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 4 of 23)
46. Obama's lies-another one.
Obama says he supports the Second Amendment and supports the right of citizens to bear arms. Obama also has said he supports reasonable local laws regulating gun ownership.
Lie?
On 8/25/04 Chicago Tribune Obama was quoted as saying " he opposed allowing ordinaly citizens to carry concealed weapons and that a federal law banning concealed weapons, except for law enforcemnet, is needed."
Obama not only wants to take guns away from ordinary citizens, he wants a Federal Law that will take away State rights to enact gun control laws, giving thus exclusive gun control law making to Washington.
Obama should start putting expiration dates on his policy statements.
robert okane at 8:39AM on Jun 27th 2008
47. >>>Obviously, Ana made a mistake in emailing a psycho like you. But there is no mystery as to how she obtained your email address. YOU SENT IT TO HER>>>
CN, that might explain her having his address but there's little room for a "mistake" when she sends a nasty personal response....
As much flak as Cenk receives I don't recall anyone ever complaining of this. I imagine Ana didn't sleep very well last night.
Bobby at 8:53AM on Jun 27th 2008
48. "As much flak as Cenk receives I don't recall anyone ever complaining of this. I imagine Ana didn't sleep very well last night."
Must be the new school of journalism. I sent an email to a local newsrag commenting on a column by one of their junior writers. It got published and I got a nastygram back from the columnist.
Thin skinned, these young ones. Wonder if GG's gonna hear from her mommy next time?
bob at 9:05AM on Jun 27th 2008
49. Every1 and I do mean every1 should E mail or phone some1 any1 oversea's just to screw with the the most retarded administration ever
zyglow2 at 10:00AM on Jun 27th 2008
50. Funny German Guy wants the government to be able to scan all his posts, but get bent out of shape when he sees Ana having that same capability. I think she proved her point, you don't like it GG and you mouth the republican talking points. You are busted. Nice job Ana, and Okane? 1st amendment violations by Ana, hell whats different whether its her or some beaurocrat looking in?
Dennis at 10:07AM on Jun 27th 2008
51. German Guy, allow me to state the obvious. I can think of another country that allowed itself to be wooed and fooled by right wing propaganda and that willingly gave up it freedoms to the cause of national security.
You must be a young German guy.
tfitz1017 at 10:52AM on Jun 27th 2008
52. Add Dennis to the list. Truly clueless.
Wants to elect a worthless absolutely unqualified president over the issue then cant see the irony in Ana personally emailing me. Typical liberal.
If you cant see the hypocracy in it, then there really is no hope. According to you liberals it is the lynchpin of our freedoms. She rants and raves about it, and in an instant, betrays her own convictions because I goaded her a little bit.
She's allowed to do it because, well I hurt her feelings. But the government cant do it when trying to prevent another building from getting blown up.
Are you really that clueless? Do we have to explain it step by step? What about the first amendment and the 2nd. Is it ok that the government tramples on those rights? Robert, how does your grandpappy feel about that?
The inconsistancies in your arguments are just mind altering. You pick and choose which parts of the constitution you like and which you dont.
Pick a side and stick with it. Do you believe in the constitution or dont you? Do you believe in privacy rights or dont you? Do you believe in freedom of speech or dont you? Do you believe in the right of protection or dont you?
I love it how these liberal "rights for everyone but whites who disagree with them" call me a racist or a nazi the first time I post a response contrary to their indoctrinated thoughts. Thats ok to do that because hey I am of german decent. No problem with that. Nevermind that discrimination on the basis of national origin is contrary to the constitution.
Let me point out a fact about a minority that in some way is deemed negative, all hell breaks loose and these guys become incredulous. If that isnt Orwellian mind control, I dont know what is.
german guy at 10:59AM on Jun 27th 2008
53. By the way, I think it is great that Ana emailed me. She should have the right to defend herself. I would post that email address of hers, but see, I beleive in her right to privacy so I wont do that.
The hypocracy and irony are what have me laughing even this morning. Her rant was about privacy. She then promptly invades mine. Typical liberal in every fashion. Do what I say even though I wont.
german guy at 11:11AM on Jun 27th 2008
54. So german guy, where do you get from my post that I'm an Obama supporter? I want government out of my life, like a good conservative should. Me pointing out your hypocracy must have hit a nerve though. Ohh Ana can read my blog and get my email address, well what you want is for beaurocrats to have the same priveledge, dems and republicans. If this bill passes, you'll have the potential of having obama appointees looking through our emails.
I don't want that and neither should you.
