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Reid Files Bill to Extend Surveillance Law Again
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) makes a bid to avoid another edition of the administration's surveillance squeeze play. From CQ:
To guard against the expiration of a temporary surveillance law Feb. 16, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid , D-Nev., has filed a bill that would extend it for 15 days.The Senate is expected to pass a six-year bill overhauling the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act on Feb. 12, but that gives lawmakers little time to work out a compromise between the Senate bill and a House-passed version before the Presidents Day recess begins and the temporary law expires.
Reid filed the latest extension Friday “in case we can’t finish the conference negotiations in time,” spokesman Jim Manley said.
Having given in once, the Republicans have vowed not to give in again. So no matter how justified the plea, this dog won't hunt.
Note: Get ready for another round of the GOP's double-talk squeeze special, e.g. the Dem's effort to extend the bill that must not lapse is unacceptable.
Josh
Zachary
The suspense is killing me. No joke--it is.
It's Chinese water torture... I'm sure it's legal, though.
A good weekend to all
February 8, 2008 5:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is pathetic, what is the point? Reid will let the Republicans run the conference committee anyway, why drag out the inevitable?
February 8, 2008 5:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Repubs can always trot out their ace-in-hole: say the Dems are helping the terrorists. Works every time.
February 8, 2008 7:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Fucking Reid.
LET THEM FILIBUSTER, you pathetic coward. And then the bill expires. And get on every goddamn show in the country explaining in no uncertain terms that the fucking Republicans hate America.
I had high hopes for Congress after the 2006 election. Turns out, they're a bunch of sniveling, craven pushovers, with Reid first and foremost among them.
February 8, 2008 7:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
If they let it lapse, all they need, apparently, is a Justice Department opinion saying anything they do is OK. What's the problem?
February 8, 2008 11:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is strengthening the case for two things, in my mind.
1) A wider Congressional majority
2) New leadership
I don't mean Congressional Dems need a firestarter who will get his or her hackles up at every issue. But, on the big ones, the ones that really matter, we need people ready to lead by example.
If we have a political mind on our side as astute as Gingrich was for the opposition, it's time to put that mind (or those minds) at the forefront of our party.
What we don't need is to promote people into leadership because they are from safe districts (San Francisco, Maryland) or because we are courting their region (Missouri, South Dakota, Nevada), not for the very top of the party.
Let the base lead for the base.
February 9, 2008 9:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
Harry, you are a spineless weenie. You and your big mouth, spineless Dem cohorts disgust me. You have totally squandered the power to create real change and hold the Repubs and Bush accountable. Time to step aside.
February 9, 2008 10:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
Why don't the Democrats (and Reid specifically) have the balls to just let it die and blame it rightly on the Republicans? What a bunch of fucking cowards these DC Dems are!
February 9, 2008 4:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Go ahead squeeze him! Force Reid to actually make a decision - does he want to continue the slide into a police state, or would he prefer a republic based on law rather than presidential whim? It really shouldn't be all that hard.
Just let the PAA die and if the nasty ol' Republicans complain, ask them: "Why do you hate America?".
February 9, 2008 6:01 PM | Reply | Permalink