A Chilling Word of Warning from a U.S. Congressman

FrontPage Magazine ^ | March 21, 2008 | Gerald Shaw

[K-oneTexas]

A Chilling Word of Warning from a U.S. Congressman By Gerald Shaw
FrontPageMagazine.com | Friday, March 21, 2008

Millions of Americans sit comfortably in front of TV screens each day, engrossed in rousing entertainment, sports madness or reality shows -- without the slightest idea they are perilously unprotected from another horrifying terrorist attack.

They can thank the Democratic House of Representatives for failing to pass a sufficient update to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA).

“Every day that goes by is one less day of protection,” said U.S. Representative Tom Feeney (R-FL). “The terrorists know this. They watch TV, too.”

The cause of concern is the refusal among House majority members to include an immunity provision in the extended surveillance act to protect telecommunications companies from prosecution and lawsuits they are threatened with for cooperating with the government.

“They did an extension, but did not include immunity, which is a huge problem for our intelligence,” Feeney explained. “American companies will not be able to cooperate with intelligence authorities unless there is a warrant, which can take weeks and months.

“Corporate executives have an obligation to shareholders not to hold them to possible lawsuits.”

Multi-million-dollar class-action lawsuits have already been filed against telecommunication companies for giving personal information to intelligence agencies without warrants.

“It is pretty apparent the only people that stand to gain from refusing to protect companies are terrorists and trial lawyers,” said Feeney. “I can’t think of any other explanation.”

As FISA began to expire in February, House members decided to delay addressing the issue until the last minute. Then they abruptly took a recess for the President’s Day weekend, leaving America’s intelligence operations in serious trouble. Feeney and other angry House members stated they could have taken up the bipartisan bill that had already been approved by the Senate, which included the immunity provision.

Twenty Democrats joined the Republican minority in approving the Senate bill, showing that some Democrats support full protection under FISA.

On Friday the House met behind closed doors, and finally managed to pass an updated surveillance act, which allows intelligence agencies to intercept communication between terrorists through electronic surveillance.

The only problem is that Democrats refused to include an immunity provision for telecommunications companies, making the bill in many ways useless, but perhaps politically ideal for Democrats. Trial lawyers have been shown to offer a majority of contributions to Democratic office holders.

“The further we get from 9/11, the more politics takes over patriotic judgment I’m afraid,” Feeney said. “If another terrorist attack occurs, much of the blame goes to (House Speaker) Nancy Pelosi and her political allies.”

President Bush has said he will veto the bill if it comes to his desk without the provision that protects cooperation between communications companies and intelligence agencies. Without that cooperation, intelligence will not be able to uncover the kind of the terrorist plans already discovered since 9/11, Feeney said.

There is still a chance of including the provision that ensures national security in the war against terrorists. Senate and House leaders may get together for a conference to reach a compromise. If the immunity is granted, the bill will come back to the House for a vote.

FISA was passed in 1978 in the wake of the Watergate scandal to stop government abuse.

“The result was different agencies couldn’t talk to each other,” Feeney said. The breakdown of the intelligence community was noted in the 9/11 Commission Report. “The CIA knew terrorists were in the U.S., but couldn’t tell the FBI.

“The Republican Congress fixed that after 9/11 temporarily until we would take another look at it. Now the Democrats in the House and Pelosi are killing the extension.”

[Puppage]

-- without the slightest idea they are perilously unprotected from another horrifying terrorist attack

That's because John Kerry told me that the terrorist threat was overblown. Now, back to my soap opera......

[FormerACLUmember]

The democrat party is the Enemy of the United States, a criminal entity, one which must be destroyed.

[knarf]

If we’re attacked again ... I’ll take personal responsability in holding the socialists responsable.

[AngelesCrestHighway]

Now the Democrats in the House and Pelosi are killing the extension.”

Well, at least after all those Americans are killed, we know who to hang!

[upchuck]

“It is pretty apparent the only people that stand to gain from refusing to protect companies are terrorists and trial lawyers,” said Feeney. “I can’t think of any other explanation.”

If I'm a RAT and oppose this and you're a trial lawyer and make a bunch 'o bucks as a result, would it be wrong of me to expect you to share your largess with my reelection campaign?

I just hate the way Washington works. Absolutely sucks!

[Dr. Ursus]

Botox-Let’s you slip the noose everytime.

[andy58-in-nh]

If, God forbid, we are attacked again, Nancy Pelosi and her ilk will instantly blame George Bush and the Iraq war for having made America less safe. You can bank on it.

[Twinkie]

I wouldn’t put it past the career Democrats in Congress to even harbor some slight, is this too strong a word - hope, that we will be hit BEFORE Bush’s last year in office is up. That way, going into the election, they can scream and holler, “Bush’s Fault! Bush’s Fault!” and insure the election of more Democrats.

