's throat by using FEAR tactics that are just plain STUPID LIES.

Posted by: BloggerRadio on 02/14/08 at 3:25 PM Respond

RadioBlogger – Careful with your partisanship. Anyone else notice that Senator Clinton was too busy to make it back to Washingtonwhile McCain and Obama squeeked in for the vote? Hmmm…
Talk’s cheap – actions speak VOLUMES!
If you love W and want 4 more, then vote Clinton.

Posted by: kirkbrew on 02/14/08 at 7:51 PM Respond

Actually Kirkbrew, neither Obama nor Clinton bothered to vote on the Senate bill (S.2248).
Nor did Republican Lindsey Graham. ('Unanimous' was a slight overstatement)
www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=2&vote=00020
McCain showed up and voted against the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

It's also noteworthy that the Sole Sponsor of the Senate bill was a DEMOCRAT, John D. Rockefeller IV, of West Virginia.

Posted by: Alternate Reality Check on 02/15/08 at 8:41 AM Respond