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Erin
Lv 4
Erin asked in Politics & GovernmentElections · 1 decade ago

Does it bother anyone that Obama voted for FISA immunity?

THATS a scary power.

Update:

anti-con, but he voted for it when it mattered most. The fact that he voted for FISA at all is bad. FISA is unconstitutional.

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  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago
    Favourite answer

    Not really. It was a practical decision. We needed to get the FISA legislation passed to continue it. The immunity amendment was really meaningless. NO company was ever going to lose a lawsuit over refusing to deny a federal order to allow a wiretap. First of all, it would be impossible for a telecom company to even find out what authority issued the order. The FISA court is secret. If the NSA came and said "we are allowed to do this" there is no basis for a company to doubt that or deny it. There is plenty of precident saying any lawsuit against a telecom on this issue would be tossed out.

    So, the whole issue was just political posturing by both sides over something that really didn't matter. Obama refused to play politics with our national security and voted for the bill.

    EDIT: Just a point to the person who mentioned that a telecom would still be open to criminal charges - that is true but moot. I cannot imagine that the federal government would order a company to place a wiretap and then turn around and prosecute that company for following their orders.

  • #$)&%
    Lv 4
    1 decade ago

    Obama was in Washington for every vote that tried to take immunity out of the FISA bill. John McCain went ahead with his campaign appearances. Obama voted to have immunity taken out everytime it was brought forward. See www.senate.gov if you dare.

    And the FISA bill that passed says the the Attorney General at the time a suit is filed, can decide if the proper legal procedure was followed. The telecoms didn't get a full pass.

    I think it was just disclosed that numerous reporters were wiretapped. Do you think that was not an abuse?

  • 1 decade ago

    It bothered me, yes....but it's very important to note that the immunity is civil immunity. Meaning that the telecom companies are safe from you or me filing a suit against them. However, they didn't get criminal immunity. They could still be charged by the government and brought to justice for their crimes.

    Edit: In the interest of full disclosure, McCain hasn't shown up to vote in the Senate for months. He skipped the FISA vote.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    I am pissed off about it, at the beginning i supported obama, i even volunteered for his campaign, now because of FISA and all his other crap i will be voting McCain probably

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Yea it does and does it bother you that McCain voted for FISA as well??

  • 1 decade ago

    Yes - it is a scary thing to contemplate.

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