4 ms·

Wyden is probably one of the few senators, who is consistent on this issue. Everyone else, at best, pays lip service or repeats talking points about terrorism a

Wyden is probably one of the few senators, who is consistent on this issue. Everyone else, at best, pays lip service or repeats talking points about terrorism and the need to protect America from the ever present danger.

rectang 7y ago
On these max-out-surveillance votes, Dianne Feinstein poorly represents the massive tech industry presence in her state.
- acdha 7y ago
  Or does she represent companies like Google, Facebook, or Palantir who are more concerned with pro-privacy laws cutting into their revenue? The politics of tech industry workers are not identical to their management and the latter steer a LOT more money into politics.
  - icelancer 7y ago
    It's more the entertainment industry in this case.
- duckMuppet 7y ago
  If she were truly a poor representative of her constituents, they would've voted her out long ago. I think she represents them perfectly.
  - trynewideas 7y ago
    It's complicated? 538[1] (yeah, I know) did a decent dive into this back in 2018: as her electorate has moved left, she's moved right. The theories for that are pretty simple. - The Dem/GOP split swung from nearly even to 45-25 over her tenure, so there's no longer any credible Republican competition to force her back toward her original left-of-center leanings - She can outraise even the most serious Democratic challenger by more than 10-to-1 - She appeals more to pro-business, homeowner, and technocrat Democrats and independents than any other group, who in turn power that fundraising and also are responsible for Democratic plurality in the voter base So we wind up with this dichotomy of her winning every election and getting booed out of nearly every town hall. The question going forward is whether she can hang on to her seat as easily in a recession California as in a booming one, especially if her constituency shifts away from her under economic stress just as quickly as it shifted in her favor. 1: https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/california-has-left-dianne-feinsteins-moderation-behind-but-not-dianne-feinstein/ https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/california-has-left-dia...
    - dsfyu404ed 7y ago
      I'd be careful of trying to describe Feinsten in terms of left/right when both parties official platforms both include things that are both for and against government micromanagement of people. She has been very, very consistently pro-authoritarian her entire career. The hate for her is truly bipartisan. The reason she's still in office isn't because pro-business types like her and give her money. It's because she has so much influence over the democratic party in her state that she can make sure nobody worth voting for every gets enough funding to mount a successful primary against her.
    - travisporter 7y ago
      What’s wrong with 538? Must be out of the loop
- loeg 7y ago
  Pretty disappointed that my rep (Patty Murray, D-WA) did not vote on the amendment.
  - Imagenuity 7y ago
    As am I.
kolbe 7y ago
It's really hard for me to tell on these issues what is real. I feel like they just have a certain number of senators who are allowed to look moral, but the end result always needs to be that surveillance wins. My gut says that Wyden just happens to have drawn the long straw in a sick game to make the Seante look more moral than it is, but if he needed to vote for it to pass for some reason, he would. This loss is kinda like a carnie saying "oh close one, you almost got it" in a game he knows is fixed.
- A4ET8a8uTh0 7y ago
  Maybe. That said, he was one of the few people, who actually made Clapper lie in front the of the entire world. Reportedly, this lie was a breaking point for Snowden who saw the exchange between Clapper and Wyden[0]. While I would be willing to accept your suggestion that is basically just Kabuki theatre, it seems even more cynical than I am willing to contemplate now. I am saying this, because Wyden visibly pushed Clapper ( apparently knowing that he was lying ). [0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwiUVUJmGjs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwiUVUJmGjs edit: Come to think of it, if Wyden was a genuine threat, I am sure security apparatus would have tried to take him down by now. But no dead hookers, no unsavory hobbies, no character assassination.. your suggestion makes more sense than I initially thought it had.
u801e 7y ago
Given the issues in terms of lives lost and economic damage due to the pandemic, the outcome of a terrorist attack doesn't really seem that bad. I would hope that the public would see through the farce of the security apparatus and let the patriot act expire and get rid of organizations like the TSA.
- FillardMillmore 7y ago
  I think if we took a public vote on the Patriot Act today, it would be nullified by tomorrow. Unfortunately, that's not how we do things and congress has been renewing it for some time, even stealthily. (p.s. apologies for not being able to find a more credible news site for this story - believe it or not, it wasn't widely reported on late last year) https://therealnews.com/stories/patriot-act-renewal-sneaks-through-congress-dem-support https://therealnews.com/stories/patriot-act-renewal-sneaks-t...
pochamago 7y ago
Ron Paul is also quite consistent. He's done a good job of keeping the Trump side of the Republican party happy with him through his words while still being the Republican senator who votes against Trump the most.
- billfruit 7y ago
  Surely you mean Rand Paul.
  - pochamago 7y ago
    I do

rectang 7y ago

On these max-out-surveillance votes, Dianne Feinstein poorly represents the massive tech industry presence in her state.

