Senators Cave On FISA: New Bill Gives AG Power Over Telecoms

TPM Muckraker:

It took until early this morning, but, as expected, the Senate intelligence committee has passed its surveillance bill. Also as expected, retroactive legal immunity for telecommunications companies complying with President Bush's warrantless surveillance program is part of the bill. Not exactly as expected: it won't be the FISA Court that determines who complied with the program. It will be the attorney general:

The Senate bill would direct civil courts to dismiss lawsuits against telecommunications companies if the attorney general certifies that the company rendered assistance between Sept. 11, 2001, and Jan. 17, 2007, in response to a written request authorized by the president, to help detect or prevent an attack on the United States.

Suits also would be dismissed if the attorney general certifies that a company named in the case provided no assistance to the government. The public record would not reflect which certification was given to the court.

Read the whole story: TPM Muckraker

Comments

[sugarmoes]

ZEIG HEIL MEIN FUHRER!!!!

[Ramirez]

JAWOHL! Es ist Godwin's Law.

[MissingAmerica]

Let's see. The Attorney General leaves because he has broken laws on Bush's behalf. Bush nominates another who is obviously behind more illegal acts. If he is confirmed, then he is a Bush appointee who will have total control over what happens involving Bush's illegal actions. Am I the only one who thinks our government has lost its way? Am I the only one who finds it disturbing that Congress caves and compromises over a matter which has already been found to be illegal? This is ridiculous! We must impeach this administration and see to it that Congress gets restructured bigtime over the next couple elections!

[rwe]

It has been 7 yars since Pres Bush and VP Cheney and all you go as far as law breaking was a guy named Scooter. How many scores including the top guy Bill were chareged convicted or impeached. Again if there were any grounds for impeachement, any , just one , Letter writer Harry and resolution pusher Nancy would have levied some by now.

[MrBritesnide]

Blah, blah, blah...
Why don't you go back to the freaking trailer and see if you and the rest of your gap-toothed Klan buddies can scrape together enough money to buy some damn crank.

[stargazer13]

how can they when every thing is top secret

[Plowboy]

Halleluyah! Rack another one up for the gtreat Two Party Swindle. Is there anyone still who believes that there is any essential difference between the Democratic swine and the Republicans? They are totally owned and controlled by the same interests. America died a while back. Doers anyone here know how to bring a nation bnack from the dead?

[MrBritesnide]

I know that it was'nt to vote for an unbalanced moron for president twice, to prop up a white-suopremacist agenda, like YOU did. Take your two-party swindle BS back to the webmaster whose paying you to post this crap and tell him they laughed you off the blog.

[hugs4u]

Senator Dodd wants to put a hold on the bill and Reid wants to skirt around him doing it, so as Senator Dodd is going to filibuster the issue. Senator Dodd is proving he has some balls. He needs to replace reid as majority leader as reid is not only ball less, he has no spine.
throw reid from the senate.

[gopgoingdown]

From what I read, it gives immunity for telecommunications companies, but NOT for the people that broke the law (BUSH_CHENEY).

They can still be prosecuted if it was found that they broke the law!

[Grunty1]

Why should these companies be given immunity for breaking the law?

[gappytoofcondi]

Another nail in the coffin of our Democracy. All hail America, the new fascist republic!

[DaRight]

.....

Do you consider FDR to have been a great American president?


.

[PoliticalPolyanna]

Just sent this to Reid:

While I realize that my not being a Nevada resident makes me completely inconsequential to you, I simply cannot remain silent any longer. Unfortunately, your position as the Senate Majority Leader puts me in a position of suffering under your feckless "leadership" as much as any resident of Nevada.

Get a clue, Mr. Reid. Americans, whether they be from Nevada or not, are sick to death of being betrayed by their elected officials. We're tired of the stench of manure wafting from the Capitol dome in D.C. What the hell are you people doing besides whining in front of the camera and posturing for the party? We elected a Democratic majority for a reason; Americans are fed up with the state of affairs in this country for the last six years. You, your House counterpart Ms. Pelosi and the other lawmakers have done NOTHING since winning the majority but maintain the status quo! Save for some snappy sound bytes and opposing party talking points, Mr. Reid, there is no difference in you and Trent Lott! You're both posturing peacocks concerned only with your political career and the power it brings.

Face it, Mr. Reid. You may talk a good game, but you aren't scoring ANY points. Americans are sick to death of party bickering and bashing. We want lawmakers that actually represent us. We are struggling with the rising cost of EVERYTHING out here and you idiots are talking about Armenia?! What the HELL are you people thinking?!

Enjoy your run as Grand Poobah of the Senate while you can. It's time you and the DNC heirarchy realize that while the money may come from a few rich donors with ideas FAR to the left of most Americans, the votes come from the "little people" like me. One may get you in the race but the other can keep your useless butt out of the seat. If you can't do the work of the American people instead of pandering to fringe elements of the party; we'll find someone who can.

[Colmore]

Great post. Wish I could have added my name to it. Sometimes I think they are too far removed from regular people that they forget we exist.

[V4Vigilance]

"It's time you and the DNC heirarchy realize that while the money may come from a few rich donors with ideas FAR to the left of most Americans, the votes come from the "little people" like me."

Hey, that should read "DLC hierarchy". The DNC under the leadership of Howard Dean is trying to return power to "little people" like you through its 50 State Strategy. The less influence that the DLC and the Beltway punditocracy have the better off the Democratic Party and America will be.

[EspressoAtNoon]

I think all of this just shows that the American people have NO POWER! We are ignored, lied to, while the special interest groups line our politicians' pockets with money and they continue to pass legislation that benefits ONLY these special interest groups.

It doesn't matter if EVERY American is on the same page in poll after poll, the politicians do what best serves these special interest groups who line their pockets.

There's no use in even discussing the Iraq war, universal healthcare, bombing Iran, illegal immigration, etc .. until politicians use taxpayer money to fund their elections. Until then, no bitching, whining, complaining, etc.. will do a bit of good in determining American policy (both foreign and domestic).

[Canukistani]

No surprise. Don't believe what they say. Believe what they do.

[gwpriester]

Pathetic.

The only chance the liberals are going to take power is by the republicans shooting themselves in the foot. Not because there are any cajones in the Democratic party.

[Colmore]

Look at Georgie's teeth. Don't we taxpayers pay enough to cover dental? Every member of his family has grey teeth. Even with white ones, he is would still be repulsive and brain dead.

[kellygrrrl]

Meth Teeth

[unclebucky]

Well.

It is either disgusting or they are just biding their time until we release the MFer to the Hague for War Crimes.

Ugh.

--UB.

[Gatormouth]

The spineless Dems are are still showing up at a knife fight waving a copy of Robert's Rules. Who the hell do they think they are representing??
Isn't it weird? I was used to thinking of Dems as US. More and more I am lumping them with the Repubofascists as THEM.

[MrBritesnide]

I did'nt know you COULD think...th­ere's certainly no evidence of it from what I've just read. What the hell do you think YOU'RE representing? From the sound of you, I'd say, "Pissed off crackers who were Swiftboated on White Privilege.­"

[TUCANOFULANO]

Nice photo of Mr. Bush at the head of this piece - he appears to have just stepped out of his trash trailer.

[Budnacho]

Well people, you have your marching orders. Incumbents out!.

I think we need to keep this as our mantra. When the dems realize that their chances of a majority in the next election is gone, they'll finally notice.

Hillary is going to finish what Bush started.

[booker52]

What a bunch of sorry idiots. Just give this WH more power and take more of our rights away. And the new AG if passed will go right along with whatever this WH wants. His answers yesterday tell us that.