Letters to the Editor
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Random reactions
* It provides for an audit by the DOJ's Inspector General of the "Terrorist Surveillance Program" (the only change that I would describe as something other than worthless);
To me, this provision is worthless until January 21, 2009, but then has the potential to get better, depending on events in early November.
* It contains a provision stating that the bill is the "exclusive means" by which the President can conduct electronic surveillance
I continue to pull for exclusivity, both because it is correct and because Bush has said that he will veto any bill containing it. I think forcing him into a veto in which the message is that he just doesn't want to follow the law is a situation that possibly will get more people paying attention to the issue.
Retroactive immunity: Leaving it out of the initial House bill does raise some interesting possibilities, in that we again will have the opportunity to pressure Reid to force the Republicans to be the ones to carry out an actual filibuster to block a base bill without immunity. The only question is which side will wear out first. Can we wear him down or will our side eventually wander off with a mild whimper?
Personally, I don't whimper well.