News and Politics | July 10, 2008 | 9 comments

Even though it will get the President's signature, the ACLU says "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over"

source: http://www.aclu.org/safefree/nsaspying/faachallenge.html

Inofuilwell
“IT AIN’T OVER ‘TIL IT’S OVER” - We're going to court again but we need everyone's help.

http://www.aclu.org/safefree/nsaspying/faachallenge.html

An unconstitutional F.I.S.A. bill passed the last real obstacle by a Senate vote of 69-28.

68 Senators INCLUDING Barack Obama signed on to again shred both the fabric and the sanctity of our constitution.

We must do two things:

We must express our discontent with our Senators (yes, even with Obama!) AND also help the ACLU fight this law as being unconstitutional.

The ACLU needs our political clout and they need our donations and for us to stand beside them as they have so often stood beside the rights of each of us in the past!!!!!

From the ACLU website:

“The bill essentially grants absolute retroactive immunity to telecommunication companies that facilitated the president’s warrantless wiretapping program over the last seven years by ensuring the dismissal of court cases pending against those companies. The test for the companies’ right to immunity is not whether the government certifications they acted on were actually legal – only whether they were issued. Because it is public knowledge that certifications were issued, all of the pending cases will be summarily dismissed. This means Americans may never learn the truth about what the companies and the government did with our private communications."

“With one vote, Congress has strengthened the executive branch, weakened the judiciary and rendered itself irrelevant,” said Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office. “This bill – soon to be law – is a constitutional nightmare. Americans should know that if this legislation is enacted and upheld, what they say on international phone calls or emails is no longer private. The government can listen in without having a specific reason to do so. Our rights as Americans have been curtailed and our privacy can no longer be assumed.”

Senate vote results page:
http://senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congres...

Here are the Senators who voted FOR the unconstitutional bill.

You’ll find them listed alphabetically along with their Washington phone numbers.in the next two posts.

YEAs --- 69

Alexander (R-TN) (202) 224-4944 (not seeking re-election in 2009)
Allard (R-CO) (202) 224-5941 (not seeking re-election in 2009)
Barrasso (R-WY) (202) 224-6441 (Term runs through 2013)
Baucus (D-MT) (202) 224-2651 (Democrat seeking re-election)
Bayh (D-IN) (202) 224-5623 (Democrat term runs through 2011)
Bennett (R-UT) (202) 224-5444 (Term runs through 2011)
Bond (R-MO) (202) 224-5721 (Term runs through 2011)
Brownback (R-KS) (202) 224-6521 (Term runs through 2011)
Bunning (R-KY) (202) 224-4343 (Term runs through 2011)
Burr (R-NC) (202) 224-3154 (Term runs through 2011)
Carper (D-DE) (202) 224-2441 (Democrat term runs through 2012)
Casey (D-PA) (202) 224-6324 (Democrat term runs through 2012)
Chambliss (R-GA) (202) 224-3521 (Seeking re-election in 2009)
Coburn (R-OK) (202) 224-5754 (Term runs through 2011)
Cochran (R-MS) (202) 224-5054 (Seeking Re-election in 2009)
Coleman (R-MN) (202) 224-5641(Seeking Re-election in 2009)
Collins (R-ME) (202) 224-2523 (Seeking Re-election in 2009)
Conrad (D-ND) (202) 224-2043 (Dem. seeking Re-election in 2013)
Corker (R-TN) (202) 224-3344 (Seeking Re-election in 2013)
Cornyn (R-TX) (202) 224-2934 Up for re-election (512) 494-8535)

Continued below
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9 comments // Even though it will get the President's signature, the ACLU says "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over" // Video

  • Inofuilwell
    • 0
      Inofuilwell  

    • Let's keep this list active enough to find and protest.

      Thanks to all of you (Incredulous, jubal, MM and BlueStranger) for having the wisdom to see that there are ways to defend this land constitutionally and to avert the gradual disintegration of one of the most creatively dynamic documents crafted since the Magna Carta.

