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Tomorrow is the vote on the FISA bill.
This morning as I sat here watching the US Senate laud the Founding Fathers and the Declaration of Independence and the founding documents and principles of the American government, I could not reconcile it with the impending votes on the FISA amendments.
These Senators began debate on the FISA amendment bill at 11:30 am ET. And the contrast between the reverential language for the Declaration of Independence and the disrespect for the Fourth Amendment and the rule of law contained in the FISA bill is far too much cognitive dissonance this morning.
Thank goodness for Sen. Russ Feingold this morning or I may have abandoned all hope.
Last week, Blue America launched a call tool to help you get in touch with Senators regarding the FISA bill. We'd like you to put it to some serious use today. We are asking Senators to vote IN FAVOR of the Dodd-Feingold-Leahy Amendment (S.A. 5064 to H.R. 6304). We're asking for a NO vote on cloture, and a NO vote on the final bill as well.
Every one of these Senators has had an opportunity to read both the FISA law, the proposed FISA bill and amendments thereto, and the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights. There is no excuse for any Senator not to have done so...since December of 2005. That so many of them seem to have little understanding or faulty information about the bill and it's long-term legal and policy implications is bad enough. That they are intent on voting on this bill knowing that their understanding is faulty is shameful.
The job of Congress is not to provide the president with absolution for the deliberate and direct violation of written law -- it is to uphold their oath to protect the constitution and the rule of law.
So, let's not make these votes easy for anyone, shall we? Stand up for liberty. Call your Senators. You can use our tool to make calls or find direct dial and FAX information for every Senator linked here.
Because patriotism isn't just the words you spew in front of the camera for a celebration of the Declaration of Independence. It's what you do, each and every vote, each and every day, to actually uphold the principles contained therein.
Now, let's get to work...
UPDATE: Ars Technica has a great bit of analysis on the entire bill as well that deserves serious thought. Don't miss Marcy's analysis of the Mike and Mike bait and switch, either. And Raw Story just got the footage up of Feingold’s floor speech on FISA from this morning. Thought folks who missed it might want a peek…
PS -- Glenn and I will be on Mike Malloy's Show this evening talking FISA. Sam Seder is guest hosting -- we should be on around 9:30 pm ET.
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what an INSPIRING post this is christy, we all wish each other luck and therefore wish our country luck becuase she is who we defend this week
in fact, their job is the polar obopisite, they are charged with preventing it
good luck firedogs
TO THE PHONES
Rockefeller has got to be one of the smarmiest, dimwitted excuses for a Senator I have ever heard.
Enormous kudos to the Christy and the Blue America team for showing us the power of grassroots efforts! My calls have been made, and my donation is on its way…
Specter is doing a pretty good job, why isn’t Leahy up there standing up to Rockefeller?
Jello Jay is a jellyfish…and one who makes me sick. Immunity for campaign contributors. Enough $$, laws no longer matter. Pure and simple.
Good Morning Christy and pups.
Hamsters seem cranky this morn. Mebbe they’re sick of having to snap the towel at these senators over & over & over.
Enough! It’s time they took their own Constitution seriously. Just disgusting they can’t figure it out for themselves, sigh.
Yep, he is a stinker. Here in California we have a pair of stinker senators as well with Barbara Boxer & DiFi who don’t give a hoot what we hapless constituents want on FISA. sigh…..
Because patriotism isn’t just the words you spew in front of the camera for a celebration of the Declaration of Independence. It’s what you do, each and every vote, each and every day, to actually uphold the principles contained therein.
Now, let’s get to work…
Words to live by.
I actually do have to get over to work right now- will be calling & faxing @ lunch time, though.
What’s that line from Galaxy Quest- Never Give Up, Never Surrender…
I updated above to make sure folks saw a great piece of analysis that Ars Technica did - pointing out the vast dragnet on American communications — e-mails, calls, IMs, whatever– that are being hoovered into an utterly unmonitored executive dragnet that would be okayed by this bill.
Watch Specter. He’s as predictable as the rising sun. He’ll say the pretty words, then turn on his heel and cave. You watch. Just amazing.
Boxer is standing up for Dodd-Feingold. Not sure what the “indemnification” is all about she mentioned. DiFi is a loser though.
