Friday, January 25, 2008

Senator Boxer Responds to My Question




Dear Mr. Eisinger:

Thank you for writing to me about the Bush Administration's warrantless electronic surveillance program. I appreciate the opportunity to review your comments on this important issue, and I share your concerns.

Since 9/11, our nation has struggled with the difficult task of balancing our security needs with protecting our precious civil liberties, including the area of warrantless surveillance and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).

Last year, President Bush signed into law the "Protect America Act of 2007" (S.1927), which temporarily expanded the Administration's warrantless surveillance program to address certain communications technology advancements. Many felt that S.1927 needed further refinement, and Congress agreed to continue working on the issue.

On October 26, 2007, the Senate Intelligence Committee passed the "FISA Amendments Act of 2007" (S. 2248), which would improve judicial oversight of the Administration's warrantless surveillance program but would also grant retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies, protecting them from lawsuits over their participation in the Administration's warrantless surveillance program.

The Senate Judiciary Committee subsequently passed a version of the bill that did not include retroactive immunity. I am disappointed that on January 24, 2008, the Senate voted 60-36 to kill the Judiciary Committee's alternative measure that would have stripped the immunity provision from S.2248. If we are going to uncover the full truth about the Administration's surveillance program, I believe that Congress cannot, and should not, grant blanket immunity to the telecommunications companies.


As the Senate continues its consideration of the FISA bill, I will continue working with my colleagues to achieve a long-term comprehensive reform of FISA that will protect national security and safeguard civil liberties - without granting blanket immunity to the telecom industry.

Again, thank you for writing to me. Please feel free to contact me in the future about this or any other issue of concern to you.


Barbara Boxer
United States Senator

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Kucinich to Seek Impeachment (Finally)


I have waited a long time for this. Hopefully, he won't back down....


Dennis Kucinich took to the floor to fire off his latest salvo at the Bush administration: his plans to introduce Articles of Impeachment against President Bush on Jan. 28 — the day of Mr. Bush’s State of the Union speech.
Accusing the administration of lying about the need for the war in Iraq, Mr. Kucinich said he did not need to hear the president’s assessment. "We know the State of the Union," he declared. "It’s a lie."


He also fired a volley at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California who has maintained that impeaching Mr. Bush is not on the table for Congressional Democrats. "If impeachment is off the table," Mr. Kucinich said, "truth is off the table. If truth is off the table then this body is living a lie."

Will Obama or Clinton Take A Break From Campaigning To Do Their Jobs???



Quoting John Edwards:
In Washington today, telecom lobbyists have launched a full-court press to win retroactive immunity for their illegal eavesdropping on American citizens. Granting retroactive immunity will let corporate law-breakers off the hook and hamstring efforts to learn the truth about Bush's illegal spying program.
"It's time for Senate Democrats to show a little backbone and stand up to George W. Bush and the corporate lobbyists. They should do everything in their power -- including joining Senator Dodd's efforts to filibuster this legislation -- to stop retroactive immunity. The Constitution should not be for sale at any price."

Well...yes. And that includes candidates, you know, leaving the campaign trail to do their jobs. Unless Obama and Clinton have been bought off by the phone companies already, they can -- and should -- help. South Carolina is an hour and a half plane ride away.
Get thee to DC and filibuster, Senators.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Fred Thompson Bites The Dust


Well, if the Bee had waited another week, they would have had room to run Kucinich's views now that Thompson's campaign has (not surprisingly) gone down in flames.


Ex-Sen. Fred Thompson has told several Republicans that he has decided to drop out of the presidential race and will make public his intentions by close of business.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Don't Worry, The Bee Will Pick An Acceptable Candidate For You


Well, the Bee got around to printing my letter today. Guess I should have been a little more patient.
Anyway, the point here is that the media feel it is their duty to de-select candidates who THEY think are not viable, and in this case the Bee de-selected Dennis Kucinich just because the Bee does not considerable him viable...just as he has been de-selected from debates around the country. However, the Bee had room to profile the views of Fred Thompson, but does anyone who has paid attention actually think he has a snowball's chance? Some other agenda is being pushed here....and it is that the Bee, as part of the corporate establishment, is not prepared for the kind of change that Kucinich would bring to our country.
Again, here is the letter as it appears in today's Bee....



Disservice to readers

I scanned your full-page article [Jan. 16] on where the Democratic and Republican candidates stand on the issues. What I found troublesome was that your list of candidates was incomplete.

I did not see anywhere the positions of Dennis Kucinich or Ron Paul. True, these candidates have not yet won a primary, but neither have John Edwards, Fred Thompson or Rudy Giuliani, and yet you had plenty of space for them. It is true that Kucinich and Paul have not polled very well. But again, neither have Thompson or Giuliani in large parts of the country.

Your page appears to be another unfortunate example of the media informing the public as to which candidates are acceptable, and conversely, which are not. If your intention was to list "The Top Eight Candidates According to X" with "X" being campaign contributions, age, weight or whatever, then you should have labeled your article as such. To do otherwise was a disservice to your readers.

Jeffrey W. Eisinger

Fresno

Monday, January 21, 2008

Well, Since the Bee Ain't Printing It......


Here is my letter to the editor, submitted last week, that the Bee now appears unlikely to publish. (Thank goodness for my blog!!)

Dear Editor:
I scanned your full page article on where the Democratic and Republican candidates stand on the issues. What I found troublesome was that your list of candidates was incomplete. I did not see anywhere the positions of Dennis Kucinich or Ron Paul. True, these candidates have not yet won a primary, but neither have John Edwards, Fred Thompson or Rudy Giuliani, and yet you had plenty of space for them. It is true that Kucinich and Paul have not polled very well. But again, neither have Thompson or Giuliani in large parts of the country.
Your page appears to be another unfortunate example of the media informing the public as to which candidates are acceptable, and conversely, which are not. If your intention was to list "The Top Eight Candidates According to X" with "X" being campaign contributions, age, weight, or whatever", then you should have labeled your article as such. To do otherwise was a disservice to your readers.

Jeffrey W. Eisinger

Elizabeth Kucinich Comes to Fresno Again


Last night my wife and I had the privilege of hearing Mrs. Kucinich speak on behalf of her husband, Dennis (Rep-OH). Dennis is campaigning for president, which some of you may not know, given the degree that media outlets such as MSNBC and the Fresno Bee have excluded him from coverage and debates.

Elizabeth held the overflow crowd in her hand last night as she spoke for over an hour about her husband, his campaign and their joint goal of waking up enough Americans to their birthright so as to eventually make a transforming difference in this country.

At one point she wept openly when told that a homeless, wheelchair-bound woman she had met at Roeding Park on her last visit here just two months ago had died only three weeks later. She said the incident had made her feel helpless, but some in the crowd who apparently had known the woman said that Elizabeth's visit had meant "everything" to the woman. [Question: Have any other candidates or their wives come to Fresno and met with the homeless, rather than those with fat wallets living behind gates and walls in north Fresno?]

It was a great experience to hear Mrs. Kucinich share the vision that she and Dennis hold for this country. Listening to her puts you under some kind of spell so as to believe that their quixotic quest could somehow become a reality...and to even want to help.

Today Elizabeth will be taking part in Fresno's Martin Luther King, Jr. walk. Join her if you can!