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Bush: "No Compromise" on Surveillance Bill
Well, this is probably why the Republicans didn't show up today to help hash out a compromise. There's not going to be one. From the AP:
President Bush on Thursday stood by his demand for legal protection for phone companies that help the government eavesdrop on suspected terrorists, saying he sees no prospect of a compromise with congressional Democrats on the subject....Asked about a potential deal with Democrats, Bush said, "I would just tell you there's no compromise on whether these phone companies get liability protection." The administration says it needs the help of the phone companies for its post Sept. 11, 2001, surveillance.
Bush said his strategy for breaking the deadlock on the surveillance bill will be to keep talking about why it should be passed on his terms. "The American people understand we need to be listening to the enemy," he said.
Update: Sen. Kit Bond (R-MO), ranking member of the intelligence committee, echoes the sentiment in a statement:
“Last week, the House Democratic leadership had the opportunity to put national security first but they chose instead to leave town for a twelve day vacation. Today’s so-called bicameral staff meeting is nothing more than a partisan attempt by Democratic staff at the 11th hour to dismantle the bipartisan compromise that a majority of the Senate and the House support.“The time for excuses and more meetings is over. House Democratic leaders have had months to work in a bipartisan fashion yet they have done nothing but stall. If they want to work in good faith they should give their members the opportunity to pass the bipartisan compromise that protects civil liberties and gives our terror fighters the tools they need to keep American families safe.”
So the Republicans have done their negotiating -- and it resulted in the Senate bill, which contains retroactive immunity. The negotiating is over.
Comments (19)
Think for a moment just what Bush means when he says he needs to listen to "the enemy". Now, just who would that be, from his point of view? Terrorists? I don't think so...
February 21, 2008 5:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well that is fine. No compromise no bill. All the better. That way the lawsuits go forward and we all get to see the info about illegal wiretapping before 911 by the Bush administration. Maybe this moron will wind up in jail after it is all said and done. But, I wont hold my breath. And let me just ask again. Where is the indictment for perjury for Alberto Gonzales? Hmmmm?
February 21, 2008 5:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
There is no negotiation on the 4th Amendment warrant requirement. The Bill of Rights trumps the GOP's acquiescence to the telecoms implicit Blackmail: "Give us immunity, or we will not defend you." Time for the public to openly discuss new systems of oversight for this US government.
February 21, 2008 6:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
The President is not responsive to demands to enforce the 4th Amendment. The House is not obliged to honor any promise "not to impeach".
February 21, 2008 6:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think impeachment is still in the cards. I don't want to jinx it, but with the McClusterfuck that occurred today, its quickly looking like a one horse race.
There is no candidate that will defeat Obama, period. The Republicans will not win anything in November, period.
Whats left to do but impeach when you've wrapped up the election by February?
February 21, 2008 6:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Bush and GOP "my way or the highway" approach, can only be answered in kind. He's shown 500 times that if you compromise with him, it makes him no more willing to compromise with you in the future.
You can't earn brownie points with this guy. Give him an inch and he'll just smirk and then demand another inch.
Where are the polls on how the voters stand on this? I'm guessing that standing firm isn't really hurting the Dems at all.
February 21, 2008 6:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Why does no-one bring up the pre-9/11 warrantless wiretapping that was going on?
February 21, 2008 6:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Exactly sef. Here's compromise I could accept ... immunity for any POST 9-11 programs they helped with, NO immunity for PRE 9-11 programs they helped with, regardless of when the offending actions were taken.
February 21, 2008 10:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
If Bush is pushing this hard, there must be another shoe yet to drop.
February 21, 2008 7:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
"President Bush on Thursday stood by his demand for legal protection for phone companies that help the government eavesdrop on suspected terrorists..."
This statement captures why I am so angry at the MSM (and why I visit sites like TPM). Because of the appalling lack of checks on the Bush administration's lawlessness, we don't know who they tried to listen to. That is the crux of the controversy, yet the AP article takes on the Bush administration's water and says it's eavesdropping on "suspected terrorists". The article does this despite the fact that this administration has no credibility, and that the evidence points to this program's primary goal (at least initially) being to eavesdrop on whoever they want, whenever they want. The uninformed will think that the evil Democrats are preventing the government from protecting us, based on this article. Grrrr...
[Deep breath] I get angry every time I read or think about this stuff.
