Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

Kerry, Kennedy opposed FISA cave-in

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Yesterday the US Senate voted for another cave-in, providing legal immunity for the telecoms that went along with the White House’s illegal warrantless wiretaps.

At least Kerry and Kennedy voted against it.  McCain supported it.  Clinton and Obama didn’t vote. The final vote was 68-29.

Nearly everyone else, from tech bloggers to Republicans like former White House Counsel John Dean seem to recognize what an incredibly bad idea this is — why is it so hard for so many members of Congress?

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Comments

  1. None of those Republicans are Senators, though. Every single Republican voted wrong on FISA. Every single one. So it’s up to Democrats to stop this. It’s up to Democrats to enforce party discipline and it’s up to progressives to figure out how to convince moderates.

    <

    p>It’s a not particularly relevant that neither Clinton nor Obama didn’t show up. If Senators Rockefeller, Feinstein, Webb, and Mikuski are all voting wrong on this, it doesn’t matter. It just doesn’t matter.

    <

    p>The problem is how to swing such Senators from not just opposing the cave-in but over to being willing to filibuster to stop it.

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    p>I don’t know the answer to that riddle. Neither did anyone on the post I put up on the same issue.

    • He voted yea on the Dodd amendment, and nay on cloture, then didn’t vote on the final passage of the bill.

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      p>I don’t like that NV one bit.  It stinks of CYA.

      • It bothered me a little that this diary was only technically correct, left the wrong impression about Obama’s action on this issue. But diaries are sometimes like that, and it was corrected by SMadin, so no harm, no foul, right?

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        p>Except it keeps nagging at me that this diary was by the ACLU-M. To me, that makes it an “official” work, and the misleading presentation of the facts is more serious. The ACLU is an organization I support and would like to trust.

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        p>I think the ACLU-M should correct the diary, and I hope they do a better job in the future.

        • I stand corrected.  Thank you.  I started seeing press reports today that Obama had voted against FISA but didn’t find a record of the vote until now.

          <

          p>The roll call on S. 2248 shows that he didn’t vote on that, but it’s great that he supported the Dodd amendment.

          <

          p>Thanks again for helping to clear this up.

  2. Kennedy and Kerry had the guts to stand their ground and vote against granting legal immunity for telecoms that complied with
    the Bush Administration’s illegal and warrantless wiretapping and spying  on American Citizens.  Kennedy and Kerry, if you’re listening in, kudos to  you both for having the spine and gumption to stand up to this horrific bill.  We need more people like you guys who’ve clearly got principles as well as backbone.  Keep up the good work, both of you.

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