Fourth Amendment Gets a Stay of Execution - File Your Amicus Brief Now!

The FISA zombie lurches on, which gives us some hope of defeating the thing. It's the same hope I have of getting an email from a publisher this year saying, "Oh, hey, saw your blog, went to your website, how about a million dollar advance so you can quit your job and write that book, eh?" But it's still hope, and I shall grasp it.

The vote on this disgusting bit of fuckery has, through the heroics of Dodd and Feingold, been delayed until July 8th. Time for us to get busy.

Here's a petition from CREDO Action asking Obama to wake up and smell the coffee:

On July 8, the Senate will vote on H.R. 6304, the FISA Amendments Act of 2008.

If the bill passes, it would mean a blank check for President Bush to continue his warrantless wiretapping program and a get-out-of-jail-free card for the telecoms suspected of helping him illegally spy on Americans.

There will be no filibuster. The only way we can stop this catastrophe is to get a majority of senators to vote no.

You can also urge Obama to do the right thing on his own website. Some of his supporters started a group called "Senator Obama - Please Vote NO on Telecom Immunity - Get FISA Right." Joining it takes about ten seconds, and tells him on no uncertain terms that while he's not as appalling as the alternative, he's still got some 'splaining to do. At this moment, 2,139 folks have done so. That's a lot of pissed-off Obama supporters.

Once you've told Obama to stop being a fuckwit, it might be a good idea to tell your senators the same.

More to come, I've no doubt.