February 21, 2008 7:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
A letter I sent to my congressman and senators and was assured by my congressman that immunity would not pass the house;
First let me say that I am a 10 year veteran of the US Armed Forces (4 years active Navy, 6 years Coast Guard Reserve). I have family currently stationed over seas and either deployed or due to deploy to Iraq. For the better part of a year now I have refused to delete e-mails from my in-box and currently have somewhere around 3000 languishing on my service providers' server; that provider being Time Warner Cable. At first I didn't delete the e-mails out of pure procrastination. But as the numbers have and continue to increase and sporadic automatic notices to delete e-mails, or have my service suspended have been and continue to be ignored; I am suspicious that my e-mail is being monitored. I have and continue to participate in the anti-war movement most notably World Cant Wait Drive Out The Bush Regime.
As a veteran who served in the Persian Gulf and received a Combat Action Ribbon I feel I earned my right to protest. No one can legitimately deny my patriotism. But for those who may not have served, I would submit to you that suspicions of this nature can and do have a significant chilling effect on a citizens' willingness, or their very confidence to participate in unpopular political/protest activity. We now know that the Bush Administration had a coordinated preemptive policy toward anyone or any organization that would voice dissent at Republican events. Did they have one for the anti-war movement? Did they specifically target veterans whom they would perceive to be the front line (God forbid) of an insurrection? Are they targeting Americans with family currently serving in the armed forces for fear that information unfavorable to their policies or actions might make it home?
I do not propose to know the answer to any of these questions. I feel you should. They do not keep me up at night. For you and the oath you took to uphold the Constitution Of The United Sates these questions demand no less.
Please, Honorable Senators, Congressman do not close this matter without great pause. There is a creeping normalcy afoot in this nation that if left unchecked could threaten the very basis of our democratic form of government.
Thank you.
February 21, 2008 8:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Telecom Imuity = Bush Immunity It's that simple.
The telecom immunity legislation has text that in effect legalize what Bush/Cheeny did.
Bush will kill to get it because the legislation is worded to grant amnesty based on a finding that what bush did was legal... It's his get of of free jail card.
And he's already spent a lot of money buying off senators... what the hell's the matter... "Days were when you bought a Politician, that son-of-a-bitch stayed bought." from the movie Used Cars...
February 21, 2008 8:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Call and write your elected officials to let them know your outrage at this.
Bush is covering his own butt. And *I* want it to come out. The lawlessness this administration has continued to inflict on our society (and not just us in present tense, us in terms of judicial appointees and more)needs to be shown. He works for US! He blew our savings account (the treasure).
It's disgusting and our MSM isn't even a joke anymore. They are an abomination.
Thanks TPM for what you do daily. God only knows how much we need you.
February 21, 2008 8:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bush really is the complete and utter failure he was always destined to be as President. This latest scare mongering and abuse of power is just par for the course with him. A recent poll has him as the worst president in history! And, boy, has he earned it. Hey, W, history is judging you now, in the present. And it's not a complimentary picture. nuff said.
February 21, 2008 9:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
The next step for the Dem's -and all of us who are against retroactive immunity- is to be pointing out that the telecoms DO have legal protection once a warrant is issued (going forward) and they DO have legal protection under the 'Protect America Act' for any surveillance that was in place before the expiration of it; NOW if the AP would only recognize that fact.
February 21, 2008 10:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
it can't be that important of an issue
the Democrats scheduled a conference
the repuglitards didn't show up
this proves that the repuglitards must not care about this issue
if they did care, don't you think they would have attended the conference ???
hypocrisy rules in the repuglitard party
and they ain't even trying to hide it anymore
February 21, 2008 10:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Republicans seem pretty damn sure they will get their way, because they will.
February 22, 2008 11:05 AM | Reply | Permalink
If George only had some patients. The Democrats will eventually cave.
February 22, 2008 11:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
The only time that the Telecoms should have immunity is in the 3 days. 72 hours. From the time that the first tap is placed to the time the government produces its warrant. After that No warrant no tap. And if they go 10 minutes past that 72 hours they should be thrown in jail for invasion of privacy. Nuff said. Let's all stop living in Bizarro world. Just because this jack ass Bush does, doesn't mean that we have to. Hell if only his parents would have thought this earlier on in his life we might be better off today.
February 25, 2008 1:57 AM | Reply | Permalink