14 replies to this topic

[spy1]

According to this article: http://www.foxnews.c...,184314,00.html , all the brave legislator's who had sworn they were going to get the 'patriot' act straightened out before the re-authorization went through have apparently turned-tail and run away from fixing or facing it.

For further background, see this pdf: http://cdt.org/secur...sed-changes.pdf

I would ask you to carefully read the FAX I just sent to both my Senator's and all of my Representatives, with a view as to deciding whether you will send the same letter to yourstates' Senator's (both of them) and Representatives (all of them).

If you agree with my viewpoint, I'd also like to point everyone you know towards this thread (emailing everyone iin your address book included).

http://www.theorator.com/senate.html

http://www.theorator...ment/house.html

Should they not re-discover the spine that led them vow to reform the 'patriot' act and fight this so-called "compromise", I see no reason whatsoever to hope that any meaningful change could further be accomplished regarding the 'patriot' act, NSA wiretapping of Americans, or any of the other abuses that we're seeing and will continue to see in the future should not the cornerstone of the whole process (the patriot act) not be reined in.

This is what I faxed:

How can you fail us now on ‘patriot’ act re-authorization??

Given the outcry over illegal N.S.A wire-tapping of American citizens – as well as recent exposure of even more insidious programs such as ADVISE, StarLight and Trailblazer – it is totally beyond belief that nearly everyone involved with the ‘patriot’ act re-authorization is now simply willing to roll over on both the Constitution and the American public by allowing a “compromise” version of the re-authorization to simply float through without there being any significant changes made to improve accountability, force effective oversight, limit the new grab for even more power and penalties for non-compliance and stop the further erosion of States’ rights by eliminating the “meth” provision and other associated pork involved with the currently-proposed version.

Sen. Spector – a Republican – has stated that he is drafting legislation that would require the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to review the constitutionality of the administration's monitoring of terror-related international communications when one party to the call is in the United States.

Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., chairwoman of a House intelligence subcommittee that oversees the NSA, broke with the Bush administration and called for a full review of the NSA's program, along with legislative action to update the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

House Judiciary Chairman James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., (the strongest Republican supporter of the ‘patriot’ act) sent a letter to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales with 51 questions he wants answered by early March.

One of 10 FISA judges, federal Judge James Robertson, submitted his resignation -- in protest of the president's action, according to two sources familiar with his decision.

Yet you – our supposedly powerful Senators and Representatives – sit there silently like chastised little children when the Executive Branch refuses to give you the information regarding these things that you absolutely need to make an intelligent, fair decision on how they need to be handled.

Do you not see something wrong with this picture?

Do you not realize that the upcoming “re-authorization” vote is your final chance to both make the ‘patriot’ act right and give yourselves the handle and re-claim the authority to truly begin straightening out all the extra-“patriot” issues we’re beginning to see?

This is no time to “compromise” – this is the time to stick to your principles, remember your oath to the Constitution and make the ‘patriot’ act right.

It is your one, only and final chance to do so. Please do not let us and future generations of Americans down.

I respectfully request that this letter be read aloud and entered into the record at the re-authorization hearing next week. Thank you.

(Signed)

[LDTate]

I sent mine

[spy1]

And I thank you for that. Without people like you actually taking the time and making the effort to contact their legislator's, we haven't a prayer here. Pete

[spy1]

Please read Sen. Feingold's statement as to why the "compromise" comes nowhere near being the "fix" that was promised:

http://cdt.org/secur...209feingold.pdf Pete

[spy1]

* Action Alert: End Game for PATRIOT in Senate, Public Loses

Two months ago, a bi-partisan filibuster in the Senate
prevented renewal of the PATRIOT Act without significant new
reforms. We cheered, but not for long. Now, the PATRIOT
supporters have announced a sham "compromise" bill and stand
poised to have it passed.

In the end, the Senate rebellion left the bill barely
changed - only a few token modifications agreed to by the
Administration are included in the new version of the bill.
It looks like these phony modifications will be sufficient
to break the deadlock and extend a dangerously unchecked
PATRIOT Act.

Your senators have one last chance to make a real stand for
your civil liberties. On the Senate floor next week, they
should vote against the "cloture" motion that would end the
debate and against the latest PATRIOT renewal deal. Your
senators should also support amendments proposed by Senators
Feingold, Bingaman, and Leahy that would add new civil
liberties protections and mitigate the worst excesses of
that bill.

Visit our action center now and urge your Senator to vote
against cloture, against the PATRIOT renewal deal, and for
the reform amendments.

Write to your senator now:
http://action.eff.or...Advocacy?id=214

Senator Feingold on what's missing from the latest PATRIOT
bill:
http://www.feingold....2/20060210.html

More info at EFF's PATRIOT pages:
http://www.eff.org/patriot/

____________________________________________________________

That's my latest EFFector 19.08 Action Alert, folks.

I'm hoping that by now, you know that just writing or emailing or calling once is not enough (our Legislator's forget, they get distracted, they lose focus because of all that's going on).

We need to remind them again.

