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Talks Start Again on Surveillance Bill
The administration's campaign to gin up alarm over the lapse of the Protect America Act having failed , Republicans first signaled a willingness to sit down with Democrats earlier this month.
Of course, the administration still wants its retroactive immunity for the telecoms that participated in the warrantless wiretapping program and the House Dems still refuse to grant that. So it's unclear what sort of compromise might emerge. But the talks have begun. From The Politico:
Congressional staffers from both parties met with administration officials Monday to discuss controversial electronic surveillance legislation, an aide to House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.)confirmed, offering a ray of hope for the long-stalled bill....Behind the scenes, Hoyer has emerged as a deal maker on the issue over the past several weeks, working as the go-between for liberal House Democrats unwilling to accept immunity and Senate Republicans who would block any bill that does not protect the telecoms from prosecution....
One House GOP aide said Hoyer is trying to get a proposal by the end of the week.
"He has August on his mind," said the GOP aide. "He knows it is the real do-or-die time for this."
Several of the authorizations governing ongoing surveillance programs are set to expire in August, which could force congressional action.
Comments (11)
What's the point in settlment? Let it ride. No immunity!
April 22, 2008 2:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
No immunity for phone companies and BushCo.
If Hoyer wants to shill for the GOP, let him join them.
April 22, 2008 2:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Golly, Hoyer goes to the mat and now folks are bad-mouthing him. If he wanted to cave, why did he hold out. Bush Co. told a bold face lie and Hoyer and Democrats faced them down for doing so. No harm in talking and I think Republicans see the next election as doomsday for them so they are feeling cooperative. So tell me, why not get legislation that is good for the country. Being stubborn may look attractive to some, but anyone who is thinking straight will see that Hoyer and his fellow Democrats won that round and are now in a position of strength to make sure that Bush Co is held accountable with NO immunity. Good for Hoyer and the Dems!!!!!
April 22, 2008 4:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
No immunity without transparency. We have to know what you did before we can decide whether or not you can be made immune for it. If it was done in our name, we must know what crimes we are being asked to absolve. It would be irresponsible for us not to demand to know first. It may be that the crimes are simply unpardonable, but we the American people should be the judge of that.
April 22, 2008 2:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
The telcos don't need immunity. All they have to do is to bring a claim against the government for reimbursement of all damages they incurred as a result of illegal acts they performed at the government's behest.
It's the Bush Administration which needs immunity for the telcos, so that they can keep their lawbreaking secret. They don't really care about those little "technical amendments" of the bill, either. It's all about their fetish for secrecy.
April 22, 2008 2:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Why is Hoyer doing the dirty work? If the republicans want this bill so bad, let them be the "go-betweens". Otherwise, let it die. This won't look good for your next re-election campaign, Mr. Hoyer.
Marko - from MARYLAND
April 22, 2008 3:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Way to go Icarus. You hit the nail directly on the head.
April 22, 2008 4:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Interesting timing to start this up while the Dem primary is still in full freak-out mode, dontcha think?
What the Republicans think is that the Democrats' legendary lack of spinal columns will help when they make their "Y'all may lose in November with the kind of in-fighting going on now, time to negotiate with us" pitch.
April 22, 2008 4:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
mJJ:
Your comment: "why not get legislation that is good for the country?"
FISA was good for the country. It is contrary to the United States Constitution to have wiretaps without a court order.
FISA allowed government to obtain a court ordered wiretap after-the-fact.
This concept of intercepting all communications is unnecessary and unconstitutional. To do so and then claim that nobody can review what was done and for what purpose it was done under the guise of National Security is ludicrous.
April 23, 2008 12:03 AM | Reply | Permalink
The new FISA was all smoke and mirrors....THERE NEVER WAS ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE ORIGINAL FISA LAW.
With the new law, the GOP WH put in a little civil immunity (knowing full well they had crim immunity because US ATTY's do not EVER INDICT ANY RIGHT WING AGENCIES FOR VIOLATING TITLE III) to stop any lawsuits that would result in discovery.
DISCOVERY OF WHAT?
Discovery of the facts in my 47 page US DOJ OIG Complaint that was suppressed...until PAT LEAHY pressured Glen Fine about it...and got Fine to testify obliquely about alot of nefarious crimes committed by NSA/DOD's CIFA/FBI/state and local law enforcement.
THESE CRIMES are called "using the Hand Off Method" of laundering illegally obtained info through another source or COMMITTING BRADY VIOLATIONS aka OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE.
I know.
It all happened to me.
A worthless criminal punk NAMED DAVE NELSON, Minnehaha Cty States Attorney in Sioux Falls, SD,...knows all about his "material falsifications in his bogus ex parte eavesdropping warrant applications" that Circuit Court Judge PETER GREGORY RUBBERSTAMPED until...Dave got my memo, and was forced to admit that he had FRANKS DOCTRINE AND BRADY PROBLEMS.
Judge Gregory...refused to hand over his copy of the bogus applications.
Gregory became a target.
Gregory was set up...and later melted down into a pool of depression and fear. Judge Gregory resigned quietly, and turned over his paperwork to Nelson and his team (SF FBI, SFPD, NSA, CIA?).
April 24, 2008 11:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
This bill should be permanently tabled, due to being unconstitutional from start to finish - (telco immunity being the LEAST of its transgressions) repealing the Fourth Amendment by legislation shouldn't even be under consideration.
April 24, 2008 5:36 PM | Reply | Permalink