New, Improved!

Dems are semi-caving in on FISA:

The New York Times leads with word that it looks like Democratic lawmakers will approve extending the National Security Agency's broad eavesdropping powers, which were temporarily granted in legislation that passed Congress hastily in August. At the time, Democrats said they had been pressured and vowed to push back when it came time for reauthorization. But now adminsitration officials appear confident they'll get the extension. The NYT chalks it up to the same old fear that many Democratic lawmakers have of appearing soft on terrorism.

...

Although it looks like the NSA will once again be given broad powers to carry out its eavesdropping activities, the administration isn't quite ready to claim victory. A Democratic bill that will be proposed in the House today would extend the powers but also "require a more active role by the special foreign intelligence court that oversees the interception of foreign-based communications," reports the NYT. Although civil liberties groups acknowledge the bill is an improvement over what was approved in August, they're not happy about the broad authority that is being granted to the NSA. The Senate's bill is still in progress but it might give in to the administration's wishes even further and grant telecommunications companies blanket immunity for participating in the warrantless eavesdropping program. This immunity question will likely become the big fight between the Senate and the House versions, as some Democrats are making it clear that's the line they're unwilling to cross.

Clearly this level of domestic surveillance is being institutionalized.

I have a question.

Few (if any) technologies have been developed that haven't been used in both positive and negative ways. The loss of civil liberties is directly proportional to our ability to spy. If you had to give up some of the technological conveniences, i.e. computers and the internet, in order to have more civil liberties, would you?

Update: Some folks don't see this bill as capitulation at all, but rather as a good bill.