Please call Sen.'s Feinstein and Boxer now and urge them to STOP THE INTEL-PASSED S. 2248. Tell them you OPPOSE the Intelligence Committee bill, but you SUPPORT the Judiciary Committee bill! Although the Judiciary bill is not perfect, it does NOT grant immunity to the telecoms who illegally spied on American citizens.

Even if you call them after the vote has taken place, it is important to let them know how you feel. This bill may have to be reconciled with a House bill in the near future.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein
Phone: (202) 224-3841

Sen. Barbara Boxer
Phone: (202) 224-3553

You can also tell Chris Dodd that you support his filibuster of caving in to Bush's illegal spying on Americans.

Leave Comments in Support of Senator Dodd's Filibuster
http://action.chrisdodd.com/signUp.jsp?key=1639

You can read this great posting by John Tjaden for an update on this situation:
http://sacramentofordemocracy.org/?q=node/view/13045

Cheers,
Bill

----- Original Message -----
From: Blue's Mom
Sent: Monday, December 17, 2007 10:57 AM
Subject: ACTION ALERT - Don't Let the Senate Cave on Telecom Immunity, Domestic Spying


Dear Friends,

I have been watching C-SPAN this morning and saw Senator Dodd give an excellent speech on why this bill should be stopped. I cannot understand why Senator Reid chose to bring the bill from the intelligence comm. to the floor rather than the one from the judiciary comm; the latter bill did not grant immunity for past transactions to the telecom industry. Senator Boxer voted against cloture on the intelligence comm. bill, although emough Democrats voted with the republicans to in fact bring cloture. They are now debating the bill.

It is imperative that we let Senator Feinstein know that we oppose this bill. We should also let Senator Boxer know that we support her efforts.

President Bush has threatened to veto the bill if it doesn't contain immunity. So what?!?!? How long are the Democrats going to sit idly by and let him continue to threaten and bully them. It is time to draw the line in the sand, so please stand up and be counted!!!

----- Original Message -----
From: PFAW Activist Network
Sent: Monday, December 17, 2007 10:47 AM
Subject: Don't Let the Senate Cave on Telecom Immunity, Domestic Spying

Today, the Senate started debate on S. 2248 -- the FISA Amendments Act of 2007. The bill now exists in two versions -- one that was reported out of the Intelligence Committee and one that was offered as an alternative by the Judiciary Committee. The worse of the two -- the Intelligence Committee version, containing retroactive "telecom immunity" -- is the one that will come up first.

Please call your U.S. senators now and urge them to STOP THE INTEL-PASSED S. 2248.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein
Phone: (202) 224-3841

Sen. Barbara Boxer
Phone: (202) 224-3553

Please keep in mind that this legislation is strongly supported by the Bush-Cheney administration. Prioritize your calls accordingly -- for instance, if you have one senator who is a staunch right-wing ally of the administration and one who is a Democrat, you probably want to make sure you call the Democrat first.

You can let us know how your calls went with our online call report form at http://pfaw.kintera.org/CallReport.

Neither version adequately protects Americans' civil liberties, but the Intelligence Committee version is far worse and even includes retroactive immunity for telecom companies that may have broken the law in assisting with the NSA's domestic wiretapping program. This is adding insult to injury by insulating these companies, as well as the administration, from accountability for possible lawbreaking. It's unacceptable.

There will be several procedural votes starting this afternoon, and we encourage all senators to stop this bill in its current form any way they can. Sen. Chris Dodd has appropriately threatened a filibuster of any bill containing telecom immunity. But there are many more problems to deal with than just an immunity provision. The Senate needs to:

Support individualized warrants and restore real protections against interceptions of communications of American citizens inside the United States;
Push for oversight of past illegal surveillance and recognize that oversight can increase accountability without jeopardizing national security and exposing classified documents; and
Adopt a reasonable sunset provision and make sure that the next administration is obligated to review the law and respond to continually voiced concerns regarding government surveillance.
Americans are overwhelmingly opposed to both warrantless surveillance and telecom immunity. But too many senators don't seem to be paying attention to that. Attorney General Michael Mukasey and Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell have met secretly with Senate leadership. Considering we know the administration basically wants a permanent extension of the so-called Protect America Act, these secret talks are right to make you nervous.

Call your senators now and tell them to:

PROTECT your constitutional rights;
REJECT telecom immunity;
Vote NO on the Intel-passed S. 2248!

Sen. Dianne Feinstein
Phone: (202) 224-3841

Sen. Barbara Boxer
Phone: (202) 224-3553

Thank you.

-- Your Allies at People For the American Way