Cheney Falsely Claims The House ‘Allowed’ FISA To ‘Expire’ (Warning: Graphic!)»

[babylonsister]

Cheney Falsely Claims The House ‘Allowed’ FISA To ‘Expire’»



During a speech yesterday at the conservative Manhattan Institute, Vice President Dick Cheney claimed that Congress “does have a way, at times, of missing big opportunities and losing sight of big responsibilities.” As an example, Cheney criticized House Democrats for allowing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to expire:

In the field of international security at present, the House leadership has allowed a critical statute to expire — the FISA, or Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a law that gives intelligence professionals the tools they need to monitor terrorist-related communications.

However, there is one slight kink in Cheney’s argument: House Democrats have not allowed FISA to expire. FISA is the law passed in 1978 — and still on the books — that governs the federal government’s communications monitoring. House Democrats actually “allowed” the Protect America Act (PAA) to expire, a revision to FISA that expanded the government’s authority to eavesdrop on Americans’ domestic-to-foreign communications without a warrant. Indeed, as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) noted after the House voted to reject the PAA’s extension:

{T}he underlying Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which provides for the surveillance of terrorists and provides that in emergencies surveillance can begin without warrant, remains intact and available to our intelligence agencies.

more...

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/04/22/cheney-fisa-expire/

[nichomachus]

1. Cheney reveals his true colors

[Robbien]

2. Protect America Act

Such a stomach turning fascist name for a law which strips Americans of their rights to privacy.

Allowed it to expire is so passive. I would be proud of the Democratic party if they had purposely said, "Uh uh, no more. Let it die."

[spanone]

3. i want to see this man in jail. arrogant pos

[progressoid]

4. *Gasp* The Vice-President lied?

Say it ain't so!

[bluesmail]

5. I was warned but I had to take a peek.

When I see or hear */Cheney I give out a loud involuntary torturous primal scream.

[Subdivisions]

6. A simple (Warning: Graphic!) just wasn't a strong enough warning! n/t

[samsingh]

7. cheney lying again? easy - he's talking.

[FrankyBean]

8. Cheney is crazy

he's the devil and twice as scary!