The attached audio files excerpt the coverage by Free Speech Radio News on Wednesday, July 8, 2008, and the KPFK 6 p.m. news on Thursday, July 9, 2008, of the Senate's passing the Bush FILSA legislation.
Gleen Greenwald wrote:
"The Senators then voted for "cloture" on the underlying FISA bill -- the procedure that allows the Senate to overcome any filibusters -- and it passed by a vote of 72-26. Obama voted along with all Republicans for cloture. Hillary Clinton voted with 25 other Democrats against cloture (strangely, Clinton originally voted AYE on cloture, and then changed her vote to NAY; I'm trying to find out what explains that).
"With cloture approved, the bill itself then proceeded to pass by a vote of 69-28 (roll call vote here), thereby immunizing telecoms and legalizing warrantless eavesdropping. Again, while Obama voted with all Republicans to pass the bill, Sen. Clinton voted against it.
"Obama's vote in favor of cloture, in particular, cemented the complete betrayal of the commitment he made back in October when seeking the Democratic nomination. Back then, Obama's spokesman -- in response to demands for a clear statement of Obama's views on the spying controversy after he had previously given a vague and noncommittal statement -- issued this emphatic vow:
"To be clear: Barack will support a filibuster of any bill that includes retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies.
"But the bill today does include retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies. Nonetheless, Obama voted for cloture on the bill -- the exact opposition of supporting a filibuster -- and then voted for the bill itself. A more complete abandonment of an unambiguous campaign promise is difficult to imagine.
Congress votes to immunize lawbreaking telecoms, legalize warrantless eavesdropping
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/07/09/fisa_vote/index.html It is said: fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.
The censors at Free Speech Radio News and KPFK protected their listeners from that issue by not mentioning Obama's breech of trust.