NEWS YOU WON’T FIND ON CNN

American Bar Association-accuses President Bush, of violating both the Constitution and federal law.

02/13/06 — Full text American Bar Association Task Force Report

American Bar Association

Adopted By The House Of Delegates

RESOLVED, that the American Bar Association calls upon the President to abide by the limitations which the Constitution imposes on a president under our system of checks and balances and respect the essential roles of the Congress and the judicial branch in ensuring that our national security is protected in a manner consistent with constitutional guarantees;

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the American Bar Association opposes any future electronic surveillance inside the United States by any U.S. government agency for foreign intelligence purposes that does not comply with the provisions of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, 50 U.S.C. §§ 1801 et seq. (FISA), and urges the President, if he believes that FISA is inadequate to safeguard national security, to seek appropriate amendments or new legislation rather than acting without explicit statutory authorization;

http://www.cnss.org/fisa.htm

Good stuff here

American Bar Association accuses President Bush, of violating both the Constitution and federal law.

http://www.informationclearing…..e12294.htm

“Germane” is irrelevant as to whether or not the cloture widget can be applied. An amendment that is not germane is at risk of being excluded on a point of order. The post-cloture environment [post the cloture vote to limit debate on final passage of the bill] includes this:

No dilatory motion, or dilatory amendment, or amendment not germane shall be in order. Points of order, including questions of relevancy, and appeals from the decision of the Presiding Officer, shall be decided without debate.

The 60 vote hurdles for the Bingaman and Specter amendments is a time short-cut that works the same hurdle that would occur if opponents of the amendment objected to voting on the amendment. The fact that there is a UC agreement with a 60 vote threshold tells us that the objectors have thrown in the towel.

If they didn’t agree to that, the alternative process would have been to offer the amendment, having the GOP object to voting it on a straight majority, the GOP filing a cloture motion to limit debate on the amendment, and then 60 votes needed to limit debate. If they don’t get the 60 votes, debate continues. The amendment can be withdrawn by the person offering it, but they can’t be forced -by the rules- to withdraw it. Just the same, the typical reaction on failing to get 60 votes to limit debate is the proponent (of the amendment) agree to withdraw it so the legislative process can go forward.

Opponents don’t have the votes for any of the amendments. The Senate passed S.2248 (easily, not close AT ALL), which was stopped in the House.

The UC agreement (see Legislative Calendar of June 30, 2008) sets forth the COMPLETE order of debate and votes, leading to the Senate passing exactly the same language that was passed by the House. Given the whip counts on previous attempts (see S.2248) I see no place in that process to cause delay or defeat on passage of H.R.6304. Period.

The objectors gave their consent to the process that is spelled out.

Stupid DanGerstein and Short-ride Joe…

Casey = timid middle

Specter = timid piddle

The middles will piddle

& the Piddles will muddle,

It’s all quite as ‘opaque’

As a roiled-up mud puddle.

Complicity rules …

Where, if I may ask, in the sylvan reaches, do you call home?

Meself I am, since but a solar journey ago, now in Pittsburgh, having traded the low-lying fields of western Chester for the ups and downs of Allegheny county.

I have also known the forests of Centre, having mis-spent my youthitude in that most central of Pennsylvania’s Land Grant University towns, State College.

For those who aren’t familiar with Utah’s political landscape, it is the land of Blue Dog Jim Matheson – who of course supports retro-active immunity. Matheson traditionally calls the shots in the state, often leveraging his position as the only Democrat in the state’s federal delegation to squash real leadership against the Blue Dog agendas.

Hoping this becomes a big deal.