Feingold & Dodd Amendment fails on FISA
By John Amato Tuesday Jul 08, 2008 11:45amTheir amendment went down. I believe the final vote was 32-66...
Specter's was rejected too.
Here's some voting information. It's just coming out now.
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UPDATE: (Logan) The only two Senators not to vote on FISA today? One with a brain tumor and McCain. Priorities.
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Just wondering why spying on Americans is a partisan issue. What's so conservative about that? Obama voted yea, but too many people have some 'splainin to do.
I’m disillusioned, disheartened and ashamed of Barack Obama’s stance on this FISA bill. That he is compromising principle in order to pass uncessary legislation that gives telecoms immunity for possible crimes is unconscionable to me. What in the world is he thinking? Why would a Constitutional law professor support immunity for possible violations of Constitutional law? His explanation for supporting this cover-up enabling bill makes my stomach turn. The current FISA law is still in effect. Any modifications needed can be made without including telecom immunity or when Obama is the president. The claim that our security is threatened if this bill isn't passed now is absolute BS!
Gas Pump Blogging:
http://freewayblogger.blogspot.com/2008/07/gas-pump-blogging.html
(Warning, this one's a bit graphic)
osage @ 2:
Details and nuance don't make news (with the exception of CSPAN).
I don't get it. Why would Webb and Feinstein vote against this? IT makes no sense.
WTF is going on?! Our country is in some serious trouble.
B
Here is Glenn Greenwald on the Bingaman which has failed 42-56.
Take what little victories you can as they come.
Harry Reid's statement that the warrantless wiretapping program was illegal, along with the ruling of Judge Vaughn Walker described here leave little room for anything but the understanding that George Bush is felon.
The Senate FISA vote and the amendments is all theater.
We have a criminal government.
Who is surprised?
The USA is a one party state with two labels just to fool the sheep. Get used to it or form new parties, but gawd, please stop whining about why your beloved Dems and Obama keep selling you out. You were sold out since birth.
Doesn't matter who gets elected. We're all going to die at the hands of the next president. :(
Alice X (Chomsky Nader) @ 5:
Yup, and they voted he is above the law. They violated their oath and both parties should be disbanded.
IMPEACH CONGRESS
what was Obama's reasoning? Has he ever addressed it?
sorry to break in and be ot but this has to be seen to be believed.
Think about it... When Obama becomes president, the Neo-cons and Conservatives will be foaming at the mouth to reset the legislation so that the President couldn't spy on anyone he wants.
And if Obama, as president, advocates legislation that lifts immunity from the telecoms and does put the FISA court into the 21st century, then either way we'll win in the long run.
At least now, FOX News and the Republican Party can't say: "Obama doesn't want to protect America."
I'm just hugely disappointed that the Arkansas delegation voted nay on the Dodd Amendment. What a couple of wankers.
Breaking News:::
Cave in In Senate Chambers.
A Huge Sinkhole develops under the floor of the Senate, The entire Senate Caved in (probably by the added weight of Telco Money).
Along with most members of the Senate The American Rule of Law and a large part of the Constitution also slid into the giant hole.
There will be no services due to the large numbers of people watching NASCAR.
relax everybody, rieds just seeing the hand writeing on the wall, obama has allready said hes going to do nothing about the repigs stealing the national treasure, getting americans killed just so he can make jokes about it at the whitehouse news dinners, its going to be buisness as useual for the next four yrs! and that change you been promissed will be handed to you in nickle rolls!
Well if we can fight gun rights and abortion
lets take FISA to Supreme Court for violation of the constitution
What is with Webb and McCaskill that they vote down the Dodd Feingold and then turn around and vote yes for the Spectre republican one??? And is "Conrad" the one that is the friend of Obama who also voted no to Dodd but yes to the republcan one as well?
McCain (R-AZ), Not Voting
McCain (R-AZ), Not Voting
McCain (R-AZ), Not Voting
It appears that McCain is AWOL on these votes as well. He's even lazier than Fred Thompson was. Or he just doesn't think his present job is very important.
Get your John McCain NOPE T-Shirts & Stickers today!
SWAMPFOX = TYREE?
[Deleted. Off topic. Please take it to an Open Thread. Thank you. Site Monitor]
The "Pay Off" is in and the sheeple "Rubber Stamp" voting in full mod . . . this is our Congress today. I am so totally disillusioned. The few truly good Senators who have worked so hard to educate the rest of Congress in order to protect our Constitution are to be commended .
