Tell Feinstein: Stand with us, not Bush and big telecom. What is wrong with Dianne Feinstein? First it was a rightwing judge with a history of bigotry on the bench. Senator Feinstein cast the swing vote to confirm Bush's choice for a lifetime appointment to federal court. Then it was Bush's candidate for our nation's top law enforcement office. He wouldn't renounce torture. Senator Feinstein cast a crucial committee vote that ensured he would be confirmed as attorney general. Stop Feinstein before she votes with Bush again. The White House does not often lose a fight that really matters, and Dianne Feinstein has become a key "go to" senator for the Bush administration. But public outrage and smart organizing by groups like CREDO Action, Courage Campaign, MoveOn, the ACLU and the blogosphere have so far stopped Feinstein from granting a "get out of jail free" card to telecom companies who helped Bush spy illegally on Americans. So far. Why does Bush want amnesty for AT&T and Verizon? Retroactive immunity for the telecom companies would thwart customer lawsuits that threaten to expose Bush's own violations of the original Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. If these lawsuits aren't allowed to go forward, we may never know the extent of the Bush administration's illegal efforts to spy on American citizens without the required warrants. Time is short and we must act now. The Bush administration is fighting back. This time, with a version of FISA that lets the telcos off the hook by making the federal government the defendant in pending cases instead of the telecom companies. We must act now before Dianne Feinstein caves to the White House and approves this measure. A vote is expected as early as tomorrow. Our best hope is a filibuster. Senator Dodd has pledged to filibuster any bill that gives amnesty to the telecom companies. But to prevail he needs 40 senators to support him. The choice is clear: our senator Dianne Feinstein can stand with the constitution, or help Bush and his cronies cover up their lawbreaking. Tell your Senator Dianne Feinstein to support Senator Dodd and filibuster any FISA legislation that lets AT&T and Verizon off the hook. Thank you for working to build a better world.
Will Easton, Activism Manager CREDO Action from Working Assets |