Senate Votes to Give Retroactive Immunity for Telecoms

[Hissyspit]

Source: Talking Points Memo

Senate Votes to Give Retroactive Immunity for Telecoms

By Paul Kiel - February 12, 2008, 11:19AM
Let there be no doubt: a majority of senators, and a large number of Democrats, think the telecoms should not suffer the hazard of accountability for cooperating with the administration's warrantless wiretapping program. Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) took to the floor last night to give a speech asking, "This is our defining question, the question that confronts every generation: The rule of law, or the rule of men?" The resounding answer: the rule of men.

The Senate voted on the Dodd/Feingold amendment, which would have stripped retroactive immunity from the surveillance bill just now. The final tally was 31-67; crossing over to vote nay were Sens. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Evan Bayh (D-IA), Daniel Inouye (D-HI), Tim Johnson (D-SD), Herb Kohl (D-WI), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Mark Pryor (D-AR), Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Ken Salazar (D-CO), Tom Carper (D-DE), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Jim Webb (D-VA), Ben Nelson (D-NE), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Kent Conrad (D-ND), and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI). Update: Here's the official tally.

Presidential candidates Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Barack Obama (D-IL) were present for the vote – voting nay and yea, respectively.

Read more: http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/02/senate_votes_for_retroactive_i.php

[stillrockin]

1. The fish rots from the head. That head is named Harry Reid.

Thanks a lot, Jim Webb, you effin sellout.

[abluelady]

11. I Spoke To His Office

And they told me he was against immunity. Wonder what deal he made with the devil.

[jkilvik]

35. Harry Reid is a weak tinkler

And those Senators who thought he was a good choice for ML should be questioned closely.

[trthnd4jstc]

39. Harry Reid, and Nancy Pelosi, Why?

Not wanting to be a Conspiracy Theorist, I wonder why the Democrats selected Reid, and Pelosi for their positions. I guess standing up for Truth, and Justice is just not important enough to our Democratic Leadership. Why?

[tbyg52]

94. Words without deeds mean zip

He still might not have won, but he could have put up a lot better fight.

[defendandprotect]

56. Are you saying we've been betrayed by Democrats in our own party?

About time that is said clearly ---

Now let's talk about the DLC and Republicans in the Democratic party --- PLEASE!!!!

[defendandprotect]

57. How much longer before we understand that the Democratic Party is betraying us --?

Not only Pelosi and Reid but many more ---

Including the 40 or more "blue dogs" which the DLC supports ---

and they are soliciting more of them to stand against liberals in the party!!!

[stillrockin]

60. I think many have been getting the message, loud and clear,

especially since Nov. '06.

[defendandprotect]

90. The message was "loud and clear" two decades ago ---

and, obviously, the lack of any acknowledgment of this keeps Democrats from looking
at other ways to solve this problem ---

They keep "hoping" that the Democrats will perform --- !!!

There's no PLAN B no matter how many times you ask them ---

there is simply a large need among Democrats to hang on and deny what is so obvious.

Shhhhhhh --- don't talk about it ---!!!

[GodlessBiker]

2. No Clinton?

[cottonseed]

27. That's her standing up to the right wing smear machine.

Hiding under a rock during tough votes.

[IndianaGreen]

93. She gave Bush what he wanted on Iraq and Iran

so why not join Bush in stomping on the Constitution?

[Connie_Corleone]

3. Where was Hillary? (asked innocently by Connie_Corleone)

[Kittycat]

6. I'm sure she was there, maybe the vote log will show that?

Surely?

[MagsDem]

41. And as usual, you're wrong

[Winterblues]

7. Would her vote have mattered either way?

The votes had been counted before hand as they always are and the issue was resolved before any votes cast..

[Connie_Corleone]

8. Nope. But that never stopped the Hillary supporters from attacking Obama for the same thing.

I'm just pointing out the hypocrisy.

[Kittycat]

9. It might matter to the people that are considering whether or not to vote for her.

Or support her should she get the nod. Clearly this was an important issue to the democratic base. We've been protesting, burning up phones lines, and jamming the tubes with email since it came out.

[Orsino]

16. Some of her famous leadership ability might have helped.

Perhaps she's used it all up, or just never felt strongly about the issue? I would have liked to have seen more than just a vote from Obama, too.

[trthnd4jstc]

37. If she had Voted Yea, Yes!

If Senator Clinton had voted Yea, it would have helped decrease my feeling that she is a loyalist to the corporations. I am the President of a Corporation, and I will say this, not being Rich, Republican, nor Connected, I do not think that My Corporation, nor Myself have the same rights that the Rich, Republican, nor Connected Have! End injustice. Justice is the nectar that gives people hope about their government, without it the people dispair.

