UPDATED BELOW
Firedoglake and Glenn Greenwald have the goods on the FISA Amendments Act that Stainy Whore is trying to ram through Congress. It’s a disgusting, but well-known story: Stainy, who’s up to his ears in nearly $100,000 in telecom funds is pushign a bill that extends retroactive immunity to AT&T, Verizon, and all the other usual suspects who willingly broke the law to tap our phones.
I think we know what Stainy’s motives are: what we need to do is stop him. And so far, the loudest voice possible, has been nearly completely absent.
That would be Barack Obama, who not only has yet to take action, but has supported Blue Dog and FISA fascist John Barrow in Georgia. The time has come to call upon Obama to TAKE ACTION and live up to his rhetoric that “We are the Chnage We have Been Waiting For”.
I called Mr. Obama’s campaign offices this morning at 866-675-2008, and it was well worth my time.
Tyler (the phone rep) googled greenwald while we were on the phone, and then went to strange bedfellows.
I told Tyler that while I liked Obama and had planned to vote for him, if he let the Stainy Whore FISA Amendments Act pass, it would be a dealbreaker.
“My Fourth Amendment Rights are more important than any individual politician, and we have already raised nearly $200,000 to get Steny Hoyer and anyone else connected with this. Oh and the Ron Paul money-bomb people? The guys who raised $6 million in 24 hours? Yeah, they’re on board with this too: we’re gonna raise a HUGE chunk of change and start running ads in Hoyer’s district and Barrow’s district: we already have them on the air in Carney’s district.”
“Obama has said a lot of stuff about “change we can believe in”, and I was very disappointed to see him record an ad for Barrow, who believes in gutting FISA, when there’s a great progressive, Regina Thomas challenging him. I know that as our nominee, Obama could take Steny Hoyer and John Rockefeller aside and put an immediate stop to this, and I would like to see him do so. Obama says he’s a candidate for change, but all those words mean NOTHING without action.
“Thanks for bringing this to my attention: I’m reading the Greenwald piece as we speak,” said Tyler.
“From what I understand they may vote on this as early as tonight or tomorrow,” I replied. “Obama wants to lead the country, well let’s see him lead on our Fourth Amendment rights! He will look strong for standing up to business-as-usual in defense of the Constitution.”
The guy was very responsive and said “We have an excellent messaging system, and I’ll make sure this goes to Policy right away.”
So call: it’s free and it’s worth it. 866-675-2008.
The more we call, the more of an impact we can make. CALL NOW.
866-675-2008: Obama’s Campaign
(202) 224-2854: Obama’s Senate Office
Make Stainy Whore cry at the Majority Leader’s Office 202-225-3130, and at his Congressional office, 202-225-4131.
In an indicator that Stainy’s feeling the heat, the Majority Leader’s office has now scrubbed the phone number from their site: only email is available now, but I saved the number.
UPDATE: Glennzilla has the bill, and worse than you thought:
The provision granting amnesty, Title VIII, has the exact Orwellian title it should have: “Protection of Persons Assisting the Government.” Section 802(a) provides:
[A] civil action may not lie or be maintained in a Federal or State court against any person for providing assistance to an element of the intelligence community, and shall be properly dismissed, if the Attorney General certifies to the district court of the United States in which such action is pending that . . . (4) the assistance alleged to have been provided . . . was —
(A) in connection with intelligence activity involving communications that was (i) authorized by the President during the period beginning on September 11, 2001, and ending on January 17, 2007 and (ii) designed to prevent or detect a terrorist attack, or activities in preparation of a terrorist attack, against the United States” and
(B) the subject of a written request or directive . . . indicating that the activity was (i) authorized by the President; and (ii) determined to be lawful.
So all the Attorney General has to do is recite those magic words — the President requested this eavesdropping and did it in order to save us from the Terrorists — and the minute he utters those words, the courts are required to dismiss the lawsuits against the telecoms, no matter how illegal their behavior was.
Wish I could get me some special rights like that.
