June 19, 2008 12:20 PM
HOUSE passes new Steny Hoyer/FISA bill
(h/t Heather)
The vote just went down. As expected, the House passed the disgraceful Steny Hoyer led capitulation bill passed 293-129 I believe...It now goes to the Senate to debate next week.
What this bill means to the Telecoms: The lawsuits they face could be dismissed by a court if the Telecoms proved that they had received directives from the administration that said warrantless wiretapping was legal. They already have that evidence so basically they have been give immunity against all lawsuits with this bill.
Please keep donating to our Blue America FISA page. We will not sit back idly...We've raised another 30K since last night.
we have to take these people down this fall.
if they voted for this they are done!!
marko @ 1:
Right. Even if it means voting Repuke to get rid of bad DINO's such as Reid, Pelosi, Hoyer and Emanuel. I'd rather have a slimmer lead in Congress then have the Dem's who voted for Cheney/Bush immunity bill
Pelosi voted for it.
I am absolutely convinced that she is a stealth republican.
She needs to be removed from office.
Whores...I'm beginning to think that the only satisfactory option is to 'get the hell out of this 'effin' country' for keeps.
I listened to C-Span call in comments...they were 9-1 disgeusted with the Democrats and Democratic leadership.
Do these assholes in Washington WANT a god damn revolution? WTF?!?!?!
Its gotta make ya wonder - if the democrats are this willing to rollover and let Bush have this what does Bush have on them? What is going on that they are so willing to give up their seats this year?
Why don't we just stop calling them Democrats and Republicans and rename this faction of voters the Corporate Party. God help us with Democratic leaders like Pelosi and Reid. We are doomed!!!! I like the first comment except one thing, the American voter is smart or educated enough on the issues to vote smartly. The illiteracy of the voters will continue to keep America in the hands of the spineless and now we can lawless Democrats, along with the Nazi like Republican party. America as we knew it is gone. The Constitution no longer matters. We have officially moved to a plutocracy with this vote today.
Dan-in-PA @ 5:
That is the only thing that will fix this country. Wake up! Democrats = Republicans and vice versa!
The elite control both parties. We need peaceful demonstrations. If that doesn't work...let the revolution begin!
Where was Obama in all of this?
It appears that this allows companies like Blackwater to - under contract (implicit request by the president) - to perform espionage on US citizens.
Yet more proof that the Democrats are owned by the GOP and only do their bidding.
Pelosi and Hoyer are anti-American totalitarian fascists. Let's look at the roll call vote, as that will clearly identify the Democrats that are controlled by the Republicans.
Bush today has the lowest approval of every president in history, why on earth would the Dem leadership do this? Because they are really Republicans.
I am going to find out how my rep voted to see if he's a closeted Republican.
The sound of goose steps just keeps getting louder.
CruzBustamove @ 9:
This was a bill in the house. O'Bama is a senator. He will get his chance next week when the bill is considered by the senate.
I kicked in $50 through the link at Glenn's site.
CruzBustamove @ 9:
He's a senator.
This was a House vote.
Ask next week.
So who is opposing Hoyer, this year? If the Rethugs were smart, they'd put up a moderate with strong community roots, who could work out a good PR campaign pointing to Hoyer being in the hip pocket of the telecoms.
CruzBustamove @ 9:
He's in the Senate not the House.
So what kind of dirt does the White House have on Steny Hoyer and Nancy Pelosi? If they weren't guilty of something, then they would have never supported a bill that violates the 4th Amendment to the Constitution.
Is Cindy Sheehan still running in Pelosi's district? If she is, then send her money, help her get the votes. Pelosi has to go and so does traitor Steny Hoyer. They are just as bad as the Republicans and the boy Bush and his Chimpletons.
I thought it was interesting that even the C-Span republican callers (excepting one) were outraged by this BS. I've been hoping this vote would finally end the media blackout, but the only blurb has been that the House passed a "bipartisan" bill with only minor dissent.
Well done, congress! You've sold your soul and ours!
Now I have to buy a paper tomorrow to see if my letter to the editor makes it in.
ex-post facto laws are against the constitution.
It should be argued on those grounds!
Where is Obama on all of this? As the titular head of the party, he could have, if not prevented, then at least held up the vote.
pissed off patricia @ 17:
so what was his vote yesterday?
Boo Who? @ 21:
he and his campaign are being compromised as we speak.
anon @ 13:
OBAMA is the leader of the democratic party and is running on a platform of ending the "business as usual" in washington.
this is the ultimate in ppolitical bullshit and constitution breaking we have yet to witness.
any statement he made condemning this bill would in effect PROVE he is true and believable.