OK! Totally pledged per Janes post downstairs, and I dugg her post too, this one needs submission to Digg.
THANKS TO THE WEBS GODS that FDL is UP. I just got here, been trying all am. Needed my compatriots to help me through Lieberman’s (Self-Tel Aviv) bs earlier!!! I somehow struggled through alone. It was PAINFUL!
I’d LOVE to see the money bomb beat all past records, the ad in the Times is superb! Makes me proud!
How on Earth could they take turns in the Senate this AM reading the Declaration of Independence and then proceed to wipe out the 4th amendment but a few hours later????? This is quite something to behold, is it not!?
Thanks Christy, for this post. Another Great in the annals of Firedoglake.
:)
mornin’ pups.
I’ve made my calls to Cantwell and Murray in Washington State. Cantwell voted the right way last time, but Murray didn’t, so we will see how it plays out now.
Thank you Christy and Jane for all that you’ve done on this.
Now I’m off to work.
Sorry — am on phone. Thumbnail — “in demnification” would have been the written assurances from the Bush Administration to telecoms that the Administration would hold them from liability if they cooperated with demands.
Related: they can copy your laptop hardrive at the airport. Why doesn’t that violate the fourth amendment?
Orwell was basically right– it just took a little longer than he predicted.
Reddit for this post.
Reddit for Jane’s WaPoo ad post.
Please help get the word out and give them upvotes and make comments.
You do realize that you posted this comment at the very same time that Barbara Boxer is speaking eloquently against this FISA compromise and for Dodd’s amendment?!!
So Boxer was for immunity in a different form? Interesting.
Thanks Jo - I stand corrected on Boxer.
via Awklib in glenn’s comments:
Boxer’s rockin!
She does very little that upsets me, contrary to most of the rest of the Senate members!
Thank you for all your hard work and savvy planning, Christy and all.
I hope we win on this, that the country wins. Our forefathers must be spinning in their graves, what with all the nonsense that is par among the current crop of faux-legislators who have become, shall we say, too comfortable.
I say make them behave or make them miserable. I have zero patience left. But I still remember how to pester, politely but endlessly.
I will say, it improves my mood immensely to visit the Lake. *g*
Onward!
nice words are - nice.
strong action would be better.
Kit Bond is looking far more garden gnome-ish than usual today.
Senate now in recess until 2:15 pm ET.
Kit Bond= #1 ASSHOLE!
After all the pressure and time they’ve had to review this bill, I can see only one reason for their support. They were in on it from the beginning and they’re looking to cover their a##es.
And he is demonstrating his fine legal scholarship too. *g*
You can encrypt your harddrive data. If I ever take my laptop with me out of country, I WILL encrypt everything on it (as well as resist any attempt for the Gestapo to copy my data). There’s another simple trick: replace your REAL harddrive with a decoy harddrive. Basically, have two harddrives, one that you actually use with all your stuff on it and another that has pretty much nothing on it but the operating system. The latter is the one to place in your laptop when traveling, leaving the other in your luggage OR, if not needed for your usage while away, leave the REAL drive at home.
*G* You’re making it awfully hard not to tune in, heh.
Yeah, there’s a certain Jr Senator from the Land of Lincoln who could lead on this. It’s a shame he’s a wuss, and wants to roll over for the telecoms. I guess they pay well… I suppose that they can direct their employees to send “small” donations and bundle them on his behalf.
That Jr Senator is out at LULAC getting votes, not protecting our rights. Nice.
cool. thanks.
Senate on a break. Kit Bond to Mike Allen, the ick factor just gets better on CSPAN
if only.
i’m not so sure obama doesn’t want the powers bush has so conveniently amassed for himself.
That’s my signal to make myself some lunch. *g*
Part of the change that’s happened to communications in the last two decades is that over long distance, all the traffic’s just digital data now. There are common switching formats to handle both types. You can tap phones and data communications at the same places now.
Alittle missive from Henry to Mike today: Hey! Naughty Boy!!
in the news yesterday(?) at HuffPo: 10,000 laptops go missing at airports/yr in these weird times.
an affront to beloved garden gnomes everywhere.
smarmy he is.
