Senate Passes FISA Bill, Gives Telecoms Immunity

Bowing to President Bush's demands, the Senate sent the White House a bill Wednesday overhauling bitterly disputed rules on secret government eavesdropping and shielding telecommunications companies from lawsuits complaining they helped the U.S. spy on Americans.

The relatively one-sided vote, 69-28, came only after a lengthy and heated debate that pitted privacy and civil liberties concerns against the desire to prevent terrorist attacks. It ended almost a year of wrangling over surveillance rules and the president's warrantless wiretapping program that was initiated after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The House passed the same bill last month, and Bush said he would sign it soon.

Opponents assailed the eavesdropping program, asserting that it imperiled citizens' rights of privacy from government intrusion. But Bush said the legislation protects those rights as well as Americans' security.

"This bill will help our intelligence professionals learn who the terrorists are talking to, what they're saying and what they're planing," he said in a brief White House appearance after the Senate vote.

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The LA Times reported in late June that only 23 percent of registered voters approved of the job the President is doing:

Seven months before the end of his term, President Bush's approval rating is at an all-time low.

In the just-released Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg Poll, the president won approval from 23% of all registered voters -- including 3% of Democrats and 58% of Republicans. Those numbers are down from February, when he had an approval rating of 35%. His high mark, according to the poll, was in November 2001, just after the 9/11 terror attacks, when the president's popularity rating among registered voters was at 85%.

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Sen. Barack Obama voted for the compromise while Sen. Hillary Clinton voted against it.

Watch a video about the money trail surrounding the bill from the American News Project. Read more about the bill here.

Comments

[Dansden]

This is one of the main reasons I supported Sen. Clinton;
Sen. Obama is in the 'pockets' of the wealthy and influential Democrats!

Thank you, Democratic Party, for making my point earlier that Sen. Obama was too naive and too beholding to wealthy influences to stand on any principles.....if he can't stand up for our Constitution, why would he ever stand up for anything important to America's future!

[HybridTea]

What would Senator Clinton have done if she was the presumptive nominee? Since her vote really doesn't count she took the easy way out. Clinton has said she voted for the Iraq war so people won't use that against her in the NY senate race. Obama is now in a situation where he needs to show that he is not soft on "national security". Basically he has strengthened his position so the Republicans can't use this against him.

Obama has said why he did what he did and what he intends to do about FISA if he becomes President. This is good enough for the pragmatists who think we need win the election before we can change anything.

There is no one more "political" than a politician. And Hillary Clinton is more of that Obama - that is why people distrust her so much.

[kroses98]

But what if he doesn't win?

[Obambot]

oh give it a rest

[Angus703]

Oh where is there a rock big enough for me to climb under and stay until America figures itself out.

[soothwriter]

Gives a whole new meaning to ATT's slogan "Your world, delivered." Direct to the NSA, I guess.

[JumpyJack]

Giving telecoms immunity is not the real evil because the telecoms are not the guilty ones anyway. The administration is guilty of illegal wiretapping, but since it can always use or abuse the State Secrets Privilege Act to deny disclosing any information, so nothing can be done against them.

The new FISA law actually has an importand good side to it: it requires that the FISA court is notified of all wiretaps and that a warrant is obtained in one week after a "warrantless" wiretap had begun.

The former FISA law allowed warrantless wiretaps solely on the basis of a guarantee from the attorney general, that the wiretap is "legal", and nobody would or could verify that. So under the old law the Bush administration could basically do whatever they wanted, without any liability. Now at least wiretaps will be overseen by a separate branch of the government.

[doctordawg]

You have taken your bare finger and painted a happy face on a cow pie.

This vote was treason, by definition. Those who swore to protect the constitution from domestic enemies became domestic enemies of the constitution by this immunity twaddle.

TREASON against the constitution and the American people, nothing less.

[Harrygton]

I just sent this message to the Senator at the Obama site

Sen. Obama!

I have been a supporter of your candidacy from the start and I am very disappointed with your vote in favor of the the FISA bill that was just signed into law by President Bush! I understand that the political expediencies of the moment were an important factor in your decision, yet I must ask you to at least make a solemn Pledge now that once you are elected you will immediately ask your Attorney General to iniate a criminal investigation of the Bush Administration's abuses of power against the American People, visavis the Fourth Amendment and other criminal acts by him and those around him! Before any meaninful change can take place we must start with a clean slate... and there has never been a need for a White House scrubbing as there is Today!

[StephenJK]

Senator's response:

You bet, kiddo. Thanks for playing.

**wink wink nudge nudge**

[zeemanchu]

isn't this justification "to protect the americans" similar to hitler's justification of protecting the aryan race? question then is - does end justify means

[conned]

Thank God the voters elected a Democratic Congress in '06! LOL! What is the alternative when you have both sides of the isle marching in lock step with the fascist agenda? I would suggest a third party for the future, but now that all communications can be legally monitored, the chances of one being organized are unlikely. Same goes for protests and all other activities and organizations that seek to influence government policy and affect public opinion.

[OgreDaddy]

Let's hope the ACLU has some luck with their battle.

There are many good people working with insiders in bad places who are risking their lives and the
safety of their families.
It may have taken years to build some of these trusted relationships.
Human rights workers, journalists, and whistle blowers from watch list locations in the Middle East, Asia, the former Soviet Union and South America.

Now that these brave souls know that our government goon squads are targeting ALL international communications, through dragnet data mining, they are no longer safe and many will cut off communication rather than put themselves in any further jeopardy.

Those who FISA claiming they have nothing to hide might want to think how we found out about
secret prisons, the Abu Ghraib scandal, the waste fraud and abuse of Halliburton and KBR, Blackwater
etc. There are peace workers trying to put together something meaningful in the Middle East despite
the efforts of corrupt government officials to fan the flames of war.