"crickets"
Here is how I am going to handle this travesty:
(1) I will be at my Town Hall when they open Monday morning to change my lifelong membership in the Democratic Party to Independent;
(2) I will put all emails from Howard Dean and the Democratic Party on my blocked sender's list;
(3) I will call Barack Obama's office (again), this time to tell him that I am taking his yard sign to the dump and his bumper sticker off my car, and he can forget about future contributions from me;
(4) I will call Chris Dodd (202-224-2823) to find out if he is willing (as he said he was before), to fillibuster this bill into dust.
(5) I will give another $50 to the ActBlue cause each paycheck until the election.
I hope all you moaners out there will DO something instead of just whining.
Lovely, they tear up the Bill of Rights for the bleedin' phone company!! What's next, a curfew on behalf of the freakin' dry cleaner? Perhaps martial law on behalf of the local grocers fershitesake?? Welcome to George and Nancy's Cash and Carry Government. Well, this is incentive for me to get off my butt and get a passport. It's not noon in AZ yet; too early to start drinking....
marko @ 24:
NANCY PELOSI could have stopped this bill dead in its tracks. She didn't need Obama.
If you want to bitch, I suggest you get on the phone and ream HER out.
People fought and died for the Constitution including the 4th Amendment. What is the price for someone like Hoyer who would spit on the graves of those who fought for the Constitution?
Speaking of Obama, you may not like this.
Sorry, I KNOW he's a senator! But his silence on the issue has been deafening. And as the de facto head of the Democratic Party, doesn't he have any influence over the so-called house "leadership"???
Where was Obama in all of this?
He’s in the Senate not the House.
Yeah, but if he'd come out strongly against this bill, delineating the myriad reasons it's just wrong, he might have prevented its even coming before the Senate, stopping it in its tracks. His actions could have precipitated the public outrage necessary, instead of leaving it to the talking heads to ignore or misrepresent what was truly happening.
Gotugye @ 28:
a few thousand and a free lunch.
Time for everyone to pitch in and give to Cindy Sheehans campaign. She is challenging bend over for Bush Pelozi. I will not give the Democratic party one more dime, but I will send people like Cindy who are challenging the rubber stamp Democrats to get them out of office. You all know who they are.
can someone explain to me why we are angry only at holy joe??
before our eyes, the dems in congress, who campaigned against this very bill....all became repugs
these people make me sick
I want to make a vocal type greeting card to send to Whoryer & Peloosi that looks all nice and pretty on the outside but when you open it, it says FUCK YOU TOO!
BaScOmBe against Bitter Elitist Appeasement Bullshit @ 29:
Solid record of "not voting".
When do you realize that this is a pattern?
The Democratic party first puts on a good show to impress its left wing base, and then quietly votes against it.
They have done this for years with war funding bills and now they are doing it with telephone company immunity.
They are TELLING you that they are willing to present a very public dog and pony show to get your support, but in truth they don't buy into what you want any more than Republicans do.
Why do they do this? Is it out of fear that defunding a war in progress, or making it hard for telephone companies to help in surveilling terrorist suspects, will lose them so many votes that they can't afford to follow through? Quite possibly so. But whatever the reason, this is what they are doing.
And as long as your reaction is to spit out angry denunciations, but then grit your teeth and vote for them anyway, you can bet your bottom dollar that they'll do it again.
Cats r Flyfishn @ 18:
No, she is a Republican, she's always bee a Republican, her voting record bears that out. The GOP has no need to blackmail the Dem leadership, as they've been solidly Republicans since they refused to hold Acting-President Reagan accountable for his many war crimes.
oh, and i warned all of you about pelossi
i knew that when the dems got power, she should not have gotten the speaker's position
she is weak, and should be home reading to her grandkids...not on the house floor
BaScOmBe against Bitter Elitist Appeasement Bullshit @ 20:
Ex post facto prohibition means not prosecuting a person for an act committed before it was made illegal.
Here we have the reverse. The criminals have rewritten the law to make the crimes they committed non-crimes.
It is entirely against the public interest.
The criminals dream has come true.