      It embarrasses me that we have allowed three classless and uncaring thugs to destroy the most sacred building block of this country's essence.

      From the now-abridged rights of middle class America to the subversive use of America's military might and regulatory agencies, the neo-conservative movement led by Cheney, Rove and Bush has damned the spirit of fair play while throwing in the the most corrupt despots to ever wield such an absolutely uncontrollable ability to oppress freedom.

      If FISA is not overturned and if Obama has the election stolen from him, I will be ready for the revolt.

      It would be the most genuinely American response we could ever hope to make.

    • 3 years ago
  • Marilynn_Murray
    • 0
      Marilynn_Murray  

    • Those jerks don't care that they sell us out as long as they keep their funding. We need Fairness in broadcasting restored! We also need public financing of all campaigns. Until we have those we are going to keep losing our rights. No one knows because we get no real news. The millionaires in the legislature aren't truly representative of us. No one should be able to loan themselves millions of dollars to run for elected office. That is in my opinion buying the election.

    • 3 years ago
  • Incredulous
    • 0
      Incredulous  

    • thank you for this one Inofuilwell.

      a lot of people have bought into the notion that this is more about lawyers and lawsuits than prosecuting the guilty. That is the one of the many official explanations for supporting the unconstitutional F.I.S.A. bill.

      people don't get it, and there has certainly been a great deal of money spent to make sure they don't.

    • 3 years ago
  • jubal
    • 0
      jubal  

    • The ACLU used to be the Wobblies. Look it up.

      Their dedication to liberty is born out of intense persecution and suffering.

    • 3 years ago
  • bluestranger
    • 0
      bluestranger  

    • As I have already stated, history will not judge us kindly on this one. I would be interested in knowing if any telecoms refused them when they came knocking without authorization. The only way to hurt a corporate entity is to hit them in the wallet.

    • 3 years ago
  • Marilynn_Murray
    • 0
      Marilynn_Murray  

    • Thank God for the ACLU. At least we have them looking out for the Constitution. Not many of our legislators seem to care much that Bush thinks it's just a God Damned piece of paper. Looks to me that they don't think much of it either.

    • 3 years ago
  • Inofuilwell
    • 0
      Inofuilwell  

    • The rest

      Roberts (R-KS) (202) 224-4774 (Seeking re-election in 2009)
      Rockefeller (D-WV) (202) 224-6472 (Dem. seeking re-election in 2009)
      Salazar (D-CO) (202) 224-5852 (Seeking re-election in 2011)
      Shelby (R-AL) (202) 224-5744 (Seeking re-election in 2011)
      Smith (R-OR) (202) 224-3753 (Seeking re-election in 2009)
      Snowe (R-ME) (202) 224-5344 (Seeking re-election in 2013)
      Specter (R-PA) (202) 224-4254 (Seeking re-election in 2011)
      Stevens (R-AK) (202) 224-3004 (Seeking re-election in 2009)
      Sununu (R-NH) (202) 224-2841 (Seeking re-election in 2009)
      Thune (R-SD) (202) 224-2321 (Seeking re-election in 2011)
      Vitter (R-LA) (202) 224-4623 (Seeking re-election in 2011)
      Voinovich (R-OH) (202) 224-3353 (Seeking re-election in 2011)
      Warner (R-VA) (202) 224-2023 (Seeking re-election in 2009)
      Webb (D-VA) (202) 224-224-4024 (Dem. seeking re-election in 2013)
      Whitehouse (D-RI) (202) 224-2921 (Dem. seeking re-election in 2013)
      Wicker (R-MS) (202) 224-6253 (Seeking re-election in 2013)

      My message to Senators Cornyn and Hutchison was this:

      ******“I sincerely hope the unconstitutional FISA legislation you just voted to pass brings your eventual defeat at the polls. By allowing the lawsuits already filed to be summarily dismissed you have covered for the most dishonest administration in modern political history. Those lawsuits were the only chance for us to investigate the probable wrongdoing of a corrupt administration.

      I intend to donate money to whatever Democratic challenger you may have and to work as hard as I can to show the people of this state just how much your vote helped cover up the illegal wiretapping for the scofflaws who comprise the current administration.

