or Powell's or me• • •
"Mike and Jon, Jon and Mike—I've known them both for years, and, clearly, one of them is very funny. As for the other: truly one of the great hangers-on of our time."—Steve Bodow, head writer, The Daily Show
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"Who can really judge what's funny? If humor is a subjective medium, then can there be something that is really and truly hilarious? Me. This book."—Daniel Handler, author, Adverbs, and personal representative of Lemony Snicket
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"The good news: I thought Our Kampf was consistently hilarious. The bad news: I’m the guy who wrote Monkeybone."—Sam Hamm, screenwriter, Batman, Batman Returns, and Homecoming
August 03, 2007
Stop The Modification Of FISA
The ACLU is right we should be calling Congress right now (even if you've done so already) to tell them to vote no on a modification of FISA:
The FISA "modernization" bill is actually an administration power grab -- expanding the National Security Agency's access to all of our international telephone and email communications -- regardless of any known connection to terrorists.
The House might even vote this afternoon, so call them now.
Posted at August 3, 2007 03:18 PM | TrackBackI just called Mike Castle's office and a live human was still taking calls in the office. So everyone should definitely give a call.
Posted by: Aunt Deb at August 3, 2007 06:48 PMJonathan, I've just read in the online NYT that the Senate has passed the bill, in part (the report implies) because a letter from McConnell was read aloud on the floor which claimed that FISA judges have been 'frustrated' by the current regulations governing communications between 2 'non-US' communicants routed through US communications systems. Can this possibly be an accurate representation of the way FISA works at the moment? It is my understanding that it is not the location of the communication but the location of the communicants that is of importance in FISA.
Furthermore, it seems to me that most people not doing it must have a rather fanciful idea of how wiretapping works and what it can accomplish, an idea that people like McConnell and Cheney do nothing to dispel. The Senate's inability to stand up against this sort of scare-mongering coupled with silver-bullet answers is very disappointing.
I apologize for posting so many comments, but I just read the 8-03-07 revised version of the FISA modification and I see that surveillance of US persons is part of this. No guidelines as yet, but AG must submit them to Congress and there is to be an audit of compliance to guidelines. That makes it all swell and above board, of course.
But here's a para that is puzzling, under Application Approval:Order -- (D)directs the Federal Government to compensate, at the prevailing rate, a person for providing information, facilities,or assistance pursuant to such order".
"The prevailing rate"??
Posted by: Aunt Deb at August 4, 2007 07:23 AMI have never felt so defeated. Not even after the war resolution vote, not after the Military Commissions Act, never. All it takes to spook Congress once again is a transparently fraudulent "threat" by al Qaeda against Congress "sometime between now and September 11"?
No, sorry. The fix is deeply in. I'm out of the rigged game forever.
Posted by: Nell at August 4, 2007 02:09 PMNell: As an old carnival worker(games) it has been my experience, to BEAT A RIGGED GAME is don't put ANY money on the game and ya win everytime.
STOP PAYING THEM if you want to win.
