Thanks Jane.

Stenchy Horror.

Calm Down.

Hi, Jane. You may want to mention that a little more than $266 has been raised.

“$266,920″

There’s a typo in the URL on the last line of the ad … http://ColorOrChange.org

[Mod: thank you, sending this along to the ad folks]

“Dispensing amnesty for high-dollar telecom donors…”
__________

How does one accurately find out who in Congress got how much from the telecom lobby?

My specific (though by no means exclusive) interest, of course, would be Porter, Reid, and Ensign (NV).

Nice add. More please.

Any info on radio or TV adds?

Love the ad!

The only part of the debate I could grab this morning is up on YouTube. Barbara Lee

Great ad…love it.

Digg it here:

http://digg.com/politics/Steny.....ngton_Post

I didn’t see the Barbara Lee quote in the ad! That’s perfect!

Sell-Out Steny

Great blogger minds think alike, Jane! I followed the link from the earlier thread just a few minutes ago and discovered to my disgust that Pomeroy and C. Peterson both voted for this bill.

And, in the spirit of change, I’m declaring this my independence day…

Thank goodness the wee cabin in the tall timber is in Oberstar’s District…just sayin’.

Every library Friends group in America should sponsor a city-reads program every university should sponsor a freshman orientation reading project… and select It Can’t Happen Here. Because it is.
.
.
Prairie Today: independently yours….

Jane!!! Thank you and Glenn and Howie for all you do.

awesome ad!

a question - it is clear that this what happened today was not the result of only hoyer’s initiative. he had pelosi and reyes behind him. don’t know what they promised him to take the heat on this one.

i don’t object to going after hoyer first since he put himself in front of this mess, but i do think we have to be careful of creating a false narrative that serves to obscure the role of other members of the house leadership, and indeed a majority of the caucus.

any ideas on how to do that?

The ad for the WaPoo is excellent. The picture and graphics alone, of course, should have considerable impact in Metro DC, which has a large African American majority that knows how the feds have ill-treated their leaders in the past. The new Security State this FISA bill will enable and institutionalize will be like J. Edgar Hoover’s worst excesses (not his party dresses) on steroids, with a supercomputer.

Fabulous ad. Thank you Jane and everyone who worked so hard to make it happen.

Here is the roll of votes on the bill. How did YOUR representatives vote?

So, what are the next steps? If we insist that Obama take a position on this issue, can he actually get the bill killed in the Senate? Can Senator Chris Dodd filibuster it? Can the Senate bill be amended sufficiently to kill it?

(Thom Hartmann or Randi Rhodes would know these things off the top of their heads, but not me.)

what can we do?

Been multitasking today, have CSPAN, CNN, MSNBC and Firedoglake all running simulcast-ish and nary a word yet about FISA on the MSM but I’ve heard the story about a pregnancy teen pact about a dozen times. End of the Republic, people.

Hoyer’s district is 30% black, in case the ad made anyone wonder about the demographics.

Done.

Thanks for the link.

Thanks Jane.

Sending this to the Sacramento Bee:

It is no coincidence that Steny Hoyer and his best friends forever in the republican
party pushed through the FISA immunity bill just minutes before Scott McClennan
testified before the House Judiciary Committee. McClennan has information that may
lead to facts coming out about the rabid and unlawful nature of the Bush/Cheney presidency.
The immunity bill also includes crimes commited by the Bush people.

How many citizens have you heard clamoring for immunity for the telecoms and
the Bush administration for spying on Americans? This is simply an act of disregard
for the American communtiy and gives coverage for crimes committed by large
corporations and our own government. This includes the democratic side of the equation.
Where is the oversight?

Fascism is when there is no day light between the government and corporate structures.
Unfettered corporate power does not support democracy.

Mary M. McCurnin

Great ad. Thanks for all your hard work. Suggest another ad that does not emphasize it primarily as black issue, just to make sure that everyone knows it is about everyone, although the image of Dr King is surely compelling.
I really think Steny has got to go, and I am terribly disappointed in Pelosi.

that’s a great ad, will forward to everyone.