To the rest, there are no words I can use here to show my pure disgust.
i think obama failed to demonstrate any leadership on the FISA issue, and has hurt his main campaign theme--a different kind of politics--by failing to stand up for what he knows is an affront to the fourth amendment.
the obama campaign shouldn't have tried to "play" this issue, or try to triangulate, or hedge. they should have done what they knew was right and refused to budge. george lakoff has done some writing on how this is not only the right thing to do but also the smart thing.
it is a very sad day.
Dr. Acula @ 18:
dr acla batman?
sorry acula!typo
I think I'm having an Orwellian overdose right now.
This has shattered a lot of my hopes. Why are our Senators bending over backwards to undo any culpability Bush may have regarding these telecoms illegally spying on us? It's such a bad precedent to set!
Dr. Acula @ 18:
Shh!
He is under cover!
orangehairboy @ 24:
I have several theories. The reason's are not as important as the result. After they pass this bill today it will be time to repeal it.
Screw this $hit.
Where's Ron Paul?
xoites defends Constitution @ 25:
nah i could never be as good as tyree was at telling it like it is! heckys tyree could spot a phoney from two computers away
I see that both Obama and my sometimes Democratic Senator, Feinstein, voted FOR all three amendments. Maybe they knew all three were headed for defeat, so a "Yea" vote was meaningless, but it's nice that they at least went as far as they did.
My always Democratic Senator, Boxer, of course voted yea on all three.
America is D E A D. get used to it.
Scy @ 30:
No, sorry.
Anyone know where I can find a full disclosure of how much money Brownback & Roberts have taken from the telecom companies?
I spent most of my lunch yesterday arguing with some ass-clown in Senator Pat Roberts' office.
I called to express my distaste for Sen. Roberts pending vote to pardon the illegal activity of the major telecom corporations and the illegal request to do so by Governor George W. Bush.
He basically told me (repeatedly and with growing animosity) that I didn't understand what I was talking about and that Senator Roberts was not putting the interests of his corporate bank rollers ahead of the people of Kansas.
I challenged him several times to show me where I was wrong and his words were, "Just trust me, you don't understand the complexities of it."
Keep 'em in the dark and feed 'em shit, huh Mr. Roberts?
It ain't too complex, you tool.
You, sir, are a corporate whore.
The other spineless weasel from Kansas, Senator Brownback, didn't even direct his staff on how to address the issue with his constituents.
They are both traitors and cowards.
This really sucks. I wonder what our Founding fathers would think of the apathetic and weak syncophants that willingly compromise the rights that they fought so hard for. They'd probably go start somebody else's country rather than trust the imbeciles of today.
It is well past time to stop pandering to political ease and convenience and take the courageous and principled road by protecting our sacred constitutional liberties first and foremost. Good thing JFK did not write Profiles in Courage about our current elected officials, it would fit on the back of a stamp.
Jeff @ 29:
Feinstein didn't. Maybe she talked to her husband.
Sen. Smith from Oregon voted against all three amendments. His ass will be booted in November.
Jeff @ 29:
Sorry to tell you but I think Feinstein voted against the Dodd Feingold and Specter versions but yes for the Bingaman one if I am reading the vote tallies correctly.
Yohance @ 10:
He has addressed it. His only slightly redeeming point is that the new legislation establishes an office of the inspector general for FISA - or brings it under some other inspector general. Other than that its just bullshit, "we need to compromise; this bill is better than the Protect America Act; I oppose retroactive immunity at least; blah, blah, blah"
No, we don't need new legislators. We don't need a new party. We need a new government, from the ground up.
The folks on the right are celebrating their loss of freedom today.
Too bad, they are too stupid to realize all the great Americans who fought and died for our freedom, died in vain.
Disband both parties.
Good critique of Obama's stance (or lack thereof) on FISA here.
Any chance that Feingold or Dodd could filibuster this POS?
A slap in the face. A cold hard slap in the face to the American people. Let's see what blind immunity the fascist right (which is the official political values of the GOP now) comes up with next. I bet retroactive immunity from criminal prosecutions of Gitmo guards who tortured.
I really don't think I can Suport a candidate that would vote for FISA.
After all the money and time I have spent for Obama this is how he re-pays us?
WTF? Do I really have to vote Nader or am I missing something?
xoites defends Constitution @ 31:
Sad but true. It is. Civil liberties are dead, the country is run by corporations and we torture for fun. D E A D. Too late to fix it. Time to overthrow it all or move on.
getalife @ 39:
VERY well said.
Spineless, cowardly, bought and paid for, unAmerican, liars, power hungry, crooks, fascists...and that's just the Democrats who voted for this travesty.
Yes, I'm talking about YOU, Salazar.
I have officially fallen off the Obama band wagon. I will still vote for him in November as he is better than McCain but for all his talk of hope and change, and supporting this bill, it's clear he's just another politician. All I hope for now is for the electorate to continue waking up to the bullshit. This country needs an anema.