OK so could someone please link or list the yea's and ney's on who abd how they voted
Total capitulation!!!! AAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!! $#@&^*&^(! and f(*()#*_)_)(@@@@@ 4#@!(I*($#@! *($)#_*(*)_@!(*(#*@!()_
BaScOmBe against Bitter Elitist Appeasement Bullshit @ 29:
Yes, yes, anyone that's been paying attention knows that both Clinton and Obama are also closeted Republicans, as is one of my senators, Leahy. He ALWAYS votes with for GOP for the votes that count, like cloture, but does vote with the Dems ONLY when he knows they will lose it.
Obama is a Republican. There are NO Democrats running for President in 2008.
Ken @ 41:
YES! I want to know if the monkeys from Arkansas voted for this (I'm guessing they did).
Ken @ 41:
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll437.xml
harley @ 36:
solid record of campaigning
karl @ 46:
Endless campaign - hmm where did I hear that before?
"Not voting" = no real position.
Progressive members of the Democratic Party repeatedly play Charlie Brown to the party leadership's Lucy, in the old "I'll hold the football while you kick it" game.
Ok, obviously the Dems could give two shits about us and the Republicans are as crooked as they come.
So, Ron Paul just got my vote. Sorry Democrats, you just fucked up real bad you spineless mother fuckers. And if that splits the Democrat vote and gives McCain the election... So be it. At least the country will go down the toilet faster. But I will not freaking continue to reward COWARDLY TRAITORS like the freaking Democrats. Sorry Obama, your party just fucked you over.
Even Dutch Ruppersberger, my own Rep voted for this pile of crap. In fact the only Maryland representative that didn't vote for it, was the fucking Republican! Roscoe Bartlett!
The only hope on this now is to petition the Supreme Court, which you can only do if you can prove you've been wiretapped, which you can't since it's all classified. Given the margin by which they decided on whether or not people have habeas corpus rights in this country, they're unlikely to do anything at all.
GAAA! I'm so fucking furious right now I could spit!
I've always been Independent; and I've only voted for the Dems when I thought they could keep Bush at bay; but it seems that it's not really Bush who's the problem; and I knew that in 2000; thus I have even less of a reason to feel guilty about picking Nader over either one of them.
Where can someone check to see if they Congressman supported this treachery?
harley @ 36:
Give me a break. Those are the most recent votes, mostly on procedural motions. You can bet he will be there next week. I don't understand how anyone could consider voting to enforce the law as a bad campaign strategy.
FUCK NANCY PELOSI AND STENY HOYER. I'm busting my ass to get Democrats elected and this is what they do for me? We need some senators with half a brain in their heads to sort this out.
This is a sad day for this country! Why are the Dems so spineless? Bush only has religious zealots and right-wing nut-balls (and the MSM) supporting him! The average American woke up to this night-mare in 2006(to bad they didn't in 2004). I am seriously thinking of moving abroad. I don' trust the MSM, politicains or anybody. Just watchind Abram's last night with that blow-hard right-wing radio host, I found myself more discouraged than ever before. What tools!
Leslie [Hussein] @ 42:
That's exactly how I feel. Well said.
Hoyer is the new Lieberman. The netroots must pull out all stops and make sure the bastard has a good primary challenger the next time he is up for reelection.
Also, every Democrat who voted for this bill should be primary-challenged, if we can pull it off.
Wake up! Democrats = Republicans and vice versa!
The philosphies of the two parties are quite different. It's the people in the party not what the party stands for. For whatever reasons or twisted logic, there are many in the Democratic party who have swing to the right and become Republicrats. We do not need these people in our party and everything must be done to have them defeated when they are up for reelection. If Obama wins, they party leaders certainly should be replaced. All of them.
A criminal cabal of politicians and compliant telecoms owners and execs, witness the awesome
powersleaze of the MSM.E in mD @ 49:
RP was a no show for the vote.
Raeffe @ 51:
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll437.xml
Raeffe @ 51:
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll437.xml
My Rep did vote against it, thank goodness!
Raeffe @ 51:
[GovTrack][Office of the Clerk]
Note: This is why we need the bill numbers C&L admins, so we can reference them easier. Pls kk thx bai.
We are the mushroom peoples, kept in the dark and fed shit.
Just a question, and this might sound really dumb, but why should I give $$ to defeat this bill? What will $750,000 be used for? How is that better than sending out emails and calling my congressmen and senator? Why should my $ not go to supporting congressmen directly in their campaigns?
Also, it's bs to be trashing Obama for non-votes, when he can't win either way. If he votes against an unpopular bill, it doesn't necessarily mean he'll win; so it serves no purpose. He does stand up to it when he thinks it doesn't matter, though. And that's definitely what makes him different. He could easily try to impress swing voters, but he chooses to speak out and make the rest of the herd look like the sheep they really are, which is why he beat Edwards and Hillary so well.