I’ve already gone on the attack against Murphy and Sestak. Trouble on the line…

Love the ad. However, in the next one it might be better not to dilute the message by including stuff about mandatory minimum sentences and drug laws.

The message is FISA, Privacy and Amnesty=coverup

In fact, it’s the Amnesty = coverup that may be the stongest easiest message to get across to low info voters.

Excellent ad.

Is the ad being run on African American radio, cable shows etc? Also any potential candidates we can run against Steny later?

that really is a beautiful ad. wow.

jane, can you tell us who did the design? i love it.

Put down my 100 how about you? We need to get all these traitors out of office as soon as possible. Also let them know the did the wrong thing in voting for the telco’s and CYA for Darth’s ASS! The people of this are disgusted by their votes if the calls to c-span are any indication of the general feeling in this country!

Coming.

We’re working like crazy back here, hence light posting.

I don’t know. I was just answering my own question.

Randi also says “Don’t worry, the next congress and President will overturn it.” I disagree. The genie is out.

also, in the last fisa thread, i made a list of dems who voted against the fisa bill today, and also the PAA extension in feb. (hugh explains the necessity of doing this in an earlier comment).

there are already some potential corrections and i’d appreciate any errors you all can find. thanks!

More Bushshit:

“The White House pulled out the old executive privilege trump card at the last minute today to avert a House government oversight committee vote to hold Administration officials in contempt of Congress.

Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) has announced that EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson and Susan Dudley, administrator for information and regulatory affairs at the White House, have invoked executive privilege as the basis for not complying with subpoenas from Waxman’s committee seeking documents about new smog requirements and a decision blocking California greenhouse gas limits.”

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpoi.....ything.php

I think I get why my comment disappeared.

Just so you know, I was merely speaking to the powerful impact of the ad and the facts, not anything else at all.

We need a “you’re next, they’re comin’ for you” specifically aimed at the 2nd Amendment/hunters.

Make FISA = PETA to them…

Awesome AD Jane! Way to hit the ground running!

disagree. for me the issue is equal justice for all. need to highlight the “justice for thee but not for me” that has just been codified by Congress.

Thank you.

OT:
On CNN.
Katrina supplies finally show in New Orleans three years later.

aaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Hope you don’t mind selise (I gave you full credit) but I posted your cross-ref list at Salon in the letters to Glenn Greenwald’s latest.

Hoyer didn’t do this just by himself. He had the support of Pelosi, Clyburn, Reyes, and Emanuel, all of whom voted for the bill.

http://www.opensecrets.org/

tracks contributions, lobbying, etc.

Well, I can take some solace in the fact my two Reps voted nay…!

Good focus. Amnesty = Cover-up, which is always worse than the underlying crime. Except maybe not here. KISS. Keep it short and sweet.

Dugg it how about you??? Come on pups.. with the Lake being down it wasn’t getting the clicks(the Lake gets paid for those clicks) so be sure and Digg this post.. It is the very least you can do to help support our Lake and show you care that these fine front pagers keep us informed and for their calls for action against those who would destroy our constitution!

I agree. I would no more trust some future Congress to repeal this travesty than I would trust this Congress to do so.

Thank you

The gang of 8 must have been about to be dragged into those lawsuits..

Actually, it’s probably all of the above; i.e., what you say, what LHP says and what Prairie Sunshine says.

Different ticklers for different folks if you will.

I just emailed my congresscritter, Joe Donnelly, to tell him that I will actively campaign against him when he stands for reelection because of his vote today, and I mentioned the ActBlue campaign.

Sadly, only two of Indiana’s congresscritters voted NO (Carson and Hill). I plan to email all of those who voted Yes, but figured I’d begin in my own back yard. Grrrrr.

Call me confused but isn’t it impossible to retroactively grant immunity for past illegal acts unless you get a pardon and then don’t you have to admit what the acts you comited were? I know if the President does it orders someone else to do it its not illegal…. but still.
My next question is sure the teleoms might have immunity but does Bush? Can we make the telecoms produce evidence of the spying they are doing now at some later date? After all this immunity is very questionable I’m sure if we win big in November we can take it away.
Heck maybe we should merge the telecom and cable companies to save cost right now we pay more for less service as Chris in Paris at America Blog is always pointing out.

