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Senate Showdown: Feingold Says "I Really Do Disagree" With Reid on FISA

Posted by Sam Stein, Huffington Post at 2:07 PM on January 24, 2008.


Sen. Dodd, who left the presidential campaign trail to threaten a FISA filibuster, appears ready to follow through on the filibuster inclination.
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A long-debated provision over whether or not telephone companies would get a free pass for aiding the U.S. government in warrentless surveillance hits the Senate floor today. And it threatens to open up fissures within the Democratic Party.

In an interview with the Huffington Post on Thursday morning, Sen. Russ Feingold, who opposes granting immunity to those companies, expressed disappointment that his party's leader, Sen. Harry Reid, was not doing more to help strike the provision from a newly considered version of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

"Of course I have great respect for the Majority Leader," said Feingold. "He is a good friend of mine. But I really do disagree with his way of proceeding."

At issue is the likely passage of a version of FISA that contains retroactive immunity over one that doesn't. Reid has said he supports the former, but legislatively, the path has been paved for the passage of the latter. In addition, there is debate over an amendment offered by Sen. Chris Dodd, to strip immunity from any FISA bill. If that fails -- and it seems likely -- Dodd has threatened to filibuster the whole bill. On Wednesday, Reid was interpreted as saying any such filibuster will be the standing and talking variety as opposed to an agreed-upon 60-vote minimum threshold. Feingold, who supports Dodd's stance, took slight issue with that approach.

"We should have a normal process were this is debated based on a majority vote in the senate," said the Wisconsin Democrat. "That's the way it should have been done and I regret that it's not being done that way. Of course, I support Senator Dodd. He and I were principally involved in making sure this didn't get jammed through before the holidays and I will be supporting him again. But this decision does make it harder."

Speaking on the Senate floor Thursday morning before the debate, Reid addressed these concerns. He noted that he himself supported the Judiciary Committee version of the FISA bill, which would not give telecom companies a free ride from potential lawsuits.

Later in the day, however, that measure was tabled by a vote of 60 to 36. The Majority Leader has previously argued that, in the absence of the Judiciary bill, the Senate would consider the Intelligence Committee version, which grants immunity. Senators who objected to any amendment -- such as the one to be offered by Dodd -- would have to stand and argue for as long as they could.

"Senators Dodd and Feingold will seek to strike the immunity title entirely. I oppose immunity, and will support their amendment," said Reid. "If this amendment is not adopted, there will be other amendments to limit the immunity provisions in the Intelligence bill... As I have said before, if there are senators who don't like these amendments and think they should be subjected to 60-vote thresholds, these senators are going to have to engage in an old-fashioned filibuster."

For Reid's entire statement click: here.

Senator Dodd, who left the presidential campaign trail to threaten a FISA filibuster, appears ready to follow through on the filibuster inclination.

"He will use any and all legislative tools at his disposal, including a filibuster to prevent this bill form becoming law," said Colleen Flanagan, a spokesperson for the Senator. "He is ready to go. He was fired up about this yesterday. It is something that he is very passionate about."

Feingold, meanwhile, told the Huffington Post that he will do what he can to help Dodd strip telecom immunity from any measure.

"I started this fight two years ago when they first announced the illegal program and I've been working on it every day," he said. "And it has been a great help that Chris Dodd made it a part of his presidential campaign and now that he is back to work with me and others... It's a big help. It's very hard to do it alone."

He was also happy to have the support of both Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton. The two Democratic frontrunners have said they oppose retroactive immunity. But, with the primary season heating up, it is unlikely they will offer anything more than rhetorical assurances.

"I'd love to have them back," said Feingold. "But it is not my job to tell them what to do on their campaigns. My understanding is that both of them have indicated support for what Senator Dodd and I are doing. So that's good. If we see real opportunity for a vote we can win, then yes. I would love to have them back."

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Tagged as: fisa, feingold, dodd, reid, democrats, warrantless wiretapping, telecom immunity

Sam Stein is a Political Reporter at the Huffington Post, based in Washington, D.C.


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Harry Read my Lips
Posted by: JSquercia on Jan 24, 2008 2:55 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Let's see Harry you say you oppose the giving of Immunity to the telecoms but are willing to accept a bill that grants it to them .All I can say is to thine own self be true .
Bush say this so important that wthout this bill we are GREAT RISK for another 911like attack but if he doesn't get his way on the immunity he will VETO the bill . So he is willing to sacrifice our Security for their immunity .Damn it call the SOB on it .

