Half assed hysteria over FISA: Mea Culpa.

[cali]

And I'm not the only one. Thanks to Will Pitt for posting this thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2005138

And thanks to Warpy for noting that a lot of the headlines are misleading in the extreme.

The legislation being introduced today in the House does not appear to give bush anything. In fact it revokes the powers he's been abusing in the 6 month extension. It does not let the telecoms off the hook. It demands records of all the warrentless wiretapping that's been done, and it legislates that law enforcement must get warrent to wiretap.

I apologize for calling out members of Congress for being silent. I was wrong.

But I think it says something about the viral nature of misinformation, and our suceptibility to believing the worst. In this environment that's natural enough, but it doesn't really excuse anything.

[Kagemusha]

1. Um, what happened to the blanket warrants for groups not individuals?

Subpoenas for groups and not individuals didn't strike me as constitutional when I first heard about it. has that changed?

Edit: The NYT article says they're still there.

"The measure would also give the foreign intelligence court a role in approving, in advance, “basket” or “umbrella” warrants for bundles of overseas communications, a Congressional official said."

Will messed up.

Will said, the bill requires warrants, so what's the problem? The problem, ladies and gentlemen, is that the warrants are of a completely and wholly unconstitutional nature that grievously offends the right of the people to be secure in their persons and possessions. It means you can have a warrant for "New York Organization (A)" and just arbitrarily add anyone you decide belongs to that cell during the year-long duration of the warrant with absolutely nothing to stop you from doing so. No court review. No individual warrant. No protection.

Edit #2: And to his complete credit, when he saw an ACLU notice just now that filled him in on exactly what he was missing (he'd asked, what am I missing?), he acknowledged it immediately. I hope to hell this part of the law is improved. The courts should not have to be bothered to strike down such an egregious piece of legislation passed by, of all people, Democrats. And I don't want to take the chance that they wouldn't strike it down at all.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

2. until I see it signed, sealed, delivered, I don't trust congress in the least.

they have caved all to often before, and are willing to do it again. If I am wrong, so be it, and I will apologize. BUT, if I am correct, you may send your donation to me at

***** W. **** Place
***** ********, IL

[liberal N proud]

3. From what Will Pitt posted, it looks good from here

The right wing is spinning it quite different though.

[terisan]

4. Thanks. True about tendency to believe worst. We can be defeated by our own demoralization and

the oppressors need to do little.

I think dictators and would-be dictators everywhere learn that the essential step in consolidating power is to condition people to fear and believe the worst, that no one can be trusted, nothing will change, and we are powerless in the face of increasing oppression.

That Franklin Delano Roosevelt phrase about "We have nothing to fear but fear itself" must have been a welcoming rallying cry in the depths of the Depression.