Sen. Feingold, in the video below reminds us why it is that people participate in the democratic process. It's a long lecture, but it's the most authoritative denunciation on the the government's program possible given today's classification restrictions. We can only hope that the ACLU's lawsuit, timed with Bush's signature, forces the judicial branch to step in and hold those responsible for abrogating the rights of American citizens to be held accountable in the way the law proscribes. After all, how strong is the rule of law when the government itself is known to disregard provisions and limitations on its behavior? Why should anyone be allowed to be immune from allegations of rape, for instance? Maybe I'm deranged. But someone really deranged would wonder why anyone votes at all. By the way, that's not a scream you're hearing, it's the utter silence of a society looking on in horror as an elected body completely contravenes their desires.
Showing posts with label Russ Feingold. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Russ Feingold. Show all posts
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Probable Cause II
First, in answer to the "Case for Telecom Immunity," specifically: "2. Beyond the theoretical case for the warrantless program’s legality, the telecoms here specifically relied on written representations from the administration that the program had been reviewed by the president and determined to be legal." The question of the legality of this program is anything but theoretical, and the argument so often so cleverly invoked to defend this insidious assault on the very freedoms that Bush notionally seeks to defend.
Addressing the National Association of Attorney Generals, the debate surrounding the FISA renewal and telecom immunity was Bush's primary topic. In a case of misrepresentation, W says the target of the whole program of the big bad jihadis sitting in the mountains of Afghanistan, dialing their favorite operatives in Anywhere, Homeland. I would imagine being so far away from home, in a land where no one can speak their language, they would be pretty homesick.
However, evidence has emerged that the real target of this program may really be the e-mails. Which, makes me want to breath a sigh of relief, given the Bush Administration's track record of handling e-mail. It's not that the NSA, by means of this warrantless wiretapping program, invaded your privacy and cracked open a Pandora's box where probable cause and the very slim margin of institutional procedure that keep Americans from having to fear what goes bump in the night, but they probably wouldn't know how to manage it.
And if you were wondering how probable cause died, and if it will make a sound? I would say probably not. Our newest candidate for the vaunted 'Republicrat' status, Intelligence Committee Chairman Silvestre Reyes said that he hopes to bring the matter to a vote within a week. Also of interest, is the point that the House has seen and reviewed documents in relation to this matter, and they're "pretty much finished." So, what was in those documents? Or, were they mostly redacted? Some of the potential deals that are in discussion would continue to leave this entire matter beneath the lock and key of classification, away from the prying eyes of the interested or not public. The Senate version of the bill that has already been passed allows the Attorney General to wave his magic pen and pronounce everything legal and dismiss any and all related lawsuits.
For extra flavoring, try the aforementioned NPR coverage, now with audible delight. Or Senator Feingold issuing a public service warning about the already-passed Senate version.
Some editorialization from the Young Turks. Yes, the Democrats do suck.
And if you haven't seen Bush enough today, here he is addressing the National Association of Attorney Generals. And no matter how many times Bush said that his government told these telecommunications companies that the program that they were requested to participate in was legal, it clearly wasn't and every instance of him saying that the government said this program was legal before it saw the light of day could be used as evidence against him.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
A Certain Republicrat from Nevada
Just in case, for those of you who may be wondering about this, here is the definition of opposition. Please note, there is no mention of toadying up to another branch of government that you notionally oppose.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/12/15/politics/main3622108.shtml
Is W's argument that he needs to be able to listen in on anyone and everyone's phone conversations and internet traffic without a warrant really "very strong" as CBS News characterizes it? Is there anyone who actually believes it is? Does anyone believe that CBS News is any more relevant than CNN or Fox, as in not at all?
I would like to thank everyone who flooded Sen. Reid's office in opposition to him sending out the Intelligence Committee version of the extension, or perhaps permanent inclusion into public law. For all of those who were wondering what a Republicrat is, it is embodied in an opposition leader who plays both parts of congress against each other and then gives the President he notionally opposes everything that he could possibly ask for. Let's hope there can be some semblance of a sustained outcry. It may make me sound like a crazy person, but we cannot allow telecom companies to get away with cooperating with what they knew to be an illegal, unauthorized program to surveil upon the American people. And, for the love of reason, why should we allow our personal freedoms, or at the very least, the reasonable expectation that your phone call isn't being listened in on, to vanish like so much water vapor?
Sens. Feingold and Dodd are heroes, by the by.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/12/15/politics/main3622108.shtml
Is W's argument that he needs to be able to listen in on anyone and everyone's phone conversations and internet traffic without a warrant really "very strong" as CBS News characterizes it? Is there anyone who actually believes it is? Does anyone believe that CBS News is any more relevant than CNN or Fox, as in not at all?