      Let’s see. The old Bush slogan of ‘you have nothing to fear if you’ve done nothing wrong’ line should do nicely for proving you KNEW all along that there were many administration deeds that needed to stay hidden.” *******

      Also, my friends at Current, your House of Representatives passed this same legislation several weeks ago.

      Here is the web site for checking to see how your representative voted. (Even most Democrats supported the unconstitutional FISA law.)

      http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll437.xml

      P.S. Don't you just love morons who go around "voting" with no clue? Not 30 seconds after this was posted, a voter voted it down without even having enough time to listen to the pod from the ACLU. Don't you just love bigots? To whomever that was, get a life, pal,

    • 3 years ago
  • Incredulous
    • 0
      Incredulous  
    • Inofuilwell:

      I think people who vote things down should have to be identified to do it...so sick of this form of LOBBYING on current. Good stories slide into oblivion because of people who surf and vote down without ever even participating.

    • 3 years ago
  • Inofuilwell
    • 0
      Inofuilwell  

    • Craig (R-ID) (202) 224-2752 (Up for re-election in 2009)
      Crapo (R-ID) (202) 224-6142 (Up for re-election in 2011)
      DeMint (R-SC) (202) 224-6121 (Up for re-election in 2011)
      Dole (R-NC) (202) 224-6342 (Seeking re-election in 2009)
      Domenici (R-NM) (202) 224-6621 (Seeking re-election in 2009)
      Ensign (R-NV) (202) 224-6244 (Up for re-election in 2013)
      Enzi (R-WY) (202) 224-3424 (Seeking re-election in 2009)
      Feinstein (D-CA) (202) 224-3841 (Seeking re-election in 2013)
      Graham (R-SC) (202) 224-5972 (Seeking re-election in 2009)
      Grassley (R-IA) (202) 224-3744 (Seeking re-election in 2011)
      Gregg (R-NH) (202) 224-3324 (Seeking re-election in 2011)
      Hagel (R-NE) (202) 224-4224 (Seeking re-election in 2009)
      Hatch (R-UT) (202) 224-5251 (Seeking re-election in 2013)
      Hutchison (R-TX) (202) 224-5922 (Seeking re-election in 2013)
      Inhofe (R-OK) (202) 224-4721 (Seeking re-election in 2009)
      Inouye (D-HI) (202) 224-3934 (Seeking re-election in 2011)
      Isakson (R-GA) (202) 224-3643 (Seeking re-election in 2011)
      Johnson (D-SD) (202) 224-5842 (Seeking re-election in 2009)
      Kohl (D-WI) (202) 224-5653 (Dem. seeking re-election in 2013)
      Kyl (R-AZ) (202) 224-4521 (Seeking re-election in 2013)
      Landrieu (D-LA) (202) 224-5824 (Dem seeking re-election in 2009)
      Lieberman (ID-CT) (202) 224-4041 (Ind. seeking re-election in 2013)
      Lincoln (D-AR) (202) 224-4843 (Seeking re-election in 2011)
      Lugar (R-IN) (202) 224-4814 (Seeking re-election in 2013)
      Martinez (R-FL) (202) 224-3041 (Seeking re-election in 2011)
      McCaskill (D-MO) (202) 224-6154 (Dem. seeking re-election in 2009)
      McConnell (R-KY) (202) 224-2541 (Seeking re-election in 2009)
      Mikulski (D-MD) (202) 224-4654 (Dem. seeking re-election in 2011)
      Murkowski (R-AK) (202) 224-6665 (Seeking re-election in 2011)
      Nelson (D-FL) (202) 224-5274 (Seeking re-election in 2013)
      Nelson (D-NE) (202) 224-6551 (Seeking re-election in 2013)
      Obama (D-IL) (202) 224-2854 (Seeking the PRESIDENCY!)
      Pryor (D-AR) (202) 224-2353 (Dem. seeking re-election in 2009)

      Continued below.

    • 3 years ago
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