Maybe Obama Can Vote "Present"

Andy McCarthy wants John McCain to arm-twist Obama and Hillary on FISA reform and force them to choose between common sense and their base.

Comments

[Bill Arnold]

I have limited sympathy for the telecoms. They have expensive lawyers, and should have known they were breaking the letter of the law, or not. If they had assurances that they could violate the letter of the law because it didn't apply, well, remember Wesley Snipes in the news recently. One shouldn't unquestioningly trust such advice even if it is from people in government.
The only open question in my mind is whether trials would be significantly detrimental to whatever legitimate surveillance programs are currently operating.

[SteveMG]

The only open question in my mind is whether trials would be significantly detrimental to whatever legitimate surveillance programs are currently operating.

That would, it seems to me, be the chief goal of the plaintiffs. Certainly the legal left community (ACLU, CCR).

I.e., to expose the program and thereby make it un-usable.

In their (partial) defense, the telecoms were in a untenable position. If they denied the government's access to the material and we had been hit again, they would have been savaged by the public.
Congress too.

[boris]

They have expensive lawyers, and should have known they were breaking the letter of the law

So ... people who can afford lawyers have a different set of rigthts than those who can't? Is that what you really are endorsing here?

Most reasonable people accept direction from enforcement in emergency situations. Obsessing on the possibility that such direction may violate the letter of some law and carefully reserving the option to punish the hapless citizen in such situations is ... well ... unliberal (classical sense) in the extreme.

Think there is a new book out about a certain aspect of what's currently called "liberalism" by ah ... Goldberg or somethning.

[Other Tom]

It seems very contemptible to condemn these companies for what they did, given the universal national concern at the time. Suppose they "knew they were violating the letter of the law," but understood that an effort to change the law would prejudice the whole program?

The plaintiffs are seeking statutory damages which, if awarded, would bankrupt every one of these companies. Does anyone believe those statutory damages were enacted with this kind of scenario in mind? Of course they weren't. We're looking at bankrupting every major company in a vital national-security-related interest all in the name of...what, exactly? Can anyone cite a single instance of anything that would rise to the level of an actual invasion of anyone's legitimate privacy?

It's the most disgusting sort of congressional preening. It's on a par with that corpulent toad from Illinois, Durbin, on his high horse about three murderous bastards being waterboarded--when it was done with the full knowledge and consent of a number of Democrats, none of whom raised a peep at the time.

I'd love to see McCain make an issue of this, but I believe he's disabled himself from doing so. It's all a shame...

[anduril]

I think Andy's comment fits under the general rubric of How McCain Can Convince the Right. Henninger, also in the WSJ today, epitomizes the other type of article one sees about McCain these days: McCain or the Wilderness.

Bonus for reading the above: Pepper … and Salt

[anduril]

"that corpulent toad from Illinois, Durbin"

No comment--just liked that phrases so much I thought I'd repeat it.

[Patrick R. Sullivan]

Another thing the Republican nominee might want to ask either Alinsky acolyte, is about their role in setting the table for the subprime mortgage debacle. In this NY Post piece, Stan Liebowitz details the history that led to where we are now. Groups like ACORN used a deeply flawed Boston Fed paper to gin up hysteria about 'redlining', which led to bank regulators punishing lenders who DIDN'T make risky loans to minorities.

And, in this Chicago Sun Times piece, we can see that Obama represented ACORN in Chicago, and also 'represented Calvin Roberson in a 1994 lawsuit against Citibank, charging the bank systematically denied mortgages to African-American applicants and others from minority neighborhoods.'

[Semanticleo]

"Sen. McCain should be calling them out. He should become the face of FISA reform, forcefully argue why we need it so badly, and shame the Democratic candidates into taking a clear position."

I wish he would. I had been telling Edwards to do the same thing. What makes McCarthy think these two WANT Telcom immunity. They have been AWOL for the entire issue.

I hope McCain takes the advice. We need some sunlight and public exposure so every household is discussing it like "American Idol".

[JFisher]

I can't imagine the size of the self-righteous egos on the left that has convinced them their dismal lives include anything that anyone would be interested in listening to.