I would like to thank everyone who flooded Sen. Reid's office in opposition to him sending out the Intelligence Committee version of the extension, or perhaps permanent inclusion into public law. For all of those who were wondering what a Republicrat is, it is embodied in an opposition leader who plays both parts of congress against each other and then gives the President he notionally opposes everything that he could possibly ask for. Let's hope there can be some semblance of a sustained outcry. It may make me sound like a crazy person, but we cannot allow telecom companies to get away with cooperating with what they knew to be an illegal, unauthorized program to surveil upon the American people. And, for the love of reason, why should we allow our personal freedoms, or at the very least, the reasonable expectation that your phone call isn't being listened in on, to vanish like so much water vapor?
Sens. Feingold and Dodd are heroes, by the by.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Loss of International Good WIll
During the initial phases of the feigned outrage in congress over the use of torture on those in U.S. custody, then Attorny General nominee Alberto Gonzales said in responce to criticism that even if we torture people Americans can never be as bad as the terrorists. It has also been remarked with dismay that the whole way in which the Bush administration has been treating detainees is one of the main reasons we are loosing all of our good will internationally.
For example, Russia has been throwing obstructions infront of international election monitors that they had origionally invited to oversee their current round of national elections. They dont take kindly to any criticism that they might not be behaving like a democracy should and impugn the recent American human rights record and voting irregularities stating that we are not ones to talk down to them about democracy.
Pakistan is less subtle when it points out the speck in our eye to divert criticism from the plank in their own. General/President Pravez Musharrif declared a state of emergency and imprisioned political opponents, and today installed a "caretaker government." Musharrif justifies all this under his countries anti-terrorism laws and points to the U.S. when he justifies locking up dissodents. He says he is doing this to protect his country from radical islamists, but the people he is throwing in jail are the legitimately elected moderates he ousted from power in a military coup. His recent behavior and comments are reminicent of the attitudes of the types of people we have been forced to team up with in Bush's global, generational, war on terror. We have to deal with tribal warlords who see the way we behave and missapprehend it as anti-islam. They say they are also against the Islamists and say they are on our side. Once they have our support they proceed to be corrupt, violent, crime lords.
Monday, October 22, 2007
My e-mail to Sen. Herb Kohl
The text of my letter to Sen. Russ Feingold was different because he already has a statement on his webpage indicating his stance against immunity for the telecom industry. I encourage you all to write to your elected representatives and urge them to hold the collaborators accountable and vote against any imunity from civil action.
As a member of the Judicial committee I implore you to not include any provision in the domestic spying program to give the telecom industry immunity from prosecution. I ask you to hold them responsible for their actions in eroding the rights of the American people. If the White House will not give the committee the documents they require, I humbly suggest the committee not approve any program for domestic spying. The way I see it the administration doesn't really have a bargaining chip here. The Judicial Committee says to them "we need these documents to give you the program you want." And the administration replies by demanding the committee wright the legislation the way it wants or they wont release the documents you need. It sounds like the administration is putting the cart before the horse. I haven't really heard any arguments in support of immunity, which makes me nervous. It is as if everyone believes the immunity is a foregone conclusion. The only serious argument I have heard in favor of immunity from prosecution for the telecom collaborators is that; if sued, the companies may have to testify about issues of national security. Which may be a legitimate concern, how would one know unless one receives the information from the administration, but couldn't the portions of any civil trial involving matters of national security be made secret? One need not throw the baby out with the bath water and hold these wrongdoers immune from action.
As a member of the Judicial committee I implore you to not include any provision in the domestic spying program to give the telecom industry immunity from prosecution. I ask you to hold them responsible for their actions in eroding the rights of the American people. If the White House will not give the committee the documents they require, I humbly suggest the committee not approve any program for domestic spying. The way I see it the administration doesn't really have a bargaining chip here. The Judicial Committee says to them "we need these documents to give you the program you want." And the administration replies by demanding the committee wright the legislation the way it wants or they wont release the documents you need. It sounds like the administration is putting the cart before the horse. I haven't really heard any arguments in support of immunity, which makes me nervous. It is as if everyone believes the immunity is a foregone conclusion. The only serious argument I have heard in favor of immunity from prosecution for the telecom collaborators is that; if sued, the companies may have to testify about issues of national security. Which may be a legitimate concern, how would one know unless one receives the information from the administration, but couldn't the portions of any civil trial involving matters of national security be made secret? One need not throw the baby out with the bath water and hold these wrongdoers immune from action.
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