In a letter Thursday, a bipartisan group of six senators said the tentative deal had caused them "deep concern" because it did not go far enough in "making reasonable changes to the original law to protect innocent people from unnecessary and intrusive government surveillance."I'm calling my critters this morning. Please ping the remaining constitutionalists here.
Reflecting the political breadth of concerns about the law, the letter was signed by three Republicans - Senators Larry E. Craig, John E. Sununu and Lisa Murkowksi - and three Democrats - Senators Richard J. Durbin and Ken Salazar and Mr. Feingold.
The group called for tighter restrictions on the government's ability to demand records and its use of so-called "sneak and peak" warrants to conduct secret searches without immediately informing the target, among other measures.
"We have worked too long and too hard to allow this conference report to eliminate the modest protections for civil liberties that were agreed to unanimously in the Senate," Ms. Murkowski, of Alaska, said in a separate statement.
"There is still time for the conference committee to step back and agree to the Senate's bipartisan approach. If the conference committee doesn't do that, we will fight to stop this bill from becoming law."
A soon as the phones open, I'm on it. Thanks for the info!
There's not a one in Washington gives a whooptie-damn about preserving the original Constitutional rights of Americans if it so much as abrades one square inch of their own political skins. In its original context, the Constitution will consistantly chap their hides.
In effect, their view of the Constitution is backwards, the Constitution begins by recognizing the Creator as He who endows or confers rights equally among men and the document of the Constitution is a grant of authority from the people TO THE GOVERNMENT on a specific few of those rights.
IOW, the Constitution does not grant US citizens any rights - not the first. It specifies the areas in which government may infringe upon those that are commonly Divinely endowed.
Thanks for the ping .... ATTENTION ALL FREEPERS .... contact your Representatives and Senators... it's that important!
Please see my comment #30.