Thursday, June 19, 2008
The fix is in for retroactive telco immunity
UPDATE: Here's the ACLU's hard-hitting summary.
UPDATE: Here's Glenn Greenwald's critique in Salon.
The FISA Telco Immunity and Hiding Bushco Outrages Bill is back. Congress is about to give away out rights as Americans to the telcos again, in much the same way it almost did in February. [link] [link] [link] In so doing, it will prevent trials that would certainly expose Bush Administration violations of civil rights of American Citizens.
Congress seems to think its job is to defend the telcos and the Administration, not the Constitution.
The house vote is tomorrow. The Senate vote will surely follow soon.
The new bill is framed as a compromise. The "compromise" is that a District Court is the final arbiter, but all a District Court Judge must do is record that the Attorney General certified that previous illegal acts by telephone companies were
Wash Post article here. Text of so-called compromise here [.pdf], see pp 88-93 for the immunity provisions.
Call your congressperson NOW.
UPDATE: Here's Glenn Greenwald's critique in Salon.
The FISA Telco Immunity and Hiding Bushco Outrages Bill is back. Congress is about to give away out rights as Americans to the telcos again, in much the same way it almost did in February. [link] [link] [link] In so doing, it will prevent trials that would certainly expose Bush Administration violations of civil rights of American Citizens.
Congress seems to think its job is to defend the telcos and the Administration, not the Constitution.
The house vote is tomorrow. The Senate vote will surely follow soon.
The new bill is framed as a compromise. The "compromise" is that a District Court is the final arbiter, but all a District Court Judge must do is record that the Attorney General certified that previous illegal acts by telephone companies were
". . . designed to detect or prevent a terrorist attack, or activities in preparation for a terrorist attack, against the United States."My tomato garden is designed to grow gold nuggets. My outhouse is designed to fly. I hereby certify. Let me off the hook judge.
Wash Post article here. Text of so-called compromise here [.pdf], see pp 88-93 for the immunity provisions.
Call your congressperson NOW.
Technorati Tags: Bushco, Constitution, FourthAmendment, Telco, Wiretap
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