I don't know if links to these sites have been posted before. If so, more exposure won't hurt.
Regarding bill H.R. 6304...
It's time to get on the phone and fax machine, to contact senators and tell them to oppose passage of the "compromise" bill - the bill which will guarantee immunity for telecom companies which engaged in illegal domestic spying, and which will vastly broaden the government's ability to spy on US citizens.
I just called the Obama campaign. A lady there told me, "We're getting a lot of calls on this issue and we're logging them all. Your voice is being heard".
The numbers and links are below. All I'm doing is broadcasting stuff others have put together. Hopefully, if many thousands of people complain about this, the bill will die.
Here's a link to the text of the bill
http://thomas.loc.gov/...
H.R.6304
Title: To amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 to establish a procedure for authorizing certain acquisitions of foreign intelligence, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Reyes, Silvestre [TX-16] (introduced 6/19/2008) Cosponsors Rep Hoekstra, Peter [MI-2] - 6/19/2008, Rep Smith, Lamar [TX-21] - 6/19/2008
Related Bills: H.RES.1285
Latest Major Action: 6/20/2008 Received in the Senate. Read twice. Ordered Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 827.
Firedoglake has a post with lots of helpful info:
http://firedoglake.com/...
The best places to call are probably Obama's campaign and Chris Dodd's office. Both men vowed to filibuster any bill containing immunity for the telcos for illegal domestic spying.
Obama's campaign (ask to speak to someone about the FISA bill - they'll send you to the right person)
Phone: 312-819-2008
FAX: 312-819-2088
The free 866 number never gets answered.
Chris Dodd
(202) 224-2823
web form link:
dodd.senate.gov/index.php?q=node/3130
Durbin is also apparently opposed to immunity - wont hurt to give him a call.
Richard Durbin
(202) 224-2152
Web Form: durbin.senate.gov/contact.cfm
Toll-free numbers for Congress from Katymine:
1 (800) 828 - 0498
1 (800) 459 - 1887
1 (800) 614 - 2803
1 (866) 340 - 9281
1 (866) 338 - 1015
1 (877) 851 - 6437
Senators who need some spine:
Name Phone Fax
Bayh (202) 224-5623 (202) 228-1377
Carper (202) 224-2441 (202) 228-2190
Obama (202) 224-2854 (202) 228-4260
Inouye (202) 224-3934 (202) 224-6747
Johnson (202) 224-5842 (202) 228 5765
Landrieu (202)224-5824 (202) 224-9735
McCaskill (202) 224-6154 (202) 228-6326
Mikulski (202) 224-4654 (202) 224-8858
Nelson (FL) (202) 224-5274 (202) 228-2183
Clinton (202) 224-4451 (202) 228-0282
Nelson (NE) (202) 224-6551 (202) 228-0012
Pryor (202) 224-2353 (202) 228-0908
Salazar (202) 224-5852 (202) 228-5036
Specter (202) 224-4254 (202) 228-1229
Feinstein (202) 224-3841 (202) 228-3954
Webb (202) 224-4024 (202) 228-6363
Warner (202) 224-2023 (202) 224-6295
Snowe (202) 224-5344 (202) 224-1946
Collins (202) 224-2523 (202) 224-2693
Sununu (202) 224-2841 (202) 228-4131
Stevens (202) 224-3004 (202) 224-2354
Byrd (202) 224-3954 (202) 228-0002
Lincoln (202)224-4843 (202)228-1371
Reid (202) 224-3542 (202) 224-7327
Coleman (202) 224-5641 (202) 224-1152
Durbin (202) 224-2152 (202) 228-0400
Smith (202) 224-3753 (202) 228-3997
Stabenow (202) 224-4822 (202) 228-0325
Kohl (202) 224-5653 (202) 224-9787
Leahy (202) 224-4242 (202) 224-3479
Schumer (202) 224-6542 (202) 228-3027
Finally, if you want a concise list of problems with the bill, check out this, put out by Sen. Feingold's office. This is helpful when explaining the issues to friends who may not have the stomach for reading the actual bill.
http://feingold.senate.gov/...
Unjustified Grant of Retroactive Immunity
Under the new FISA bill, H.R. 6304, the immunity outcome is predetermined. A federal district court could review in secret the letters to companies to determine whether ‘substantial evidence’ indicates that they received written requests stating the activity was authorized by the President and determined to be lawful. But information declassified by the Senate Intelligence Committee already indicates that the companies got such written requests – meaning immunity is virtually guaranteed. The plaintiffs could participate in briefing to the court, but only to the extent it does not necessitate the disclosure of classified information, which will seriously impair their ability to participate in a meaningful way.
Lengthy Sunset
The bill sunsets in December 2012, a mere one year earlier than the Senate bill and a presidential election year.
Little Protection Against Reverse Targeting
The bill prohibits intentionally targeting a person outside the U.S. without an individualized court order if “the purpose” is really to target someone reasonably believed to be in the U.S., and it requires the executive branch to establish guidelines for implementing this requirement. But the guidelines are not subject to judicial review, and the bill does not include provisions approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee bill that would require the government to obtain a court order whenever a significant purpose of the surveillance is to acquire the communications of an American. This important “significant purpose” language had the support of 38 Senators when offered on the Senate floor, and was included in the House bill.
No Prohibition on Bulk Collection
The bill does not include a prohibition on bulk collection – the collection of all international communications into and out of the U.S. to a whole continent or even the entire world. Such collection would be constitutionally suspect and would go well beyond what the government has says it needs to protect the American people. This protection was in the Senate Judiciary Committee bill, and it garnered the support of 37 Senators on the Senate floor.
Loophole for Advance Judicial Approval of Court Orders
Under the bill, surveillance can begin after the FISA Court authorizes the program, or if the Attorney General and Director of National Intelligence certify that they don’t have time to get a court order and that intelligence important to national security may be lost or not timely acquired. This broad ‘exigency’ exception could very well swallow the rule, and undermine any presumption of prior judicial approval.
No Limits on Use of Illegally Obtained Information
If the government goes forward with surveillance before obtaining court approval, and the court subsequently determines that the government’s surveillance violated the law, the government can nonetheless keep and use any information it obtained. The compromise does not include a provision from the Senate Judiciary Committee bill that gives the FISA Court discretion to impose restrictions on the use of information about Americans acquired through procedures later determined to be illegal by the FISA court. This amendment had the support of 40 Senators on the Senate floor.
Few Protections for People in the United States
The bill does not include anything similar to the amendment offered by Senators Feingold, Webb and Tester (with 32 other Senators supporting) to provide additional checks and balances for Americans at home whose international communications are obtained because they are communicating with someone overseas, while also allowing the government to get the information it needs about terrorists and purely foreign communications.