Monday, February 18, 2008

Congressional good dog/bad dog

FISA Amendments Act of 2007 - Vote Passed (68-29, 3 Not Voting)

The Senate passed this intelligence bill that would revise U.S. surveillance laws and grant retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies that helped the government conduct warrantless wiretapping of U.S. citizens.

Sen. Ron Wyden voted NO......
Sen. Gordon Smith voted YES......


The telecoms got off the hook, effing wonderful. For crissakes people -- they broke the law and were protected from having done so. They broke the law in contradiction to basic constitutional rights at that... gah!

Providing for the adoption of H. Res. 979 and H. Res. 980, contempt of Congress resolutions - Vote Passed (223-32, 1 Present, 173 Not Voting)

The House passed this resolution finding former White House Counsel Harriet Miers and White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten in contempt of Congress for failing to comply with subpoenas issued by the Judiciary Committee.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer voted YES......


But Bolten and Miers didn't get off the hook.

Guess today is a scrub at Congress -- gonadlessness and tiny gonads. Is this the best we can expect anymore?

Information brought to you by Megavote.

Bp

2 comments:

Stu Farnham said...

The house has not passed FISA and it looks like they may not.

I wrote to our WA senators and got a response from Sen. Patty Murray (niminally -- I'm sure a staffer wrote it -- but it responded directly to points in my email to her. She voted against the bill and said she plans to vote against any version of the bill that does not require judicial oversight and that gives immunity.

In my response I told her how displeased I am that the Deomocratic leadership in the Senate -- Harry Reid from Nevada -- is the sponsor of this bill and urging that this be taken into account when the time comes to reelect leaders in the Senate.

Bpaul said...

You know, I was baffled by the date of that first bill, I think Megavote screwed up somehow. I went and searched around and it still held up that this was just passed, and had the passing date correct.

I'm going to have to look into it more.

Would kick butt if it were wrong.