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.

* * * * * *

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%.

* * * * * *

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

[Dookiee]

Congrats, Barack... by signing this abominable new FISA law you have lost my vote. I'll go elsewhere... maybe Nader again, maybe even Ron Paul since he seems to be among the last ones who believe in our Constitution. I'll waste my vote if need be to make my point. If enough of us vote outside the 2 parties they'll get the hint that WE THE PEOPLE are not going to stand for dillusion of rights in America.
You may still get elected, Barack, but not by me... not by selling out all that makes America great for the sake of some misguided illusion of safety.

God save us all b/c we are so very, very stupid in this country....

[ThunderclapNewman]

Your attitude is greatly appreciated by the McFlipFlop campaign---because that's who you're helping.

Get up off your self-righteous pity pot and work to elect Democrats at every level of government---including the White House.

[deadbolt]

Why so they can continue to carry out the neocon agenda--NEVER!

[eahce]

democrats blew it in the 06 election, they said they would get us out of Iraq, they lied. Pelosi has just been an accessory to bush.

[uhappytoo]

Why vote for the people who just kicked us in the teeth? Obama and the Democrats just did that. Once they start lying, how can anyone believe anything they are saying.

Barack Obama told us and the whole world he would filibuster any legislation that contained retroactive immunity for the telecoms. Now we see he was lying.

What he has shown is how easily he can be rolled. Vote for that if you can, but there is no moral argument for doing so.

[Dookiee]

Then Obama should've done the right thing. THE DEMS should've done the right thing. Too bad for them & us. I stand on my principles unlike Obama.
I am voting outside the 2 parties. Period!

[LaFeminazi]

lornejl
No one but the left gives a flying ****, that's why this crap keeps happening.

Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 08:20 AM on 07/10/2008
----

A good Flying f****......hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

No wonder the right is so jealous and bad tempered.

;)

[BronxBorn]

Thanks for the heads up yesterday on the EMD Bracelet. I mentioned it to my wife last night over Dinner. She didn't believe me. Thought I was joking till we saw it covered very briefly on the news.

[ThunderclapNewman]

That's a scary proposition.

[evekendall]

When I decided to google E M D bracelet, I thought I would find that it meant "elec_tronic monitor_ing de_vice," which would have been bad enough, but to my horror, I found out it means "elec_tro mus_cular dis_rup_tion!" The hysteria in this country is beyond belief. In a few years, we will be having to apply for permission to leave our homes. (Sorry for the chopped-up words. The filter is in a very bad mood today. It says I'm using bad words. It's rejecting my links, as well. Folks should just google it.)

[lornejl1]

I better not say anything, self filter, take it easy mods ; )

[LaFeminazi]

I thought I would lower the tone

Oh....my........G...

;)

[FirstShirt]

Yep. The right wing is more puritanical, don't you know. :)

[breakfast]

Just because politicians and the MSM refer to the FISA bill as a compromise, doesn't make it so.

It was not a "compromise," it was a sellout.

[lornejl1]

Don't ya love how they do that ?

[eden4barack08]

one man's sellout is another man's compromise

[JoJoKewl]

Keep it in mind that 28 Dems voted against this travesty. Liberal Dems. That's why I keep voting Dem. For the Liberal wing of the Party. They're our only hope.

[katok]

Democracy is dead. Long live Tyranny! What law will George rewrite next? Two term limits?
Succession? Hello Jeb. NSA has 6432 people to pick up today.

[generaldelivery]

One thing is for sure. If Hillary was the nominee and she voted for this bill, all of the Obamatrons would be screaming and sharpening their knives for her.
But their Golden Boy can do no wrong.

[ThunderclapNewman]

No one has made any such assertions---except for you.

Most of us are disappointed in his vote.
But most of us are bright enough to understand the reasoning behind it, even though we disagree.

He's still the only choice for President.

[OlderWoman]

I can't understand why the Democrats capitulated to Dubya. His approval rating has tanked, and what is so disappointing, Congress' approval rating has tanked. You would think Congress would have enough courage to vote against him. But most disappointing is that Obama voted for it! For any of you that thinks this is not a big deal, read the book 1984. I am trying not to get paranoid, but it does frighten me when our Constitution is being trashed.

[ThunderclapNewman]

It's an election year.

[uhappytoo]

In other words, politics as usual. Something Barack Obama said he would never do. Just another politician posturing and pandering for votes.

[djohn78]

Enough about hillary and what "Should have," "could have," and "would have," happened if she was the nominee. The point here is that she voted against it NOW.

People didnt give her the benefit of the doubt when she said in the Ohio debate that she regretted voting for the Iraq war knowing what she knows now.

Get over it, haters.

[alainv]

Uh hello, the illegal spying started before 911 right after the the bush crime family stole the first election. Why do you keep spreading the lie that it was in response to 911?

[rwe]

Pres Bush 23% approval ... Congress 9% ... that means Prs Bush ' approval is 61% better than the DEM led congress

[ThunderclapNewman]

The Congressional ratings reflect the hideous obstructionism of the far-right Republican party, which has done everything it could to stop necessary legislation from being passed.

