Feingold (and ACLU): I Told Congress So (Emptywheel)

[chill_wind]

Feingold (and ACLU): I Told Congress So
By: emptywheel Thursday April 16, 2009 9:38 am

I'll have more on this shortly. But if I were Feingold, my statement about the abuse of the warrantless wiretapping program would have been even stronger.

Since 2001, I have a lot of time in the Intelligence Committee, the Judiciary Committee, and on the floor of the Senate bringing attention to both the possible and actual effects of legislation that has dangerously expanded the power of the executive branch to spy on innocent Americans. Despite these efforts, Congress insisted on enacting several measures including the USA PATRIOT Act, the Protect America Act, and the FISA Amendments Act, embarking on a tragic retreat from the principles that had governed the sensitive area of government surveillance for the previous three decades. Congress must get to work fixing these laws that have eroded the privacy and civil liberties of law-abiding citizens. In addition, the administration should declassify certain aspects of how these authorities have been used so that the American people can better understand their scope and impact.

Update: Caroline Fredrickson of the ACLU engages in some well-earned "I told you so" speech, too.

“Congress was repeatedly warned that this type of abuse would be the obvious outcome of passing the FISA Amendments Act,” said Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office. “Congressional leadership promised after this law’s passage that it would be reexamined along with the Patriot Act. It’s time to fulfill that promise and restore the checks and balances of our surveillance system. Warrantless surveillance has no place in an America we can be proud of. These revelations make it clear that Congress must now make a commitment to rein in government surveillance.”

http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2009/04/16/feingold-i-told-congress-so/

[biopowertoday]

1. sing it from the rooftop brother. and listen up WH!!

[slipslidingaway]

2. K&R n/t

[slipslidingaway]

3. Feingold remarks from June '08

http://feingold.senate.gov/statements/08/06/20080625f.htm

"Mr. President, I strongly oppose H.R. 6304, the FISA Amendments Act of 2008.

This legislation has been billed as a compromise between Republicans and Democrats. We are asked to support it because it is a supposedly reasonable accommodation of opposing views. Let me respond as clearly as possible: This bill is not a compromise. It is a capitulation.

This bill will effectively and unjustifiably grant immunity to companies that allegedly participated in an illegal wiretapping program – a program that more than 70 members of this body still know virtually nothing about. And this bill will grant the Bush Administration – the same administration that developed and operated this illegal program for more than five years – expansive new authorities to spy on Americans’ international communications.

If you don’t believe me, here is what Senator Bond had to say about the bill: “I think the White House got a better deal than even they had hoped to get.” And House Minority Whip Roy Blunt said this: “The lawsuits will be dismissed.”

There is simply no question that Democrats who had previously stood strong against immunity and in support of civil liberties were on the losing end of this backroom deal..."

[chill_wind]

4. Here's the kicker-- Senator DiFi is all worked up

and plans to INVESTIGATE. The irony is that Sen Feingold serves under her committee. What I would give to be audience to THAT internal conversation.

[slipslidingaway]

5. kick n/t

[chill_wind]

6. Thanks SSA. n/t

[slipslidingaway]

7. My pleasure, I'm glad the ACLU filed a lawsuit the day this bill

was signed. James Risen was on Olbermann again tonight, when I see the video I'll post it here.

[slipslidingaway]

8. ACLU - Amnesty et al. v. McConnell

http://www.aclu.org/safefree/nsaspying/35945res20080710.html


ACLU Challenges Unconstitutional Spying Law

http://www.aclu.org/safefree/nsaspying/faachallenge.html

"In July 2008, Congress capitulated to the White House's demands and scare tactics by passing the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, giving the NSA even more power to spy on Americans without warrants than it exercised under its illegal surveillance program. The ACLU is asking the court to protect the privacy rights of all Americans and declare the FAA unconstitutional.

THE GUTTING OF FISA

For years, the Bush administration illegally intercepted the emails and phone calls of millions of Americans. Rather than rein in this abuse of power, lawmakers on Capitol Hill caved in to the administration and gave the National Security Agency (NSA) even more expansive powers to spy on Americans than it had under the illegal warrantless wiretapping program President Bush secretly authorized in 2001.

The Constitution is the bedrock of our democracy; it guarantees Americans the right to privacy and free speech. Electronic surveillance is highly invasive. By reading our emails and listening to our phone calls the government gets direct access to our thoughts, our feelings, our associates and our political views. Unrestrained and unchecked government surveillance not only intrudes upon Americans' right to privacy, it also has the dangerous effect of chilling speech and political dissent. The power to spy is one that is easily abused and history is full of examples of what leaders are willing to do when tempted with unchecked power..."

[WillyT]

9. K & R !!!

:kick:

[slipslidingaway]

10. kick n/t