WASHINGTON, Feb. 13, 2008
Bush: No More Debate Over Spy Program
President Asks The House To Pass Anti-Terror Eavesdropping Laws
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President George W. Bush said the Senate bill was passed with wide, bipartisan support, and the House should pass it too - before the current law expires at midnight on Saturday. (AP)
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Domestic Surveillance
The debate over the Bush administration's controversial wiretapping program.
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110th Congress
The balance of power shifts and new leadership takes control as the latest session convenes.
Mr. Bush said he would not agree to giving the House more time to debate a measure the Senate passed Tuesday governing the government's ability to work with telecommunications companies to eavesdrop on phone calls and e-mails between suspected terrorists. The bill gives phone companies retroactive protection from lawsuits filed on the basis of cooperation they gave the government without court permission - something Mr. Bush insisted was included in the bill.
About 40 lawsuits have been filed against telecom companies by people alleging violations of wiretapping and privacy laws. The House did not include the immunity provision in a similar bill it passed last year.
"In order to be able to discover ... the enemy's plans, we need the cooperation of telecommunication companies," Mr. Bush said. "If these companies are subjected to lawsuits that could cost them billions of dollars, they won't participate. They won't help us. They won't help protect America."
The 68-29 Senate vote Tuesday to update the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act belied the nearly two months of stops and starts and bitter political wrangling that preceded it. The two sides had battled to balance civil liberties with the need to conduct surveillance on potential adversaries.
Mr. Bush said the Senate bill was passed with wide, bipartisan support, and the House should pass it too - before the current law expires at midnight on Saturday.
"Congress has had over six months to discuss and deliberate," said Mr. Bush, who stood alongside Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell. "The time for debate is over. I will not accept any temporary extension. They have already been given a two-week extension."
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid accused the president and Senate Republicans of being more interested in politicizing intelligence than resolving the debate. Reid said that the issue would not be before Congress if Mr. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney "in their unyielding efforts to expand presidential powers," had not created a system to conduct wiretapping, including on U.S. citizens, outside the bounds of federal law.
"The president could have taken the simple step of requesting new authority from Congress ... but whether out of convenience, incompetence, or outright disdain for the rule of law, the administration chose to ignore Congress and ignore the Constitution," Reid said.
Reid said if the president chooses to veto a short-term extension, he, not Congress will have to take the blame for any gaps in collecting intelligence of terrorists' communications.
"Due to months of White House foot-dragging, the relevant House committees have only just gotten important documents related to whether the Bush Administration followed the law and the Constitution," he said. "They need some time to review and analyze them. We must not let this critical issue be resolved by White House bullying."
Doubtful they can work out the differences in the bills by the time the law expires, Democrats in the Senate and the House prepared short-term extensions that would keep the law in effect for several more weeks. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky blocked an extension attempt Tuesday. Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas, the senior Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, said Republicans in the House would fight another extension.
"The one thing we've learned about Congress is they won't act until forced to," White House press secretary Dana Perino told reporters after Mr. Bush's statement. "We're not going to pass extensions into perpetuity."
House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers said Tuesday he still opposes retroactive immunity.
"There is no basis for the broad telecommunications company amnesty provisions advocated by the administration," Conyers wrote in a letter to White House Counsel Fred Fielding asking for documents about the wiretapping program. The documents have been withheld from Congress.
While giving the White House what it wanted on immunity, the Senate also expanded the power of the court to oversee government eavesdropping on Americans. The amendment would give the FISA court the authority to monitor whether the government is complying with procedures designed to protect the privacy of innocent Americans whose telephone or computer communications are captured during surveillance of a foreign target.
The bill would also require FISA court orders to eavesdrop on Americans who are overseas. Under current law, the government can wiretap or search the possessions of anyone outside the United States - even a soldier serving overseas - without court permission if it believes the person may be a foreign agent.
© MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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See all 171 CommentsHope you sleep well.
As usual, the stupidly-loyal neocon Fascist Nazi Republicans turned the tide convincing the evil, cowardly Whimpo-crats of the "wisdom" (!!!???) of the Great Emperor.
The Great Emperor expects the House to follow in the footsteps of the Senate, stupidly over the cliff, and to have HIS bill up for his signature soon.
Are we fed up or what!!!!
SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!!
The infamous T-Shirt man has confessed to just about every crime since the Lindbergh Kidnapping. I doubt if the Regime will bring the case to trial if the evidence is to be revealed...The revelations in the case of the 15 year old ''terrorist'' that they are attempting to try for murder has already made them a veritable laughing stock.
