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FISA Telco Amnesty: Feinstein Makes Dodd's Day

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Legislation
Posted on Sat Nov 10, 2007 at 02:22:15 AM EST
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But not the way you think:

Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Thursday that she favors legal immunity for telecommunications companies that allegedly shared millions of customers' telephone and e-mail messages and records with the government, a position that could lead to the dismissal of numerous lawsuits pending in San Francisco.

This means the bill will reach the Senate floor and Dodd will get to lead a filibuster of it.

Oh by the way, how bad can Feinstein get?

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    FISA Telco Amnesty: Feinstein Makes Dodd's Day | 20 comments (20 topical)

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    Feinstein said (5.00 / 1) (#3)
    by Edger on Sat Nov 10, 2007 at 08:19:43 AM EST
    the companies should not be "held hostage to costly litigation in what is essentially a complaint about administration activities."
    The soldiers are just innocent soldiers because they did the thieving on orders from the capos. Of course.

    Their was a trial once over this kind of excuse attempt, wasn't there?

    Funny, book stores said no (5.00 / 3) (#4)
    by lilybart on Sat Nov 10, 2007 at 09:24:38 AM EST
    to the government's illegal request for customer records, as did librarians.

    How could ATT not have lawyers who knew they had the right and obligation by law to say NO?

    I think because (5.00 / 0) (#5)
    by Edger on Sat Nov 10, 2007 at 09:27:21 AM EST
    they probably have been doing it since the first days of the Internet and were already long past any semblance of legality.

    Parent
    Telecommunications industry is (5.00 / 1) (#11)
    by oculus on Sat Nov 10, 2007 at 12:04:07 PM EST
    second largest contributor to Congressional campaign funds.

    Parent
    Argh! (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by andgarden on Sat Nov 10, 2007 at 09:27:46 AM EST


    In 2002, (5.00 / 1) (#7)
    by Edger on Sat Nov 10, 2007 at 09:33:19 AM EST
    the technological blueprint for this Orwellian-style project was on the drawing board at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Pentagon's top research and development arm. DARPA commissioned a comprehensive plan for this electronic spying -- and did so publicly.

    "Transactional data" was to be gleaned from electronic data on every kind of activity -- "financial, education, travel, medical, veterinary, country entry, place/event entry, transportation, housing, critical resources, government, communications," according to the Web site for DARPA's Information Awareness Office.
    ...
    When the "total information awareness" project was disclosed, public outrage forced the Bush administration into retreat, ousting Poindexter and supposedly scrapping the massive data-mining program.

    What is now apparent, however, is that the Bush administration simply took many of these data-mining features and put them under the rubric of what's known generally as the Terrorist Surveillance Program, or as administration insiders call it, "the TSP."

    The data-mining component of the operation is considered so sensitive that in December 2005 when Bush acknowledged the TSP's warrantless wiretapping, he continued his silence about the data-mining aspect.
    ...
    The real purpose of all the secrecy appears to be to enable the Bush administration to construct an authoritarian framework -- similar to the "total information awareness" concept -- without the American people knowing that their liberties are facing a draconian threat from intrusive government spying.
    Only now it is: (5.00 / 1) (#8)
    by Sumner on Sat Nov 10, 2007 at 10:32:32 AM EST
    Total Surveillance on steroids

    Parent
    As close as they can get to mind reading. (1.00 / 0) (#9)
    by Edger on Sat Nov 10, 2007 at 10:38:02 AM EST
    So far....

    Parent
    But they've been working on that for awhile too (1.00 / 0) (#10)
    by Edger on Sat Nov 10, 2007 at 10:55:06 AM EST
    June 2006
    ACLU objects as two companies offer 'mind reading' technology to government

    Parent
    Dems and Repubs (5.00 / 1) (#12)
    by tnthorpe on Sat Nov 10, 2007 at 01:00:26 PM EST
    are two right wings of the same party, Gore Vidal was too too right.

    Bush admits he broke the law, Congress wrings its hands in the media, does nothing to hold him accountable, passes a FISA extension that practically exonerates him. Now, more of the same.

    Where are the progressive values in this? What principles are being upheld? Is there a drop of political courage in the whole party? Feinstein is beneath contempt at this point.


    Jeff Huber asked a good question (5.00 / 1) (#13)
    by Edger on Sat Nov 10, 2007 at 01:21:15 PM EST
    the other day:
    Is it possible that, under the surface, all of America's national profile politicians have crawled into the neocons' pockets?
    ...
    If America were still a true republic, the neocons would have been ridden out of town two years ago at the latest; they don't have enough tar, feathers or rails in Washington D.C. to give those characters the kind of send off they deserve. But they're still around and reeking havoc.
    And I don't think he misspelled "wreaking"...

