Coats is filibustering

[bigtree]

...he knows we didn't tune in to hear this FISA bull.

I know FISA warrants is what the hearing was ostensively based on, but he's overdoing it.

Republicans will use this subject to try and divert from whatever issues Democrats on the committee raise.


watch hearing: https://www.c-span.org/video/?429451-1/senior-national-security-officials-testify-fisa-authority&live

[procon]

1. No, he's laying down the foundation and building the framework

that will serve to squash most of the Republican's fabricated arguments and unsubstantiated complaints against the intelligence agencies. This is a good and necessary first step.

[bigtree]

2. republicans want to argue about leaks

...it's an unnecessary distraction, diversion.

It's nonsense, even if these relatively responsible individuals refute the bull about unmasking and the other canards.

Btw, Coats is a truly awful person, and was an even worse Senator.

[BumRushDaShow]

3. Warner already noted what HE was going to discuss.

(but yes, this is more a "routine" hearing to consider the renewal of the FISA warrant legislation that is apparently due to expire this year, which I didn't realize until it was mentioned in the opening remarks)

[yallerdawg]

4. This is about Trump and Republican deflection - and reauthorization.

Article excerpts:

Yet there are two serious misconceptions about what Section 702 permits the government to do that threaten the reauthorization.

First, it does not permit the targeting of Americans. The authority expressly forbids intentional targeting of a United States person for surveillance. Electronic surveillance of Americans, or even foreigners inside the United States, requires an individual court order supported by probable cause.

Second, it does not permit backdoor targeting of Americans, whose communications with foreign persons can be incidentally captured in the process. National security officials may use search terms or identifiers associated with Americans, such as an email address, to query the information lawfully acquired using Section 702 authority.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/07/opinion/congress-reauthorize-foreign-surveillance.html?_r=0

[BumRushDaShow]

5. And here comes Warner ON that subject!

[bigtree]

6. Coats stonewalling now

...following Rogers.

This is what should be played in the press, over and over... obstruction of the public's right to know.

[BumRushDaShow]

7. They are not going to overtly throw anyone under the bus

yet...