The real implications from this are so serious its almost unimaginable.
This is all the cover Bush needed.
I remember Watergate. At least it seemed like there was some kind of
overarching sense of right. This is just beyond belief.
You put those people in in '06 to start to fix this mess and they end up being Vichy ba$tard$.
Impeach Pelosi for Gods sake!!!
---- A Very Disappointed Canuck.
harley @ 47:
Many of these not voting events are for minor issues like cloture votes, Where Obama was likely out on the campaign trail and not in DC. When a major bill does come up he seems to be there to vote for it.
mudshark @ 58:
Yeah well.. I'd be voting against my own interests if I vote for that pinhead McCain and Obama's party no longer deserves to be in office seeing as how most of them are FUCKING TRAITORS to the Us Constitution.
So my only real option now is a throw away protest vote for Ron Paul. Hell I'll fucking vote for Mickey Mouse before I vote for Obama now and I plan to call him and tell him that very shortly.
I am voting for Cynthia McKinney, one of the few actual Democrats left.
She was run out of Congress by the Dem leadership for telling the truth instead of parroting GOP lies. Her seat was handed to another closeted Republican that calls himself a Dem.
russ carnahan voted against it yessss!!!!!
E in mD @ 67:
If you are going to vote in protest, there are more parties other than the GOP and the Dems you know?
It would be very stupid to use your protest vote to enable the GOP with another vote IMHO.
E in mD @ 67:
Why don't you wait and see how Obama votes next week?
I suggest taking a good look at just who voted and how, those Dem's who voted for this bill are not operating in the best interest of their community or state.
Here is the link to the vote: http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll437.xml
and if you don't know who your rep is, here is a link to the members page of congress
http://clerk.house.gov/legislative/legvotes.html- click on member information and you can look it up by state.
VOTE THE BUMS OUT!
Confirmed. My Rep. Pelosi voted for it. She's a traitor. I'm actively campaigning against her now. I just gave $250 to Blue America FISA page through this website. I truly hope the money is well spent.
Damn. The level of anger I'm feeling right now is not healthy.
Old Billy Hussein @ 52:
Give me a break?
He voted “present,” effectively sidestepping the issue, an option he invoked nearly 130 times as a state senator.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/20/us/politics/20obama.html
No pattern here.....nothing to see........move along........
Obama is a senator; email or call him and demand that he join Dodd in filibustering this bill. Come on Obama- show us a leader!!
My rep in Michigan John Dingell held fast and voted no, I wrote him, he said he would.
128 Democrats and 1 Republican [Johnson (IL)] voted NO.
105 Democrats and 188 Republicans voted YES.
This is an outrage.
It speaks for itself.
129 Patriots out of 435
dave @ 66:
Actually the cloture vote IS the real vote. When it's a guarantee that the Dems will lose the actual recorded vote, then the only way to discern which are the Real Dems from the closeted Republicans is to look at the cloture vote. My Senator, Pat Leahy, ALWAYS votes with the GOP to cut off debate, and then votes with the Dems, knowing he'll lose. Voting against cloture is the only way to stop defeat, so it's the Real vote that counts.
E in mD @ 67:
Yeah, well, Ron Paul didn't vote against this bill, [Deleted, Name calling serves no purpose. Site Monitor]
I just donated $5 (plus a 10% tip)! God bless me. ;) What encourages me is the amount of donations that racked up on the thermometer in the mere several minutes I spent on the ActBlue website. People are spirited about this.
The Senate vote earlier this year will be a strong indicator.
It was something like 69 - 31 as I recall.
The Senate is in the bag.
harley @ 74:
Okay, Harley, humor me. What issue did he sidestep? (I mean in the US Senate - not the Illinois Senate.)
mudshark @ 58:
Now, THAT is precious.
This was a vote in the House, and I note how many here are blaming Senator Obama for...whatever.
Ron Paul is no-show on this historic vote, and yet he gets your "protest" vote.
Whatever rationale or logic you're using isn't working.
F*cking Patrick Murphy voted for this bill, and I gave his sorry ass money last election.
I shall do everything I can to make this term my congressman's last.
R.I.P 4th Amendment.
A big Fuck You to any Democrat that voted for this.
Obama is the freaking nominee and makes him leader of the spineless dem party.
His silence is failed leadership along with half of the spineless dem House.
