"The Second Amendment makes all the others possible"

That's funny. I don't see anybody storming the Congress right now to ensure that our 4th amendment rights are preserved.

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We write letters

Breaking news reports indicate that the House Democratic leadership is preparing to cave, and support a FISA bill which provides retroactive immunity to telecoms which violated longstanding US law and spied on American citizens at the behest of the Bush administration.

My letter to Representative David Price (NC-04):

I am appalled at news reports that the House Democratic leadership is going to bring to the floor a bill providing immunity from lawsuits to the telecommunications industry from their unlawful spying on American citizens at the request of the Bush administration.

There is simply no reason to supply this immunity to companies which knew their actions were illegal. I trust that you will be voting against this measure, and I sincerely hope that you will communicate to the Democratic Party leadership the absolute disgust which many Americans will feel toward them should they pass this repulsive legislation.

If you live in the 4th District, Representative Price's contact page is here. Outside the 4th district? Find your congresscritter here.

UPDATE: Glenn Greenwald is a lot smarter than me. He explains why this is so wrong.

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Hall of Shame

Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Evan Bayh (D-IN), Daniel Inouye (D-HI), Tim Johnson (D-SD), Herb Kohl (D-WI), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Mark Pryor (D-AR), Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Ken Salazar (D-CO), Tom Carper (D-DE), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Jim Webb (D-VA), Ben Nelson (D-NE), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Kent Conrad (D-ND), and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)

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Emails

Dear Barry,

John Edwards should challenge his rivals Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to go back to Washington, DC and fight against retroactive immunity for the telecoms.

The Republicans are not going to let Harry Reid punt and extend the Protect America Act for another 18 months so it looks like the FISA bill is going to come back up again on Monday. Chris Dodd's objection to Unanimous Consent still stands, so they will pick up in the middle of the Motion to Proceed debate.

Without the help of the presidential candidates, we are doomed to lose this fight. And all their calls for change will ring hollow if they allow George Bush to railroad this bill through a supine Democratic-controlled Senate because of their absence.

You can email Senator Edwards directly at john@johnedwards.com.

Cheers,

Jane Hamsher & Glenn Greenwald

This really should be a no-brainer for Democrats who want to lead this country out of the Bush years.

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