And only a few, because what is there to say that hasn’t been said already, and better, by the likes of Melissa, Pam, Glenn Greenwald (and again), Scott, Norbizness, The Talking Dog, Marty Lederman, and others?
The thing that really galls me about this was that the Dems apparently capitulated, after all their tough talk, because they wanted to go on vacation.
Well, guess what, folks? Bush wants to go on vacation, too. So you get called back into session to give him a bill he can sign. Make him stick around Washington, too, instead of going to his Crawford Potemkin ranch. Send him real bills, bills with teeth, that he can’t sign because he doesn’t get what he wants. Make him use his veto. Make him create a record — a legacy, if you will — of vetoing bills that do not allow for warrantless surveillance of just anyone for any reason as long as it has to do with “intelligence.” Not even terrorism anymore, just intelligence.
But it’s so hooooot in Washington in the summer! I need to go back to my district and serve my paymasters constituents!
As Melissa notes, now that Bush has the Congressional seal of approval on the surveillance program he’s already carried out for years illegally, he wants more and broader authority to wipe his ass with the Constitution.
Will Congress finally wise up and realize that they really don’t have to cave to the demands of a lame-duck President with sub-Nixonian approval levels?
Don’t bet on it.
This latest act of Congress deeply disturbs me. We chip and chip and chip away at our civil liberties. And why is it even Constitutional for our government to approve legislation that permits eavesdropping on our conversations without a warrant? I need to do some serious thinking and research into this.
“Democrats are better than Republicans.” I keep saying this mantra and I truly believe it, but then something like this comes along. It only proves to me how out of touch the Democrats are with their constituents, how they take progressives for granted in the same way that Republicans take religious conservatives for granted, and how fearful Democrats are about winning the next election (fearful of losing the so-called moderates in suburbia). On top of it, this vote shows me how cowardly conservatives are when it comes to standing upon their so-called libertarian principles.
Not one of the people who voted for passage of this bill deserves to remain in office. They have traded away our liberties and betrayed their oath to protect the Constitution and it’s amendments. Yea, I’m pretty ticked…
Let’s never mind who voted for it — who let it out of committee?
What — they don’t have AC in Washington?!?
Crap. Now I need to figure out how my reps voted and potentially take them to task for it. I *don’t* have the time for this shit at this time of year. They are supposed to be doing their jobs so that I can do mine. And NOT be eavesdropped upon without a bloody good reason.
Dammit, zuzu! I was blissfully unaware of this until just now! (Yeah, I know that just means that I don’t read enough news, but with news this depressing, I really do need to limit my intake.)