by James Oliphant
A few minutes ago, the effort of the White House and Senate Republicans to cut off debate on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act renewal bill failed by a 48-45 floor vote in the Senate. Sixty votes is needed to cut off debate.
The bill would supplant the current Protect America Act, which expires Friday, and reauthorizes the government's extensive domestic wiretapping regime when it comes to gathering intelligence from foreign agents in the United States.
The vote threw the chamber into even more of a procedural morass. Majority Leader Harry Reid then attempted to secure a 30-day extension for the legislation in place in order to debate the FISA bill more thoroughly. (President Bush has vowed to veto an extension.) But that cloture vote also failed by the exact same vote.
Now Congress will have but a handful of days to get the FISA bill finished. Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who opposes a 30-day extension, suggested that some sort of a short-term extension could still be considered.
A key sticking point remains whether to give telecom companies like AT&T, which allegedly cooperated with the Bush adminstration's now-defunct secret eavesdropping program, immunity from civil lawsuits from Americans who believe their privacy rights were violated.
One senator who has consistently resisted granting immunity has been Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut. In a press release today, in a (virtual) roar that Russell Crowe in Gladiator would appreciate, Dodd vowed to "continue to fight retroactive immunity with all the strength any one senator can muster."
He then, shockingly, killed a tiger that had leaped from a trap door in the floor.
• 
• 
• 
• 
Comments
Did he kill the tiger with his bare hands or did he use a spear? I can't believe I'm saying this, but I really wish Dodd was still running for president...
Posted by: Jeff | January 28, 2008 5:39 PM
Republicans refuse to extend the current "Protect America Act" for 30 days? Don't they care about protecting America from the terrorists?
If they have to risk our lives to get the "Protect Bush and the Telecoms Act" passed, I guess that's a risk they're willing to take.
Posted by: Tom O | January 28, 2008 6:08 PM
"BUSH,CHENEY, RICE, ADDINGTON, FIELDING, MIERS, GONZALES, AND EVERY OTHER CONSTITUTIONAL LAW BREAKING ENTITY SQUEAKS BY WITH MORE TIME"
GIVE ME MY IMMUNITY, GIVE ME MY IMMUNITY, GIVE ME MY IMMUNITY OR YOU STAND TO LOSE THE PATRIOT ACT, HOMELAND SECURITY, PROTECT AMERICA ACT, JOE LIEBERMAN, FRED THOMPSON, AND EVERY OTHER GOP ARCHITECT FOR THE MARK OF THE BEAST.
SO GIVE ME MY IMMUNITY AND I WILL GIVE YOU A BIOMETRIC TATOO FROM JOHN MCCAIN, DESIGNED BY JOE LIEBERMAN AND FRED THOMPSON.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORD WIRETAPPING, WELL THAT REQUIRES A COURT ORDER.
AND WE HAVE BEEN ACTING IN THE COURSE OF THE LAW.
CHENEY'S LAW!
Posted by: Roger Morris | January 28, 2008 6:18 PM
"NEXTEL SPEAKS"
WE DIDN'T TELL, WE DIDN'T TELL ON YOU VERIZON. WE DIDN'T TELL ON YOU AT&T.
OH WE ARE YOU.
GIVE HIM IMMUNITY OR HE WILL LAYOFF MORE AMERICANS.
GIVE HIM IMMUNITY OR AT&T WILL LAYOFF MORE AMERICANS AND MOVE THEIR JOBS OVERSEES.
GIVE HIM IMMUNITY OR HE WILL CONTINUE TO VETO, FILLIBUSTER, VETO, FILLIBUSTER, VETO, FILLIBUSTER AND FABRICATE HIS LEGACY EVEN FURTHER.
GIVE ME IMMUNITY AND GIVE IT TO ME NOW AMERICA. I'M NOT PLAYING AROUND, NOW.
YA'LL HEAR ME. I SAID YA'LL HEARING ME!
Posted by: Roger Morris | January 28, 2008 6:38 PM
Thank God for Senator Dodd!
Some one in the Senate still beleives in the rule of law.
Posted by: Chicago 1234 | January 28, 2008 6:55 PM
OK, I understand that the media might not understand the issues seeing as how this isn't about Brittney, or the horse race, or any other approved media narrative, but it's really not that hard:
Essentially, if the Senate does nothing, FISA reverts back to its pre 2002 version. Meaning that telecoms won't have retroactive immunity. Shrub has promised to veto any bill that does not keep the immunity in place. Rockefeller has a bill that provides for the immunity. Miss McConnell wants the Rockefeller bill or nothing. The Dems have just now given McConnell what he wanted...nothing.
This is what happens when the rules break down because one party (read Republics) have been effectively filibustering everything to death. The shoe is on the other foot, and now the Republics have to have 60 votes to pass their telecom immunity act.
A big win for civil liberatarians and the American people. (for now)
Posted by: weinerdog43 | January 28, 2008 7:57 PM