The Senate is set to:
1. Disavow the will of the people.
2. Ignore the Constitution.
3. Promote fear over common sense.
4. Put its own political gain over our rights and liberties.
The Senate is set to do all this starting tomorrow, unless we stop this
ill-advised plan today.
Call your senators now.
Dear Friend, As soon as tomorrow, the Senate will begin to debate legislation
that would give the president greatly expanded powers to spy on Americans.
There isn't a moment to lose. Call now.
Even though the Senate Judiciary Committee passed legislation that provides
greater protections for privacy and doesnt give amnesty to telecommunications
companies, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has decided to move the bad Senate
Intelligence Committee bill. This is not good news for those of us who respect
freedom, the rule of law and the Constitution.
Tell your senators and Senator Reid to vote against this awful legislation.
This Intelligence Committee bill, negotiated closely between the Bush
administration and Senator Rockefeller, contains retroactive immunity for the
phone companies that illegally turned over private phone and email records to
the government and completely eliminates warrants and court review of
government spying.
Instead of capitulating to the White House, senators should be listening to
you. Recent polls show that 61% of American voters believe the government
should have to get a warrant from a court before wiretapping the overseas
conversations of U.S. citizens. And 59% of American voters reject amnesty for
phone companies that may have violated the law.
Sadly, Senator Reid is asking senators to decide where they stand on spying
after a secret meeting taking place today with Attorney General Mukasey and
Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell, a day before voting is
scheduled to take place. Director McConnell played a central role in
negotiations around the Protect America Act and, acting on behalf of the White
House, used questionable tactics and misinformation to convince members to
eviscerate the Fourth Amendment.
Because this meeting is secret, we obviously dont know whats going on behind
closed doors. But if history is any guide, this meeting could be used to
provide misleading information about the current threats facing America to
scare your senators into continuing the Bush Administrations secret spying
free-for-all.
There isn't a moment to lose. Call now.
We each need to do our part. Senator Reid needs to lead. All of our senators
need to vote against the Intelligence Committee bill, anything resembling the
Protect America Act or any bill that grants immunity to telecommunications
companies that have broken the law over the past six years. We are also asking
senators to join the filibuster of any bill with telecom immunity.
Your call today could mean the difference between our continued freedom as
Americans and a secret government operation with no accountability. Please
join us now in fighting this bad bill, which goes against our democratic values.
Your continued actions and support have carried us this far; we cannot give
up now. Dont let history repeat itself. Make the calls, tell your friends and
family and continue to carry the torch of liberty. Our country is counting on
you.
Sincerely,
Caroline Fredrickson, Director
ACLU Washington Legislative Office
© ACLU, 125 Broad Street, 18th Floor New York, NY 10004
Unsubscribe from receiving email, or change your email preferences.
---------------------------------
Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unsubscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Digest: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Help: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Post: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
