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solarbirdSpeaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) today says, on warrantless spying and retroactive immunity, that "We want to pass a bill that will be signed by the president... And that will happen before we leave for the Fourth of July. So the timing is sometime between now and then. I feel confident that that will happen." Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) says that they're "very close" to such a bill.
Chief Executive Mr. Bush has repeatedly said that the only bill he will sign is one that grants sweeping warrantless wiretapping provisions and provides retroactive immunity for the separate and specific lawbreaking of the telecom companies for their roles in previous illegal domestic spying. The current reported "compromise" draft does all this and much more. Not coincidentally, this also would shut down the only functional investigations into his administration's plainly illegal domestic spying activities, since both the politicised Justice Department and the compliant Democratic Congress refuse to act against him.
A final stand is going to be made; I'll post if and when I get more. Glenn Greenwald says that "If, as appears, Congressional Democrats are intent on doing this, there should be a hefty and real price for them to pay for doing it." I, of course, agree. We'll see what happens.
ETA: House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer's (D-MD) office spent the day flatly lying to constituents about the deal. It's a nice read. Rep. Hoyer doesn't take contacts from outside his constituency, so I falsified my zip code (College Park, MD, 20740) and left a sternly worded message to be ignored anyway.
ETA2: Wired's Threat Level blog discusses this deal, and the interference created with the judicial system, including the burying of the judgement already issued against the telecoms and the Chief Executive's Justice Department's position that the cases couldn't be tried under the excuse that the programme is secret, despite being acknowledged publicly. The depravity and insanity knows no bounds.
Chief Executive Mr. Bush has repeatedly said that the only bill he will sign is one that grants sweeping warrantless wiretapping provisions and provides retroactive immunity for the separate and specific lawbreaking of the telecom companies for their roles in previous illegal domestic spying. The current reported "compromise" draft does all this and much more. Not coincidentally, this also would shut down the only functional investigations into his administration's plainly illegal domestic spying activities, since both the politicised Justice Department and the compliant Democratic Congress refuse to act against him.
A final stand is going to be made; I'll post if and when I get more. Glenn Greenwald says that "If, as appears, Congressional Democrats are intent on doing this, there should be a hefty and real price for them to pay for doing it." I, of course, agree. We'll see what happens.
ETA: House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer's (D-MD) office spent the day flatly lying to constituents about the deal. It's a nice read. Rep. Hoyer doesn't take contacts from outside his constituency, so I falsified my zip code (College Park, MD, 20740) and left a sternly worded message to be ignored anyway.
ETA2: Wired's Threat Level blog discusses this deal, and the interference created with the judicial system, including the burying of the judgement already issued against the telecoms and the Chief Executive's Justice Department's position that the cases couldn't be tried under the excuse that the programme is secret, despite being acknowledged publicly. The depravity and insanity knows no bounds.
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no subject
Date: 2008-06-17 02:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-17 04:14 am (UTC)The political class actively wants this, but the Democratic wing wants to achieve it while looking like they're opposing it for electoral reasons. That's the only reasonable conclusion I can draw from the actions, anyway. If it's something else, it's beyond me.
no subject
Date: 2008-06-17 04:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-17 04:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-17 05:20 pm (UTC)[Slashdot abstract, bold is mine]
Wiretapping Law Sparks Rage In Sweden
"This Wednesday at 9am the Swedish Parliament is voting on a new wiretapping law which would enable the civil agency (FRA — Defense Radio Agency) to snoop on all traffic crossing the Swedish border. E-mail, fax, telephone, web, SMS, etc. 24/7 without any requirement to obtain a court order. Furthermore, by law, the sitting Government will be able to instruct the wiretapping agency on what to look for. It also nullifies anonymity for press tipsters and whistleblowers. Many agencies within Sweden have weighed in on this, with very hefty criticism, e.g. SÄPO (akin to FBI in the US), the Justice Department, ex-employees of FRA, and more. Nonetheless, the ruling party block is supposedly pressuring its members to vote 'yes' to this new proposed law with threats to unseat any dissidents. After massive activity on blogs by ordinary citizens, and street protests, the story has finally been picked up by major Swedish news sources. The result will likely be huge street protests on Wednesday. People have been completely surprised since this law has not gotten any media uptake until very late in the game." [end Slashdot abstract]
Wouldn't we like to live in a country whose government agencies and citizens have a spine?