Atrios et. al. on Democratic FISA capitulation

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Atrios:
As I've written before, Democrats will regret embracing the expansion of executive power because a President Obama will find his administration undone by an "abuse of power" scandal. All of those powers which were necessary to prevent the instant destruction of the country will instantly become impeachable offenses. If you can't imagine how such a pivot can take place then you haven't been paying attention.
Hunter on DailyKos:
This petty, stinking issue of granting retroactive immunity to companies that violated the law, such that they need not even say how they violated the law, or when they violated the law, or how often, or against who, and the whole thing started before 9/11 so it is clear that terrorism wasn't even a prime factor for doing it -- that whole mess is now absolved, no lawsuits, no discovery, no evidence allowed to be presented?

No, that one is indefensible. It is indefensible because it requires not just passive acceptance of a corrupt administration performing illegal acts, but legislators actively condoning those acts with the stroke of a pen. The Democrats are determined to set themselves as partners in committing crimes, then absolving them; there should be nothing but contempt for such acts.

John Cole:
For no reason that I can fathom Steny Hoyer has decided to capitulate entirely on government eavesdropping and amnesty for the telecoms who assisted them. What was the overwhelming political pressure? Somebody spell this out for me.
Not a proud time to be a Democrat. And Obama was pretty much MIA. Of course, many Democrats voted against this, and they deserve our support. But when it comes time to fund primary challengers in 2010, this is a vote the netroots will remember.

Comments

grishnash said…
So here's how this passed the house 293-129:

105 Democrats voting for, and 128 against. 188 Republicans for, and 1 against.

So, basically this was a minority of the Democratic delegation joining up to pass a Republican bill. That is something that never would have been allowed when the Republicans controlled the house. Remember DeLay's pronouncements that nothing not supported by the "majority of the majority" would reach the floor?

The 110th Congress Democrats are the 1962 Mets of parliamentary procedure. Pelosi and Hoyer need to go.
10:57 AM, June 22, 2008
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