Thank you Mr Bush …. A dollar short and three years late… What asses this administration is!

of course not! just so long as folks understand that it is a tentative list at the moment. i’ll post a corrected list later - and again i encourage folks to check my work. it was a quick analysis and i’ll be checking it again tonight myself.

Thanks!

Yep, they were threatened by something worse than facing the voters at the polls.

i would like the COMEMERATIVE TEE-SHIRT [sic]

Good options for Strange Bedfellows; the best are those CongressCritters who are most vulnerable to re-election.

Excellent question.

My guess is that by running it (relatively inexpensively) in the WaPo, talk radio hosts who depend on the D.C. (and Maryland) demographic who had slaves as ancestors, will bring it up on their shows.

oh snap

So when is Waxman going to start issuing warrants:)

Waxon/Waxoff

I have no faith.

EPU’d:

I know Section 802 is getting all the attention but 803 is equally odious:

SEC. 803. PREEMPTION.

`(a) In General- No State shall have authority to–
`(1) conduct an investigation into an electronic communication service provider’s alleged assistance to an element of the intelligence community;
`(2) require through regulation or any other means the disclosure of information about an electronic communication service provider’s alleged assistance to an element of the intelligence community;
`(3) impose any administrative sanction on an electronic communication service provider for assistance to an element of the intelligence community; or
`(4) commence or maintain a civil action or other proceeding to enforce a requirement that an electronic communication service provider disclose information concerning alleged assistance to an element of the intelligence community.

“…alleged assistance to an element of the intelligence community…”

Roughly 70% of CIA intel work is now outsourced to private companies. It is by now long-standing settled aggregate case law that you have no 4th Amendment protection from privacy violations perpetrated by private actors, your only recourses have been statutory and/or civil/tort.

Those will be now be totally gone with the passage and Bu’ush signature of this shit. Notice “alleged assistance.” Henceforth the allegations will remain just that.

I think the entire House Democratic leadership will get the message.

One would hope that the Senate Democrats are watching as well . . .

Good idea the FBI is listening to your phone today tomorrow they FEDs are coming for your guns!

Thank you - I see my guy, Arcuri, got $6000, almost all from…ATT and Verizon.

Bobby, for the record, 70% of the intel dollars may be going to private companies but that does not mean the private companies are doing the actual intel work.

As of the mid nineties, most of the so-called Intelligence community was upgrading their computer systems and tools from fifties era technology and that’s where a lot of those dollars are going.

p.s. can you give me a link? i might leave a comment with some of the details and rational for the analysis. thanks!

I am fortunate my congress critter Anna Eschoo voted against the FISA bill I will be sending her a note of thanks for standing up for the constitution and the rule of law..

– We need a “you’re next, they’re comin’ for you” specifically aimed at the 2nd Amendment/hunters. –

They already know that the DEMs are inclined to implement registration, and other “reasonable” steps to curb violence. DEMs might as well write off the 2nd amendment advocates, for the most part.

I love the graphics. Very menacing and film noir.

jane, this is one sweet post and i surely needed it after that vote

thank you

Two words, just for starters: ChoicePoint and Blackwater (the latter of whom was just reported to be tooling up an intel operation).

I don’t think we can really know with any specificity what proportion of actual intel gumshoe work is now being done by the private sector.

Clearly, a lot of people are responsible for this. Every one of those representatives should have known what he was voting for. Sometimes, though, it’s good to make examples. Hoyer would be one - since he was a driving force behind this.

I wish I had ideas on what to do about this. For me, online banking doesn’t seem nearly the wonderful thing it did twelve hours ago. Do you think the NSA couldn’t break SSL if they set their minds to it? If they can tap enough places, they might not even need to.

All I have to add in the way of strategy is that whoever we go after, make sure it works. If Hoyer isn’t going to be vulnerable no matter what, concentrate on some of his supporters who are. Make it seem like the most dangerous place to be in Congress is standing next to Steny Hoyer. He clearly craves power, and if he doesn’t have as much, he and others will get the message. And make sure the message is clear: You took an oath. Honor it.

Anyways, gotta go. It’s a sad day, but maybe some good can come of it.

