Reid Statement On Senate Action On FISA Legislation

[The Straight Story]

Reid Statement On Senate Action On FISA Legislation

Friday, August 3, 2007

Washington, DC—Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid made the following statement today in response to the Senate’s vote in favor of the Bond FISA legislation:

“A few weeks ago, I made a personal commitment to the Director of National Intelligence that I would lead the Senate to passage of a bill that would help protect America from terrorist attack by enhancing our intelligence community’s foreign intelligence collection capability.

“Senate Democrats worked in good faith with the Director of National Intelligence to produce the Rockefeller-Levin bill that was tough on terrorists, provided much-need oversight of the Attorney General, and did not infringe on the constitutional rights of American citizens. Rather than pass this bill, my Republican colleagues chose to rubberstamp a flawed Administration proposal that fails to provide the accountability needed in light of the Administration’s repeated past mismanagement of key tools in the war on terror.

“This bill will sunset in six months. Over the course of the fall, I expect the Senate to work diligently on more permanent legislation that will better serve American national security interests and the American people.”

http://reid.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=280581

[AndyA]

1. Yeah, thanks Harry. Thanks for nothing.

You just gave Bushco the ability to keep spying, keep lying, and our troops keep dying.

Thanks for nothing. Go find another job, OK, Harry? You aren't very good at the one you currently have. You keep this up, and the American people will FORCE you to find another job.

[SoonerPride]

2. Reid is a failure.

Period.

[speedoo]

3. Bullshit, Harry. We are not buying this.

"Rather than pass this bill, my Republican colleagues chose to rubberstamp a flawed Administration proposal that fails to provide the accountability needed in light of the Administration’s repeated past mismanagement of key tools in the war on terror."

That would be, 16 of your "Democratic" colleagues caved.

What, does he think we are stupid?

[Deep13]

9. Bullshit, Jesus. Those are my footprints.

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/34168

Sorry, your subject line reminded me of the Onion thing.

"What, does he think we are stupid?"

Yup. Why tell the truth when you have plausible deniability? Just like the fictional Jesus in that Onion story.

[LittleClarkie]

12. You'd rather he acted like Frist or Delay and strong armed

his people into a herd. I'd personally rather he didn't.

[MrCoffee]

15. yes, i would.

Unless the gentle Senator from Nevada has so little control over his alleged Democratic colleagues that he couldn't, then the job of the Senate Majority Leader is to lead your majority. His inability to muster enough support for such wildly liberal principles as "We don't spy on Americans in violation of the Fourth Amendment" is one more example of his inability to lead the majority.

[Dr. Death]

4. Oh, so the mean 'ol republicans "rubberstamp"ed the bill eh?

Gee, guess we couldn't stop 'em, since they have the majority.....

Reid (and Pelosi) are failures. They have no clue how to lead and get outmaneurvered at every turn. The mere fact that he says that Dems worked "in good faith" with *'s minions proves how out of touch he is. Memo, Harry: THE REPUKES AREN'T INTERESTED IN GOOD FAITH WITH YOU. THEY'RE INTERESTED ONLY IN DESTROYING THE GOVERNMENT AND OUR CONSTITUTION. Everything else they tell you is a lie, and you need to stop falling for their lies time after time.

[Robbien]

5. The only thing you protected us from is the right to be free of NSA spying

If this is how you protect us

STOP IT! WE CAN'T AFFORD ANY MORE OF YOUR KIND OF PROTECTION.

[driver8]

6. Blah, blah, fucking, blah...

Pull this leg and it plays "Jingle Bells"...

How does Reid stand upright without a spine?

We have heard this shit before from the Vichy Dems.

Time for some new blood.

[redqueen]

7. Sunset my ass, you shameless, lying, complicit ....

oh fuck it... what's the fucking point...

[Deep13]

8. So, a little unconstitutionality is okay.

Yeah, the Rs are mostly at fault. Almost all of them voted for it and Bush signed it (or will sign it.) It does not change the fact that had the Ds not supported it, it would not have passed. The committee chairman did not even need to bring it to the floor. All Reid has done is legalize a crime. The only reason the Senate acted on this at all was because Bush told them to do so. That alone was reason to refuse.

This is completely seperate from the heart of the issue. Do we really need more surveillance rights for the Feds or did you just promise Bush (all exec. branch officers are Bush's alter ego) because you're a nice guy. Because I frankly would rather have Dubya pissed off at you than have you give away any more of my rights. There was nothing wrong with our intelligence system on Sept. 10, 2001. The weak link was a chief executive who refused to listen to the warnings. Maybe that is where you might direct your attention.

[Deep13]

10. "I'm calling about your meat-lover's pizza....

"I like meat, but I'm not ready to love again."

never mind

[LittleClarkie]

11. Okay, Harry. You have six month's to fix the FUBAR

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt for now, because I didn't expect you to strong arm the blue dogs like you were DeLay or Frist or some other Republican thug, but I'll also be watching.

[Nite Owl]

13. Sure doesn't sound like a statement

from a Majority leader but from a very weak Minority leader. Reid might be a nice person but he is not a leader. Leaders get people to follow.

[Homer12]

14. Reid=Miserable Failure=Bush=Most Senate Democrats

I'm really pissed.

[Neecy]

16. fuck you, Harry

[Johonny]

17. I guess

I think Harry is not doing a poor job. It's hard running a Senate where the majority party is a majority in name only. Even harder when the minority party block votes nearly unanimously on every issue, while the majority party tends to fragment vote. It's very troubling that despite the extreme unpopularity of the total failure that is president, the moderate Democratic and Republicans still will follow the administration repeatedly. I don't see this as a failure of Reid, but a total failure of the middle. The magic place everyone seems to want to appeal to come election time. What happen to the moderate end of the Republican party? Why do they never have a voice come time to vote? While I'm troubled by the choice some Democrats made in this vote, I'm simply freighted by the mindless block voting rubber stamping Republicans. It's would appear that the Senate is broke and not new leadership is needed, but clearly new representatives. People that vote with their brains and not their product label. The current Democratic party has too many of these people, but the Republicans seems to have nothing but these people. It's sickening.

[LittleClarkie]

18. Indeed, we need to continue the work we started iin 2006

It was good, but not good enough. More progressives are needed, and a bigger majority.

[creeksneakers2]

19. I was hoping for an explanation

of how the GOP bill got to the floor. Did it go through committee? What happened?

[deacon]

20. There's lame and then there is ultra lame. He would have been

better off saying nothing.

[in_cog_ni_to]

21. What a crock of shit. It's a little too late now, HARRY. The FISA bill will NOT sunset in 6 months

and YOU KNOW IT. asshole. It should never have been passed in the first place. IF the WH and the DNI wanted a bill, it should have been YOURS, not theirs! I'm so sick of Reid and Pelosi's bullshit. Excuses. Excuses. Excuses.....for something that should never have been ALLOWED to happen, period.