ACLU executive director: Specter bill "worse than the Patriot Act"

[marmar]

Worse Than the PATRIOT Act
Submitted by davidswanson on Tue, 2006-07-18 19:07. Spying
By Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director, ACLU

You may have read headlines calling the Cheney-Specter bill on surveillance oversight a "compromise." But make no mistake, this deal is nothing short of a complete capitulation to the Bush administration.

The bill includes legalized assaults on our civil liberties worse even than the sweeping powers ceded to the government by the Patriot Act, and would write into law what is now the administration's belief that the president can wiretap any American he wants without any check.

From the Supreme Court to people on the street, America is starting to wake up to the Bush administration's abuse of power. Unfortunately, Congress hasn't gotten the message and is poised to rubber stamp a dangerous agenda that is doing real harm to our democracy.

Not only is Congress considering NSA "oversight" legislation that would hand the president vast new powers—only days after the Defense Department stated that it will comply with the Geneva Conventions regarding the treatment of detainees—a top Justice Department lawyer urged Congress to "ratify" the military commissions that the Supreme Court invalidated two weeks ago.

The headlines are full of White House spin claiming that Senator Arlen Specter's (R-PA) bill on surveillance is a successful compromise between Congress and the White House. Of course, Senator Specter would like you to believe he is taking a stand on the Bush's administration's actions because he knows that is what most Americans want Congress to do. But in reality these ill-advised proposals give the president a blank check to spy on Americans without a warrant and without mandatory judicial review of his actions.

You can help us get out the truth about this bill and the dangers it poses to our basic rights. Please take a few minutes to contact your newspaper right now. Tell them that this "compromise" actually compromises our rights and gives a blank check to the president.

It is very important that the American people know that the bill that is supposed to rein in surveillance of innocent citizens actually includes:

The rest of the article is at: http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/13084

[marmar]

1. Link to tell the FCC to get the spies off your phone:

https://secure.aclu.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=DTT_FCC_spies_off_line&JServSessionIdr004=tecc7v6qh1.app20a

[me b zola]

3. Thanks for the link, marmar

:kick:

[pberq]

2. Kick & Nominated

[stevedeshazer]

4. There are a lot of Arlen Specter defenders on DU

Where are you now?

I have come to expect no less from Magic Bullet Specter.

[Czolgosz]

6. Specter is a tool! Being less crazy than Sanitorum is not a qualification

[Nothing Without Hope]

5. Why isn't this vital issue getting more press, even in progressive blogs?

I see hundreds of anti-Lieberman pieces - I'm for Lamont too, but that is hardly the only issue or even the only candidate that needs urgent attention. This Specter horror seems to be going right under the radar while people laugh about the latest Lieberman story. Hello, people? WAKE UP!!!!!

This bill would basically give Bush imperial powers and destroy most of our rights. Important, much?

[marmar]

7. De acuerdo...

This is a huge issue - it would make the oligarchy official.

[chill_wind]

9. A couple of us keep asking the same thing here! (link)

More discussion. Please, guys, see.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x222567

[Zhade]

8. KICK and REC

Sorry, the pro-killing-of-innocent-Lebanese posts are drowning this important news out!

[Pachamama]

10. Worse than the Patriot Act? Could there be worse?

This is scary.... :scared:

[marmar]

11. I know...

The Patriot Act itself needs to be doused in gasoline and torched. :scared:

[TiredNow]

12. I keep thinking I'm going to wake up from this nightmare,

but I keep pinching myself and nothing happens. This is the first I have heard of this new assault on our liberties. Dammit, you know they are trying to get this done so as to basically eliminate the impeachable offense of breaking the FISA laws, or at least stop any further investigations that might screw them in November and `08, while increasing the power of "The Decider".

To quote Albert Finney (sp?) "I'm mad as Hell, and I'm not gonna take it anymore!"

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

[BuyingThyme]

13. Have all of DU's ignorant Specter fans finally gone into hiding?

Kick.