Senator Reid Wants Committees To Pursue Spy Law Changes

If Democrats wish to keep America’s favor, they’re going to have to do more than play ‘the loyal opposition’.Senator Reid Wants Committees To Pursue Spy Law ChangesBy Cliff Montgomery – Aug. 25th, 2007When Democrats carried the November 2006 Congressional elections, most hoped it would herald a new day for America.But the current Democratic Congress has far too often either failed or flatly refused to do the job it primarily was hired to do: Hold an incompetent, insane administration accountable for its consistently atrocious actions.The most recent congressional disgrace occurred shortly before that body’s August recess, when it shamefully helped the aspiring tyrant in the White House further obtain his goal of eliminating  the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution banning “unreasonable search and seizure.”How so? The gutless wonders who make up the Democratic Congress decided to support the Bush Administration’s desire to “reform” the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). In Washington double-speak, “reform” is code for “dismantle”, in truth if not always in deed.The “reform” created a much more powerful King George.Bush’s sweeping new spying powers, approved by spineless lawmakers earlier this month, may allow Bush Administration officials to run far more tyrannical spy operations than wiretapping.Soon the same administration which claims the absolute powers of an empire may–at any moment it suits our Idiot King’s gracious pleasure–begin performing some types of physical searches on U.S. soil and demanding the seizure of any Americans’ business records, all without proving just cause in a court of law, the August 18th edition of The New York Times quoted legal experts as saying.The bill’s passage is such a threat to liberty that no less a legal expert than the president of the American Bar Association has publicly declared that Congress should “move at once” to rescind this ill-conceived legislation the moment it returns to work after Labor Day.Their popularity sinking fast, some leading Democratic lawmakers have apparently decided on a new tactic–at least acting like they have a pair.Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), has called for two senatorial committees to hammer out more changes to FISA when Congress returns to work in September. He’s also called on the panel chairmen to employ “vigorous and comprehensive oversight” of those recent changes to the law.Sen. Reid made the statements in an Aug.15th letter to Senate Intelligence Chairman John Rockefeller (D-WV) and Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT).”I would like to see the full Senate consider as soon as possible a bill reported by your committees that addresses the deficiencies in the recently-enacted law and any other matter you believe must be addressed,” Reid wrote the Senate chairmen.But such moves are too little, too late. If Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid and other Democrats wish to win back America’s favor, they’re going to have to do a lot more than blindly fulfill the role of “the loyal opposition”.Reid’s party may start by listening both to the legal experts and to the American people it claimed it would faithfully represent, and immediately repeal this cowardly, ill-conceived legislation.Like what you’re reading so far? Then why not order a full year (52 issues) ofe-newsletter for only $15? A major article covering an story not being told in the Corporate Press will be delivered to your email every Monday morning for a full year, for less than 30 cents an issue. Order Now!