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Barack Obama  |
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Rob Kailey is a working schmuck with no ties or affiliations to any governmental or political organizations, save those of sympathy.
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Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:29:02 AM MST
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| Have we "won" the battle over FISA telecomm immunity?
If so, does this mark the beginning of the end of the Republican party's use of national security fears as a wedge issue in elections?
Glenn Greenwald:
Other than AT&T, Verizon, Fred Hiatt and Dick Cheney, there is not -- and there never was -- any constituency in the U.S. demanding new warrantless eavesdropping powers and telecom amnesty....
This is the first time in a long time that right-wing fear-mongering on Terrorism hasn't succeeded. Given that virtually everyone (including me) assumed that the Congress would ultimately enact the new FISA bill demanded by Bush, it demonstrates that smart strategies combined with intense citizen activism can succeed, even when the Establishment -- its lobbyists, Congressional representatives and pundits -- lines up in bipartisan fashion behind their latest measure. And it removes the Democrats' principal excuse that they cannot resist Bush's Terrorism demands without suffering politically.
For weeks, telecomm-immunity backers have been screaming that, if telecomm amnesty isn't passed, our national security is in jeopardy. It hasn't passed and...nothing...has happened. Of course, the FISA court is still active, warrants for wiretaps are still being issued, and investigations of terrorist activity are proceeding. Just the way it should be.
So...what have we learned? GOP hysteria is nothing more than hyperbole. There's no political fallout for lawmakers who stand up for constitutional rights. People think big business - just like any of us - should be held accountable for the laws they've broken. |
| Jay Stevens :: Did we win the battle over telecomm immunity? |
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