The Coming Showdown -- 2: The latest on FISA intel

By Carol Gee

FISA today -- The United States Senate will take up the "modernization" of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act again in a few minutes. A cloture vote on further debate and action is scheduled for 4:30 PM, ET. I posted about the first FISA showdown last week and often about civil liberties and intelligence in the past. And there is some very good news:

BREAKING: Hillary Clinton To Vote “No” On Cloture Tomorrow UPDATE: Barack Obama Will Be There Too, this from Firedoglake (1/27). From the same source you can see a "Thank You Senator Dodd video," a NY Roots project effort here.

This entire controversy is extremely complicated. Today's post is my attempt to consolidate some of the best references on line. Excellent reads helped fill in the latest for me on the news and issues: Glenn Greenwald's well-written column, Saturday 1/26 is called "More disruptions to the Cheney/Rockefeller plan." EmptyWheel at Firedoglake's column on "Bush's Secret Cyber Initiative" came out on 1/26. And from 1/25 you should also read: "How to Lead: Chris Dodd Edition" and "Reid on FISA, It's up to the President."

Friday I took some action via Jane Hamshire's "Take Action Today" post, below. Using the 800-numbers provided, I talked to the offices of Senators Milulski, Johnson, Landrieu, Nelson (Neb.), Salazar, McCaskill, Specter, and my own senators, Hutchison and Cornyn. Today I talked to the offices of Senators Inouye, Baye and Carper. I asked each staff member to urge their senator to vote against the cloture motion this afternoon. There is still time for you to make some calls, too.

Action Central Resources:

• Jane Hamsher at Firedoglake -- "Take Action Today." This includes a wonderful list of Capitol "1-800" phone numbers where you can reach your senator with a free phone call.


• Stop the Spying! -- Speak out against telecom immunity with your photos, videos and phone calls!


• Electronic Frontier Foundation -- NSA Spying Overview, excellent! This organization has gone to court on our behalf.


• American Civil Liberties Union "Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act" Safe and Free, restore our constitutional rights.


• Glenn Greenwald at Salon.com -- Just the best; check him our regularly if you can only read one!


• empty wheel at Firedoglake -- Among the most knowledgeable on the subject!


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• Know Your Enemy: Senator Christopher Bond's arguments against civil liberties -- "The Facts Strike Back on FISA" (13 p. pdf)

(Cross-posted at South by Southwest.)