While the Senate was ready to vote on the FISA Amendments Act today, Senators Russell Feingold and Christopher Dodd fought to keep them from casting a final vote and jamming the bill through Congress.
In a statement released by Feingold, he says:
"I am pleased we were able to delay the vote on FISA until after the July 4th holiday instead of having it jammed through. I hope that over the July 4th Holiday, Senators will take a closer look at the deeply flawed legislation and understand how it threatens the civil liberties of the American People. It is possibly to protect this country against the terrorists while also protecting the rights and freedoms that define our nation."
For those who haven't read up on the new FISA bill, it would basically give the government the right to peek into the private overseas phone conversations, emails, and even text messages of all Americans. Part of the bill would give retroactive immunity to telephone companies that gave the government private information of Americans.
Feingold says the FISA bill would also allow the government to take all international communications and put it in a giant database. The most outrageous part of the bill states that there does not have to be any court review or evidence that anyone is doing anything wrong before the government intrudes on the person's privacy. The government will simply have complete access to the personal overseas communications of every single American.
Feingold continues to say, "It's a vast power that has no limits. There's no regulation of it."
Obviously, the new FISA bill was created to help the government "track down terrorists"....just like the Iraq War was orchestrated to find weapons of mass destruction. It all makes perfect sense.
It's angering that the government has instilled so much fear in the minds of Americans, that many are ready to hand over precious civil liberties in the name of "protection." In fact, it's sickening. All the Republicans who are avid gun owners and want to protect their constitutional right to bear arms have NO RIGHT to say an American's right to privacy is not as important. This proposed FISA bill simply violates the right to privacy. Fear tactics should not trick Americans into giving up their freedoms. The Senate needs to wake up.
The more the Bush Administration remains in power, the more the United States mirrors the image George Orwell illustrated in his book 1984. Big brother really is watching, and members of our own Senate are allowing it to happen.
Feingold admits that many of the Senators have not completely read the bill and do not know the logistics of it. By holding off on the bill until after July 4th, hopefully the Senate will have the opportunity to think things over and not just hand the Bush Administration exactly what they want.
If you want to watch TYT's interview with Senator Feingold, please check out the video below:
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FISA Bill On Hold!
Posted Jun 26th 2008 8:23PM by Ana Kasparian
Filed under: Iraq, Politics, George Bush, Media, Young Turks
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 23)
1. No Anna you brainless twit:
I think you are the one trying to employ the scare tactics. If you are not a terrorist or a criminal you have nothing to worry about. Dont try to make this something it isnt.
my great country, if you want to save my life, I wont ask how, i will just say thank you. I wont benefit from the freedoms you provide then whine about the manner in which you provide it.
But best of all, Osama is voting for it.
german guy at 10:08PM on Jun 26th 2008
2. This is just more shameless, partisan demagoguery by Feingold, Leahy, Schumer, Reid, Pelosi and the rest of these ingrates who pretend that somehow we can win a war run by judges and lawyers, not the Commander in Chief. The tyranny of the judiciary, those unelected dictators in black robes, is one of the greatest dangers the Founders warned us about.
If anybody actually believes that our government has time to obtain a warrant every time an enemy message is intercepted from the folks who want to reduce all of us into a greasy spot on the pavement - much like the folks who jumped from the WTC towers - they're kidding themselves and living in dreamland.
If and when the barbarians who want to destroy us (the terrorists that is, not the Democrats in Congress) ever do launch another big attack on this country, just about every civil right we now have will vanish in an instant because we'll be going to martial law, no matter who the President is.
Dave at 11:03PM on Jun 26th 2008
3. Ana, here is some Real News that you wish was On HOLD!
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN HATES CONSERVATIVES MORE THAN TERRORIST!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j2uvxsCU_M
Paul Sparcello at 11:12PM on Jun 26th 2008
4. Dave,
this is the issue Clif twisted around in the last blog which made you misinterpret my meaning.
Mr. "Habeas Corpus" for terrorists Clifford was bending my sarcasm into making it sound like I had an ounce of support or compassion for terrorists such as OBL.
Just seems like a good time to explain his ongoing distortion of the facts. I'm sure he'll be along shortly to spin the real truth.
You guys deal with his foolishness. I can only take so many of his lies on a daily basis.