As of the mid nineties, most of the so-called Intelligence community was upgrading their computer systems and tools from fifties era technology and that’s where a lot of those dollars are going.

My impression is that most of the hardware upgrades were disasters. A lot of the outsourcing goes for IT, data analysis, etc.

Respectfully disagree.

The ad skillfully rifles the message across the digital divide. Liberals and those with internet access already understand FISA.

This ad appeals to a completely different demographic, talk-radio hosts in DC/MD who rely on audiences who have zero access to a PC and ancestors whose were slaves. Based on BrendanX’s comments, that’s a big chunk of the Dems in Steny’s district.

IMHO the ad screams that we will primary Steny in 2010.

The add is still “inclusive” enough that others outside the above described demographic will still get it.

As a point of reference see TBogg’s classic take down of Mitt Romeny on MLK.

Black History Month with Rahsaan Roland Romney

The responses from TBogg’s commenters are priceless.

You know, Jane, I’m thinking that actually, it wasn’t just Steny who this is ‘brought to you by’ - I’d love to have regional ads with pictures of all the reps who voted for this thing - real ‘wanted poster’ sorts of things. “Wanted, for murder of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights”

Yeah, well, they’re not just whores for the telcoms. As LS implied, and I agree, there’s something else going on here…and I don’t think I’m being all tinfoilhatty.

Good focus. Amnesty = Cover-up, which is always worse than the underlying crime.

Yes, and those who vote to grant retroactive immunity are complicit in the cover up.

I can’t give a link directly to the comment (Salon isn’t setup that way) but here the comment page it was on as of a few seconds ago.

I am horrified at how many NY DEMS voted yeah. Ackerman and McCarthy both know better and Ackerman has a safe seat. Bishop. Bishop! WTF?

Go Jane, Go!
Marvelous ad.
I just gave and am encouraging everyone I know to give.
I also called the wretched Hoyer’s office and told a clearly exasperated staffer that I was giving to Blue America with the express purpose of getting “The Leader’s” sorry self out of an office he has soiled.

Well, in Mike Arcuri’s case - a) he’s up for reelection this year, b) he’s a newbie, so he doesn’t exactly have a huge, well oiled organization to raise funds for him(like Hinchey), and b) he’s been targeted by the GOP. So, part of me thinks Mikey just could not give up on the money - I mean, after all…HE was not in the Gang of 8 - it’s not going to be his butt on the line..HE had nothing to do with what happened in 2001, etc. But, after voting the right way every single time this business came up…boom, he caves in. I think in his case, it was money talking.

– If we insist that Obama take a position on this issue, can he actually get the bill killed in the Senate? Can Senator Chris Dodd filibuster it? Can the Senate bill be amended sufficiently to kill it? –

Dodd or Feingold (or Leahy, or Obama, or ANY other SINGLE senator) could singlehandedly prevent passage next week (force back to back cloture widgets, one on motion to proceed, one on final passage), but they can’t cause much more delay than that.

Amending to make it poison to the WH is possible only if 60 Senators decide to take that step.

Obama could incite a dramatic public reaction by asking the public to call Congress, picket, etc. But he’s not calling for public outrage, and his personal opposition is qualified/lukewarm spittle.

Respectfully disagree.

When Cheney shot Harry in the face, the FDL threads were the best source of info on hunting, hunting birds, hunting birds in TX, hunting penned quail in TX, hunting safety, the kind of gun Cheney used, pellet velocity, different kinds of ammunition, loads, pellet distribution over distance ….

A lot of lurking hunters who read FDL.

I guess I’m just basing things on my knowledge of what was going on when I left Booz, Allen at the end of ‘94. There was a lot of cash being spent on all parts of the situation including Hardware and software upgrades and new technology for imaging and neural nets type stuff.

But they were having to replace comm systems that were in secure facilities and used paper tape, so I’m sure there were more than a few f*ck-ups along the way.

Same with my Rep, Rev. Emmanuel Cleaver of KC.

– As LS implied, and I agree, there’s something else going on here…and I don’t think I’m being all tinfoilhatty. –

You expect a false-flag atrocity?

