Congress now has the chance to do nothing and make it count.

The Fourth Amendment

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

As we watch the primary races lets not take our eyes off the scoundrels that we have allowed to erode our constitutional rights one by one. As one of the worst congresses ever and some would argue that the 109th congress was the worst. I disagree because those scoundrels where the bad guys and we knew that. The 110th congress was elected to right the wrongs that the Bush / Cheney regime heaped on America and did little except wring their hands and say woe we don’t have the 60 votes.

Congress now has the chance to do nothing and make it count. On February 8th 2008 this abomination to our constitutional rights will expire. Last August 2007 the Protect America Act was rushed through congress legalizing executive branch domestic wiretapping without warrants.

It’s incredible that this was passed in the first place because this administration has been breaking FISA laws which require warrants to snoop on Americans and ignoring the 4th Amendment rights against unreasonable searches and seizures since February 2001 well before September 11th.

Congress reconvenes January 22nd 2008, Senate Majority leader Harry (hapless) Reid plans to bring an unacceptable bill S. 2248 to the Senate floor for a vote. This bill contains retroactive immunity for the poor misguided telecom companies who handed over the private communications of Americans to Bush / Cheney Company without being served warrants to do so.

It boggles my mind that even with the incredible mandate we gave congress in 2006 that they would even consider rubberstamping the shredding of our 4th amendment rights and give immunity retroactively to the Bush / Cheney administration and their Telecom pals.

There is however a Judiciary Committee version of this bill which contains 4th Amendment fixes and does not provide immunity to the telecom industry. This bill is subject to floor amendments that could weaken the bill. The president has promised a veto of the bill if it doesn’t grant immunity to the telecoms.

The best way to kill this abomination is to let it expire on its own because even King George W. can’t veto the natural expiration of a law.

Call your Senators and demand that congress restore 4th Amendment protections of Americans private communications and emails by letting the Protect America Act expire on February 8th 2008. Only if that fails should the Senate consider the Judiciary Committee version of S. 2248. There is no other reason to grant immunity to the Telecoms other than to protect the guilty and hide the truth from the American people.

Peace and Liberty through intelligence, strength, and integrity.

OpEd News
http://www.opednews.com/maxwrite/diarypage.php?did=5554

Is it just me or does this upcoming presidential election looks more like a VEGAS sports booking parlor?

I watch a lot of political news shows like Tim Russert, Face the Nation, Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann, Joe Scarborough and some others that analyze news and politics. What I keep getting is that this is a football game and not an issue driven presidential election.

You can even bet on who will win the nomination and election there is an article on this at Slate.com.
http://specials.slate.com/futures/2008/

This country is in dire need of a change in direction. The people need to take back the government from the well financed special interests and but the power back into the hands of the people.

CNN has a list of issues that they think will decide the election their issues are Abortion, Immigration, Iraq, same sex marriage, Social Security, Taxes, Health Care. Same sex marriage and Abortion, Why are these even on peoples minds when they decide a president.
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/issues/issues.abortion.html

Five of the seven issues above are important and I want to know where the candidates stand on issues that actually mean something. I am against abortion but I don’t feel I have the right to tell someone that they can’t have one after she has been raped or her life is in danger because of the pregnancy or for any other reason it is a personal choice issue.

Same sex marriage, who cares!!!! If Johnny wants to marry Todd, or Ruth wants to be with Anne what business is that of mine. As long as Johnny and Todd are 18 it is none of my business what they do as long as it does not interfere with my rights.

I want to know where they stand on creating and independent ethics commission to investigate congressional & presidential ethics misconduct.

I want to know where they stand on banning registered lobbyists form giving gifts to members of congress and their staffs.

I want to know where they stand on public financing of all elections and spending limits on campaigns.

I want to know where they stand on restoring our constitutional rights and from further degrading our individual rights.

I want to know where they stand on torture and indefinite detention.

I want to know where they stand on limiting corporate media ownership.

I want to know where they stand on American imperialism and reducing our military presence around the world.

I want to know where they stand on bringing back jobs to America.

I want to know where they stand on the President misleading and out right lying to the American people to get us into an illegal and unnecessary war.

I want to know where they stand on NAFTA, CAFTA, and all these other trade agreements that cause Americans to lose their jobs.

It is time we become agitators and demand Congress to do the will of the people and not the will of the highest bidder. America needs the courage to stand up and be counted now as in no other time in our history.