This is the unity you wanted so deal with it.
Before almost everyone gets all fired up about not voting for Obama, how about we wait and see what his opinion is of this vote today. It isn't fair to blister him over something the House did.
Just called Chris Dodd's office to find out if he would fillibuster this bill when it comes to the Senate next week (as he promised to do with the last one) and the lady told me that he has "not yet come out with a position on this bill", which sounds like "no" to me. Then it occurred to me: wonder if this recent Countrywide revelation (he got a better interest rate on his home mortgage than the average borrower) suddenly came out BECAUSE of his previously threatened fillibuster of the FISA capitulation....?
Ya think?
Anyway, call his office (and Feingold's) and urge them to fillibuster!
marko @ 24:
As I said, he will have his shot next week in the senate. I have no idea what he will do.
Further, I have no reason to believe that house democrats would have payed him any attention. Its Nancy that has her dick up the asses of the democrats in congress at the moment, not O'Bama.
Obama is an astute politician. He may be using the old ploy of letting everyone get all riled up and then coming out and saying
what we all want him to say!!! Like when an orater let's the crowd go nuts until they calm down then starts speaking slowly and
quietly then raises to a crescendo and the crowd really goes nuts!!
I hope he is waiting to make the right statement!
Comrade Rutherford @ 60:
Mine too!
E in mD @ 67:
If history tells us anything, it's that a vote for anyone other than Obama will effectively be a vote for McCain. So call it whatever you want, but you will be voting against your own interests.
dave @ 66:
Professional campaigner:
Time Period Number of Votes Missed Votes Percent
2007-Q2 112 20 17.9%
2007-Q3 119 67 56.3%
2007-Q4 85 76 89.4%
2008-Q1 85 31 36.5%
2008-Q2 60 51 85%
All is not lost. I am sure that these Telecoms violated numerous state laws as well. Congress does not have the authority, under Article 3 of the Constitution, to determine what cases state courts can and cannot hear. All this really means is that the Federal Courts cannot hear the cases. This may actually work to the detrement of the Telecoms. If a state court slams them; the telecoms have lost their ability to appeal to Federal Courts. I really think the next tactic is to research what state laws have been violated and go from there. I know that the Federal Government likes to apply the Interstate Commerce to the Telecoms; however, now that it has been removed from the Federal Courts that option is off the table for the Federal Courts. The state courts really do have the final say-so in this now.
I'm mad as hell at the Democrats right now, but lets not forget, there was one single Republican Rep. who voted against this bill out of 199. I admire their organization, but damn, talk about lock-step.
Man, I just saw Brian Baird voted for this abomination. This sucks.
This all just makes me sad. Voting in America has become like gambling in Vegas - no matter what you play, you're going to lose because the house always wins. You can go to a third-party candidate, or register a protest vote, but it won't matter because one of the two 'house' parties is going to win. Sorry to sound defeatest, but I just don't know anymore...
In all seriousness, I think it might be time We the People start thinking about other solutions...
Lollimom @ 27:
Nancy's phone's have been busy all day. She's jammed.
An interesting point of view on this will be, if passed by the senate and the bill becomes law, the evidence that the telecoms provide showing that the administration provided legal guarantees could be used as evidence in treason hearings vs. all members of the GWB Administration that had any capacity in making decisions in regards to illegal eavesdropping.
An interesting point was made by "BaScOmBe against Bitter Elitist Appeasement Bullshit" @ 20 is Ex-post facto laws are against the constitution. Contact your Senators now to make sure that they don't allow this to the floor based on these reasons. Begin contacting the US AG office as well as your State AG to begin treason investigations into all the supported the FISA Bill.
I am not only going to support ACT BLUE, I am going to ask them to help rid the nation of Brian Baird. Anyone from Washington State 3rd District who is liberal please come forward and apply. There is a seat waiting to fill.
sometimes you wonder what really is going on.......
Washington Post oct.13,2007
former Qwest executive joseph nacchio said in court papers,"the NSA approached Qwest more than six months before the sept.11,2001,..attacks"
Qwest is one telecommunication company who reportedly refused to cooperate with NSA on grounds they believed doing so would have been illegal.
Uncle Joe Mccarthy @ 34:
Holy Joe has given hope to Democrats. If their party doesn't like them, they can just create an independent party and win as a Democrat anyway. Then they retain their senority and heading all the committees as Democrats. No accountability. Holy Joe set the precendence. He made it look so easy. And it was.