[Zhade]

97. Uh, if she'd voted yes, it sure would.

Heck, a no vote would have been a good thing in and of itself.

[kirby]

19. AWOL - Campaigning in Texas!!! n/t

[JTFrog]

25. Clinton (D-NY), Not Voting

Hmmm... wonder why that could be:

http://www.openleft.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=2369

Today, Obama is throwing down the gauntlet on internet freedom, telecom lobbyists, and on opening up government in general to the public. It's some genuinely radical stuff, and it includes the use of blogs, wikis, and openness in government hearings. Significantly, Larry Lessig has endorsed Obama's platform.

----

And then of course there is spectrum and net neutrality. Both Edwards and Obama have made it clear they will break the power of the wireless gatekeepers, the telecom lobbyists who gut our laws, and the Comcast traffic shaping tyrants. Clinton, though, has been a noted absence in the debate about spectrum, mumbling about it incoherently at Yearlykos, and her plan for broadband was written by the telcos and doesn't include net neutrality. She still hasn't come out clearly on retroactive immunity, as her campaign's ties to telecom lobbyists are not trivial, and it looks from her possible FCC choices that her administration would be a continuation of the Clinton-Bush years of media and telecom deregulation.

[trthnd4jstc]

38. Thank God!

Obama is right about another issue!

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

4. Has anyone noticed...

That the day before he votes not to strip, Jim Webb comes out with some hard-hitting something or other that he knows will tamp down criticism of the Dem base? And that he seems to use this tactic a lot, to cover up his votes?

Something tells me that the honorable senator from Virginia is using a little bait and switch on us.

[kirby]

13. Many people around here are fooled by Webb...

The guy is very conservative. His concern about Iraq has nothing to do with the morality of the war, but only his well intentioned desire to 'help the troops'. He has seized on a populist messages and has been riding it ever since.

[onenote]

31. I'm sure you'd be much happier if George Macaca Allen had won

:sarcasm:

[Virginia Dare]

46. He'd probably be the GOP nominee by now...

and we'd be facing Senator Gilmore in his place. Scary thought isn't it?

[Virginia Dare]

43. As a Virginian, I have to say I was never fooled by him..

I figured he would vote with Repubs on some issues, but actually he hasn't that often.

At any rate, I'd much rather have HIM in there than that racist ass Macaca Allen, who I know would NEVER have voted with the Dems on ANYTHING.

[rodeodance]

87. getting a guy in with D behind his name is not always best

[abluelady]

102. Yes It Is From Virginia. eom

[NikolaC]

40. Yup

Just like I regret voting for Clinton in 2000 based upon her voting record, I regret voting for Webb primarily because of his FISA votes :mad:. Three words that are desperately needed in the US political system come to mind: CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM.

[onenote]

48. you regret voting for webb. So I guess you regret that Allen lost

Tells me everything I need to know about you, I think.

[NikolaC]

55. No I Do Not

Allen was a racist piece of dung. What I regret was that there were no other real Democrats that were put forward to run against him. I voted for the lesser of evils, once again. I have this nasty little habit of regretting voting for someone when I find that their votes were counter to the will of the American people who put them in their jobs in the first place. I am entitled that right. Spare me your Allen sarcasm.

Edited to add that you know NOTHING about me. I am an African American woman and resent the insinuation in your post.

[onenote]

59. Elections are zero sum games, as I've said before

If you regret voting for one candidate, then you essentially are implicitly supporting the other. It sucks, but its the way it is.

If you had said...gee I wish a different Democrat had been running and defeated Allen, I wouldn't have had any reason to post. But that's not what you said. You said you regretted voting for Webb (not that you didn't have another choice).

I suggest you choose your words more carefully to make sure they represent what you are trying to say. And taking those words to heart, let ME be clearer than I was in my post.When I said your post told me what I needed to know about you, I didn't mean to suggest you supported Allen or were racist, although I now see how that might be how you read it. I meant it to say that it told me that you were one of a growing (seemingly) number of DUers suggesting that they'd rather not vote for a Democrat if that Democrat didn't live up to some unattainable standard of perfection. But my apologies for not being more clear about that.

