Friday, August 18, 2006
Re: Cheney's Anti-American "Sun God" Law
Here is a call-to-action I received from True Majority, in response to Dick Cheney's attempts to overturn yesterday's court ruling against the administration's illegal domestic spying.0 comments
Dick just wants to do what Dick just damned well wants to do whenever and however Dick damn well wants to do it. And if you don't like it, "Go fuck yourself."
I've taken True Majority's core letter and, as they urge you to do, doctored it before sending it on to Hillary and Chuck.
I post it here.
Subject: Defeat Cheney's Spies
The Republican Party's leadership continues its attempts to destroy all Constitutional authorities held by the legislative and judicial branches, and to cede all, total and absolute power to the executive branch, thereby creating the exact model of government we fought the Cold War against the Soviets to defeat, as well as the hot war against the Nazi Party which had gained control of Germany.
This is impending totalitarianism in clear detail. No spin can help.
In the Senate, S. 2453, which can also be called the "Sun God" law, would enshrine in federal law the president's claim of inherent, exclusive power to wiretap Americans at will and indefinitely, without any individual, independent check. It would also empower GOP-led spies to monitor Americans' e-mails.
The GOP claims the Cheney-Specter and Cheney-Wilson bills are "surveillance we can live with," but that merely means that they, themselves, have no problem with these changes. Their statement should absolutely be taken literally. The American populace CANNOT live with these measures. The fact is these so-called compromises vastly expand the Republicans' power to spy on Americans without any individualized warrant, and surveillance would be approved without a court ever knowing the names of Americans to be spied on, or whether they've done anything wrong.
This would give the Karl Rove-run political wing full control to ferret out any and all opposition discourse, which can then be used along with the Patriot Act to snatch opposition leaders and imprison them without anyone knowing, and without recourse.
These Cheney-backed proposals would rewrite the provisions of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to allow permanent and secret warrantless surveillance of Americans' international communications. Other statutes cover the same territory for domestic surveillance. But these rewrites aren't necessary, because FISA already gives intelligence agencies the power to begin a wiretap in an emergency and then get court approval if an American is aiding a foreign terrorist.
FISA doesn't require the administration to "hang up" if an al Qaeda operative calls someone in America. If the administration wants to target the communications of a U.S. person who is conspiring with al Qaeda, it can easily get a warrant from the FISA court. In fact, FISA has approved over 20,000 surveillance orders in the past 27 years, and turned down fewer than .0005 such requests.
So, this clearly has nothing to do with fighting "terror," or "terrorists" or "al Qaeda." This merely is to fend off the swelling anger of 60+% of the country's population who think they've screwed everything up and should be shown the door.
The stink of fear on this administration is overpowering.
An increasingly fascistic and desperate White House needs to denude FISA and the FISA court of ANY power or control over administration actions. They must wipe out ALL efforts at oversight on the part of non-administration figures.
As is obvious to all, there is no reason to go around the court unless the administration is hiding something. The only question to debate is: Just what are they so afraid of? Just what ARE they hiding? The nation's experience with this White House teaches us that they are ALWAYS hiding something. To the detriment of every American citizen. They live in constant fear.
Who would want to monitor people who are doing nothing wrong—which is fundamentally contrary to our core Fourth Amendment rights—unless you were doing something you knew was so wrong that you'd be hung for it?
This administration does live in fear.
Of being caught.
I respectfully request, in the name of all that America has come to mean to its citizens and people around the world over the centuries, that you work to defeat these Dick Cheney-forged measures in the Senate.
Thank you for your patriotism in these dark days.
Sincerely,
Me, address, etc.
Aside from all that, there ain't much goin' on.
posted by Gotham 3:02 PM
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