Gee, I wonder why that could be. Why just listen to this very serious FISA debate they’re having. Inexplicable!
Done and done.
Thanks twolf1.
Maybe it would improve if they took a poll of industry lobbyists.
Here was an “interesting” post at GG’s site at Salon from one LT Bohica. Sure, the blog item is at the Washington Times but there is also a nice link to the site of the company that makes the device that the DHS is interested in.
Things are going WAY off-track, and very rapidly at that.
Make that telecom lobbyists and their approval rating would go through the roof.
July 3rd letter Fitz to Henry:Not Protected
….it is taking too long for these posts to load? rerouting??
Read it and included it in my second set of faxes for the day. Great stuff.
OT - I have lots of moveon’s splendid bumperstickers that read “Bush’s Third Term - McCain and invite interested firepups to send me an email with your mailing address and I’ll be oh so happy to send one out to you. npbrat AT gmail DOT com.
They are smallish on a white field & very cool for all kinds of applications from bumpers to backpacks.
I took what she said to mean that the point is not punishment so much as truth. To me, that’s true. The only thing is that punishment is a function that makes accountability work. In truth, I also feel that the government acted like the Mafia in respect to their treatment of the telecoms. If the telecoms resisted, the government made it clear they were risking their licenses, their livelihoods, and the personal freedom of their CEOs etc. They were in the proverbial position between a rock and a hard place. I’m sure that goes against a lot of folks grain here, and that many feel the telecoms should have resisted and were only compliant because they were offered several carrots along with that big stick, but I really feel this is more a constitutional matter of extreme abuse of power than a civil matter, although if the civil court is the only way to solve it, so be it.
Christy for US Senate! Seriously Christie, if you want to run for Senate against Rockefeller in 2010 you need to get started. Join your local Dem committee, set up your own PAC to support WV Democrats, show up for local events around the state, etc.
yeah, every single time this struggle with Mukasey rears it’s ugly head, I think about Schumer and Feinstein. We have THEM to thank for having another criminal at the helm of the DOJ.
I hope and pray their constituents reflect that in their next elections.
It’s time to dump them both for that little piece of
*%()“work”.well c’mon Henry.
Do your job!
Does the invite have to be embossed and engraved?
This is a stupid enough idea that the unnamed senior govenment offical at DHS has got to be Michael Chertoff. It has just the right combination of idiocy, technobabble, disregard for the Constitution, and cruelty that it could be no one else.
Y’all are missing the forest for the trees on FISA. It has become clear, as I suspected for awhile, that the whole reason for the FISA kabuki was to wear out the opposition so as to make each new version worse than the prior one.
I got a single digit for ‘em.
Somehow, I think if Christy were at all interested in running against Jello Jay, she would already be aware of the necessary steps to do so.
“well crafted legislation”
Citizen selise:
Bless your pure heart fer all the great work you’ve contributed in the FISA fight and the battle against constitutional fascism. There IS still time to stop the disintegration of our constitution and the collapse of our country but it’s gunna take direct action and we’re gunna need ta convince enough folks that electing the lesser of evils to take over fascist powers will NOT save us or even postpone the inevitable…if this bill passes with telecom immunity we gotta get folks in the streets of Denver to show Obama that he can’t take the base of the Democratic Party for granted and he won’t win without us. He’s ambitious and at this point amoral…his hubris that is charged by his “rock star” status and tens of millions from the telecoms can still be penetrated before the final election push in September but it’s gunna take citizens in the streets ta offer him his last “come ta Jesus” moment.
This is “hardball” and in this case we have nuthin ta lose by fightin’ ‘cuz our constitution is gone if we lose…the battle for a progressive Democratic Party is bein’ laid down on the floor of the Senate today.
KEEP THE FAITH AND TELL THE BASTARDS WHERE YOU ARE GOIN’ SO THEY KEN GET THERE WITH YA!!
Why do I think that the retroactive immunity deal is more 9-11 cover-up ?
I must have lost my mind.
Regardless, it’s huge, and there’s no fecking way that they should allow it.
Ironically, I’m sure that their low approval rating has little to do with this issue, but with other effects of their fecklessness, like a useless war, a broken economy, and no prospects for anything better any time soon.
In my mind those two issues are just too closely tied. I don’t believe in coincidence, and I think they are totally related!
