The Democrats in the Judiciary Committee have sent a FISA bill to the floor without telecom immunity. Details are a little unclear. It looks like after a series of machinations, which included a vote in which the Democrats failed to strip the provision from the bill, it somehow got sent to the floor without the provision (no I don’t understand this either), where proponents will have to add it back in as a stand alone amendment. That means there will, if it survives a filibuster (if the Democrats have the guts to mount one) be an up or down vote on what Arlen Specter now wants to turn into a giveaway, where we taxpayers would indemnify the telecoms for spying on us. So it will be impossible for the Republicans to claim that the vote is about protecting the American people from terrorists. Okay, they’ll do it anyway, but even the media might have a hard time swallowing that line. Okay, no it won’t, but the American people probably won’t fall for it.
Apparently, Harry Reid has the option of bringing up the bill that came out of the Intelligence Committee, which includes a telecom immunity provision. He has indicated through a spokesman that he’s not inclined to do that, but who knows.
In any event, and for now at least, the Democrats appear to have done something right.
(This post was written on the 15th, but I must have forgotten to push the “publish” button).
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