Congressman Of The Hour: Senator Christopher Dodd vs The FISA Bill Of Doom

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Shearwater – The Snow Leopard

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Every four years I wait for the end of the world.

Between the months of July and November I set my television to C-SPAN, brew coffee by the gallon, and wait. This is not a declaration of clairvoyance, but rather a grounded belief in probability and distribution analysis. Why such pessimism? Because, and this is important, the time to capitalize off the current congressional administration’s ineptitude/indifference is running short, and every industry — from health care, to big oil, to telecommunication — wants to a) get away with as much as possible while they still can, and b) ensure that avenues allowing for significant exploitation of the public remain open indefinitely.

Enter Connecticut Senator Christopher Dodd. He’s vocally opposed the FISA bill (explained below) from the onset. Dodd’s recent speech served as caveat to the Senate, encouraging its members to consider the numerous, negative consequences their constituents would face were the bill to pass.

Mr. President: I rise—once again—to voice my strong opposition to the misguided FISA legislation before us today…this legislation includes provisions which would grant retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies that apparently have violated the privacy and the trust of millions of Americans by participating in the president’s warrantless wiretapping program. If we pass this legislation, the Senate will ratify a domestic spying regime that has already concentrated far too much unaccountable power in the president’s hands and will place the telecommunications companies above the law.

And let me make clear, at the outset of this debate, that this is not about domestic surveillance itself. We all recognize the importance of domestic surveillance – in an age of unprecedented threats. This is about illegal, unwarranted, unchecked domestic surveillance.

And that difference—the difference between surveillance that is lawful, warranted and that which is not—is everything.

And there you have it, folks.

Retroactive telecom immunity + unlimited, legalized spying = a castrated democratic state.

Godspeed, Senator Dodd. Hopefully they’ll hear you out.

[Visit Senator Christopher Dodd's Website, Buy Shearwater]