Law Prof Challenges the Spin and Tells Why FISA Bill is Frightening

by Deb Cupples |  Below is a good interview of George Washington University Professor and constitutional scholar Jonathan Turley re: FISA facts and spin.  The first minute (or so) is devoted to background info, and the next four minutes (or so)  are largely devoted to Prof. Turley.  Here's a snippet:

"It is reverse engineering, the type of thing the Bush Administration's famous for and now the Democrats are doing.  That is to change the law to conform to past conduct.  It's what any criminal would love to do.  You rob a bank, go to the legislature, and change the law to say that robbing banks is lawful...."

"People need to be very, very much aware of this bill.  What you're seeing in this bill is an evisceration of the fourth amendment of the constitution.  It is something that allows the president and the government to go into law-abiding homes on their word alone, their suspicion alone and engage in warrantless surveillance.  That's what the framers who drafted the Fourth Amendment wanted to prevent."

Notice how incisive Keith Olbermann is toward congressional Democrats who were caving into the White House on FISA.  The day after interviewing Prof. Turley, Mr. Olbermann did a piece on Sen. Obama's surprising support for the FISA bill -- and Mr. Olbermann wasn't nearly as incisive. 

I'm not sure if Mr. Olbermann was in shock or if he was trying to figure out a credible way to give Sen. Obama immunity on this issue.

Comments

[danny]

I know this is important. I've written my Senators and Hillary Clinton in hopes that they will not support or fillibuster this FISA bill one more time.

I tried to watch Olberman. I can't do it. He makes me physically ill. Too bad - I once liked watching his show. He is nothing but a coward and a poodle for MSNBC. What a disgrace to journalism that guy is. PUKE! Now should I tell you how i really feel. Donna Brazile gives me the same physically ill feeling. I turn them off.

[Deb]

Hi Danny,

I agree with you re: Olbermann and Brazile. But I made myself watch Olbermann to see whether he would flare his nostrils over Obama's recent action.

I mean, Olbermann has been more intensely against Telecom Amnesty than any TV personality I've seen to date.

On one hand, I'm surprised that he didn't slam Obama. On the other hand, I'm not surprised.

[Adam]

Good news on FISA:

http://www.democracynow.org/2008/6/24/feingold

So, he is planning a Filibuster. Here's where we start with this:

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=2&vote=00015

That's 31 votes; 32 if we add Hillary, who missed the vote. So we need nine more Democratic senators. Some, like Mikulski or Feinstein, SHOULD be relatively easy to pull over. We'll see how this goes.

[Deb]

Thanks for the update, Adam.