Reid Issues Ultimatum: More Time Or No Wiretaps

At a State of the Union preview speech today at the National Press Club, Majority Leader Harry Reid issued a dramatic ultimatum to President Bush: either sign an extension of the Protect America Act (which sets conditions for the administration's warrantless surveillance) or "there will be no wiretapping."

"It's up to the president," Reid announced during a question and answer session. "Does he want the law? It's up to him." Reid said Bush needs to sign the extension to give more time for the Senate to reach a compromise on a new bill. Senate Republicans this week obstructed every effort for amendments to be made to the pending FISA legislation.

"If it fails, he can give all the speeches he wants, including the State of the Union, about how we've stopped things," Reid said. "If he does that, it's disingenuous, and it's not true."

Watch it (transcripts below):

Reid also blasted Senate Republicans for seeking to block a temporary extension of the current FISA law to allow for further debate.

Full transcript:

The president has to make a decision. He's either going to extend the law, or he will...which is temporary in nature, or there will be no wiretapping.

Story continues below

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We have worked very hard to try to come up with a way to proceed on this but it's up to the President.

The amendments that were offered in the Senate ... they would have passed. The majority of the senate favored these amendments.

They refused to allow us to vote on what we call "Title 1' which is a procedural aspect of this, and then they never even dreamed of our going to the second part, which is the retroactive immunity. Which is...there is real controversy over that and there should be a vote in the United States Senate as to whether or not there should be retroactive immunity. They won't give us one.

So again, it's up to the president. He can either continue the present law for an extended period of time, we would agree to two weeks, we would agree to a month, and we would agree to a longer period of time than that.

But it is up to the president. Does he want the law? It's up to him.

If it fails, he can give all the speeches he wants, including the State of the Union, about how we've stopped things, if he does that, it's disingenuous, and it's not true.

Comments

[Lonw]

.

Nothing will happen as Reid continues to blow smoke up his own ass

.

[freespeach]

Reid is scum. He almost was able to deliver the bill to Bush in December that sold out the American people and gave Bush his immunity for Telcoms...­...almost.

Reid, as a key player in the DLC does nothing without their approval and assistance.

Dodd saved us all with his courageous filibuster.

So as the lines are clearly drawn between Dodd (good guys) and Harry Reid (evil fascist traitors) and the DLC, there is one question we should all be asking.

Whose side are Hillary and Obama on?

Are they with "we the people" or will they stay loyal to their Telcom donors and behave like fascist pigs at the trough?

Their complete silence on this issue is not encouraging.

This article gives the background and current info to help us all understand what is going on with this FISA shell game.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/012508C.shtml

from the article...­..

"Two versions of the FISA bill emerged, one from the Senate Intelligence Committee drafted largely by Cheney himself, which contained the immunity provision, and another from the Senate Judiciary Committee that did not contain the provision. Although Senate Majority leader Harry Reid inauspiciously chose the former to bring to the Senate floor, the bill was surrounded by much controversy. There had been well organized grass-roots pressure to stop it from passing, and the House had already passed a version that did not include the retroactive immunity provision. Thus, in the face of a filibuster threat by Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), Reid postponed the discussion until the January 2008 session."

[stargazer13]

I did my part no pass for tel com

[massimo1]

Sure would be nice if he means it this time. Fat chance, huh?

[kevenseven]

Off topic, but I don't care, regarding Telecom immunity and warrantless wiretapping:

BREAKING NEWS!

There IS hope! From Greenwald at Salon:

UPDATE V: There was some significant, and apparently unexpected, obstructionism on the part of Republicans this afternoon, whereby they blocked votes on any of the pending amendments and then filed a Motion for Cloture (i.e., to force a vote on the Senate Intelligence Committee bill as is), the vote on which will occur on Monday at 4:30 p.m. Supposedly, the obstructionism angered Reid and other Democrats and now Reid will not only support Dodd's filibuster but urge his caucus to do so as well.

I'm still trying to understand exactly what occurred procedurally and what the implications are, but for now, both Marcy Wheeler and McJoan have good explanations. The essence is that 36 Democrats already voted against the SIC bill (and in favor of the Judiciary Committee bill). To sustain a filibuster, they need 41 Senators who refuse to vote for cloture -- meaning they would need to convert 3 Democrats who voted for the SIC bill, plus Obama and Clinton (who are scheduled to be in DC on Monday for the State of the Union address). This is where Obama and Clinton's leadership could really make a genuine difference. More on this later.

UPDATE VI: Tim Tagaris, recently of the Dodd campaign, has much more analysis and information about what occurred today.

