Dodd's statement of FISA

[ProSense]

Statement of Senator Dodd on FISA Compromise

June 19, 2008

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) today made the following statement in response to the compromise reached on the legislation that would reform the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA):

“I cannot support the so-called ‘compromise’ legislation announced today. This bill would not hold the telecommunications companies that participated in the President’s warrantless wiretapping program accountable for their actions. Instead, it would simply offer retroactive immunity by another name.

“As I have said time and time again, the President should not be above the rule of law, nor should the telecommunications companies who supported his quest to spy on American citizens. I remain strongly opposed to this deeply flawed bill, and I urge my colleagues in Congress to join me in supporting American’s civil liberties by rejecting this measure.”

[PassingFair]

1. K & R

He has been OUTSTANDING on this.

[senseandsensibility]

2. I wish he would filibuster again

Any chance of that?

[LakeSamish706]

3. Good on Chris Dodd... Finally someone with some balls. n/t

[Demit]

4. Dodd has been there all along. He promised as President on his first day to restore the Constitution

I wish more people had taken his candidacy seriously. Now I hope he continues his fight to oppose the FISA bill.

[rockymountaindem]

10. Yep

Same here.

[MrCoffee]

5. Thank you Sen. Dodd! - "I remain strongly opposed to this deeply flawed bill"

:applause:

[pberq]

6. why is it not possible for Obama to say this?

[ProSense]

7. Basically,

he has.

[MrCoffee]

8. He stated the opposite, in fact.

"It is not all that I would want. But given the legitimate threats we face, providing effective intelligence collection tools with appropriate safeguards is too important to delay.So I support the compromise, but do so with a firm pledge that as President, I will carefully monitor the program, review the report by the Inspectors General, and work with the Congress to take any additional steps I deem necessary to protect the lives - and the liberty - of the American people."

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/201032.php

[ProSense]

9. No he didn't:

It does, however, grant retroactive immunity, and I will work in the Senate to remove this provision so that we can seek full accountability for past offenses.

Dodd opposes retroactive immunity and so does Obama.

[Zachstar]

11. Obama supports the bill Nuff Said.

He calls it a compromise which is a damn lie in my view. Nuff Said

[ProSense]

13. He opposes retroactive immunity.

Nuff said.

[Zachstar]

20. I dont care what he opposes in the bill there is no damn line item veto.

Sorry but the fan boy stuff ends now. He played politics because hes afraid of what John McCain will gain from him opposing the bill outright like any sane person would. He is a coward.

If he wants to show some spine he needs to forget the amendment and just work to shut the POS down.

[ProSense]

25. Senators don't have line item veto power.

Obama has a vote, which he hasn't cast yet.

He says he's opposed to the measure, and will work in the Senate to get it stripped from the bill.

You can denounce him for a vote he hasn't cast for a measure he says he's opposed to, but is that reasonable?

[Zachstar]

29. He says he supports and almost nonexistant compromise. He supports the bill but opposes the "bad"

The whole damn bill is bad but as usual he says he may just try to slap the immunity part the part that will put him in the news of course.

The bill is bad PERIOD. The idea of him supporting the democrats caving in is BAD. He is supporting a bill that FLEW into congress to PREVENT netroots and other groups from having much of a say is BAD.

He is a coward. Other senators are gearing up to fight the bill he needs to drop the bullshit, take the licks from ACLU hating McCain and fight this.

[ProSense]

31. "The whole damn bill is bad "

That's your opinion.

"He is a coward"

Typical.

[Zachstar]

33. No Untypical if you have gone through my posts you have seen what support I have given.

I stood with him through this campaign so I can see him buckle to the republicans like that assholee pelosi?

The game is over. I want to see Obama go after this bill with everything he has and not say bullshit statements ment to fend off John McCain.

Sorry I am not blind to his reversal on NAFTA. His smackdown of Impeachment and what will surely come.

[ProSense]

34. "Sorry I am not blind to his reversal on NAFTA." Huh? What

NAFTA?

[Hawkeye-X]

14. No he does not.

He does *support* the bill but *opposes* the retroactive immunity provision in the bill and will introduce an amendment to remove that section.

[MrCoffee]

15. "So I support the compromise" means he doesn't support it?

:crazy:

[Zachstar]

17. Make your head spin!

[MrCoffee]

19. What is going on around here???

Seriously, am I typing in Urdu or something? Is it all Wingdings on your screen?

[Zachstar]

26. I have no idea but the Dem at any cost people are out in force on this one.

For me I am sick of that damn stance that gets us cowards to congress. We gave Pelosi what she wanted and she fucking betrayed us with the war funding buckling and now this Fisa bullshit.

I supported Obama because I wanted someone who is not going to be a political coward. And now lately his stance on NAFTA flip flopping and now supporting this shit because of the big bad ACLU hating John McCain. Its too much. I am turning in my fanboy card and saying simply that Obama needs to earn our respect again. And stop playing the political game.

[ProSense]

21. No, but

from reading the statement, isn't it clear what he agrees with and what he doesn't?

It does, however, grant retroactive immunity, and I will work in the Senate to remove this provision so that we can seek full accountability for past offenses.

That's a definitive statement opposing retroactive immunity, which is what everyone is up in arms about.

[Zachstar]

22. About the fact that he is a coward.

[MrCoffee]

24. Anyone who only cares about the immunity isn't paying attention.

A bill that let's the AG write a memo legalizing a warrantless wiretap is a BAD BILL. It is (or should be in any sane universe) a VIOLATION OF THE 4TH AMENDMENT.

Supporting the bill, with or without immunity, is wrong.

[ProSense]

27. All the statements are about the immunity provision.

In fact, Leahy is the only one who mentions other parts of the bill. His statement is supportive of those as well.

[Demit]

23. Now you got it! Now all we have to do is get someone to explain what the 'compromise' was.

We know what the Democrats gave up, but what exactly did the administration and the Republicans in Congress give up? Maybe Obama, being a law professor, could explain that.

[Zachstar]

16. Then he needs to say he opposes the bill and pledge to fight it.

Im sick of cowards like him.

[Zachstar]

12. Ok Dodd if you want want to regain my respect lets see you fight this the way it needs to be fought.

Stand in there and Fillibuster it! We need this bill to last as long as possible so that the EFF and the ACLU can get the word out and places like Digg and other outlets can continue to expose what bullshit this bill is.

Hopefully then it will fail.


We already have a list of traitors to freedom from the House vote.

[jazzjunkysue]

18. That's my boy! I'm gonna email him and thank him right now. n/t.

[dailykoff]

28. Somebody gets it.

Dodd wins. :thumbsup:

[rodeodance]

30. Right on!!

[NorthCarolina]

32. Now THAT'S a reasoned response I can get behind.

I only wish Obama had made a similar statement. Regardless, thank you Senator's Feingold and Dodd, and Congressman Kucinich for standing in defense of the Constitution, and on the side of the American people. True patriots all.