[NikolaC]

64. Okay, Maybe I Should Have Been More Literal In My Post

I understand that there is no such thing as a "perfect" Democrat. However, when they approve and vote for some of the worst policies of the current administration, I cannot defend their actions and will not do so. I believe that there are Democrats out there that would make a great Senator, Congressperson and President but they have a hard time raising the funds needed to run a successful campaign. That is one of the reasons why I believe that Campaign Finance Reform is essential, more and better choices in candidates that way. I am tired of settling for the lesser of two evils, but the way that the system is set up right now offers us very few choices.

[jimbot]

70. Not quite zero sum.

If you look at McCain and the right wing radio conservatives in the short term its a zero sum game for them.

--if they don't vote, they are putting a Democrat in the White House.

However, in the long term, it is far from zero sum.

--if they don't vote in large enough numbers and McCain gets trounced in the general election, they then influence the party to nominate a more conservative (according to their definition of conservative) candidate in the future.

The reality is that we don't know if a more conservative candidate would be good or bad for the repubs in the long term but I'm just trying to illustrate that it is not zero-sum

Back to Allen...personally, I think Webb was the right person to run against him and dethrone one of the heir apparents to the republican presidential nomination...I am still not a fan of his, but short-term and long-term, I think it is probably good for our party and for Virginia that he won.

--JT

[Cosmocat]

75. DARN straight ...

Not every pol has to fall completely in line with the party ...

Well, I guess it works that way with the Rs, but our team just does not work that way ...

Allen was H O R R I B L E .. And, if you look at the current presidential field, you have to believe he would be the nominee today, and if not, he still would be a mindless republican slug in the senate ...

I live in Pa, and the very same thing goes for Santorum ... Casey is one step ahead of a slug, but Santorum was a freakin maniac, and again, would have been a much stronger R presidential candidate ...

Even knowing today that Casey is ... well ... not great shakes ... I sleep better knowing it ain't Santorum ...

[Solon]

101. Unattainable standard of perfection my ass...

Why don't they vote to preserve are fucking freedoms and rule of law? Is that really too fucking much to ask? Fuck you and the horse you rode in on you sanctimonious prick.

BTW: I voted McCaskill and I regret it.

[Zhade]

98. What fucking simplistic thinking.

Your false dichotomy is ridiculous.

[xxqqqzme]

89. Those 3 words are what stands between all of us

and democracy. Campaign Finance Reform as in PUBLIC financing - Clean Money - is the no. 1 issue facing us now!

[trthnd4jstc]

49. Write to Senator Webb, and Others.

The only way is to keep at these Representatives, and Senators, and to work to move towards a Democratic Party based on Equal Justice for All. I know that it is hard to be on the side of Justice. The fact is that unless our Representatives, and Senators fight for what is right. We as a nation will fail. I am very disappointed with Sen. Webb on this. I e-mailed him last night about something positive. Now, I will e-mail him tonight about something negative. Out of these Democrats voting Nay, only Rockerfeller did not surprise me. Rarely does he ever support issues of equal justice.

[peace13]

72. Voinovich, OH-R does the same thing.

Prior to a vote he cries for the TV and then when he thinks we aren't watching, votes the other way. We have lived with this for many years. He is scum.

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

5. Of the corporations, by the corporations, etc. etc. etc.

Everyone who didn't vote Yes on Dodd/Feingold should just go on a list of "Corporate Sellouts, Not to be Trusted" right now.

[kirby]

10. What happened to Dodd's Filibuster?

I thought he was going to continue to Filibuster this? Even the old fashioned way?

[Orsino]

17. Guess he forgot.

Now we know what all his tough talk signified. Sound and fury.

[onenote]

33. Cloture was successfully invoked

Before you spout off, maybe actually take 30 seconds to educate yourself. You won't seem so foolish.

[Orsino]

44. No filibuster. None. n/t

[Freddie Stubbs]

54. 40 votes are needed for a filibuster

[Hell Hath No Fury]

12. Thanks again, Feinstein...

you steaming pile of shit. :mad:

[Hepburn]

18. DiFi = DINO. Fuck her....I wish to hell we had two REAL Dem...

...U.S. Senators from my state. :grr:

[Bennyboy]

82. Fuck you DI FUCKING FI!

God I hate her more and more very fucking day. To think I ever voted for her is a shame I will live with the rest of my life. FUCK YOU DI FI!

[Kermitt Gribble]

14. K&R

rec this to the top of the greatest page so everyone can see the names of those who sold us out!

[Botany]

15. follow the $

[Zorra]

20. What a surprise. n/t

[villager]

21. although I'm voting for the Dem nominee, this is what makes it impossible for me to register "Dem"

once again, as I was in my youth.