LOL. So that’s the meaning behind the single digits.
btw, wanted to be certain folks noticed the schedule change for the book salon with David Iglesias. It’s been moved to Friday at 3 pm ET/ noon PT due to a sudden scheduling conflict that cropped up.
I’ve been e-mailing - I’m at work - and pushing this take on it:
Congress is playign high-stakes poker with Bush.
Bush built his career on lying and cheating.
When Bush wants Congress to draw to an inside straight, why the h*ll do they trust him?
And the question after that: do they really believe he won’t use a signing statement to say that he’s going to do what he pleases regardless of any law on this?
Is Congress that gullible? Because if so, none of them should even be in office.
(I’ve noticed the server squirrels are having a Very Bad Week. Or maybe a very good weak. *g*)
Let’s put it this way: I don’t see Obama up there saying anything at all. This is his idea of leadership? Not only no action, not even nice words?
You can encrypt your harddrive data. If I ever take my
Hah! Was just watching a rerun of NCIS lastnight. The elicit data goods were in a commodore 64 shell.
citizen norske - if there is anyway i can get myself there, i will be in denver for dnc week.
As one business leader related: A students work for B students and C students name the buildings.
you’re probably right
Raw Story just got the footage up of Feingold’s floor speech on FISA from thsi morning. Thought folks who missed it might want a peek…
We are certainly going to know who our “friends” are.
My number 64 was meant to respond to Selise at number 22, when she said:
but there was an error that caused it not to be published when it was supposed to be.
This was meant to respond to PraedorAtrebates at 28, more particularly this part of what he said:
Does anyone know if UPS or FedEx have been infiltrated yet? Do our packages get inspected before they’re allowed to reach their destinations? In what way, xray or opened and physically inspected?
Nope.
Cushing spot is down to $136.87 and the NYMEX near futures contract is $136.45. I’m wondering if the CFTC’s notification to the Dubai market that it would have to set speculation caps and report large trades in conformity with US law has spooked some of the speculators.
This is also a Wednesday and there should be an EIA report out today.
Report I read said that the decline was due to “profit taking” and had no long term implications.
Hugh,
Do you have any insight or can you point me somewhere that looks at what a physical settlement would do to the oil futures market relative to getting speculators out of the transactions?
T-
That’s my concern, too, Norske. I’m quite surprised by the number of people who come out strongly against the telecom immunity provision of FISA, but then rollover the question of taking a very strong stand against Obama for his betrayal.
Also wanted to add~~
Feingold was terrific this morning. He came out very strongly and brought up all the good reasons not to let this pass:
1. Bush broke the law.
2. FISA has been on the books for three decades. It’s a good law.
3. Very few members of the Senate are granted access to the information of the wiretapping–so they are voting on something they have little knowledge of.
4. He alluded to the past abuses of illegal wiretapping, briefly. I wished he would have gone into more detail, but I realize that he had a lot to say and very little time to say it.
selise, I believe has some links somewhere of some of the recent hearings on speculation in the futures markets and requiring buyers to actually take physical possession of the commodity has been mentioned in passing in them. For speculators in paper barrels, futures contracts are just a financial instrument. They have no interest in the commodity itself. By requiring them to take physical possession on some or all of their purchases would force out these kinds of speculators but keep those who deal in and need the real commodity.
1,697 DAYZ AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND…
Citizen SouthernDragon:
Do you know how ta get ta Citizen Raven? …I don’t know if you were here fer the last dust-up with the latte drinkin’ anti-war poster the other night but I ain’t gunna jest leave here without makin an effort ta get some a the vets in the FDL community ta try and put some truth on a couple a these holier-than-thou know-it-alls…I got kids and grandkids who can’t afford another generation of white, middle-class anti-warriors takin’ over the ass-end of what’s left of the Democratic Party.
KEEP THE FAITH AND PASS THE AMMUNITION, FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION!!
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch had an article today on some of the behind-the-scenes dealings on FISA. One interesting item was that Bond/Blunt/Hoyer deliberately kept Rockefeller out of the loop for much of the negotiations:
I wonder if Jello Jay started getting some religion?
