Fix FISA

I watched the State of the Union address last night. I watched many Democrats largely sit in stony silence when the president spoke of the war on terror at home and abroad. I imagine most have forgotten that the Capitol itself was threatened on that bright and tragic day in September. I would also imagine the congressional gas masks were still under each seat in case of emergency.

I find it difficult to understand the failure of imagination on the part of those Democrats who are blocking the efforts of those in our country charged with protecting us--and them--from the horror of terror at home. I find it difficult to understand why many Democrats are more intent on punishing Good Samaritans who came to the aid of our government in those first terrible days, when the skies were silent and the country was shocked with grief.

You are the grown-ups Democrats. You are responsible now. Don't surrender our country to those who wake up every day and wish us harm. You have 3 days before we are left unprotected. Fix FISA. Fix FISA now, because the country would find it difficult to understand yet another failure of imagination. And yet another commission after the fact will not bring lost lives back.

UPDATE: Why we need to fix FISA. NRO has heard from a senior administration official. This excerpt:

On the home front, we will continue to take every lawful and effective measure to protect our country. This is our most solemn duty. We are grateful that there has not been another attack on our soil since 9/11. This is not for the lack of desire or effort on the part of the enemy. In the past six years, we've stopped numerous attacks, including a plot to fly a plane into the tallest building in Los Angeles and another to blow up passenger jets bound for America over the Atlantic. Dedicated men and women in our government toil day and night to stop the terrorists from carrying out their plans. These good citizens are saving American lives, and everyone in this chamber owes them our thanks.

And we owe them something more: We owe them the tools they need to keep our people safe. And one of the most important tools we can give them is the ability to monitor terrorist communications. To protect America, we need to know who the terrorists are talking to, what they are saying, and what they're planning. Last year, Congress passed legislation to help us do that. Unfortunately, Congress set the legislation to expire on February the 1st. That means if you don't act by Friday, our ability to track terrorist threats would be weakened and our citizens will be in greater danger. Congress must ensure the flow of vital intelligence is not disrupted. Congress must pass liability protection for companies believed to have assisted in the efforts to defend America. We've had ample time for debate. The time to act is now.