
While the approval of the FISA bill is a significant blow, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), who have been at the forefront of law suits against the telcos just granted immunity, is not giving up. From their press release this morning.
“We thank those senators who courageously opposed telecom immunity and vow to them, and to the American people, that the fight for accountability over the president’s illegal surveillance is not over,” said EFF Senior Staff Attorney Kurt Opsahl. “Even though Congress has failed to protect the privacy of Americans and uphold the rule of law, we will not abandon our defense of liberty. We will fight this unconstitutional grant of immunity in the courtroom and in the Congress, requesting repeal of the immunity in the next session, while seeking justice from the Judiciary. Nor can the lawless officials who approved this massive violation of Americans’ rights rest easy, for we will file a new suit against the government and challenge warrantless wiretapping, past, present and future.”
EFF is representing the plaintiffs in Hepting v. AT&T, a class action lawsuit brought on behalf of millions of AT&T customers whose private domestic communications and communications records were illegally handed over to the National Security Agency (NSA). EFF has been appointed co-coordinating counsel for all 47 of the outstanding lawsuits concerning the government’s warrantless surveillance program.
If you believe in the cause, consider a donation to the EFF.
And ACLU is suing.
I cannot for the life of me figure out how the terrorists win if there is judicial oversight for wiretaps. Unless the judges are the “terrorists” they’re going after? This has a very scary feel to it.
Well, y’know, those zany judges, they might ask for “proof” or even “supposition of proof” — it could take several minutes to get the approval, by which time OBL could have ordered his pizza without the CIA knowing whether he’s getting anchovies on it or not.
Besides which, asking anyone for permission for anything hacks off the Bush Administration.