White House Repeats Veto Threat On Senate Surveillance Bill

[maddezmom]

Source: Dow Jones

WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- The White House repeated its threat to veto legislation renewing the Bush administration's warrantless wiretapping program unless the measure includes retroactive immunity for phone companies that allegedly participated in the program.

`SNIP`

The initial version of the bill to be introduced includes the immunity from civil lawsuits. This version was passed by the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Several telephone companies are believed to have allowed National Security Administration to listen to calls and have access to details of customer's phone and email records.

A separate version of the bill that doesn't include immunity, approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee, will be introduced as an amendment to the initial version of the legislation.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said on Friday that he doesn't support immunity, but that procedurally he was obligated to introduce the first version of the bill that includes immunity.

Sens. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., and Russ Feingold, D-Wis., said Monday they would introduce an amendment to the Intelligence version of the legislation which would strip out the immunity provision.



Read more: http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200712171038DOWJONESDJONLINE000417_FORTUNE5.htm

[zabet]

1. I am SHOCKED....

not.

[aquart]

2. Why would we care if he vetoes?

Somebody explain to me, please.

[zabet]

3. We don't.

All he does at this point
with a veto, is enforce his
image as a petulant spoiled
child to the American people.

[Deep13]

4. So he's going to veto something that sucks because it doesn't suck enough.

No downside.

[aquart]

6. I like that description. Go Veto!

[MissMillie]

5. it's not a "do nothing congress" it's a do-nothing White House

one more year is too long to wait to be rid of this asshole.

[greiner3]

11. 399 days!

[OnyxCollie]

7. If Chimpy vetoes, does it go back to the original version of FISA? nt

[midnight]

8. Can someone clarify why we care that this bill is vetoed?

Thanks to the critical thinking and patriotism of Sen. Feingold, and Sen. Dodd. We are supporting your work.

[backscatter712]

9. What's the upside of passing this bill again?

Even without telco immunity, it creates more loopholes that WILL be used to tap our communications and violate our Fourth Amendment rights - I don't consider retroactive warrants written after the taps are already done to be Constitutional.

So. Let's have Dodd filibuster telco immunity, Bush veto it without telco immunity, and have the end result be no bill at all. I fail to see a problem with this.

[EFerrari]

10. Good! Go for it, Junior!

[Supersedeas]

12. Little Lord Pissypants wants another bone for cronies who break the law.

[sattahipdeep]

13. "Ok"

If this collection of imformation is "ok"
Why not collect Bushs phone records....
or Cheny....or....corn doggies.