acdha 7y ago
Or does she represent companies like Google, Facebook, or Palantir who are more concerned with pro-privacy laws cutting into their revenue? The politics of tech industry workers are not identical to their management and the latter steer a LOT more money into politics.
- icelancer 7y ago
  It's more the entertainment industry in this case.
duckMuppet 7y ago
If she were truly a poor representative of her constituents, they would've voted her out long ago. I think she represents them perfectly.
- trynewideas 7y ago
  It's complicated? 538[1] (yeah, I know) did a decent dive into this back in 2018: as her electorate has moved left, she's moved right. The theories for that are pretty simple. - The Dem/GOP split swung from nearly even to 45-25 over her tenure, so there's no longer any credible Republican competition to force her back toward her original left-of-center leanings - She can outraise even the most serious Democratic challenger by more than 10-to-1 - She appeals more to pro-business, homeowner, and technocrat Democrats and independents than any other group, who in turn power that fundraising and also are responsible for Democratic plurality in the voter base So we wind up with this dichotomy of her winning every election and getting booed out of nearly every town hall. The question going forward is whether she can hang on to her seat as easily in a recession California as in a booming one, especially if her constituency shifts away from her under economic stress just as quickly as it shifted in her favor. 1: https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/california-has-left-dianne-feinsteins-moderation-behind-but-not-dianne-feinstein/ https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/california-has-left-dia...
  - dsfyu404ed 7y ago
    I'd be careful of trying to describe Feinsten in terms of left/right when both parties official platforms both include things that are both for and against government micromanagement of people. She has been very, very consistently pro-authoritarian her entire career. The hate for her is truly bipartisan. The reason she's still in office isn't because pro-business types like her and give her money. It's because she has so much influence over the democratic party in her state that she can make sure nobody worth voting for every gets enough funding to mount a successful primary against her.
  - travisporter 7y ago
    What’s wrong with 538? Must be out of the loop
loeg 7y ago
Pretty disappointed that my rep (Patty Murray, D-WA) did not vote on the amendment.
- Imagenuity 7y ago
  As am I.

kolbe 7y ago

It's really hard for me to tell on these issues what is real. I feel like they just have a certain number of senators who are allowed to look moral, but the end result always needs to be that surveillance wins. My gut says that Wyden just happens to have drawn the long straw in a sick game to make the Seante look more moral than it is, but if he needed to vote for it to pass for some reason, he would. This loss is kinda like a carnie saying "oh close one, you almost got it" in a game he knows is fixed.

A4ET8a8uTh0 7y ago
Maybe. That said, he was one of the few people, who actually made Clapper lie in front the of the entire world. Reportedly, this lie was a breaking point for Snowden who saw the exchange between Clapper and Wyden[0]. While I would be willing to accept your suggestion that is basically just Kabuki theatre, it seems even more cynical than I am willing to contemplate now. I am saying this, because Wyden visibly pushed Clapper ( apparently knowing that he was lying ). [0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwiUVUJmGjs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwiUVUJmGjs edit: Come to think of it, if Wyden was a genuine threat, I am sure security apparatus would have tried to take him down by now. But no dead hookers, no unsavory hobbies, no character assassination.. your suggestion makes more sense than I initially thought it had.

u801e 7y ago

Given the issues in terms of lives lost and economic damage due to the pandemic, the outcome of a terrorist attack doesn't really seem that bad. I would hope that the public would see through the farce of the security apparatus and let the patriot act expire and get rid of organizations like the TSA.

FillardMillmore 7y ago
I think if we took a public vote on the Patriot Act today, it would be nullified by tomorrow. Unfortunately, that's not how we do things and congress has been renewing it for some time, even stealthily. (p.s. apologies for not being able to find a more credible news site for this story - believe it or not, it wasn't widely reported on late last year) https://therealnews.com/stories/patriot-act-renewal-sneaks-through-congress-dem-support https://therealnews.com/stories/patriot-act-renewal-sneaks-t...

pochamago 7y ago

Ron Paul is also quite consistent. He's done a good job of keeping the Trump side of the Republican party happy with him through his words while still being the Republican senator who votes against Trump the most.

billfruit 7y ago
Surely you mean Rand Paul.
- pochamago 7y ago
  I do