WASHINGTON, Aug. 3, 2007
Senate Passes Bush Eavesdropping Bill
Senate OKs White House Bill To Expand Authority For 6 Months; House Rejects Democrats' Version
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President Bush, right, accompanied by Vice President Dick Cheney, makes comments after meeting with his counterterrorism team, Friday, Aug. 3, 2007, at the J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building in Washington. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)
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Interactive Domestic Surveillance The debate over the Bush administration's controversial wiretapping program.
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Interactive 21st Century Spying The biggest overhaul of the U.S. intelligence community in half a century.
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Interactive 110th Congress The balance of power shifts and new leadership takes control as the latest session convenes.
The Bush administration began pressing for changes to the law after a recent ruling by the special FISA court that barred the government from eavesdropping on foreign suspects whose messages were being routed through U.S. communications carriers, including Internet sites.
Democrats agreed the law should not restrict U.S. spies from tapping in on foreign suspects. However, they initially demanded the FISA court to review the eavesdropping process before it begins to make sure that Americans aren't targeted.
By the final vote, Senate Democrats had whittled down that demand and approved a bill that largely mirrored what the Bush administration wanted. It requires:
Initial approval by Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. The administration relented to Democrats leery of Gonzales by adding McConnell to the oversight.
FISA Court review within 120 days. The final Democratic plan had called for court review to begin immediately and conclude within a month of the surveillance starting
The law to expire in six months to give Congress time to craft a more comprehensive plan. The White House initially wanted the bill to be permanent.
Before the vote, Democrats excoriated the Republican plan, which Sen. Jay Rockefeller, a Democrat, said "provides a weak and practically nonexistent court review."
Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold angrily chastised his colleagues for bending to the administration's will.
"The day we start deferring to someone who's not a member of this body ... is a sad day for the U.S. Senate," Feingold said. "We make the policy — not the executive branch."
Likewise, civil liberties advocates said they were outraged that Democratic-led Senate would side with the White House.
"We're hugely disappointed with the Democrats," said Caroline Fredrickson, legislative director for the American Civil Liberties Union. "The idea they let themselves be manipulated into accepting the White House proposal, certainly taking a great deal of it, when they're in control — it's mind-boggling."
It was not immediately clear whether House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would endorse the Senate bill after days of rejecting White House offers.
"I hope that there are no attacks before we are able to effectively update this important act," said Rep. Lamar Smith, top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee.
Mr. Bush has said he would reject any bill that his intelligence director deemed unable "to prevent an attack on the country."
"We've worked hard and in good faith with the Democrats to find a solution, but we are not going to put our national security at risk," Bush said after meeting with counterterror and homeland security officials at FBI headquarters Friday morning. "Time is short."
© MMVII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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See all 541 CommentsPosted by omega39 at 12:02 PM : Aug 04, 2007
Odds are, the eaves dropping permission was just a formality to cover what Bush has already been doing. Maybe he has sooo much stuff on everyone in the Senate, that they all have to do what he wants or he will go public. Would explain why the Democratic Congress acts the way it does and why the Republicans seem to not fear the reprisal of the voters.
Don't be surprised if the Republicans release a whole bunch of data before the fall elections that make the Democrats look horrible--the Dems know they are sunk, but they hope to play along so they can get their checks for as long as possible and try to think of a plan to forestall events.
Yep, I think Bush has the goods on the Dems and the Republicans so they have to do what he wants. That is what a good spy program can do for ya.
so all Bush has to do is just threaten to veto now, and the Democratic controlled Senate rolls over and gives him whatever the fvck he wants.
I heard the Congress is at 3% approval rating now. I believe it.
Guess he's got his wish.
stating that if they in anyway back down on this bill,and fold like ******* to this traitorest president/vp/rove/rumsfeld/ that
they will see a REVOLUTION IN THIS COUNTRY TO THE LIKES THAT THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN..
