FISA travesty passes the house

[solarbird]

Watching the vote in the House right now; it got the majority needed about five minutes ago, but the vote is ongoing. It's neat how the Democratic leadership engineers these things to insure passage, and it unfolds according to plan, then once enough votes are on record to ensure passage, the (D) "no" count climbs all at once as everybody sees that okay, it's safe to go vote against it now for political cover, we've got it passed. "Yes" votes from Democrats outnumbered "No" votes from Democrats until passage was assured; now they trail significantly. Cute, huh?

Incidentally, there is apparently one (1) GOP member of the house who gives a rat's ass about the 4th Amendment.

Rep. Inslee got one (1) minute to deliver a statement about how there are some lines you don't cross and this bill crosses them, as did a couple of other opponents (Kucinich, somebody else I forget), before it went back to supporters masturbating to glorious fantasies about the TROOPS!!1! and PROTECT AMERICA!1!! and and and.

Final tally: 293-129. Bill moves to the Senate.

Comments

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

I've heard from at least one Congressional source that local offices have no such quarantine. No, I've known about the DC idiocy for years. No idea how effective faxes are; probably depends on the individual office.

[solarbird]

As a rule, people with fax machines are assumed to be older (because it's an old crap technology) and have more money (because they were used for so long in business). Both appeal to the current ruling political class.

[emrecom.livejournal.com]

Wow--writing tree letters takes almost no time--or at least, barely five minutes.

I wrote to both of Pelosi's offices:

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi
Washington, D.C. Office
235 Cannon HOB
Washington, DC 20515

Ms Pelosi,

I write to urge you to not cave in and pull any bill from the floor that will ultimately grant immunity to telecommunications companies who illegally spied on Americans.

If you don’t, seriously, what’s the point of even being a Democrat? How can I contain my absolute disgust and despair at your disinterest in your constituents’ desires?

Yours in absolute disillusionment,

Ian Grey