The new FISA bill

Torquedmada, key role model for the Cheney-Bush-Gonzales administration

Digby takes a thoughtful look at the extension of the FISA bill in "The Intent Here Was Pure" 08/19/07. It's important to remember that even though it passed with Democratic votes when it didn't deserve to have a single one, it was mostly supported by Republicans. But that only proves once again what we already knew, that today's Republican Party is an authoritarian institution and movement. I have to agree with Digby's assessment:

It's impossible for me to believe that all this is an accident or that it's just a case of extreme political malpractice. The biggest political story of the summer was the stunning revelation by James Comey that the entire upper echelon of the Department of Justice was prepared to resign in 2004 if the administration continued its illegal wiretapping program. The Attorney General himself is accused of committing perjury in his testimony about that event. Editorial pages throughout the country and senior senators of both parties have said he should resign. There has been a serious dialog about impeaching the president, vice president and the attorney general largely on the basis of this particular case. The political implications, with it's high drama and resonance with Watergate, are huge.

The degree of imeptitude required to allow this potent political issue to be completely destroyed by passing this legislation and essentially codifying the program in question into law seems a bit much even for the challenged Dems. I actually give them more credit than that. It's hard for me to believe anyone could be this stupid. They got the bill passed because they wanted to give the president the authority he needs to do "whatever it takes to protect us."

This one was bad. Just like on the original grotesquely misname PATRIOT Act, Congress passed a far-reaching law in a rush without bothering to read the fine print.

Tags: authoritarianism, democrats, fisa