Protect America Act of 2007

Hey folks,

I really wanted to talk about this yesterday morning, however the Obama and McCain sweeps were the big breaking news of the day. As you could probably tell, due to how brief it was, I was also short on time. So I want to touch on this today.

When S. 1927, the Protect America Act of 2007, was being debated, I sent my thoughts and comments to Representative Tim Mahoney, among others, in support of this. This was highly contested, sometimes heatedly. The Press was all over this for years. "Domestic Spying," "invasion of privacy," "abuse of power," "Evil Bush is spying on you," ETC.

Not much of any of this reporting was accurate, but it was something else to blame Bush for. Traitors Pelosi and Reid, called for hearings, called the President names, demanded it be stopped. Even one moronic Federal Judge thought she had the power to stop it. So? Jump forward to this past Monday, what happened?

I got this in my Email Monday night.

Dear Mr. Carlock:

Thank you for expressing your support for S. 1927, the Protect America Act of 2007. I appreciate you taking the time to share your views with me.

As you know, S. 1927 allows the Director of National Intelligence and the Attorney General to authorize the acquisition of foreign intelligence regarding individuals who are reasonably believed to be outside of the United States. The bill does not require that they seek approval from the secret court created under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, also known as the FISA court. This bill, passed by the House and the Senate and signed into law by the President on August 5, 2007, greatly expands the powers of the federal government to watch and listen to Americans without first seeking the permission of a court of law. In this age of covert terrorism, our government needs tools that can enable it to act quickly and effectively to combat threats to our national security. However, I could not support such a blatant disregard for our Constitution and the Fourth Amendment which I swore an oath to uphold.

Again, thank you for taking the time to share your views with me. Although we disagree on this issue, I hope that you will continue to keep me informed of your views on this and other issues of interest to you.

Sincerely,

Tim Mahoney
Member of Congress

Now Mahoney is not a card carrying member of the LWL by any stretch. He was a Republican turned Democrat in 2004 because of what he claims to be disgust with the GOP. He is a Born Again Christian and a member of the "Blue Dog Democrats." A more Moderate to Conservative group of Democrats. But on THIS, we STRONGLY disagree.

It seems however, he was in the VAST Minority on this issue. When the time came to anti up, the Congress PASSED the Fisa vote.

The NYT reported THIS on Tuesday night.

WASHINGTON — After more than a year of heated political wrangling, the Senate handed the White House a major victory Tuesday by voting to broaden the government’s spy powers after giving legal protection to phone companies that cooperated in President Bush’s warrantless eavesdropping program.

The Senate rejected a series of amendments that would have restricted the government’s surveillance powers and eliminated immunity for the phone carriers, and it voted in convincing fashion — 69 to 29 — to end debate and bring the issue to a final vote. That vote on the overall bill was an almost identical 68 to 29.

Obama? NO. Clinton? No Show. So much for their devotion of protecting America.

The House has already rejected the idea of immunity for the phone companies, and Democratic leaders reacted angrily to the Senate vote. But Congressional officials said it appeared that the House would ultimately be forced to accept some sort of legal protection for the phone carriers in negotiations between the two chambers this week.

The Senate debate amounted to a proxy vote not only on the president’s warrantless wiretapping program, but also on a range of other issues that tested the president’s wartime authority, from secret detentions to wiretapping issues. The discussion in effect presaged the debate over national security that will play out this year in the presidential and congressional elections.

Senator Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut, who spoke on the Senate floor for more than 20 hours in an unsuccessful effort to stall the wiretapping bill, said the vote would be remembered by future generations as a test of whether the country heeds “the rule of law or the rule of men.”

But with Democrats defecting to the White House plan, he acknowledged that the national security issue had won the day in the Senate, even among many of his Democratic colleagues. “Unfortunately, those who are advocating this notion that you have to give up liberties to be more secure are apparently prevailing,” Mr. Dodd said. “They’re convincing people that we’re at risk either politically, or at risk as a nation.”

Idiot. We are at a time of war. This just makes sense. But notice, he would rather play games?

With resistance led by Mr. Dodd and Senators Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, critics of the administration’s plan argued that it effectively rewarded phone companies by providing them with legal insulation for actions that violated longstanding law and their own fiduciary responsibilities to their customers. Immunity would protect the phone companies from some 40 lawsuits now pending that charge the firms broke the law by taking part in the program.

Which is all bunk. Liberal attacks meant to hurt Bush. That's all those lawsuits are about.

But supporters of the plan said the phone carriers acted out of patriotism after the Sept. 11 attacks in complying with what they believed in good faith was a legally binding order from the president. Republicans were able to garner the support of 19 Democrats and Senator Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut. Democratic leaders charged that the tactics the Republicans used smacked of fear-mongering.

That is the new Liberal tag, name calling, or whatever. If you point out that we do not live in a utopia where the world should love us, and that their are real threats out there, then you are playing the "FEAR CARD." Nope. Just pointing out REALITY to those who are to blind to see.

“This, I believe, is the right way to go for the security of the nation,” said Senator John D. Rockefeller IV, the West Virginia Democrat who leads the intelligence committee and who was a pivotal supporter of the White House-backed plan approved Tuesday.

Beyond the immunity provision, the Senate measure would also widen the executive branch’s surveillance powers by allowing the National Security Agency and intelligence agencies to use broad orders — without getting court orders in advance — to eavesdrop on groups of overseas targets, rather than using individualized warrants.

Folks, this concept of going into court, asking for a warrant, waiting on a judge to make up his mind, to record a phone conversation talking about killing Americans is just asinine. One, you take away the authority from those that KNOW what is going on, and give it to one person, who may or may not have an agenda. One person that may or may not have a clue. To one person, the judge, who may or may not have the CLEARENCE to even know about it. Two, while doing this, a plan could have been hatched and talked about that could prevent an attack. Yet, while we were playing in court, they are coming to play here. The concept of this is completely asinine. It WAS the right vote.
Peter


Sources:
NYT - Senate Passes Bill to Expand U.S. Spying Powers