MoveOn is asking us to phone Obama campaign regarding FISA

[Eric J in MN]

From http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/06/22/moveon-to-obama-keep-your-word-filibuster-telecom-immunity/

On Friday, House Democrats caved to the Bush administration and passed a bill giving a get-out-of-jail-free card to phone companies that helped Bush illegally spy on innocent Americans

This Monday, the fight moves to the Senate. Senator Russ Feingold says the “deal is not a compromise; it is a capitulation.” Barack Obama announced his partial support for the bill, but said, “It does, however, grant retroactive immunity, and I will work in the Senate to remove this provision so that we can seek full accountability for past offenses.”

Last year, after phone calls from MoveOn members and others, Obama went so far as to vow to “support a filibuster of any bill that includes retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies.” We need him to honor that promise.

Can you call Senator Obama today and tell him you’re counting on him to keep his word? Ask him to block any compromise that includes immunity for phone companies that helped Bush break the law.

Obama’s presidential campaign: [phone]

[FrenchieCat]

1. Too bad move on is not asking that we call Sen. Reid's office who can keep

the bill off the floor of the Senate.

Does anyone have Move on's phone number? :shrug:

[dailykoff]

2. Good idea.

I'm asking him to vote no on the whole bill.

[FrenchieCat]

3. Who are your senators?

just curious.

[blondeatlast]

17. Crickets, apparently. nt

[dailykoff]

31. I'm hearing two loose screws.

:hi:

[Eric J in MN]

4. I hope Obama votes no on the whole FISA bill.

"FISA Amendments Act of 2008"

[blondeatlast]

18. How 'bout your own Senators? nt

[blondeatlast]

20. I hope you called your senators with the passion you've shown in this thread. nt

[slipslidingaway]

5. Thanks and kick n/t

[Eric J in MN]

9. You're welcome. NT

NT

[dmr]

6. I'll call in the morning -

I've already called and emailed my 2 Senators, Rep, Pelosi, Reid and quite a few others around the country.

I'll be on the phone all the way to the vote - BUT it shouldn't even make it to the floor for a vote. It is a disastrous piece of bullshit.

To say I am upset, worried and angry, and even a bit disillusioned is putting it mildly.

[Occam Bandage]

7. Why isn't MoveOn pushing Harry Reid instead? Obama's only one Senator.

[rodeodance]

27. as the presumptive nom. he is the Leader of the dem party now. He needs to LEAD

[GoldieAZ49]

8. Thank you for posting this - I will call in the AM

it will be handy number to keep

[slinkerwink]

10. Moveon.org needs to push Senator Reid and Durbin on this bill. Obama is technically a junior senator

[wiggs]

11. I'm calling it. Obama reverses and votes against FISA compromise, because:

It's the right thing to do

It will create much more buzz than voting FOR fisa

He doesn't need Pelosi and Reid

His entire theme is about change. This vote comes at an early crossroads point in the campaign. Is he business as usual or independent

It separates him from McCain on an issue easily framed to be unconstitutional and criminal

He previously was against this kind of bill

The outcry has been significant against FISA

It may very likely be fillibustered so there is no vote, except for cloture which could fail

It is another chance for him to take the reins of the party

It is a big opportunity to send a signal

Can't think that Michelle and his two girls would approve of spying on Americans and of the unitary executive

It's not compromise...it's capitulation

[Cha]

13. Hope you call

it, wiggs.

[Eric J in MN]

14. wiggs - did you calll?

If so, how did it go?

[wiggs]

16. Emailed something similar to my DU post. Sent it to the person who sends

me an email everyday (along with 1.5 million other donors) and will look for other places to send it.

[Eric J in MN]

28. OK, thanks. NT

NT

[PassingFair]

33. I called. Told them...

that the money I sent to Act Blue to fight
the FISA bill SHOULD have gone to Obama,
and WILL go to Obama, if he stands up for
our 4th Amendment rights...

[Eric J in MN]

12. I just phoned and I was able to speak to a woman at the campaign.

It involved listening to various options and pressing numbers, but after pressing the numbers I had a short wait to talk to a campaign representative.

Obama’s presidential campaign: [phone]

[blondeatlast]

19. Now call your own Senators, thanks. nt

[KoKo]

15. "Center for American Progress Think Tank" says they can "Split the Bill" so if Obama and others

push it ...maybe Reid will get some "spine." Obama is now HEAD of Dem Party...he could do much "behind the scenes."
----------------------

SEPARATE SENATE IMMUNITY VOTE?: The Senate will likely pass the House's legislation since it already approved immunity for telecoms last February. At the time, House leaders "offered to extend temporarily the other provisions of the eavesdropping law, the Protect America Act, while the immunity issues were debated." The deal, however, was rejected by conservatives and led to the current "compromise" bill. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) last week told Bloomberg TV that he will "try to have a separate vote on immunity" when the legislation comes before his chamber. "Probably we can't take that out of the bill, but I'm going to try," he said. This debate will also focus the spotlight on the two presidential contenders. Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) has indicated that he plans to vote for the bill, but added that he opposes telecom immunity and "will work in the Senate to remove this provision so that we can seek full accountability for past offenses." Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) also plans to vote for the bill, but has made no apologies about providing immunity. The McCain campaign has explained that "companies who assist the government in good faith should not be punished." He voted for the Senate's immunity bill in February. McCain has also attempted to give the Bush administration a pass on its warrantless National Security Agency surveillance program, exposed in December 2005. "It's ambiguous as to whether the president acted within his authority of not," he claimed, directly contradicting the August 2006 ruling of U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor, which declared the program unconstitutional.

