Republicans propose bill on spy program

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Several moderate Senate Republicans are coalescing around legislation that would give President Bush's much-discussed domestic surveillance program the force of law, more than four years after the program was secretly initiated.
....
The Senate Intelligence Committee was meeting late Tuesday afternoon to discuss whether to open a full-scale investigation. The committee was also expected to consider whether to establish a small subcommittee which would have authority to oversee the highly classified program.

If passed, DeWine's legislation would write into law exactly what that new subcommittee would do. It would also give the president the authority to create a list of terror organizations to be monitored.

His bill does not require that the terror groups must be foreign. Nor does it rely on the State Department's Foreign Terrorist Organization list, which is often used in government as a reference about which organizations are considered most dangerous.

When asked last week why he didn't use the State Department's list, DeWine said he wanted to give the president flexibility, particularly so he did not have to come to Congress to update the organizations that could be monitored.

http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/washington/index.ssf?/base/politics-9/1141770577300310.xml&storylist=washington

[ixion]

1. fascist sleazebags

really, these people make me :puke:

[Born Free]

5. rather than enforce the law they change it

I am surprised the democrats didn't just change the law concerning Bill's blow job, that would have saved a lot of trouble - oh that 's right, democrats can't do that, the republicans insist democrats must obey the laws.

[Canuckistanian]

2. Silly Republicans, they've already passed that bill in '78

What was it called again, FOSA, FUSA, something like that...

[Eric J in MN]

3. Things just go from bad to worse.

Now they want Bush to be able to create a (secret?) list of organizations who are supposedly terrorist and spy on any suspected member without a warrant.

[Marie26]

18. If they do this

Democracy is officially dead.

[leftchick]

4. fascist MFer enablers

:argh:

[Amonester]

6. Ask DeWine: What IF the next Prez is a Dem President?

"DeWine said he wanted to give the president flexibility, particularly so he did not have to come to Congress to update the organizations that could be monitored."

Umm... Not that Die Bold & Co would ever "let" THAT happen, eh?

What IF anyway? (How "funny" would these fascist enablers "look" then?) :eyes:

[senaca]

7. First sentence 3rd paragraph. say what?

Am I reading this wrong? The bill is going to be passed then DeWine's legislation would write into law exactly what the new subcommittee would do. Why pass it without full details first?

[Rose Siding]

8. Maybe the bill is *instead* of the subcommittee? Snowe and Hagel caved-

The article doesn't make it clear but this, from fdl, makes it sound like Rockefeller's motion failed-

snip>
CNN is reporting that the Intelligence Committee has knuckled under to Bill Frist, shirked their responsibility for oversight, collaborated with the criminal Bush cabal and voted not to look into the illegal NSA wiretaps. Ed Henry says that they agreed to propose new legislation requiring a 45 day reauthorization cycle.

Proving once again -- there is no such thing as a moderate Republican.

Our hopes for the immediate future now seem to lie with the Judiciary Committee. The Roots Project will be having an action later this week in Pennsylvania to put pressure on Arlen Specter so if you live in Pennsylvania or have some connection to it and would like to be involved in the action please send me your email here and I'll add you to our contact/discussion list.

We're also planning to do a little fundraising shortly to expand the Roots project and hire a full time person to oversee it. It's an effective mechanism we are just beginning to fully exploit so keep the faith and pass the ammo.

Update: Josh of Thoughts From Kansas reports (via email) that Snowe, DeWine, Hagel were all on board.

http://firedoglake.blogspot.com/

[lyonn]

17. Spying can be productive

After reading part of Firedoglake it occured to me that since bushco is able to investigate any and everyone he probably has enough secret or embarassing stuff on all who go against him to make them change their minds and/or votes. Makes sense.

This afternoon the news would briefly mention what was happening on this issue and it sounded so vague as to what this means. So far it looks like they make up the rules as they go along vetoing any amendment from the Dems. So sad.

[rodeodance]

9. They are giving Bush the law he wants (and forgetting he has/IS breaking

the law at this moment.


sickos

[54anickel]

10. Is it time to hit the streets yet? My aunt in Europe wants to know why

Americans haven't started some mass protest against Bushco yet?

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

20. Millions have marched.

:tv: :boring:

Tell Auntie that it's going to have to get much, much worse.

[Arkansas Granny]

11. So all the pissing and moaning they were doing earlier was just

so much window dressing. In the end they are going to "change the law" to let Bush do legally what he has been doing illegally for four years. What a bunch of patriots they are. It's really comforting to know that they are representing the best interests of the people who elected them.

:sarcasm: (As if it's really needed.)

[MisterP]

12. the Gang of Fourteen will save us again!

like they did when they blocked Scalito, like everyone said they would!
von Papen will save us!

[xxqqqzme]

13. THIS is exactly why I have lost all

hope this country would correct itself. If the Democrats are not going to fight why the f*ck should I keep banging my head against the wall? Why? Nothing will change in November - California is set to go red - just like saurove desires. I'm not waiting until some group I am a member of ends up on chucklenut's personal, private terrorist list. Can you say ACLU? Sierra Club?

Time to go folks, time to go - the window of opportunity is closing fast. You wondered how everyday Germans could sit back'n do nothing 66+ years ago? Welcome to the new time, same as the old time.

[suffragette]

19. The Patriot Act Renewal and this news in one day

And what it says about the list. How brazen can they get? They don't even bother to hide the McCarthyesque language anymore.

[HuffleClaw]

14. bush CAN'T support it even in the slightest. to do so would be an open

admission that the domestic spying program was (and is) ILLEGAL.

[Justice Is Comin]

15. That bald vulture bait

son of a bitch and that cat killer are the sleaziest excuse for congressmen in my lifetime. Just remember how it works you son of a bitches. If that congress ever becomes Democratic majority in November, you're going to wish for an early retirement.

Just remember how it works because your payback is coming. The leaders we've been waiting for is us. America has got to excise these living fungus if we don't do another thing in our lives.

[high density]

16. They had me at "moderate" Republicans.

:eyes: