BUSH SEEKS PHONE SPYING IMMUNITY FOR TELECOMS: Why Isn't This TOP NEWS??

[The Cleaner]

Hey, hmmmm...didn't Bush say last year that they will in fact abide by FISA and get court orders? Little slight of hand have we here?? Surprise surprise suprise -
:sarcasm:

The Bush administration is urging Congress to pass a law that would halt dozens of lawsuits charging phone companies with invading ordinary citizens' privacy through a post-Sept. 11 warrantless surveillance program.

The measure is part of a legislative package drafted by the Justice Department to relax provisions in the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) that restrict the administration's ability to intercept electronic communications in the United States. If passed, the proposed changes would forestall efforts to compel disclosure of the program's details through Congress or the court system.

The proposal states that "no action shall lie . . . in any court, and no penalty . . . shall be imposed . . . against any person" for giving the government information, including customer records, in connection with alleged intelligence activity the attorney general certifies "is, was, would be or would have been" intended to protect the United States from terrorist attack. The measure, which has not yet been filed, is contained in a proposed amendment to the fiscal 2008 intelligence authorization bill.

The immunity measure has stoked controversy following public uproar over news reports of warrantless access to both telephone conversations and records as part of the administration's post-Sept. 11 counterterrorism policies. It is part of a larger debate about the proper balance between guarding national security and civil liberties and the extent to which private companies have acted as an arm of the federal government. In March, the Justice Department inspector general found that the FBI had secret contracts with three telephone companies to obtain Americans' phone records, claiming "exigent circumstances," when, in many instances, none existed.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/03/AR2007050302323.html?hpid=sec-business

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't there a document in our land called the Constitution where the right to privacy is just that - a RIGHT? And I don't feel any more secure knowing Attorney General Gonzales holds all the cards to determine who will be the target of warrantless wiretapping.

[Kagemusha]

1. "There is no right to privacy."

You've never heard that one before?

[Zhade]

2. K/R

KICK

[acmavm]

3. Haven't you heard, the Constitution is just a piece of paper, dammit.

Just ask Chimpy. He's the only one with rights in this country.

[Supersedeas]

13. Federalizing Multinational Corps to be Marshalls for the Chimp is an executive privilege, doncha

know

[sellitman]

4. When is this Bill up for a vote?

KO needs to see this one.

[bamacrat]

5. Because we are a police state of a country with a crazy dictator in control.

A democracy cant function just because we have elected officials, especially if the executive branch has been given unprecedented power, and continues to push his agenda in the face of the angered public.

[cdb]

6. It isn't news because...

there's this kid who killed ducks with a pencil, and some lady in Florida got abused by a cop. Anybody can understand these stories. Something thats-- well... challenging, is not gonna be a well read news item, and therefore not newsworthy.

[Breeze54]

7. PHONE "SYPING" IMMUNITY?

I know you mean spying. Didn't know if you caught the typo.

He doesn't want he and his buddies to be implicated any further!!

i.e. Phone jamming

[The Cleaner]

9. Caught it - thanks.

You know, in times past people would be flooding the streets in protest - shaking the gates of the WH. Why are people so unwilling to do that now? Why are we rolling over on our backs?

Peaceful protest is what is needed - LARGE crowds, OFTEN - demanding a return to Constitutional principles and our right to privacy.

[Breeze54]

10. Tell me about it! I posted a topic about May 14th in DC

and only FOUR PEOPLE on DU read it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:grr:

10,000 Mother Of A March, Day After Mothers Day, May 14, Washington, DC


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x802886

The apathy is sickening!!!

Almost seems like DU doesn't really give a fuck about stopping the war!!!

[The Cleaner]

12. Apathy IS Sickening.

Four people on DU read that? Outrageous! But I wish not just for mothers as that article on Cindy Sheehan said - I wish it for everybody. While I agree with Sheehan and applaud her efforts, I do wish she would focus all her efforts on multiple inclusive rallies - not just mothers. Although I can understand why she would to so.

But yes, I think there's a growing attitude of unwillingness to stand up and protest for our rights as citizens to be reclaimed. And if that attitude is on such a politically-active board as DU it really makes me wonder if there is any hope.

Think of all the groups who are concerned about these things - and how little protests there are comparatively. Why aren't these groups organizing more often and in greater numbers as our rights are attacked?

[Breeze54]

14. Well, it IS Mother's Day on the 13th! That's the point!

Mrs. Sheehan is a Gold Star mother. I'm a Blue Star Mother...or I was!
My son made it home. Her's didn't.