INTENSIVE LOBBYING CAMPAIGN: The White House was clearly pleased with the House's bill, since officials had worked for months to obtain telecom immunity. On Friday, President Bush called it a "good bill." Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnell even allowed the Bush administration to put him in the "unusual role of intelligence community lobbyist" in order to pass this legislation; traditionally, intelligence chiefs have been expected to "remain insulated from policy issues." Throughout this process, there has been little compromise or cooperation by White House officials, who worked closely with the telecom industry. Not surprisingly, the Bush administration refused to publicly release "internal e-mails, letters and notes showing contacts with major telecommunications companies over how to persuade Congress to back a controversial surveillance bill." According to CQ, telecoms and their business allies spent more than "$14 million lobbying in just the first three months of this year."

[Eric J in MN]

23. I don't want for Obama to vote for the FISA bill...

...regardless of whether he votes for an amendment-which-will-fail to remove retroactive immunity.

[JamesA1102]

21. MoveOn needs to move on!

Obama needs to spend his time winning the Presidency and not waste his time filabusting in the Senate.

[madfloridian]

22. Bull hockey. He is supposed to care about our rights.

.

[JamesA1102]

24. And he will be able to do more to protect them as President

But first he has to win the election.

[clevbot]

25. No, he is a SENATOR, elected, and needs to do his job now~

[JamesA1102]

29. His job now is to get elected President

because if he doesn't accomplish that what he does in the Senate now won't matter.

[PassingFair]

34. He has a MUCH better chance oft being President if he...

champions the rights of the people.

[JamesA1102]

35. He will champion the rights of people when he is President

All you're asking him to do it fall on a sword now and give the GOP a campaign issue in the fall.

[PassingFair]

37. He won't get to BE president if he is not seen as a fighter.

I'm not asking him to fall on his sword,
I'm asking him to BRANDISH it!

[dailykoff]

38. Exactly. And warrantless eavesdropping is a LOSER.

If Obama gets behind this bill he's going to get sliced to pieces come fall, just like Kerry did with the IWR.

[JamesA1102]

50. But not to pick his battles wisely. NT

[rodeodance]

26. Obama needs to show he the Leader he says he is. A Leader does NOT toss the

constitition aside.

[JamesA1102]

30. It's not a consitutional issue.

The point of contention is Telecom Immunity which is not a consitutional issue.

[dailykoff]

32. The entire bill is flagrantly unconsitutional, with or without the immunity.

The immunity is kind of a sideshow. He needs to vote no or he's going to get reamed for it later.

[JamesA1102]

36. Then the Supreme Court will overturn it.

But that won't happen if McCain is elected President and appoints more Roberts and Alitos to the court.

[dailykoff]

39. Look, if Obama flipflops to support warrantless wiretapping

he's not going to BE president. ABC, Fox, and CNN will make sure of that.

[JamesA1102]

44. The MSM will try to make sure that he is not President

regardless of what he does. So what else is new?

[Eric J in MN]

40. The Supreme Court doesn't address every issue related to the Constitution.

If phone companies get retroactive immunity, then they will have no motive to demand a warrant in the future, since they'll know they can just get retroactive immunity, again.

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated..." but will be violated.

But the Supreme Court is unlikely to rule on retroactive immunity. And if they do, I doubt they will strike it down.

[JamesA1102]

46. Well how about getting a man in the White House who

won't request wiretaps with out a warrent.

[rodeodance]

41. Then Obama needs to be on record in OPPOSING this bill.

[JamesA1102]

45. Obama needs to win the election. nt

[rodeodance]

47. He needs to win it by sticking up for the constitution.

[JamesA1102]

51. Telecom Immunity is not a constitutional issue. NT

[TheKentuckian]

52. rodeodance

This is not a winner with the public at large. It needs to be fought but Obama doesn't help himself by leading the charge. In fact, it's kind of disingenuous to be raking Obama over the coals on this at all. The leadership failed us and bottom line we cannot afford McCain and the judges he would appoint interpreting the Constitution. From a political standpoint he almost has to vote yes, not quite has to but close. "Weak on National Security" is about the only thin limb Republicans have. Leadership has put us into a crappy situation and demanding poor strategic positions will not help at all.

I'd write my Senators, but seeing they are McConnell and Bunning, my time is better spent making contributions to a wishing well and drinking a bourbon in this case.

[TheKentuckian]

53. Seriously

You're recommending the type of leadership Custer showed at Little Big Horn.

[PassingFair]

54. And you're recommending the kind of leadership McClellen showed in the Civil War.

No thanks.

Lincoln was famously quoted as saying, "If General McClellan does not want to use the army, I would like to borrow it for a time."

[Hippo_Tron]

42. CALL CONGRESS RIGHT FUCKING NOW

I called David Vitter. They said he'd get back to me after his diaper change.

[Eric J in MN]

48. Senator David Vitter (R-LA) is running for re-election in 2010.

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/06/24/good-newsdavid-vitter-considers-2010-re-election-run/

[Hippo_Tron]

49. Knowing the idiots in my state he'll get re-elected anyway with no trouble

[Tyler Durden]

55. HEY, that's MY line.

Levin and Stabenow already oppose Retroactive Immunity, and have all along.

[Eric J in MN]

56. I hope they vote no on the final bill...

...and don't just vote for an amendment to remove retroactive immunity.

[Cha]

43. Here's another number supplied by DUer

Darth Ole.. His Washington office is [phone].

I just called and got his outgoing message to leave a message.