Rep. Sestak On FISA: ‘We Should Have Stood Up And Said No’ - Think Progress (with Video)

[WillyT]

Rep. Sestak On FISA: ‘We Should Have Stood Up And Said No’

<snip>

In an interview with ThinkProgress yesterday, Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) expressed his disappointment with the recent revisions of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Over the weekend, Congress capitulated to White House demands, and passed a FISA bill that unnecessarily expands the power of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Sestak, who was one of 183 representatives to vote against the bill, told us:

How could we have not have stood up for rights of civil liberties while ensuring the proper ability to go and listen, and just stayed during the recess if necessary. And I understand that our leadership in the caucus has to worry about how the public will perceive it, but I also know this, that ultimately, we have to, as Benjamin Franklin said, be concerned that those who give up…liberty in the name security, deserve neither liberty or security. This is a time that I strongly believe, we should have stood up and said no. Attorney General Gonzales, we’re not going to let you decide the guidelines upon which you’ll listen in on Americans.

Sestak noted that the administration had rejected a compromise bill worked out between Congressional leaders and Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell. “We made the three major changes that wanted,” said Sestak. “The issue here is they just don’t want to come to the FISA court. That’s enough to tell me we need them to.”

“We had voted for a bill the evening before that had actually brought together a proper balance of the civil liberties of our citizens,” said Sestak. “We should have brought that bill up Saturday, instead of the Senate bill…we could have gotten it the next morning under majority votes. And that would have meant probably that we had to stay in session this week, and that would have forced the Senate to come back and deal with it.” Watch it:

<snip>

Link: http://thinkprogress.org/2007/08/08/sestak-on-fisa/

Well, at least here's one freshman Dem willing to call it Bullshit!

Good on you Joe!

[aquart]

1. Yeah. Shoulda.

[VP505]

2. Thank you Admiral

for your 20/20 hindsight, 40 + Congress People and 16 Senators couldn't say NO. Now 300 million will SUFFER more nightmares on top of all the others foisted on them by team Bu$h/Cheney/Gonzales, in ways yet to be known because "We Should Have Stood Up And Said No".

[WillyT]

3. Just To Be Clear Here...

Sestak did vote no.

Obviously, it was not enough.

[bdamomma]

4. All of my Senators and Reps from RI voted NO also.

unbelieveable how these jerks are giving more power to incompetent SOB's. sickening.

[SoCalDem]

5. The Shoulda, woulda, coulda Congress

not much to be prouda..:)