Yesterday, it was extremely upsetting to learn that the Senate had voted to send Americans Civil Liberties down the river at the request of the President. We cannot just blame Republicans and President George W Bush for all of the terrible fiascos of the last 8 years. Yes, they definitely are responsible for some of the worst items, but the Democrats have been terrible as well as evidenced by the Democrat Controlled Senate Passage of the FISA bill yesterday.
Democrats in 2006 were given the assignment to uphold the Constitution, and fix some of the things broken by Republicans. Instead Democrats in the Senate have proved to be almost the same as the Republicans in the Senate and that includes McCain, Clinton and Obama.
So anyway, after my rant and plea yesterday, I thought I would offer up a little humor to enable all of us to catch a breath, recharge our batteries and then renew our efforts to get the House to stop this travesty.
If you haven’t heard about this already, listen up (or that is read closely - depending on if you are listening or reading).
The Senate voted today to extend Spy Powers of the United States and strip your civil liberties for 6 years. They also in the same piece of legislation voted to give amnesty to three major telecommunication companies for illegally allowing the Executive Branch of the government to listen in on your conversations, read your email and review the websites you look at.
This is all under the false guise of protecting you from terrorists.
It is also a big fat farce.
I’m calling out the Senators that voted for this bill and will encourage everyone to vote against these Senators when they come up for re-election next, regardless of which party they are in.
Note John McCain specifically flew back to Washington to vote for this legislation. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton did not even stop by to register a protest vote against the vote. They stayed on the campaign trail.
Well I have a wake up call for all three of them. None of them are worthy of support in the 2008 election if they are willing to either vote to remove our civil liberties or if they are too busy to stop fighting for a political office to come back to Washington and fight for the people they are serving today.
All three Presidential candidates failed the American people today on February 12.
This Bill will next go to the House of Representatives. Please contact your Representative and also the other Representatives in your state and let them know that you do not support amnesty for the telecomms that will spy on YOU for the next 6 years if this passes. Let them know that you do not want them to sell your civil liberties down the river.
The argument that they are protecting us from terrorists with this measure is complete BS. I worked in intelligence and we do not need to spy on Americans to protect Americans from terrorists. This is bad legislation that is getting pushed heavily by a very bad administration and a visibly corrupt group of Senators in the US Congress.
Contact your Representative to stop this Legislation!
The Despicable Senators that Supported this Legislation and sold your privacy to the highest Bidder
McCaskill (D-MO) McConnell (R-KY) Mikulski (D-MD) Murkowski (R-AK) Nelson (D-FL) Nelson (D-NE) Pryor (D-AR) Roberts (R-KS) Rockefeller (D-WV) Salazar (D-CO) Sessions (R-AL) Shelby (R-AL) Smith (R-OR) Snowe (R-ME) Specter (R-PA) Stevens (R-AK) Sununu (R-NH) Thune (R-SD) Vitter (R-LA) Voinovich (R-OH) Warner (R-VA) Webb (D-VA) Whitehouse (D-RI) Wicker (R-MS)
Summary of What Just Happened with FISA
the Senate handed the White House a major victory on Tuesday by voting to broaden the government’s spy powers and to give legal protection to phone companies that cooperated in President Bush’s program of eavesdropping without warrants.
One by one, the Senate rejected amendments that would have imposed greater civil liberties checks on the government’s surveillance powers. Finally, the Senate voted 68 to 29 to approve legislation that the White House had been pushing for months. Mr. Bush hailed the vote and urged the House to move quickly in following the Senate’s lead.
The outcome in the Senate amounted, in effect, to a broader proxy vote in support of Mr. Bush’s wiretapping program.
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Among the presidential contenders, Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, voted in favor of the final measure, while the two Democrats, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, did not vote.
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The measure extends, for at least six years, many of the broad new surveillance powers that Congress hastily approved last August just before its summer recess.
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 Amendments Act of 2007 or FISA Amendments Act of 2007 - Title I: Foreign Intelligence Surveillance - (Sec. 101) Amends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) to add a new title concerning additional procedures for targeting (acquiring) communications of certain persons outside the United States.
Authorizes the Attorney General (AG) and Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to jointly authorize, for periods up to one year, the targeting (electronic surveillance) of persons located outside the United States in order to acquire foreign intelligence information, under specified limitations, including prohibiting an acquisition intentionally targeting a person reasonably believed to be outside the United States with the significant purpose of acquiring the communications of a specific person reasonably believed to be located in the United States, unless done in accordance with title I of FISA. Requires: (1) certain targeting and minimization procedures to be followed; and (2) Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (Court) review of such procedures. Allows the AG to authorize the emergency employment of an acquisition of foreign intelligence if the AG: (1) determines that an emergency situation exists with respect to the acquisition; (2) informs a Court judge of such determination; (3) submits to the Court, within 72 hours, a request authorizing such acquisition; and (4) follows appropriate minimization procedures. Requires such emergency acquisition to terminate within 72 hours, unless the Court determines that the person outside the United States is a foreign power or agent. Provides transition procedures with respect to the targeting of U.S. persons located overseas.
