Two Months After Vow To Reign In NSA, Dem Concessions On Wiretapping Expected

New York Times:

Two months after vowing to roll back broad new wiretapping powers won by the Bush administration, Congressional Democrats appear ready to make concessions that could extend some of the key powers granted to the National Security Agency.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[leftLibertarian]

Oh democrats, oh democrats. When will you ever learn. Most of your candidates are still fearful of Bush co.
Wake up. Vote for Ron Paul.

”President Bush has no better friends than the spineless Democratic congressional leadership and the party’s leading presidential candidates when it comes to his failing Iraq policy.”"Those Democrats seem to have forgotten that the American people want U.S. troops out of Iraq, especially since Bush still cannot give a credible reason for attacking Iraq after nearly five years of war.”

“Last week at a debate in Hanover, N.H., the leading Democratic presidential candidates sang from the same songbook: Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York, and Barack Obama of Illinois and former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards refused to promise to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq by 2013, at the end of the first term of their hypothetical presidencies. Can you believe it?”

When the question was put to Clinton, she reverted to her usual cautious equivocation, saying: “It is very difficult to know what we’re going to be inheriting.”

http://www.libertariansforpaul.com/

[Gretchen]

I used to be proud of my country and what it stood for. No more. So far as I can see, not one person who 'represents the people' is willing to stand up for what the people want.

[kevenseven]

For all you whining putzes crying that the Dems are gutless tools of Bush:

WRITE YOUR CONGRESSMAN!

CALL YOUR CONGRESSMAN!

VISIT YOUR CONGRESSMAN'S LOCAL OFFICE!

Then repeat with your Senators.

If you are unprepared to tell your reps directly what you think of this, then would you please STFU.

[HumeSkeptic]

Yes. Do that. But also get involved with MoveOn. I am sure they soon will have a campaign starting on this.

I fully support their strategy of going after Republicans, and Democrats who vote like Republicans.

[SmellyOne]

YOu should be rallying your people to march in the street.

Where are the protests?

Too much time in the blogosphere calling people like me stupid. NOt enough time on the streets.

[leftLibertarian]

Dude, I do that once a week.

[kevenseven]

Cool, then feel free to bitch here about how ineffective is seems...

Because I'm with you.

[whatsreallygoingonhere]

Amen! Frustrating as it is when we get results like this, we have to do it. If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.

Call, write, visit and make your voices heard!

[sydfynch]

I do this at least once a week. All my reps are right wing water carriers. I'm hopelessly trapped in a very, very red state.

[kevenseven]

You are perhaps in the tightest of spots, Mississippi, perhaps?

A bumper sticker reading "Democrat and damn proud of it" is in order.

The new viral community can help you. Look at Drinking Liberally to see if you can get a group together.

Find the local Democratic Club. Go to the state party, if you must.

Hell, my congressman voted AGAINST the censure of MoveOn.

[3443649]

Every so called elected official in DC are and have been in so much devious corruption, that any one POL within the beltway can get what they want that benefits them or thier operation. What else can you expect when MONEY will get any of the OFFICES of government, and you as a commen suck butt citizen can not do a damned thing about it....... within the law! The Caucus system screws us out of the selection of who we wish to run for a Party by Popular vote. and today the electronic vote will be used for the fix by the same power brokers that put the turd heads in that we have now. They will probably buy the Administration for the DEMS, as the GOP didn't deliver the oil and ALL the other riches. The presidency is and will be bought for the Clintons. But this will be the last presidency in this country should THEY fail to deliver. Expect a Totalatarian system next...

[Marichu]

The Democrats need to vote their conscience. They must adhere to the tenet of the Constitution and not be swayed by those manipulative individuals who try to label them "soft on terrorism."

[lornejl]

Wouldn't that be nice ? People sent to Washington to represent us, maybe someday.

[nomdplume]

Here's a simple proposition; since the democrats have clearly thus far shown themselves to be either A) Pussies and/or B) Spineless we will take a vote as to what best describes them.
If, A)'Pussies' wins we start displaying or to sending our elected Democratic representaives photos of cats, stuffed cats, cat toys, catnip, balls of yarn.
If it is B) 'Spineless' then it will be jelly, jellyfish realted items etc.

Perhaps it takes some comedic shame to shake us out of our complacency. This is a safe cost effective and amusing way to do so. When anger and sadness fail perhaps laughter will be the best medicine.

So what will it be, are they A)Pussies or B) Spineless?

[kevenseven]

Who is your congressman? Who are your senators?

How many times have you told them your views on this?

How many letters have you written?

Phone calls?

