Senators Push to Preserve N.S.A. Phone Surveillance...

[Indi Guy]

Source: New York Times

WASHINGTON — The Senate Intelligence Committee appears to be moving toward swift passage of a bill that would “change but preserve” the once-secret National Security Agency program that is keeping logs of every American’s phone calls, Senator Dianne Feinstein, the California Democrat who leads the panel, said Thursday.

Ms. Feinstein, speaking at a rare public hearing of the committee, said she and the top Republican on the panel, Senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, are drafting a bill that would be marked up — meaning that lawmakers could propose amendments to it before voting it out of committee — as early as next week.

After the existence of the program became public by leaks from the former N.S.A. contractor Edward J. Snowden, critics called for it to be dismantled. Ms. Feinstein said her bill would be aimed at increasing public confidence in the program, which she said she believed was lawful.

The measure would require public reports of how often the N.S.A. had used the calling log database, she said. It would also reduce the number of years — currently five — that the domestic calling log data is kept before it is deleted. It would also require the N.S.A. to send lists of the phone numbers it searches, and its rationale for doing so, to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court for review...

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/27/us/politics/senators-push-to-preserve-nsa-phone-surveillance.html?_r=0

[Le Taz Hot]

1. Honest to goddess,

could she be any more of a sleazebag? I mean really, you expect this from Chambliss, a Republican, but a "Democrat?" And we have five more years with this Dino.

[QuestForSense]

12. Birds of a feather.

A couple of soul-less psychopaths, both of them.

[Fearless]

2. Why does this feel like a "let's drug test welfare recepients" situation?

They have given no substantial evidence that such a program even works, never mind the insipid moral abuses.

[Th1onein]

3. Diane, you need to kiss my a.... I can't believe she calls herself a Democrat.

SICK of this woman and her lies. She and her hubby make money off of this.

[bbgrunt]

4. me too.

[cui bono]

7. You make money off this???

[bbgrunt]

9. no, but she can kma and I am sick of her.

[AzDar]

5. K & R &

[SamKnause]

6. NSA

................"said her bill would be aimed at increasing public confidence in the program, which she said she believed was lawful."

I have zero confidence in our secret courts and spy agencies.

I do not think they are lawful.

[Indi Guy]

20. The "national security" rationale dog is very tired, and doesn't have much hunting in him anymore...

...and the public is very tired of hearing how the gov. is breaking the law for our benefit.

What good is the rule of law if it only applies to the governed???

[cui bono]

8. Ugh. Can't believe she's my senator.

I keep letting her aides have it when I call there.

She's really on a roll lately with this and the journalist thing.

[avaistheone1]

11. She's my senator too.

I call her office regularly and you pretty much just get stock answers. They are not good ones.

Question for you: Has she ever held any public meetings in your area to meet with constituents? The only time I have seen Dianne Feinstein in my community was for a public meeting when she first ran for office. We haven't seen hide nor hair of her since that time.

It's easy for our senators and congressional reps to vote for positions that a far removed from what their constituents want when they do not meet with us on a regular basis. It is their job to represent us. If they never interact with us face to face, then they don't have any solid understanding of what we their constituents expect and what we will hold them responsible for. How can they truly be acting on our behalf?

[cui bono]

19. I can't say for sure, but I don't recall hearing about any meetings.

But I wouldn't take my word for it.

[davidpdx]

10. Feinstein has been going down hill lately in terms of where she stands on issues

We need to get rid of her. I think her current term doesn't end until 2019. Hopefully given how old she is she'll just call it quits then. It sucks to be stuck with her for almost 6 more years.

[Enthusiast]

13. I know she is ultra wealthy.

But we need to make an example of Feinstein by defeating her a primary election.

[Le Taz Hot]

16. The CDP won't allow a challenger.

When I say "won't allow" I mean they'll starve any challenger's campaign and supply the dollars for the attack ads against that challenger. Theoretically, the CDP is SUPPOSED to stay out of it until the candidate is determined by primary vote but they don't. They want in who they want in and they'll do what it takes to make sure he/she is shoved in there. It's not any different for national campaigns. It's why Iowa and New Hampshire are first -- states with a very small minority population and where the game is easily manipulated against non-establishment challengers. Any questions? See Howard Dean.

[Enthusiast]

17. No questions. But I hate it.

They make this country suck.

[FiveGoodMen]

18. If there's no other way out, vote for the republican next time

How much worse could it be?

Then, once she's out, run someone decent the next time.

[Wilms]

15. ^