“Major victory” for White House

WASHINGTON — After more than a year of heated political wrangling, the Senate handed the White House a major victory Tuesday by voting to broaden the government’s spy powers after giving legal protection to phone companies that cooperated in President Bush’s warrantless eavesdropping program

The Senate rejected a series of amendments that would have restricted the government’s surveillance powers and eliminated immunity for the phone carriers, and it voted in convincing fashion — 69 to 29 — to end debate and bring the issue to a final vote. That vote on the overall billwas an almost identical 68 to 29. …

“This, I believe, is the right way to go for the security of the nation,” said Senator John D. Rockefeller IV, the West Virginia Democrat who leads the intelligence committee and who was a pivotal supporter of the White House-backed plan approved Tuesday.

Beyond the immunity provision, the Senate measure would also widen the executive branch’s surveillance powers by allowing the National Security Agency and intelligence agencies to use broad orders — without getting court orders in advance — to eavesdrop on groups of overseas targets, rather than using individualized warrants.

New York Times

This is so bad – if you all only just knew. The used warrantless taps under the War on Drugs – and lovely little Ms HiLIARy and Uncle Bill used them saying that the War Measures Act applied.

All the judges rolled over and let them happen – no action was taken at all.

That was 1994 – think how far America has come.

It’s truly pathetic, but this is why HiLIARy voted the way she did – she LOVES warrantless wiretaps. Then they can bribe your neightbors to lie and say they found out on your telephone.

You guys, this isn’t about paper – this is about the real picture which is DREADFUL, trust me. I am not the “only one” who knows but most of us are not in the US to tell you about it. Duh.

This was the Tipping Point. This is the Dividing Issue. Seriously.

Learn about impeachment, how to get arrest warrants or just succumb. HiLIARy is not better than the rest of them, I assure you.

Barring a full scale revolution (which Americans are too lazy to do) the only other way to teach these b**tards a lesson is to vote republican in the fall.

If you think after this vote it could actually be any worse than what has been happening you’re a fool. As has already been said above “the difference between the two parties is what?”

We’re not done yet. FireDogLake has a petition to pressure the House to stand firm behind the RESTORE act.

how would a “yes” give obama ammo? i would think it would be
a great show of unity…

her absence is a big disappointment… at the least…
…

i think rjf7r @ 1:43 pm may have gotten it as far as “first on the list” of the many reasons the dems cave:

“Remember Wellstone”

Comment by Jeremy in Denver — February 12, 2008 @ 12:45 pm

Good for you! I Just called Specter’s office expressing my extreme disapointment in his vote and told his aide, “I hope he’s planning on retiring this year!”

Comment by RUCerious — February 12, 2008 @ 12:23 pm

True but isn’t Claire McKatkill part of his Campaign? What the Phuck is wrong with her?

This is the saddest day I can recall in my lifetime of political involvement. Every democrat that oppossed this needs to go. I hang my head in shame…

Bayh is considered to be a leading candidate for the Vice Presidential spot in 2008, due to his centrist image, his deep roots in the Midwest and wide experience, especially after he endorsed Sen. Hillary Clinton for the presidency.

Comment by justasking — February 12, 2008 @ 2:17 pm

Because Ms Clinton doesn’t have enough going against her , she needs to compound it with Bayh as her running mate ?

http://www.opednews.com/maxwrite/diarypage.php?did=6076

They can’t do anything because COG plans are in place. Can’t verify this, of coure, because it’s all a secret.

The Dodd/Feingold Amendment 3907 to strip retroactive immunity from the underlying SSCI bill just failed, 31-67. 51 votes were needed to pass.

Voting with the Republicans were the following eighteen Democrats (again, rough count):

Bayh, Inouye, Johnson, Landrieu, McCaskill, Ben Nelson, Bill Nelson, Stabenow, Feinstein, Kohl, Pryor, Rockefeller, Salazar, Carper, Mikulski, Conrad, Webb, and Lincoln. Joe Lieberman also voted against stripping retroactive immunity.