WaPo:

CURRENT AFFAIRS
Rent-A-Spy
Three quarters of the U.S. intelligence budget now goes to outside contractors.

…Today, intelligence contracting is a $45 billion-a-year industry, he says, chewing up three quarters of the estimated $60 billion intelligence budget. It is no longer limited mainly to providing hardware; its reach now extends from top to bottom, from data-mining contractors who sift the Internet for terrorist activity to spy handlers, regional intelligence analysts and ex-special operations troops who run paramilitary operations…

They are doing ops, immune from the 4th Amendment.

Are we going to have any follow up polling to see if these ads worked or if Steny is going down in the polls?

Can’t help you with online banking and SSL but for anonymous web stuff, I suggest tor , sponsored by the EFF. Better yet, though slower, use tor to access Anonymizer or the kaxy anonymizer and you are really set. There is also PGP and OpenGP (for linux…and the mac(?)) for encrypting emails - use 4096-bit keys…NSA would have a MAJOR heart attack trying to break that. For added benefit, if you can deal with a bit of complexity in setup, is mixminion, an anonymous email system that routes through the tor network. Encrypt an email and send it via mixminion and you are set.

My comment was about the Gang of 8 being held responsible somehow in the lawsuits against the Telcos…as a possibility. Nothing about false flag stuff.

The Representatives of San Diego,CA voted against this bill with the exception of Bilbray, the Republican(there actually was one Republican that voted against it). I have called Senator Reid’s office indicating that he should NOT ignore a hold any Senator places on this bill(I urge others to do the same 202-224-3542) and Senator Boxer urging her to put a hold on the bill.
Great ad but Pelosi, Reyes, Emmanuel and Harman(CA) also should be targeted; when Harman states her email is full and phones inundated by her constituents AGAINST immunity,etc. and she completely ignores them, time for her to go also.

I watched the speakers on this bill on CSPAN and it was obvious that they forgot (or ignored) the aspect of their oath that they are to protect the Constitution from ‘domestic enemies’; They seem to be forgetting that the Bush Administration HAS acted in a manner that presented a danger to the Constitution.
And I just watched Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa)-in the McClellan hearing- state he ‘prays’ that this country will never be a democracy.

One can only hope that the Senate does something to kill this House bill.

And now they are claiming ‘executive privilege’ regarding documents that overturned CA’s air quality standards:
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/hom.....41740.html

– When Cheney shot Harry in the face, the FDL threads were the best source of info on hunting, hunting birds, hunting birds in TX, hunting penned quail in TX, hunting safety, the kind of gun Cheney used, pellet velocity, different kinds of ammunition, loads, pellet distribution over distance … –

I personally know plenty of DEMs who are firearms enthusiasts. But every call for firearms registration, limitations on private ownership, resistance to CCW as a matter of right instead of by permit, etc. comes from a Democrat. Schumer, Feinstein, etc.

The DC law was implemented by Democrats. Chicago gun laws are implemented and maintained by Democrats … need I go on? Before you start on the “Democrats are friends of the 2nd amendment” line, you better have some ACTION to back up the rhetoric. Because right now the action from the Democrats is to erect MORE regulation, not less.

prior to the elections of 2006, the cries at FDL were for

Accountability. Oversight. Now.

from CHS, sept 26, 2006.

to which I ssaid, at post #4

just make sure any Dems you help elect do not turn into enpty, toothless rhetorical vessels like Barack Obama, who will roll over for the repeal of Habeas Corpus and the Geneva Conventions, not to mention the U.S. Constitution he swore to uphold.

now they have rolled over once again, gutting the 4th Amendment, or rather, retroactively legitimizing Bush/Cheney’s blatant surveillance in violation of it.

when, oh when, will all the people of good faith outraged by this sellout to corporate tyranny ever abandon their unreciprocated devotion to the (D) Party?

my outsider stance from 2006 that (D)’s will behave just like (R)’s had predictive validity.

Devote some of the buckets of money being raised to support of Independent candidates against the likes of Hoyer - how about that for ‘change?’