[Gator113]

As will many patriots.

[Hoffer Rand]

Totally. I have a colleague who honestly believes the reason the border fence hasn’t been built is because our National Guard troops are in Iraq. She truly believes it’s the National Guard’s responsibility to build the fence.

[P8riot]

"the people that once bestowed commands, consulships, legions, and all else, now meddles no more and longs eagerly for just two things; bread and circuses."

- DECIMVS IVNIVS IVVENALIS. (late 1st – early 2nd century A.D.) - (aka Juvenal)

[Candor7]

Multi-million-dollar class-action lawsuits have already been filed against telecommunication companies for giving personal information to intelligence agencies without warrants. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.

I have absolutely no problem with this now. Our various security agencies, including the IRS, abused the intel power by investigating US citizens for non terrorist related issues, including income tax related issues. In other words the feds abused the extraordinary power given to them for the purpose of intercepting terrorist intel., and so now they deserve to lose it, as the telecom companies will be sued by their clients, who THEY sold down the tubes by allowing for such things as warrantless wire taps on e-mail accounts by federal authorities on non terror related investigations.

Will there be an attack by terrorists as a result? Maybe, but the feds to blame for abuse of warrantless searches by misusing national security letters to investigate citizens on non-terrorist related issues.

I hope the telecom companies lose millions.

[K-oneTexas]

       

 

                                                                                  

 

 

                      

 

       

 

 

Lesson from the past:    Will it happen again?

[Digital Sniper]

That's because John Kerry told me that the terrorist threat was overblown. Now, back to my soap opera......

And don't forget how Bush and McCain don't want to do squat about border security or the invasion of illegals. Now, back to cleaning my guns and pumping out a few hundred reloads...

[clamper1797]

I’ll take personal responsability in holding the socialists responsable

So will I ... and so should ALL America loving patriots ... starting with the local neighborhood. Don't be nice to your local liberal ... don't be polite .... get and stay in their face ... our republic depends on it ... now more than ever

[lowbridge]

I wouldn’t put it past the career Democrats in Congress to even harbor some slight, is this too strong a word - hope, that we will be hit BEFORE Bush’s last year in office is up.

I Hope And Pray We Don't Get Hit Again-BUT.....

What if another terror attack just before this fall's elections could save many thousand-times the lives lost?

I start from the premise that there is already a substantial portion of the electorate that tends to vote GOP because they feel that Bush has "kept us safe," and that the Republicans do a better job combating terrorism.

If an attack occurred just before the elections, I have to think that at least a few of the voters who persist in this "Bush has kept us safe" thinking would realize the fallacy they have been under.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/russell-shaw/i-hope-and-pray-we-dont-_b_28011.html

[maine-iac7]

The democrat party is the Enemy of the United States, a criminal entity, one which must be destroyed.

Hopefully, that's what we're witnessing now - Is everyone stocked up on popcorn for the convention coverage?

[Nailbiter]

Please stop promoting the eating of popcorn. It is driving up prices of corn tortillas,causing live stock to go hungry. Causing food prices to go thru the roof. LOL

All freepers must do their part to conserve corn so that it can be made into bio-diesel/ethanol.

Get on board and be green.
/s

[Quix]

I’m not sure anything will wake up the stupified, brain dulled, mind numbed sheeple . . . sadly, including a lot of Conservative Christians . . .

But the following links COULD serve as sobering wake-up calls for SOME discerning, alert, watchful, Biblical, prayed-up, confessed-up, repented-up Christians who truly seek to be alert, ready to act, ready to go and be whatever God would have them to be, wherever He would have them to go . . . at a moment’s notice . . .

http://www.whatsaiththescripture.com/Prophecy/God_s.Coming.Judgment.Text.html

My own sense is that natural disasters of various kinds as well as terror attacks will ‘soften’ the USA up seriously somewhat prior to an attack by China followed immediately by an attack on the East Coast by Rusia, Cuba, et al . . .

in that light . . . the following link has some sobering stuff down about 3/4ths of the page.

I think the section is titled:

CHINA AND RUSSIA ATTACK—about 3/4 down on the page—a long scroll even with page down . . .

http://www.whatsaiththescripture.com/Prophets/Prophecy.Duduman.America.html#AMERICA WILL BURN

Also interesting:

DUDUMAN SAYS ANTI-CHRIST IS READY:

http://www.whatsaiththescripture.com/Prophets/Duduman.Antichrist.Ready.html

ABOUT DUDUMAN now graduated from this life:

http://www.whatsaiththescripture.com/Prophets/Prophecy.Duduman.America.html#ABOUT DUMITRU DUDUMAN

#######

All well worth prayerfully pondering, imho.