Before they started their first series of routine sellouts, in the Reagan era.

I just cannot bring myself to willingly join the enablers...

[ooglymoogly]

28. I will go to city hall tomorrow and change my affiliation to independent

as it was before the * Holocaust. If enough of us do this it will shoot a cannon ball cross their bow. I was planning on voting for the dem candidate but I now have, over this one very important issue, changed my mind and will vote for Edwards in the GE as I did in the primary and so will all my friends.

[ooglymoogly]

29. self delete wrong place.

[villager]

32. well certainly, if enough of us became independents, *that* might get them to, at last, notice

and of course, we could still vote for the occasional worthwhile Dem in fall elections...

[ooglymoogly]

76. I meant to self delete this post because of the misleading info

on Obamas vote....He voted correctly in my opinion on both issues and for NO immunity. I will vote for Obama in the GE. If he had, as some posters have suggested, voted for immunity it would have invalidated everything he is standing for but he did not. The striking thing is Hill was nowhere to be seen and that is a statement in itself. She can now posture in any wind that blows.

[desertflamingo]

86. amen!!!

[The Backlash Cometh]

22. It's like a bad dream.

My daughter was reading "1984" the other day. Just in time.

[Demeter]

23. Stabenow Is Dead to Me

This is not her first foray off the reservation. She's a DLC Borg.

[jaybeat]

26. You will be assimilated.

[Demeter]

62. Don't Think So. They've Tried for 50+ Years Now and Haven't Won Yet

[riverdale]

73. Stabenow votes with Republicans to cover Bush's lying ass.

This is ridiculous. Stabenow predictably crossed over to vote with the Repubs on the issue of telecoms having retrocative immunity for breaking the law on Bush's illegal wiretapping program. Thanks to her and some other D's crossing over to vote with the R's, they got their immunity.
This is the last straw for Stabenow. I wish I had saved the response I had gotten from her office a few days ago. I had written [e-mail] about the wiretap immunity issue. They sent back a vague response making it seem like she was on my side. Of course, just like other issues in the past (habeus corpus, etc.), the real vote came in and she continues to be a D who votes like a R.

[biglake]

92. Agree-Stabenow is a sell out- did it on bankruptcy bill too-

I am horrified at this woman who votes for big corporations and now to shield Bush. Shameful hypocrisy- just like she did on the bankruptcy bill. We see who owns their votes. Now, I know better here in Michigan and will look for another to represent my vote.

[fascisthunter]

24. Welcome to Fascist America

where even some of our own democrats are selling the American soul away to the elite.

[ooglymoogly]

30. All the usual suspects and a few more that have just blown their

cover. I wash my hands of all those Benedict Arnolds who voted for criminal immunity and the people of this country and will make a dartboard of them. This vote is proof to me that there is the Republican party of Luddites and the Democrat arm of the Republican party who talk a good talk but walk a very crooked walk to hoodwink democrats and that is all we have. True Dem's are becoming an endangered species decimated by a complicit republican press.

[trthnd4jstc]

34. Jesus Help Us?

Can you believe: "The Senate voted on the Dodd/Feingold amendment, which would have stripped retroactive immunity from the surveillance bill just now. The final tally was 31-67; crossing over to vote nay were Sens. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Evan Bayh (D-IA), Daniel Inouye (D-HI), Tim Johnson (D-SD), Herb Kohl (D-WI), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Mark Pryor (D-AR), Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Ken Salazar (D-CO), Tom Carper (D-DE), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Jim Webb (D-VA), Ben Nelson (D-NE), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Kent Conrad (D-ND), and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI). Update: Here's the official tally.

Presidential candidates Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Barack Obama (D-IL) were present for the vote – voting nay and yea, respectively."

At least Barack voted Yea!!!!!!! I am going to contact all the Democrats that voted Nay. Justice means voting for justice. How can we have justice when immunity is given to corporation which behave illegally?

[bpeale]

36. obama voted to give them immunity???? where is the outrage on this???

[ooglymoogly]

42. self delete for obvious reasons

[bpeale]

47. me too! talk about traitors to the democratic party! obama is a bigtime traitor.

[Kittycat]

50. Read post 45.

Your outrage is misplaced. He voted to YEA to strip them of their immunity.

[Elidor]

45. Obama voted in yea in favor of stripping immunity from the bill

Save your outrage for Clinton, who didn't bother to vote at all.

[mikeytherat]

51. Obama voted YEA to a "stripping Telecoms of immunity" amendment

A very good vote.

mikey_the_rat

[NikolaC]

52. No

Obama voted yea on the Dodd-Feingold amendment which would have stripped telecom immunity from the FISA bill.