That's the point of the march on the 14th, the day after Mother's Day!!

There is a Mom on tv right this second saying that her son who was just
deployed to Iraq asked his Mom NOT to join any protests in front of the WH!!
And she said that just proves what kind of a man he is! :grr: :grr:
(ABC Local - Boston, MA)

I'm so sick of the pro-war assholes getting TV time!!!


.

[The Cleaner]

15. Yea, I can understand that

:)

[blondie58]

22. now, Breeze54

it is possible that your post wasn't seen by many, as this board moves so fast. I don't think that us DU'ers are quite as apathetic as the general populace.

The sad fact is that the war needs to end NOW and Bush and Cheney need to be removed from office.

[TheWatcher]

8. Why isn't this Top News?

Because the Media is bought and paid for and you don't live in a Free Country anymore.

It's that simple.

[The Count]

11. It should be top news here.

[Kurovski]

16. AT&T, for one, should be dissolved.

They are slam-happy, and that's just for starters.

This pisses me off.

[lostnfound]

17. Check out this similar law passed in Texas in 2003.

So often the Republicans lately try to 'cover their bases' by playing their game at state levels first. I thought it was significant when the state of Texas passed a similar law in 2003. Check out my journal entry at the time:

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/lostnfound/20
"My state passed a 2003 law protecting telecoms from suits; did yours?"

[Lasher]

18. That's quite a find

I imagine this same thing happened in many other states. It would have been easy at the time to slip this to your favorite state GOP legislature and watch it sail quietly through under cover of flagwaving galore.

[cyberpj]

19. K&R.

[Trillo]

20. Impeach already!

So the Justice Department, part of the Executive branch, is writing ("drafting") legislation.

Why is that constitutional?

This must be part of the reason why Bush presumably wanted to have the attorneys in the Justice Department like Lam fired.

[flyarm]

21. K&R THX..SENT OUT ALL OVER ..WE HAVE NO MEDIA!! EOM

[shance]

23. The War on "terrorism" is on us. Bush is recruiting Neighborhood watches, etc. to spy on Americans

Since the enactment of the Patriot Act in 2001, reports of organized harassment and stalking have skyrocketed.

Time to protect and take back our communities from the now apparent harassment/spying tactics being inflicted by this Administration in the name of "national security" and "terrorism".


When Americans Are Encouraged to Stalk other Americans At Home

Organized Harassment and stalking of activists is being promoted under the radar by government agencies and corporations

Organized stalking enjoys a long and sordid history.

It was a part of the KKK’s infamous lynching campaign that lasted well into the the twentieth century, was called Jew Baiting prior to the Holocaust, was perfected by the East German secret police who were called the Stasi, was called “Rat F’ing” by the Nixon administration, and has also been known as Blacklisting, McCarthyism, Cointelpro, The Red Scare, Cause Stalking, Stalking By Proxy, and The Politics of Personal Destruction.

People ranging from activists (democrat and republican) to whistle blowers to women who have dared to break up with abusive partners are being targeted. Terrorist Gang Stalking is a form of abuse designed to control, intimidate, and ultimately destroy.

Nobody is immune. Terrorist Gang Stalking is an equal opportunity form of torture.

Because of it’s covert nature Gang Stalking is well known among those who are targeted by it and those who practice it as America’s “dirty little secret”.

In the United States those in power can’t legally imprison or torture those who oppose them politically or who threaten to expose crime, greed and corruption.

But some people with power and money can have those they hate targeted for gang stalking until they commit suicide, are set up and jailed, become homeless, or are forced into prostitution.

The point of gang stalking is to marginalize a person who has been labeled a threat by driving them to insanity, poverty, or suicide.

Experts estimate that one out of every 12 women will be stalked within her lifetime and one out of every 45 men will be stalked in his. If this epidemic is allowed to continue unabated, in ten years everyone in the United States will either be stalked or know someone who is being stalked.

Terrorist Gang Stalking is a tool employed by fascist type individuals and their recruits who seek to quash freedom of speech along many other Constitutional rights.
Please join us in the fight to expose and stop this insidious crime.

www.starfishgirl.org

[Nikki Stone1]

24. kick and recommend

:kick:

[Joe Fields]

25. Congress won't allow it. If they do, I swear to god I'm moving to Canada.

[Blackhatjack]

26. This is institutionalized corruption of the highest order...

First it was immunity for pharmaceutical companies and their vaccines.

Now it is the telecom companies who are violating everyone's constitutional rights by handing over records without a court order.

It is unforgivable.