It’s time go beyond calling Obama: call your representative and let them know in no uncertain terms that if they vote for this, they will be facing well-funded ads in their districts.
Let’s kick some fascist ass!
Thanks Brendan.
You speak for me.
This is Obama’s big test. His actions on this issue will be worth 100 times more than the pretty words he has been using. This is far more important that any campaign gaffe or pastor controversy. This is his chance to right a massive and historic wrong–the illegal wiretapping of Americans by the president.
If he lets this go through he is a FRAUD.
You are right on the money. This is Obama’s first real “come to Jesus” moment with the progressive world. If he fails the test, his credibility virtually gone.
If he leads on this he will find an army ready to follow.
Fuck that.
There is only one reason why this is being put in this legislation, and that is to protect some supremely dirty facist assholes from the American people.
There are no operators available on Obama’s line. “Please call back later,” they say. I guess people are calling.
send an email
IllinoisAtbarackobama.com
Press 0 and you will get someone.
I just called. The response I got is we’ll get the message to the policy people.
Disappointed Again: Dems are right in lockstep with the Imperial Presidency.
AWFUL PRECEDENT.
Don’t call the campaign office – they have no clue what to do!
Obama is a Senator. His office will know what this is about. Call his SENATE office. Fax his SENATE office. This has everything to do with pending legislation. Put the pressure on THERE.
And calling isn’t good when you want to make a very specific point. SEND THEM A COPY OF THIS POST AND COMMENTS BY FAX:
Washington D.C. Office
713 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-2854
(202) 228-4260 fax
(202 228-1404 TDD
Email our office
Chicago Office
John C. Kluczynski Federal Office Building
230 South Dearborn St.
Suite 3900 (39th floor)
Chicago, Illinois 60604
(312) 886-3506
(312) 886-3514 fax
Toll free: (866) 445-2520
(for IL residents only)
Springfield Office
607 East Adams Street
Springfield, Illinois 62701
(217) 492-5089
(217) 492-5099 fax
Marion Office
701 North Court Street
Marion, Illinois 62959
(618) 997-2402
(618) 997-2850 fax
Moline Office
1911 52nd Avenue
Moline, Illinois 61265
(309)736-1217
(309)736-1233 fax
I thought Obama was a leader, a fighter, and a protector of the Constitution. I guess I was wrong and I put my HOPE not in the right place. I sent an email to a guy I know high up on his staff and told him the importance of this issue to his progressive, activist base. Who knows if it will help.
http://obama.senate.gov/press/080212-obama_statement_122/
This is from February 12.
When you call or write, as I intend to do, quote this and hold his feet to the fire about it.
Et tu, Obambe?
“Moving to the center = giving corporations a pass for blatant lawbreaking.”
What a sad, sad pass we are in.
I am sending emails to several different addresses for Obama, expressing my extreme disappointment for his capitulation on FISA.
Obama is indeed a fraud. We no longer need to peer into his soul to divine his intentions; he has made it very clear through his actions.
Obama does not care about liberty or the constitution. He has no core values except his own personal aggrandizement. How would a patriot act? He would stand up and denounce Obama as scoundrel and a coward.
I am dreading Obama’s pretty little speech about the constitution and how he supports the 4th Amendment. Lies. Don’t believe a word that comes out of this traitor’s mouth. I already know his stupid words will make me want to throw up.
Obama had a chance to actually stand up for the constitution and he chose the coward’s approach. He is a traitor to the constitution. Just another weak-kneed lily-livered Democrat scared of his own fucking shadow.
We have a duty to stop traitors to the constitution from setting foot in the White House. Time to dump Obama and go back to the drawing board. We need real liberals to stand up for the constitution. This is non-negotiable.
And I just wondered if Senator Clinton will step into the void. There are still super delegates out there that can make a difference. If I were a super delegate I would be putting pressure on all candidates to stop this travesty.
Oh, you’re nuts if you think Hillary would do anything but side with the corporations re this.