I told them the only bill that should be sign by the president is a bill he owes to all americans i thinks its around 3.000,000,000,000,0000,000,00,000,00,00,
00,00,00,.
so go and arrest all of them. and america will stand behide you. you all will go down as hero.
we need not to be in iraq,iran,or any were in the middleeast.
to the president of the united states of america. you are not a dictator, no ones is listen to all the lies anymore. any true american in this country is gearing up to have you and your crime buddies taken out by force.
you have to be stoped!!!! as i am a vet. i only wish was i was still in so i could make sure no more of my brothers and sisters get murdered by you and cheney,rumsfeld,rove,and so on.
so keep it up you chimp
nobodys listen to you asap. like i ask yesterday were have you served?? go ahead bigboy go and sign up? whimp,coward,pussie,chimp,like your fathers bush,cheney,rove,rumsfeld,and your mother connie
WHAT NOW AMERICA??? NOW BUSH/CHENEY/GONZO CAN LISTEN TO ALL OF US...............WHAT NEXT
Why else would George state that he "wasn't worried" about this Sunni Arab son of a BILLIONAIRE CONTRACTOR with ties of "friendship" to W's family?
Bin Laden's STILL FREE and putting out videos while on DIALYSIS.
Yeah, right we're REALLY serious about correcting those 9/11 "structure failures".
Posted by homespunlady at 10:58 AM : Aug 04, 2007
Don't forget that Ole Georgie boy ignored all those warnings about Bin Laden and went golfing in the months leading up to 9/11. Then not more than 6 months after that stated that Bin Laden isn't that important and he isn't worried about him. I guess the only time he worries about Bin Laden is when he needs to drum up the old fear to get the sheep who follow him blindly to forget his transgressions. Listen to any speech by our commander and thief, and count how many times he mentions the words.. 9/11 9/11 9/11.
Stop falling for it people. If this man was really worried about catching terrorist, mainly bin laden, he wouldn't have turned the responsibilites over to the Northern guard at Tora Bora, and he wouldn't have cancelled the special ops forces that were tracking Bin Laden.
This man doesn't care about this country, he only cares about his cronies, and how much power he can usurp.
Why else would George state that he "wasn't worried" about this Sunni Arab son of a BILLIONAIRE CONTRACTOR with ties of "friendship" to W's family?
Bin Laden's STILL FREE and putting out videos while on DIALYSIS.
Yeah, right we're REALLY serious about correcting those 9/11 "structure failures".
Posted by homespunlady at 10:45 AM : Aug 04, 2007
It was Ben Franklin, who said "Those who would give up essential liberty for a little temproary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety"
No, I'm not worried about my phone being tapped. I have nothing to hide. And no one is saying lets invite the terrorists over for dinner. You seem to be missing the bigger point here. And that point is the constitution and our civil liberties. Laws are already in place that allows wire tapping, etc. All we are asking is to follow those laws, they are there for a reason. Have you ever wen't back and looked into why the FISA law was inacted in the first place? See RICHARD NIXON, and his spying tactics. There's also a reason for the bill of rights. Read the federalist papers, which gives quite a bit of details on what our founding fathers had in mind, our founding fathers were quite adament about religion and government being very seperate. They were also very adament about the 3 branches of government being equal, something you "righties" have seem to forgotten. You say you love this country, and the "lefties" don't. Tell me this, who loves their country more: Those who see the constitution being destroyed and are standing up for it, or those who are allowing fear to guide their conscience, allow this government to tear up the constitution, and deride those who won't stand for it. I am PROUD to be in the former.
The 4th Amendment does not give terrorists rights, Brian.
stating that if they in anyway back down on this bill,and fold like ******* to this traitorest president/vp/rove/rumsfeld/ that
they will see a REVOLUTION IN THIS COUNTRY TO THE LIKES THAT THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN..
I told them the only bill that should be sign by the president is a bill he owes to all americans i thinks its around 3.000,000,000,000,0000,000,00,000,00,00,
00,00,00,.
so go and arrest all of them. and america will stand behide you. you all will go down as hero.
we need not to be in iraq,iran,or any were in the middleeast.
to the president of the united states of america. you are not a dictator, no ones is listen to all the lies anymore. any true american in this country is gearing up to have you and your crime buddies taken out by force.
you have to be stoped!!!! as i am a vet. i only wish was i was still in so i could make sure no more of my brothers and sisters get murdered by you and cheney,rumsfeld,rove,and so on.
so keep it up you chimp
nobodys listen to you asap. like i ask yesterday were have you served?? go ahead bigboy go and sign up? whimp,coward,pussie,chimp,like your fathers bush,cheney,rove,rumsfeld,and your mother connie
WHAT NOW AMERICA??? NOW BUSH/CHENEY/GONZO CAN LISTEN TO ALL OF US...............WHAT NEXT
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See all 541 Comments