Zoebry1952 @ 31:
Obama is Neo. He has the code to the Matrix. He can change the rules.
Old Billy Hussein @ 81:
Measure Title: An original bill to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978, to modernize and streamline the provisions of that Act, and for other purposes.
Not Voting
Obama (D-IL)
Comrade Rutherford @ 77:
OKAY, COMRADE - WHERE DO WE GET A LIST OF THE CLOTURE VOTES?
ALL those in the house who voted for this bill
are ENEMY COMBATTANTS of the United States.
pelosi is a gop reichwingneocon WHORE.
FUCK all of the democrats that voted for this illegal bill
that gives criminals the right to violate the Constitution.
karl @ 99:
We all know what happened to Nacchio after he refused cooperation. His life fell apart.
Cats r Flyfishn @ 18:
At the time, the obvious choice for majority leader was not Hoyer - he was a bit of a surprise. The odds on favorite was Murtha. Remember Murtha? He want to ream the Bush administration and would have. Instead, the democrats got Hoyer. This is a patter the republicans have followed for years. If you cant win, interfere with the other party and influence choices to your advantage. Remember Lieberman? My congresswoman - Giffords - came out of nowhere, the daughter of a rich business man and in line with Lieberman politically - over a brilliant and progressive and extremely well known public figure. (There was a lot of whispering over republican funding in that primary)
Democrats have Pelossi, Hoyer, Reid - any of these people have a single thing in common with Dean or any of the democratic candidates for president? Am I to believe that they are the uninfluenced choice of the democratic party? I dont buy it.
Lollimom @ 3:
=======================================
I said she was a crook a long time ago and everyone said she just needs time to make things right.
Well kiddies look what time has brought you.
I am no longer a Democrat. I will vote for Obama because I have no other choice but I will not vote for a House Democrat
Pawn @ 97:
Yes, this is an interesting angle.
Randi Rhodes, yesterday, also said that it will be interesting how the telecoms can prove that Bush gave them permission BEFORE 9/11 occurred, because this spying thing was happening before 9/11.
I like pie @ 94:
I hope you are right. I don't know the legal precedent, but I would love for the next Spitzer wanna-be (think hedge-fund Spitzer, not super-hooker Spitzer) to turn the screws on AT&T and Verizon.
karl @ 99:
Qwest is a pretty crooked company. They got slammed in Oregon a few years back for defrauding their customers. They had to pay every customer in Oregon about $200. You know it is bad when a crooked company like Qwest thinks that something is so bad that they don't want to touch it with a 10 foot pole.
Mickxotic @ 26:
It's Noon somewhere:)
{ Deleted, Please don't post in all Caps or in all Bold lettering. It's Yelling. Site Monitor]
seagull.girl @ 91:
Ellison voted nay as well, a noteworth yea is Pelosi
Let's call this what it is APPEASEMENT - if the Republicans (and Blue Dog Dems) want to throw that word around let's make sure it hits them smack in the face!
did mcBlame vote on the webb's g.i. bill provision? i thought that the pow vet didn't vote on that bill because bush told him not to...
pissed off patricia @ 87:
Okay POP, that makes more sense...can I still drink myself into a stupor? I wanna see what it's like to be Nancy Pelosi...
harley @ 102:
No creative, all knowing, putdown comeback? I'm shocked. LMAO.
Yellowbird @ 98:
http://www.cristforcongress.us/
Lollimom @ 109:
I believe it was Turley that said that all that was required was a statement from the attorney general that an action was requested.
Exotic Blue Lensman @ 92:
A vote for Ron Paul!? You're in the ozone man.
I support real progressives, not stone age libertarians.
My hope is that Nader is in the debates so that there is a real bright light shining on the Corporate dominance, I should say Corporate ownership of this government.
Obama is going to swing to the right, Nader will keep the pressure on.
After the election I may say who I voted for. Before then I'll keep the pressure on from the left.
I will be very interested in how Obama deals with this FISA travesty, this miscarriage of justice that the Blue Dogs have foisted upon us.
I have faxed his office urging him to speak out.
A dark day for the ideals of this country--remove Pelosi and Hoyer from their House offices.
How about these. Can we send these guys a copy of The Constitution and the existing FISA law?
