rapiddissent

In the aftermath of September 11, 2001 the US intelligence community acted with broad support from the Bush Administration to collect data on virtually every email, phone call, and web visit originating or terminating within the borders of the United States of America.

To this end, clandestine intelligence gathering operations were conducted against the citizens of the United States. Facilities and equipment were permanently placed to collect this data without warrants from a secret intelligence court as mandated by the 1978 Foreign Service Intelligence Act. However, in most cases, telecom companies voluntarily aided data collection on their own clients without warrant or even accusation of wrong-doing. Qwest Communications was the only company to deny these requests. (The CEO of Qwest is currently on trial for insider trading, and maintains that his dealings were influenced by intelligence community meddling.)

As news of these operations were leaked to the media by telecom whistle blowers, calls to revise FISA grew. The argument was that the 1978 law was out of date and incapable of providing the intelligence community with the tools necessary to protect national security in the Internet age.

A bill supported by Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-West Virginia) and director of national intelligence, Mike McConnell, seeks to reform FISA, but has an added provision supported by the Bush Administration which would grant retroactive immunity to telecom companies that helped the government illegally spy on Americans. President Bush has stated that he will veto any national surveillance bill that does not contain such provisions.

However, “because bills are supposed to have unanimous consent in the Senate before going forward...One Senator can make it very difficult to bring a bill to the floor by objecting...” That one Senator is Chris Dodd (D-Conn, Presidential Candidate 2008).

Please support Senator Dodd with a kind word, a message of support, or even a campaign donation to help show the Democratic Party in this country that Americans will not stand for indiscriminate attacks on our Bill of Rights.

One final word on the bill currently before the Senate, the one supported by Jay Rockefeller...Here's a glimpse of Senator Rockefeller's campaign contributors.

From the page: "150 million migrants worldwide sent more than US$300 billion to thier families in developing countries during 2006.

Remittances, the portion of migrant workers' earnings sent back home to their families, have been a critical means of financial support for generations. But, for the most part, these flows have historically been "hidden in plain view", often uncounted and even ignored. All that is now changing - as the scale of migration increases, the corresponding growth in remittances is gaining widespread attention."

*Figures in the graphic are in millions of US dollars.

There's a lot more detailed information available at the site. This is a major component of the immigration debate that is rarely discussed in the media.

After nearly a solid week of dropping hints, Stephen Colbert threw his hat in the ring in the race for president tonight. First, he made a surprise appearance at his old home, Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," Tuesday night to make an official announcement: He was officially considering a run for president and would announce his decision "some time soon." Soon arrived about 20 minutes later on his own show, The Colbert Report, when, with balloons falling, he said, 'Yes, I'm doing it!" Then he welcomed CBS political analyst Jeff Greenfield to analyze his impact on the race "in the past three minutes." Greenfield said it was "astounding."

He announced that he will be running in his home state of South Carolina. Here are links for the South Carolina Democratic Party and South Carolina GOP for those interested in keeping an eye on what is likely to be one hell of a spectacle.

Referring to ties with the United States and a Congressional Resolution which declares the massacre of Armenians by Ottoman Turks during WWI a genocide, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, said: "Where the rope is worn thin, may it break off." In due course, the Turks have recalled their ambassador from the U.S.

This is a major problem for U.S. operations in Iraq.

Meanwhile, there's trouble at the ranch:

"Turkish troops and Kurdish fighters have exchanged gunfire in the Turkish town of Unuderi close to the Turkey-Iraq border...Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister, earlier said he is ready to face international criticism should his country decide to attack suspected Kurdish rebel bases in northern Iraq...Asked about world reaction to a possible incursion, Erdogan said: "After going down this route, its cost has already been calculated. Whatever the cost is, it will be met.""

Is it possible that Congressional Dems - unable to de-fund or otherwise end the war in a politically advantageous way - are attempting to scuttle the occupation by hook or by crook?

Received an email of this release from Congressman Nadler's staff. As a former spook, FISA and surveillance law are near and dear to my heart.

"WASHINGTON, D.C." Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-08), Chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, today welcomed the introduction of the Responsible Electronic Surveillance that is Overseen, Reviewed, and Effective Act of 2007 (RESTORE Act), introduced by House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (MI-14) and Intelligence Committee Chairman Silvestre Reyes (TX-16).

The RESTORE Act, as currently drafted, crafts a careful balance between security and freedom and it makes clear that FISA is the law of the land, said Rep. Nadler. Chairmen Conyers and Reyes have written a bill that restores many of the freedoms that were undermined by the White House's bill passed this August. If President Bush is serious about protecting our nation and preserving the Constitution, he will support the Conyers-Reyes bill."