These are the traitor Democratic Senators that need to lose their seats:
Bayh
Carper
Conrad
Feinstein
Inouye
Johnson
Kohl
Landrieu
Lincoln
McCaskill
Mikulski
Nelson
Nelson
Pryor
Rockefeller
Salazar
Webb
Dr. Hussein Matt @ 48:
Agreed
honuman @ 47:
Just under a third of the Senate, including presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, supported an amendment proposed by Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., that would have stripped immunity from the bill. It was defeated on a 32-66 vote. Presumptive Republican nominee John McCain did not vote.
Specter proposed an amendment to require a district court judge to assess the legality of warrantless wiretapping before granting immunity. It failed on a 37-61 vote.
Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., proposed that immunity be delayed until after a yearlong government investigation into warrantless wiretapping is completed. His amendment failed on a vote of 42-56.
Both Clinton and Obama voted Yea on all three amendments as did the two Senators from Michigan.
This is a charade.
Here who tells it exactly like it is.
If even only one Senator really WANTED to stop this, there are ways, promise a filibuster at every turn. Promise a filibuster with every bill that comes up in the session.
The majority can then not even bring it to the floor.
This has just been for show.
I think I might have just realized why Dems are such lousey campaigners...Republiscam policies benefit the Rs alot while Dem policy tries to benefit most everybody a little. Until Dems respect their base and the "partisanship of plurality" ( I should trademark and copyright that BTW) they will forever be bought sold and traded by the Rs like the wimps they are.
Give me a Nader, a Paul or a Kucinich anyday over these phoney FISA voters
Redstate?! LOL. Laughable.
Proofread proofread proofread
Alice X (Chomsky Nader) @ 51:
Treason. Christian terrorism and fascist against the United States. God damned fucking fascists hate everything the United States stands for, it's wonder these insane traitors don't pack up and move someplace more keeping with their hatred of freedom, Democracy, rights, and liberties.
Fucking Christian terrorists.
Fuck Obama. Write in Kucinich. Obama is a repuke/corporatist whore. I bet this will change the way NONE of you here vote.....
Dr. Hussein Matt @ 53:
It would be funny except they have us pegged, we're chumps.
These Senate votes are all for show.
The cloture vote was the real vote.
They know it.
We have a criminal government.
Which sheriff are you going to call to complain.
Who are you going to sue to complain.
I am all ears. I would like to hear it if you come up with something.
The poor guy living in an inner city slum who steals your purse to feed himself or his vicious habit gets months or years in jail. The guy who steals your car, gets years in jail and thousands of dollars in fines. The guy who robs you of your Constitutional rights, he gets immunity and can keep on living in his mansion on the posh Paseo Encinal St. in San Antonio. Yup... American Justice truly is blind.
xoites defends Constitution @ 25:
Ohhhhhhhhhh, gotcha!
Why is the MSM so eerily quiet on this story?
Nothing on CNN, WaPo, NYTimes, LATimes, FUXnews, etc
Not a peep.
Jeff @ 29:
Uh, you may want to check again, Jeff. DiFi voted Nay on the Dodd-Feingold AND Specter amendments. As a member of the Senate Intelligence committee, she's more invested in covering her own ass the defending yours (or mine). Too bad we're stuck with her until '12.
goat hussein sage @ 60:
They are the official mouthpiece of the corporate government.
Don't expect the criminals to talk about their crimes.
Update: Obama voted yes! 2:58pm
Update: Obama voted yes to FISA BILL! 2:58pm
This is a REALLY sad day for America. Unbelievable that so many Senators would vote in favor of Spying and against the Constitution. Amazing. I never thought that I would ever see it.
Madprogressive @ 64:
A vote which will live in infamy.
F federal law.
What the hell, F the constitution while you're at it.
This is incredible. Where were you Nancy Pelosi? Where are you Harry Reid? What about your solemn oaths to protect and defend the constitution?
Time for a revolution.
This is the latest info. I could find from Harry Reid;
July 8, 2008
Reid: I Oppose Immunity For Companies That Helped The Bush Administration Illegally Spy On Americans
Washington, DC—Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid made the following statement today on the floor of the U.S. Senate regarding the FISA bill the Senate will consider Wednesday:
“The Senate will soon vote on a FISA bill that represents the final result of negotiations among the White House and Democrats and Republicans in Congress. I opposed the version originally passed by the Senate. And although improvements have been made in the version now before us, this legislation continues to contain provisions that will lead to immunity for the telecommunications companies who cooperated with the Bush Administration’s illegal warrantless wiretapping program.