You will stoop to any level to defend the indefensible---which shows what a tool you are.

[BronxBorn]

Last night Rachael Maddow hosted an excellent interview with Russ Feingold.
Here's the link. there is a 15 second commercial.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#25613182

[dayala]

when is KO coming back!
I'm sick of looking at Rachel Maddow's contorted facial expressions when she talks.

[BronxBorn]

Well, then look past her and listen to Feingold's argument that Title One of the Bill is even worse than the Immunity grated telecoms.

[provgrays]

It takes three fifths of the states to alter the Constituton.

This vote has illegally altered it by striking the Fourth Amendment.

[ThunderclapNewman]

No such thing has occurred.

[111]

read much?

[TheSecularist]

I wonder if (and hope) this law can be challenged in court as unconstitutional.

[rkrenke]

The ACLU has already stated that it will file suit as soon as Bush signs it. We should all be sending our contributions to organizations such as this.

[thefirehorse]

Come on, you don't think Bush used the illegal wire and email taps for nothing. Think about it. Some of the loudest voices against this bill are all of a sudden for it. We already know that the State Department has been illegally viewing peoples passport information. We know that they watch our bank transactions and that they can even use technology to hear and see what we are doing even in the privacy of our own homes. But the question is, why did Obama vote for it? Could it be that he sees a use for it in his administration?

[ProudNYRepublican]

1) Terrorists attack US, US goes into highly defensive mode
2) Bipartisan panel investigates and determines faults with collecting intelligence are key area for US to fix to prevent further attacks
3) Government (run by our elected officials) approaches telcos and asks them, because they are in a unique position to help given their networks, to assist in war against terrorists
4) Telcos, with nothing to gain and a high financial and PR risk to their firms, agree to help US
5) Trial lawyers see enormous payday opportunity and line up to sue telcos for their cooperation, left-wingers (moveon, soros, huffpost, aclu and other crowds) jump on bandwagon in a teeth-gnashing fury

There is a legitimate stance to make against the investigative powers provided by the FISA bill if you prefer a balance more towards freedom than security. However, it isn't logical or fair to go after the teclos for their agreement to help the government when requested. If you are unhappy with that work, go after your elected officials who are ultimately responsible for the activity. The senior members of the house and senate intelligence committees were in one the deal - they should be held accountable, not telcos

[peacekitten]

there is NO security to be had in cowardice.

there is NO security to be had in surrendering our constitutional rights.

[DannyEastVillage]

we HAVE gone after our elected officials--remember the last election?

something has made all the dems cave. I'd give a year's pay to know what it is the White House is REALLY holding over their heads. They KNOW this is not the will of the electorate and they know--even better than we do--that the administrations claims are and have always been bogus.

Meanwhile, the republic has been pulled down around our ears. how about the librarian in Twin Cities who got kicked out of public space because she was carrying the sign that said "McCain=Bush"?

We're ruined.

[Darsan54]

Let's give the snitch who lies on the stand immunity because the cops told him perjury wasn't a crime.

[ThunderclapNewman]

Bad analogy.

You're comparing apples and bananas.

[Rapid1]

Every telco I have worked with has a tap and trace officer who has a direct line to a corporate lawyer. They examine subpoenas to determine their validity. They NEVER provide this sort of service without a subpoena or the promise of one. All of a sudden, they decided that an executive office paper was good enough. They knew it was wrong, however, the billions of dollars in Government contracts changed their mind. So they did something they knew was illegal. But, their immunity is simply a way for the the real story to stop, and the felony committed by the executive office not to presented to the public.

[Canaris]

You just don't get it, do you? It isn't about soaking the telecoms for all their money, those law suits were the only way to find out exactly what was done during Dubya's fishing expedition through our phone calls and emails. A proposal was floated to make the government liable, as you sort of suggest. Dubya waved his veto pen, and it went away. In effect, Congress has no idea what they just gave immunity for.

On top of that, the one company that refused to cooperate, Qwest, saw their CEO indicted on Federal insider trading charges. Now, he may be guilty of those charges, but what a stunning coincidence that those charges came directly on the heels of Qwest refusing to play ball based on concerns about the programs legality. Being the fount of truthiness that Dubya has been, I'm sure that Qwest should have just taken him at his word that what he was doing was A-OK, right? Not.

[Manni]

They did't split the vote.

Sen. B arack O bama voted for the compromise while Sen. H illary C linton voted against it.

[Kalima]

She would, she's not the nominee. She has to pander to pay off her debt.

[JoJoKewl]

Pander to who??? Huffpo people who hate her???

[rkrenke]

Obama voted for the compromise? No matter how much lipstick the Dems try to put on this pig they will never convince informed voters that this legislation was a compromise.

Obama capitulated to fear mongering - apparently capitulation disguised as compromise has become a Democratic trademark.

[dayala]

the only reason Hillary voted against it was to stick it to Obama and tell the American people "see I told you so, we(Bill & I) tried to warn you about the "Cinderella fairy tale" and celestial choir".