FISA: The Mourning After, Part 3
In a multi-part series examining the FISA legislation passed on 7/9/08, the statements of Senators Kit Bond (R-Mo), Arlen Specter (R-Pa), and Russ Feingold (D-Wi) are reviewed and deconstructed. Last up: Russ Feingold…
The following is the third in a short series articles on the FISA bill approval on 7/9/08.
FISA: Why I Can No Longer Vote for Barack Obama
FISA: The Mourning After, Part 1
FISA: The Mourning After, Part 2
I sit on the Intelligence and Judiciary Committees, and I am one of the few members of this body who has been fully briefed on the warrantless wiretapping program…
If we grant these new powers to the government and the effects become known to the American people, we will realize what a mistake it was, of that I am sure…
Russ Feingold knows. Don’t ask him what he knows, but he knows. He was issuing a warning yesterday:
If the American people really knew what was going down, and how truly egregious the Bush administration’s lawbreaking has been in pursuit of domestic surveillance and spying on average citizens, there would be a public outcry and uprising the likes of which this country hasn’t seen in over 200 years.
I think Sen. Feingold is optimistic…
In recent years, the American public has exhibited a stunning capacity to accept shovelful after shovelful of steaming, fetid crap that I could have never imagined, even in my less jaded (and politically naive) years.
Still, his point is well taken - and yet, it’s been largely buried in the legacy media coverage of George Bush’s happy dancing about the gift that the Democratic Party has conferred to Bush and his corporate masters.
If the effects become known to the American people…
When I first heard Sen. Feingold speak those words, my heart sank.
Next up: The grand finale to this series - why the FISA vote meant so very, very much to future generations of Americans, and why those future generations were completely betrayed by a spineless congress.
feingold uttered those words, and then told us, don’t worry vote for obama, as if that was somehow gonna make it all better.
as for those future generations, i suspect they care more about the newest iphone, not at&t’s partnership with the government to record all their communications.
fascism is government/corporate partnership. who will stop the codification of it by the congress? no one as long as they have their toys.
Future generations will be able to correct this - if we raise them properly.
Hell WE can still correct this. The Alien and Sedition laws aren’t on the books anymore, nor are the reprehensible violations of liberties that were performed during the various World Wars. This can be fought against - this isn’t permanent - but it’s going to take a helluva lot of work to do it.
Feingold’s only gotten about $400,000 from the telcoms over his career.Feingold @ opensecrets.org and he didn’t get anything from the telecoms so far this year.
Maybe he’s bucking for a pay raise.