House Dems Not Only Grew A Spine Yesterday-They Went Further & Gave Bush Big Middle Finger!

[kpete]

The Democrats more than refused, they promised to investigate.

House Dems Make Me Proud
by BooMan
Sat Mar 15th, 2008 at 08:07:27 AM EST

The House Democrats not only grew a spine yesterday, they went further and gave the president the big middle finger. In passing their version of a FISA bill the House denied retroactive immunity, which was bold enough. They went further, though, and called for accountability.

The House bill includes three key elements.

It would refuse retroactive immunity to the phone companies and would instead provide special authority for the courts to decide whether the companies should be held liable in some 40 lawsuits growing out of an N.S.A. eavesdropping program approved by President Bush after the Sept. 11 attacks. It would restore certain judicial checks on wiretapping powers while plugging loopholes that the administration has cited in coverage of foreign targets. And it would create a Congressional commission to investigate the past workings of the N.S.A. program.

A Congressional commission to investigate the NSA program (think Church Committee) might discover that the illegal warrantless surveillance began before 9/11 (as former Qwest CEO Joseph Nacchio has alleged). It would probably show that the Attorney General and the FISA Court were not consulted, as Republican talking points insist that they were.

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

So...no AG letter, no FISA court, just strict illegality. And the companies that went along want immunity. The Democrats more than refused, they promised to investigate. Of course, the bill the House passed will not become law under this president. But, then again, that's half the battle. If Bush doesn't get immunity before he leaves office, his crimes will still be on the books...unless, that is, he pardons himself.

much more at:
http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2008/3/15/8727/78251

[4dsc]

1. Feeling cocky about their chances in the fall

I believe they see a solid victory in the fall and just now grew a pair to challenge Bush the rest of his term..

[Xenotime]

6. Then, when we win in the fall, we can bring * to trial...

and put him behind bars for his crimes against humanity.

[annabanana]

2. It's a pity the Senate is so badly compromised.

Not all the Democrats act like Democrats.. and Lieberman is a disgrace to the office.

[loudsue]

4. So true, annabanana. The DLC are republican infiltrators to the Dem party,

and we need to purge every last one of them. Hillary, btw, is DLC to the bone. Her husband was their first national candidate.

[southern_belle]

3. k & r

[xchrom]

5. ...

:applause:

[Donnachaidh]

7. yes BUT (you know someone has to ask)

Passing this law which is SURE to be vetoed - do they have enough votes to over-ride the veto? I'm VERY cynical at this point. Passing the *bird* measure and then making SURE it stands is two very different things. The inevitable veto will happen. I want to see how these people who are patting themselves on the back NOW keep up the pressure to make it STAY.

Otherwise this is just another act of the *morality play* BOTH parties are engaged in, just to feed their bases.

I think everyone should stay on point and keep the pressure on both their senators and congresscritters - to make sure THIS program STICKS and they don't pull some sort of back room deal for immunity.

Don't TRUST them to do the right thing. They need to know the MOB ain't moving from the castle gates until it's DONE COMPLETELY.