Congressional Line (in the Sand)

Nancy Pelosi today, explaining why the House will recess for ten days without considering the Senate version of the FISA bill (which includes immunity for the telecoms),

Yesterday, an overwhelming majority of House Democrats voted to extend the law for 3 weeks so that we would have time to reach agreements with the Senate on the FISA bill. The President and House Republicans refused to support the extension and, therefore, I think should bear the responsibility of any adverse national security consequences. I don't think that will happen. The President knows full well that he has all the authority he needs to protect the American people.

The underlying FISA bill gives him much of that authority. And on top of that, the orders that he has issued under the Protect America Act extend for 1 year. So the President has all of the advantage of the underlying FISA law and all of the advantage of modernization that the Protect America Act brought forth....

Franklin Roosevelt, as you know, something that every school child in America knows, said that we have nothing to fear but fear itself. And President Bush tells the American people that he has nothing to offer but fear, and I'm afraid that his fear mongering of this bill is not constructive.

Now this is why we elected a Democratic majority.

I particularly admire the last paragraph.