“For that reason, I will vote no.
“Having said that -- I am pleased that President Bush and Congressional Republicans finally agreed to negotiate a better bill with us. For months, the President insisted it was his way or the highway. The White House refused to come to the negotiating table, repeatedly demanding that the House of Representatives simply pass the Senate’s bill.
“I commend our Democratic colleagues in the House for standing up to insist on more protections for the privacy of innocent Americans. This debate has shown once again that protecting the American people is not a Democratic or Republican issue.
“Democrats want to provide our intelligence professionals all the tools they need to fight terrorism. But we must also protect the privacy of law-abiding Americans and protect against abuses of the Constitution.
“We all know that in the darkest corners of earth lie evil people who seek to harm our country and our people. We all agree on the need to monitor the communications of terrorists in order to protect the American people. But despite what the President insists, America is strengthened by our reverence for our laws and Constitution.
“I am grateful for the efforts of the Congressional leaders who have worked tirelessly – and at times it may have seemed endlessly – to craft this compromise bill. Chairmen Rockefeller and Leahy did a tremendous job under difficult circumstances . Senators Feingold and Dodd also deserve special recognition for reminding us that our Constitution must always come first.
“This version is better than the bill the Senate passed in February and better than the flawed ‘Protect America Act’ signed by the President last summer:
* This bill now includes Senator Feinstein’s amendment to reaffirm that FISA is the exclusive means by which the executive branch may conduct surveillance. This provision is Congress’s direct response to the strained argument of President Bush’s lawyers that Congress meant to repeal the very clear and specific requirements of FISA when Congress passed the Authorization for the Use of Military Force in Afghanistan. Congress flatly rejects that argument as having no basis.
* This bill includes Sen. Leahy’s important amendment requiring a comprehensive Inspector General review of the President’s program, as well as greater judicial supervision.
* This bill requires the United States Attorney General to develop guidelines to ensure compliance with the Fourth Amendment, and to prevent ‘reverse targeting’ – that is, targeting someone abroad when the real purpose is to acquire the communications of a person in the United States.
* This bill provides for increased Congressional oversight, requiring extensive reporting to the Judiciary and Intelligence Committees about the implementation of the new provisions and their impact on U.S. persons.
* This bill rejects changes to the definition of ‘electronic surveillance,’ a change sought by the administration that could have had unforeseen and far-reaching consequences for FISA’s protections for the privacy of law-abiding Americans.
* And this bill ensures that the law expires in four years, requiring the next President and Congress to evaluate its effectiveness.
“These changes add checks on the expansive executive powers contained in the original bill. But as I said – despite these improvements, this legislation needs more work. That is why I oppose it, and why I am committed to working with a new President to improve it.
“Congress should not wait until the 2012 expiration to improve this bill. I will work to ensure that Congress revisits FISA well before 2012, informed by the oversight that will be conducted in the coming months by the Judiciary and Intelligence Committees and by the reports of the Inspectors General.
“Next year, for example, Congress will be required to revisit a number of provisions of the Patriot Act. That may provide a suitable occasion to review the related issues in this FISA bill.
“While this bill does include some improvements to Title I’s intelligence collection procedures, I strongly oppose Title II. Title II establishes a process where the likely outcome is immunity to the telecommunications carriers who participated in the President’s illegal warrantless wiretapping program.
“The bill does not provide any protection for the government officials who designed and authorized this program. It also, of course, does not preclude a challenge to the constitutionality of this legislation in federal district court.
“Nobody should read the Title II provision of this bill as a judgment on the legality of the President’s warrantless wiretapping program. It is not. And nobody should expect that a grant of immunity is anything other than a one-time action. This was made clear in the Senate Intelligence Committee report that accompanied an earlier version of this legislation.
“Service providers should clearly understand that no grant of immunity will be forthcoming if they cooperate with future government requests that do not comply with the procedures outlined in this legislation. The current lawsuits against the telecomm companies seek accountability. These lawsuits could have been a vehicle to achieve a public accounting of the President’s illegal warrantless wiretapping program. That is why it is important that Democratic negotiators forced the President to submit his program to a comprehensive Inspector General review. That review should finally provide a full airing of this entire sorry episode.
“The bill requires the Inspectors General of the relevant agencies to complete a comprehensive review of the President’s surveillance program within a year. By the time that report is issued, President Bush will have left office. Although his term will have come to an end, the work of uncovering his Administration’s abuses of power is just beginning. Future Presidents, Congress and the American people will learn from President Bush’s abuses of power.
“The debate on this FISA legislation may be nearing an end, but the history books are yet to be written. Throughout this fight, a small number of lonely voices insisted that there is no contradiction between liberty and security. As new facts have become known, their numbers have swelled and their voices have grown louder.