Peace and Liberty through intelligence, strength, and integrity.

Constitutional Issues

Constitutional Issues

Our Constitution is under assault by an administration that bases ideology before reason. They have taken the core values that had made America a beacon of freedom and justice throughout the world and have become no better than the people that we are at war with.

Before I vote for someone I would want to know where they stand on these issues.

What do you think of this current administrations power grab and do you plan to repudiate their attack on the U S Constitution and restore the rule of law?

Do you support the bipartisan National Security Letter Reform Act of 2007 bill S. 2088, which would narrow the types of records available without a court order and establishes a standard of individualized suspicion for issuing an NSL?

Do you support Guantanamo Bay, Cuba Detention Center Closure Act of 2007 S. 1469 which would to require all inmates to either be charged with crimes and be transferred to Ft Leavenworth or be transferred back to their home country?

Do you support the American Freedom Agenda Act of 2007 H.R. 3835, this bill would repeal the Military Commissions Act of 2006, and clarifies that no information if it is obtained by torture or coercion may be used as evidence?

Do you support FISA legislation that would repeal current warrentless wiretapping and electronic surveillance, to not allow blanket warrants to spy on large groups of people who have committed no crime, and which would require court approval to spy on individuals?

To do the right thing is not always the easiest way but it is always the right thing to do.

Peace and Liberty through intelligence, strength and integrity.

The barbarians are not at the gates they have taken over the city.

The barbarians are not at the gates they have taken over the city.

Our government has been high jacked by the big money interests. Now we had better find out how to take it back. With more wealth at the top tier of our society and less at the bottom we aren’t even getting the crumbs anymore.

A big key is to stop the revolving door that exists between business and government. We have progressed by passing tougher ethics laws earlier this year but they still do not go far enough.

We have a few candidates that are above this corruption like Ron Paul, Mike Gravel, and Dennis Kucinich but as much as I hate to say it they are not going to get elected. I like Obama, but he is surrounded by Wall Street and the D. C. insiders, so I am not sure about him. The only Clinton I want to see in the White House would be George Clinton (the roof is on fire let the muther F*%ker burn).

The fundamental issue of our time which is at the core of every other issue, whether it is Iraq, wages, health care, retirement security, trade, immigration, global warming is that powerful interests, particularly corporate interests, have literally taken over this government.

The only viable candidate that is not embracing these powerful interests so far is John Edwards. In his personal life he comes from humble roots and has some good ideas about solving some of this nations problems but I am not endorsing anyone yet. So in the upcoming 2008 elections the candidates only worth listening to will be the ones who will be willing to fix what is wrong in our government.

I want some answers on questions like.

Are you in favor of the Bipartisan Fair Elections Now Act S. 1285 which basically would favor the public financing of political campaigns in order to give voters more control over government, and make politicians accountable to constituents rather that campaign contributors??

Are you in favor of a law enacted to limit campaign spending in order to curb the escalating cost of running election campaigns??

If the candidates answer no to either of these questions, they are corporate pimps and not worthy to represent the citizens of this great nation.

If we do not force this issue in the coming elections and the coming years we will become nothing more than an Orwellian nation of slaves. Big Brother will be the massa and you will tow the line or wind up in a place like GITMO.

Peace and Liberty through intelligence, strength, and integrity.

The most recent FISA bill is an affront to the rule of law that the founders of this great nation wanted to protect us from.

Our senators will be considering the most recent FISA bill and it is time to speak up and tell your senators to uphold the law and defend our Constitution. Two crucial principles regarding Warrantless spying on Americans are being considered by the Senate Judiciary Committee this week and they are.

1. Granting immunity to the phone companies that broke the law and handed over your phone and email records to the NSA.

2. Basket warrants or completely Warrantless searches which allows the government to sweep up information of a group of people. Say for instance that the NSA says that they want information on some members of the ACLU they could potentially spy on all members.

When the telecomm industry handed over your phone and email records to the NSA a while back they broke the law of the land. When, even the government tells you to break the law it is your duty to disobey that order. If you do not disobey that order you are liable to be prosecuted and punished, end of story.

The telecomm industry has plenty of lawyers on staff so they cannot claim ignorance of the law and should be held accountable and pay the price to succumbing to the wishes of our great potentate G W Bush.

