Senator Dodd
Oct. 18th, 2007 10:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pecuniumChris Dodd is trying to place a hold on the FISA bill. I say trying because it seems Sen. Reid is going to torpedo it, contravening both Senate custom, and previous actions.
In the recent past, when a Republican member of the Senate had a hold on a bill to authorize more money for solving cold cases, Reid just let it die.
This is the letter I sent him.
Senator, I am appalled at the actions you are taking on the FISA Bill.
The more so because I am a member of the Military Intelligence community and the arguments being made for in favor of it seem specious to me.
Any respect for the Rule of Law ought to be opposed to retroactive immunity to those who have committed crimes. Especially when the Congress passed a law (FISA) which made the actions illegal precisely because of past abuses.
That you are undecutting one of your own party only makes it worse.
That it is contrary to the desires of the majority of the American people adds insult to injury.
MELLMAN GROUP (D): Give Us Liberty Or Give Us Death
© National Journal Group, Inc.
A Mellman Group (D) poll; conducted 10/11-14 for the ACLU; surveyed 1000 LVs; margin of error +/- 3.1% (release, 10/15).
Should The U.S. Gov't Have To Get A Warrant From A Court Before Wiretapping The Conversations That U.S. Citizens Have With People In Other Countries?
Yes 61%
No 35 %
How Important Is It For Congress To Take Action Now To Require The Gov't To Get A Warrant Before Wiretapping Int'l Phone Calls And Emails Of U.S. Citizens?
All Dem GOP Ind
Very/smwht impt. 75% 88% 57% 78%
Not too/not impt. 22 9 39 12
Bush Handling Warrantless Wiretaps
Fair/poor 50%
Excellent/good 35%
Traditionally, The Law Has Required A Warrant From A Court For Each Person The Gov't Wants To Wiretap. Some People Want To Permanently Change This Law To Allow Courts To Issue Blanket Warrants For Wire-Tapping U.S. Citizens That Would Not Have To Name Any Specific Person.
Do You Favor Or Oppose Allowing Courts To Issue Blanket Warrants?
All Dem GOP Ind
Favor 31% 23% 39% 34%
Oppose 61 72 52 59
Which Of The Following Statements Do You Support?
Congress Should Give The Phone Companies Amnesty From Legal Action Against Those Companies For Selling Customers' Records To The Gov't. 31%
Citizens Who Believe Their Rights Have Been Violated Should Be Free To Take Legal Action Against Those Phone Companies And Let The
Courts Decide The Outcome. 59%
Are Each Of The Following Statements A Very Convincing Reason To Vote Against A Member Of Congress?
The MoC voted to make it harder to stop terrorism by
requiring the gov't to get a warrant every time
they wanted to wiretap the phone of an American
they thought might be helping the terrorists 28%
The fact of the matter is the rule of law is all we have to separate ourselves from living in a third world kleptocracy/crony capitalist hellhole. It is the most important issue facing us.
So long as we have the rule of law, where all are equal before the courts, everything else can be fixed. As soon as one (or several) class of people is exempt from the law, it all turns to shit.
Get on the horn, send e-mails, dash of letters to the papers. Find blog entries, and use the spotlight function to send it to reporters. Silence = death; probably not yours, but perhaps that of the US of A.
In the recent past, when a Republican member of the Senate had a hold on a bill to authorize more money for solving cold cases, Reid just let it die.
This is the letter I sent him.
Senator, I am appalled at the actions you are taking on the FISA Bill.
The more so because I am a member of the Military Intelligence community and the arguments being made for in favor of it seem specious to me.
Any respect for the Rule of Law ought to be opposed to retroactive immunity to those who have committed crimes. Especially when the Congress passed a law (FISA) which made the actions illegal precisely because of past abuses.
That you are undecutting one of your own party only makes it worse.
That it is contrary to the desires of the majority of the American people adds insult to injury.
MELLMAN GROUP (D): Give Us Liberty Or Give Us Death
© National Journal Group, Inc.
A Mellman Group (D) poll; conducted 10/11-14 for the ACLU; surveyed 1000 LVs; margin of error +/- 3.1% (release, 10/15).
Should The U.S. Gov't Have To Get A Warrant From A Court Before Wiretapping The Conversations That U.S. Citizens Have With People In Other Countries?
Yes 61%
No 35 %
How Important Is It For Congress To Take Action Now To Require The Gov't To Get A Warrant Before Wiretapping Int'l Phone Calls And Emails Of U.S. Citizens?
All Dem GOP Ind
Very/smwht impt. 75% 88% 57% 78%
Not too/not impt. 22 9 39 12
Bush Handling Warrantless Wiretaps
Fair/poor 50%
Excellent/good 35%
Traditionally, The Law Has Required A Warrant From A Court For Each Person The Gov't Wants To Wiretap. Some People Want To Permanently Change This Law To Allow Courts To Issue Blanket Warrants For Wire-Tapping U.S. Citizens That Would Not Have To Name Any Specific Person.
Do You Favor Or Oppose Allowing Courts To Issue Blanket Warrants?
All Dem GOP Ind
Favor 31% 23% 39% 34%
Oppose 61 72 52 59
Which Of The Following Statements Do You Support?
Congress Should Give The Phone Companies Amnesty From Legal Action Against Those Companies For Selling Customers' Records To The Gov't. 31%
Citizens Who Believe Their Rights Have Been Violated Should Be Free To Take Legal Action Against Those Phone Companies And Let The
Courts Decide The Outcome. 59%
Are Each Of The Following Statements A Very Convincing Reason To Vote Against A Member Of Congress?
The MoC voted to make it harder to stop terrorism by
requiring the gov't to get a warrant every time
they wanted to wiretap the phone of an American
they thought might be helping the terrorists 28%
The fact of the matter is the rule of law is all we have to separate ourselves from living in a third world kleptocracy/crony capitalist hellhole. It is the most important issue facing us.
So long as we have the rule of law, where all are equal before the courts, everything else can be fixed. As soon as one (or several) class of people is exempt from the law, it all turns to shit.
Get on the horn, send e-mails, dash of letters to the papers. Find blog entries, and use the spotlight function to send it to reporters. Silence = death; probably not yours, but perhaps that of the US of A.
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Date: 2007-10-19 06:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-19 12:42 pm (UTC)