reid Archives - Where Is The Outrage?

What is Harry Reid doing on FISA? Part 2

Why is Harry Reid trying to give the telecoms immunity against future prosecution? I have talked about the FISA bill on a number of occasions. There were 2 bills which Senator Reid could have chosen for the “basis” of discussion. He chose the Intelligence Committee bill which has the telecom immunity gift and just about everything that Bush and the White House wants. My question is why?

Harry Reid’s statement seemed inadequate. Maybe it is just me. As usual, Glenn Greenwald has a very good discussion on this. Senator Christopher Dodd plans to filibuster any bill that gives away the store.

Update: Okay, just to make sure that the telecoms get off scottfree the senate has voted to move the bill for discussion. The vote wasn’t even close. Again, we see all of the Republicans voting together and the Democrats split. I wish I could figure out why someone like Senator Edward Kennedy would support this bill. I don’t buy what he said on the floor today, “too important to hold up any longer.” If it is that important, shouldn’t we get it right?

Senator Russ Feingold wrote the following this morning to explain the problem that we are facing –

Unfortunately, the bill we are going to be considering is the one reported out by the Senate Intelligence Committee in October, S. 2248. It did not have to be this way. Thirteen Senators joined me last week in asking the Majority Leader to instead bring up a bill that includes the changes approved by the Judiciary Committee last month. That bill, while not perfect by any means, was the product of an open process and heeded the advice of many experts and advocates to provide greater protection for the international communications of innocent Americans. And, unlike the Intelligence Committee bill, the Judiciary bill does not provide automatic, retroactive immunity for companies alleged to have cooperated with the administration’s illegal warrantless wiretapping program. (more…)

By ecthompsonmd|2007-12-16T22:30:20-04:00December 16th, 2007|Congress, Domestic Spying|Comments Off

What is Harry Reid doing on FISA?

Again Glenn Greenwald is doing a great job at collecting information and presenting it to the blogosphere. Amnesty for telecoms? Why? Do I get amnesty if I speed and get caught? Do I get amnesty if don’t pay my taxes? I know the rules just as the telecom companies did. Why in the world would Harry Reid even consider give amnesty to telecom companies…unless, he has sold out? Unless the telecoms have generously given moolah to his piggy bank. I’m very disappointed in Harry Reid and Senator Jay Rockefeller, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

As I mentioned yesterday, Senator Dodd is trying to stand up and squash this love affair between some senators and the telecom companies. Senator Dodd has placed a hold on the bill. (Remember that any senator can place a hold on any bill for any reason.) Senator Harry Reid is going to ignore the hold. Senator Dodd has raised the stakes by stating the he will filibuster the bill if necessary. Although Senator Feingold is not making the papers, he is doing the right thing. Here’s his press release –

“As a member of the SSCI, I will strongly oppose any FISA legislation that fails to protect the rights of law-abiding Americans, overseas and here at home. When the Committee considers this legislation today, I will also fight to reject immunity for anyone alleged to have cooperated with the Administration’s illegal warrantless wiretapping program. The documents made available by the White House for the first time this week only further demonstrate that the program was illegal and that there is no basis for granting retroactive immunity to those who allegedly cooperated. The one silver lining of the flawed FISA bill passed in August was that it had a 6-month expiration date. It would be shameful to miss this opportunity to fix the law. It is time for Congress to stand up for the rights of Americans and to defend the Constitution and the rule of law.” (more…)

By ecthompsonmd|2007-10-20T07:58:24-04:00October 20th, 2007|Bush Administration, Domestic Spying|Comments Off

Senate Jack Reid – Dem Response

Although I do like Senator Reid’s response but I haven’t liked the Dems in general on the war. The Dems have been kind of afraid of what people will think. I guarantee that the R’s in this same position wouldn’t be as kind. They would have the likes of Hannity and Limbaugh all worked up. Senator Lott would be on every talk show talking about the moral outrage. Gingrich and Bob Dole would be called into action. The whole Republican party with the help of Drudge would be out in force if the shoe was on the other foot.

Okay, here’s the question, do we have any hope of fixing the problems in Iraq in the next 14 months? If the answer is no then what are we doing? Victory is always just around the corner for this President. He warns us not to predict the future BUT he can predict with 20/20 vision the chaos that will ensue when we leave.

The whole thing is kind nuts when you look at it. Just look at this, we went to war based on screwy logic or lies. Then we were asked to continue the war because we have to liberate the Iraqi people. We were then told that we have to finish what we started. We were then told that Al Qaeda was there and that’s why we have to stay. The reasons for staying keep changing. Why? Well that’s because we were NEVER told the real reason for going into Iraq. Was it oil? Was it flexing American power? The one thing that I know is that it wasn’t to spread democracy to the Middle East. That I know.

So, back the original question, why not bring everyone home? That’ s the plan that I endorse. Any plan that gets the troops out of there ASAP is the plan for me!!!

By ecthompsonmd|2007-09-13T23:59:18-04:00September 13th, 2007|Election 2008, Iraq, Senate|Comments Off