The FISA Act passed today, and in doing so, Congress deliberately took a giant step away from the republic and democracy we enjoy dreaming we are. This Act is nothing less than a shearing of the Fourth Amendment, your protection against illegal search and seizure, but, worse, it's a flaunting of the powerful marriage between government and business at the expense of your rights -- namely your Bill of Rights. By offering retroactive immunity from prosecution to telecomms who admit they violated the Fourth Amendment, this Act is a strong but simple example that America is a fascist state.

Both major party presidential candidates supported the Act to expand surveillance powers. Sen. Klobuchar of MN, I'm glad to say, voted against it. Sen. Feingold of WI was the true hero here, introducing, I believe,  some 35 amendments over the last year to provide accountability for these new powers that democrats were eager to bestow upon the president (all his amendments were gutted from the final bill). Here are some of  Feingold's remarks from the senate floor today. 

The bill the Senate is considering would grant retroactive immunity to any companies that cooperated with a blatantly illegal program that went on for more than five years – and that the administration repeatedly misled Congress about.

If Congress short-circuits these lawsuits, we will have lost a prime opportunity to finally achieve accountability for these years of law-breaking. That’s why the administration has been fighting so hard for this immunity. It knows that the cases that have been brought directly against the government face much more difficult procedural barriers, and are unlikely to result in rulings on the merits.

These lawsuits may be the last chance to obtain a judicial ruling on the lawfulness of the warrantless wiretapping program. It’s bad enough that Congress abdicated its responsibility to hold the President accountable for breaking the law. Now it is trying to absolve those who allegedly participated in his lawlessness. Mr. President, this body should be condemning this administration for its law-breaking – not letting the companies that allegedly cooperated off the hook.

more.