Tell the Senate: No Amnesty for Spying Telcos

I can't say it better than Glenn Greenwald (Salon), Jane Hamsher (Firedoglake) and Matt Stoller (Open Left):

The ball is in Majority Leader Harry Reid's court.

All he has to do is respect Senate tradition by honoring the "hold" Chris Dodd has placed on any bill that includes "retroactive immunity."

With one public pronouncement, we can rest peacefully in the knowledge the rule of law has been preserved ... this time.

We've written a letter to Senator Reid cosigned by MoveOn.org, the ACLU, and a number of other prominent organizations and bloggers asking the Majority Leader to honor Senator Dodd's hold.

Add your signature to ours before we deliver the letter prior to next week's Judiciary Committee hearings on the issue.

No Retroactive Immunity

AT&T's alleged actions here violate the constitutional rights clearly established [by the U.S. Supreme Court]. . . . AT&T cannot seriously contend that a reasonable entity in its position could have believed that the alleged domestic dragnet was legal.
That was the emphatic rebuttal of the telecom's case by U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker -- a President Bush (the elder) appointee.

Providing amnesty to lawbreaking corporations is a complete assault on the rule of law and on the basic fairness of our political system. When ordinary American citizens are accused of breaking the law, they are forced to go to court and, if the accusations are proven, they suffer the consequences.

If the telecoms really did nothing wrong, they should prove that in court, like all Americans must do.

And if Senator Reid honors the "hold," they'll have their day in court.

It's that simple.

Read the letter to Senator Reid and add your name.

No Retroactive Immunity

Senator Dodd also pledged to filibuster any bill containing retroactive immunity should his hold be ignored.

He has been joined by Senators Obama and Biden.

After a record number of threatened Republican filibusters, it shouldn't be a handful of Democrats actually forced to maintain one.

Hopefully, we can make sure it won't actually come to that.

Sincerely,

Glenn Greenwald, Jane Hamsher and Matt Stoller

Cross-posted at BlueGrassRoots.