Warrantless wiretaps unlikely to be OK'd

[jefferson_dem]

Warrantless wiretaps unlikely to be OK'd
By LAURIE KELLMAN, Associated Press Writer


Legislation aimed at President Bush's once-secret program for wiretapping U.S.-foreign phone calls and computer traffic of suspected terrorists without warrants shows all the signs of not moving ahead, notwithstanding President Bush's request this week that a lame-duck Congress give it to him.

Senate Democrats, emboldened by Election Day wins that put them in control of Congress as of January, say they would rather wait until next year to look at the issue. "I can't say that we won't do it, but there's no guarantee that we're going spend a lot of time on controversial measures," Democratic Whip Richard Durbin of Illinois said Thursday.

In Senate parlance, that means no.

Republicans for months have known that no bill accomplishing Bush's goal could get filibuster-proof support from 60 senators. Sealing off any hope was what Democratic leader Harry Reid put on his lame-duck to-do list. The warrantless domestic surveillance bill was conspicuous in its absence.

As for next year, Bush should not expect Democrats to allow such legislation to pass without language establishing considerable congressional oversight of any expansion of warrantless wiretaps.

<SNIP>

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061111/ap_on_go_co/warrantless_wiretaps&printer=1

[Judi Lynn]

1. Things might be looking brighter, right? Bush is NOT going to accept this well.

I'm definitely waiting for waves of intimidation to appear. Maybe another round of anthrax to influential Democrats, to put the fear of God in them again.

He needs to know people watch him and his administration a whole lot more closely now than we did in 2001, even as he seeks to watch US a whole lot more closely.

[ixion]

3. yeah, what chimpy wants should no longer be what he gets.

he should be getting what he deserves now, which is a nice chilly cell in the Hague.

[truthisfreedom]

15. and what chimpy once got should be what he now LOSES. we need to strip him

of a lot of these ridiculous imperial powers he was given.

[still_one]

6. He knows, but most important the Democratic Congress knows

They only have two years to prove themseleves, and expose what this administration has done to us

For Example, most people do not know that legislation has been passed which gives companies tax breaks if they off-shore jobs

This will NOT be a Dashille like Congress where they will sit passively and take any garbage the executive branch throws at them. They have power, and I believe in the next two years they will work to attain goals that MOST Americans would accept:

1. Implementing the 9/11 commission recommendations
2. Repealing laws that give companies tax breaks for off-shoring U.S. jobs
3. Fixing the medicare prescription plan, not only the donnut hole, but also allowing state to negotiate directly with drug manufacturers
4. Increasing the minimum wage
5. Bringing back reasonable interest rates for student loans
6. Government funding of stem cell research

and much more, especially a time-table for the Iraq withdrawal starting next year, and to be complete by 2007

Let's see bush and company veto these proposals. No matter WHAT they do, this will help us for 2008, because it will become clear that WE HAVE THE ISSUES ON OUR SIDE

[AndyTiedye]

8. Was Part of Kerry's Platform in '04. Repiglican Media Did Not Report It

For Example, most people do not know that legislation has been passed which gives companies tax breaks if they off-shore jobs

Which is interesting, because repealing that legislation was a big part of Kerry's platform in 2004.
Unfortunately, the media blackout kept the American people from hearing that, or anything else Kerry had to say.

The people still can't hear a word the Democrats say. They voted for us this time because they are sick of the Republicans.

[shanti]

13. if congress repeals this

maybe some of our jobs will come back to the u.s. imo, it should be just the OPPOSITE. give the tax breaks to corporations that KEEP the jobs here! also, cut off the supply of the hb1 visas...

it's time to cut the corporate money spigot off!

[AndyTiedye]

14. That Is Exactly What Kerry Proposed in 2004

Replace the tax break for OUTSOURCING with a tax break for creating AMERICAN JOBS.

Seems like such a good idea that the Republicans could not say anything against it.
So they just kept it off the airwaves instead.
That is the problem that we still face:
The American people cannot hear the Democratic message at all,
because the Republicans own all the microphones.

[HaggardsMethDealer]

2. Tastes.....so......sweet.

nm

[soothsayer]

4. Now THAT gives me hope that they just won't rubberstamp and

capitulate

[flyarm]

5. Now Harry what we want is a foia full list of who has been wiretapped!

Who Harry???..we want to know...

I want to know why for over 2 years there have been clicks and swishing onmy phones...

now for those who say..well you can't hear it...i say nonsence ..if you know what you are listening for you can!

My husband was VP of a powerful union..and we worked in Canada many years ago..
when union guys called we noticed the clicking and swishing sound..

we talked to the union headquarters here in the states ..and we were told ..use pay phones...to call with any problems..we were told we as US citizens had no constitutional rights while in Canada...

so when hubby called union..with any problems of union workers...he would go around the city and use pay phones!



Now i was elected a Fla delegate to dems...and shortly afterwards..my phones, plural..began clicking and swishing..

now i will say ..since last Feb-March it has stopped...and that seems to fall inline of when it was exposed and being discussed by many inthis country and dem congress..

couldn't be you say??

well i have two homes...

and the clicking was happening to me in Fla...constantly for 2 years..and when i came up north to my other home..there was no clicking or swishing for approx 3 days..so the line was clear for my first 3 days in my second home..and then "mysteriously" ( hmm) the clicking would start on the phones in my northern home...

the clicking remained constant on my cell phone...

now like i said..the clicking and swishing stopped this past spring..


sometimes the clicking was loud ..bu most the time..so quiet it was almost silent..but i could hear it..because i knew what i was listening for ..from our Canadian days...

and I had everyone of my friends..tuned in to listen for it..

even my republican friends heard it..and would get upset about it...

and i would go off the deep end..with my repub friends..and scream..sooo who is listening with our tax dollars to terrorists??..since they are wasting their money and time on me!!


sooooooooooooo ..now i want from this congress ...a full FOIA report of who has been tapped..

i want my freedom back as a US CITZEN...i want it back and i want to know it will never ever happen again!

I can understand when we were in Canada not having constitutional rights...

BUT NOT IN MY OWN COUNTRY.. DAMN IT!!

FLY

[texpatriot2004]

7. Woo Hoo! nm

[moc]

9. "The Bush administration has a backup plan. "

The Bush administration has a backup plan. In speeches over the next few weeks, the Justice Department will launch a new campaign for the legislation by casting the choice as one between supporting the program or dropping it altogether — and appearing soft on al-Qaida.

All Bush knows how to do is campaign. How pathetic.

[Trillo]

10. Yeah, all those darned activist judges on the FISA court

are so soft, pushovers, really; at least according to that line of hypocrisy.

While on the subject of "appearances", maybe the new Congress will consider renaming the Justice Department to something less similar to Judicial Branch. Say, Prosecution Department, or for the double redundancy approach, Executive Prosecution Department.

[NVMojo]

11. K & R

[Proud Liberal Dem]

12. One thing that surprises me

Although I'm concerned about this legislation, I would've thought that the MCA would've been less likely to pass and would've generated more outrage than this legislation.:shrug:

[Vidar]

16. Tune in for the next episode of "Tantrum of the Shrub".