Letters to the Editor
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What must happen now is...
Sen. Reid needs to make it clear that a vote on this issue is entirely contingent upon the Administration complying with this court order and he needs not to schedule a vote on any FISA bill until the Judge approves the administration's compliance.
With no new FISA bill, it's my understanding that the law will revert back to what it was prior to the last cave in by the Democrats (Rockefeller et al).
Below, is a transcription of a letter I received from my Senator relative to FISA. I intend to keep writing her and insisting that she take the responsibility of her oath of office very seriously, particularly on this issue. She cannot afford to lose any votes in this state and if she continues to sell our constitutional protections down the river, that's precisely what she will accomplish.
I would hope that as many readers as possible contact their Senators (especially those who wish to be President) and also Sen. Reid and let them know how you feel about this issue. It might not do any good, but it will damned sure not do any harm.
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Dear (redacted):
Thank you for contacting me to express your concern about the Protect America Act. I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue and I apologize for the delay in my response.
I appreciate your point regarding the legislation’s impact upon the privacy rights of Americans. While I supported the bill, I did so with several reservations--many of which you mentioned in your correspondence to my office. I ultimately supported the bill because, at the time, our national intelligence agencies indicated that there was an increase in terrorist communication and that they lacked the appropriate tools to ascertain the intelligence value of the communications. At the same time, I was pleased that the legislation had a six month sunset so that the Congress would have an opportunity to craft a new law that provides a better balance between protecting our constitutional rights and collecting intelligence.
Please be sure that I understand the importance of preserving our nation’s fundamental notions of due process, fairness, and protection from unreasonable searches and seizures. In the weeks ahead, I intend to work with my Senate colleagues to ensure that we can craft a balanced bill that enables our intelligence community to collect necessary information while protecting the civil liberties of all Americans.
I appreciate the opportunity to hear from you about this important matter, and I hope you will continue to contact me on issues of mutual concern. Please feel free to also visit my website at http://www.senate.gov/~landrieu for more information on legislative affairs.
With warmest regards, I am
Sincerely,
Mary L. Landrieu
United States Senator
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It seems to me that by making certain that no one is allowed to violate the law with impunity, whether it be an elected official such as the President, or a corporation which complies with an illegal and constitutionaly violative request from the government, would be a precursor to protecting our civil liberties. That point will be made clear in my next letter to Sen. Landrieu and also in my letter to Sen. Reid.