“I am confident that when all is known, the condemnation for President Bush’s blatant disregard for our Constitution will be deafening. And I hope that because those voices refused to be silenced, the next president – and all future presidents – will not waver from a path that protects the American people without compromising our core American values.”
The thing that really pisses me off, I mean REALLY pisses me off is that this were a bill that republicans strongly objected to, it would not have passed. Period. Majority-MaWhore-ity. This has been sticking in my gut throughout this entire session. It's simply evidence of willful collusion to rob Americans of our right and liberties. You don't win fights by slapping. You go for the throat! It was all for show, and a bad show at that.
Dear U.S. Senators,
With much sarcasm, I say, oh please, do not burn an American flag, but go ahead an urinate on the U.S Constitution.
What the hell, go around for seconds...
....Pay no attention to the 4th Amendment being shredded ....hey look over there...Jonbenet Ramsey's dad is innocent....oh hey...by the way...Iran shot some missiles or something...
........Go back to sleep my precious sheep.....
I am so sick right now.
As a former C&L'r, hate to say it...but told ya so.
I was right about Bush, and I'm right about Obama.
It doesn't take much more than 2 brain cells to rub together, that you have to fight for the Democratic party PRINCIPLES, and not the wannabe people pushed on us like obama...they do not embody the principles; the Party does.
The people running the party shat on true blue, loyal Dems with this obamination, in favor of chasing a perceived cash cow. Have you all not learned ANYthing from this bush era?
You don't gain credibility by foregoing ethics and going the "ends justify the means" route;
You might want to do a search on PB 2.0...obama is horrible, and you don't have to support him just because he has a D in front of his name; if HE'S NOT SUPPORTING OUR CAUSES, HE IS NO DEMOCRAT! Don't give me this well, um, he's tricking the republicans crap.
Justifying horrible decisions DOESN'T DO ANYTHING FOR AMERICA!!!!
Fredric L. Rice @ 55:
It's a little off topic but I agree, christians are fascists and terrorists, they just don't hold all the strings any longer. Well, it's sad to see this pass, it's time to look for work abroad.
Fascism - 1, Democracy 0
Thomas Stone @ 75:
More like
Fascism - Won, Democracy - Gone
Scy @ 44:
You may be right, however i refuse to get used to it.
Scy @ 44:
Yeah...but we still get off for the Fourth of July and get really really cheap lapel flag pins from China.
Watta great country!
Absolutely tragic.
getalife @ 8:
What a happy day to see these people prosected live on TV with the whole world watching...oh happy day....
Alice X (Chomsky Nader) @ 51:
Clinton voted against the bill.
You broke my heart today Obama.
What a fucking crock.
I'm drinking early today.
Maybe I'll burn something.
Fuck.
How sad to see that Obama even voted for cloture and then yes on your Fisa bill while the ones with real principles who talked against it voted no like Clinton, Durbin, Boxer, Kerry, Dodd and Feingold.
Of course it is not surprising to see that those being mentionned lately for VP just happened to all vote for this bill as well, taking away your rights like Bayh, Webb, and Claire McCaskill. So in all realities, Obama has turned out to not be what he said he was and neither are his major supporters. For being a constitutional lawyer, he certainly has shown what he thinks about it today. Sorry if I upset some of you, but I think Obama has done much more of that than my humble opinion ever could.
Yes Obama voted for the amendments, but then he turned around and voted for the final legislation (half hearted effort). One problem with this bill is that is a backdoor "get out of jall free card" to the Bush administration. By effectively letting the telecom's off the hook, Bush can argue that if they didn't do anything wrong, neither did he.
ricchase @ 69:
No freaking doubt.
The Republiscum don't fuck around. Every single one of those fuckers voted for this bill, and only Spector voted for any of the amendments. That's freaking lock-step. God-damned authoritarians is what they are. They want the statue of liberty replaced with a dominatrix, the sick fucks.
foreigner @ 84:
I knew that Bayh and Webb were basically Republican light, but I couldn't figure out why McCaskill voted that way. I think you hit the nail on the head. Its Obama/McCaskill 2008.
Now that the feds can spy on people, when democrats get in power let us use that to spy on refucklicans to preemptively arrest them before they
can start any more wars, dodge taxes, start mercenary armies, or the usual crap they do. To start, let us spy on the refucklican party to insure that
they are disbanded just like the Nazis that they emulate so well. Screw them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
destardi @ 75:
well put!
Dr. Acula @ 61:
so what wtfs it to yah! obamerack
Give up?
Not hardly!