Earth to Obamabots! Don’t confuse me with you. I do not latch on to a politician’s personality and become a fan of his so that everything he does is golden. You’re a partisan that has been blinded by Obama’s poitical skills.
Obama has the power to stop this tragedy and he chose not to do so. Obama at least could have tried to stand up for the 4th Amendment but hasn’t. He is a coward and a fraud.
I have no illusions about Hillary. I expected this from Hillary and thought we had a better shot of defending our liberties with Obama. I was wrong and should have stood by my initial impulse which was to distrust Obama. He is a fraud.
I am for any politician that will stop this. Whether its Bob Barr, Barack Obama, or John McCain. This is more important that the horse race game you are stuck in.
If Hillary promises to fight as hard as she can on this I will support her despite my other misgivings. I’m pragmatic that way. I try to get things done instead of banking on hope alone.
you mean “thus far has chosen not to do so”.
I’m no Obamatron myself, but give the guy a break. Let’s see what happens tonight and tomorrow.
And by the way, I’ve called the campaign and the senate office at least twice today.
And I have called as well.
Look. I gave him a shot. It’s too late. You guys can buy the excuses if you want to be intentionally naive. That he really oppossed it but is just too busy to do anything. Or that he can’t tell Reid of Hoyer what to do. Or that he taped his endorsement of the Georgia traitor without thinking about FISA. It’s bullshit. Anyone with an ounce of polical acumen knows that Obama is trying to tack to the right and he wants this issue to go away. Meaning he will sell the 4th Amendment if he thinks it will help him politically.
I don’t know. Maybe the reaction will be enough to force Obama to change his mind. But don’t be suckered into assuming his intentions are pure. That’s the real sad thing about the nominating process this year. Democrats have turned politics into a personality-based game. It’s like they simply let Chris Mathews and the other horse race gamblers take control of the process.
Obama has already shown his true colors by doing nothing on this issue. We’ll see how much he responds to pressure but this is a wake up call to liberty minded progressives that they can’t trust Obama.
SF Hawk guy, you are beginning to look transparent. When she had the opportunity to vote against the FISA capitulation last time she chose not to, even though she was in DC at the time. Obama did vote against it, and did issue a pretty fiery rebuke of it.
Oh come on – give the guy a break. Do you have any clue how many seconds – not minutes, not hours – SECONDS, he has to devote to this issue today?
You have no idea what you’re talking about. Pressure the guy but don’t assume he’ll do the wrong thing.
You give me a break. Are you really so naive to think that protecting the 4th Amendment is a small issue that he should only devote seconds on? Plus, this has been going on for years, it didn’t just happen today. He and his colleagues have had a long time to think about this. The facts are clear and not in dispute. You have to be a fool not to see the importance of illegal warrantless spying on the American people.
It’s obvious to those of us that didn’t fall prey to the cult of Obama (cough, cough) that he is a normal politician. I am all for pressuring him. I have been. I supported him reluctantly. He was my 3rd choice. I am willing to be his ally if he simply does the minimum to defend the constitution–which means no illegal warrantless spying. It’s a pretty simple construct that patriots throughout this country’s history have understood. It’s evidently lost on Obamabots.
I gave Obama the benefit of the doubt. You would have to be a fool to still be peering into Obama’s soul and to somehow think that he make it a priority to protect the 4th amendment and our other liberties. I hope this pressure works. But make no mistake about it; Obama is no patriot and will only do the right thing on our core liberties if pressured to do so. This changes everything. Obama is no longer an dependable ally he needs to be watched like a Clinton or a Lieberman.
You (and Booman and other “liberals”) have given Obama a free pass so yet again another Democrat feels free to piss all over our core liberal positions. I’m for any politician that will stand up to this tyranny. You are for tyranny. You’re naive.
Don’t presume what you don’t know. Everyone doesn’t email a copy of everything that happens in DC to you. How do you know that Obama hasn’t privately gone to Hoyer and asked him to drop the compromise and Hoyer said no? In fact, Obama doesn’t even need to. Hoyer already knows what Obama’s position is. So Hoyer is going forward in opposition to Obama. What gives Hoyer the power to do so?
