The House reconvened at approximately 5:10 p.m., and Louise Slaughter, Chair of the Rules Committee, was recognized and immediately called up H.Res. 1284 - the report and rule from the Rules Committee which is not yet posted to their website - regarding the Iraq supplemental H.R. 2642 (no sign of FISA involvement with the supplemental).

The vote will be divided into two, apparently, to provide dishonest campaign cover for politicians not willing to stand up for their principles. There will be a grand total of one hour of debate on the rule (before the debate on the actual supplemental amendment(s) can commence).

http://rules.house.gov/

Presumably, the Rules Committee has adjourned for the day, and the FISA rule has been agreed to by the committee, though it too is not yet posted to their site (as of 5:14 p.m.).

While I agree with the main thrust of your ideas, as expressed in your comment, I feel compelled to ask you to consider if some moderation your tone will help validate your reasoning to greater extent. You know; Flies, honey, vinegar and all that.

I would not consider it in any way motivated by personal interest if I advised you to study my collected comments as a model for your own. You could do no better, I'm certain.

Whatever you do, don't ask Timberman! He'll just pull your leg until you're broke from the cost of having your pants altered.

And it makes you walk funny.

He's drooling in the sidelines like a chump. You think he doesn't like being above the law? Does ANYONE have any integrity anymore?

GG... If Obama remains missing much longer, it may be necessary to issue an Amber Alert for him.

As someone said over in the comments at DDay's post at Kos. Obama's position on this is well known and it may be a matter of comity or protocol to not poach on Hoyer's turf.

For those wondering "where is Obama?"

a few points might be in order here. Firstly, Obama's position on this issue is already well known. He's already offered more than one speech and press release about Telecom Immunity. Secondly, he's our presidential nominee, but he's also a U.S. Senator. For the sake of comity, he probably isn't going to poach on Steny Hoyer's turf. Anyone think Hoyer needs Obama to tell him he's opposed to this? No, of course not. Hoyer knows that. So Obama may very well wait until this has gone through the House. Guess what happens after this goes through the House? It's gets kicked up to the Senate, where they get to play their own games. And it's entirely possible that Obama, or some other senator, will place a secret hold on this and leave it in dry-dock. Or, if it gets attached to the war supplemental, the senate may then have a very good excuse to say "Wait a second. The president just rebuked us for adding in all sorts of stuff to the supplementals. And because we are so very much in love with this president and his admonitions, we're sending this back to the House, because we refuse to sign all of this together." I mean, all sorts of parliamentary games are going on here. It's entirely possible that the reason they may be combining this with the supplemental is because they know damned well that a good many Republicans will, on priniple, balk at signing on to a pork party that's been tacked on to a major spending bill.

Well, just a thought.

by steve davis on Thu Jun 19, 2008 at 02:01:46 PM PDT

As one fellow said upthread there while explaining the nuances of the rules committee meeting going on right now,

Confused yet? It's hard work dismantling a 219-year-old constitution...

I know the Senate leadership is utterly gutless (and utterly complicit in the drive to Fascism), but still, the bill the House will vote on tomorrow is surely different in some material respects from the bill the Senate passed several months ago. This means it will have to go back to the Senate.

Why can't Dodd (and Feingold and perhaps a few others) mount a real, Jimmy Stewart-style filibuster on this monstrosity? I know, it will surely piss of their colleagues, and Harry Reid will retaliate against them, unlike Joe Lieberman, but isn't it at least theoretically possible that actual Democrats would stand up on the Senate floor to block passage of this thing? Obviously Obama has decided to chicken out.

and Obama's position makes no sense at all - he has publicly opposed the legislation, so McCain will brand him as weak on terror, but he won't actually do anything to stop the bill becoming law, so he really is weak at a time when he could demonstrate leadership. If you're going to take the hits for opposing the Fascists, at least oppose them in deed, as well as in word.

how will things turn out?

not good. not good at all...

They allowed all this to fester for years without so much as raising a peep.

but i'm pretty sure we are going to have to take a lot more of this.

A vote for McCain is a vote for war and fascism.

A vote for Obama is a vote for war and fascism.

A vote for McKinney is not.

McKinney who?

but i'm pretty sure we are going to have to take a lot more of this.

A vote for McCain is a vote for war and fascism.

A vote for Obama is a vote for war and fascism.

A vote for McKinney is not.

McKinney who?

I'm hot for Lara Logan.

But that's neither here nor there.

Damn. Just when I was falling in love with you.

Resolved, That upon the adoption of this resolution it shall be in order to consider in the House the bill (H.R. 6304) to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 to establish a procedure for authorizing certain acquisitions of foreign intelligence, and for other purposes. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived except those arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI. The bill shall be considered as read. All points of order against provisions of the bill are waived. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill to final passage without intervening motion except: (1) one hour of debate equally divided among and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on the Judiciary and the chairman and ranking minority member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence; and (2) one motion to recommit.

.

Sec. 2. During consideration of H.R. 6304 pursuant to this resolution, notwithstanding the operation of the previous question, the Chair may postpone further consideration of the bill to such time as may be designated by the Speaker.

http://www.rules.house.gov/SpecialRules_details.aspx?NewsID=3972

Summation: There won't be action on FISA today, because it would need a two-thirds majority to pass (it was not given a Rules waiver for same-day action). Things are lined up for a FISA vote in the House tomorrow. One Senator can stonewall this bill next week with simple objections to unanimous consent requests, until after the July 4th holiday.

Let right be done.