Hmmm? Who's the pussy? Who is spineless?

[nohobear]

Everybody needs to remember all this at the next election. Vote out all incumbents that have failed to stand up to the Bush regime. Assuming we ever see honest elections again.

In case you haven't noticed, the democrats have also not addressed electronic voting fraud. That should have been at the top of the list.

I hope Reid and Pelosi can live with history's judgement that they were cowards when America needed them to stand up and fight.

[kevenseven]

Who is your congressman? Who are your senators?

How many times have you told them your views on this?

How many letters have you written?

Phone calls?

Hmmm? How do you sleep at night?

[EvSmith]

My congressman is an absolute sell out shill.
He is a Democrat, one of the corrupt ones.

Nothing else can explain his voting record.

By perpetuating this illegal war they already have the loss of many young lives on their conscientious. If they are not moved by the destruction of so many families than how will anything I say, no matter how I word it, cause them to reconsider?
This isn't a healthy, functioning government we're dealing with.

My phone calls and e-mails mean very little.
On the really serious issues they mean nothing.

[nohobear]

My lovely senators are Boxer and Feinstein. And believe me, I have called and written lots of emails over the past year, especially to Madame Feinstein, who as far as I am concerned, is Joe Lieberman in drag. Speaker Pelosi is also my representative, and has gotten an earful from me. Strangely enough, I've only gotten form letter replies or polite but indifferent telephone receptionists. In addition, I've contributed to moveon.org and signed a dozen or so petitions. When I get requests for donations from the DNC I tell them I'll write them a check when they stop writing Bush a check for his war. I plan on taking to the streets for the next major antiwar protest in my town. So I sleep very well at night thank you.

Assuming we ever see free elections again, I will not be voting for Feinstein or Pelosi.

I admire your passion kevenseven.

[deleweye]

Come the revolution...

Yeah, right.

[poppycock]

Cowards surrender without putting up a fight

Democrats invented preemptive surrender.

[kevenseven]

Who is your congressman? Who are your senators?

How many times have you told them your views on this?

How many letters have you written?

Phone calls?

Hmmm? Have you already surrendered?

[Ramirez]

There is a pattern here that cannot be ignored. Despite the endless promises of Democrats to their base on the hard left, they have backed down on every confrontation with Bush. Remember impeachment? Repealing the Patriot Act? NSA surveillance? Cutting funding? Withdrawing the troops?

And why do they do this? Two reasons:

1) They want to attack and criticize Bush and the war, but they want no part of the responsibility of protecting the nation.

2) They always choose in the end to put country ahead of party. Because despite their bluster and hyperventilating rhetoric... in their hearts they know Bush is right.

[deleweye]

In their campaign committees they know the same corporate crooks have bought them that have bought the little chickenhawk scumbag who's turning the world into our enemy while gutting our military and economic ability to defend ourselves.

[LadyXoc]

Remember "Tweedledum and Tweedledee"? Nader was right.

[amanda85]

Nope ramirez, you really don't get it. I know you don't know much about international politics, but the truth is a lot simpler: **DEMOCRATS ARE CONSERVATIVES**, they are a right-wing party by international standards and act accordingly. Both parties are controlled by the fascist corporate world, there is no real democracy in your country.
It's time for the American left to give them the finger and found a new party, truly Liberal, truly progressive, truly free from religious influences.

[whatsreallygoingonhere]

Or, stop listening to MSM about who to vote for, what to think and who's electable. It's time to put all your support behind the Dems that protect and defend our constitution instead of worrying about the next election.

Kucinich has my vote. He's a Dem. If the Dems choose Hillary or Obama, I'll be looking elsewhere.

[kevenseven]

Where are the WMD's?

Why is bin Laden alive and free?

Why are we manufacturing terrorists faster than we are killing them? (Rumsfeld said so.)

Bush is right? About what?

That he should not be held responsible for ignoring the message of a 470 word memo that told him 9/11 was coming?

I don't think so...

[HumeSkeptic]

1) They want to attack and criticize Bush and the war, but they want no part of the responsibility of protecting the nation. -Ramirez.

---------------

Talking about protecting the nations, defend this, Ramirez:

BUSH-CHENEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS AFTER SIX YEARS IN OFFICE

TOPIC: NATIONAL SECURITY

- Half a TRILLION spent.

-TENS of thousand US soldiers killed and wounded.

- HUNDREDS of thousands civilians KILLED and wounded.

- MORE terrorists now than on 9/11.

-TALIBAN as strong as ever.

-FOUR Iraqi provinces under control of Iran-friendy militias.



