Feingold & Dodd To Filibuster FISA Reforms

The HuffPo is reporting these two idiots are going to work to slow down the bill's passage. While they state they probably will not stop it, they want the progression slowed down:

Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Russ Feingold (D-WI) released the following statement today in response to the announcement that the Senate this week will consider the compromise legislation that would reform the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA):

This is a deeply flawed bill, which does nothing more than offer retroactive immunity by another name. We strongly urge our colleagues to reject this so-called 'compromise' legislation and oppose any efforts to consider this bill in its current form. We will oppose efforts to end debate on this bill as long as it provides retroactive immunity for the telecommunications companies that may have participated in the President's warrantless wiretapping program, and as long as it fails to protect the privacy of law-abiding Americans.

"If the Senate does proceed to this legislation, our immediate response will be to offer an amendment that strips the retroactive immunity provision out of the bill. We hope our colleagues will join us in supporting Americans' civil liberties by opposing retroactive immunity and rejecting this so-called 'compromise' legislation.

Let me see if I can explain this to the mental midgets. Th immunity provisions were put in the bill so the telecom community would continue to participate in this program. If they do not have the immunities -- something the House and Nancy Pelosi thoroughly understood -- they will not risk being involved in the collection of intelligence against our enemies. Remember that the ACLU and other left-wing groups were preparing to file lawsuits against the telecoms on the claim they violated the privacy of "Americans."

This shows how stupid people can be. Those being surveilled were under suspicion of aiding and abetting al-Qaeda, or other terrorist groups aiding al-Qaeda (such as Zawahiri's Egyptian Islamic Jihad). Most of those that fell under the surveillance were not American citizens. They were aliens here, either lawfully or unlawfully, and those people have no rights under the Constitution. Remember that the Fourteenth Amendment literally states what makes a citizen a citizen. As they are not born or naturalized, they are not citizens.

It is important that we have the FISA reforms enacted. Without it we are literally blind to our enemies. The FISA reforms would continue to make it legal for us to listen in on incoming calls from abroad, and for us to monitor those suspected of terrorist activity within the country already.

Personally speaking, while the FISA reforms are necessary to streamline the procedures and to protect the telecoms, the president has the inherent authority, under Article II, Section 2 to order such surveillance in the name of national security. Recall, please, that presidents going all the way back to Carter have utilized the NSA in such endeavours, and the courts have never questioned that authority. Now they are, and they have activist jurists on the federal bench willing to allow these sorts of suits to bully the telecoms into not helping our intelligence services.

Senator Dodd and Senator Feingold are making a big mistake in their stance on this issue. They are standing up on their soapbox, and are purposefully trying to hold the bill up. Furthermore, the inclusion of an amendment to strip the immunities out of the bill will make it worthless. We need this passed, not held up by a couple of nuts looking for time in the spotlight.

Marcie