Politics: Senate Reconsidering Telecoms Immunity

The Senate Judiciary Committee is reviewing the FISA bill that grants retroactive immunity to the telecoms companies that allowed the Misadministration to spy on Americans without a warrant, Raw Story reports. However, the Committee has not yet clearly stated that they will strike down the retroactive immunity provisions, so we can relax and assume that they're weaseling as usual and will give the Chimperor everything he wants, including the right to physically rip our guts out before our loving families' eyes, if he requests it.

The Judiciary Committee meets today to consider the bill.

Senators on the panel will only consider one-third of the bill today, delaying consideration of the retroactive immunity provision for at least a week, a Judiciary Committee spokeswoman said.

[...]

National Journal's CongressDaily, a subscription-only newsletter, reports that a key Democrat on the committee may now be wavering in her support for immunity.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who sits on the Judiciary and Intelligence committees, said she is re-evaluating her support for retroactive legal immunity. She voted to approve it as part of the Intelligence Committee bill. "I did support [immunity] in the intel bill and I'm giving it further thought," she said. (Republican Sen. Arlen)Specter said he does not know if there will be enough votes on the Judiciary Committee to strip the immunity provision.

Keep the pressure up on Di-Fi, folks. Her behaviour in confirming racist judge Leslie Southwick and professional frog-impersonater Mukasey, and her stance on this bill have been utterly disgraceful. She needs to hear from her constituents.

As for Specter:

On Wednesday, he proposed a compromise in which the government would become the defendant in lawsuits aimed at the telecoms.

“I think it’s very important that the courthouse not be closed so there can be a judicial determination to see if there have been any violations of privacy rights,” Specter told The Hill. “I think the telephone companies were good citizens, and should not suffer from what they did. And my idea is to have the government substituted as the party.”

All he's really saying is, let the taxpayer who has been illegally spied on now pay any damages resulting from lawsuits against the telecoms who participated in the illegal spying.

Talk about sticking it to the people! Arlen, you're a schmuck. Step down. Isn't there a decent progressive somewhere in Pennsylvania, someone who will respect the rights of the people and the Constitution, who will run for this putz's seat?

Stumble It!