Its appalling that while this farce is being conducted at Guantanamo, the ISI General who wired $100,000, through the ''good offices'' of the man later imprisoned for the murder of Danny Pearl, to the alleged hijacker ringleader, Mohammed Atta, is still walking around scott free....On the morning of 9-11, this General was having breakfast in Washington with then-Representative Porter Goss and Senator Graham.
Porter Goss was part of an elite CIA assassination team and was later head of CIA....Now, who is the bigger fish...T-SHirt man and the five amigos, or the ISI General?
This is wrong..very wrong.
We need better Democrats.
If the telecommunications companies and Bush did nothing wrong, why are they pushing so hard to grant immunity? Why is Congress not protecting us instead of Bush & Friends?
We need to remove all from office and start over. Other wise the false king gets a new jewel added to his crown and once again Congress screws the people just like Bush.
"I think it''s fair to say there were interceptions of radio communications on a broad basis" prior to Sept. 11, said Missouri Sen. Kit Bond, the ranking Republican on the committee.
Exactly what electronic surveillance the Bush administration has conducted inside the United States is classified.
Bush administration officials could face criminal charges if they broke wiretapping and privacy laws, Rockefeller said.
"There is no immunity for government officials," Rockefeller said. "It is the administration who must be accountable for warrantless wiretapping."
Posted by drivelphobe at 02:04 PM : Feb 12, 2008
I want to hear who you plan to vote for. I want to hear what connections you have to politicians - what connections you have to other people who have connections to politicians.
You can do alot with private information about legal things.
It follows that he wants them to break the law.
What a disgrace.
Even the Germans had more courageous citizens than these swine.
Posted by drivelphobe at 02:04 PM : Feb 12, 2008
Do you leave your apartment or house unlocked too...
I bet you are in favor of a fence along our borders - what are you afraid of...
Do you leave your apartment or house unlocked too...
I bet you are in favor of a fence along our borders - what are you afraid of...
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Posted by IOWEIGN at 02:14 PM : Feb 12, 2008
*** are you talking about. Didn''t moron.org talking points cover this yet. It looks like you recycled the Petraeus is a traitor page.
It follows that he wants them to break the law.
What a disgrace.
Even the Germans had more courageous citizens than these swine.
Posted by CBS_Oliver at 02:11 PM : Feb 12, 2008
Immunity for incidents POST 911 - PRE 911 They are NOT off the hook. The hook just isn''t as BIG as it should be. Bush/Cheney still are not off that hook...
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Posted by mbcsmith at 02:17 PM : Feb 12, 2008
+ report abuse
Do you realize how STUPID your post sounds. Because YOU have no problem with this does not mean EVERYONE doesn''t. You bootlickers can''t respond in any other maner I guess. Sad! Very Sad! Sieg Heil Bush!
Posted by mbcsmith at 02:19 PM : Feb 12, 2008
Hey dipshit - Bush/Cheney aren''t off the hook yet - they are actually giving Bush/Cheney a little break - there is NO immunity for PRE 9/11 spying...
Posted by drivelphobe at 02:04 PM : Feb 12, 2008
Because it''s NONE of their business! It''s MY private rigth to talk to who I wish, when I wish and say what I wish to say. It''s called the Constitution you pathetic bootlicking nazi! Sieg Heil Bush!!!
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Posted by mbcsmith at 02:19 PM : Feb 12, 2008
+ report abuse
LOL And I''d suppose YOU are trying to IMPLY that the FASCIST would have done more or better? ROFLMAO Sick bootlickers shouldn''t even comment on issues involving freedoms, since they were never involved in creating them! Sieg Heil Bush
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Posted by mbcsmith at 02:22 PM : Feb 12, 2008
+ report abuse
What grade are you in? 6th? I''m serious I''ve never heard stupidity like this out of a grown adult before. YOU have to be either in the 6th grade or Junior High at best! ROFLMAO Now go play and let the adults discuss this...it''s very important and someday when you grow up you may appreciate it more! Sieg Heil Bush!
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Posted by mbcsmith at 02:17 PM : Feb 12, 2008
+ report abuse
Do you realize how STUPID your post sounds. Because YOU have no problem with this does not mean EVERYONE doesn''''t. You bootlickers can''''t respond in any other maner I guess. Sad! Very Sad! Sieg Heil Bush!
Posted by MCVet at 02:24 PM : Feb 12, 2008
Some still haven''t figured out why the 2006 Elections turned out the way they did...
The ones that did are retiring...
