It's true, unacceptable FISA compromise at the door

by: ACLU of WV

Tue Jun 17, 2008 at 15:30:48 PM EDT

It seems as if the day of reckoning is finally here.  If any of y'all have a quick minute or two, please follow the link to send some emails, especially to Byrd's office, as he has been good on the FISA issue in the past, and keeping him good is invaluable to the fight.

https://secure.aclu.org/site/A...

The action alert from Washington is below the jump.  

Dear ACLU Supporter,

A sham spying "compromise" similar to the one we warned you about last week could be rammed through both the Senate and House this week. It's moving that fast.

Will you write today and let your elected officials know Americans want them to stand up for our privacy?

In a proposal that makes a mockery of the rule of law, telecom companies that broke the law by supplying mountains of personal information to the government without a warrant will be let off the hook.1

Here's what Senators Feingold and Dodd had to say about Senator Bond's proposal, which is very similar to what we expect in the coming days:

... under the Bond proposal, the result of the FISA Court's evaluation would be predetermined... the FISA court would be required to grant immunity.2
Tell your members of Congress to reject a sham immunity "compromise."

There's a deeply disturbing premise behind this dangerous FISA legislation: The president simply had to claim his request was legal for immunity to be granted to telecom companies that illegally handed over personal information.

No matter how illegal, offensive or intrusive a company's invasion of your privacy has been, it won't make a difference, because if the president gave the company a note claiming their behavior was legal, they're completely off the hook.

Congress needs to reject this sham for what it is and insist on real accountability for telecommunications companies that broke the law.

Tell your members of Congress you demand accountability, not immunity!

Throughout the extended FISA debate, you and the ACLU have worked tirelessly to protect personal privacy and the rule of law. Together, we've given the Bush administration a run for their money, defeating a number of freedom-stealing proposals. Don't let Congress cave in now.

Thanks for all you do in defense of freedom.

Sincerely,

Caroline Fredrickson, Director
ACLU Washington Legislative Office

1 FISA Deal Close; Votes Could Be This Week, Roll Call, June 16, 2008. (Subscription required)
2 Letter from Senators Russell and Dodd to Senators Reid, Leahy, John Rockefeller and Representatives Pelosi, Hoyer, Conyers and Reyes, June 10, 2008.
© ACLU, 125 Broad Street, 18th Floor New York, NY 10004

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