A double F.U. FISA Cave

I'm glad that progressives blocked Steny Hoyer's assault on the first amendment for a couple of days, but they didn't get the leadership to compromise (unless the draft bill was even worse).

Key point "it would require a court order when the government is seeking communications of a person inside the United States, but only if that person is the target" that is, they can only spy on you people in the USA* if they claim they are interested in the person you are talking to or e-mailing. Wow.

Oh also more of the F.U. approach to FISA. The August mega cave was just for six months. Now Congress will take itself out but require unfortunate FISA judges to decide whether to grant a blanket suspension of FISA for US to overseas communications for two F.U.s at a time.

I really honestly believe that US Democracy will survive the Democrats. I don't know why I am confident, but I am.

* I live in Italy. No US law prevents the NSA from spying on me. The theoretically sovereign Italian Republic could protect me, but they caved decades ago. This isn't about me, its about my mom. Since August it has been legal for the NSA to listen in when she calls me (so long as I am the target).