Legitimizing Arrogance

Today Maine Congressmen Tom Allen and Mike Michaud voted against the FISA bill that the House Leadership endorsed -- a bill that not only gives retroactive immunity to the telecom corporations Verizon, AT&T and others for illegal wiretapping, but makes it unlikely we will ever even know who were the lawbreakers and who were the victims. I'm proud that our two Democratic Representatives stood up against the powerful telecom lobbies and said no.

Maine has tough privacy laws, which is why the Maine Civil Liberties Union helped 22 Mainers take their case to our state's Public Utilities Commission (PUC) demanding to know whether or not Verizon had been letting the Bush Administration tap their phones or read their email. Verizon's response -- that they hadn't engaged in wiretapping as part of a "fishing expedition" -- had a definite non-denial-denial sound to it.

When the PUC demanded the company swear to the truthfulness of what they were saying in their press releases, the Bush administration leapt into the fray, suing the Maine Public Utilities Commission to prevent them from pursuing the matter. It would violate state secrets for these Mainers to know whether their phones were tapped or their email was read, the Administration said.

I never thought I'd see the day when the U.S. government could listen in on phone conversations or read private mail without first obtaining a warrant from a court. That sounds more like something that happened in the Soviet Union. But in a double sleight of hand, not only does this new legislation say such unmonitored surveillance of American citizens is permitted, it blocks any opportunity to test the premise in the courts. The administration says "Nothing to see here folks. We're just keeping you safe. Go on home." And then slams the courtroom doors in our face.

Why would the House -- which has the responsibility for enforcing oversight of the administration's activities, and which earlier this year passed a much better bill that didn't immunize the telecoms -- vote to legitimize that arrogant behavior? This action makes it all the more difficult, if not impossible, for any of us to find out the extent of the administration's illegal spying. (Oh, wait. The new bill says it's not illegal if the President says it's not illegal. That's in there, too.)

When Congressmen Tom Allen and Mike Michaud were sworn in, they took this oath:

I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

Clearly, they took that oath seriously. I am running for Congress to fill the seat Tom is giving up as he challenges Susan Collins for the Senate. If I am fortunate enough to be elected this fall, I will remember their courage and independence when I take that same oath.

Comments

[fairwitness]

Chellie--Here's another Mainer who supports you and your moral and reasonable sensibilities. I am in district 2 so I can't vote for you, but will always support someone willing to stand against neo-tyrannts like Bush and for progressive, humane values in government. We need you.

[irishgawdess]

This administration has long legitimized arrogance while we all stand around sputtering. Well, except for Mainers anyway. Keep up the good fight.

[Ishmael1]

I have worked in Telecommunications, Broadband Carrier and Fiberoptics for 28 years including maintaining service out of San Francisco in the immediate aftermath of the Loma Prieta quake. I worked in the same building as A.T.&T. whistleblower Mark Klein and have read his engineering documents filed with the Electronic Frontier Foundation. They are looking at EVERYTHING everybody does online. ALL voice and data traffic going through A.T..&T. central offices is being tapped into the NSA. So, for this warrantless wiretap program to work AS DESIGNED, they have to look at ALL the traffic from EVERYBODY. That is, by definition, eavesdropping on Ordinary law-abiding citizens. So I tell my Republican friends to consider the following. A Democratic President and veto-proof Congress decides to take revenge on the Republican Party by appointing political cronies to the US Attorneys posts, changes the data mining terms to target Republicans and declares them a terrorist organisation for acting to strengthen the forces of terror by bankrupting the nation and allowing al-Qaeda to escape. By the laws they themselves passed, they could be rendered to a container in Diego Garcia before being fed to the sharks there.

If it's legal to do it to us, it's legal to do it to them too.

The other point I got from Klein's affadavit was on page 17 where it listed A.T.&T.'s customer cross-connect list. I wonder if those commercial customers knew their traffic was also being monitored?

[irishgawdess]

Let's hope the Repugs get their just desserts starting January. Thanks for posting.

[TarryFaster]

Last night, in a fit of anger and frustration, I dug up the names and contact information on the 105 "Democratic" traitors who voted to approve the latest version of the "Compromise FISA bill" -- which destroys our Fourth Amendment. I put the list on a website and will now go about "promoting" it. Ideally, with your help, we could bring this site to the attention of enough people to develop a viral network that could then gain enough critical mass among voters to remove these traitors.

Here is the site:

http://www.cloudbyte.com/traitors.html

[GrainOSand]

Great job, good use of energy, and thanks for your patriotism. You are the change.

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

I am printing out and putting it out there..... maybe even on T-shirts.

Thanks.