What should Obama do? Have Hoyer arrested? Embarrass him? And then what happens when Hoyer gives a hearty FU to Obama and pushes the legislation anyway? Much of what is politics is the appearance of power. Obama is not very powerful yet. Remember, two weeks ago he won the closest primary in U.S. history. The DLC could still make things uncomfortable for Obama between now and the convention, and then through November.
I think it’s all well and good to let Obama know what you want and let everyone in Congress know what you want. But please have some kind of sense about who has what power. That’s why I reprinted that quote by Jim Garrison earlier today. The reason why Congress has been bending over for the spy agencies and their allies for decades is because the spy agencies HAVE MORE POWER THAN CONGRESS. That’s the way it is. That’s why the Steny Hoyers exist.
Why not call the political opposition in Zimbabwe wusses? They’re afraid to campaign. They don’t have enough poll workers. They must be wusses. Get it?
Yes. It all may be futile and the Steny Hoyers and the Obamas may be beholden to certain powers (and thanks for the Garrison piece). But the only chance we have of making Obama beholden to us instead of these powers is by exercising democratic influence over him. When it comes down to it–it is up to us to punish our politicians for these gross violations of our civil liberties. And quess what? I just found out that my only hope of salvaging some form of justice just died because Mr. Obama has a busy schedule. He can’t be bothered to fight for the 4th Amendment. His brainiac advisers say that would make him look “weak” .
And really, this is about old-fashioned politics. You bang heads. I thought Obama’s people were going around bragging about how its Obama’s party now? What happened to that? Obama is already making big changes within the party, people like Booman inform us. Didn’t Obama just put a chief of staff in for his future V.P. choice? That seems like a creative use of his power to send a message to his party. How about he use some creative thinking to figure out a way to punish those in the party want to erase the 4th Amendment because Georgie Bush will call them names unless they do?
Oh, here’s a hint on where Obama can start. He can NOT film a spot endorsing one of the Blue Dogs that is fighting for the Bush and Cheney FISA bill. That’s one subtle way he could put pressure on his party to not cave in on this. He can also come out forcefully today and condemn this measure–for starters.
He can do a lot. But I suspect that most Democratic partisans will instead focus their creative energies on making us all forget this traitorous act.
And btw, that’s not fair to the opposition in Zimbabwe to even mention the Democratic party in the same sentence. They have politicians risking their lives to fight for their freedoms . . . all we got is these rats.
SF Hawkguy, it’s absolutely fair to compare Zimbabwe to the U.S. The difference that the power is less easily seen here.
Like I keep saying, until you recognize who has what power, trying to blame Obama for stopping what he may not be able to stop is premature. Do I wish that all DLC Democrats and assclown conservatives disappeared from the Democratic Party and were replaced by liberals and progressives? Of course. It’s just not going to happen because Obama looks to get the nomination.
As an aside, if Obama keeps to his word and has his people do investigations after taking office he can look into what’s been going on. He can work to stop this illegal spying. But if he doesn’t win in November then it’s up to John McCain. BOHICA.
Read the TPM headline: Dems Cave on Surveillance. That takes 3 seconds and what more do you need to know?
What will BooMan say about this?
this has me madder than l’ve been in a long time. after months of making phone calls, sending emails and faxes, pounding on these people to do nothing more than uphold the rule of law and the constitution; to have it come down to this bullshit…sponsored by the fucking demoRAT’s…words cannot do justice to what l’m feeling today.
according to dday at orange julius :
“They’re going to bundle FISA with the War Supplmental – UPDATED: war funding today, FISA tomorrow?”
wtf is pelosi thinking? slap this sob down and slap him down hard.
as for obama, if they do this, all bets are off.
beer:30 came early today.
l’m outta here.
If you are an IL resident, call his office.
Keep trying.
Tell him to SHOW LEADERSHIP and OPPOSE THIS BILL. BE EMPHATIC. SPEAK IN CAPS, BUT DO NOT GET ANGRY.