FISA lessons: The United States Needs an Opposition Party

So, it's not a good sign when the least popular president in U.S. history is excited about what's going on in the Democratic-led House of Representatives.

“My director of national intelligence and the attorney general tell me that this is a good bill,” Bush said. “It will help our intelligence professionals learn our enemies' plans for new attacks. It ensures that those companies whose assistance is necessary to protect the country will themselves be protected from liability for past or future cooperation with the government.”

In other words, Bush thinks its great that Congress wants to ensure that neither the Bush administration nor its allies in the telecom sector will ever be brought to justice for illegally spying on U.S. citizens for years.

Salon.com has more details:

So all the Attorney General has to do is recite those magic words -- the President requested this eavesdropping and did it in order to save us from the Terrorists -- and the minute he utters those words, the courts are required to dismiss the lawsuits against the telecoms, no matter how illegal their behavior was. That's the "compromise" Steny Hoyer negotiated and which he is now -- according to very credible reports -- pressuring every member of the Democratic caucus to support. It's full-scale, unconditional amnesty with no inquiry into whether anyone broke the law.

The stupidity of the Democrats led by Steny Hoyer is mind boggling. They have no need to pass this law; they don't even know the details of all the laws that may have been broken because the Bush administration has been ultra secretive about this. All they need do is wait a couple of months and there will be a new President, and they can revisit the issue at least with the knowledge of what's going on. Especially if that President is Barack Obama (and if McCain can't even hold a lead in Georgia, I don't know where he can).

That said, why isn't Barack Obama saying anything about this sell out? Give his office a call (202) 224-2854, and contact your Congressional representative to demand that the Bush administration and the telecom companies be held accountable for their actions.