We are being governed by children. This is not the way adults should act. This is like student body government, only clunkier.

If you still have the originals of those emails (if, for example, you sent them from your personal laptop) and if your friends can come up with the versions they received, I would strongly encourage you to contact EFF or ACLU as soon as possible. It seems to me that they could make good use of this in court. One of the biggest hurdles in many of these cases is establishing standing. If you can produce the evidence I described, standing is a slam-dunk in your case.

"So the next question is, why aren't you people torching ATT kiosks for doing the same thing you're freaking out about here? Heh."

Dipshit. Is there a law which precludes AT&T from obtaining this information and using it for marketing purposes?

Once you've thought about it, ask yourself another question...

Is there a law which precludes the government from doing the same thing without a warrant?

I swear, Shooter. I sometimes think you're too damned stupid to breath.

Let's see, you folks are up in arms because ATT keeps track of phone calls. Yet you are the very same people that want government to keep track of your doctor visits, test results, medical conditions, and all those of your family and friends. AIDS list anyone?

Jim White - are you sure no one left an electronic listening device in your appendix?

Tempus - Aren't you the nitwit that I may have saved from going to jail for not responding to a jury summons?

Talesofunrest - Which point am I missing again? From Glenn's interview with Condy Cohn of the EFF

CC: Yes. We brought the case only against AT&T because AT&T has an independent duty to you, its customers, to protect your privacy. This is a very old duty, and if you know the history of the FISA law, you'll know that it was adopted as a result of some very deep work done by the Church Committee in Congress, that revealed that Western Union and the telegraph companies were making a copy of all telegraphs going into and outside the U.S. and delivering them to the Government.

(snip)
CC:As a result of this, Congress very wisely decided that it wasn't sufficient to simply prevent the Government from listening in on your calls - they had to create an independent duty for the telecom carries not to participate in illegal surveillance.

So. Is anyone here alleging eavesdropping? Nope. Is ATT keeping track of who is using it's equipment, illegal surveillance? I'd love to see someone try and argue that.

GG: There will be a judicial ruling, assuming your case goes forward, as to whether or not the activities the telecoms engaged in, in concert with the Bush administration, actually broke the law?

CC: Yes - and that I think is tremendously important even if we don't end up knowing every nook and cranny of what the Government has been doing.

The FISA law really makes it illegal for the phone companies to give this information to the Government, and what the Government does with it afterwards isn't really relevant to our claim.

The real point here, is a legal fishing expedition, because as admitted, no one knows if a crime of any sort has been committed. Everyone running around with their hair on fire just serves as amusement for the rest of us.

is (919) 636-3131. I just spoke to someone there that said they are getting a lot of calls on FISA/supporting Dodd's efforts. I told him I was an undecided voter and would vote for Edwards if he takes the lead on this issue.

Kellygirl, I live in your zip code. Don't despair! Mitch would love it if you stayed home.

and

did we find out whither be-bop-o?

Is it just Reid? Is it Reid and Pelosi? Is it just a few appeasers among the Democrats who are the problem? Is it just a matter of getting a few "bad" Democrats out of office? Or is there something deeper, more systemic to this constant capitulation than merely a few personalities?

at (919) 636-3131 and the polite guy who answered said they had been getting a lot of calls on FISA and Sen. Edwards would be issuing a statement tomorrow. He said they fully supported Sen. Dodd, and believed that Senators Clinton and Obama should be present to vote to oppose telecom immunity.

It sounds as though progress is being made.

I second Jim White's comment. If you can document your assertions, that's potentially quite important.

@Jebbie re: sharter28%

If only your last comment were true, we'd all be spared the inanity.

The real point here, is a legal fishing expedition, because as admitted, no one knows if a crime of any sort has been committed. Everyone running around with their hair on fire just serves as amusement for the rest of us.

Actually, everyone KNOWS a crime was committed, only un-American, anti-conservative, fascist GOP-toys continually deny it.

Just like they deny that the administration ever lied about WMDs (they're in SYYYYYRRRIIAAA), or that they've "lowered taxes" by raising debt 10x what that pinko socialist librul Clinton left us.

Keep laughing, chucklehead.

Mockery from obvious fools and goose-stepping stooges is the highest praise.

What am I supposed to be frightened of, I'm going to get a visit from the FBI for calling grammy twice a week?

Anonymous

Listen Anon, they're not listening to see what you are doing wrong. They are listening to see what you are doing right! And that's actually a whole lot worse.

Like property records. More transparency and less secrecy, I always say.

You do not understand what the term “rule of law means.”

Clear enough? Tsk. LOL. Gaaah. Arrggh. Fulumph. Woof. Meow. Heh. Don’t let the bedbugs bite. Snort. Giggle. Whew.

More transparency and less secrecy, I always say.

--Anonymous

I wrote Tom Harkin a week or so ago, and I just received a response. Here is an excerpt:

"I have been a vocal opponent of the Bush Administration's domestic spying program since information first became public in December 2005. You can beassured that as we continue the fight against terrorism, I will continue to work to provide law enforcement with the tools it needs without undermining the Constitution and the checks and balances that are so

important to the balance of power between the Presidency, the Congress, and the judiciary."

I just called Senator Harkin's office and said I was urging him to stand strong with Senator Dodd. She said that as far as she knew, he is planning to stand with Senator Dodd. I emphasized how important this issue is, and she agreed. Hopefully, Harkin is firmly with Dodd.