On Last Night's House Secret Session On Surveillance

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

Rep. Jerrold Nadler, a Democrat, said "there was nothing new, nothing that wasn't public, nothing that can't and shouldn't be debated on the floor tomorrow in open session."

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/03/14/politics/main3937657.shtml

[annabanana]

1. That means is was 100% theater. . a ploy

a scare tactic... They are trying to keep their Blue Dogs in line.

[Zorra]

21. Or a smokescreen for misleading the public into believing there was some secret

national security issue that would justify warrantless wiretapping when there is in fact no such issue.

If the debate were in public, the whole world would clearly see that there was no valid reason whatsoever for legalizing warrantless wiretapping - and the fascists desperately want to legalize warrantless wiretapping as a convenient, legal means to spy on and control law abiding American citizens.

So true to form, they use tactics of deception in order to imply that there is some big secret that could protect us from the boogeyman if warrantless wiretapping is legalized, hoping to gain the support of the ignorant and uninformed through the MSM.

[opihimoimoi]

2. I seen some of that shit prior to the session...Lee of Tex was very concerned

and sho nuff,,,Nadler said it was a waste of time

Why did the Pubs call for it??

I would guess to highlight Bushies desire to provide the retro cover for his comm pals///the bastid...

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

4. I like what Rep. Jackson-Lee had to say here

Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee said she did not believe anyone changed positions but that the session was useful because no one would be able to complain on Friday that their views had not been heard.

[opihimoimoi]

5. It was a PR Op for them conniving scamming GOOBers...assholes...

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

6. Shrub set the stage for the ploy at his "terra" presser yesterday morning.

Toward the end of the open session, before they went into Secret Session, Rep. Roy Blount (Shrub's mouthpiece), started to back down as to how Secret the information really was.

I like Jackson-Lee's comment, because it will now give the Democrats more ammo to tell the Repugs that they're full of crap.

I guess c-span will be on here today. :)

[opihimoimoi]

15. Shrub is pulling out all stops to git his way...but the Dems hold fast..

Shrub is more flummoxed than he reveals....

His creds/respect in tatters, he bluffs on like a puffer fish.

Rep Lee was awesome yesterday prior to the night crap...she was right on the money in descibing something "fishy/smelly...

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

18. Well it seems that mr pisspants ploy has backfired..check this out!

Thanks to babylonsister!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3007127

House FISA Bill Picks Up Some Backers


:rofl:

[opihimoimoi]

25. WOW, There is a GODDESS after all.....

But then, we shall see....its time for the Dems to do what is EXPECTED....to do the right thing....to vote in favor of THE COMMON GOOD, WHAT IS RIGHT FOR THE MASSES/NATION/WORLD......

They can do this by fucking with Bush as he had fucked with us....stonewall the bastid and 86 the dude whenever possible...

The wannabe dictator without even one lesson on HOW TO LEAD YOUR PEEPS TO THE LAND OF MILK< SPAM< and HONEY.....

presently, W is giving a slurred speech once more....confirming strong rumors of his worsening loloitis condition of which there is no cure/therapy...

[TomInTib]

3. "They want their children to be safe from terror."

Aaaaauuuugggghhhh!!!!

Give it a break, CreamPuff.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

8. You know, this bullshit does work. There's another thread here about a Playmobil Security Checkpoint

Play Set (yes, it's for real!)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3002201

At the Amazon site, and you Must visit it, there are comments about this "toy". Most of those comments were brilliant and hysterically funny. Then you had this one

http://www.amazon.com/review/product/B0002CYTL2/ref=cm_cr_pr_link_3?%5Fencoding=UTF8&pageNumber=3


5.0 out of 5 stars Helping Our Children Deal With Reality, March 1, 2008
By John P Bernat (Kingsport, TN USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars
Like most people, I hate airport security. I hate the fact that we "have to do" this.

That said, the people at the security checkpoints are not to blame for the world conditions that created their jobs. If this toy helps young air travelers be a little less apprehensive, and less "difficult" in passing through these stations, then so much the better.

Both my children attend Virginia Tech. In light of the events of the past year, I am actually very grateful that their campus administrators decided not to take a approach like this. Today my kids can live in the dorms, attend class, and try to learn in an atmosphere that is not oppressive.

However, if something like this, in some probative way, helped to keep either one of them alive, I'd favor them getting regular full cavity searches.

Also, I fly almost every week. I am kind and cooperative with the TSA gate personnel, because they're just doing their jobs. Does that make them (or me) "good brownshirts?" Does mouthing off to TSA personnel strike a blow for liberty (to borrow Harry Truman's phrase)?

Our constitution tries to protect life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Is the relative order of those words an accident? Life comes first.

Order me two of these little items...

[TomInTib]

9. "Currently unavailable"?

Damn, I was just started going shopping.

Guess I will go back to sleep.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

11. lol! Sweet dreams! :)

[TomInTib]

12. Sleeping..

is sometimes a dance.

Hey!, OSO, are you in the City?

I will be, next week.

Life is like that, sometimes.

Tom

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

16. "Sleeping is sometimes a dance".. is that why I wake up some mornings exhausted?

As to being in the city, alas, although I'm from the city originally, I live in an area which my parents used to call, "the country". I'm about 50 miles due north of the Big Apple and haven't visited it in well over a year now.

Wishing you a great time! :)

[KharmaTrain]

7. Picture Of Secret Session....

I'll bet whoever took this is facing some Lemon Chicken at Gitmo:



Let's see how many Blue Dogs got piddled on last night...it appears some that were against immunity are starting to see the light...as as Atrios pointed out, Democrats may finally be learning that beating boooosh and embarassing the repugnicans is GOOD for their election chances...people WANT them to shut down this bill, defund this war for profit and make booosh's life miserable. Let's see if they've gotten the message.