[Dinger]

79. I Would Like To See A Comparison Of Obama and Clinton Voting Since He

became a U.S. Senator. How do I find this out? Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.:)

[bpeale]

91. i know it has to be out there. probably senate.gov

[Zhade]

106. LIE.

NT!

[Ian David]

53. We couldn't even afford to pay the phonebills for the wiretaps on the REAL criminals!

The Telecoms were DISCONNECTING GOVERNMENT WIRETAPS ON ACTUAL CRIMINALS FOR NON-PAYMENT!!!!

Not only are they trying to drink from a fire hydrant, we can't even afford to pay for all the water!

WHAT THE FUCK, MAN!

[bobthedrummer]

58. Senator Harry Reid Democratic Majority Leader [phone]

US Senate switchboard
[phone]

Internet Congress public contact resources
www.congress.org/congressorg/home/

[katty]

61. O No, the telecoms 'shouldn't suffer' - ONLY THE PEOPLE!

[Demit]

63. At least my senator, Bob Casey, voted yes on the Dodd amendment.

Casey was the Dem we supported, even though he's conservative on some issues, to make sure & get rid of Santorum. I was a Webb supporter from afar, tha's gotta sting for folks in Virginia, this vote. I despair of ever having a majority of real Democrats in Congress again. What are these people thinking?? Are they so in thrall to the money interests, is that the reason???

[AllyCat]

65. Damn that Herb Kohl. God I wish someone would run against him

And now we have 5 more years of this traitor. And I want a Dem to run against him...not Lorge!

Salazar...what a huge disappointment he has been. Of course, the list contains the usual suspects too: the Nelson Twins, Landrieu, Pryor, Lincoln, and Inouye. What on earth is up with McCaskill and Johnson?

Of note, Clinton didn't bother to show up for the vote. Guess I know where the rights of Americans stand with her.

[hatrack]

66. Can't wait until my telephone rings for the next DNC/DLC fundraising call

Can't wait!

[dweller]

67. Grouped By Vote Position

YEAs ---31
Akaka (D-HI)
Baucus (D-MT)
Biden (D-DE)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brown (D-OH)
Byrd (D-WV)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Casey (D-PA)
Dodd (D-CT)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Harkin (D-IA)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Murray (D-WA)
Obama (D-IL)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV) <------
Sanders (I-VT)
Schumer (D-NY)
Tester (D-MT)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)


dp

[CC]

68. Guess those Dems

reached across the aisle again dammit. I am so sick of this. I would rather they fight and no bill be passed than compromise our rights.

[mcgindydem]

69. Democratic letdown

Two things I would like add 1 our anger is misplaced we should be going after Bush for authorizing the illegal wiretaps thats where I find fault with the democratic party. I don't think any company would refuse to do as the telecoms did under the circumstances and full pressure of the exec branch Conyers needs to start impeachment proceedings if not outright criminal investigation of herr bush. 2 Evan Bayh is from my state and everyone here knows that he's a republicant to the core, but for some reason Dem's in the state wont pull support from him .. spineless a@@holes makes me want more and more to change my affiliation to independent.

[old guy]

83. Qwest refused.

They needed a FISA court approval. They did not get any contracts for doing the lawful thing. The rest of them got paid to break the law and now don't have to suffer any consequences. Welcome to the United Fascist States of America.

[old guy]

84. Qwest refused.

They needed a FISA court approval. They did not get any contracts for doing the lawful thing. The rest of them got paid to break the law and now don't have to suffer any consequences. Welcome to the United Fascist States of America.

[NoodleyAppendage]

71. Clinton - Not Present. Obama - Present and Voting YES. There's your answer for the best candidate!

Clinton stands up for CORPORATE INTERESTS, while Obama stand-up against them. Clinton can't be bothered to vote against fascist rule.

CLINTON IS A REPUKE.

[angrypoet]

74. Worthless

Where the hell is the backbone of the Dem party? I am again disappointed by Jim Webb's voting record on FISA. I have expressed my opinion to his office before with not so much as a "thank you for your concern" letter back. I have very little respect for him. I consider this the most important issue of record, our civil liberties should be of the highest concern.

