[Texgreen] Fwd: ACLU Wins NSA Challenge in Federal Court

[Michael Grant]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "Anthony D. Romero, ACLU" <executive_director@aclu.org>
> Date: August 17, 2006 3:58:04 PM CDT
> To: correoverde@gmail.com
> Subject: ACLU Wins NSA Challenge in Federal Court
> Reply-To: "Anthony D. Romero, ACLU" <executive_director@aclu.org>
>
> ************************************************
> From the Desk of Anthony D. Romero
> American Civil Liberties Union
> ACLU Wins NSA Challenge in Federal Court
> http://action.aclu.org/site/R?i=c18mvZKsJmQu45_5DvSU6w..
> ************************************************
>
> Dear Friend,
>
> I want you to be the first to hear the best news for civil liberties
> that we've had in a long time.  A federal court in Michigan has ruled
> that the Bush administration's NSA program to monitor the phone calls
> and e-mails of millions of Americans without warrants is  
> unconstitutional
> and must be stopped. It's news of a stunning courtroom victory that  
> your
> continuing support made possible.
>
> I couldn't be more proud of lead counsel Ann Beeson and the rest of  
> our
> legal team, including attorneys Jameel Jaffer and Melissa Goodman.  
> As you
> know, the day that we learned about this massive and systematic  
> spying,
> ACLU lawyers started working on this lawsuit.  The hours and the  
> blood,
> sweat and tears they have put into it have now paid off.  Just as your
> support of this important work is paying off.
>
> This ruling, in the first federal challenge ever argued against the
> president's program, is a landmark victory against the massive abuses
> of power that have become the hallmark of the Bush administration, and
> is a victory for all freedom-loving people in our country.
>
> U.S. District Court Judge Anna Diggs Taylor declared that the NSA  
> program
> violates not only Americans' rights to free speech and privacy  
> under the
> First and Fourth Amendments of the Constitution, but also the Foreign
> Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) passed by Congress.
>
> Judge Taylor summed it up perfectly when she wrote in her decision:
>
> We must first note that the Office of the Chief Executive has itself
> been created, with its powers, by the Constitution. There are no
> hereditary Kings in America and no power not created by the  
> Constitution.
>
> You and the ACLU have been working so hard on this because you  
> understand
> that this case is about more than putting an immediate end to the Bush
> administration's warrantless spying program; it is an important  
> step in
> the battle to curb the government's abuses of power. Believe me, we  
> could
> not have come this far without the effort and passion of all the  
> ACLU members
> and activists. Your support on these issues has been invaluable.  
> You are
> making a difference.
>
> Now we need you to stand with us in our crucial efforts to hold the  
> president
> accountable in the weeks and months to come as we gear up for the  
> next battle
> to protect our rights, with two congressional committees poised for  
> September
> votes to try to legalize this spying under Vice President Dick  
> Cheney's
> supervision.
>
> Instead of demanding that the President answer for breaking the  
> law, Cheney
> and his allies want Congress to rewrite our laws to condone his  
> behavior and
> give him and all future presidents a blank check to conduct  
> domestic spying
> programs without individual warrants. Your efforts today are  
> crucial to ensure
> that Congress doesn't undo this historic victory:
> http://action.aclu.org/site/R?i=uYA7qerd0vuW1M-NIRkQAA..
>
> Today, we are celebrating and analyzing this decision.  Tomorrow  
> there will be
> much work to do.  Your involvement, belief in and support of our  
> work has never
> been more important than right now.
>
>> From all of us at the ACLU, thank you for your partnership in all  
>> of our efforts.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Anthony D. Romero
> Executive Director
> ACLU
>
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