Because, and here is another empirically testable hypothesis:

The attempt to alchemically transform the (D) Party from a corrupt, bought-out faction devoted to corporate tyranny in the ‘Homeland’ and Imperial aggressions abroad, into an instrument of Progressive change on issues of Peace, the Environment, Social Justice and Civil Rights - this attempt will not succeed in 2, 5, 10, or 15 years.

the bookies haven’t quite decided about 20.

But, if even a portion of the hard work and money devoted to this fruitless task were instead oriented towards a social movement with electoral strength outside of the 2 party duopoly, then some of the Progressive change this is supposed to be all about will enter the realm of possibility.

Or is it all about simply, More and Better Dems?

to which I note that the very few better Dems are powerless to affect the capitulations of the rest of the Party, but would be quite powerful as crossover swing votes in conjunction with 3rd Party or Independents.

Don’t need a false flag. Bush is going to hit Iran (directly or via the Israeli proxy, which is the same as the US hitting Iran). Iran will respond throughout the ME and, possibly, even here and across Europe.

THAT is all they need. They will whip something up via an Iran attack without actually having to FAKE an attack.

I did not understand one thing after the first sentence.

I am sure you are right. But I have no clue what you said.

Really feeling my technotard status right now

And when the author was here for the book salon, I believe he specified that the money amount was 60-70% but that the actual amount of intel operations outsourcing was far smaller than that.

In order to even be involved with the acquisition of the tools, you need alphabet soup clearances (Top Secret with Special Compartmentalized Information Facility access). Those clearances are not handed out like M&Ms. That is what is being paid for.

– My comment was about the Gang of 8 being held responsible somehow in the lawsuits against the Telcos…as a possibility. Nothing about false flag stuff. –

Got it. I don’t think they have any legal culpability, whatsoever. A bit of political risk, yes, but I think Rockefeller and his “letter in the safe” experience shows that the political risk is fairly small. No worse than the political fallout incurred by passing this law.

ad copy: is the second “colorofchange.org” in the footnote spelled right? It looks like “colororchange.org” on my screen.

[Mod: thank you and also thanks to cboldt for bringing this to our attention]

I would like to repost this which bobby g posted downstairs;

I know Section 802 is getting all the attention but 803 is equally odious:

SEC. 803. PREEMPTION.

`(a) In General- No State shall have authority to–
`(1) conduct an investigation into an electronic communication service provider’s alleged assistance to an element of the intelligence community;
`(2) require through regulation or any other means the disclosure of information about an electronic communication service provider’s alleged assistance to an element of the intelligence community;
`(3) impose any administrative sanction on an electronic communication service provider for assistance to an element of the intelligence community; or
`(4) commence or maintain a civil action or other proceeding to enforce a requirement that an electronic communication service provider disclose information concerning alleged assistance to an element of the intelligence community.

“…alleged assistance to an element of the intelligence community…”

Roughly 70% of CIA intel work is now outsourced to private companies. It is by now long-standing settled aggregate case law that you have no 4th Amendment protection from privacy violations perpetrated by private actors, your only recourses have been statutory and/or civil/tort.

Those will be now be totally gone with the passage and Bu’ush signature of this shit. Notice “alleged assistance.” Henceforth the allegations will remain just that

scary stuff right there, if the government wants to get something there is nothing the state can do about it

there is a permalink for each comment at salon - but it’s not obvious in it position at the bottom left of your posts. i will go looking, do you post under “Praedor” at glenn’s place?

CURRENT AFFAIRS
Rent-A-Spy
Three quarters of the U.S. intelligence budget now goes to outside contractors.

and these outside contractors WILL steal from us

– ad copy: is the second “colorofchange.org” in the footnote spelled right? It looks like “colororchange.org” on my screen. –

It is clearly a typographical error. I pointed it out above too — repeating it here so the typesetter has yet another chance to see the “catch.”

You’re too slow, Bobby already brought it up.

10th Amendment??

We’re working on it.

I bet ron paul would contribute to this add…and then some, I think we can co-opt his help on this issue

Sorry, I thought time might be short so I posted it before reading the comments.

This is a very well-informed group of people at FDL, so:

Why are the motivations of 2/3rds of the “Representatives” completely opaque? Why don’t we understand why they do what they do? (If we understood what controls them, we could have seen it coming and maybe done