    Parent
    Indeed (5.00 / 1) (#14)
    by tnthorpe on Sat Nov 10, 2007 at 02:17:21 PM EST
    In looking at candidates I'm not trying to make the perfect the enemy of the good, or even of the marginally adequate, but I'm not seeing enough daylight between Dems and Repubs on too many important issues.

    Paul Krugman points out that there still is a difference:
    I may complain about diffidence on the part of Democratic leaders. But then you get ledes like this:

    House Democrats on Friday pushed through an $80 billion bill to block the spread of a dreaded tax on middle-income people. The White House and Republicans, protesting tax increases in the bill affecting mainly investment fund managers, maintained that it would never become law.

    PS: I missed this:

    The White House also said language in the bill to terminate an IRS program farming out delinquency cases to private debt collectors would subject it to a veto.

    Privatization -- and tax farming, no less, which went out with the French Revolution -- trumps aid to the middle class.
    ------
    How a corrupt, incompetent administration like Bush's continues to have its sorry way, I'll never know. Why the Dem front runners are having a hard time offering a genuine progressive alternative is less of a question. They're simply not interested.

    Parent

    They're simply not interested. (none / 0) (#15)
    by Edger on Sat Nov 10, 2007 at 03:02:44 PM EST
    They are certain that they have the presidency and the congress next year.

    They are certain that enough people will capitulate and vote for them out of fear of republicans - even if they continue to enable Bush and act no different than republicans.

    They believe people are stupid.

    Parent

    I hope they're not right. (none / 0) (#16)
    by Edger on Sat Nov 10, 2007 at 03:15:17 PM EST
    It doesn't seem that complicated to me to stand up and say this far and no farther.

    If every time a Democratic candidate met with constituents or knocked on peoples doors or phoned them looking for money or votes they heard...

    "If you Democrats defund and end the occupation of Iraq before November 2008 I'll contribute to you and vote for you.

    Don't waste my time with excuses. Come back or call back when you're done and you'll get my money and my vote. Have a nice day."

    ... the Democratic Leadership and presidential candidates would quickly sit up and listen, I believe.

    And the Iraq occupation would be history. Along with the FISA amendment. And along with all the bullsh*t of the past seven years.

    They are politicians. They want votes. They need votes to win.

    Guarantee them your vote, but hold out the carrot. They only get your vote if they take the carrot. If they don't take the carrot, they're not worth your vote.

    Motivate them with fear. Make them understand that they only will win if they do what they were hired to do.

    It's not that complicated. Is it?  

    I mean look, I'm not the brightest bulb on the planet, but even I, even I, can figure this out...

    Parent

    Well (1.00 / 0) (#2)
    by Edger on Sat Nov 10, 2007 at 08:14:38 AM EST
    She does look a little bit like Cheney.

    Now we get to see (none / 0) (#1)
    by po on Sat Nov 10, 2007 at 07:43:26 AM EST
    if he's the real deal.  I certainly hope he is.  At some point, endless concessions must cease.  Too bad, most other supposed Democrats in Congress don't see it that way.

    Still waiting for Sen. Feinstein to respond to (none / 0) (#17)
    by oculus on Sat Nov 10, 2007 at 03:31:45 PM EST
    my e mail urging her not to vote for Mukasey.

    Maybe the Dem. president will appoint he to some obscure federal executive position so CA can elect a real Dem.?  I can't figure out any other way to be rid  of her as my senator.

    2 ?s (none / 0) (#18)
    by downtownted on Sat Nov 10, 2007 at 08:14:13 PM EST
    If Dodd leads a filibuster, will enough follow?

    Where is the effective Democratic response that Democrats have the answer to the war on terror?

    Whistleblower's account (none / 0) (#19)
    by Che's Lounge on Sat Nov 10, 2007 at 08:46:31 PM EST
    http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2006/04/70621

    Shame on her (none / 0) (#20)
    by MiddleOfTheRoad on Sat Nov 10, 2007 at 09:41:35 PM EST
    Shame on the Senator from the most liberal state in this country for abandoning her base.

    So what happens if this squeaks by the Senate?  What happens in the House?  Can't the Democratic leadership enforce any kind of discipline?

    FISA Telco Amnesty: Feinstein Makes Dodd's Day | 20 comments (20 topical)

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