FISA- Write Your Senator

It may be futile, the deal may be done, but please, go to the web sites for your two Senators and register your strong opposition to the House's capitulation to the Bush Administration on FISA.

Contact forms and telephone numbers for reaching your senator are here.

Try to make these points:

• The previous FISA bills that the Bush Administration opposed had provisions for retroactive approvals of wiretap requests.
• The FSA court does not have a long record of rejecting applications for wiretaps.
• In a nation that operates by the rule of law, you do not get to break the law just because the President says you can (laws are not just for little people).
• The telecom companies have lots of lawyers, they knew the requests were not legitimate.
• The courts are the best place to determine whether or not the telecom companies broke the law and they can easily afford the litigation (this isn't an action against a blind newsy).
• And if you want, throw in comments that it was things such as this sort of overreaching government power grab that caused us to kick out the British 230 years ago, and you can throw in a reference to Ben Franklin's comment abut the false choice of sacrificing freedom for safety.

Try to keep it pleasant and professional (save the invective for your blog). But feel free to lambaste them if they vote wrong.

As for your congressman, if he or she are one of the weasels who voted for the Surrender Our Liberties Bill, let them have it. This is a letter that the Ornery Bastard sent.

If your congressman stood up for the Constitution, write them and let them know that you appreciate their vote. This is what I sent mine:

I am proud of you for your vote on the FISA bill. It takes real courage to stand up for the causes of freedom and liberty when the opponents are beating the drum of fear.

Thank you for standing up for the Constitution.

Very truly yours,

And above all, feel free to contact the Democratic Party and tell them off (but try to keep it clean).