Tom Carper Helps Republicans Give Bush Even More Power
What is the point of calling yourself a Democrat when you have “Democrats” like tom Carper around?
via kos
The Senate has surrendered to Mister Bush on domestic spying, yielding ignominiously to the White House’s demands that the unitary executive be given more authority when it seeks to wiretap suspected terrorists without warrants. The vote was 60-28. If passed by the House, the bill would be law for six months.
The White House and Congressional Republicans hailed the Senate vote as critical to plugging what they saw as dangerous gaps in the intelligence agencies’ ability to detect terrorist threats.
“I can sleep a little safer tonight,” Senator Christopher S. Bond, the Missouri Republican who co-sponsored the measure, declared after the Senate vote.
The measure approved by the Senate expires in six months and would have to be re-authorized. The White House’s grudging agreement to make it temporary helped to attract the votes of some moderate Democrats who said they thought it was important for Congress to approve some version of the wiretapping bill before its recess.
If Carper (one of 16 Democrats who voted with Bush) is going to be fooled by Bush’s claims to use restraint with this power he is really too stupid to be a Senator.
The vote on this bill is no. The vote on any bill expanding the powers of this Attorney General or this President is an easy no. No matter how much they try to scare everyone with vague warnings about the “terror.”
It is stunning that Carper still does not get it.
He needs a wake up call.
Carper: “Lieberman South”
The real terror here is Congress actually voting to expand the powers of an Attorney General who is on record for frequently lying about surveillance programs.
It boggles the mind that anyone would think that this is a good idea.
The Senate got rolled by Bush, with the help of Tom Carper.
Bush said “No recess until you pass this bill giving more power to Gonzo…”
What a missed opportunity to call Bush’s bluff!
Everybody relax. This is about technology. If you don’t like it, put your keyboards down and get your pen and paper out.
How ridiculous does everybody want to be? Do we not want to have the proper tools to combat cyber-terrorism activities?
You’ll find most people willing to come to the middle or go to the other side on many issues in this blog when the arguments make sense. In this case you’re taking your dislike for the President and Gonzo and having it cloud your judgements…big time!
In other words, wake the fuck up.
No. It’s about privacy and the Fourth Amendment. There is plenty of smoke indicating a vast illegal surveillance program. No new authority should be granted until this program is fully investigated.
My broken record spins again: Send the Carper boys to Iraq………see how he votes then.
Anon II has a point. No Senator should support a war effort he is not willing to let his children be a part of.
If you can’t support any war with your own children do no think it is ok to do it with someone elses.
This isn’t about a war effort. It’s about illegal searches in the US.
To hell with trying to find a powerhouse Dem to challenge Castle. We need somebody to primary Carper. Carper is distancing himself more and more from the Democratic wing of the Democratic party with each pro-Bush vote. Just let Castle’s watch wind down by itself and go after Carper.
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“There’s some party loyalist over at Kos defending the Sixteen by claiming this is some kind of ’emergency’ bill, s a stopgap until a Reasonable Bipartisan Compromise can be reached with Bush in the next Friedman.
Also pointed out that this isn’t retroactive, so anything Bush did before the law was passed (and signed) is illegal and impeachable.”
from the Kos blog
and from JIm
Webb’s justification
Yesterday I supported two measures to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. These measures were considered against the backdrop of heightened concerns from our nation’s intelligence community abut the threat of international terrorism. The ramifications of the two amendments before us last night were not political. Instead they related to the urgent demands of national security. I chose to heed those warnings. We now have six months to work in earnest to bring full accountability to the process.
This distinction and the threats to national security were stated clearly by Admiral McConnell as well as four of the eight Democratic members of the Senate Intelligence Committee. These members, Senators Feinstein, Mikulski, Bayh, and Bill Nelson, have extensive experience on intelligence matters and are respected champions of civil rights and liberties. They chose to give significant weight and deference to the intelligence community on FISA reform, and so did I.
There is near uniform, bipartisan agreement on the need to reform FISA to reflect modern telecommunications and information technology. We must do so in a way that safeguards basic civil and constitutional rights. But we must also remember that the terrorist threat to the nation is extremely serious. I remain fully committed to bringing accountability to this process, and to protecting the privacy rights of all Americans.
so now the wackos are proposing a special draft for the children of elected officials.
don’t worry mike, even if that happens, your kids won’t have to worry.
As a sort of reminder, Tom Carper should have the following folksy saying embroidered on a pillow.
“Fool me once shame on you, fool me 873 times shame on me.”
I think Alan Levin will primary Carper. Ooops, I forgot he is a republican who gives to more Democrats than Republicans.
a lot of DE GOPers hanging around here…must have no one to talk to on their side, me thinks.