House Leaves Surveillance Law to Expire (february 15, 2008)

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/15/washington/15fisa.html?ref=todayspaper
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---------- Forwarded message ----------From: barry levine <levinebar@gmail.com>Date: Fri, Feb 15, 2008 at 9:41 AMSubject: House Leaves Surveillance Law to Expire (february 15, 2008)To: letters@nytimes.com
to the Editor: Sometime before 2004, the White House authorized the extra-legalwarrantless wiretap of the the first American citizen. That firstwarrantless wiretap was at once a violation of the FISA statute, aviolation of our protection from unreasonable search and seizure,and--potentially--an injury to the person(s) on whom they were spying. The normal redress of the first would be a criminal prosecution; thatwas blocked by an attorney general more loyal to the president than tothe law. The redress of the assault on our constitutional rights mighthave been impeachment; that was blocked by a congress more loyal tothe president than to the law. The redress of the potential injury tothe citizen(s) on whom our own government has been illegally spying,is a civil lawsuit. The bill currently before our House ofRepresentatives would immunize the telecoms from these civil lawsuits.In doing this, it invites our representatives to contribute to acover-up that has gone on far too long. As last Summer's surveillance measure lapses, we are stillprotected by the FISA act of 1978. That act already provided forretroactive warrants in cases too urgent to permit a judge to weighthe evidence in advance. Unlike the measure which is lapsing, itprovided that a judge pronounce these taps "reasonable", in accordancewith our constitution. The House of Representatives now stands as thepeople's last defense against an assault on our constitutional rights.Barry Levine1142 Brown AveLafayette, CA 94549510 220 6948