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Senate Delays Telecom Immunity Vote Until After July Recess

Posted by timothy on from the after-all-why-ruin-the-4th dept.

ivantheshifty writes with news of a delayed vote (failed filibuster attempt aside) on the updated FISA bill which has been discussed here recently, in particular because it would grant telecom companies immunity (under certain conditions) from suits for wiretapping conducted at government request. According to the Associated Press story carried by the Washington Post, "Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., and more than a dozen other senators who oppose telecom immunity threw up procedural delays that threatened to force the Senate into a midnight or weekend session. The prospect of further delays was enough to cause Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., to postpone the vote until after the weeklong July 4 vacation."

2 of 148 comments (clear)

  1. Maybe I'm just too cynical... by Henry+Pate · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The attorney general and national intelligence director on Thursday said President Bush would veto the bill if the immunity provisions were stripped from it.

    So it's vital to national security but not so vital if they can't have immunity along with it.
    They say they haven't broken any laws but are fighting like hell to make sure they can't be prosecuted.

    Is there any reasonable way to appear more guilty?

    --
    Si Hoc Legere Scis Nimium Eruditionis Habes
  2. Deal with it! by khasim · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Obama will be heavily attacked this fall for any appearance of being 'soft' on terrorism. He's between a rock and a hard place, ...

    So? Deal with it! He wants to be the President. And he's willing to fold on this issue? Just because he MIGHT not be elected if he doesn't fold?

    Courage would be standing up to the Republicans (and the bought and paid-for Democrats) and saying that we do NOT need this law and that it would violate our Constitution.

    Folding just so he can be elected ... that's the opposite of courage.

    Take the fight to the Republicans. Explain to the people HOW this bill is needed or NOT needed. No more of the platitude of "fight terrorism".