Requires the AG and DNI, prior to any non-emergency acquisition, to certify to the Court that: (1) the acquisition is targeted at persons believed to be outside the United States and that the targeting and minimization procedures have been or will be approved by the Court; (2) such procedures are consistent with requirements of the fourth amendment to the U.S. Constitution; (3) a significant purpose of the acquisition is to obtain foreign intelligence information; (4) the minimization procedures meet FISA requirements and have been or will be approved by the Court; (5) the acquisition involves obtaining the information with the assistance of an electronic communication service provider; and (6) the acquisition is limited to communications to which at least one party is reasonably believed to be located outside the United States.
Outlines legal procedures with respect to directives issued to communication service providers to provide necessary assistance to accomplish the acquisition, including directive challenges, failure to comply, standards for review, and appeals.
Requires the AG and DNI, at least every six months, to: (1) assess compliance with required targeting and minimization procedures; and (2) submit assessment results to the Court and the congressional intelligence committees. Authorizes inspectors general of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and elements of the intelligence community (IC) to review their agency’s compliance with such procedures. Requires the head of any IC element conducting an acquisition of foreign intelligence information to annually review such acquisitions and report review results to the Court. Directs the AG to report semiannually to the intelligence and judiciary committees concerning the implementation of acquisition requirements.
(Sec. 102) States that: (1) FISA shall be the exclusive means for targeting U.S. persons in order to acquire foreign intelligence, whether such persons are inside or outside the United States, except in cases where specific statutory authorization exists to obtain such communications without an order under FISA; and (2) chapters 119 (Wire and Electronic Communications Interception and Interception of Oral Communications) and 121 (Stored Wire and Electronic Communications and Transactional Records Access) of the federal criminal code and FISA shall be the exclusive means by which electronic surveillance and interception of domestic communications may be conducted.
(Sec. 103) Requires the AG to submit semiannually to the intelligence committees copies of any orders of the Court or the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review that include significant construction or interpretation of FISA, including any such orders issued during the five-year period before the enactment of this Act.
(Sec. 104) Revises provisions concerning the application for, and issue of, Court orders, including provisions concerning paperwork requirements and government officials who may authorize FISA actions.
(Sec. 105) Allows the AG to authorize the emergency employment of electronic surveillance under certain circumstances, including: (1) determining that an emergency exists; (2) informing a Court judge of such determination; and (3) applying for a Court order authorizing such surveillance.
(Sec. 107) Provides similar revisions and outlines similar procedures as in sections 104 and 105 above for the emergency employment of a physical search.
(Sec. 108) Requires the AG, after authorizing the installation and use of a pen register or trap and trace device on an emergency basis, to apply to the Court for an authorization order within 168 (current law requires 48) hours after the emergency installation and use.
(Sec. 109) Authorizes the Court to sit en banc when: (1) necessary to secure or maintain uniformity of Court decisions; or (2) the proceeding involves a question of exceptional importance.
(Sec. 110) Directs the inspectors general of DOJ and relevant IC elements to: (1) complete a comprehensive audit of the Terrorist Surveillance Program and any closely related intelligence activities; and (2) report audit results to the intelligence and judiciary committees. Authorizes necessary legal and other personnel to complete such activities.
Cindy Sheehan is preparing to make some big headlines. She has given House Speaker (D) Nancy Pelosi until July 23rd to file articles of impeachment against George Bush. If Pelosi fails to file for impeachment then Nancy Sheehan will announce her run for Pelosi’s office.
Nancy Pelosi has recently inherited power as the Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives. Pelosi is no stranger to the house. She has served in the House for 20 years, that’s 10 terms + that Pelosi has been an incumbent. She has taken in over $7 million in contributions over the years, more than half of that from PACs. Occidental Petroleum and Kleiner Perkins, a high profile high tech venture capital firm, were her largest individual contributors. Her PAC was fined $21,000 a few years back for taking excessive campaign contributions over the allowed limits.
She has maintained a high profile in the House since the Democrats have taken power, but true to form as an incumbent, she has achieved very little. Many Democrats that elected the Democratic party into power in 2006 wanted the Democrats to get the troops out of Iraq, end the war and impeach George Bush. However, there is no political capital to be gained by seasoned incumbents in going through an impeachment process.
Cindy Sheehan has sold her protest ranch in Crawford and is traveling the country on her way to Washington where she will announce her run for office when or if Pelosi fails to file articles of impeachment against Bush. Pelosi represents the 8th district of California in San Francisco.
Cindy Sheehan has indicated that she is intent on making incumbent politicians that have not lived up to their promises pay.
There may not be an official deadline to show progress in Iraq or face a withdrawal, but there does appear to be an unofficial deadline. Knowing that the unofficial deadline is in place, many Republican leaders are hoping to beat the rush and they’re jumping on the get out of Iraq bandwagon now before Summers even half over. Republican Senator George Voinovich from Ohio is just the latest Republican to join the ranks of defecting conservative leadership that are starting to give up on Iraq.
It sure would have been nice if Republican Senators who showed a little bit more leadership several years ago as opposed to waiting for the obvious trend to develop now.
The remarks from Ohio Senator George Voinovich follow those of Indiana’s Richard Lugar (LOO’-gur), who said yesterday that the US should reduce the military’s role in Iraq. Lugar called on President Bush to press other diplomatic and economic initiatives instead.
Voinovich said today that the Iraqi people need to be more involved, adding that he didn’t think they’ll understand that “until they know we’re leaving.”
