To those who say the Surveillance State and erosion of liberties will never end, I say this:

[grasswire]

The people have the power to defund it. Stop it on a dime.

Ultimately, we have the power to defund it. Do we have the will? Do we have the energy and momentum to force this, through Congressional elections?

It's now or never.

And that ought to be incentive for the fight of our lives in 2016.

[Thinkingabout]

1. It isn't going to happen.

[grasswire]

4. Haha.

You have some inside knowledge about its perpetuity? Or are you just riffing?

[JonLP24]

5. Court Ruling on N.S.A.’s Data Collection Jolts Both Defenders and Reformers

WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court ruling that the National Security Agency’s bulk collection of phone records is illegal has scrambled bipartisan efforts to overhaul the program, emboldening those who say the efforts do not go far enough and undermining Senate Republican leaders who want to keep the current program in place.

Although both chambers of Congress are under Republican control, only the House has coalesced around a bipartisan effort to make substantial changes to the government’s bulk data collection, while the Senate has grown more divided in light of the court’s decision. Emblematic of that, the three declared Senate Republicans running for the White House have adopted different positions on a path forward.

“The sacrifice of our personal liberty for security is and will forever be a false choice,” Senator Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky, wrote for Time magazine, vowing to block even a short-term extension of the Patriot Act, under which phone data has been collected. “And I refuse to relinquish our constitutional rights to opportunistic and overreaching politicians.”

In the face of such disarray, federal law enforcement officials appear braced to lose some of their power, at least temporarily. “I don’t like losing any tool in our toolbox, but if we do, we press on,” said James B. Comey, the F.B.I. director. “I hope it doesn’t go away, but if it does, we press on.”

The House next week is expected to overwhelmingly approve legislation, known as the USA Freedom Act, that ends the N.S.A.’s bulk data collection program, instead allowing such data to be held by telecommunications companies, accessible only with a court order.

But backers of the program, led by Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the majority leader, and Senator Richard M. Burr, Republican of North Carolina and chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, remain defiant that it will not be changed. Both dismissed the court’s findings.

“The idea that somehow we wrote the law in a way that didn’t provide that statutory language?” Mr. Burr said. “That is a joke.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/09/us/politics/court-ruling-on-nsa-data-collection-jolts-both-defenders-and-reformers.html

From yesterday

[MaggieD]

8. The rethug USSC will bless it

You can bet on that.

[Thinkingabout]

9. You gave the answer

Although both chambers of Congress are under Republican control, only the House has coalesced around a bipartisan effort to make substantial changes to the government’s bulk data collection, while the Senate has grown more divided in light of the court’s decision. Emblematic of that, the three declared Senate Republicans running for the White House have adopted different positions on a path forward.

There will be changed in Section 215 and relevant will be changed. Most in Congress are given security briefings and know what is happening.

[JonLP24]

10. The court's ruling

It could be reversed or a variety of many things can happen depending on the sort of people win the elections not just those who simply campaign on "our constitution works" rather than "they keep us safe" or cut to the chase "Bush was right".

The fact that Nancy Pelosi was briefed on many NSA & CIA programs including torture isn't comforting I'm not sure most are briefed but there a members like Wyden who do gain access and are opposed.

[truedelphi]

15. Your reply explains in full why it is that Rumsfeld, Cheney and George W

Were never to be prosecuted for their involvement into lying this country into war agaisnt the people of Iraq.

Too many Democratic leaders had their hands bloodied as well.

Both Pelosi and Di Feinstein would have had to be indicted along with them.

And that was never going to happen.

[SamKnause]

2. We the people do not have the power to force

our government to do anything.

Our government intentionally lies to push the agendas

that their puppet masters want enforced.

Our country would not be in the shape it is in, if we

the people had a voice.

Only corporations, the military industrial complex, and Wall Street

have a say in the U.S. government.

[grasswire]

7. Congress still has the power of the purse.

And we have the power to elect Congress to do our will. If we will exert that power.

The key is solidarity.

[SamKnause]

11. The rule of law no longer applies in the U.S.

That is how the power of we the people has been usurped.

The FEC has admitted the likelihood of laws being enforced for the

elections of 2016 are slim.

There is corruption in every branch of our government, this in turn

allows corporations, the MIC, and Wall Street free rein to write the laws

that will affect we the people.

The U.S. government doesn't even follow international law.

[grasswire]

13. ...and what are you going to do about this?

Do you accept it?

Or do YOU consider some ways to change things?

[Octafish]

3. Bernie Sanders has dared broach this very subject.

Dismantling the Police State is first step toward restoring Justice. American people are ready, of all political stripes.

President Bernie Sanders Would Dismantle NSA SpyingHillary Clinton is reluctant to take a clear stance on mass surveillance. But Sanders has no problem knocking the spy agency’s “Orwellian” programs.

BY DUSTIN VOLZ
National Journal, May 1, 2015

Bernie Sanders is running for president for many reasons, and you're going to hear about a lot of them on the campaign trail.

Income inequality. Campaign finance reform. Universal health care and climate change.

But quietly—at least relative to his wonk-laden sermons on economic populism—Sanders has for years also been one of the Senate's fiercest critics of the National Security Agency's secretive surveillance operations. And, unlike Hillary Clinton, he's been remarkably clear about where he stands.

The Vermont independent, who officially announced his White House bid on Thursday, is widely viewed by Beltway types as more of a debate-stage prop to bounce liberal ideas off Clinton on her march toward an inevitable Democratic primary victory. Polling has routinely placed Sanders in the single digits among Democratic voters. But while progressives are hopeful he can serve as an Elizabeth Warren surrogate and challenge Clinton on Wall Street reform, Sanders' candidacy also offers an opportunity to force Clinton to talk more concretely about domestic surveillance—something he has not minced words about since the Edward Snowden disclosures began in 2013.

"Kids will grow up knowing that every damn thing that they do is going to be recorded some place in a file, and I think that will have a very Orwellian and very inhibiting impact on the way we live our lives," Sanders told MSNBC's Chris Hayes just days after the initial batch of Snowden files emerged. "I want our law enforcement people to be vigorous in going after terrorists. But I happen to believe they can do that without disregarding the Constitution of the United States or the civil liberties of the American people."

SOURCE: http://www.nationaljournal.com/tech/president-bernie-sanders-would-dismantle-nsa-spying-20150501

PS: Great to read ya, grass!

[MaggieD]

6. Actually our priority in 2016

Needs to be electing a Democratic president. Otherwise all three branches of government will be controlled by rethugs. If you think things are screwed up now today will look like good times if that happens.

[grasswire]

14. We have had a Democratic president, FWIW

What we need is a Democratic president who is not a de facto Republican.

And a majority of the Congress.

[MaggieD]

16. He is not even close to a de facto Republican

Good lord, what a silly thing to say.

[truedelphi]

12. If our votes ever count, then it could happen.

First step is weeding out the Fascistic Corporate controlled candidates, and seeing their names replaced with true progressives on the ballot.

Second step is making sure that the elections are held in different manner. No more candidates conceding within 24 hours of a crooked vote count.

[libdem4life]

17. Bernie is our best, maybe last, chance. n/t