I like pie @ 111:
that's a good point all telecoms are crooked they've been exposed many times over the years...a lot of lobbying from k-street,subsides...and they collect taxes from the public..they had a lot of power in this ruling
Out of 422 Congress-persons only 127 of them can be trusted to uphold the Constitution to protect the rights of Americans. This is a sorry state of affairs.
harley @ 102:
That vote was on Super Tuesday and passed 68-29, you troll. Obama is an outstanding candidate. What's your plan? Ron Paul? Ralph Nader? Maybe you could dig up Shirley Chisholm and vote for her.
anon @ 120:
So in addition to the GWB administration, all parties at the DOJ involved in providing the statements of legality to the telecoms, should also be investigated for treason.
To all those saying that contacting your Rep. does no good:
I spent most of yesterday posting contact info for Pelosi, Hoyer and the rest of the vermin. I also reiterated my feelings to my Republican congressman, Tim Johnson, seeing it as a futlile effort.
He was the lone dissenting "nay" vote on the republican side.
To all those who feel that they are wasting their time by raising a ruckus, who's ranks must be growing after today, this should be a sign that there is hope and never to give up.
I had to redact my letter to the editor, after assuming that my rep wasn't the only nay vote. I hope those of you who weren't represented will write letters of outrage. Probably the only way anyone will hear of this travesty.
E in mD @ 49:
Ron Paul didn't even bother to vote. Better pick another candidate.
I keep saying the same thing over and over, but let me try one more time.
"The Democratic Party is currently infested with DINO's".
Until we get rid of these Blue Dog currs there is no opposition party.
US CONSTITUTION - R.I.P.
Do you want to say President McCain for four years? Then the best thing you can do to avoid that is to vote for Senator Obama. It's just that simple.
Maybe all the lawsuits filed because of illegal surveillance should be dropped and refiled after January 20th.
harley @ 74:
130 times in 8 years....get a fucking life
if i want to listen to el rushbo dribble, ill turn him on
back to redstate with you
Pawn @ 127:
I absolutely agree with you. What they will do however, is provide a non-specific statement claiming national defense as a reason for withholding specific (incriminating) details.
But, yes. Get them all - including the 'democrats'.
George Bush's Third Term
Defeat McSame 08.
harley @ 118:
Obama voted NO on the Telecom Immunity provision. The vote for the bill was identical to the vote against immunity.
In Parliamentary procedure you know the cause is lost when the critical amendment fails.
Obama cast the critical vote and ducked on the main vote. He was having it both ways in a sense but he was there for the important one. I don't fault him for that.
Clinton wasn't there for either vote.
dada @ 71:
So Obama votes No and everyone else votes Yes then they all go to lunch together and toast Mission Acomplished!
It needs to be said one more time:
NANCY EFFING PELOSI VOTED YEA FOR TELECOM IMMUNITY.
She is an embarrassment. Even my Republican rep Timothy Johnson (IL) voted against this bill. What the hell is wrong with Pelosi?
Think of the message this sends to companies like Qwest. They refused to break the law and the dictator punishes them by taking away government contracts, which go to their competitors, putting a major financial hurt on Qwest. Now their law-breaking competitors get off scott-free.
Again, Qwest refuses to break the law and gets punished. at&t and verizon break the law and get rewarded.
I guess it's part of Hoyer's and Pelosi's two-tier justice system. If you're a rich bastard like they are, you'll be let off the hook (pun intended).
How many companies will do the right thing when we allow douchebag democrats and fascist republicans do this to them? I'm donating to this ActBlue campaign, even though I can barely afford to right now. It's time these jackasses are held accountable. It's time to stop bitching and start acting!
Anyone else here that has verizon, at&t, sprint, or comcast phone service, I encourage you to dump them if at all possible. If you can't, get them to lower your bill. Get on a customer-loyalty plan so you can pay them less. (You have to ask for these specifically). Drop extra stuff that you don't need. Better yet, dump them altogether, and get Qwest VOIP. Or if you're in Qwest's local service territory, go to a pre-paid plan for your cell and get Qwest local and long distance service instead. at&t and verizon branded pre-pay cell phone plans are a rip-off but other companies buy wholesale minutes and will give you a much better deal. You can probably keep the cell phone you have. See this website for the best information I've found on pre-pay plans.
http://www.cellguru.net/prepaid_compare.htm
Every dollar you don't give them is one less dollar they can spend lobbying to erase the 4th amendment and abolish our Constitution.
I intend to personally and publicly thank Charles Grassley for his role in setting up this two-tier system of justice. I encourage you to do the same for your "representatives" in congress.
I'm as pissed about this vote today as anyone else, I just don't see the sense in flinging shit on Senator Obama. Aim your anger at the members of the House who voted for this disgrace, that's where it truly belongs.
