Giffords defends her FISA vote

Yesterday's big national news - other than Mitt Romney's endorsement of Sen. John McCain - was a walkout by the Republican caucus in the U.S. House.

The GOP claims it was motivated by the body's failure to take up a Senate bill to reauthorize the Protect America Act - complete with immunity for telecommunications companies involved in domestic spying - intended to modernize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Democrats claim it was a petulant response to the vote to hold White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolton and fmr. White House Counsel Harriet Miers in contempt of Congress for refusing to testify in the U.S. attorneys firing controversy.

The Economist's Democracy in America blog has a great take on it, replete with an Eric Cartman quote.

Following up on the White House's claim that, in essence, the Democratic majority was rolling out the red carpet for terrorists to operate with impunity, the National Republican Congressional Committee sent out two press releases aimed at all the Democrats involved in blocking the bill who are facing credible Republican challengers this year, including Rep.s Gabby Giffords (CD8) and Harry Mitchell (CD5):

Harry Mitchell and House Democrats Play Political Chicken with America’s Security
Skip Town without Passing Bipartisan FISA Legislation Washington- After continually blocking a vote on bipartisan FISA legislation this week, Harry Mitchell (AZ-05) and the Democrats are leaving town without reauthorizing the Protect America Act, stranding our law enforcement with outdated laws and simultaneously putting millions of American lives in danger. House Republican leaders and the President of the United States said that they were committed to remaining in Washington until the people’s business is done, but Harry Mitchell and the Democrats have chosen inaction and are skipping town, allowing the current FISA law to expire this Saturday, February 16, 2008.

“Harry Mitchell and his Democrat Party in Washington proved once again today that they have completely squandered their new majority in favor of political games, reckless tactics and an extremely liberal legislative agenda,” NRCC Communications Director Jessica Boulanger said. “Delaying a vote on this critical legislation is completely irresponsible.”

and...

Gabrielle Giffords Put Partisanship above Protecting America

Giffords and Her Left-Wing Allies Voted Against National Security, Blocking Bipartisan FISA Legislation

Washington- Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (AZ-08) decided to play political games instead of protecting America today when she voted repeatedly to block a vote on the Senate’s bipartisan FISA legislation (House Roll Call 48 and 53).

The current FISA law will expire this Saturday, February 16, but Giffords continues to stall on passing permanent FISA legislation, leaving our intelligence community hamstrung with 30-year-old laws.

Giffords, for one, isn't ducking out of the battle, as evidenced by a letter she wrote to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) yesterday urging her to keep Congress in session until a compromise could be reached, joining 10 other Democrats in the request:

"...We urge you to cancel the district work period and call the U.S. House of Representatives back into session next week so that we can complete work on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).

Yesterday, we voted against adjourning for the President's Day recess in order to allow this to happen. We also voted to allow House, Senate and White House negotiators the 21-day extension that they requested to negotiate a final bill. We must continue to work to develop effective foreign surveillance legislation instead of leaving on recess..."

However, if the President maintains the position that he "will not accept any temporary extension" of the act, due to the fact that "House members have had plenty of time to pass a good bill," it seems for the moment that it will be up to the public to decide whose interpretation of showdown to believe.