There were three embedded links in the text:

http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2008/01/24/what-ever-happened-to-upperdown-votes/

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/1/24/18101/4412/844/442586

http://www.openleft.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=3410

Act NOW or don't come on this board pissing about the Dems caving again! We only need to turn three votes.

Send a petition to Obama and Clinton at:

http://act.credomobile.com/campaign/wiretapping08

[dansama]

How about no more time and no more wire taps! Why doesn't anyone in the MSM point out they were wiretapping before 9-11 and it did not stop the attacks, so the wire taps are NOT effective. George Orwell was right and we must all love "big brother".

NSA is watching put on a good show!

[jcorrington]

The mantra from our gov is now, "let em blog, send emails"...­.haaaaaaaa­aaaaaaa


del 8300
ie 7

[pesfb]

Ah, Magoo, you've done it again!

Now watch rollover Reid back down like a scared puppy.

[gappytoofcondi]

I believe Harry Reid only slightly more than Bush (BOTH are compulsive liars). However, I believe Chris Dodd will do the right thing and filibuster this disgusting bill so it will not be passed.

[Oldchef]

This whole situation is truly shameful. Each and every one, including Bush have sworn to protect and defend the constitution. This bill is an attack on the constitution. We need individual warrants, with proof to the court that the warrants are justified. The fact that the wire tapping started 6 months before 9/11 should cry out for exposure of what reasons were given to the telecoms to get them to participate. Was it just the money to be earned from the taps(some unpaid, we find recently). We need to know what compelled them to participate in something that was obviously illegal. Warrants have been required for years for wiretaps. Why did they (most of them) agree?

[degjack]

Reid is all talk and no "show". I don't believe a word he says.

[nellieh]

They should employ the same tactics as the Republicans when Voinovich opposed their tax cut They used Osama in the ads. When Spector and Voinovich voiced opposition against Bolton they pressured until they caved. Opposition to ANY legislation by Republicans of Republicans met with either honey ($100,000,00)for a Mi. Rep's son or vinegar the head of the ethics committee who voted against DeLay for his antics being replaced. They should come down with as much leverage they can muster against the Democrats who could cause them to lose this fight. This is a first for the Democratic Senate to stand up and it shouldn't be let to Feingold and Dodd to fight it by themselves. Dodd and Feingold are the only Senators speaking for Democrats and the majority of the country. This is what real patriots do. They hold the breach until the laggards finally see the light and join in. I'm betting the country is watching this more than the "chump change rebate with Chinese money." Will they convert the money to dollars? Can you ask for Euros? The Chinese will get it back because Chinese goods will be bought and we will still owe them $150 bil on top of what we alrady owe them.

[Purple Girl]

RESIGN!!
In fact if any which to save the future freedom- STEP DOWN NOW!!
We are no longer satisfied with staged dissent.
We will not accept any compromises
We KNOW that the heart of th eproblem lies in our Governing bodies are mere products of the Corporations. We KNOW WHO YOU HAVE ALLOWED TO INFILTRATE OUR DEMOCRACY, thus having US at our knees.Char­ges of TREASON, WAR CRIMES AND CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY- that is what we have in STORE for you,ALL!

American Revolution part two- when WE defeat and CONVICT the Corporationists who've taken over our country. the Nuemburg Trails will pale in comparison­.Book the mega stadiums so all can watch- PBS (the only media outlet not on trial)

[sheine]

Does anybody believe Reid or Pelosi? They both cave in to Bush whenever he exerts a little pressure. The NY Times editorial deals with Reid's weakness on the surveillance bill. Every responsible economics commentator calls Pelosi's stimulous package a fraud.

[rollingdivision]

According to the Washington Post the vast majority of the Senate supports the current bill. Why won't the Democrats allow majority rule? "The Senate signaled in a key vote yesterday that it supports giving some of the nation's largest telephone companies immunity from dozens of privacy lawsuits related to a federal domestic eavesdropping program initiated after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

In a lopsided 60 to 36 vote -- with 12 Democrats joining Republicans in the majority -- the Senate rejected a version of the proposed legislation sponsored by Democrats on the Judiciary Committee. That bill omitted immunity for the telecommunications firms involved in warrantless eavesdropping.

The move kept alive a competing proposal, from Democrats and Republicans on the Senate intelligence committee, that would give the companies the legal protections they seek. It also underscored the deep divisions among Democrats on the surveillance issue. A measure passed by House Democrats would offer no immunity for the companies.

The vote marked a notable victory for the White House, which has pushed hard for telecom immunity."