Feinstein? You have to be kidding. The San Francisco politicians are a bunch of cowards. Look at what Pelosi has done in The House. Fucking nothing!! Now she wants to let Rove skate on his giving the finger to the Judiciary Committee. They told him to show up and he said FUCK YOU. And Pelosi says back off on a contempt citation. Feinstein is just as bad. She and Kay Bailey Hutchinson will have a little terrorist fist bump when this bill gets passed. I hate these people.
St. Paul Scout @ 58:
thats the smartest suggestion ive heard here! kucinich gets mine ,
swampfox @ 95:
Mine too.
Reid voted NO. Great. But where the fuck was his leadership? Fuck Obama too. he is no better than McCain. Birds of a feather. Fuck em. What difference will it be whoever gets elected? None!! fuck it I'm not voting.
Captain Obama’s Bitter Half Husein Kangaroo @ 97:
No real reason to. Not for the President anyway.
And all those young voters that they signed up? Well Obama just showed them that there is no reason to come out in November. Yep, the young voters are going to stay home too. I am so pissed off right now. Not a god damn penny from me ever again. Ever!!!
Wouldn't this be something?
"With 77% of the vote tabulated in California we see Obama leading McCain 293 votes to 163."
Yes, Obama is an elite corporatist and has been . . .always. What was his first campaign issue? Oh right, fixing social security, aka, privatizing social security. Of course, Hillary Clinton voted against this FISA bill. And yes, sad to say, told you so!
marirebel @ 101:
I wonder if she has won the primary if their votes would have been reversed.
Way to lead Barrack. "I didn't vote for the war. I didn't vote for the war. I didn't vote for the war." Luckily for you didn't have a chance. When you had a chance to put your ass on the line with a vote that would make a difference you showed where you really are. I don't believe for a second that Obama would not have voted for the war if he had the chance. Not for one god damn second. He would have acted just as he acted today. In a chicken shit way. Asshole politician!! Screw you!
PEOPLE - with all due respect, before you start bandying accusations back & forth about who voted how, please make sure your facts are correct. I've scanned the posts here and have seen numerous mistakes (Alice X @53 saying Clinton voted for immunity? Jeff @31 saying the same of Boxer?) WTF?!
For a complete record of how each senator voted in today's votes, click here.
marirebel @ 101:
To hell with you too. You know god damn well she would have voted for it if she was the nominee.
xoites defends Constitution @ 102:
And if she was so opposed to the bill where was her leadership? I didn't see her come out and rally the troops like Feingold or Dodd.
When these cock suckers see the American "economy" in shambles, their response is to spy on us, and to let the Bush crime spree continue.
It is time to overthrow this shit! Screw this fucking asshole country!
Thomas Stone @ 69:
Time to grab some guns and go shootin!
Underground Pirate @ 107:
It is time to organize and take the country back, not screw it. It is already being screwed.
Underground Pirate @ 108:
They have a morgue slab reserved for you.
Let me see, who are you going to shoot? The folks at McDonald's? They did not do this. You are wasting your life or you are wasting your time trying to convince other's to waste their's.
Go get drunk and sleep it off.
Captain Obama’s Bitter Half Husein Kangaroo @ 106:
She at least voted her democratic principles which can't be said about Obama. And it was quite obvious he was nowhere rallying and showing leadership in any form. Today he was a republican like his friends Webb and McCaskill.
obama is just another professional bullshit artist payed by the fascists in power
to dupe the naive into acquiescing to their plans for global domination and a domestic
police state. the sooner obamabots wake up to that the better.
This is a dark day for America but the day's proceedings has been a charade.
If even a single Senator had truly meant to stop this they could have.
Witness a hold here or an anonymous hold here .
All of the posturing this week was for public consumption.
And, for public consumption, Clinton has punked Obama.
She voted yes on the three amendments, against cloture and against the bill.
She was against immunity before she was against immunity as still found in the bill she voted no on.
He voted yes on the three amendments but yes for cloture and yes for the bill.
His yes votes on the amendments mean nothing because:
He was against the immunity before he was for it as still found in the bill he voted yes on. On the same day.
If their primary finish had been reversed, these votes might have been reversed.
It is for public consumption and we duly report it. But it does mean several things: She punked him. She is saying take your veep and shove it.
Anyone who voted yes on that bill is conspiring in a coverup of the multiple felonies of the felon Bush, but the deal was done well before today.
Let Obama explain that.
I would argue that anyone who didn't object to its consideration, via a hold or whatever tool would have been available, anyone who didn't object is conspiring in of the coverup.
We have a criminal government.
We are chumps and we are history.
Goodbye America.
Hello Amerika.
