Senate sells out to Bush bluff - slithers off to vacation

By Libby

Well, it's official. Sixty-eight spineless idiots voted to protect their vacation time and traded our civil liberties for a few weeks at the beach. Sixteen of them were Democrats. What a bunch of hosers. I'm so irritated I can hardly blog this.

The Senate bowed to White House pressure last night and passed a Republican plan for overhauling the federal government's terrorist surveillance laws, approving changes that would temporarily give U.S. spy agencies expanded power to eavesdrop on foreign suspects without a court order.

The legislation, which is expected to go before the House today, would expand the government's authority to intercept without a court order the phone calls and e-mails of people in the United States who are communicating with people overseas.

We're told hold to take heart because the provision has a six month sunset. Who do they think they're fooling? This president can do more damage in six days than any human can do in six lifetimes. And why the hell should we believe they won't just reauthorize in six months? Are they all scheduled for spine transplants over the summer?

Meteor Blades has the list of sell-outs that put seashell collecting above our civil rights.

No Republicans voted against the bill. The following Democrats voted for it: Evan Bayh (Indiana); Tom Carper (Delaware); Bob Casey (Pennsylvania); Kent Conrad (North Dakota); Dianne Feinstein (California); Daniel Inouye (Hawai‘i); Amy Klobuchar (Minnesota); Nancy Mary Landrieu (Louisiana); Blanche Lincoln (Arkansas); Claire McCaskill (Missouri); Barbara Mikulski (Maryland); Bill Nelson (Florida); Ben Nelson (Nebraska); Mark Pryor (Arkansas); Ken Salazar (Colorado); Jim Webb (Virginia).

Senators Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Christopher Dodd and Barack Obama all opposed the bill, as did 23 other Democrats and Bernie Sanders, the independent from Vermont. Joe Lieberman voted ...well, you know how he voted.

Of all of these traitors to the people, Webb is the most disappointing. He has really failed us. He played us like a farookin Strad to get our support, talking so tough about the occupation's failure but when it comes down to the votes, this isn't the first time he's sold us out to the latest addle-pated White House scheme.

Keep the list handy folks so you know who to kick out of office in 08.