Today Claire McCaskill showed her reluctance to stand up to the crisis mongers who hope to use our fear of terrorists to weaken our constitutional right to privacy–or perhaps she just hopes to reap big contributions from the telecoms in the future. She joined twelve other spineless Democratic senators to vote againt the Senate Judiciary Bill which was not only more acceptable in terms of what it actually authorized, but which also denied the telecoms immunity against prosecution for their past lawbreaking. Incidentally, both Clinton and Obama were unable to vote since they are too busy campaigning to stand up for the constitution.
At this point only Senator Dodd’s willingness to filibuster the unacceptable legislation offers a slim chance that it may yet be defeated. Now is the time for those of us who share a concern about the inroads against our constitutional rights that this legislation represents to let McCaskill know how desperately disappointed we are. It is too sad to see one more depredation against our civil liberties succeed and even worse that it will have been abetted by our own Democratic Senator.
Here is a link to today’s votes.
Here is a link to a post at my home site that has her contributions broke down. It’s one thing to sell out – but at fire-sale prices, it’s just humiliating.
It’s not like we really believed her assurances after the first FISA vote. And it’s depressing to be told that our skepticism was warranted. Still, Willy, thanks for keeping us posted.
…in Washington this morning. I told the person on the other end of the line that I was a constituent calling about the FISA bill. Referring specifically to to telecom immunity I said, “If the telecoms did nothing wrong they don’t need immunity, if the did something wrong the shouldn’t get immunity.” The reaction was tepid, at best. That really set me off. I told the individual on the other end of the line that this particular vote was “a single issue” for me…
I’m calling on all my fellow Missourians to flood her offices Friday and Monday with phone calls, faxes and e-mails, telling her that’s it’s not too late – she can vote against cloture and for amendments to the SSCI bill. Especially amendments that say “No” to telecom immunity and basket warrants and that say “Yes” to minimization procedures.
Here is her web contact form:
http://mccaskill.senate.gov/co…
Here are her contact numbers:
Washington, DC
Phone: (202) 224-6154
Fax: (202) 228-6326
Let’s remind her who sent her to D.C. and why.