Let me see you defend it, Ramirez.

[Rehbock]

Do they know something we dont? Or does someone know something about them that they don't want known?
Bush and Cheney our psychopath in chief and his vice treat the Constitution like toilet paper. They give us spying, torture, lies, secrect prisons, incompetence, profiteering, mercenaries, failing currency, runaway debt, rising prices, dying children and more. Yet the dems roll over again. This country is down the tubes. Freedom really is now just another word for nothing left to lose.

[RebelPatriot]

They do know something you don't. The Neocons know that they have trashed the Republican party - like a parasite that has sucked out the life of its host. Now they are just migrating to the Democratic party. The power elite wouldn't just set this up - the police state and war machine, without planning for this all to happen ahead of time.

Its all part of the plan to make the Democrats appear to be the saviors, but in reality, the Democrats will just continue the process of Empire building, albeit with a Supermajority - the true tyranny of democracy - to ram the rest of the PNAC/NEOCON plan through. Hillary was telling you the truth when she claims she would bomb Iran.

[Where is Jesus?]

This country is fucked! Our only hope is if some of the military leaders decide to take our country back from the hands of these traitors in the WH. That is our only hope. Because we now know that the Dems don't have the courage or the conviction to really stand up for anything. They are just too calculating and hoping that they won't have to make any decisions to smack down the little fucking brat in the WH. Dems=pussies. That's right Reid, for all your tough rhetoric, you are a pussy and will always be remembered throughout history as that. You will be remembered as a senate leader who was afraid to save this country when it really counted. Please retire tomorrow and just go away. Take Pelosi with you, too.

[amanda85]

"Our only hope is if some of the military leaders decide to take our country back from the hands of these traitors in the WH."

I hope you're kidding. The American military leadership is mostly made of diehard christofascists. They already have far more power than they deserve and they're wreacking havoc on the world. Put them in charge of your country and you can say goodbye to planet earth...

[kevenseven]

Who is your congressman? Who are your senators?

How many times have you told them your views on this?

How many letters have you written?

Phone calls?

Hmmm? Who's the pussy?

[naschkatze]

Be careful what you wish for! (I agree with everything you say except for the military taking over. And don't forget we have a private military concern now too.)

[plages]

Don't you just love the two party system!

[RebelPatriot]

Yes, its called Good-Cop vs. Bad-Cop. The parties were bought out long ago by the same financial interests (Quigley - Tragedy and Hope) and it has been kept successfully hidden from the masses through the media

[naschkatze]

Not anymore, don't you think?

[deleweye]

I would if we had one.

[Gayrove]

I think most of us who are posting on this and other topics don't really realize how much of America is gone forever...
Who hasn't watched the stink about the "General Betray-Us" ad in the NY Times?

Doesn't anybody remember the Marine "hero" Oliver North (also appearing in dress blues with all the ribbons and badges on display)? Although Oliver was mostly successful in his support of Reagan's dealings with Iran and in bringing the Latin Curtain countries in line, he did NOT get a free ride in the media or anywhere else, and those who disagreed with him or even pilloried him in speeches and articles were NEVER called traitors and saboteurs and enemies of The Good.
ONE very public finger pointed at this latest incarnation of Oberst Oliver: General Betray Us, and everyone, Democrats, Republicans, and the rest all go completely to PIECES!
No one is going to risk being called "soft on the security of the Heimat (oops!) Homeland" by "forcing" the matter of Anglo-Saxon law, the Bill of Rights, or "The Four Freedoms." No, no one!

No, Colonel Oliver had to suffer martyrdom by the Wicked, so that no could ever again get away with lampooning Holy Military Officers, including Petraeus.. The Blood of the Martyrs is the Seed of the New Global Wall Street.

Holy Martyr, Saint Douglas McArthur, intercede for us, we pray Thee!

[RebelPatriot]

I would ask for the intercession of a Patton, Butler, and Washington.

[AurigaRa]

Well what a surprise, but that's what we got when the dems joined the rethuglican party.

And you watch, the bloggers over at Dkos will still be debating about which of the top 3 is best.

Unless Kucinich get the nomination, I will not be voting at all in Nov. 08.

[kevenseven]

Thanks for the help. With allies like you, who needs enemies?

Eat your cookies, drink your milk, and go to bed. The adults are trying to drive the reactionaries from power.

[whatsreallygoingonhere]

In that case I hope you're doing everything possible to get Kucinich the nomination.

The top three would love it if you didn't vote in the primaries. Do what you can to get Kucinich nominated. I'm with you except that I'll be voting for whoever represents me (in thought, word AND action) in '08.