I'm also hoping that by now, you've realized that the 'patriot' act is the ten percent of the iceberg that you can see (it's out there in the open if you'll take the time to read the re-authorization provisions and see how sadly lacking in protections it is as currently written for the average, innocent, legitimate American citizen).

It's flying the flag for what's happening to us in America, although it's the 90% that's below the surface of the 'patriot' act that will destroy our national identity as a "free" country (the torture, the wiretapping, the data-mining, the complete, sneering dis-regard for the wishes of the people of this nation who pay for it all, with their money and their blood).

This upcoming 'patriot' act re-authorization ( and God dayam them forever for perverting the meaning of that word ) is positively, absolutely our last ever chance - without bloodshed - of drawing a line in the sand and saying to both this and future Administrations "This you shall NOT cross".

Are you emailing a link to this thread to everyone in your address book? Urging them to call and write?

Are you posting about it in all forums that you frequent that are not covering it? Urging the same?

As the 'patriot' re-authorization goes, so goes the country.

Without the victory of making that come out right, we haven't a prayer of making any of the rest of it come out right.

If you haven't acted yourself, use some of the links in this thread to do so. If you have, use them again.

If you haven't been "spreading the word", you have approximately 72 hrs. to do so in time to make a difference.

Are their enough true American PATRIOTS left to turn this around?

Tuesday, February 28, 2006 will tell. Pete

[spy1]

This is a copy of the FAX that I just sent to both my Senators' and all of my Representatives..

If you feel the same way I do about this, I urge you to use these links:

http://www.theorator.com/senate.html

http://www.theorator...ment/house.html to either phone, fax or email the same message to them today - the re-authorization vote happens tomorrow.

____________________________________________________________

HOW CAN YOU ALLOW THE “PATRIOT” ACT TO GO THROUGH AS IS?

YOU KNOW THAT THE LATEST “CONCESSIONS”/AMENDMENTS TO THE

CONFERENCE REPORT ARE NOTHING BUT WINDOW-DRESSING!

THEY PROVIDE NO REAL PROTECTION FOR THE LEGITIMATE, INNOCENT

AMERICAN CITIZEN FROM UN-WARRANTED GOVERNMENT SNOOPING INTO

THEIR LIVES - NOR DO THEY PROVIDE ANY PROTECTION AGAINST ABUSE OF

THOSE POWERS!

HOW CAN YOUR CONSCIENCE ALLOW YOU TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS

UN-MITIGATED PIECE OF GARBAGE?

YOU SHOULD VOTE AGAINST THE RE-AUTHORIZATION AS-WRITTEN –

AND INSIST THAT THE AMENDMENTS PROPOSED BY SEN. FEINGOLD BE ADDED

AND PASSED INTO THE RE-AUTHORIZATION!

WE WILL NEVER BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO “FIX” THIS AGAIN!

THINK!

(Signed)

[spy1]

(Read the rest of the article here: http://www.cnn.com/2...t.ap/index.html )

Sen. Byrd regrets vote for Patriot Act

""The original Patriot Act is a case study in the perils of speed, herd instinct and lack of vigilance when it comes to legislating in times of crisis," the West Virginia Democrat said Monday. "The Congress was stampeded, and the values of freedom, justice and equality received a trampling in the headlong rush."

This week as he embarks on a re-election campaign for a record ninth term, Byrd, 88, will vote "no" on renewing 16 major provisions of the act due to expire March 10. He argues that even with new privacy protections added this year by the Bush administration and its allies, the law has given the government too much power to pry.

"This new proposal would erase too many of our freedoms guaranteed to the American people," Byrd added in a statement to The Associated Press. "In essence, this legislation says that the Bill of Rights is right no more.""

[spy1]

(Read the rest of the article here:
http://www.boston.co...ogram_in_works/ )

"Deal on spy program in works
Bill would let court approve wiretaps

WASHINGTON -- Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, a leading Republican critic of President Bush's domestic spying program, has drafted a bill that would exempt the once-secret surveillance program from a 1978 statute that requires warrants.

The draft bill, which will be aired today at a Judiciary Committee hearing, would require Bush to submit the classified details of the spying program to a special national security court for review. The court would decide whether the program violates the constitutional prohibitions on unreasonable searches."

Unless they're talking about the F.I.S.A court here - and maybe even if they are - things are rapidly going from bad to worse on the "wiretapping" issue.

There's still time to call your legislator's and DEMAND that they add Feingold's amendments to the re-authorization before passing it.

If we don't get control of the 'patriot' act, we won't get any kind of control on anything!

More debate is coming on on C-SPAN2 starting at 2:30 p.m. Eastern. If at all possible- watch it! Pete

[spy1]

(Read the rest of the article here:
http://www.cnn.com/2...t.ap/index.html ):

Patriot Act renewal clears Senate hurdle

"WASHINGTON (AP) -- After months of delay in a midterm election year, the USA Patriot Act renewal cleared a final hurdle in the Senate Tuesday on its way to President Bush's desk.

But the bill's sponsor said he is unsatisfied with the measure's privacy protections and far from done tinkering with the centerpiece of Bush's war on terrorism.

"The issue is not concluded," said Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican. He said he plans more legislation and hearings on restoring House-rejected curbs on government power.

