First of all, I don't think FISA is the end of the world of the end of our rights. Thank God I didn't take the advice of people around here and instead read the damn bill. If you have read the bill, you'd know that it;
*Require FISA court permission to wiretap Americans who are overseas.
*Prohibit targeting a foreigner to secretly eavesdrop on an American's calls or e-mails without court approval.
*Allow the FISA court 30 days to review existing but expiring surveillance orders before renewing them.
*Allow eavesdropping in emergencies without court approval,provided the government files required papers within a week.
*Prohibit the government from invoking war powers or other authorities to supersede surveillance rules in the future
Nowhere does any of that threaten our rights. At least, in my opinion, I see nothing there that more threatens the Bill of Rights than anything done by former President we hold so dear. I see nothing here worth blackmailing Obama over.
I don't see this at all as a reason to withold support for Obama, allow his fundraising to dry up and give McCain a financial edge in an election that is closer than most of us would like to admit.
As for the immunity clause. Having put in serious thought into it, I have come to the conclusion that CIVIL immunity is not the end fo the world, since the telecoms will not be getting CRIMINAL immunity. They can still be prosecuted criminally, which is much more important, if you ask me, that civil cases. If this was really about allowing the telecoms to get off scott free, they would've included criminal immunity. They did not. This is done to protect the telecoms from ludicrous civil cases filed by money-hungry lawyers and people with dollar-signs in their eyes who will use their rights as a means to make a quick buck.
If there is anything I can agree with the GOP with, it's that the penalities awarded in some civil cases are getting outrageous. I'm sure there were some selfish lawyers out there salivating over the idea of making a crusade out of "defending our rights" to pay for that new mansion in The Hamptons.
Go ahead, tell me to fuck off, call me names, shit all over me. It's what you people do best. It's what I've discovered in my short five weeks here. I back Obama on this and I'm not sorry for it. I guess I'm just not progressive enough for DailyKos. I never thought there would be a place where I'd feel like I'm right wing.
If Obama loses this year because you guys decided to hold back support for your own selfish reasons, we deserve McCain. You deserve McCain. You deserve every abuse you endure from him, every war you fight for him, every extra dollar in gas prices you pay to line the pockets of his ExxonMobil friends. You deserve it this time. You will do this to yourself. At least the Republicans are willing to sacrifice some of their principles to work to achieve their warped view of what America would look like. We aren't. We want it all and we want it now or we will stay home. THAT IS WHY WE LOSE!
Me? I'll be in Italy apologizing to my brother for doubting him.
DailyKos hurts the Democratic Party more than it helps.
I can't be a part of that.
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