Dennis at 11:21AM on Jun 27th 2008
55. If you believe the government should not listen to international phone calls made from a phone in the United States you need give your reasons. REAL reasons. Your Bush derangement does you a disservice. Listening to phone calls for foreign intelligence has always been legal. There is case law to back that up (let me know if you want a list). Clinton did it. Reagan and Bush 1 did it. Carter did it, etc., etc. The idea that listening in on foreign communications within the US without a warrant is a Bushism shows your ignorance of the law and little more. It did not become illegal until Bush became President. It was always an "inherant authority" until the Court's decided it was not during Bush's reign. Therefore, your claim that Bush is cutting into our Civil Liberties is ridiculous at best.
Mel at 11:28AM on Jun 27th 2008
56. racist or a nazi the first time I post a response contrary to their indoctrinated thoughts.
xx
It took several for me, but you have taught several things to whomever reads what you write.
You are an ideal citizen of fascism based on your willingness to isolate from other citizens and accept whatever your party, hence the state tells you.
In my estimation you present here as a cartoon of the worst of conservatism, and your view of the liberals who brought you every freedom you have is even more cartoonish.
As is your participation.
You are incapable of entering into any serious discussion and only engage in demagoguery. But on the jr. high food fight level.
It's easy for me to see how you could get cozened out of your vote if you're as superficial as you come off here.
Scratch your surface on a sunny day, and there's daylight.
Neoconservatism appeals to fascists, royalists, elitists and poor people with extreme prejudices against minorities, political bogeymen or people who differ with them religiously.
You teach people how to treat you. Maybe John Ratzenberger will actually show up in character and have a food fight with you, but if you want any input from me, you'll have to at least get some better grounding in reality.
If I were to play into your fantasy that would just make you worse. As you may be able to tell, I've had some experience with people who act out the way you present here.
Clif Kuplen at 11:24AM on Jun 27th 2008
57. Mel, you miss the point. Its not just long distance calls its email and texts, posts etc. any of which can be rerouted offshore and then become fair game. The telcoms have broken the law, hence the retroactive immunity clause. There is no reason to believe they wouldn't bend to make all calls of foriegn origin.
Dennis at 11:43AM on Jun 27th 2008
58. Contrary to the many proponents of what passes for objective news by bloggers on the Internet, many out here in the hinterlands wouldn't believe 2% of what gets passed along as fact by the many folks who couldn't get real credentialed journalist jobs so they went out, formed a web site and started their spew as "bloggers". How does this qualify you in any way as credible BTW?Unfortunately many of the college aged folks out there today, seriously brainwashed by liberal academia, were quick to fall into to line and started absorbing more of the anti American rubish that routinely gets to see the light of day on sites like this on AOL.
Gere at 11:49AM on Jun 27th 2008
59. "Gutless is telling the families of the thousands of americans killed around the world by terrorist extremists that they dont exist. I think those countless families would like a word with you and beg to differ."
For one thing, the people pictured and accused of doing it, aren't the culprits. At least half of them have been found and are still living. And.....their not terrorists.
How wonderful that one of the Terrorists passport was found in the reckage. Is that really possible?
How wonderful it was, that the WTC was closed two days before the attacks.
Isn't amazing the WTC 7 collapses off of a fire?
This isn't conspiracy talk, these are facts. I'm not saying my Government was part of this, and I sure hope they weren't. But the ones accused of doing this, didn't do it. And Osama still isn't credited with masterminding it.
But one thing for sure did happen. 9/11 gave our Government the go ahead to do whatever they wanted whenever they wanted. Privacy doesn't exist. They have been tapping us and recording us for years with no cause. This bill would exonerate the companies that have been doing it.
Did terrorists pull 9/11 off? Damn good chance they did. Did our Government take advantage of it? You bet your ass they did.
And for the record, nothing is preventing another attack. It just hasn't happened yet.
And yes, after 2 hellish weeks, I'm back. It's damn good to be back.
Botts at 11:54AM on Jun 27th 2008
60. There you go again Klaven with your nazi rant again.
Instead of sticking on point you rant and rave with your boilerplate editions we see verbatum everyday on every thread you post.
The assignment is very simple. Either stand for the constitution or dont. Either stand for free speech or dont. Same for right to bear arms.
Your senility is showing again. You get spanked on every issue, every day, yet like a stubborn hemmerhoid, here you are again.
My point was very simple. I merely pointed out the irony in having my privacy invaded by someone who just wrote an article on a major website abhoring that very possibility. She betrayed her convictions after the very first post. and you cant see the hypocrisy in that?
Typical liberal in every sense of the word. Now please dont respond with your phoney non factual thank a liberal for these freedoms reply.
If my thoughts are eighth grade food fight type, yours are nursing home sitting in a soiled diaper variety. They have medication for it. If confused just ask the pharmacist. They can do wonders just changing the dosage.
german guy at 12:03PM on Jun 27th 2008