This FISA bill bullshit is just that BULLSHIT. It is all smoke and mirrors for the dummy Liberal Democrats and they are all falling for it. This is a non issue from day one and the sooner that Liberals, Progressives and those concerned with civil liberties and Privacy face the facts, we are going to continue chasing our tails. The Republicans have set us up and knowing how stupid some of us can get we have fallen for it hook, line and sinker. Do you really think that Conservatives are not concerned with privacy and wire tapping on their phones? Do you really think that a Republican living in Mississippi hording enough ammunition to take down a small country is not concerned with the government listening in on his phone calls? Then why is he not upset? Why is he not up in arms about this?

The truth of the matter my little Liberal losers (we have lost 2 general elections in a row because we like to eat each other, instead of the other side). FISA is a non issue because the government has been listening in on our phone calls, keeping records of our activities for years. Why do you think the FBI was even established? We already had the CIA why the FBI? Do you really think we need the DOJ and the FBI to investigate Federal cases? It's for internal snooping you dummies. Files are kept on every one and any one they see fit or who is deemed or even looks like a threat. The FBI does not need the phone companies to give them permission to tap a phone line, all they are doing now is listening in on a larger pool and they needed the phone companies infrastructure of their main computers because of the lack of time and funds to build their own to listen to all calls. Because of the nature of the 9/11 attacks and the scope of the enemy and Bush going to war so fast, it left the FBI short handed, under funded and unprepared for the amount of work that had to be done. The FBI systems were most likely built to tap into particular lines of maybe a few hundred thousand people at a time. When it came time to listen in to millions of people they needed to approach the phone companies because it was faster to use a system that was already in place. The phone companies knowing that this would be discovered some day (employees not bound to secrecy and tend to blow the whistle and all that) asked for immunity and here we are arguing about a non issue. If the FBI had the time this would be done as quietly and efficiently as it has always been done since Hoover in the 1930's.
Obama voting for the bill is a non issue; it would pass with or with out his vote. The most import thing to us should be a President that knows the limits of wire tapping information and where and how this information is used. Electing a President that understands and respects the constitution should be the main concern of any self respecting Liberal, Progressive or Independent. There are thousands of laws on the Federal books that would make most of you roll over and die, because of their intrusiveness and ability to subvert the will of the people. It all depends on the President you have in that Oval office, if you have one that is willing to use these laws then we have water boarding, subverting the UN convention on prisoners of war and a lot of other issues.

I know a president Obama will not misuse this FISA law and it will have better, more constitutional oversight and the rights of individuals will be protected. So you Liberal fools need to concentrate on electing a Democrat into office other wise you will have a Bush/McCain Presidency and I don't know what will happen to you. Your' 7 year old can end up on the Terrorist watch list, you will not be able to travel outside of the US and the only traveling you will be doing is to Guantanamo bay for a little bit of water boarding and electric shock treatment. Your 17 year old daughter or son will be fighting a war in Iran for oil that is costing you 15 dollars a gallon. You've lost your job and you have moved in with your retired parents who are living in an adult lifestyle community complex in Boca Raton and you can't stay for longer than a month. So you live in your car now and as the traffic passes by on the bridge overpass above you, your mind goes back to the FISA argument. Well since you have no phone any longer, it finally dawns on you that the FISA issue was a non issue.

Thank You, Kevin.

Great post. You have encapsulated my/others feelings on FISA brilliantly. I've always felt, deep down, that I was on the right side of this argument. You've confirmed that for me... I feel vindicated, somehow.

Bravo!

He will not misuse it because he is "Saint Obama." How dare anyone question him. I seem to remember a similar argument being used at the begining of the Iraq war for one very evil dictator named Bush. I can see how the others would have forgotten not to trust self serving leadership as it was so long ago.