(Sen) Leahy says wiretapping bill is a top priority

[sabra]

Source: Vermont Public Radio

Senator Patrick Leahy says one of his top priorities in the coming weeks is the passage of a bill that requires the Bush Administration to obtain court approval before putting new electronic wiretapping programs in place.

Leahy is also opposed to plans to provide telephone companies with retroactive immunity for their participation in surveillance activities between 2001 and 2006.

...

Leahy says he's concerned that the Bush Administration conducted thousands of illegal searches of private telephone calls between 2001 and late 2006 as part of an anti terrorist program.

...

(Leahy) "I think there has been so much focus on what the telephone companies did that people have ignored the fact that many in the White House, former Attorney General Gonzales and others Dick Cheney and those in his office put together this plan to operate outside the law and I don't think we should pass legislation that allows them to escape liability and allows them to escape any responsibility for breaking the law."

Read more: http://www.vpr.net/news_detail/78739/

[Robbien]

1. The headline had me worried

I was afraid somehow over the holidays Leahy was waterboarded or something to come into line with Reid's way of thinking.

Good for Leahy. Not only does he not want to give immunity to telecos, he is going to the root of the problem and trying to stop unwarranted spying altogether.

A Big Thumbs UP Senator Leahy.

[kas125]

21. It's STILL not good enough!

It says a plan that "requires the Bush Administration to obtain court approval before putting new electronic wiretapping programs in place." It says NEW programs, not anything about stopping the programs already in place. Sure, stopping new programs is a good thing, but they need to stop the warrantless spying altogether.

[cali]

2. He's right. We can't focus on the telacoms to the exculusion

of the criminals in the White House

[Didereaux]

3. Leahy is a lying piece of crap and is Spectors lapdog...PERIOD!

For 30+ yrs this worthless piece of crap has spouted hot air and caved to the Repugnants every damn time. Good goddam bet the sonuvabitch has a B. Arnold in his geneological tree.

Outside of that I have no real feelings one way or another on Mr Leahy.

except maybe this:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/didereaux/

[cali]

9. you're a

mendacious little piece of...., aren't you? Leahy wrote the Habeas Restoration Act and the War Profiteering Prevention Act. He got subpoenas and contempt citations for KKKarl. He stripped immunity for telecoms out of the Intelligence Committee bill. He's one of the few Congress members who doesn't endlessly defend Israel and AIPAC. He's been tireless in efforts to ban land mines and restrict the use of cluster bombs. And so much more.

Go Cheney yourself, dips**t.

[ray of light]

11. Leahy has done a good job I think.

[L. Coyote]

4. Right on the mark "allows them to escape any responsibility for breaking the law."

The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee is calling Bush, Cheney, Gonzo, et.all WH crooks, criminals. I'd say that is both a positive development and HUGE news.

[Didereaux]

6. uh if thats so good now, where was he last year, last Spring etc etc licking Specters A&^ thats wh

[robinlynne]

17. No. He was standing up. As a matter of fact he personally was able to remove the immmunity from the

bill passing through his committee, even though a majority (because of Feinstein) voted for immunity!

[pleah]

5. I am tired of them telling us they are concerned, I want

them to actually do something.

[grahamhgreen]

7. Time to call Leahy and support his comments, however the old bill expires and the wiretapping stops

if they do nothing.

[DCKit]

8. Oh NOOOOOO!!!! What will Georgie do without his toys????

Er, I meant "TOOLS".

[robinlynne]

16. not true, unfortunately. ALL PEOPLE who have been wiretapped up until the end of

the bill get an automatic extension of an extra 12 months. The bill was for 6 months + 12 more months on every phone and email of every person they were able to listen in on during the 6 months. which, the way they are doing it, dragnet style, is everyone!

[grahamhgreen]

18. Are you serious?

These guys are unbelievable.

Pretty soon they will start writing the laws in latin, or some other dead language so that no-one can understand what they are doing.

[robinlynne]

19. oh yes I am serious! That is why it is such a huge error! (Thank-you Ms Pelosi!)

[robinlynne]

20. Here's a link:

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/08/analysis-new-la.html

Halfway down the page, wherre it says the law, it explains.

[NoodleyAppendage]

10. Blah. Blah. Blah. You watch, Dem Senators will roll over on this in the end.

They ALL talk tough...generally just enough to lessen pressure from the grassroots, but we all know in the end they will capitulate to the telecom corporate masters and give the Criminal in Chief exactly what he wants.

Bet on it.

[cali]

12. So stripping immunity for the telecoms is just talking tough?

Authoring and pushing the Habeas Restoration Act is just talking tough? Holding Gonzo's feet to the fire is just talking tough? Pushing contempt citations through the SJC is just talking tough?
He's certainly not perfect, but it's ridiculous to claim that Leahy does nothing but talk tough.

[NoodleyAppendage]

13. Please provide a substantive example where he has produced a viable change?

He talks a good game, but I have yet to see ANY evidence of where he has made good on ANY of his threats or anti-Chimp legislative proposals. Typically, he gives the bullshit "we need 60 votes" excuse.

J

[cali]

14. sure. Gonzales is out because of the hearings Leahy held.

and you're pulling stuff out of your ass. Leahy does not "typically" say "we need 60 votes". In fact, that's not something I've ever heard him say. He stripped immunity for the telecoms from the Intelligence Committee bill. He got contempt citations for Bolton and Rove passed in the JC. Do you actually think he fucking controls the Senate? He's not even in the leadership. Try learning the basics. Oh, and name one Senator who's done more. Yeah, yeah, you'll name the current DU flavor, Senator Dodd, but much as I like Dodd, he most certainly hasn't done more than Leahy.

[NoodleyAppendage]

22. Feingold. Feingold. Feingold.

Feingold is infinitely more principled.

J

[cali]

24. that's not exactly measurable, now is it?

And what evidence do you have that Leahy isn't principled. I have evidence that he is: In 34 years in the Senate, he has not used his position to enrich himself- at all. He's the 95th wealthiest Senator. No stocks, bonds or big houses. He's worked on issues he believes in- like banning the use of land mines for decades. Anyway, that wasn't the question asked. I asked you to name one Senator who's accomplished more. I know you're way into binary thinking, but try wedging open that mind for a minute: Feingold is an excellent Senator. Leahy is an excellent Senator. Both can be true without any conflict.

[robinlynne]

15. Thank-you Senator! nt

[creeksneakers2]

23. Leahy is right

The Bush cabal should not be allowed to escape.

Protecting the fourth amendment is more important than holding the phone companies accountable. We should do both. All the grassroots demand is over the phone companies. More blogosphere attention needs to go with the protections that were included in the Leahy bill and not in the Rockefeller bill.