I am only encouraged by the vote by Obama. Only reinforces the reason that I voted for him today in VA. :patriot:

How about that Clinton...way to be there...the only Dem not on record. Good job. :sarcasm:

[atreides1]

77. So My Question IS

What is the US Military fighting for? Because it sure as hell isn't fighting for our freedoms, because while they die in Iraq and Afghanistan the US Congress is trying to gut the US Constitution. So far they have been pretty successful at it, with the Patriot Act, Homeland Security, Military Commission System, and the Protect America Act, and still the US Military fails to defend us from the traitors within while fighting people who with a few exceptions are really fighting for their country.

This is how Bin Laden has won, he knew what kind of man Bush was and played George like a fiddle. Our military forces are slowly being decimated, with the exception of the USN and USAF, who will eventually be providing more personnel for land operations, our creditors are getting bolder, and are adversaries, China and a resurgent Russia are becoming good friends.

The congress sells us out, the military is constanly screwed by this civilian government, and we the people will soon have no say.

Welcome to Amerika

[atreides1]

78. So My Question IS

What is the US Military fighting for? Because it sure as hell isn't fighting for our freedoms, because while they die in Iraq and Afghanistan the US Congress is trying to gut the US Constitution. So far they have been pretty successful at it, with the Patriot Act, Homeland Security, Military Commission System, and the Protect America Act, and still the US Military fails to defend us from the traitors within while fighting people who with a few exceptions are really fighting for their country.

This is how Bin Laden has won, he knew what kind of man Bush was and played George like a fiddle. Our military forces are slowly being decimated, with the exception of the USN and USAF, who will eventually be providing more personnel for land operations, our creditors are getting bolder, and our adversaries, China and a resurgent Russia are becoming good friends.

The congress sells us out, the military is constanly screwed by the civilian government, and we the people will soon have no say.

If I didn't know better, I'd say that congress is intentionally stopping the troops from being withdrawn.

Welcome to Amerika

[lovuian]

80. Is there really any difference between democrat or

a republican congress???

So far I haven't seen any

[dommyluc]

81. Is this unconstitutional?

I am not an expert on Constitutional law, but I thought it was forbidden to grant immunity for crimes not yet committed. Am I correct in my thinking, and if it is forbidden by the Constitution, is some person or group going to file a lawsuit to prevent this law from going into effect?

[milord]

85. retroactive immunity

Absolutely disgraceful! We are losing our country to the conscienceless right-wing whores. The Democrats are just as bad as the Republicans. This is shameful. It makes me ashamed of my country, of which I used to be proud, back when JFK was our president. How far we have sunk since then. If the Founding Fathers could see the current group of miscreants now running (ruining) our country, they would probably have them up in front of a firing squad. Come to think of it, that's not a bad idea, although perhaps a trifle harsh.
Well, maybe not.

[tsuki]

88. Bill Nelson, King of Florida. First he stripped us of our vote, now

our privacy.

[Hissyspit]

95. .

[JerseygirlCT]

96. Disgusting. Really. nt

[OneBlueSky]

99. it's official . . . no one will ever be held accountable for the crimes committed . . .

by the Bush administration and their corporate masters . . . not now, now after November, not ever . . . the corporatocracy can do what they wish to whomever they wish, with no fear of reprisal . . .

just when you thought they couldn't sink any lower . . . :shrug:

[FreeStateDemocrat]

100. Fuck the ruling class and how many still want Webb for VP?

[Doremus]

103. Repulsive. Absolutely sickening.

I swear to God we're watching the final days of our Democracy.




:cry:

[Heywood J]

104. Brutal. And these are the people who will be casting superdelegate votes

to determine the Democratic nominee, over the voice of the people.

Screwed. Absolutely screwed.

[minnesota_liberal]

105. This was a landmark vote

I thought Congress had an oversight function. Apparently not.

Now we'll never know the extent of Bush's warrantless surveillance program.

Shame on the lapdog Rupubs, the spineless Harry Reid and all the "Lieberman Dems" who voted against accountability.

[badgervan]

107. Feingold...

....for Senate Leader. He is just about the only one that I trust to do the right thing and not back down. Reid and Pelosi have to go. I wish the blogs would come together on this and show these sellouts what the consequences of so much weakness and not listening to their constituents is. Throw these bums out and get effective leadership to represent us.

[Drum]

108. With friends like this---Dem majority---who needs enemies?

:mad:

[Jeffro40]

109. Bush has picture of Reid, Foley, Pelosi, and Larry Craig in the stall at the capital bulilding

Nancy has the wide-stance, Reid is signaling under the door, and Craig is giving it to them but good.

That's the only excuse I can think of. I hate these people.

[Javaman]

110. of course they did. have we come to expect anything else?

:banghead: