House to Cave on Wiretapping Bill?

[babylonsister]

http://washingtonindependent.com/view/house-to-cave-on

House to Cave on Wiretapping Bill?
By Mike Lillis 05/05/2008 07:18PM

After stealing headlines earlier in the year, the showdown between the White House and House Democrats over the renewal of controversial domestic spying legislation has faded from public debate. (In a nutshell, the administration wants to protect the phone companies from lawsuits for their role in providing the government with client information without judicial oversight -- something the Senate approved but the House has thus far rejected.)

But now comes word from the American Civil Liberties Union that House Democrats may be crafting a deal with Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.V.) to move a compromise bill. Rockefeller was one of the most vocal supporters of retroactive immunity for phone companies, which leaves groups like the ACLU spooked that any deal pushed by the West Virginian would include such a provision.

ACLU is already beating its drum of disapproval:

Make no mistake: any "compromise" that is acceptable to Senator Rockefeller and the President will undoubtedly let lawbreakers off the hook and seriously put at risk -- or even end -- lawsuits that may be the only way to get to the bottom of crimes that were committed by phone companies and Bush administration officials.

ACLU is urging its members to urge House leaders not to cave. And you thought it was safe to get back on the phone.

[BuyingThyme]

1. A little reminder: It seems that Nancy Pelosi was involved in committing these crimes,

so we shouldn't be surprised if she once again takes the Constitution off the table.

[Richard Steele]

12. Yup. Accessory to the act, and a major player in the coverup. nm

[OnyxCollie]

19. Bush to face tough questions over Patriot Act, spy orders

Bush to face tough questions over Patriot Act, spy orders
Edward Epstein, Chronicle Washington Bureau
Saturday, December 24, 2005
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/12/24/MNGBOGD4FF1.DTL

"The record is clear. Congressional leaders at a minimum tacitly supported the program," Rep. Peter Hoekstra, R-Mich., said Wednesday. As chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Hoekstra was in on the briefings. "Many, I believe, thought it was absolutely essential and appropriate to keep America safe. I see no pattern of objection to the program or concern about this program from Congress."

But two of those Democrats, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, and Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV, D-W.Va., the Senate Intelligence Committee's ranking Democrat, insist that such assertions just aren't true. Until last week's disclosure of the snooping in the New York Times and Bush's subsequent comments, the two say they were unable to publicly voice concerns because of secrecy rules.

Pelosi wrote this week to National Intelligence Director John Negroponte asking him to waive secrecy rules and allow her to release a letter she says she wrote to Bush several years ago expressing her reservations about the National Security Agency operation.

Rockefeller went further, releasing a copy of a handwritten letter to Vice President Dick Cheney dated July 17, 2003, in which he laid out concerns about the program that Bush has reauthorized 30 times since starting it after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Pelosi Requests Declassification of Her Letter on NSA Activities
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
http://www.house.gov/pelosi/press/releases/Dec05/classified.html

"When I learned that the National Security Agency had been authorized to conduct the activities that President Bush referred to in his December 17 radio address, I expressed my strong concerns in a classified letter to the Administration and later verbally.

"Today, in an effort to shed light on my concerns, I requested that the Director of National Intelligence quickly declassify my letter and the Administration's response to it and make them both available to the public.

"The President must have the best possible intelligence to protect the American people. That intelligence, however, must be produced in a manner consistent with our Constitution and our laws, and in a manner that reflects our values as a nation to protect the American people and our freedoms."

Pelosi’s Declassified Letter on NSA Activities
http://www.house.gov/pelosi/press/releases/Jan06/declassified.html

Lieutenant General Michael V. Hayden, USAF
Director
National Security Agency
Fort George G. Mead, Maryland 20755
Washington, D.C. 20340-1001

Dear General Hayden:

During your appearance before the committee on October 1, you indicated that you had been operating since the September 11 attacks with an expansive view of your authorities with respect to the conduct of electronic surveillance under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and related statutes, orders, regulations, and guidelines. You seemed to be inviting expressions of concern from us, if there were any, and, after the briefing was over and I had a chance to reflect on what you said, I instructed staff to get more information on this matter for me. For several reasons, including what I consider to be an overly broad interpretation of President Bush’s directive of October 5 on sharing with Congress “classified or sensitive law enforcement information” it has not been possible to get answers to my questions.

Without those answers, the concerns I have about what you said on the 1st can not be resolved, and I wanted to bring them to your attention directly. You indicated that you were treating as a matter of first impression, being of foreign intelligence interest. As a result, you were forwarding the intercepts, and any information without first receiving a request for that identifying information to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Although I may be persuaded by the strength of your analysis I believe you have a much more difficult case to make Therefore, I am concerned whether, and to what extent, the National Security Agency has received specific presidential authorization for the operations you are conducting. Until I understand better the legal analysis regarding the sufficiency of the authority which underlies your decision on the appropriate way to proceed on this matter, I will continue to be concerned.

Sincerely,

NANCY PELOSI
Ranking Democrat

18 October 2001

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Ranking Member, House Permanent
Select Committee on Intelligence
H-405, The Capitol
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Representative Pelosi:

Thank you for the opportunity to clarify any ambiguity that may have arisen as a result of my briefing on October 1 to members of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees.

In my briefing, I was attempting to emphasize that I used my authorities to adjust NSA’s collection and reporting.

(redacted) Again, thank you for allowing me to clarify this matter.

MICHAEL V. HAYDEN
Lieutenant General, USAF
Director, NSA

[spanone]

2. this is the bu$h*/congress pattern. let it fade from the public view then quietly pass it

[annabanana]

3. It's time to call the reps again and REMIND THEM that this is

NOT what America wants...

[nadinbrzezinski]

18. After having talked to my so called democratic congresswoman

staffer I gave up

Only thing that will wake them up is a third party sweep... no kidding here

[AzDar]

4. Kick ...

:kick:

[williesgirl]

5. If they'll do this in an ELECTION YR, can you guess what'll happen next? Time for a 3rd viable

party if this goes thru. Fuck them all. rec'd

[Better Believe It]

6. K & R

[mdmc]

7. I thought that they have already caved on that

:kick:

[VP505]

8. Senate did

but the House wouldn't go along with it. Now that they actually had spine enough to win one for "we the people" the leaders are talking compromise. If this get through it will be because Hoyer either made it happen or let it happen, any way its all on Hoyer and a few of the Blue Dog enablers.

[mdmc]

9. I think we know what the result will be.

[notfullofit]

10. Rockefeller got increase from phone compainies...

"increased contributions from industry executives reflected a record fund-raising year for Rockefeller and that his contributions from many sectors had "skyrocketed."

The surge in contributions came from a Who's Who of executives at the companies, AT&T and Verizon, starting with the chief executives and including at least 50 executives and lawyers at the two utilities, according to campaign finance reports.

The money came primarily from a fund-raiser that Verizon held for Rockefeller in March in New York and another that AT&T sponsored for him in May '07 in San Antonio.


according to the International Herald Tribune

[VP505]

14. That figures!

:mad: :mad: :mad:

[OneBlueSky]

11. time to change the name of the lower chamber from the House of Representatives to . . .

the Cave of Non-Representatives . . . it's what they do best . . .

[Truth2Tell]

13. K&R

It's not Rockefeller's $$$$$ from the telecoms that are at the heart of his advocacy for this bill. It's really about covering for his own criminally complicit foreknowledge of the crimes.

[bbgrunt]

15. k n r

[bdamomma]

16. kick

[Fireweed247]

17. Support NEW Democratic candidates for Congress!

They are making US look bad!
www.peacecandidates.com