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Good idea...
Posted by: jvaljon1 on Jan 25, 2008 4:42 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Call Bush on that--that he will veto ANY BILL NOT GIVING RETROACTIVE IMMUNITY TO THE PHONE COMPANIES FOR HELPING HIM SPY ON HIS OWN PEOPLE--rather, than signing one which will keep us safe AND free! Then ask him: "Please quit giving America's enemies a free pass. If you love your Saudi buds (the ones who really did 9/11) THAT MUCH--then go live over there permanently once your ill-gotten presidency is mercifully over) along with your good buddy Cheney in Dubai." But here's a solution to the present 'crisis':

Just publish (and keep on publishing) the names of those in Congress and the Senate who would go along with the President and grant immunity from lawsuits, to the phone companies, for aiding in his warrantless wiretaps! I'm sure that inquiring Americans would like to know who's with who on this one!

If nothing else, that oughta surely have some interesting repercussions, come this election (and re-election) year!

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Harry Reid's Leadership Will Sink Democrats
Posted by: desidid on Jan 25, 2008 5:48 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi are weak kneed popcorn pimps. They have no courage or convictions other than the retention of their leadership positions. They actually think a 600.00 rebate check is going to move the economy. It won't pay the rent or housenote for most families. The best it can do is offer some people relief for heating and food bills.

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The Democrat Leadership
Posted by: Sissy on Jan 25, 2008 6:17 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
After twelve long years in the Republican Wilderness of corrupt, inept leadership and the American people saying "Enough",and now to have Reid and Pelosi who were given an opportunity to show "how it should be done", fail so miserably except on a few issues here and there, goes beyond the pale.

Both Reid and Pelosi throwing down the gauntlet with "Impeachment is off the table" statement right after their ascension to head Congress, gave The Texas Turd and his criminal administration carte' blanche to keep on doing what they wanted. The Hearings and investigations have all shown that Impeachment could be brought up on a multitude of matters from Valarie Plame to the firing of the federal prosecutors to the war that we were lied into. Why they even bothered to look into these offenses if nothing was going to be done has yet to be addressed.

The political leaders that we have and their total lack of competence takes my breath away. Its enough to almost make you take to the streets!!

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» RE: The Democrat Leadership Posted by: desidid
» RE: The Democrat Leadership Posted by: master09
Edwards calls on Senators Obama and Clinton to vote on this
Posted by: Linda in VT on Jan 25, 2008 8:24 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Evidently quite a few of us Edwards supporters wrote to John about this, and were heard. The Edwards campaign sent an e-mail yesterday calling on Senators Clinton and Obama to lend their actual (not merely verbal) support to Senators Dodd and Feingold. But does that make news? Hah.

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stormy7
Posted by: dpodlogar on Jan 25, 2008 9:31 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
WHY WOULD THE LEADING DEMOCRATS OKAY THE F.I.S.A. BILL AND GIVE IMMUNITY TO THE TELEPHONE COMPANIES? BECAUSE THE BUSH/CHENEY REGIME HAS BEEN SPYING ILLEGALLY ON ALL AMERICANS SINCE BEFORE 911. THEY MUST HAVE CAREER ENDING DIRT ON KEY MEMBERS OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY. THAT'S WHY WHAT EVER THE BUSH/CHENEY DICTATORSHIP ASKS THEY GET.
THIS TIME THE DEMOCRATS HAVE TRADED OUR PRIVACY FOR A $600 TAX REBATE. HOW DO THESE COWARDS SLEEP AT NIGHT?

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The reason they support BUSH has to be they can be made Accountable too
Posted by: common intelligence on Jan 25, 2008 10:33 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
There are personal gains to be had by any of the congressional Bush Siders. I believe the primary one, especially impeachment, is that Bush's plan "if" he was impeached is to take down everyone with him. He's a real man! But Most of congress is guilty too.

The FISA bill is one one the supporting arguments for impeachment. Pelosi knows this as well as Reid. The self proclaimed Decider (Dictator) is guilty in so many ways. Yet congrerss appears to have let him and all his cronies of the hook by passing the Military Commissions Act/War Crimes Act Amendment.

This nation has spiraled downward into dismal economic destruction.It can all be tied to the bottomless debt created by the illegal Iraq war that the congress conitually supports by Borrowing money from China and Japan, etc. (Now JApan is going to stop becasuse they have recognized they've been conned). This borrowing is irresponsible and letcherous management far worse than the Enron scandal and the savings and loan scandal. And most of congress is guilty of aiding and abetting.

Sidebar:
(SO how is it now that Bush is going to write a bunch of checks for Americans to "spend" to help the economy? Where is that money coming from? Isn't that what Argentina did? Msaking and eventially flooring the market with fiat currancy when it got in trouble?
Money from thin air! )


Whew!!!!!!!! We're all in a flaming handbasket to hell, Going down!

These are all why FISA and impeachment are being kept in continues limbo.

My question is to all: How are we going to get these criminals made accountable?

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How about
Posted by: JSquercia on Jan 25, 2008 11:29 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
How about drafting Russ Feingold for President
He is the Dennis Kucinich of the Senate . He has principles and sticks to them .

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» RE: How about Posted by: Sissy