The Senate voted 69-30 Tuesday -- 60 votes were needed -- to limit debate and bring the bill to a final vote that could occur as early as Wednesday. The House then would vote and send the legislation to the White House. Sixteen major provisions would expire March 10 if President Bush doesn't sign the bill by then.

Sen. Daniel Inouye, a Hawaii Democrat, did not vote."

Even more distressing was this quote: "Several Democrats voted "no" on the test vote Tuesday to protest the GOP majority's refusal to allow amendments, but said they would vote for the bill on final passage."

So we'll see what the rest of the week brings.

IMO, it's by no means over yet - contacting your Senator tomorrow could still make a difference - and following that, if necessary, contacting or re-contacting your Representative could still make a difference.

You might even be able to get them to vote no - not just to show their displeasure at being left out of the loop and being made powerless by the Executive Branch - but because that's what you (as the one with the long memory of a good registered voter) want them to do.

It actually makes the message you have to get across to them simpler:

vote "NO" on the conference report as-written - or else. Pete

[spy1]

Want to find out how your Senators' voted on the cloture motion for S.2271?

Go here: http://www.senate.go...on=2&vote=00023

They're doing the roll-call vote for S.2271 itself as I type this.

(Thanks JT for the link).

Pete

S.2271 just passed by a vote of 81 to 18. The Senate vote on the re-authorization itself takes place this afternoon. Pete

Edited by spy1, 01 March 2006 - 09:51 AM.

[spy1]

They're doing a quorum call right now on C-SPAN2, but when they return, Se. Feingold will be taking the floor to talk about the re-authorization vote (Sen. Leahy just got through speaking about the same issue - pretty eloquently, but even more so truthfully).

If you wish to watch this train-wreck happen, tune in and stay tuned to C-SPAN2. Pete

[spy1]

No one even has the stones to give Feingold a 15-minute debate on the re-authorization.

This entire affair has turned into a disgrace to our nation and a death-knell for freedom and Constitutionally-derived government.

It's also made a mockery of both the Senate's 'power' to do anything about this and thrown their role of proposing amendments straight out the window.

I just got off the phone (had to leave messages, but that works in this situation) - I called both of my Senator's, told them I was totally dis-satisfied with the conference report as-written - that I wanted them to vote NO on the re-authorization - and that I'd be watching how they voted on it this week so that I'd know how to vote when they come up for re-election.

I firmly suggest that each and every one of you do the same. Use the "Orator" links I've given all-over-the-place to find and call their Washington number. Pete

[spy1]

This CNN article underscores what I've been trying to tell you all along. (And, no, I'm not trying to "bump" this thread - I just got up and read this).

(From this article: http://www.cnn.com/2...t.ap/index.html )

"The overwhelming support for the renewal package holds great political value for Bush, who in 2001 made the act the centerpiece of what has become a troubled war on terrorism. Underscoring its import are GOP plans already in the works to make sure nobody misses the point this midterm election year.

After the House gives its blessing, Republicans are hoping to win a second day of coverage next Wednesday with a press conference by Speaker Dennis Hastert of Illinois and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee.

The package will receive a made-for-television enrollment -- usually a routine administrative procedure in which a bill approved in both houses is prepared for the president's signature."

___________________________________________________________

So, what will be accomplished here if we don't manage to change it by a massive telephone-call campaign is twofold -

(1) The President will trumpet this victory from the housetops as his supposed "proof" that the American people back him on this kind of dirty politics and these kinds of Constitution-destroying "anti-terrorism" measures.

(2) Using that proof of "approval", he instantly lets himself and his Administration off the hook for everything - the NSA wiretapping issue will vanish as though it had never happened (don't look for any "inquiries" of any type about it, IOW) and, when the beans get spilled (if they do) about all the other programs that're going on that we haven't learned about fully yet, nothing will be done about them, either. (You can also look for "whistleblowers" to become an extinct species; for someone to pay heavily for exposing the NSA wire-tapping scandal; and for a return of a politely-worded Alien and Sedition Act).

This 'patriot' act vote was the key all along - and the 'patriot' act itself is the keystone/showcase for our future government-controlled, total-surveillance, "you have a file" society.

If we allow it to happen, we'll have no one but ourselves to blame. Pete

Edited by spy1, 02 March 2006 - 08:09 AM.

[spy1]

http://www.cnn.com/2...t.ap/index.html

Patriot Act compromise passes Senate, awaits House vote

Thursday, March 2, 2006; Posted: 4:46 p.m. EST (21:46 GMT)

"WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Senate on Thursday voted overwhelmingly to renew the USA Patriot Act, after months of pitched debate over legislation that supporters said struck a better balance between privacy rights and the government's power to hunt down terrorists.

The 89-10 vote..."

All done, people.

My heartfelt thanks to all who responded.

Returning you to your regularly-scheduled programming.

It would be both cruel and useless to do otherwise. Pete

[spy1]

http://news.yahoo.co...zkxBHNlYwN0bQ--

Congress Renews Patriot Act; Bush to Sign

"The vote was 280-138, just two more than needed under special rules that required a two-thirds majority. The close vote caught senior Republican aides in both chambers by surprise."