On the second issue our Constitution was written to protect this nations citizens from unreasonable search and seizures. If the government doesn’t have evidence that you are breaking the law it has no right to spy on you.

If we allow this erosion of our rights to continue we will become a nation of slaves subservient to the wishes of the likes of George W and Dick “Tator” Cheney. Call, write, email your senators and tell them this is unacceptable and to stand down this rouge administration and stand up for the Constitution.

Peace and Liberty through intelligence, strength and integrity.

Support Dennis Kucinich’s impeachment resolution against vice president Cheney.

Support Dennis Kucinich’s impeachment resolution against vice president Cheney.

On November 6th 2007 Dennis Kucinich introduced H. Resolution 799 to impeach Vice President Dick Cheney on the floor of the House as a “question of Privilege”. The reason this is important is because the speaker of the house Ms Pelosi has said that “impeachment is off the table” and since she as Speaker set the legislative agenda it would never have come up. Now as a question of privilege it had to be referred to the judiciary Committee for consideration.

House Judiciary Chair John Conyers has himself supported impeachment of the vice president in the past but is waffling on the issue now. If he hears from a lot of Americans it is much more likely to result in impeachment hearings. It is extremely important to contact John Conyers and your representative and pressure them to begin the process of impeachment.

The need to get involved has never been so urgent. Complacency is very dangerous Bush / Cheney can still do untold damage to this country with their saber rattling at Iran and continued assaults on the Constitution it is important to keep these thugs occupied defending themselves rather than creating more mischief for future generations to pay for and repair.

My letter will read like this and feel free to use it or make one of your own.
http://www.house.gov/conyers/
http://www.house.gov/

Congressman Conyers

Vice President Cheney repeatedly lied to the nation about the potential threat of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, provoking the invasion and occupation of that country, with catastrophic results for our nation.

He continues to lie and distort intelligence regarding links between Iraq and al Qaeda; when such links simply did not exist before our invasion and he continues to threaten aggression against Iran, in violation of the United Nations charter and in a manner that destabilizes the region and harms our national security.

All of these actions certainly meet the constitutional test of high crimes and misdemeanors. So I ask that you begin H. Res. 799, Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Cheney.

Sincerely
Michael Chavers

Peace and Liberty through intelligence, strength, and integrity.

A truly courageous soldier Lt. Ehren Watada

Lt. Ehren Watada in June 2006 denounced this illegal occupation of Iraq and refused to deploy. He was tried for 2 specifications Conduct unbecoming of an officer and a gentleman (for statements made in speeches and interviews- Article 133) and 1 specification Missing Movement (for refusing to deploy to Iraq on June 22 2006 – Article 87). He could have been sentenced to up to 6 years in prison.

The point of this article is not the details of the trial which can be read on the following link.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ehren_Watada

I am writing to say this is how Americans should stand up and be counted. Lt Watada said he is not a conscientious objector because he is not opposed to all wars as a matter of principle. He is no coward either because he offered to serve in Afghanistan. Lt. Ehren Watada is a man of principle and he indeed took an oath when he enlisted into the United States Army. This is the oath he took.

I Ehren Watada, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear the faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President to the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.

Lt. Watada believes as I do that the war that lead to the occupation of Iraq has violated the Constitution and War Powers Act which limits the president in his role as Commander in Chief from using the armed forces in any way he sees fit. It also violates the UN Charter, the Geneva Conventions, and the Nuremberg Principles which bar wars of aggression. It is therefore his duty to disobey the orders to occupy Iraq.

The Congress has failed our country and should pay the price during the next election for not stopping this cabal of cretins in the executive branch for leading us into the ruination of our armed services, our reputation in world opinion and the pillaging of our treasury to the war profiteers.

Our last defense against this madness may be the military. Over 10,000 soldiers have deserted since the Iraq invasion. Now the administration rattles their sabers at Iran and it is said that before his term is over that Bush will attack Iran. Top military commanders have said that this will not happen on their watch. I hope that they stick to their word and fulfill their oath to defend the constitution and disobey any illegal acts of aggression.

I urge all the men at arms to disobey illegal and immoral orders and take the consequences do not desert but have the courage to stand up and go to trial and let this country hear why this war is illegal. You will be supported by many of us Americans.

Maybe then some more of our lawmakers would have the courage to do what is right and end the occupation and repudiate what this present administration has done to our constitution and freedom.

Peace and Liberty through intelligence, strength, and integrity.