Letters to the Editor
farbie
Published Letters: 159 Editor's Choice: 2
-
GET BUSY, EVERYBODY!!! E-MAIL AND TELEPHONE OBAMA, REID & YOUR SENATORS!!!
[Read the article: Hoyer hails FISA bill as "a significant victory for the Democratic Party"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Since reading Glenn's Saturday post yesterday, I have been e-mailing and telephoning almost non-stop. Feinstein's and Reid's local and DC telephone lines have been busy for hours. Here's my e-mail to Mr. Burton, Obama' assistant yesterday: (THANKS TO GLENN FOR THE E-MAIL ADDRESS!)
Dear Mr. Burton: I have left three voice-mails for Barack Obama today, along with an e-mail explaining why I hope that he will lead the charge against the FISA sellout by the Republocrats in Congress, only to read this afternoon in Glenn Greenwald's Saturday post that Obama announced his SUPPORT for the FISA Compromise!!!!! SHAME, SHAME SHAME on Barack Obama!!!!
I can understand his position on campaign financing, but, I cannot understand or fathom why he would cave on the issue of retroactive telecom immunity. This is THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE that this country faces, MORE IMPORTANT than the Iraq War, the Economy, or almost any other issue. Why? Because selling out to Bush, Cheney and the telecoms speaks volumes about the future of constitutional government in this country, in the face of terrorism. The terrorists have WON if we cave on our fourth amendment protections for the right of privacy!
I hope that Barack Obama will reconsider his support for the FISA compromise, and strongly lead a filibuster against it. If Obama shows leadership on the issue, the other Democrats will follow. If he does not, quite frankly, he doesn't deserve to be President!
If Obama is successful in leading a filibuster to block telecom immunity, then I will donate $100 immediately to the Campaign, and will attempt to donate more $ later.
Please, PLEASE let Mr. Obama know my extreme disappointment in his announcement of support for the FISA compromise. It's simply a cave-in to Bush, he of 28% approval rating.
-
RE: PUBLIC ATTITUDES
[Read the article: Hoyer hails FISA bill as "a significant victory for the Democratic Party"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I just read skeptonomist's post about "PUBLIC ATTITUDES," and his theory about Obama not wanting to be another George McGovern. Clearly, this is the thinking at the national Democratic level. Contrary to nearly 40 years ago, we have had nearly 40 years of right-wing crap thrown at us and our constitution. It is that crap that people are mad at Congress about. It's the "scare-dy cat Democrats" that got us the disastrous Iraq War, the Military Commissions Act, and, now, possibly, retroactive immunity for the telecom industry and Bush/Cheney, the two most unpopular Presidents/Vice Presidents IN HISTORY! Get a clue, skeptonomist, and more importantly, the National Democratic Party! It's no longer 1972!
-
I SENT THIS TO OBAMA'S CAMPAIGN
[Read the article: Keith Olbermann: Then and now]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I sent the following e-mail to Obama's Campaign:
Dear Mr. Obama:
I have now written you twice on the FISA issue, and write you a third time, in an effort to get you to come around to the only position that I believe is worthy of your stature.
FISA, for all of its technical complexity, is really quite simple: do we protect the constitution of the United States, and, specifically, the 4th Amendment, or do we go down the lawless and unconstitutional path that the current Administration has chosen, in our fight against worldwide terrorism?
Do we hold those that have violated our constitutional right of privacy accountable, or do we give them a free pass, a “get out of jail, free,” card?
If you, the presumptive Presidential nominee of the Democratic Party, Harvard-educated lawyer and law professor, do not hold those responsible for the most lawless Administration in the history of this country accountable, who will?
There’s a very simple solution, which my Senator, Senator Boxer proposed: indemnification of the telecom industry by the U.S. Government. Instead of retroactive immunity, give the telecom industry indemnification from any damages that might ultimately be adjudicated in the lawsuits currently pending against them. That way, they cannot complain about the “cost” of the lawsuits, since the government will ultimately pay them back for the costs involved.
If you want my support in this election, you must change position on the FISA capitulation passed by the house, and take the lead in fashioning a truly acceptable compromise: indemnification, not retroactive immunity!
Thank you.
-
FISA IS THE ELECTION, STUPID!!!
[Read the article: Keith Olbermann: Then and now]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The FISA legislation is the single most important issue of the election, because it signals how a future President will run the "war on terror." If Obama caves to the RWNM's desire for endless war, and endless wiretapping, not only have the terrorists won, but we will have lost our Constitution. Obama could easily support "indemnification, not immunity" which would effectively give the telecom industry the same thing, without throwing the fact-finding baby (the telecom litigation)out with the bathwater. If Obama's intent is to "move to the center," he is no better than Hillary Clinton or John Kerry. FISA is MORE IMPORTANT than the money for the Iraq War, MORE IMPORTANT than votes for the economy, because it is our CONSTITUTION that is at stake!!! It is VITAL that everyone reading this blog continue to hammer Obama for his unprincipled stand on FISA - if he doesn't, his campaign is going to go down in flames.
-
GLENN, I GOING TO COPY AND POST YOUR ARTICLE IN EVERY KEY SENATOR'S IN-BOX
[Read the article: Keith Olbermann's reply and Obama's secret plan to protect the rule of law]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Glenn, as usual, your writing is masterful, well-written and thought-out. Olbermann's just a TV-talking head. As for Obama, I can only hope that we all bring him around on this issue. If not, I might end up voting Green. I certainly am not going to actively campaign for Obama unless he rejects his initial support for the FISA capitulation.
-
FABULOUS ARTICLE, GLENN!!!
[Read the article: The baseless, and failed, "move to the center" cliche]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]You stole my thunder, and made the point far better than I could. I wrote Bill Burton with copies of portions of your article today. Do you have the e-mail addresses for any other Obama insiders? It would be very helpful to bombard all of them, rather than just Mr. Burton.