Bush Nixed Dem-DNI FISA Deal! Made Dems Scramble!

[KoKo]

Exclusive: Bush Nixed Dem-DNI FISA Deal
By Spencer Ackerman - August 3, 2007, 5:11 PM

Today, while standing with Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell, President Bush lamented the inability of Congressional Democrats to give McConnell the tools he needed to capture the communications of terrorists:

When Congress sends me their version, when Congress listens to all the data and facts and they send me a version of how to close those gaps, I'll ask one question, and I'm going to ask the DNI: Does this legislation give you what you need to prevent an attack on the country? Is this what you need to do your job, Mr. DNI? That's the question I'm going to ask. And if the answer is yes, I'll sign the bill. And if the answer is no, I'm going to veto the bill.

And so far the Democrats in Congress have not drafted a bill I can sign. We've worked hard and in good faith with the Democrats to find a solution, but we are not going to put our national security at risk.

There's only one problem with Bush's statement: it isn't true.

A key Democrat in the negotiations, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), says that a deal had in fact been reached with McConnell, who has been busy lobbying Congress on a FISA update all week. "We had an agreement with DNI McConnell," Hoyer spokeswoman Stacey Bernards tells TPMmuckraker, "and then the White House quashed the agreement."

more...of good read at.....

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/003862.php

[mzmolly]

1. I never tire of the "scramble" analogy.

:P

[chill_wind]

3. But I tire of it's all too frequent fittingness, thanks to the hamfisted dick tactics in the Oval.

This glimpse the OP is offering of present developments speaks exactly to such a description. They thought they had a deal with his water-carrying advisor!

They're used to being blown off by Bush, but they weren't bargaining he'd turn right around and blow off the guy standing right beside him.

What's next for all the bill's messengers, a firing squad at dawn?

[chill_wind]

2. TPM has done an awesome job of keeping up with this story's updates.

See also this thread, "FISA BILL: What's In It" taken from TPM elsewhere.

Outlines of bill he says won't sign.

For one thing, Retroactive Immunity for Telco's facing lawsuits or other past violating intel agencies ISN'T in it. He's getting pretty much everything else. That should tell us what this was really about.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1506860&mesg_id=1506860