Forward Oregon

Senator Chris Dodd’s courageous stand against FISA legislation that would grant telecom companies immunity for violating our privacy and handing over millions of our phone records without a warrant. Senator Dodd’s quest to restore the rule of law reaches another crucial juncture today, as we must defeat a cloture vote by Roadblock Republican Senator Mitch McConnell.

The great thing is you can help! Senator Dodd said this while on the floor of the Senate on Friday:

For several months now, I’ve listened to the building frustration over this immunity and this administration’s campaign of lawlessness. I’ve seen it in person, in mail, online—the passion and eloquence of citizens who are just fed up. They’ve inspired me more than they know.

As someone who occasionally gets discouraged that my voice is only through working on elections, to hear Sen. Dodd talk about how the public encouraged him to stand up is inspiring and restores a lot of lost faith that those phone calls to my senators get heard.

Oregon Democratic Senate Candidate Jeff Merkley is also doing his part to step up the public pressure. Merkley has started a citizen petition in support of Senator Dodd’s impressive stand that will be delivered to Senator Ron Wyden, already one of the good guys, and Gordon Smith, who is definately not but might consider switching sides to save his electoral butt. The petition reads:

Under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), telecommunications companies turned over the records of millions of American citizens. These records were released with no warrants and no judicial oversight. Only President Bush, his closest advisors and the telecommunications companies know the extent of this warrant less surveillance.

Now, the Bush Administration and some members of Congress are pushing a new FISA bill that would provide legal amnesty for those companies that turned over records. This amnesty for telecom companies would shield them from any legal accountability for these actions.

Congress must stand up and protect the rights of American citizens. They must restore the balance of power by returning oversight to the judiciary. The courts, not Congress, should decide what is legal.

We call upon Senator Ron Wyden and Senator Gordon Smith to stand in support of Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut and his filibuster of this amnesty. Senators Wyden and Smith should help Senator Dodd protect the Fourth Amendment and ensure that surveillance of Americans is no longer conducted without oversight.

Join the fight by signing the petition and by electing a US Senator like Jeff Merkley to the United States Senate, so that in the future we will have more senators who will stand with Dodd to protect the rule of law.

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Tags: OR-Sen, Jeff Merkley, Chris Dodd, FISA, Gordon Smith, Ron Wyden, Mitch McConnell