Letters to the Editor

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Active Voice

Published Letters: 2

  • Re: Bad Dogs

    [Read the article: Targeting bad Democrats]
    [Read more letters about this article: Here]

    For those of you interested in following up with the Blue Dog Democrats who support telecom immunity: In addition to contacting them directly, you can try reaching them through the Communications Director for the Blue Dog Coalition, Ms. Kristen Hawn, who can be reached by e-mail at BlueDog@mail.house.gov.

    Note: Not all members of the Blue Dog Coalition signed onto the recent letter to Speaker Pelosi indicating support for the Senate FISA bill (including the telecom-immunity provision). The 21 "bad dogs" who did are:

    Joe Baca, John Barrow, Melissa Bean, Marion Berry, Dan Boren, Leonard Boswell, Allen Boyd, Christopher Carney, Him Cooper, Robert E. Cramer, Lincoln Davis, Brad Ellsworth, Tim Holden, Jim Matheson, Charlie Melancon, Dennis Moore, Earl Pomeroy, Mike Ross, Heath Shuler, Zack Space, and John Tanner.

    Two of the above have leadership positions in the Blue Dog Coalition: Moore (KS-3) is the Blue Dog Co-Chair for Policy, and Ross (AR-4) is the Blue Dog Co-Chair for Communications.

    Hope that's helpful. I sent an e-mail to all 21 of them via Ms. Hawn last week. We can but try...

    Wednesday, March 12, 2008 10:55 AM

  • Good news at last -- but the surveillance shell game continues

    [Read the article: House Democrats reject telecom amnesty, warrantless surveillance]
    [Read more letters about this article: Here]

    Wonderful to have some good news for a change! Fervent thanks to Glenn Greenwald and others who have rightfully kept the FISA issue front and center in the public eye, and who have provided a steady stream of facts and cogent analysis to those of us who want to take action. As the debate shifts back to the Senate, I know we'll all continue to watch the situation and do whatever we can.

    In the meantime, however, lest we be tempted to indulge in more than a minute or two of hard-earned relief, did anyone see the following piece by Charlie Savage in yesterday's Boston Globe? Bush's action in this case is separate from the FISA battle, but equally relevant to the question of surveillance oversight -- and equally troubling. A summary and link to the full article are below:

    "President weakens espionage oversight"

    Date: March 14, 2008

    "WASHINGTON - Almost 32 years to the day after President Ford created an independent Intelligence Oversight Board made up of private citizens with top-level clearances to ferret out illegal spying activities, President Bush issued an executive order that stripped the board of much of its authority."

    http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2008/03/14/president_weakens_espionage_oversight?p1=email_to_a_friend

    Something else to keep an eye on...

    Saturday, March 15, 2008 09:10 PM

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