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

[Ramirez]

Here's a clip from a reality TV show for Democratic voters.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEtk_WENKZA

You've been "Kicked in the Nuts."

[Grunty1]

So have you, repeatedly, for 7 years now, but are not wise enough to realize it.

[getoffmedz]

There are still far too many Bush/Cheney rump sucking Fake Republicans remaining in Congress.

RETURN NO INCUMBENT! NONE!

[Tom95134]

Time to use the power of the purse. Stop making contributions to the Democratic National Committee and to the DCCC.

We might as well have left the Republicans in charge. At least then we knew we were getting screwed over. Now we just think there is some possibility of regaining our country but those bastards that have been given the power continue to rollover to Bush. We didn't vote last November for you to be a bunch of cowards and not get your hands dirty.

[MrBritesnide]

Interesting--

Well, all you white folks who voted for Bush twice, how does it feel to vote in a president for basically white-supremacist reasons, and then find you've been screwed?

[rwe]

Rascist, rancid ignorant babble....It is the epitome of rascism and fascism when the goosestepping brownshirting liberals will rake over the coals any and all people of color who use their common sense and fact and logic and conscience when they support the President who happens to be a Republican . That is the Liberal Democrat way..Right Dick (nazi), Stark, Moveon, Media matters. ?Harry and Nancy? The sliming of America by the left

[Ramirez]

"Disgrace To His Race!"

"In August 1990 Stark drew controversy for calling Health and Human Services Secretary Louis Wade Sullivan "a disgrace to his race." Stark was criticizing a speech by Sullivan opposing proposals for federally-sponsored national health insurance (Stark had introduced legislation for national health insurance)."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Stark

[MrBritesnide]

And, of course YOU know all about slime, and racist rancid babble, don't you? It's gotten you where you are today has'nt it?

[Gatormouth]

Hi again. In checking this string, I see you call everyone some variation of "rascist" who disagrees with you. So that makes me feel better. I apologize for calling you a Neocon. You appear to get most upset by any criticism of the big business wing of our party, so, you are probably merely using Trotskyite/Neocon methods of posturing and name calling to protect Free Trade Democrats. Republicasns light, you know? You are really a Hillary flack, aren't you? Get cracking, man. You have a lot of fires to try to put out. Don't worry, though. Most of us will hold our nose and vote for her if she is all we have in the General election. But kiss off my vote in the primary.

[PoliticalPolyanna]

Can't you just hear the wingnut talking heads now? They'll be touting "Bush's victory" and yada-yada-yada. The only defeat in this whole mess is the continued beat-down this country and its constitution has taken in the last six years.

God save the U.S.A.

[unclebucky]

Hey, dinglebutt.

No one is going to save the USA except the People. If the people do not act to put an end to this foolishness, God will not lift a celestial finger, baby.

God will even allow THIS to happen to us, if we bring to light:
http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-2023790698427111488&hl=en-GB

Ugh.

--UB.

[PoliticalPolyanna]

Well, Ugh-oh . . . The people voted for a majority change the last election. We got it and they have been ineffective and have managed to change nothing. Short of armed insurrection, what do you suggest, "baby"?

[PoliticalPolyanna]

Is the removal of one's spine required to run for congress or is the procedure done prior to the swearing-in ceremony?

Gutless, gutless, gutless.

The nation is doomed; not from terrorists, but from the hijacking of our constitution by our own government.

[stargazer13]

polly I agree where oh where is there spine because if that is not the case then it becomes more sinister

[Grunty1]

Block this piece of shit, Dodd.

[ccarmona]

Fucking Pussys!!! No incumbent from either party should be re-elected in 13 months.

And, what did the Telcoms do that requires immunity?

[kroses98]

All Democrats out here should protest as have I. Change your voter registration to "Independent!" As a life-long Democrat, I am now ashamed to call myself one, and so I will no longer do so. I am now a "PROUD INDEPENDENT!" Please join me!!!

[freespeach]

Yes kroses98.

Changing registration matters. Probably more so than refusing to give money.....these vermin get their money from corporate America. They have an unlimited amount of cash to cover any shortfall from what the little people give.

Also check out these fine people and get involved with patriotic Americans who are correct on almost all of the issues.

http://www.gp.org/

If you do join the Green party, be sure to call your local Democrats and tell them why you did.

Peace.

[scooperss]

changed last year from repub to Independent. Welcome.

[stargazer13]

I will tell you what they did to get immunity they sold our soul

[Nommo]

Screw them all. For they have just screwed us royally, even, again, and again and again.

[hugs4u]

The democrats need to be replaced in the Senate. I am ashamed to say none of them have the wisdom or balls to be leaders. They did what the repukeicans did,They gave gw bush what he asked for in the end.
Throw the bums out.

[WTFbush]

Shocking!!! hahahaha

[mrcontinental]

Welcome to the fourth reich.

[BrokenMirror]

Why not just do away with the entire House? The president is making all of the decisions, anyway. This will definitely come back to haunt the Republicans, however. Whenever Bush leaves office and the next (Democratic) president steps in, they will have free reign to do whatever they please. It will be interesting to see the neocons howl like banshees when a Democrat gets away with murder because of the policies that have been implemented under the Bush administration. And, they will have only themselves to blame. Payback is truly a bitch and, unfortunately for the neocons, so is Hillary Clinton.

[sword]

Hillary is a necon. If you want to warmonger against Iran and bow down to the militant Israeli lobby no matter what, you are a neocon. Our republic is the number one issue right now.

[Meah]

When will this nightmare end. I am more afraid of my government than the terrorists.

[PoliticalPolyanna]

I'm with you, Meah! We have an administration that claims not to be bound by any silly laws and whose sole focus since taking office has been to amass obscene personal fortunes for themselves and their backers. We have a Congress that does nothing more than "talk a good game" when it comes to reigning in the organized crime syndicate in the WH. American citizens have been stripped of their right to privacy and can be spied upon at the whim of some demented, evil politicians.

Yeah, Meah, I agree. At least with the FOREIGN terrorists, you pretty much know where you stand. The bigger threat is our own politicians who smile and offer their one hand while stabbing you in the back with the other.

[LeftLeaner]

Welcome to the Dempublican Party.

They have finally FULLY merged.

[cynara]

Not all of 'em. Feingold is holding out, as usual, and Chris Dodd says he'll put a hold on the bill (he better mean it!). But I am seriously pissed that Dianne Lieberman-in-a-pantsuit Feingold won't be up for relection for another four years, that woman has got to go... (We can recall governors here in California, can we recall Senators?) That said, why in hells name is anyone caving to a President with a 24% approval rating?

[cynara]

Correction:
Dianne Lieberman-in-a-pantsuit FEINSTEIN. (I'm too mad to type straight).

[DCMike]

Yes, there is an election coming soon. The Democrats are trying to prove that they can destroy the Constitution as well as any Republican.
Congress: Doing all we can to insure you good phone service.

[kroses98]

Join with me in changing your registration from Democratic to INDEPENDENT! If the Dems lose a few thousand registered party members, they might hear the roar of disapproval. But then they might not. They might need to lose a few million!!!