In fairness, Clif is a nutcase but he also wants OBL to hang. He's a gun toter as well so there still may be hope he doesn't fall off the left side of the earth. Poor Clifford just doesn't have a clear understanding of modern day events vs. his ongoing grasp to 500 yr old satire of a Utopian society..
Bobby at 11:20PM on Jun 26th 2008
5. Dawg, Cenk must still be frolicking in the San Fran saunas. Recycled news from a liberal journeyman.
It was reported Feingold & Dodd would try to get a stay of execution from their failed opposition to FISA. I am interested to see if Obama does a 180 now in support. He tends to like to play the leadership role after someone else has taken a position.
Dodd on the other hand is implementing the "blue dress" diversion tactic. Always nice to waltz off in another direction when impending doom is at your door or is it yesterday's news of Dodd's FOA scandal. Right out of the Clinton archives, get those cruise missiles fired up boys....
Bobby at 11:24PM on Jun 26th 2008
6. Hey Klaven:
Add me to the list of people whose rights have been violated. In response to my post #1., Ana personally sent me this professional reply.
" Brainless twit? What do you do for a living? Because if you have more of a brain than I do, why aren't you writing for AOL rather than making ridiculous right-winged comments on blogs?
And you know nothing about the bill. Read up on it and then kiss my liberal ass you ignorant douchebag.
End quote. I never invited her to email me. i never authorized aol to give out my email for a personal attack. I am shocked.
Klaven, what should we do about this? can we call the feds?
german guy at 11:35PM on Jun 26th 2008
7. Dear GG, Paul, Dave & Bobby-
Admit it, your precious Status Quo is being threatened by the winds of positive change, your hide-bound propagandist mind-set is being shaken to its' core, and in short-
Y'all are shitting your pants, and you're out of Depends.
Repeat after after me, "terrorism is not real, the WTC was planned by the Bilderbergers, and President Obama IS gonna win in a LANDSLIDE.
Once again, I LMFAO at you morons.
P.S. Hannah, drinks at my place?
Robert at 11:39PM on Jun 26th 2008
8. Ana e-mailed GUTLESS GUY? Honey, I SO love you!
P.S. The offer still stands- I'll buy you SHOES- (but only if they're bright red, with 3 1/2" heels)
Robert at 11:42PM on Jun 26th 2008
9. In case you were wondering here is my reply to that professional journalist Ana.
"Actually, the fairness act probably prevents me from writing on that hack site. To answer your question, I am a constitutional lawyer.I think you just violated my rights by uninvitedly obtaining my email address and personally emailing me. Nice rant yesterday about the 2nd amendment. How inconsistant can you get. Besides being a brainless twit you are also quite a racist. 100 to 1 murder rate of whites by blacks and you rant about the one shooting in the country of a black by a white guy. Absolutely pathetic."
Of course that response was about as honest as a typical Osama response. I have argued before my states supreme court on an issue once. makes me a constitutional lawyer the same way Osama is a constitutional expert doesnt it? Guess it depends on what the meaning of "is" is.
german guy at 11:45PM on Jun 26th 2008
10. But in all seriousness...Ana, your writing style is limp. I can help. In fact, I'll trade shoes for style.
E-mail me... @ diplobrat@aol.com
Come what may, crazies and all.
Aloha! (dumbasses)
Robert at 11:46PM on Jun 26th 2008
11. OOH, oooo, hear that guys? Gutless Guy's a CONSTITITUIONAL LAWYER! Which Constitution? The Original? Or W's extra-crispy?
Dumbass.
Robert at 11:51PM on Jun 26th 2008
12. German Guy @ post #1 sounds like a damn nazi! Please tell me he doesn't live in the United States.
Bpers2001 at 11:56PM on Jun 26th 2008
13. Robert:
I didnt know that padded cells now come with laptops and wireless hookups. you are one delusional crack pipe baby.
terrorism isnt real? See, this is what we're up against. The really sad thing is that this guy has a vote and there are millions like him. My only hope is that you work in a skyscraper in a major US city.
My god Anna, I am sorry about everything I said about you. This guy makes you, cenk and private look like founding members of mensa.
german guy at 11:56PM on Jun 26th 2008
14. AMAZING!!! Bpers nails Gutless Guy with ONE POST.
Robert at 11:58PM on Jun 26th 2008
15. Bpers;
you sound like a pussy. your boy osama is voting for it so i guess that makes him a nazi too you racist jack ass.
german guy at 12:01AM on Jun 27th 2008