I Am Smarter Than Patrick Murphy
A few weeks ago, I called PA Democrat Patrick Murphy to task for his support of Stainy Whore’s FISA Amendments Act, aka The Protect AT&T Act of 2008.
“When we spoke last, you mentioned that the FISA bill allows for criminal prosecution of the Bush official who enabled/ ordered this illegal program, but not civil.”
“Correct,” the aide began. “Everyone is up in arms about the telecom immunity, which Rep. Murphy doesn’t like either, but no one is paying attention to Section 1, which basically leaves the people who ordered this subject to criminal charges.” He sounded exasperated.
“Well, maybe that’s because most of us realize that the President is going to pardon these people before he leaves office, just like his dad did, and just like every other president has done.”
The aide stammered for a moment, and then returned to his script. “Yes, but it leaves them open to those charges…”
“That may be, but if you think that Bush isn’t going to pardon these guys on his way out the door… well, anyone who doesn’t see that is naive. And with the House, and soon the Senate, shutting down civil charges, and the President obviously ready to shut down criminal charges, nothing will b done, there will be no accountability.”
“Well look,” the aide retorted, “about those civil charges. At first, it was all about discovery, finding out what happened. but then there were lawsuits…” He said it as if the lawsuits were SO unfair. “On eof them against Verizon was for $50 BILLION DOLLARS! And that’s more than Verizon has!”
I started laughing. “Are you SERIOUS? Look: if I was pulled over by the cops with a quarter pound of marijuana in my car, even if it was just for me with no intent to sell it, do you think ANY judge would say ‘Clearly the penalty for this is a lot more than you can afford, so I’ll give you a special break this time’? That’s ludicrous, and you know it.”
The aide implied strongly that by giving AT&T and Verizon immunity from civil prosecution, Nuremberg defense notwithstanding, these companies would be much more forthcoming in assisting investigations into what crimes the Bush Administration ordered. At the time, I told the aide that anyone who believed that was naive. His response was “call your own Congressman” (I didn’t have to: Bob Brady and Chaka Fattah voted the right way).
Now that Congress has given immunity to telecommunications companies that helped the government spy on Americans in suspected terrorism cases, a Maine legislator is asking Verizon anew if it turned over any customer records to the federal government.
As it has in the past when faced with such queries, Verizon Communications Inc. says it is not commenting on matters involving national security.
State Rep. Herbert Adams posed the question about phone records on July 18, eight days after President Bush signed into law a bill that overhauled government eavesdropping rules and granted immunity to telecommunications companies that helped the government monitor Americans in suspected terrorism cases.
Patrick Murphy, I am calling you out as the moron you are. You sir, are what we call “a fucking idiot” back here in reality world. I hope that extra $8,359 from telecom PACS helped out a lot.
And for those who think my language is intemperate, I happen to care a lot about the Constitution. It’s a pity someone with a degree in constitutional law, like Pat Murphy, doesn’t agree.
Don’t come asking me for help this year Pat.