Dragnet data mining targets everyone in a massive database that can clearly be abused to
quite the voices of truth and justice.

I have $850 Billion reasons to wonder how far some people might go to protect their own interests.

[SGGrossman]

Senator Obama: Retroactive telecom immunity = "Scooter Libby Justice"

[Blast]

Uhhh, Hello? Sure it is a poorly crafted bill. But, it only gives immunity for CIVIL SUITS, NOT immunity for criminal prosecution of telecom companies or government officials. As I understand it, Obama's main concern was to get the 4th amendment back into play. Once he (if he) becomes president, he will revisit FISA, NAFTA, and any other "piece of crap" legislation designed to gut the middle-class and poor.

This is NOT directed at you SGGrossman, but I wonder how many of these people actually read Obama's positions at his website www.barackobama.com before they actually come here and post? I notice alot of unfounded worry, when many of the subjects have been addressed and responded to.

READ PEOPLE,....read.

One sign of a true leader is one that can see things around him that others may not. Processing all that he/she sees and makes decisions based on information and the tools at hand, making those decisions that will benefit the majority of the commons, knowing that those decisions WILL NOT always be popular. Having the ability to compromise, change and adapt when needed is extremely important.

Just look at what having a president who is unable to or unwilling to make changes has gotten us over the last eight years.

[research]

It's not about immunity, for the last time.

It's about 67 days over warrantless Spying, Bushco can do to anyone and everyone IN THE WORLD.

Just like J Edgar Hoover (google it)

This give unlimited blackmail power against the democrats.

[CognitoErgoSum]

Does the telecom immunity from lawsuits also extend to CRIMINAL prosecution? No. So many corporations factor such pesky things as lawsuits and fines as simply the cost of doing business. Jail? Now, that's scary!

Does the FISA bill allow for inspector general investigations to determine if there was any wrongdoing by the federal government? I think so.

Does the immunity from prosecution extend to the federal government/Bush administration? I doubt it.

Despite the compromising nature of the bill, there is a lot Barack Obama can do to right the wrongs of the Bush administration when it comes to our Fourth Amendment rights.

And I think he knew that.

[buckygreen]

And today we are treated to the stunningly insipid spectacle of Pelosi considering impeachment hearings and Conyers talking about compelling Rove to testify, ostensibly to "protect the rule of law".

Any Dem that voted for this abomination- including 0bama - talking about the rule of law after their pathetic FISA capitulation probably has the Bush crime family and the repugs literally squealing with laughter.

[AnnieinOR]

9% approval rating? hmmmm.....I wonder why that is? could it be because you no longer represent the people who put you in office?

[kevenseven]

As yet unclear: does the immunity cover conduct prior to 9/11?

[conned]

Unfortunately it is clear, and the answer is yes, it does. Retroactive immunity means that no civil suit can be brought against the telecoms for any past, present or future crimes committed against their customers so long as the president asked them to do it.

[realtalk]

OBAMA MADE THE DECISION TO VOTE FOR THIS FISA BILL TO PROTECT THE USA. OBAMA HE MADE THE DECISON TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN THE OTHER SURVEILLANCE PROGRAMS EXPIRE THIS SUMMER, THAT THERE WILL BE SOMETHING ELSE IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE REMAIN SAFE.

OBAMA ALREADY EXPLAINED THAT FISA NEEDED TO BE IN PLACE TO MONITOR AND TRACK INDIVIDUALS LIVING OUTSIDE OUR COUNTRY, WHO WANT TO ATTACK THE USA, AND THAT BECAUSE CERTAIN ELECTRONIC SURVEILLANCE ORDERS WILL BEGIN TO EXPIRE LATER THIS SUMMER, FISA SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM NEEDS TO BE IN PLACE.

OBAMA MADE THE DECISION TO PROTECT THE USA, HE MADE THE DECISON TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN THE SURVEILLANCE PROGRAMS EXPIRE THIS SUMMER, THAT THERE IS SOMETHING ELSE IN PLACE, THIS FISA BILL, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WILL REMAIN SAFE.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/barack-obama/my-position-on-fisa_b_110789.html

[research]

Have you ever visited a foreign web site?

[kevenseven]

You are an idiot.

Every wire tap in place could have been extended by going to the FISA court under the 1978 law which has no expiration date. I don't care what O bama said otherwise.

O bama, much as I like him, voted yes due to electoral considerations.

[lvgal]

Exactly Keven.....­......thos­e who try to spin this in Obama's favor just show how politically naive they are.........this was not good judgement, it was a political move.

[AzRealProgressive]

He is not an idiot. Read his affidavit via link he posted just after this one.

Idiot he is not. I leave you to decide just what he is, if you read the affidavit.

[Dondep]

The only ones we need to be "safe" from are the ones monitoring and tracking our communications.

{Also, you should also observe netiquette by not shouting (using ALL CAPS). }

Lastly, you're merely repeaing the official campaign line, and not bothering to address the central principle. Sen. Feingold is right; this was a catastrophe, acquiesced in by spineless (excuse me, "pragmatic") Democrats who are always put on the defensive. How was it expressed earlier? "Demand the moon and stars, then settle for the moon." The Dems then give away the moon and call it a "triumph for compromise". Same as it ever was.

[solen]

Russ Feingold rocks!!! No wonder he could never get the democratic nomination. He has a spine.

[song]

screw u, for the founding father it was liberty or death. I chose freedom over your pathetic "safety" from the almost non existent treat of terrorism. "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Benjamin Franklin, and u sir oviously dont deserver eather. Maybe u shouldn't go outside anymore too, u never know right might be hit by a car or by lightning.