Posted on 07/25/2013 5:02:55 PM PDT by nickcarraway
The obituary of Rep. Justin Amash's amendment to claw back the sweeping powers of the National Security Agency has largely been written as a victory for the White House and NSA chief Keith Alexander, who lobbied the Hill aggressively in the days and hours ahead of Wednesday's shockingly close vote. But Hill sources say most of the credit for the amendment's defeat goes to someone else: House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. It's an odd turn, considering that Pelosi has been, on many occasions, a vocal surveillance critic.
Ahead of the razor-thin 205-217 vote, which would have severely limited the NSA's ability to collect data on Americans' telephone records if passed, Pelosi privately and aggressively lobbied wayward Democrats to torpedo the amendment, a Democratic committee aid with knowledge of the deliberations tells The Cable.
"Pelosi had meetings and made a plea to vote against the amendment and that had a much bigger effect on swing Democratic votes against the amendment than anything Alexander had to say," said the source, keeping in mind concerted White House efforts to influence Congress by Alexander and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. "Had Pelosi not been as forceful as she had been, it's unlikely there would've been more Democrats for the amendment."
With 111 liberal-to-moderate Democrats voting for the amendment alongside 94 Republicans, the vote in no way fell along predictable ideological fault lines. And for a particular breed of Democrat, Pelosi's overtures proved decisive, multiple sources said.
"Pelosi had a big effect on more middle-of-the road hawkish Democrats who didn't want to be identified with a bunch of lefties [voting for the amendment]," said the aide. "As for the Alexander briefings: Did they hurt? No, but that was not the central force, at least among House Democrats. Nancy Pelosi's political power far outshines that
(Excerpt) Read more at thecable.foreignpolicy.com ...
I hope Rob Woodhall of GA can look at himself in the mirror tomorrow.
Pelosi is a rabid totalitarian leftist and lies through her teeth. Never pay attention to what she says, only what she does.
Thinks she is royalty.
Okay, but is she any different than John Boehner? They vote and think the same way.
Okay, but is she any different than John Boehner? They vote and think the same way.
_____________________________
No she isn’t. Boehner is a totalitarian also and is part of the elite. They are all the same in results and that is all that matters.
“We’ve got a lot of dirt on you. So you better vote to allow us to get more dirt on you.”
And this is a surprise?
Gov. George Wallace was wrong on a lot of things. He was really wrong when he said that: “There’s not a dime’s worth of difference between the Republicans and Democrats.”
He was off by 9 cents.
The blackmail is certainly possible.
But I take a tad different view on this.
Pelosi’s own constituents HATE the NSA spying and have given her hell for it recently. They don’t believe there is a threat from Muslim terrorists and see no reason for ANY spying.
So then why would she help defeat this amendment?
Well could be blackmail. But more likely... I think the simplest explanation is that she, Obama and the rest of the Democrats want to continue to USE the NSA program to spy on political opponents to gain an edge in elections.
Elections in which she hopes to become Speaker again.
Thanks nickcarraway.
It is not just politics but how they will destroy us, remember Jarrett's payback.... IRS audits, problems finding health care after we are all funneled into their system, mental health issues? surrender your weapons... Total control is what these freaks want, dysfunctional malignant narcissist the whole flippin' bunch of them!!!!
The elective process is over. 2014 Republican and Conservative candidates will be hit with things they never knew existed. Some true, mostly not true, but even the legitimate ones will be phrased, as in George Zimmerman's case, as illegal and immoral. Democrat candidates will be portrayed as saints.
Democrat business as usual. Pray for our country.......it is all we have left.
“With 111 liberal-to-moderate Democrats voting for the amendment alongside 94 Republicans...”
For: 111 dems 94 pubs
against: 83 dems 134 pubs
Truly it is Pelosi’s fault. If she only would have acted like even more of a demented jerk some of the 134 republicans who voted against it wouldn’t have been able to stand being on the same side as her and switched their vote.
OK.
Freegards
“Perhaps after NSA showed her what they had on her she was “convinced.””
That’s exactly how it will work. It will be the end of our democracy, because the votes and elections will be controlled by Obama (or successor), Carlyle Group, Booz Allen and their puppet NSA. Blackmail will work wonders on getting votes or candidates to drop out.
Boehner and Cantor voted and twisted arms too, so perhaps Obama had something on them as he may have had on Roberts and his vote on Obamacare.
We don’t know for sure except that the capability does exist and the President gets the power at his beck and call.
I like how the head of the Stasi NSA, calls congressmen to convince them to vote the way he wants. (as he holds in his hands every text, email, and phone call they have ever made)
The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be, secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them.
- Patrick Henry
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