Evoking fear as an emotion is apparently not a tactic reserved for Republicans in this election cycle.  Why, you ask?

Well, today the House passed an amendment to the Foreign Surveillance Intelligence (FISA) Act of 1975.  Among the bills big points are an end to the warrantless wiretapping that has been such a scandal for the Bush administration for the past couple of years.  All requests must go through the FISA court.  However, the controversial section of the bill calls for retroactive immunity for telecom companies that cooperated with the administration since 2001.  The bill also gives investigators the ability to pursue broader warrants, so that they won’t have to request one per target.

I think overall the bill is probably the best either side is ever going to get.  I’m a little torn on the immunity for the telecoms.  I don’t think that they were acting with the nefarious intentions some liberals would have you believe.  Yet, do I feel my privacy had the ability to be targeted unnecessarily?  Anyone really should, given the past revelations about instances of wiretapping U.S. citizens.  My concern does not come from having anything to hide, because I don’t.  Yet, I expect a certain level of privacy and non-invasion from my government, and knowing that it could have been at risk is a little alarming, given the “all for the best” attitude coming from this administration.

So, I support this bill pretty full heartily.  Yet, there are some that won’t be happy until there is never any wiretapping.  Take this poster that smacks more of Rovian fear mongering rather than concern about civil liberties from a group of liberals.

The ad is, frankly speaking, despicable.  In a time the same group would tear apart the Bush administration for using similar tactics, doing so themselves is pretty low.  I definitely think it will only serve to discredit Democrats (even if that’s not necessarily their target) and has the potential to harm Obama, who is already being smeared as a far-left socialist by the Republicans (even though he’s turning that perception around).

To the groups behind this ad: wise up.  Didn’t you notice the attempts at fear by the Bush admin. are part of what got your party elected in 2006?  Don’t stoop to the same tactics because you want to spite Rep. Hoyer.