Drinking Liberally Tuesday
OK, I have a bit of a rant ahead, so let’s take care of the basic details first.
Drinking Liberally meets, as always, at 6:00 PM on Tuesday at the Tangier Bar, corner of 18th and Lombard Streets in Philadelphia. Free wings and drink specials for early birds. Bring a friend, win my socks!
As you’re all probably aware, last week the Senate, and then the House, caved on FISA, expanding the president’s illegal wiretapping to include Americans and all sorts of “intelligence”. Oh, and from what I understand, Alberto Gonzalez is running this whole program. Yeah, that guy: the one everyone seems to think is a liar, and a piss-poor one at that, gets to decide who gets wiretapped and who doesn’t. Whoopeee! We’re all wearing the blue dress now! Time to re-register as a Republican I guess.
There’s a handy-dandy sunset clause in 6 months, but if Iraq’s an example, I think we all know what happens then.
From the Washington Post, hardly a liberal paper:
“The problem is that while no serious person objects to intercepting foreign-to-foreign communications, what the administration sought — and what it managed to obtain — allows much more than foreign-to-foreign contacts. The government will now be free to intercept any communications believed to be from outside the United States (including from Americans overseas) that involve “foreign intelligence” — not just terrorism. It will be able to monitor phone calls and e-mails of U.S. citizens or residents without warrants — unless the subject is the “primary target” of the surveillance. Instead of having the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court ensure that surveillance is being done properly, with monitoring of Americans minimized, that job would be up to the attorney general and the director of national intelligence. The court’s role is reduced to that of rubber stamp.”
I DO want to celebrate a few brave Philadelphia-area representatives. Chaka Fattah, 202-225-4001, voted NO on this despicable legislation. Patrick Murphy, (202) 225-4276, once again did the right thing and voted NO on this despicable cowardly legislation. Bob Brady, (202) 225-4731, voted NO to warrantless wiretapping and domestic spying. Joe Sestak, (202) 225-2011, voted NO to violations of our civil rights. Even Allyson “Bankruptcy Bill” Schwartz, (202) 225-6111, voted NO. I’ve included their numbers so you can give them a call if you’re so inclined, and thank them for telling George Bush where to cram his “let’s all be afraid” schtick.
In the Senate, Arlen Speculum voted as expected. Bobby Casey, specially selected by Charles Schumer and Ed Rendell as the Democratic candidate in 2006, put on the kneepads and voted YES.
Is that the change Pennsylvanians voted for? Do Pennsylvanians want the Bush administration listening to our phone calls without a warrant on the off-chance we might be terrorists? Do Pennsylvanians think ALBERTO-FREAKIN-GONZALEZ should be running a LEMONADE STAND, never mind a WARRANTLESS WIRETAPPING PROGRAM?
Bobby Casey thinks so. Maybe you’d like to call him and tell him what you think of that: (202) 224-6324.
See you on Tuesday, and remember, if you haven’t done anything wrong, you have nothing to fear!
August 7th, 2007 at 3:20 pm
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