Tom Perriello, the Democratic nominee for Virginia's 5th Congressional District and recently named as one of 20 emerging races by the DCCC in its Red to Blue program, is an expert on national security and has devoted his life to making the world safer around him.
He released the following statement on the recent "compromise" by the Democratic leadership and Republicans on FISA:
Perriello Blasts Congress for Allowing Spying on Americans
June 20, 2008 – Ivy, VA - Tom Perriello, the Democratic nominee for Virginia’s Fifth District, today denounced Congress for capitulating to President Bush and allowing warrant-less spying on innocent Americans. Congress struck a deal on Thursday on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (HR 3773), changing the rules on the government’s wiretapping powers and providing legal immunity to the phone companies that took part in President Bush’s program of eavesdropping on American citizens.
"This "compromise" will not make Americans safer," said Perriello, a national security consultant with experience in Afghanistan, Darfur and West Africa. "If Congress and the President were serious about national security they would have spent their time and energy giving our brave intelligence officers the resources they need, not the American freedoms that our armed forces defend. Our constitutional principles are never up for negotiation."
Rep. Virgil Goode (R) voted for telecom immunity.
Tom has denounced telecom immunity from the beginning of his campaign. As someone who helped depose Charles Taylor in Liberia without a single bullet being fired and who has also spent time on the ground in Afghanistan working against warlords, Tom knows what real national security means and how to support it. Spying on Americans does not provide anyone with more freedom.
In March Tom released this video to supporters praising the Democrats who stood up for individual freedoms. He denounced the ammendments to FISA because they did not make America safer.
Thank Tom for his support of FISA and being the type of Democrat we need in Congress. As the second quarter ends, help him defeat Virgil Goode who sides with the Bush Administration on important issues of security by sending in a donation.