[lainey]

I thank Congressman Van Hollen for voting against FISA. He is a smart and dedicated public servant. I respect his vote on Friday so very much. I am proud to have him represent me for so many reasons-- beyond and including FISA-- that include aid to Darfur, no funding for the troops without a timetable, organizing events in the area for homeowners at risk of losing their home,etc. Great man. Thanks so much.

[GrainOSand]

I concur, his record is something to be proud of and to hold up as a model of enlightened and effective government. I thank you for educating me on his record.

[GrainOSand]

You are a solitary human living somewhere in America¦America that country with Liberty and Justice for All¦America where Nixon ran and won on a platform of Law and Order¦America home of the brave, land of the free¦America land where your father died¦America land of touted decency and encouraged pride¦America, that nation defined by its constitution to such an extent that a branch of government is dedicated to considering the constitutionality of laws and actions taken by the other two branches¦America that land of balanced power.

Word comes on the wind that America intends to subvert the sacred tenets within its own constitution. Word comes on the wind that this has already been done but the criminals are not on the run, they are participating in cons and illusions; demanding immunity for crime under the guise of a public safety concern. This may burn your ears these rumors of fascism. Some may think such reports are ridiculous and laugh at them. When word comes on the wind that we are no longer within the United States of America, it may come in the form of an undeniable truth, one up close, personal, and staring at you.

Conspiracy theory or what is before your eyes. Who, in their right mind embraces and has children with a lie? Who wants to go to heaven? Now -- who wants to die? No free lunch, act on your hunch, that this is wrong. Capitulate not -- be strong.

[TheWordPimp]

word

[Leatherhelmet]

Finally, some sanity.

The techonology used by the telephone companies is the least intrusive method available to
fight terrorism.

[castlerider]

Thanks so much for the post..
This must be brought up and argued vocifeously in the Senate. This Bill must be brought down if it will not hold accountability and the full srutiny of being questioned in the courts.
It will be a sad and grave day in America it this Bill passes as is.

[PhantomAviator]

.

Liberty or Death.

Out of style, babies. Out of style.
.

[GrainOSand]

You will do what I say and like it -- is that the new style? If it is let me know for I have serious blowback for that premise. A man once told me when we were discussing slavery that the humans drug in chains from the only home they ever knew, and brought to various locations across the world, had to be a very courageous people just to survive the ordeal. Can you imagine? The man asked me to imagine the courage of those who threw themselves overboard rather than meet the hell that awaited them when the ship of agony docked at some distant and foreign harbor. He also said think about the courage of those who against impossible odds said "no", on the decks of those ships and died for their dissent. I never forgot that conversation. Many talk courage, but in practice, we find that real dissent is seldom in frequency of occurrence. Benazir Bhutto was a warrior. She is one in an endless line of warriors who have paid the ultimate price for what they believe in. No human wants to be in a situation where life itself is threatened. The writing on the wall is compelling and undeniable. It can be ignored but not denied. Who you are is always what you do and seldom everything you say. What are any of us willing to give for freedom's cause? How much is it worth and I suspect the answer is, priceless.

[RENREVARD]

To show love of country the and true patriotism is be against this FISA bill and voting instead to be for the CONSTITUTION!

[Binx101]

I have a different approach to the FISA debacle. The issue lies in the word "reasonable" and clearly the abuse by the Bush Administration was unreasonable by any standard - but what to do now ?

We discussed it today in different terms.

Binx101
The Almost Daily Binx
http://binx101.wordpress.com

[msfiskvletterman]

6/21/08
1:11pm
Portland, OR Central Library

Legitimizing arrongance, yes. But they are also attempting to legitimize an abuse of power. They are attempting to seize power from the Courts. Is anybody going to take action to stop this?

[wordvarc]

.

"We the People" were betrayed by w's illegal domestic spying and the telecoms who ignored the law.

Please send some 'retroactive immunity' to those of us and our children who have to pay for w's arrogance for years and who have lost constitutional rights to his rovian fear mongering.
.

[Manx]

Those who say there is no difference between Republicans and Democrats would be right in this case. It's a clear instance of political expediency over principles. Democrats who knew about the illegal surveillance are just trying to cover their backsides, and, in doing so, they are giving cover to George W. Bush. It makes me want to walk away from politics forever.

[heal57]

I feel the same way. The dems are just as bad as the repubs. I am an Independent and am totally disgusted with both parties. I have hope that Senator Obama will change some of these things once he gets elected. It's a lot easier when you're in power to really change things; being a senator or even a presidential nominee has its limitations.

[JohnDavidPrince]

Cont: 1791 " The 4th Amendment: "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized." Amendment 1: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." The First Amendment and the Fourth Amendment may suffer damage that the Founding Fathers would shed a tear for if the Senate does not correct the bad judgment exhibited by the House. Pray that they see the light of Liberty.