Good news! The Gavel:
The House has just passed the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 3773, to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 to establish a procedure for authorizing certain acquisitions of foreign intelligence, and for other purposes, by a vote of 213-197-1. The revised House legislation to amend FISA grants new authorities for conducting electronic surveillance against foreign targets while preserving the requirement that the government obtain an individualized FISA court order, based on probable cause, when targeting Americans at home or abroad. The House bill also strongly enhances oversight of the Administration’s surveillance activities. Finally, the House bill does not provide retroactive immunity for telecom companies but allows the courts to determine whether lawsuits should proceed
Our Blue America fundraising push was awesome because some Bush Dogs flipped back to reality and voted for this bill including Boswell.
KagroX also gives Harry Reid some props–“Leadership maneuvers you’ll actually like.”
“I did not hear any new information tonight that dissuades me from my very strong belief that the FISA bill House Democrats have produced – and which the House will vote on tomorrow – is a reasonable, thoughtful, appropriate piece of legislation that will ensure that the intelligence community has all the tools it needs to protect our nation, while also respecting the Constitutional protections that Americans rightfully feel are so important. Tomorrow, I will urge members on both sides of the aisle to vote for this legislation.”
Nice going Rep. Blunt. What a waste of time and energy to call for a secret session. All his little stunt did was make him look weak and foolish.
No Trackbacks To “House Passes FISA Amendments Act: Hoyer didn’t hear anything in the Secret session“
FOIST!!!!
And furthermore….WOOOHOOO!!!
Hooray!!!!!!
I think.
FINALLY!!!!
“but allows the courts to determine whether lawsuits should proceed.”
Hasn’t this always been the case or am I missing something?
suck on this Bushies…..
ACLU…get your lawyers ready, we’re suing AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, etc…
Maybe in those secret meetings last night when the Cons went. . looky what we got here boys. Hee hee.
The Dems countered with . . oh yeah you think thats something well look at this. Ha Ha.
Class Action Suits anyone?
The American People versus the Telecoms?
Well, how bout those house Dems!
Looks like they grew some, at least for this afternoon.
DON’T STOP NOW!!!!!!
L.A. Whosaneillary Confidential @ 8:
I mean wouldn’t you just love to see these suits sweat instead of us for once?
Yes! Wow thats great
Now all the telecoms will learn that you can’t do something illegal just because King George said you can.
L.A. Whosaneillary Confidential @ 9:
Lovin the new name LA!
Hells yeah I’d love to see the suits sweatin…maybe burnin a little too…ok that was harsh, sorry.
jharp @ 5:
The courts always have the discretion of not hearing a case if they feel there is no merit.
Each side must provide evidence, gathered via the discovery process, and present it to the judge to decide merit.
Finally, the House bill does not provide retroactive immunity for telecom companies but allows the courts to determine whether lawsuits should proceed.
Thank god. Now let’s hope “activist judges” don’t throw out these lawsuits. The truth is out there. We need to know what happened.
B
Are the Democrats finally developing some balls?
McCain alert.
eBay CEO Whitman joining McCain
John McCain campaign says the outgoing eBay CEO will travel the country on the presidential candidate’s behalf.
No more doing business with eBay for this guy.
DtX @ 14:
Lets hope so.
Every Democrat everywhere, especially those vying for the presidency needs to proclaim loudly and publicly that all W cares about is immunity for telecoms, protecting their profits, and making sure that if anything illegal did occur that evidence of it never sees the light of day. They need to repeat OVER AND OVER that these wiretaps would have continued for a full year if the bill didn’t pass, they still will after W’s veto, and any wiretap can still happen regardless of all that, all they need is a goddamn warrant.
Blocking Telecom immunity is the first thing to come out of Washington that has made sense in a long, long time. I’m tentatively hopeful that this is the beginning of a pivot back to reason.
L.A. Whosaneillary Confidential @ 15:
GAAAAH!!! DAMMIT!!! What other ebay type thing is out there to buy and sell useless crap?
HEY NANCY: Guess what, you and your colleagues just raised the House approval rating!! You know what would raise it even more? If you took the same moral fortitude you used to stand up to W’s fearmongering here and applied it to…oh I don’t know…perhaps IMPEACHMENT?
Can you hear me now? How about now? Can you hear me now??
L.A. Whosaneillary Confidential @ 16:
It do or die baby!
The idea that Harry Reid should get any credit for today’s (small) victory is beyond laughable.
You have about ten days to beat on your Senate DINO (if you have one). Those in Jello’s state need not bother.
L.A. Whosaneillary Confidential @ 22:
Now you sound like Bush on Telecom immunity!
Has anyone yet compiled a list of senators taking money from the telecoms in question? Big media investigates nothing, but it looks like we have a couple of weeks to shed some light on the senate’s “bipartisan” protection of these corporations.
Finally! Congress just told the Prez to go fuck himself.
