ACLU says support "Fisa Modernization Bill" instead of Restore Act.

The FISA Flood Continues: Call Now for the Constitution!

Two bills were introduced yesterday to fix the disastrous Protect America Act that was rushed through Congress in August, rubberstamping the administration's warrantless wiretapping program. Both were efforts to fix FISA, but we must make it clear that only the FISA Modernization Bill does the job.

The RESTORE Act caves in to Bush’s fear-mongering in a major way by allowing for program or basket “warrants,” which aren't really warrants at all. They're the modern-day equivalent of allowing government agents to sit in our living rooms, recording our personal conversations. Only they're more frightening, because the government now has the capacity to monitor us remotely and without our knowledge, and to save the information in a secret database forever.

It’s no surprise that the Bush Administration is again using the threat of terror to bully Congress into giving them more power than it needs to keep us safe. To counter these misrepresentations, your representative needs to hear that America can be both safe and free by passing a FISA Modernization bill that protects our Constitutional rights. Please, call your representative right now. Tell him or her to support the FISA Modernization Act instead of the RESTORE Act.

..."The most effective calls to Congress are polite, respectful and clearly state what you’re asking your Member of Congress to do. Here are some talking points for your phone call:

1. Please support the FISA Modernization Act of 2007 introduced by Representative Rush Holt, instead of the RESTORE Act. Only pass a FISA modernization bill that has individualized warrants.

2. Blanket or program “warrants” that allow the government to vacuum up the international telephone calls and emails of Americans aren’t really warrants at all, and they aren’t constitutional.

3. Americans are looking to Congress to stand up to the Bush Administration, not cave into threats of being labeled soft on terrorism."