The United States needs a Senator like Frank Church once again to restore the original purpose of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
My former boss and mentor, Senator Frank Church, led the Senate investigation of Executive branch abuses of civil liberties back in 1975 - 1976 as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Intelligence.
His oversight was badly needed.
Among the findings of the Church Committee:
The Church Committee's investigations resulted in the creation of a permanent Senate Committee on Intelligence, and the passage of substantial legislation, including the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) in 1978.
Church's work is now being shredded by the Bush Administration.
FISA established a legal framework for electronic eavesdropping at home, including a special FISA court. It was originally passed to allow the government to collect intelligence involving communications with "agents of foreign powers."
The Bush Administration exploited this narrow exception in the passage of the Patriot Act that allows use of FISA to obtain personal records from many sources including libraries and internet service providers, even when they have no connection to terrorism.
Even worse, the Bush Administration now uses FISA to get around the constitutional requirement of seeking a warrant before it eavesdrops on communications by the NSA.
Congress even condoned this abuse of power in passing the "Protect America Act" (also known as "Police America Act") that expires in February 2008.
Legislation currently under consideration - The Restore Act - is a further erosion of individual liberties because it goes beyond individual warrants allowing "basket warrants." A true restoration of our individual liberties will not permit "basket warrants." This provision needs to be fixed and fixed correctly. While there is a split in the civil liberties community about the basket provisions, I don't believe we should settle for just an improvement in existing law. We need real protection.
When I am elected to the Senate, I will demand an end to the abuse of FISA and a return to the checks and balances espoused by Frank Church and the Church Committee.
As a former Congressman, Frank Church staff member, and U.S. Army intelligence office, I will help lead the way back from the civil liberty abuses of this administration.
The New York Times editorial on 11/14/07 pointed out the loopholes in the "Police America Act" and encouraged members of Congress to close those loopholes when the legislation is up for renewal. Yes, indeed.
As Senator, I will return Idaho's representation to the Frank Church values in keeping big government and secret government out of American's personal lives. As another mentor, former Interior Secretary and Governor Cecil Andrus, stated it many times: Idahoans want the Federal government off their back, but by their sides."
(Cross-posted at Daily Kos)
We will soon be just like China...free to make and spend money but little else.
The wealthy and powerful can and will do anything they want.
The Democrats are treating us like trash.
Diane Feinstein has got to go . She has voted for all these Freedom destroying bills.
Almost all of Congress and all of the Bush administration have committed Treason by not upholding the Constitution.
Treason is punished by execution.
All cognizant Americans should support this bill, get over partisanship, and write and call their representatives and get this bill passed!
blue dog dem atheist for Ron Paul
Your voice is the second one I've heard today in defense of civil liberties. Not to steal your thunder, but the first was Senator Dodd who put a personal hold on the Immunity for Bush and His Law Breaking Telecoms.
Here's the url: http://chrisdodd.com/blog/dodd-responds-bush-telecom-immunity
God I hope your sentiment and Dodd's is the beginning of the change we so badly need.
I'm sure you are sincere in your desire to make a change but I doubt that you can stop what is happening now by yourself. I also doubt that there are more than just a few honest people in our government at the national level.
The only thing this President does well seems to be cutting down some brush on his ranch.
Not neocons or phony social conservatives...authentic libertarian conservatives like Ron Paul.
http://www.newsprism.com
All cognizant Americans should support this bill, get over partisanship, and write and call their representatives and get this bill passed!
blue dog dem atheist for Ron Paul
http://www.light-to-dark.com/prism.html
I am deeply disappointed. It takes intellect to find solutions without resorting to extremism.
Please, Mr. Mueller: Say it aint so. Wasn't Gonzo's hospital spectacle convincing enough?
You're probably wiretapping the wrong people.
We have but one party, one coin, 2 sides!
That, if elected, I will push through a law requiring the federal government to purge, eliminate, totally erase, all records acquired on American citizens not convicted of crimes. Furthermore, this law will require the TSA to open up its no-fly list so that people can get their names OFF that list with ease.
The problem here is that even if the government acquires information illegally, they STILL keep that information in databases. NO MORE. If any information was acquired in illegal fashion, and then, even if acquired legally, the information must be purged if there is no prosecution to be initiated upon that information.