Cantwells' response to my concerns about NSA wiretaps.

[icymist]

I emailed my Senator, Maria Cantwell, yesterday about my concerns about Bush using the NSA to spy on Americans. I mentioned that ex-president Carter claims that laws have been broken here. I told Cantwell that our US Constitution is in danger. Nowhere, in my letter was 9/11 mentioned, yet Cantwell invokes this in her response to my concerns. Here's most of the text:

Thank you for contacting me with your concerns about the National Security Agency domestic surveillance program. I appreciate hearing from you on this important matter.



As you may know, a controversy has developed around a domestic intelligence program authorized by President Bush and conducted by the National Security Agency (NSA). Under this program, the NSA eavesdropped on telephone and e-mail communications between American citizens, others living in the United States , and individuals in Afghanistan . These operations were conducted by the NSA without warrants. In addition, the New York Times has reported that the NSA obtained and analyzed large amounts of international phone and internet traffic coming in and out of the United States . As a result, hundreds and perhaps thousands of citizens and other individuals living in the United States have been monitored by NSA based on their suspected links to terrorist organizations such as Al Qaeda since the weeks following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.



I have concerns about the legality of the actions taken by the President and the NSA. The Administration claims that Senate Joint Resolution 23, signed into law on September 18, 2001, provided legal justification for the NSA's surveillance program. However, there is no mention of domestic surveillance in the joint resolution. Reports from the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service have also raised serious questions about the program's legality.



On February 6, 2006 the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on "Wartime Executive Power and the NSA's Surveillance Authority" to investigate all aspects of the domestic surveillance program. This hearing serves as an important investigation into the legality of the program, what type of oversight was involved, and what determinations were used to identify individuals and intercept information.



Please be assured that I will continue to monitor the situation closely, and will follow any developments made on the NSA domestic surveillance program in the Judiciary Committee.


I'm not sure what to make of this. My first thought was that this is a form letter and that Cantwell bought 'the spying is only those in contact with the terrorist' bit. With Senators as complacent as this about our 'war time' president, I fear for the direction our country is moving toward unlimited power to the Executive branch. BTW, Cantwell is up for re-election and another Dem., Mark Wilson, is running against her in the primaries.

[glitch]

1. I am supporting Mark Wilson.

http://www.votemark.org/

[icymist]

4. I'll be supporting Wilson too.

We can't afford to have Democrat-lite in the Senate.

[bettyellen]

2. it's a form letter saying nothing except that she is aware of the issue

a dodge.
i've got a lot of responses like that over the years.

[greekspeak]

10. I got one from Sen. Nelson (FL) after lambasting his yes on cloture

I slammed and cursed him up and down. Then, several days later, I got a form e-mail back from him bragging about how he had voted against Alito. Well whoopitydoo. Why take a stand and show what the Democrats are made of when you can later vote against Alito, like everyone expects anyway, and brag about it. Thanks Mr. Nelson. I hope he doesn't come crying to me if Makeupface Harris the Terra Creata kicks his ass because real Dems are ambivalent toward him.

[leftstreet]

3. "I will continue to monitor the situation"

You do that, Maria.

Every letter she sends boils down to "monitoring" a shitty situation her vote just helped to create. She is worthless. Poor Wilson won't have enough $ to get her seat, so she's effectively handed it to McGavick.

[BR_Parkway]

5. Sounds like she's saying the hearing is over.

[Rose Siding]

6. This says what needed to be said

snip>
I have concerns about the legality of the actions taken by the President and the NSA. The Administration claims that Senate Joint Resolution 23, signed into law on September 18, 2001, provided legal justification for the NSA's surveillance program. However, there is no mention of domestic surveillance in the joint resolution. Reports from the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service have also raised serious questions about the program's legality.

[icymist]

7. A friend once told me "Don't tell me, show me".

When Cantwell says "I will continue to monitor the situation closely" the impression I get is that she'll stand by and watch Bush tear the country down. I hope Senator Feingold leans on her to 'put her money where her mouth is' to sort of say.

[Rose Siding]

9. She's not on the judiciary committee

Thankfully, dems are still cognizant of some of the Senate rules. What did you want her to do in response to your letter?

[icymist]

11. She can show me why I should vote for her in the coming primary.

I do remember her voting yes on cloture therefore all but ensuring Alitos' confirmation to SCOTUS. She needs to be expressing more outrage about illegal surveillance, not sending form letters to those she represents who are concerned about the erosion of their civil rights and liberties.

[gratuitous]

8. Well, I'm reassured

The junior minority party senator from a far western state is going to "monitor the situation closely." What does that mean, exactly? Since you can't convene any committee hearings or subpoena any witnesses under the Senate Rules, I suspect that "monitoring" will mean sitting on your keister trying to be unobtrusive.

Get up, stand up, Maria! Or there won't be any Democrats standing up for you.