FISA with Telecom Immunity Passed

[saden1]

Originally Posted by Slingin Sammy 33

Why should the telecoms be liable? Whatever they did was at the request/demand of the Federal government. If there's a constitutional issue it should be addressed one way or another, but it should be addressed with the Fed not a telecom.

The telecoms are corporations, at the end of the day all they care about is $$$. On their own, they are not taping any phones or intercepting communications (unless it's on a rival telecom for competitive info).

Because the contract I signed with them didn't stipulate that I wave my right to privacy and that I grant the right to the government to spy on me 24/7? They broke the contract I signed with them.

I know that my contract says they may provide law enforcement access to my records if court ordered but it said nothing about them letting the NSA setup their own server rooms inside their complex. If I was informed that the NSA has setup shop at AT&T I would have terminated my contract. I wasn't informed and therefor I wasn't given the opportunity to decide for myself whether what AT&T was doing was acceptable to me. What happened to my right to choose?

[724Skinsfan]

Originally Posted by saden1

Because the contract I signed with them didn't stipulate that I wave my right to privacy and that I grant the right to the government to spy on me 24/7? They broke the contract I signed with them.

I know that my contract says they may provide law enforcement access to my records if court ordered but it said nothing about them letting the NSA setup their own server rooms inside their complex. If I was informed that the NSA has setup shop at AT&T I would have terminated my contract. I wasn't informed and therefor I wasn't given the opportunity to decide for myself whether what AT&T was doing was acceptable to me. What happened to my right to choose?

I suppose an argument could be made that "the telecommunications resources of the Nation will be available for government use during crises and emergencies, wartime and non-wartime, and to satisfy the needs of the public welfare and safety." IF this holds water, you're contract with Qwest or AT&T or whoever isn't really considered at that point.

[70Chip]

At some point either before the election or right after it, someone from the intelligence community is going to sit down with BHO and show him all the information that has been harvested from this program and he will almost certainly say "stay the course". That's what they all say. The alternative is a succesful terror attack that has everybody saying, "Maybe we should have stayed the course". And BHO knows that if he does end this program and an attack occurrs, all the civil liberties types will disappear on him. This is an issue that will not survive the departure of Bush. Liberals aren't really opossed to this sort of thing, but it has been useful in firing up the base. When Obama does the same thing, it will seem so much more reasonable to them. The same is true for the interrogation policy, presidential signing statements and anything else Bush has done to expand executive power. BHO will make them his own, I predict.

[Sheriff Gonna Getcha]

Originally Posted by 70Chip

The alternative is a succesful terror attack that has everybody saying, "Maybe we should have stayed the course".

I think it's a stretch to say that this domestic spying program is the one thing protecting us from another attack.

Also, isn't this sort of program the kind of thing that conservatives traditionally oppose and is contrary to some of their core principles? It seems more like something FDR would do than Reagan.

[70Chip]

Originally Posted by Sheriff Gonna Getcha

I think it's a stretch to say that this domestic spying program is the one thing protecting us from another attack.

Also, isn't this sort of program the kind of thing that conservatives traditionally oppose and is contrary to some of their core principles? It seems more like something FDR would do than Reagan.

I didn't say it was the only thing. I was pointing out the dilema a President Obama will face. Bush has had no terror attacks for many years now. Any attacks that occur on Obama's watch will cause him headaches because his position has been that Bush has gone too far.