Michelle Michael
Seattle WA
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Posted by MCVet at 02:27 PM : Feb 12, 2008
The nazi party weighs in. Nice of you to take a break from fudgepacking all your little nazi friends to give us your worthless opinion. By the way, hitler was a ***.
The ones that did are retiring...
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Posted by IOWEIGN at 02:30 PM : Feb 12, 2008
Thank god you losers elected all these spineless LIBS. Bush continually makes them look like FOOLS!
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Posted by MCVet at 02:29 PM : Feb 12, 2008
LOL...LOL again. I''m laughing at YOU nazi breath.
The list of Shame
What a Party betrayal run them out of office.
Posted by mbcsmith at 02:32 PM : Feb 12, 2008
YaDa, YaDa
The same place with an approval rating about half of Bush''s.
The same place where all our leading candidates for president come from(senator Obama, senator McCain, senator Clinton).
Congress:
A SAFE HOUSE FOR CRIMINALS.
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Posted by mbcsmith at 02:35 PM : Feb 12, 2008
+ report abuse
LOL Yep and WE the PEOPLE have the real ability to "*** slap" now don''t we there swastika breath!! If you think 2006 was bad for you Nazi''s wait until you see what happens in 2008! LOL You can run over the elected representatives of WE the People but in the end YOU and all the rest have to face those same people. They WILL vote and in record Numbers. That is NEVER good for you fascist now is it? SIEG HEIL BUSH!!
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Posted by mbcsmith at 02:30 PM : Feb 12, 2008
+ report abuse
Real intelligent... I guess being a fascist does have it''s problems doesn''t it bootlicker? ROFLMAO Not to worry though... the day of judgement approaches and it approaches quickly!! SIEG HEIL BUSH!! Get that hood and sheet out sparky! Stand tall now and let EVERYONE know what you REALLY think about our system of Government. Ready! Sieg Heil Grand Wizard!! Good little Nazi! ROFLMAO
You are soooo g a y. worthless threats just like the LIBS you put in office. aren''t you embarassed by all this taking it in the poop by the LIBS,
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Posted by IOWEIGN at 02:37 PM : Feb 12, 2008
Is that your worthless LIB rallying cry.
wake up america...before the last 1/4 of america is sold to china,suadis,russia..
and china and russia are working together with iran..
nice job washington...
Posted by mbcsmith at 02:35 PM : Feb 12, 2008
You have the Coxsackie virus...
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Posted by IOWEIGN at 02:53 PM : Feb 12, 2008
LOL..I''m laughing at YOU LIB. We have spines on our side of the aisle.
LOL..LOL again. You LIBS crack me up. Bush knows he can bit*hslap those spineless LIBS around all day long.
Vote out more Republicans this year, and Americans get back to respecting U.S. law.
Ok, go and change out of those soggy trousers and wipe away the tears. You can cry and kick and scream all day, but you and those like you are solidly in the minority of the public.
None of your childish name calling will change the facts:
Bush will be remembered as a total failure.
The Iraq war was and will continue to be a debacle.
Fringe extremists are being rejected by the voting public.
So, clutch your copy of The Turner Diaries and the latest Anne Coulter drek close to your empty chest. Crawl back under your bed. Try not to pee yourself every time someone mentions "liberals," which you probably see everywhere plotting against you.
The rest of us will go on and try to repair the damage done to our Constitution over the last few years.
LOL..LOL again. You LIBS crack me up. Bush knows he can bit*hslap those spineless LIBS around all day long.
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Posted by mbcsmith at 02:57 PM : Feb 12, 2008
+ report abuse
APPEARS YOU ARE CORRECT and we never agree, MO could you get rid of McCaskill in four years please or a recall now please
Hey rubberdick. Bush has been bit*hslapping the LIBS in congress around for about 15 months now. What else did they promise you for your vote. LOSER!
Vote out more Republicans this year, and Americans get back to respecting U.S. law.
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Posted by newz4i at 03:02 PM : Feb 12, 2008
Your LIB congressman are doing a fine job. Bush whistles and they come running.
+ report abuse
All true but this is a major betrayal Dems are chewing both legs off now they only group at this stage not enraged at the Party are the Black Community or at least I dont believe they are.
Hopefully the Progressive Liberal Move On Sect could do something more productive and spend their money unending these traitors%u2026%u2026or do you have to be a republican to get their attention.
the other fellow is right Bush ************* them good..
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Posted by j-whitman at 03:11 PM : Feb 12, 2008
no hate, just a good laugh at you and those of your ilk. Vote LIB, vote spineless flip-floppers.
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