Underground Pirate @ 107:
Yeah , better yet fuck the ruling class these chimps work for. We have the illusion of a democracy. When the ruling class wants something they get it. 70% of the most honorable senators didn't even bother to get briefed on this bill. That's a big FU to America.
foreigner @ 111:
You are ignoring the fact that sh is no longer running for President. If she were it is difficult to say how she would have voted. If she was standing on principals she would have come out very strong against this bill. She didn't. She didn't say a word.
Clinton: Why I Voted No On FISA
Obama lost my vote today for voting for the FISA outrage. I won't vote Rethug, but I won't vote for Obama. Useless turd.
Janet @ 116:
If she really want to stop the bill she could have done more than just vote no. Its easy to posture herself in that position when the bill has been shoved down everyone's throats for 6 months with no hope of being squashed or at least made legal!
Any one of those criminals could have stopped it, but they chose politics over principle. They should all be ashamed. They should all go to jail for disobeying their oath to preserve and defend the Constitution of the Unites States of America.
Candidate of Change....his position
I'd like to point out that while our president is being excused for 35 felonies and telecom's are also getting off because of their note from the teacher with the passing of this bill, cnn.com's top story is that jon benet's family has been cleared from suspicion through dna testing. Whew. Thank god.
Please don`t take it so hard. You all knew it was going to happen. There is one party in Washington and it is the gangster party.
honuman @ 49:
I couldn't agree more. Anything is better than a Republican but I agree with your Obama assessment. I may vote 3rd party, haven't decided, but absent a revolution this country is gone for good.
Here's a really shocking article from one of the lawyers who was working for a client who had been illegally spied on and the government accidentally gave them the EVIDENCE then cried, "STATES SECRETS PRIVILEGE!!" This was found on Salon.com today:
http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2008/07/09/alharamain_lawsuit/index...
The question I'm trying to answer in my mind is this: Why was Obama so adamant about voting against telecom immunity a few short months ago then completely flip-flopped?
WHY ARE THESE SENATORS PROTECTING BUSH? WHAT THE F IS GOING ON HERE?
FISA = the day America died....7/9/2008
Eric in Ottawa @ 29:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=qjauAv6I-E8
Madprogressive @ 65:
Obama is rapidly turning into the next Leiberman, he's not even waiting till he loses an election.
Whitey Bitterman @ 45:
Yep. I'm voting Nader. If there is one thing Nader IS NOT, it's a politician.
Old Billy Hussein @ 85:
Me too on the drinking part. I'm just sitting here thinking, "Margaritas or martinis?"
I keep looking for some glimmer of hope, some glint of good news and all I find is the fact that Rev. Jesse Jackson was overheard on a live mic saying he wanted to "Cut Obama's Nuts Off" and it's going to be shown LIVE on O'Reilly at 8EST.
Help!
Old Billy Hussein @ 85:
Fuck that nonesense, I'm already drunk and blowing off the last of my "Independence Day" fire works. It's over kids. Bye bye my country.
We are no longer living in a democracy. It's so sad to know future generations will not be free in this country. Fascism is here, it's time to move away people.
And just as we all thought it couldn't possibly get any worse:
http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/2-halliburton-charge...
a vote bought and paid for with your cell phone bill..
AND, I hate to be bitter but I knew Obama would sell out. I told my young, excited daughter whom fully supported him a YEAR ago this would happen. She is so pissed off right now.....
Trash me all ya'll want to but Clinton was the better choice. Ya'll made your bed now fucking sleep in it. Congrats.
"You say you want a revolution.....well ya know"
For some reason I keep thinking about George Carlin and what his take would be.
These are all the Senators who voted NAY.
I called them all today to thank them.
Daniel Akaka (D-HI) 202-224-6361
Joe Biden (D-DE) 202-224-5042
Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) 202-224-5521
Barbara Boxer (D-CA) 202-224-3553
Sherrod Brown (D-OH) 202-224-2315
Robert Byrd (D-WV) 202-224-3954
Maria Cantwell (D-WA) 202-224-3441
Benjamin Cardin (D-MD) 202-224-4524
Hillary Clinton (D-NY) 202-224-4451
Chris Dodd (D-CT) 202-224-2823
Byron Dorgan (D-ND) 202-224-2551
Dick Durbin (D-IL) 202-224-2152
Russ Feingold (D-WI) 202-224-5323
Tom Harkin (D-IA) 202-224-3254
John Kerry (D-MA) 202-224-2742
Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) 202-224-3244
Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) 202-224-3224
Patrick Leahy (D-VT) 202-224-4242
Carl Levin (D-MI) 202-224-6221
Robert Menendez (D-NJ) 202-224-4744
Patty Murray (D-WA) 202-224-2621
Jack Reed (D-RI) 202-224-4642
Harry Reid (D-NV) 202-224-3542
Bernie Sanders (I-VT) 202-224-5141
Chuck Schumer (D-NY) 202-224-6542
Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) 202-224-4822
Jon Tester (D-MT) 202-224-2644
Ron Wyden (D-OR) 202-224-5244
All Senators can be reached through the Capital Switchboard: 202-224-3121
I'm always up for a really good disappointment! Bong hits please..