CruzBustamove @ 9:
I called his office today. He is going to release a statement tomorrow! Big f-in' deal. If Mitch the son of a bitch McConnell can kill any legislation he wants, the next president should be able to also! If this goes through, I will vote straight green in November, and urge everyone I know to do the same.
These fucking corrupt morons in the democratic leadership don't get it! Both they and the repukes are on their way to being replaced by a third party. If they think the people are going to settle for repuke corporate-lite instead of real change, they are sadly mistaken.
Call the DNC (202-863-8000) as I just did and tell them to take your name off their mailing list. Fuck these guys. Nancy Pelosi would do the country a favor if she got another face lift and started dishing up grits in some off the beaten path diner.
casper46 @ 129:
Like who? Ralph Nader? Al Gore ( who might sorta kinda maybe some time throw his hat in the ring ), Bob Barr?
Ron Paul stands for the Constitution something that obviously the Democrats and Republicans in general DO NOT DO. Missing one vote does not make him a bad candidate. In fact if you want to use that argument, Clinton, Obama AND McCain should all be disqualified because since they've all been running for office they're all showing up for about a third of the votes that go on.
crumanjm @ 132:
Only if a different President pushes to repeal any damaging laws that are enacted between now and then. One thing Obama is not doing is giving solid support to puruing political criminals. If Nancy gets back in office and is still Speaker, we don't even know what she is going to commit to.
The list of traitors, via Roll Call.
I like pie @ 111:
I used to say "Qwest sucks" at any mention of the company. Before Qwest bought the baby bell USWEST, I used to call them USWORST. However, they really started improving when Dick Notebaert took over as CEO. Notebaert was the guy who completely cut off talks with Bush over the spying program, telling Bush's minions emphatically that Qwest would not hand over private customer information without a court order. Notebaert was the guy who focused the company on improving customer service, establishing the "Spirit of Service" campaign. They're not perfect by any means, but I think the company is a lot better than it used to be. I hope they keep improving.
Here is what I wrote to Obama, and i encourage everyone to do the same:
Senator Obama: As you may well know by now, Congress has given the telecoms immunity from prosecution for their illegal spying activities on us Americans. We elected a Congress in 2006 to stop this madness, and it is painfully obvious they value special interests over the Constitution. I shudder to think what the Founding Fathers would say and do if they were here to witness such a travesty. Not to mention the countless American lives that have been lost fighting for our supposed freedoms, freedoms that have been systematically gutted by Bu$h and his handlers, with a spineless Congress henpecked and sidelined.
I call for you to make a principled stand and stop this bill in the Senate. Change, your mantra, starts here. To stand up to this blatant and sickening violation of our Constitution would most certainly only help in your efforts to become President. The question you have to ask yourself is this: What kind of country do you want to govern? A banana republic, borderline fascist, or a democratic republic?
Sincerely,
Pete Landfield
anon @ 106:
The only problem with this is that Murtha voted "Yea," right along with Pelosi and Hoyer.
pissed off patricia @ 131:
I'm all for it now. Gas will be $10 a gallon. We'll invade Iran. The people will be completely stripped of their rights to privacy, property ownership. The SCOTUS ruling will be overturned and people can again be jailed without charges or a court order indefinitely. Global warming will get worse. Energy and food prices will go through the roof.
And you know what? The people will eventually revolt and with McCain in the white house it'll happen sooner rather than later. This kinda BS is precisely why we formed this nation in the first place. Anybody ever read the Declaration of Independence? Check out the Indictment section. You'll see everything you're seeing now as the reasons why we stopped being a province of England and started being our own country.
The entirety of Congress should be impeached and removed from office for aiding and abetting the Bush administration. Hell Rockefeller tried to push this stupid bill stating that "If you want to blame someone blame the leadership". Well you know what? I do. I blame Nancy Pelosi for the arrogance of taking Impeachment off the table, as if it 's somehow her right to ignore the Constitution. I blame Steney Hoyer for being a freaking Bush cheerleader.
and Yes I blame Obama too, since he's basically the golden child of the Democrats now him coming out strongly against this bill and using some of his power and influence to slap some of his stupid buddies upside their over stuffed heads might have made a difference.
Andre M. Barclay @ 142:
I can't wait to see the Pelosi apologists come in and say, "But Pelosi's a progressive. Sure she's selling you out and pissing on the Bill Of Rights, but cut her rich pampered ass some slack!"
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