I was wondering why Feinstein?

[VP505]

I was wondering why Feinstein and now Salazar are pushing for an amendment to the FISA Bill to allow the FISA court to decide if telecoms will be given retroactive immunity. Looking at the make up of the Court I think I have my answer, they are Federal Judges appointed by, guess who? I could be wrong but it sure looks like to me that the Feinstein amendment is an end run around stopping immunity.

"The FISA Court is composed of eleven federal district judges appointed by the Chief Justice of the United States, each serving a seven year term, with one judge being appointed each year. Its required that at least three of the judges of the court be from within twenty miles (32 km) of the District of Columbia."

[thereismore]

1. Feinstein and Salazar are known for their "bipartisanship." nt

[lurky]

2. Since telecom immunity has caused such an outcry,

maybe this is a way to grant immunity without having to say you granted immunity. "It's out of our hands. We can't be blamed for what the FISA judges decided." If you can't get in through the front door, try the back. And if this doesn't work, I'm sure they have more sneaky moves up their sleeves.

[aquart]

6. That's exactly what it is.

[VP505]

7. Sure looks like it

to me but then what do I know?

[walldude]

3. I don't trust her...

She and her husband are war profiteers.
http://www.bohemian.com/feinstein/

Makes whatever she does suspicious.

[truedelphi]

4. She and her husband are very buddy buddy with the George Schultzes.

Need I say more?

[grantcart]

5. I think some people feel, rightly or wrongly, that companies and their

shareholders should not be punished for what is a Bush fuck up.

I don't agree because all the companies had to do was hold up for a certificate from the administration that certifies that their request was legal and then they could not have been sued. I probably would agree to set a reasonable ceiling for a class action law suit.

[VP505]

9. Trouble is that

this really has little to do with the telecom companies per se, its all about stopping Bu$h/Cheney from being held accountable. If the companies get immunity then no one will find out exactly what team Bu$h/Cheney were doing.

[grantcart]

10. yes but there is a provision that gives them immunity if they ask

for a certificate from the govenment. Anycase I agree but some kind of reasonable ceiling would be ok

[VP505]

12. The FISA Law

has always given them immunity when a warrant was obtained but that wasn't acceptable to Bu$hCo, they wanted to do things their own way and some of the telecoms were dumb enough to go along with it. With all the legal resources that large multinational telecommunications companies have there is absolutely NO excuse for them to have done that, so they are just as culpable as Bu$h.

[featherman]

8. Another Profile in Senatorial Courage

"See... the courts made us give them immunity. Not our fault"

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

11. Feinstein continually outdoes herself in disappointing me

I wish we could find someone else in my state to give her a good challenge in the Democratic party.

[lurky]

13. She's not up again until 2012.

In November 2012, she will be 79. Who knows if she plans on going for another term. I would like to see her and a lot of other "Democrats" challenged in the primaries. I have a long memory.