Listening to Rockefeller's remarks makes my head shake. Going way back to the days when Sen. Pat Roberts essentially stone-walled all and every attempt to get meaningful legislation through that Committe, for Sen. Jay to make the comments about how disappointed heis in the conduct is incredulous. Rockefeller knew what he was ealing with from the other side of the aisle: a bunch of lemmings who were taking orders from Dick Cheney and Karl Rove who would twist all matters pertaining to Natinal Security matters toanything but "Protect America".

Jay Rockefeller - wake up, dude. If you want to make progress here, you need to drag your Repug colleagues through the streets of the nation and tell Americans they are less secure because of THE POLICIES of the Bush Administration.

Sadly, Sen. Jay, you have surrendered your cajones to the "Let's Be Nice" gang only to watch them wax you big time.

Fine with me if the Republicans don't want to play ball on this. If there's no compromise and the bill dies, that pretty much does what progressive Democrats want. If the president vetos the bill, then there's still no replacement FISA legislation, and that, too, pretty much does what progressive Democrats want.

So as long as the House stands firm, the Republicans can hold their breath as long as they like. I hope they like blue...

The "pro-immunity Senate intelligence committee chair Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)" who received somethng like $42,000. in legal campaign contribution bribes from ATT and Verizon.

He received his quid and trying mightily to provide the quo. He's hardly in any position to drag anyone through the streets as to matters of principle.

Where was it I once read about how the NE power elite families sent their progeny South to assume positions of power and influence in other regions of the country?

I agree with cjop, let the bill die on conference and give up the talking point.

If primary turnout is ANY indication, Dems/Indie/Mod Reps are going to FLOOD to the polls this fall, especially with Obama on the ticket. Red state Dem candidates in swing districts have nothing to fear but their lily-livered fear itself.

And if these red state dem candidates can't pontificate and score debate points with the following, then these dolts wouldnt be worth their weight in Congress anyway and we, as a Nation, are better off without them getting into office, then getting paid $150K for the rest of their lives.

winning debate points, each prefaced with 'despite WH claims':

(a) FISA has been amended to account for new technologies (telecom transitting US)
(b) court warrants and private property are Bill of Rights stuff
(c) retroactive immunity is NOT the most important issue here.
(d) telecoms getting a FISA court warrant tomorrow would be just as compelled to comply as last month.
(e) entire senior Justice Dept echelon was willing to resign in 2004 in protest over wiretapping program, suggesting something rather serious was going on.
(f) Qwest's Legal Counsel was smart enough to smell Constitutionality questions and asked NSA for proper court warrant. why didn't the others and why do they deserve immunity?

oh4real