House Passes Surveillance Bill

A bill set to expand the government's warrantless spying program cleared the House last night by a 227-183 vote, the Washington Post reports. Many Democrats put aside profound  reservations, yielding to pressure from the White House and fearing being branded "weak on terror" as the campaign heats up this fall.

The bill permits wiretaps on conversations between domestic and overseas parties without judicial oversight. Many Democratic representatives voiced dismay at the vote: Rep. Jerrold Nadler claimed legislators were being "stampeded by fearmongering and deception," while Rep. Jane Harman predicted the bill will result in "potential unprecedented abuse of innocent Americans' privacy." (More War on Terror stories.)