Dear Amy Goodman, Juan Gonzalez & Democracy Now! producers; I was surprised and disappointed that DN! did not make sure over the last few weeks to produce a segment on the warrantless wiretapping issue leading up to yesterday's Senate Judiciary vote on the matter. With regard to the critical nature of this issue, a weekly DN! update segment would help greatly in helping to keep this issue in the public's conciousness and at the top of their lobbying to-do list. For example, DN! could have interviewed Nancy Talanian at the Bill Of Rights Defense Committee (see press release below) and other civil rights experts about the issue sometime in the days preceding the Senate Judiciary Committe vote in order to stimulate constituency lobbying of Senators to vote No. Our privacy and rights as citizens must be protected. Please make this issue a priority. It's one that (should) cut across all political lines in Congress and we must keep on top of this issue to make sure it's attended to. DN!'s consistent support in this effort is necessary to accomplish this. Thank you, Jonathan Markowitz - Los Angeles -------------------------------------------------------------------- Press Release - Bill of Rights Defense Committee (http://www.bordc.org/):
Thank you for everything you've done thus far to stop the legalization of warrantless domestic spying. This new development means we need to continue our fight for the Fourth Amendment. If your group has organized around this issue, feel free to adapt this release and send it to your local media. Nancy Talanian, Director Bill of Rights Defense Committee September 13, 2006 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Nancy Talanian, Director 413-582-0110 Bill of Rights Defense Committee [EMAIL PROTECTED] September 13, 2006 The Senate Judiciary Committee caved in, but the people will not! NORTHAMPTON, MA-The Bill of Rights Defense Committee (BORDC) expressed disappointment over the Senate Judiciary's approval today, on party-line votes, of two bills that would legalize President Bush's illegal warrantless wiretapping of Americans. The grassroots group vowed to continue mobilizing ordinary people around the country to call on their Senators to reject this unprecedented expansion of presidential power. "Members of Congress have an obligation to protect their constituents from warrantless spying," said Nancy Talanian, BORDC's director. "The bills by Senators Arlen Specter and Mike DeWine that passed out of committee today are nothing more than legislative blank checks to the Bush administration that would allow warrantless surveillance to continue." A third bill, Senator Dianne Feinstein's "Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Improvement and Enhancement Act of 2006" (S. 3001), would retain Fourth Amendment privacy protections while simplifying the process for obtaining warrants. It passed on a bipartisan vote, with Senator Specter and Senator Lindsey Graham joining the committee's eight Democrats. Specter's "National Security Surveillance Act" (S. 2453) gives the president the option of having a secret court review the constitutionality of secret surveillance programs on a blanket basis, and makes the current requirement for individual warrants optional as well. It also opens the door to warrantless searches of homes. DeWine's "Terrorist Surveillance Program Act of 2006" (S. 2455) would relax the current law by, among other things, expanding from three days to 45 days the length of time an agency can wiretap telephone calls before a warrant is sought. "The Specter and DeWine bills are attempts to put the genie back in the bottle for the administration, after the press uncovered an illegal wiretapping program that violates the rights of the American people," said Talanian. "We are urging the American people to tell their members of Congress to uphold our constitutional protections by preventing this legislation from moving forward." The Bill of Rights Defense Committee (www.bordc.org) is a national nonprofit organization that encouranges ordinary people to take an active role in an ongoing national debate about the post-9/11 laws and orders that threaten civil liberties guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. -30- BORDC needs your support! Please keep our work going with your tax-deductible contribution. Mail your donation to: 8 Bridge Street, Suite A, Northampton, MA 01060 or donate funds or stock online at http://www.bordc.org/donate.php. If you have received this message in error, or you wish to unsubscribe from BORDC's newsletter and action alert, please send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with "Unsubscribe" in the Subject line. Last call for entries to our warrantless wiretapping button contest! Sunday, September 17, is the last day. Submit your button slogan entry, and you may win $100 worth of BORDC merchandise! Click for details and to enter! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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! 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