Friday, December 16, 2005
This is Serious...
Read the Headlines:
Is the Pentagon Spying on Americans?
Bush Secretly Lifted Some Limits on Spying in U.S. After 9/11, Officials Say
Bush reportedly OK'd NSA spying on Americans
Bush Authorized Domestic Spying
Not only is the Republican administration (with help from the Republican Congress) eroding our constitutional rights with the Patriot Act, they have begun a secret spying campaign on American citizens with no oversight. These measures are a direct result of power gone mad. And it's made me mad, and you should be as well.
This is a non-partisan issue. Conservatives and Liberals are Americans...Americans whose privacy deserves protection from the snooping eyes of both the private and public power interests.
SusanG at Dailykos.com has written a great piece that all Americans should take to heart. In it, she says,
So, Sue, what are your answers to Susan's questions?
Is the Pentagon Spying on Americans?
Bush Secretly Lifted Some Limits on Spying in U.S. After 9/11, Officials Say
Bush reportedly OK'd NSA spying on Americans
Bush Authorized Domestic Spying
Not only is the Republican administration (with help from the Republican Congress) eroding our constitutional rights with the Patriot Act, they have begun a secret spying campaign on American citizens with no oversight. These measures are a direct result of power gone mad. And it's made me mad, and you should be as well.
This is a non-partisan issue. Conservatives and Liberals are Americans...Americans whose privacy deserves protection from the snooping eyes of both the private and public power interests.
SusanG at Dailykos.com has written a great piece that all Americans should take to heart. In it, she says,
This is about the very foundations of democracy: Is the government our servant or our master? And is the president, who is elected to execute our laws, allowed to suspend them?
We are heading into an election year when every House seat will be up for grabs. It's up to us to make every race about these constitutional issues. As concerned citizens, we can urge Democratic leaders to force the argument in this direction, but there is another action we can take as individuals to make this more of a reality.
I suggest that those of us who are represented by Republicans in the House contact our representatives and get them on record over the next few weeks on three specific questions:
1. Does the president have unlimited power in a time of war, particularly an undeclared one?
2. Do you believe the government has a right to spy on its citizens with no regulating oversight?
3. Do you support a full and open Congressional investigation into the executive branch's authorization of spying on American citizens?
These questions, depending on how they are answered, may well prove to be a gift we can give to every Democratic challenger in the year ahead. It will force GOP reps to take a stand, if as constituents we don't let them get away with obfuscating. Insist on a clear-cut answer. Demand a yes or no. And keep ready at hand the letters or emails you receive back. It's time to force this issue. It's time for all of us to do our part. It's time to re-deliver this government into the hands of the people it was elected to represent.
We are heading into an election year when every House seat will be up for grabs. It's up to us to make every race about these constitutional issues. As concerned citizens, we can urge Democratic leaders to force the argument in this direction, but there is another action we can take as individuals to make this more of a reality.
I suggest that those of us who are represented by Republicans in the House contact our representatives and get them on record over the next few weeks on three specific questions:
1. Does the president have unlimited power in a time of war, particularly an undeclared one?
2. Do you believe the government has a right to spy on its citizens with no regulating oversight?
3. Do you support a full and open Congressional investigation into the executive branch's authorization of spying on American citizens?
These questions, depending on how they are answered, may well prove to be a gift we can give to every Democratic challenger in the year ahead. It will force GOP reps to take a stand, if as constituents we don't let them get away with obfuscating. Insist on a clear-cut answer. Demand a yes or no. And keep ready at hand the letters or emails you receive back. It's time to force this issue. It's time for all of us to do our part. It's time to re-deliver this government into the hands of the people it was elected to represent.
So, Sue, what are your answers to Susan's questions?
