Maybe; at the National Press Club in a speech previewing the State of the Union speech Harry Reid said,
"The president has to make a decision. He's either going to extend the law, or he will...which is temporary in nature, or there will be no wiretapping.
We have worked very hard to try to come up with a way to proceed on this but it's up to the President. The amendments that were offered in the Senate ... they would have passed. The majority of the senate favored these amendments.
They refused to allow us to vote on what we call "Title 1' which is a procedural aspect of this, and then they never even dreamed of our going to the second part, which is the retroactive immunity. Which is...there is real controversy over that and there should be a vote in the United States Senate as to whether or not there should be retroactive immunity. They won't give us one.
So again, it's up to the president. He can either continue the present law for an extended period of time, we would agree to two weeks, we would agree to a month, and we would agree to a longer period of time than that.
But it is up to the president. Does he want the law? It's up to him.
If it fails, he can give all the speeches he wants, including the State of the Union, about how we've stopped things, if he does that, it's disingenuous, and it's not true."
Reid has said he opposes retroactive immunity for telecoms, this speech has some of the red meat Democrats would want to hear, the question is what happens on the Senate floor. Those who are so hot on the idea that this FISA update will keep us safe need to answer the question, is it about telecoms or wiretaps? It is important to note that not all telecoms went along with this nonsense, Qwest was one, so it isn't like the ones who did couldn't have refused and aren't without culpability. What promises the Administration made to them may be informative.
5 comments:
The vote right now on FISA and the immunity clause is the single most important topic of our senate and Reid will drop the ball. It is so sad that these pandering bastards of the senate take an oath to protect and uphold the Constitution and than shirk away from their obligation. Most Dimmos as well as Repugs are all heretics.
On another note I wish there were a web page that shows the voting of the senate. Unless one knows the exact name or number of the bill it is hard to follow...or is it just me?
sometimes it can be tough to find, ispeicially with the stupid names given bills. Generally NYT or WaPo will give it. some times I wonder why Rockefeller is a D, I'm not sure Reid will drop the ball on telecoms.
"Yesterday Harry Reid again brought forward the version of the FISA
bill containing a provision for telecom immunity for their criminal
complicity in illegal wiretaps of American citizens. Sure we need to
win another filibuster, but we also need a stronger message. Reid
must go."
What part of exercising power doesn't Harry Reid get? The Washington
Post reports him "pleading" with the White House. And yet, it is his
decision which version of the FISA bill to have the Senate consider,
and by choosing to bring forward the bad one, he is knowingly forcing
opponents of yet another "get out of jail free card" for Cheney
cronies to get 60 votes to strip it out of the bill. Or filibuster
yet again." From the Pen
Chuck, in a short while we will find out now which of us is right...I sincerly hope you are right...for the good of us all.
so do I
so far so good
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