Cheshire Cat Photo Blog(...said the Cat: 'we're all mad here....')

The Cybersecurity Act of 2012, sponsored by the Independent U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman from Connecticut, and the Republican Senator, Susan Collins from Maine, needed 60 votes to move to a vote by the full Senate, thanks to a Republican filibuster of the measure. The bill received only 52 votes in favor, which in the Senate’s upside down world allowed a minority of 46 opponents to defeat the measure. The “rationale” given by Republican obstructionists who opposed the bill to protect U.S. infrastructure was that the measure (which had ALREADY been “watered down” “…to meet the objections of anti-regulation Republicans who argued that forcing companies to meet minimum security standards would be unduly burdensome”) would impose UNDUE REGULATION. The final bill that was voted upon MADE THE SECURITY STANDARDS VOLUNTARY, and it was still defeated.

Did you hear the knees “jerking” in unison?

Part of the (legitimate) objection by Republicans COULD have been to an anti-gun amendment that was ineptly introduced by notoriously anti-Second-Amendment-Rights Senator Frank Lautenberg, Democrat from New Jersey, and which he refused to withdraw. I wonder whether Senator Lautenberg DELIBERATELY torpedoed the bill (a DIFFERENT kind of “obstructionist”), or whether he was clueless enough that he thought his amendment could pass. Senator Lautenberg is one member of Congress who has not “picked up on” the fact that his position on the Second Amendment is out-of-step with the thinking of the majority of Americans (and with the Bill of Rights). Several of California’s representatives in Congress are similarly out-of-step.

(Aside: my wife just asked me if I knew that “a large group of baboons” is called “a congress?” I did not. She does not know what I am writing tonight. Coincidence is funny, isn’t it? )

Privacy advocates, for the most part, supported the revised bill after it was amended to include provisions designed to preserve civil liberties and the privacy of users that might be threatened by increased information sharing between businesses and government.

No kidding.

The security bill is considered vital to ensuring that private U.S. businesses tasked with running the electric grid, utilities, nuclear power plans and other key pieces of critical national infrastructure are taking appropriate measures to protect their facilities against attacks from hackers, cyberspies and malware.

OK, Senators (and members of the House) – time to quit “playing politics” with our nation’s electrical grid, water and fuel distribution systems, and financial networks. All of you folks have seen what “state-sponsored cyberterrorism” has done in a few OTHER countries, and SOME of you have probably voted in secret to allow it to occur. 😉

Do not allow such things to happen to the United States. Cyberwarfare, like the Colt .45, may be “the great equalizer.” There are KIDS out there who could probably take down a number of American corporations. RSA and VeriSign have ALREADY been hacked. Imagine what skilled professionals could do to U.S. infrastructure. Heck, it’s bad enough that a lot of it runs on Windows!

“Regardless of today’s vote, the issue of cybersecurity is far from dead,” said Michelle Richardson, ACLU legislative counsel, in a statement. “When Congress inevitably picks up this issue again, the privacy amendments in this bill should remain the vanguard for any future bills. We’ll continue to work with Congress to make sure that the government’s cybersecurity efforts include privacy protections. Cybersecurity and our online privacy should not be a zero sum game.”

Dean Garfield, president and chief executive of the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), said he was disappointed with the news. “The Senate vote is a reminder that we have a long way still to go,” he said in a statement. “We hope that, despite this setback, Senators will continue to work with stakeholders and reach agreement on a proposal that embraces security innovation as the best way to counter the threats we all know are out there. Any effort must recognize the critical importance of private-sector leadership for information and communications technology innovation, increased information sharing, and a risk-management approach.”

Senator Joe Lieberman made comments after the vote. I will quote only the first of three paragraphs, but you should read the other two as well:

“Am I disappointed? You bet I am. Am I angry? Yes, I am. Because once again the members of Congress have failed to come together to deal with a serious national problem. All the more surprising in this case because what’s at stake here is the security and prosperity of the American people. It’s not just another political argument in a campaign. This is about what everyone acknowledges is rising to be a serious threat to America’s security in the years ahead, and that is the fact that we’re not adequately defended against cyberattacks.

Please be sure to vote in November if you are eligible in the U.S. There are a number of incumbents who need to be defeated, of BOTH major political parties. Then, when their replacements come up for re-election, some of them will no doubt need to be defeated, with the cycle continuing until Congress gets a clue.

-Bill at

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