Yeah, that’s also my understanding. I’m just wondering what unintended consequences might be. Sounds like a good plan for most commodities to me.
I must have missed that one with all of our family hospitalization hubbub. Have been wondering where Raven was…anyone want to give me a thumbnail rundown? (While I’m sitting here on hold with a congressional office…)
That’s one of those generic explanations that explains nothing. There have been a flurry of sort of kind of actions wrt speculation, mostly with regard to reporting, but none that I have seen so far that are structural in nature like changing margins significantly.
I’ve noticed items on eBay described as “confiscated by airport security”. There’s apparently a resale market for jackknives; maybe there’s a second market for laptops. Shirts? Dresses? Suitcases? Where do ‘they’ auction off these things? But I’m sure it’s all on the up-and-up.
What post was the dust-up on? I’d like to read it. I’d also like an outline of what you’d like to cover, just to give me an idea of direction.
Raven won’t be back.
Christy, can there be somewhere on site a listing of pups attending the DNC in August, so that we can coordinate a get together?
Sorry if that’s inappropriate, I don’t know, and sorry to be OT.
Good afternoon all;
As frustrating and depressing as the complicit collusion being amply displayed today may be, it is nonetheless true that we are making ‘progress’ of a sort.
And what, you reasonably may ask, is this ‘progress’ to which I allude?
Simply, it is this; the wistful, bed-time tale taht the D’s have been blackmailed and would do the ‘right’ thing if only they dared, has gone to dreamland, and the willingness, uncoerced, of the D’s to ‘go along’ is glaringly obvious.
Recognizing the truth is always ‘progress’ …
Adding to Norske’s thoughts: Our REAL power is NOT in the monies we may lavish about, for we may ALWAYS be outspent (that it is ‘our’ money, siphoned-off or extorted, which ‘they’ use is merely of historic interest).
Our REAL power is in our numbers and what must ultimately be our willingness, however reluctant, to put our bodies and our lives ON THE LINE.
While it may diappoint many to realize this, the truth is that we are in a position analogous to the Civil Rights Movement of the late 1950’s, say about 1959 …
Holy Cow, Batman!
I am surprised by this. I thought Mukasey would stall and quibble and dance onthe head of a pin, but I didn’t think a guy like him would outright refuse to comply.
This was so NOT his reputation back NYC.
Listening to Rockefeller today, I would have to say no. It is more likely they figured he wasn’t worth negotiating with and would accept whatever they eventually came up with, which is pretty much what happened.
That was Pat throwing the WH, and by extension Mukasey, under the bus.
Oh, boy.
LHP breathing into paper bag to conteract hyperventilation
You were taken in like Scott Horton. When you learn that anyone who works for W is thoroughly corrupt and should be given no benefit of the doubt.
btw, for those of you who have been following along with the family saga, they had to re-intubate my FIL this morning. Any extra prayers or good thoughts in his direction would be very much appreciated.
Marcy has a post up now on this. Waxman, Fitzgerald, and Mukasey
My first thought was it was Chertoff
Has anyone tried reaching Raven through his Facebook page? Everybody seems to be wondering what happened to him. That’s the problem with these long distance relationships without actual physical contact. If someone goes to the hospital or has an accident or something, you may miss him but you may never know. It seems to me Raven worked for the University of Georgia? Maybe he has something on their site?
But it is entirely consistent with his testimony at his confirmation hearings. He backed the program of the Bush unilateral Executive across the board and they voted to confirm him anyway with Chuck Schumer and Diane Feinstein’s help in particular of course.
((((Christy’s FIL & Family))))
So is he mad at all of us or what?
I’ve been harping on that since day one. To my thinking, electronic and other impersonal interactions with elected officials are only so effective, as we have recently seen. A hundred vocally angry people outside an elected official’s office is powerful.
Neither Cesar Chavez nor the Viet Nam war protesters accomplished their goals by email, fax or cell phone. In the streets is in their face. I like being in their face. The staffers have to look me in the eye when they puke up their platitudes. I want them to see what I feel and think.
Che.
All I can say is that he won’t be back.
Perhaps, SD, it is only those of a certain age, not bemused by technology who truly grasp those truths.
Incidently, if you have contact with Raven, send him my “Yo!” and my most sincere regards.
;~D