Clinton statement (0.00 / 0)

Via FireDogLake

Today, I will vote against Republican efforts to shortchange the debate on the FISA Amendments Act, important legislation that would modernize our surveillance laws and give our nation's intelligence professionals the tools they need to fight terrorism and make our country more secure. Rather than allow the Senate the opportunity to consider important amendments to this vital legislation, Republicans are instead blocking meaningful debate on this bill by playing procedural games, choosing instead to score cheap political points at the expense of our Homeland Security.

  This legislation deserves a thorough debate. Several provisions - including those which would have a profound impact on the civil liberties of Americans - need to be the subject of careful deliberation. For example, the bill under consideration gives telecommunication companies blanket retroactive immunity for their alleged cooperation in the administration's warrantless wiretapping program. I continue to believe that a grant of retroactive immunity is wrong, and I have cosponsored Senator Dodd's amendment to remove that provision from the bill. The Bush Administration has blatantly disregarded Americans' civil liberties over the past seven years, and I simply will not trust them to protect Americans' privacy rights. With the temporary Protect America Act set to expire on February 1st, I strongly believe that we need to pass balanced legislation that protects our civil liberties and the rule of law while giving our law enforcement and intelligence agencies the tools they need to protect our country.

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by: corinne @ Mon Jan 28, 2008 at 06:06:16 AM CST

why are senators such blow hards (0.00 / 0)

leave it to a Senator to turn a simple issue into a 40 line thesis and put everyone into a coma.

im in a bad mood today.

Michael Bloomberg, prince of corporate welfare

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by: Will @ Mon Jan 28, 2008 at 06:47:13 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Look! Over there! (4.00 / 1)

Behind you!

She wants to distract, make sure no one can tell why she voted one way or another.

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by: Mark Matson @ Mon Jan 28, 2008 at 06:55:23 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Isn't voting for clotrue a bad thing? (0.00 / 0)

do we want a thirty day extension? why not just let is sunset and go back to the old system?

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by: AliceDem @ Mon Jan 28, 2008 at 07:57:05 AM CST

Idunno (0.00 / 0)

I'd actually like to see Dems call the bluff completely, and introduce an 18 month extension and be done with it.

PAA sucks, but at least retroactive immunity would be dead, dead, dead until mid '09, when we can deal with really fixing any flaws in FISA (color me skeptical that there are any).

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by: Ron @ Mon Jan 28, 2008 at 08:12:05 AM CST

[ Parent ]