---Push Back AGAINST Telecom Immunity---

[SJohnsson]

Mods, please don't move this...this topic is too important


This is an email from American Freedom Campaign:

Consider for a moment that your government has engaged in widespread spying on Americans' phone calls and emails. Consider further that many of this nation's telecommunications companies knowingly helped the government with this surveillance.



Now how would you feel if these telecommunications companies were granted complete immunity against lawsuits brought by customers whose privacy rights were violated?



We hope you feel -- as we do -- that this would be entirely inappropriate. If you do, we urge you to take a minute and send an email to your U.S. senators before they vote on this issue as early as tomorrow (January 24).


Starting in 2001, the Bush administration's National Security Agency engaged in a massive warrantless wiretapping program in violation of our Constitution. The administration blatantly ignored laws and procedures under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) designed to protect the privacy rights of citizens.



The government could not have conducted this warrantless surveillance without assistance from the nation's telecommunications companies, which willingly -- and, quite likely, illegally -- turned over customer records to the government. The claims by these companies that they were acting in the best interests of the country in order to enhance national security have been undermined by recent reports that government wiretaps have been cut off by the very same companies when the government failed to pay its bills on time.[1]



It seems the telecommunications companies care more about their profits than our protection.



The U.S. House has already passed an update to FISA that does NOT include immunity for the telecommunications companies. As the Senate considers its own legislation, it is imperative that it exclude immunity, as well.



Please convey this message to your two senators using the following link:
http://www.conservativeusa.org/senatecontact.htm

Also, this is the list of Senators that have spoken out against amnesty. Please call them and remind them that they are fighting the good fight

Name........Fax.....Phone

Feingold (202) 224-2725 (202) 224-5323
Dodd (202) 224-1083 (202) 224-2823
Obama (202) 228-4260 (202) 224-2854
Sanders (202) 228-0776 (202) 224-5141
Menendez (202) 228-2197 (202) 224-4744
Biden (202) 224-0139 (202) 224-5042
Brown (202) 228-6321 (202) 224-2315
Harkin (202) 224-9369 (202) 224-3254
Cardin (202) 224-1651 (202) 224-4524
Clinton (202) 228-0282 (202) 224-4451
Akaka (202) 224-2126 (202) 224-6361
Webb (202) 228-6363 (202) 224-4024
Kennedy (202) 224-2417 (202) 224-4543
Boxer (415) 956-6701 (202) 224-3553

[SJohnsson]

Here's a standard email to send to your senators;





Dear Senator

Count me as another one of your constituents opposed to immunity for telecommunications companies that helped the Bush administration spy on millions of American citizens.

By now you know all the details about the telecoms' involvement in the National Security Agency’s warrantless wiretapping program. No doubt you have also heard arguments for and against immunity for the telecommunications companies.

I will not repeat the arguments against immunity -- although I hope you have thought long and hard about the news reports detailing how some of the telecommunications companies cut off their wiretapping services when the government failed to pay its bills on time. This is a sure sign that their true motivation was profits, not protecting the nation.

My main reason for writing is to let you know that your constituents care deeply about the Constitution and are outraged when their privacy rights are violated -- either by the government or by entities working with the government. When such violations occur, every entity involved should be expected to explain its actions in court. If you do not defend this principle, you are undermining the document that serves as the foundation of our nation.

Please support the Constitution and your country by opposing immunity for the telecommunications companies.

Sincerely,

[SJohnsson]

BTW this push is being led by Glenn Greenwald and several other prominent bloggers... I've contacted Lew and the gang to tell them to back the effort... You should too.

ngbradley@gmail.com
jameso@apollo.com
lewrockwell@mac.com
jhhuebert@jhhuebert.com
rothbardiancpa@yahoo.com
TDilo@aol.com

This is real action everyone can take to stop this momentum of tyranny and assault on the rule of law. PLEASE HELP

[dielivin]

bump and emailed

[SJohnsson]

thanks, and here is some more background for anyone else interested

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/01/17/telecoms/

[SJohnsson]

BUMP cmon guys... This is something TANGIBLE that you can do to stop the encroachment on the CONSTITUTION