alternative hippopotamus

progressive cyberdadaism from our nation’s capital

August 6, 2007

Reflections on FISA

by AltHippo @ 11:23 am. Filed under Uncategorized, NSA Spying

In case Nancy Pelosi or Harry Reid happen to come across this blog, I’d like to give them my feedback on their weekend FISA debacle. I’d like to, but I try to avoid using language like that on this site.

Yes, I’ve read that Pelosi wants to fix the bill before the six month expiration time. Predictably, any language that gives the Executive branch less than carte blanche will either be filibustered by Republicans in the Senate (while the Washington Post identifies this as Democratic obstructionism) or will be flipped the big cheney by the White House, who will then say that the Democrat Party loves terrorists and wants to marry them.

In six months Bushie will claim that if the law expires that means no restrictions exist on his ability to spy on political opponents (Yes, I know he says it’s to spy on terrorists. Personally, I don’t believe him. Just as Nixon justified using the CIA and FBI to spy on domestic critics in the name of national security, so will Bushie). Pelosi and Reid will explain that if they don’t cave like a spelunker on this one they’ll look weak on national security issues.

Isn’t this what’s all really about? The Democratic Party leaders are afraid of looking weak on issues of national security. They don’t care if the perception is correct. They don’t care that it’s at the price of weakening the basic rights of citizens.

Meanwhile, Bin Laden is in a cave somewhere on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan laughing his kidneys off.

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5 Responses to “Reflections on FISA”

  1. Jamelle Says:
    August 6th, 2007 at 4:49 pm

    I’m beginning to come to the Arthur Silbur position, namely, that maybe the Democrats aren’t “rolling over” and that perhaps they see nothing wrong with warrantless surveillance of American citizens.

    I hope I’m wrong, but something tells me that I’m not.

  2. eRobin Says:
    August 7th, 2007 at 12:34 am

    Sweet Jesus - she wants to fix the bill? I am so sick of Democrats who think that legislation can be fixed. Add this to NCLB, HAVA, Medicare Part D, the Barriers to Bankruptcy Bill, the MCA - what else?

    I think Jamelle is right - the Dems don’t see anything wrong with any of the bills mentioned above or spying on American citizens. Worse still, the American people are on the same page. I swear to god, I’m about to give up. I’m going to learn a craft (maybe return to scrapbooking and quilting - I was good at those), do more yoga, settle down with some good novels and episodes of Alias and Buffy. Or maybe take up skateboarding?

    I’m getting the idea that all of this activism stuff is just playing into the big kabuki organized to make us feel as if we’re participating in our government. I used to think that dropping out would be giving the bad guys what they wanted but now I’m thinking that it doesn’t matter no matter what we do - they get what they want.

  3. eRobin Says:
    August 7th, 2007 at 12:35 am

    Oh yeah - the mother of all “we can fix the bill” dodges: NAFTA. Gotta give the Big Dog his third-way due.

  4. AltHippo Says:
    August 7th, 2007 at 12:56 am

    I’m still trying not to think about this too much, so right now all I can say is grrrrr, or whoever you do growling noises on the intertubes.

  5. Jamelle Says:
    August 7th, 2007 at 3:57 pm

    You know, sometimes I feel like simply giving up too, and bothering myself with things that at least feel more productive (like learning how to play slap bass). But, I do think it’s possible for there to be change, it just has to come from the bottom up, as opposed to us relying on politicians.

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