Meanwhile the stupid GOOP Boners kept harping how they wanted the Senate FISA bill in an up or down vote...they see it slipping away and wasted yesterday with all sorts of theatrics that may mean there might not be a FISA debate/vote today...and that's not a bad thing.

In essence, boooshie will not get his telcom immunity today...and the longer this can is kicked down the road, the harder it will be for this to happen. This regime knows it...they saw this happen to them about Social Security and S-CHIP...their "full court" press is falling short and if this bill doesn't fly soon, it never will. You can hear it in the desperation...and I suspect Hoyer is toying with them.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

10. lol on the cone of silence! A funny blast to the past! As to the Democrats..They need to start

hollering that Bush is willing to risk our security to protect his telecomm buds. Plain and simple.

And although it is I'm sure, against "cardinal rules", there has to be an investigation into Senators, and just how many of them have received large contributions from the telecomm industry. I do know that Intelligence Committee Jay Rockefeller is on their contribution "payroll".

In reality, from what I understand after hearing Constitutional experts, Jonathan Turley and Bruce Fein, the original FISA bill is Unconstitutional, let alone this proposed one.

[KharmaTrain]

13. Rockafeller Has Been A Disgrace...

I still remember him typing a note to Cheney and putting it his drawer...the guy didn't even have the stones to stand up to this regime or even pass words along to his Senate collegues of all the bullshit that was going on. He stood by as the UMAF was passed and he all but cheerled it along. Methinks he's afraid of letting immunity go as any trial will reveal his complicity in authorizing the wholesale invasion of privacy.

I think it was KagroX at DKos pointed out that the longer this "debate" rolls on the more cases and stories come forward of how abusive and intrusive this regime has been in everyone's lives. Each new face put to this story make it tougher for this regime to claim this draconian law is anything else but a cover-up for their crimes.

Rush Holt doesn't look too impressed and, if anything, that secret session turned out to be a dud. We don't have to speculate if they've recieved telcom contributions...just go to opensecrets and its there to see.

Cheers...

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

17. You have an excellent point about Rockafeller's fear of his complicity coming out in trial.

After reading your very thoughtful post, it is just a reminder to me about how many crimes have been and are being committed by this sociopath administration (being aided and abetted by many of our lawmakers, including I'm sure members of our high court), to the point that one can't even keep up anymore. So many times I want to throw my hands up into the air, in surrender. I give up, I am helpless with this knowledge, I have told people, called my Congressional Reps ad nauseum, and still their stealth fascist beat goes on. With the abrupt resignation of Fallon, the war drums against Iran will start to beat strongly.

I don't care about my own future, but what's in store for my sons. They are both very awake to what's going on, and my older one is looking for places on the planet where he and his girlfriend can live productive, happy lives. So far, they like Malta. I don't even think Malta will be immune to the rippling effects of what Shrub has wrought.

Yesterday, Echo In Light shared this video with me, it is a must see

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=2998420&mesg_id=3001736

[ThomWV]

19. I agree on Rockefeller, but let me make another comment on your post

The longer they delay the more time the Telecoms have to work their magic ($$$) on lawmakers. We may become more disgusted with what is going on over time but that same lag give them time to spread the graft to the weak-kneed amoung our numbers.

[pleah]

14. I watched part of this

and the lady that was on before Jackson-Lee said "I smell something" (I can't remember her name) and then after Jackson-Lee, the gentleman from Ala. said "is this political and a Trojan horse"? Hoyer assured him it was not. So, did Hoyer flat out lie to these fellow Dems.?

[Jeffersons Ghost]

20. the CBS report is one of worst examples of tripe propaganda that I've ever read...

In paragraph 2, we see a Stalin-like example of the "BIG LIE."
Republicans requested privacy for what they termed "an honest debate" on the new Democratic eavesdropping measure that is opposed by the White House and most Republicans in Congress.

Next we see a VERY SKETCHY description the most important aspects (its main point of contention, telecom imunity) in the "new democratic measure," buried way down in paragraph 11, where NO REFERENCE TO TELECOMS occurs.

Fear-mongering FAR outweighs responsible quotes in this news report. As usual Democrats are painted as bad-guys intent on allowing the savages to assault us. Here are three prime examples:

Hoekstra said intelligence was already being lost.

"Each and every day our capabilities are eroding," he said.

Last but not least, here's the VERY BOLD sub-headline:

"Our ability to help secure our homeland and provide vital intelligence to our troops in combat and allies cannot be done without the support of patriotic, private companies."

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

22. Thank you for pointing these blaring examples of propaganda out. In all honesty, when I posted this

link, early this morning, I skimmed the article to see what the attending Democrats had to say about the session. There is nothing in the article that explains the Democrats' position.

Notice there are no quotes from Democrats as to why they are opposed to Shrub's position. I cannot believe that the Democrats are not telling it like it is. That this administration and the Republicans are "sacrificing" a strong (albeit IMHO an Unconstitional) bill to pander to the telecomm companies, and in doing so, eroding our Constitution. Are they being edited by MSM or being cowed into being low profile on this issue?

[Jeffersons Ghost]

27. IMHO Democrat quotes are ignored by the propaganda machine...

There's been plenty of hard-hitting quotes by Democrats on this matter. After all, this debate has been going on for a while.

[opihimoimoi]

26. 1984 comes alive....

[L. Coyote]

23. K & R + ***** OFFICIAL thread = House FISA amendment DEBATE = HR 3773 ******

Up now:

***** OFFICIAL thread = House FISA amendment DEBATE = HR 3773 ******
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3007900

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

24. Thanks Coyote! I'm been watching it now for about a half hour. :) Going to visit y'all!