NYT: SPIES, LIES & FISA

[kpete]

Editorial
Spies, Lies and FISA
Published: October 14, 2007

As Democratic lawmakers try to repair a deeply flawed bill on electronic eavesdropping, the White House is pumping out the same fog of fear and disinformation it used to push the bill through Congress this summer. President Bush has been telling Americans that any change would deny the government critical information, make it easier for terrorists to infiltrate, expose state secrets, and make it harder “to save American lives.”

There is no truth to any of those claims. No matter how often Mr. Bush says otherwise, there is also no disagreement from the Democrats about the need to provide adequate tools to fight terrorists. The debate is over whether this should be done constitutionally, or at the whim of the president.

...................

It may be possible to shield these companies from liability, since the government lied to them about the legality of its requests. But the law should allow suits aimed at forcing disclosure of Mr. Bush’s actions. It should also require a full accounting to Congress of all surveillance conducted since 9/11. And it should have an expiration date, which the White House does not want.

Ever since 9/11, we have watched Republican lawmakers help Mr. Bush shred the Constitution in the name of fighting terrorism. We have seen Democrats acquiesce or retreat in fear. It is time for that to stop.

more at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/14/opinion/14sun1.html

[babylonsister]

1. I sincerely hope Dems are reading this stuff. nt

[spanone]

2. congress doesn't appear interested in truth...they only fear being called weak on terror

such utter horseshit

[kurth]

3. Why are Dems so terrified of the monkey?

30% popularity rating, lame duck and all.

[wtmusic]

4. Calling DU attorneys

Whether the government lied about the legality of the requests seems to be irrelevant. The telecoms should have had their own attorneys review, and are responsible to the law above all else (in theory).

If you murder someone because a cop tells you to, are you off the hook?

[robinlynne]

9. makes sense to me.

[The Backlash Cometh]

5. They're using the same old shit, because its worked so well in the past.

Where does the buck stop? When do the Dems actually learn how to avoid getting taken in by a shell game? Or are they just looking for the lamest excuse to concede?

[bahrbearian]

6. DLC Coaching

"Look they've run it up the middle for the last 3 touchdowns, watch for the Pass. Opps they ran it up the middle again"

[OzarkDem]

7. Cheney's assistant's husband is telling them otherwise

he and the DLC have Dems believing the same old discredited crap - "if you want to win you have to act like a Republican".

Someone forgot to tell them that the nation can't stand Republicans anymore.

[fasttense]

8. So many crimes, so few punished. n/t