Bush pushes FISA reform
Update: Press conference transcript is here.
***
President Bush has scheduled a press conference for 10:05am Eastern this morning to prod the Dems to pass permanent FISA reform.
David Reinhard watches while Pelosi’s House sleeps.
The blabbermouth Dems want wider access to classifed info. Via The Hill:
Liberal House Democrats are pushing for a closed session to discuss the legal underpinnings of President Bush’s intelligence surveillance program.
They believe that the more members know about it, the less likely they will be to support Bush’s wish to make it permanent.
“I haven’t heard anything in closed session that makes me think we need the Protect America Act,” said Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.), an Intelligence Committee member, referring to a White House-backed interim wiretapping bill that lapsed this month. “Or that FISA [the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act], with modest modifications, isn’t the way to go into the future.”
The request for the closed session came in a letter coauthored by Holt and Reps. John Tierney (D-Mass.) and Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). Holt refused to confirm the letter, but other Democrats say it was brought up at Tuesday’s Democratic Caucus meeting.
The three want all members allowed to see documents that outline the administration’s legal opinions on the program. So far, only Intelligence and Judiciary Committee members have been allowed to see them.
The three believe it is impractical to have all members go to the secure offices of the Intelligence Committee to review the documents. Instead, they want a presentation before the whole House, but in a closed session because the information is classified.
It’s another stall tactic.
Boehner’s spokesman, Kevin Smith, derided the secret session proposal as a stalling tactic.
“There are clear rules and procedures for how Congress handles classified information,” Smith said. “This nonsense is nothing more than another stalling tactic from a bunch of liberals who don’t want to give our intelligence officials all the tools they need to keep America safe.”
Welcome to the backsliding.
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Isn’t it interesting a liberal troll will stop by and rub the Constitution in our faces and leave? Like that is what the Constitution is about?
Changing world, changing times. I like my Forth Amendment rights just fine. Funny how the Constitution is amended without that being an issue.
Our Founding Fathers did not have the foresight to understand the communications infrastructure that exists today. Nor could they have imagined that passenger aircraft would be used as bombs (unless you are a denier then – Boosh blew up the buildings).
The Constitution was written for the protection of citizens. That means we use all means necessary to protect them. Unfortunately, there are groups who would use to the laws to circumvent the ability to use said tools and THAT is the alleged problem with immunity. The immunity is to protect our abilities not an alleged crime between Bush and the telecommunications companies (which is all there is to go on, alleged – by the Dimocraps who are using fear to perpetuate what they are really doing – a power grab). We do not need to waste resources in the courts where lawyers will make millions placing ads on TV: “If you think you might be a victim of an illegal wire tap call Butthead & As_hat, attorneys at law. We are here to keep you safe.
No thanks.
.
How do we protect the citizens from those who have immunity granted to them?
You mean like terrorists? I should think you would be more worried about them then an alleged illegal activity. Think about it. They could care less about immunity, they want to die killing us and here we are debating immunity over something that is alleged.
Where are the victims? As soon as you open the door to “victimhood”. They will be crawling out from under every rock in America – led by attorneys who want to help.
This whole thing is nothing more than a power grab. If it were not immunity, it would be something else and Dingy Harry so much as admitted it.
That’s a rather false dichotomy. I firmly believe that we can hold people accountable for their actions and fight terrorism at the same time. The immunity is retroactive anyway. It’ll change nothing in the way the President even wants to fight terrorism in the future.
Regarding this being a power grab, I can see nothing more powerful than being able to act and not be responsible for their actions. I agree with you. This is very much a power grab.
I do think its ironic that you say “the Dimocraps are using fear to perpetuate what they are really doing – a power grab” and defend the goverment’s request by saying that “I should think you would be more worried about them then an alleged illegal activity.”
On-my-soap-box said (#100):
I don’t leave. I’m with you always, like Tinkerbell. What do you mean about having the Constitution “rubbed in your face”? Is that the same as being reminded that it’s the law?
Bue earlier you said (#76)
Then:
First, Democrap is sophomoric (look it up). Second, scare tactics are a Bush special. All the CHICKENS of America fall for it. I’m mot at all worried that Osamah Bin Laden and Hugo Chavez will march down the streets of Topeka forcing women to wear Burkas and dance to Latin music.
Well, we are making progress. lgm at least recognizes that he is is drive-by trolling.
lgm,
I will take it slow as you are a liberal.
Nobody needs reminding about the Constitution. You, however, just use it as an attempt to rub the Second and Forth Amendments.
If they are welcome, how does that affect my Fourth Amendment right? If they bust in on accident (and that has happened from time to time even before FISA and 9/11 and dare I say will happen in the future as well), they will make it right and I have the option to bring a complaint if they do not. I think you will find that in almost every case of accidental entry, there was a settlement. You would be hard pressed to find otherwise.
Who blew the whistle – Dimocraps. Who is stalling – Dimocraps. Who does it help? Me? I think not.
Yo, dum-dum. They are not going to march down the streets. They fly planes into buildings. They gas people. They will use any means to kill you.
Get a freakin clue.
Cluck, cluck.
ROFLMAO
Had I had drink in my mouth, my computer would be ruined! Ruined, I tell you! Too funny, Soap.
The temptation is so great to take that and run with it. But, I must exercise some self-restraint, even when it is just handed to me like that.
I feel your pain Barry, I feel you pain. That would be waaaaaayyyy too easy.
On February 28th, 2008 at 3:36 pm,
Nice try chops – I just caught this. I am going to believe you misread. The “them” was referring to terrorists. Please go back and read it (#102).
Through all of this is one constant – lgm and mpChops want the terrorists to have secure communications so that after the next attack they can blame Bush for not connecting the dots that they refused to let him have.
A few facts:
1) There has been no illegal activity by the telecoms in cooperating with the Bush administration in intercepting terrorist communications. If there had been, the justus department – the same ones who threw the book at the two border agents Ramos and Compean – would have beaten a path to the door of the courtroom to get convictions against the said telecoms.
The immunity is to prevent civil lawsuits designed to extort millions in damages for crimes that never occurred.
2) The Bush administration isn’t spying on Americans.
If bin laden calls mullah omar – and the call is routed through the United States – that is the issue in discussion. That is what we are trying to intercept – not if lgm or mpChops calls the local pizza place ordering pizza. Nobody cares if lgm or mpChops orders pizza. We care a lot if bin laden calls mullah omar and orders a hit on a fat, juicy American target.
3) People who are not citizens of the United States do not have the same rights under the US Constitution as people who are citizens. This one should be obvious.
Speaking of Amendments how is LGM on the 2nd Amendment? I would suspect he is against it and would want guns banned. My very liberal sister who is against guns was robbed by gun point 2 weeks ago in her apartment. Now she has a gun, gun permit and has taken shooting lessons. When libs get confronted by reality they get a litte more conservative.
Still waiting LGM I thought you never leave well I know you appreciate your 4th amendment rights. How will your Muslim friends treat that once they are in power? As always I am just wondering.
garyt said:
Personally, I think the second amendment refers to National Guard — “A well regulated militia …”. I think the framers made it ambiguous as a compromise because they couldn’t agree.
The US is in no danger of being taken over by my Muslim friends. Even your friend soap agrees:
If you can’t get your paranoia straight, how can you expect me to?
OK — got to go now.
I have a suggestion on how we might get their attention…
Condom Campaign