Dr. Hussein Matt @ 50:
Bill Nelson of Florida can always be counted on to vote with the Repubs. He should be replaced.
Obama did what he could; he voted for the amendment, but it wouldn't have made a difference if he voted against the final bill. You're all bragging about Clinton, now, but you seem to forget that she was the first in line to give him unchecked powers after 9/11.
him=Bush
"a vote bought and paid for with your cell phone bill.."
Big telecoms sell distraction and a distracted populace is easy to enslave. Goodbye representative republic --less than 220 years old and now done. Seems the terrorists have won after all, they just have to sit back and watch as we dismantle the country ourselves. Sickening.
Look I'll still most likely vote for Obama.
That said this campaign for me has gone from "Hope for Change" to "The lesser of two evils".
Actions speak louder then words, and Obama just yelled that it's ok to commit felonies as long as your IN government.
Perhaps once he's elected he'll do the right thing, but until then it's politics as usual.
MarcyJ @ 133:
I find your behavior obnoxious.
There are many of us here who have never supported Obama who don't feel the vindictive childish need to rub that fact in everyone's faces.
This is a sad day for America.Grow up.
Well, I guess we've landed on a brand new July holiday. Next year, we sleep through the 4th of July and come the 9th, we all take a big steaming dump on the Constitution. It's National Take A Shit On Our Constitution Day. The other will only look the other way.
C'mon, it'll be fun
/end sarcasm
pinkobait @ 142:
I'm sorry if I offended you. I guess I'm just pretty mad right now. Again, sorry.
Obama might have lost my vote. Pelosi did a long time ago and I'll be voting for another candidate here in San Francisco in November.
Yes, I know that withholding my vote from Obama only helps McCain, but I can't vote for someone who doesn't uphold the constitution. Lesser of two evils, sure, but why vote for evil?
What a joke! Obama needs to quit saying he's the change candidate. How can he be the change candidate when he's voting with right wing? Anyone that stills buys into the fact the there is a difference in the left and right wings of this country is an absolute moron. VOTE Libertarian if you are a true American. Anything else would be wasting your vote.
MarcyJ @ 133:
Do you really think Hillary would have been ANY different? You'd have to be an idiot to think so.
If people want to begin to understand what it would take to build an authentic democratic movement, I suggest Lawrence Goodwyn's, "The Populist Moment." You'll be introduced to the sequential process necessary to build a movement and realize that the only leaders you can trust are produced by going through that process. Obama, Clinton, and McCain have not been through the steps and therefore we'll never be able to trust them. And while I agree with Nader's ends, his means will never be effective, because he is trying to use logic and evidence to talk people out of their received culture. That never works.
We need to get past our days of political hero worship and start depending on ourselves as We the People to demand what we want.
MarcyJ @ 133:
With all due respect to your ex candidate....Clinton wouldn't have done a damn thing differently than Obama. If history is any indication, i.e. Clinton's vote to give Bush the authorization to use force in Iraq, she would have voted yes on the fisa bill so don't come off with your bitter grapes comment. And in any case look at the larger picture. Truth is, Obama is distantly related to Cheney who is part of the inner circle of politicians that continually rotate in and out of positions of power. Clinton is also a part of that group. As a matter of fact, 41 of the past 43 presidents can be traced to 3 European families. So....that larger picture is that the people need to collectively say no to the way things have been going. It's time for a change in this country on a fundamental level.
Tequila @ 138:
B.S.
Obama could have voted NEY and made a stand, but did he?
NO!
It takes a brave man to stand on moral high ground...
... It takes a coward to trek the low road.
Obama shows his real colors... REPUBLICRATIC GREY COAT!
Barr and Nader look so, SO much more promising than Obama ever can at this point. By the weekend, he'll be back peddling and spewing out some feined defense as to why he can not be trusted EVER to support and defend the Constitution and the Rights, Freedoms and Liberties of Americans.
Go ahead, prove me wrong!
NO ONE, not even the Senator and Decider wanna be can't EVER, EVER guarantee that he'll EVER, EVER have a CONgress capable of EVER, EVER legislating this away... No matter how much Obama spoon feeds his minions his trashy truth!
VOTE NOBAMA!
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