Senate votes to give retroactive immunity for telecoms

such poignancy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZsfH7Gv8cQ&feature=...

"Up here in space
I'm lookin' down on you..
you think you've private lives
think nothing of the kind...
...Electric eye, in the sky
Feel my stare, always there
Theres nothing you can do about it
Develop and expose...
I feed upon your every thought
And so my power grows..."

Who do we trust? NO ONE!

My political blood is as blue as it comes, but this is one issue I have trouble confronting conservatives with. There actually are (legitimately) angry people out there that want to harm us, and I'm willing to make some privacy sacrifices (as long as I'm not busted on any non-terrorist related charges). As far as the telecoms go, I say tax them more, but we shouldn't be pointing our finger at them (instead at the White House!) - they were convinced by the Patriot Act just like the majority of Americans were post-9/11.

Well, I'm not willing to give up a damn thing. Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. Benjamin Franklin

When it comes down to it, corporations need only to serve their own interests. That is their only purpose and function – given that, it is inherent that they will kowtow to whatever legislation is implemented, as doing so serves to guarantee continued profit for their shareholders. See Yahoo! in China for a recent similarly themed example.

How they voted.............U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 110th Congress - 2nd Session

as compiled through Senate LIS by the Senate Bill Clerk under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate


Vote Summary

Question: On the Amendment (Dodd Amdt. No. 3907 )
Vote Number: 15 Vote Date: February 12, 2008, 11:03 AM
Required For Majority: 1/2 Vote Result: Amendment Rejected
Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 3907 to S.Amdt. 3911 to S. 2248 (FISA Amendments Act of 2007)
Statement of Purpose: To strike the provisions providing immunity from civil liability to electronic communication service providers for certain assistance provided to the Government.
Vote Counts: YEAs 31
NAYs 67
Not Voting 2
Vote Summary By Senator Name By Vote Position By Home State


Alphabetical by Senator Name Akaka (D-HI), Yea
Alexander (R-TN), Nay
Allard (R-CO), Nay
Barrasso (R-WY), Nay
Baucus (D-MT), Yea
Bayh (D-IN), Nay
Bennett (R-UT), Nay
Biden (D-DE), Yea
Bingaman (D-NM), Yea
Bond (R-MO), Nay
Boxer (D-CA), Yea
Brown (D-OH), Yea
Brownback (R-KS), Nay
Bunning (R-KY), Nay
Burr (R-NC), Nay
Byrd (D-WV), Yea
Cantwell (D-WA), Yea
Cardin (D-MD), Yea
Carper (D-DE), Nay
Casey (D-PA), Yea
Chambliss (R-GA), Nay
Clinton (D-NY), Not Voting
Coburn (R-OK), Nay
Cochran (R-MS), Nay
Coleman (R-MN), Nay
Collins (R-ME), Nay
Conrad (D-ND), Nay
Corker (R-TN), Nay
Cornyn (R-TX), Nay
Craig (R-ID), Nay
Crapo (R-ID), Nay
DeMint (R-SC), Nay
Dodd (D-CT), Yea
Dole (R-NC), Nay
Domenici (R-NM), Nay
Dorgan (D-ND), Yea
Durbin (D-IL), Yea
Ensign (R-NV), Nay
Enzi (R-WY), Nay
Feingold (D-WI), Yea
Feinstein (D-CA), Nay
Graham (R-SC), Not Voting
Grassley (R-IA), Nay
Gregg (R-NH), Nay
Hagel (R-NE), Nay
Harkin (D-IA), Yea
Hatch (R-UT), Nay
Hutchison (R-TX), Nay
Inhofe (R-OK), Nay
Inouye (D-HI), Nay
Isakson (R-GA), Nay
Johnson (D-SD), Nay
Kennedy (D-MA), Yea
Kerry (D-MA), Yea
Klobuchar (D-MN), Yea
Kohl (D-WI), Nay
Kyl (R-AZ), Nay
Landrieu (D-LA), Nay
Lautenberg (D-NJ), Yea
Leahy (D-VT), Yea
Levin (D-MI), Yea
Lieberman (ID-CT), Nay
Lincoln (D-AR), Nay
Lugar (R-IN), Nay
Martinez (R-FL), Nay
McCain (R-AZ), Nay
McCaskill (D-MO), Nay
McConnell (R-KY), Nay
Menendez (D-NJ), Yea
Mikulski (D-MD), Nay
Murkowski (R-AK), Nay
Murray (D-WA), Yea
Nelson (D-FL), Nay
Nelson (D-NE), Nay
Obama (D-IL), Yea
Pryor (D-AR), Nay
Reed (D-RI), Yea
Reid (D-NV), Yea
Roberts (R-KS), Nay
Rockefeller (D-WV), Nay
Salazar (D-CO), Nay
Sanders (I-VT), Yea
Schumer (D-NY), Yea
Sessions (R-AL), Nay
Shelby (R-AL), Nay
Smith (R-OR), Nay
Snowe (R-ME), Nay
Specter (R-PA), Nay
Stabenow (D-MI), Nay
Stevens (R-AK), Nay
Sununu (R-NH), Nay
Tester (D-MT), Yea
Thune (R-SD), Nay
Vitter (R-LA), Nay
Voinovich (R-OH), Nay
Warner (R-VA), Nay
Webb (D-VA), Nay
Whitehouse (D-RI), Yea
Wicker (R-MS), Nay
Wyden

I see a few Democrats that need replaced. Bayh, Feinstein, Carper, Clinton, Conrad, Inouye, Johnson, Kohl, Landrieu, Lincoln, McCaskill, Mikulski, Nelson, Nelson, Pryor, Rockefeller, Salazar, Stabenow, and Webb think it's okay for the telephone companies and Internet service providers to help the government spy on us.

i just wrote my senators...one did the right thing. the other i let know just how disgusted
I am with his treasonous betrayal of
public faith and trust.

how did your senator(s) fair? tell 'em how you feel...

here's the final tally of the votes neatly categorized by state etc.

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/r...

ah...oops... =D guess my screen didn't update in the time it cost me to write my senators... *sigh* what a bummer...

Not to worry, it happens to all of us. Thanks.

khsing...those senators are supposed to represent the will of the people, not corporations.

estorey..."terrorism" is a ploy to get you to give up your rights. you better understand that. homeland security...it's a joke! a bona fide terrorist could walk across the border of my state no problem, yet nothing's happened, and I seriously doubt anything will happen. it's just not a real threat as they'd like us all to believe. it's our government that's doing the terrorizing and fear-mongering as they continue to erode and usurp our rights as if nothing! I might be more sympathetic to your cause if we were really able to witness "arabs" strapping on bombs and careening into our supermarkets and bus stations but that's such a fantasy if you really know how underhanded and subversive our government has been in the world. Now their turning their sights on us in the name of liberty while they take yours!!! Is that really necessary? I think not.

y'know I'm becoming more convinced of that (they hate our guts)... thanks Cosmo. "it's raining" pretty much suits my mood...

Clinton was in DC she just didn't show for the vote. Silly dishonest her.

Shame, shame, shame. I sure getting tired of feeling that way about a place I've always loved.