With the news that the house leadership has completed a sellout "compromise" demanded by Bush on FISA "reform" legislation, it is fitting to review the letter sent to Nancy Pelosi, earlier this year, signed by Georgia house democrat John Barrow, pushing for the Rockefeller-Cheney FISA/telecomm amnesty bill that was moving through the senate.
I think a strong stand against Steny Hoyer's compromise, announced today, from Obama, cou;d have stopped the negotiations so enthusiatically pursued by Hoyer with Kit Bond in the senate..... instead, Obama endorses John Barrow and does not speak out against Hoyer's "efforts". This is not my kind of "reaching out"....or my notion of a "unity" candidate:
http://www.c-spanarchives.org/...Text From the Congressional Record
Hastings, Richard [R-WA]
Debate: H.RES.976
Begin 2008-02-13 12:05:05
End 12:08:16
Length 00:03:11
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of the time.
Mr. Speaker, the tragic events of September 11, 2001 taught us many lessons. One of the lessons we learned that day was that our Nation must remain aggressive in our fight against international terrorism. We must always stay one step ahead of those who wish to harm our fellow Americans. Now is not the time to tie the hands of our intelligence community. The modernization of foreign intelligence surveillance into the 21st century is a critical national security priority.
Mr. Speaker, that was a letter sent to Speaker Pelosi less than 2 weeks ago by the members of the Democrat Blue Dog Coalition.
CONGRESS of THE UNITED STATES,
Washington, DC, January 28, 2008.
DEAR MADAM SPEAKER: Legislation reforming the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) is currently being considered by the Senate. Following the Senate's passage of a FISA bill, it will be necessary for the House to quickly consider FISA legislation to get a bill to the President before the Protect America Act expires in February.
It is our belief that such legislation should include the following provisions: Require individualized warrants for surveillance of U.S. citizens living or traveling abroad; Clarify that no court order is required to conduct surveillance of foreign-to-foreign communications that are routed through the United States; Provide enhanced oversight by Congress of surveillance laws and procedures; Compel compliance by private sector partners; Review by FISA Court of minimization procedures; Targeted
immunity for carriers that participated in anti-terrorism surveillance programs.
The Rockefeller-Bond FISA legislation contains satisfactory language addressing all these issues and we would fully support that measure should it reach the House floor without substantial change. We believe these components will ensure a strong national security apparatus that can thwart terrorism across the globe and save American lives here in our country.
It is also critical that we update the FISA laws in a timely manner. To pass a long-term extension of the Protect America Act, as some may suggest, would leave in place a limited, stopgap measure that does not fully address critical surveillance issues. We have it within our ability to replace the expiring Protect America Act by passing strong, bipartisan FISA modernization legislation that can be signed into law and we should do so--the consequences of not passing such a measure could place
our national security at undue risk.
Sincerely,
Leonard L. Boswell, ------, Mike Ross, Bud Cramer, Heath Shuler, Allen Boyd, Dan Boren, Jim Matheson, Lincoln Davis, Tim Holden, Dennis Moore, Earl Pomeroy, Melissa L. Bean, John Barrow, Joe Baca, John Tanner, Jim Cooper, Zachary T. Space, Brad Ellsworth, Charlie Melancon, Christopher P. Carney.
http://www.ajc.com/...
Home > Political Insider > Archives > 2008 > June > 18 > Entry
Obama cuts an ad to help John Barrow in his primary fight
Wednesday, June 18, 2008, 07:02 PM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama has taped a radio commercial on behalf of U.S. Rep. John Barrow of Savannah, who faces a July 15 primary challenge.
It’s the first case of Obama involving himself in a local race in Georgia.
Details of when the ad will start airing and where it will be broadcast — the 12th District covers much of east Georgia, including portions of Augusta and Savannah — were not immediately available Wednesday.
But the Obama campaign made clear to my colleague Aaron Sheinin that it sees Barrow, a two-term Democrat, as an important ally. We’ve got calls into the Barrow campaign, but haven’t heard from them yet.
"Senator Obama believes that Congressman Barrow has worked hard to bring change that families in his district deserve, and we’ll work hard to help John Barrow win in November," Obama spokeswoman Amy Brundage said.
In the ad, Obama asks voters to join him in supporting Barrow. "We’re going to need John Barrow back in Congress to help change Washington and get our country back on track," Obama says in the 60-second ad.
Barrow beat a Republican incumbent in 2004 and had tough GOP opposition in 2006. But this April, Barrow picked up unexpected opposition from Regina Thomas, a well-known African-American state senator based in Savannah. Barrow is white, and In past primaries in the 12th District, black voters have cast nearly 70 percent of the ballots.
Barrow had endorsed Obama in late February, a few weeks after the Illinois senator won the Georgia primary. And within weeks of Thomas joining the race, Barrow, a conservative Democrat, was placed at the top of a list of 14 national co-chairs for Obama’s massive, 50-state voter registration drive — along with the likes of singer Melissa Etheridge and the Rev. Joe Lowery.
Barrow has plenty of cash to make use of the Obama ad. He reported $1.3 million in cash on hand this spring.
I predict responses that this is a mistake....Obama doesn't personally know about it.....but he does know what Hoyer has been up to, and I see no record that he worked to head it off. The house democrats merely had to do nothing.....just continue to support the FISA bill that they had already passed, to stop this latest dictatorial Bush transfer of our constitutional protections, to the executive!