It was quite a performance. Running out the door on their way home for the summer recess, Congressional Dems---16 in the Senate and 41 in the House--- authorized the Bush Administration’s expanded authority to spy on Americans. As Glenn Greenwald noted, “there is no requirement in this law -- literally none -- that the person being surveilled be connected to terrorism in any way or even by an agent of a foreign state or terrorist group. Any person -- even the most innocent -- can be subjected to warrantless surveillance under this new law.” The legislation, which many members did not have the time to and did not read, essentially legalizes the Administration’s previously illegal warrantless spying.
The fact that elected officials sworn to uphold the Constitution would vote for legislation that poses a serious threat to our fundamental liberties and would not stand on principle against this affront to democracy is shameful.
The fact that this legislation gives a discredited and dishonest Attorney General the authority, along with DNI Director McConnell, for creating the broad procedures determining whose telephone calls and e-mails are collected and the responsibility for assessing compliance with those procedures is absolutely outrageous.
The fact that most Dems who voted for this did so out of fear of being branded as “soft on terrorism” is pathetic.
Did Dems forget that voters expect them to vote on principle and respect them when they do?
Did they forget this President is thoroughly discredited and disliked, that the American people do not trust him to fight the war on terror and to protect Americans from terrorists and that they instead believe the Dems have better strategies for handling terrorism?
Did they forget that the President and Rove and his minions demonized Dems as soft on terrorism in the 06 mid-term elections and lost, overwhelmingly?
Did they forget that they are now in the majority, could have defeated this legislation, and could have stuck to their guns on the agreement the leadership had worked out with DNI Director McConnell to revise the FISA legislation in a manner that gave him everything he said he needed to effectively conduct surveillance against potential terrorists?