L.A. Whosaneillary Confidential @ 22:
I’m not going to work in a munitions factory because there are no other options!
veto
and/or
signing statement. How will the courts rule if Bush makes this an issue of national security in a time of war claiming presidential authority.
JTM @ 23:
Times like this that make me glad I live in Massachusetts. Kerry and Kennedy will never approve a bill with immunity…but you know what, I’m so suspicious of this newfound backbone in the Democratic Party that I think I will make sure by calling both of them.
Liberal Traitor @ 24:
What I supposed to say “Okay Mr. Bush, Mr. McCain. Whatever, I dunno, just don’t shove it in to hard.”
No way man
Recall that Alito - SCOTUS - invented the argument that presidential signing statements … work.
anon @ 28:
Oh yeah no doubt thats next.
I’m the Decider!
A tiny step in the right direction.
Next step, special prosecutor.
I see no sign that the spine seen in the House will magically transfer to the Senate. And it’s all for one simple reason: Harry Reid. Watch while he assigns the House bill to both the SSIC and the SJC (again) and then brings the SSIC bill to the floor (again). Just watch. You know he’ll do it. And you know how it will end up.
L.A. Whosaneillary Confidential @ 7:
Right now, feds might be looking into your finances
Banks tip off government to possible money laundering, fraud
By Thomas Frank
USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — Each year, federal agents peek at the financial transactions of millions of Americans — without their knowledge.
The same type of information that raised suspicions about New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer is reviewed every day by authorities to find traces of money laundering, check fraud, identity theft or any crime that may involve a financial institution.
As concerns about fraud and terrorist financing grow, an increasing number of suspicious deposits, withdrawals and money transfers are being reported by banks and others to the federal government. Banks and credit unions as well as currency dealers and stores that cash checks reported a record 17.6 million transactions to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network in 2006, according to a report from the network, a bureau of the U.S. Treasury Department.
“I don’t think Americans understand that their financial transactions are being reported and routinely examined,” said Barry Steinhardt of the American Civil Liberties Union.
I’m happy about this.
Pelosi would be wise to continue treating “The President” with the same degree of disregard that he’s given the country, the world, the military, veterans, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, Iraqis, and everybody else he’s s*** on.
If she doesn’t, she’ll be held accountable when he pulls his next stunt on the nation/world, because first and foremost, she’s the “impeachment is off the table” Madam Speaker…and we can’t forget that.
Well, that’s great but you know how Bushco’s Courts will decide regarding any law suits brought against big corporations. Especially the higher up in the judicial system they will go.
Can anyone provide a link to a list of who voted for the immunity laden bill in the Senate? I can’t seem to get through Thomas.gov right now.
And to L.A. Whosaneillary Confidential, I was just joking about you sound like Bush. Sorry if there was confusion. The whole “It’s Do or Die” thing was pretty much what he was saying about voting for immunity. Either the telecoms (and therefore W himself) are immune or we’re all going to die!
JTM @ 23:
Luckily I am Illinois and I don’t have much doubt Durbin and Obama are opposed to telecom immunity since they voted against it the first time. I may drop an e-mail just to remind them though.
Chalk up one small victory for us!
Can’t believe we’re celebrating upholding the secretive FISA court, which has its own constitutional rights issues. But it’s better than what Bush wanted.
Nice. A big “thank you” to those who contacted elected officials about this.
L.A. Whosaneillary Confidential @ 22:
From this point on I will be referring to the Democrats in the Congress as The Nads.
So…now…cheer with me!!
GO NADS! GO NADS! GO NADS! GO NADS!!
Is this what we wanted? Do the Bushies really have anything to fear from the courts or the D.o.J.? Didn’t they already strongarm those institutions into submission?
Concerned -
The law that triggers a federal look-see when money moves around has zero to with FISA.
wtf
anon @ 28:
Well he definitely veto, but hypothetically if he signed it with a signing statement that basically nullifies what he is signing, then at least the PEOPLE could take him to court on the constitutionality of his signing statements since the congress seems unwilling to.
Man, I just thought of the perfect lolcats photo:
I little kitten looking sad with a flag lapel pin and a red tie.
Caption: I can has immunity? plskthxbye!
why didnt my other posts go through?
JTM @ 43:
I never said it did. Just showing how much good ol’ Uncle Sammy KNOWS everything about you without those pesky courts giving permission.
I have been thinking abou tthis now for a bit. What I like about it is they are going to make Senate Republicans vote on this - and they will most likely vote against it. Does that mean they want Americans to die? This is very interesting strategy by the house. I can’t wait to see how it plays out - and I pray that it does pass because the president will have to veto it then as he has sworn he will.
I would liek to see him try to talk himself out of that one. Immunity for the telecoms is more important than the safety of Americans.
Oh the joy of politics.
Bill
Kansaskowboy @ 37:
Ah, but it wouldn’t be the SCOTUS that makes the decisions in this case.
Liberal AND Proud @ 42: