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July 10, 2008
Change Agent Obama on FISA
Senate Approves Bill to Broaden Wiretap Powers
WASHINGTON
The Senate gave final approval on Wednesday to a major expansion of the government’s surveillance powers, handing President Bush one more victory in a series of hard-fought clashes with Democrats over national security issues.
The measure, approved by a vote of 69 to 28, is the biggest revamping of federal surveillance law in 30 years. It includes a divisive element that Mr. Bush had deemed essential: legal immunity for the phone companies that cooperated in the National Security Agency wiretapping program he approved after the Sept. 11 attacks.
The vote came two and a half years after public disclosure of the wiretapping program set off a fierce national debate over the balance between protecting the country from another terrorist strike and ensuring civil liberties. The final outcome in Congress, which opponents of the surveillance measure had conceded for weeks, seemed almost anticlimactic in contrast.
Mr. Bush, appearing in the Rose Garden just after his return from Japan, called the vote “long overdue.” He promised to sign the measure into law quickly, saying it was critical to national security and showed that “even in an election year, we can come together and get important pieces of legislation passed.”
The issue put Senator Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, in a particularly precarious spot. He had long opposed giving legal immunity to the phone companies that took part in the N.S.A.’s wiretapping program, even threatening a filibuster during his run for the nomination. But on Wednesday, he ended up voting for what he called “an improved but imperfect bill” after backing a failed attempt earlier in the day to strip the immunity provision from the bill through an amendment.
Mr. Obama’s decision last month to reverse course angered some ardent supporters, who organized an Internet drive to influence his vote. And his position came to symbolize the continuing difficulties that Democrats have faced in striking a position on national security issues even against a weakened president. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Democrat of New York, who had battled Mr. Obama for the nomination, voted against the bill.
Senator John McCain, the likely Republican presidential nominee, was campaigning in Ohio and did not vote, though he has consistently supported the immunity plan.
The ACLU oh how wonderful they are....NOT. They are going to sue about this.
ACLU Announces Legal Challenge To Follow President’s Signature
"With one vote, Congress has strengthened the executive branch, weakened the judiciary and rendered itself irrelevant,” said Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office. “This bill – soon to be law – is a constitutional nightmare. Americans should know that if this legislation is enacted and upheld, what they say on international phone calls or emails is no longer private. The government can listen in without having a specific reason to do so. Our rights as Americans have been curtailed and our privacy can no longer be assumed.”In advance of the president’s signature, the ACLU announced its plan to challenge the new law in court.
“This fight is not over. We intend to challenge this bill as soon as President Bush signs it into law,” said Jameel Jaffer, Director of the ACLU National Security Project. “The bill allows the warrantless and dragnet surveillance of Americans’ international telephone and email communications. It plainly violates the Fourth Amendment.”
Wild Thing's comment........
LOL I love this and notice the look on McCain's face at the end of the video.
Hahahaahahaha
Hear that popping noise??? it’s the exploding heads of the lunatic liberals as they get steamed which is causing the air between their ears to heat at an uncontrollable rate.
Democratic Underground is furious with Obama. hahaha
"This fight is not over." ACLU will challenge FISA update in court
“Sorry folks. It isn’t OKAY that Obama failed us on FISA.”
Posted by Wild Thing at July 10, 2008 11:27 AM
Comments
LMAO!!! the Democrats are going to be so sick of Obama- A few more faux paxs and he will only be that black guy running for President!! Ha they may end up putting in Hillary at the nomination!!! Yeah I wouldn't mind seeing that happen-- !! But he will just tell everybody- You are not listening to me-- maybe HE should speak in French or Spanish - so we would not be embarrassed by him! LOL!!
Posted by: Cheryl Zee at July 10, 2008 01:19 PM
Cheryl, good one. hahaha
Yes he can mix it up with his uh's in Spanish and French and see how far that will get him. heh heh
Posted by: Wild Thing at July 10, 2008 04:09 PM
There is an interesting commentary on Hillary's "no" vote on this bill at HotAir.com.
Did Hillary submarine Obama on FISA reform?
http://hotair.com/archives/2008/07/09/did-hillary-submarine-obama-on-fisa-reform/
Personally, I think that Barack Obama found a loophole in the bill which would allow him to use surveillance on Hillary Clinton and Jesse Jackson and that is why he voted for it.
Posted by: les at July 10, 2008 07:42 PM
Les, thanks for the link. LOL that would be funny wouldn't it, if Obama spied on Hillary and Jackson like Hillary did with all her 500 FBI files.
Posted by: Wild Thing at July 10, 2008 11:25 PM
ACLU = Anarchists Communists Liberals United
ACLU = Anti Christ Liars Universal
ACLU = Arabs Clowns Lefties Unbalanced
- Three strikes you're out!
-- KLM's 19 evil 9-11 'Atta Boys' would have voted for Hussein Obama!
Posted by: darthcrUSAderworldtour07 at July 11, 2008 12:11 AM
