It’s the Constitution, Period.
24 October 2007 12:43 am by Taylor Marsh
It’s the Constitution, Period. updated
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How scared are you of the terrorists? Enough to allow our government to go to corporations
and force them to give illegal access to law-abiding citizens’ telephone conversations without a warrant? How much are we going to change this country in order to protect us from the “evildoers”?
Our Constitution is being shredded, while most political
leaders stand by and do nothing, or position themselves to look like they’re
doing and saying something when they are not. Senator Chris Dodd is saying something,
but he’s also drawing a line in the sand. He’s willing to go to the mat and
fight to keep telecommunication companies from getting amnesty for illegally
allowing George W. Bush and his Administration minions to spy on American citizens
because those corporations didn’t have the conscience, the ethics or the courage to understand
that the only thing they need in their hands to say no to a president is the Constitution of
the United States.
What we’re asking today is that two powerful presidential candidates, Senators Barack
Obama and Hillary Clinton, stand with Senator Chris Dodd in his threat to filibuster the FISA bill if it includes telecom immunity.
Barack Obama offered this in his latest statement:
“Senator Obama has serious concerns about many provisions in this bill,
especially the provision on giving retroactive immunity to the telephone companies.
He is hopeful that this bill can be improved by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
But if the bill comes to the Senate floor in its current form, he would support
a filibuster of it.”
I appreciate the movement from his earlier statement. Mr. Obama will support
a filibuster of the bill “in its current form.” Fast forward and imagine the bill is modified and comes to the Senate floor, but still includes telecom immunity: “I would have filibustered the bill in its original form, which I didn’t support, but the (significant) changes
now make this bill strong and important to national security and the safety of the American people.”
Here’s how it’s done: “I hope the bill will be further improved in the Judiciary Committee before it reaches the full Senate. If the bill that ultimately reaches the Senate floor includes immunity and does not adequately protect the privacy of Americans, I will fight it vigorously with every tool at my disposal.” That’s Senator Russ Feingold.
Senator Clinton said the following after being asked, “Can you discuss your
position on the reauthorization of the FISA bill?”
“I am troubled by the concerns that have been raised by the recent legislation
reported out of the Intelligence Committee. I haven’t seen it so I can’t express
an opinion about it. But I don’t trust the Bush Administration with our civil
rights and liberties. So I’m going to study it very hard. As matters stand
now, I could not support it and I would support a filibuster absent additional
information coming forward that would convince me differently.”
Senator Clinton is right about one thing, you can’t trust the Bush Administration
with our civil rights and liberties. But being “troubled” by our “concerns” about illegal actions
that coerced U.S. businesses to break the law and spy on U.S. citizens in secret
doesn’t cut it. Not even close. You don’t have to study anything. People, including the president and corporations, either follow the laws and obey the Constitution or they do not.
The last part of her statement is so tortured I can’t even begin to dissect
it, but I’ll try. She says she hasn’t seen the bill, right? Then she goes on to say that
“as matters stand now” she can’t support it and will support a filibuster
unless something pops up to change her mind. It’s hard to see how Clinton can
state she hasn’t seen it but “as matters stand now”… she’ll filibuster,
unless she won’t?
I’m not trying to be argumentative, but these are two fine lawyers. I understand
they won’t comment if they don’t know the language. Fine. But this is basic constitutional stuff. Repeat after me: “I hope the bill will be further improved in the Judiciary Committee before it reaches the full Senate. If the bill that ultimately reaches the Senate floor includes immunity and does not adequately protect the privacy of Americans, I will fight it vigorously with every tool at my disposal.”
Clinton said it best when she said “don’t trust the Bush Administration with our civil
rights and liberties.” The American people don’t either. They get it. They’re just waiting for someone to stand up and fight for what they want.
Telephone company advocates in Congress and the Bush administration say that
if telephone companies handed over information to the government, or allowed
warrantless wiretaps, it was only in response to the nation’s emergency needs
in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. … ..According to the ACLU survey of 1,000 likely voters, 59% were either opposed
or strongly opposed to the idea of giving companies that sold such information
to the government civil or criminal immunity, even if that information was
used to “investigate terrorism.” … ..
Chris Dodd has this exactly right and so does Russ Feingold and Joe Biden, with Dodd willing to go to the mat for it all.
“The president has no right to secretly eavesdrop on the conversations
and activities of law-abiding American citizens. … Anyone who has aided
and abetted him in these illegal activities should be held accountable.”
– Senator Chris Dodd
Bingo.
Someone has to stand for what the Founders began, because George W. Bush and his administration, with a lot of help from Congress, which has become a shell of what the Founders intended, clearly are not. Too many are cowering under the cover of terrorism, politics or the excuse of civility when a little righteous indignation is certainly in order. This is also larger than one man or woman or even the presidency. It’s about the very foundation of this nation. It’s about saying that corporations, telecoms in this instance, do not get a pass when the government comes in to pressure them to commit unconstitutional acts under the cloak of secrecy and a platform of saving the people. You don’t have to read a bill or get details. Simply stated, anything that impedes on the U.S. Constitution must not, can not and will not be supported. This is what we want from our leaders on all levels. It is especially important to hear this type of passion for principle from the newest generation of fighters for our democratic republic, of which Barack Obama is a primary force. I also want the first viable female candidate for president to stand up and be heard as no woman in U.S. history has before her. I want them both to put the Constitution first with unequivocal statements. I want them to lead.
Let Senators Obama and Clinton know that stopping telecom immunity in the FISA bill matters to you. Tell them to support Senator Dodd’s hold on the FISA bill to stop telecom immunity. Then get two friends to do the same.
Senator Hillary Clinton:
Clinton Presidential: 703-469-2008 Senate:
(202) 224-4451
Presidential campaign
contact page
Senate office contact pageSenator Barack Obama:
Obama Presidential: 866-675-2008 Senate:
(202) 224-2854
Presidential campaign
contact page
Senate office contact page
UPDATE: Glenn Greenwald has a terrific piece up today. Read and keep those phone calls and emails coming. John Amato at C&L has a run down of all of our efforts. … .. Digby’s post is up and you shouldn’t miss her opening paragraph. … .. Oh, and don’t forget to read Howie!
