Senator Byrd on domestic eavesdropping-please sign petition!

[babylonsister]

Please sign petition!

http://www.byrd2006.com/action/wiretap_petition.cfm

Dear xxxx:

Back in March, I introduced legislation to investigate the President's domestic spying program. I was -- and I am -- in agreement with the Constitutional scholars, legal experts, and even members of the Republican party who believe that this domestic eavesdropping program is unjustified.

The only way to determine whether the law has been broken is with an independent investigation, which I have called for.

Last week, however, a Republican Senator introduced a bill to legalize the Administration's current and future domestic spying before the Congress or the courts have had a chance to review them. The bill would make judicial review of the Administration's behavior virtually impossible.

The Washington Post has called this bill a "blank check to spy."

I am deeply concerned about the reports of a clandestine programming eavesdropping on Americans without a court order. But I am more concerned with the fundamental changes to our Constitution and our system of checks and balances that would increase the power of the Presidency and remove any checks and balances.

That is why I am asking you to sign my petition to investigate the secret spying. Congress must not rewrite the Constitution and give the Executive Branch unchecked authority before we know the scope of this potentially-illegal activity.

Please sign this petition to preserve your rights and protect the Constitution's checks and balances. We must shed much-needed sunshine on any unlawful or unconstitutional executive intrusions into the lives of ordinary Americans.

If you have already signed the petition, I encourage you to send the petition to friends who may share in our concerns about our cherished Constitutional freedoms. To tell a friend, click here.

No one is suggesting that the threat of terrorist attacks is anything but a real threat, and one that must be the Congress' utmost priority. But the suggestion that the American people will be safer in their homes if they forego their Constitutionally-protected rights is a deliberately deceptive assertion.

The President and those who continue to spy on American citizens believe that we should remain silent while they violate precious freedoms. With this legislation, we can get the facts that have been purposely hidden from the American people and the answers that have been denied.

As always, I thank you for your support in the cause of defending Constitutional freedoms.

Sincerely,



Robert C. Byrd
United States Senator

[arcane1]

1. done, even though doing so will single me out

now the NSA will know who to spy on :)

[w8liftinglady]

10. me,too-they'll be busy

[Dr Fate]

2. Good-but not very consistent with his gushing approval of Alito...

...and cowardly opposition to the filibuster.

So NOW, after the fact, he wants to oppose the concept of a Unitary executive? Better late than never.

I'll support this, but it looks like Byrd wants to have it both ways- doesnt he know Alito will ultimately give Bush's acts a free pass?

[JAYJDF]

3. Just signed it.

It's going to take a whole lot more though.

[CountAllVotes]

4. done - sign the minimum wage one too while you are there

:dem: :kick:

[burythehatchet]

5. .

.

[mntleo2]

6. Done ~ Signed Both n/t

[livvy]

7. Done n/t

[tibbir]

8. Done - thanks for posting.

[babylonsister]

9. Thanks all; that first highlighted paragraph is talking about Specter.

I'm glad Byrd has his number.

[Miss Marmelstein]

11. Thanks for the link...

I signed both.

[pacalo]

12. Done.

[Eric J in MN]

13. Done. NT

NT

[KoKo]

14. done......

[Laurab]

15. Done for both - thank you! n/t

[Eric J in MN]

16. kick

kick

[Vidar]

17. done