February 06, 2009
Please
Don't divorce my friends.
"Fidelity": Don't Divorce... from Courage Campaign on Vimeo.
Posted by jnfr at 05:52 PM | Comments (0)
November 05, 2008
Ratified
Posted by jnfr at 06:14 AM | Comments (0)
November 01, 2008
Obama Opposes California's Prop 8
Anti-marriage forces in California are sending out deceptive mailers which imply that Barack Obama and Joe Biden are in favor of California's Proposition 8. This is simply untrue. The Obama campaign has released a statement, which says in part:
"Senators Obama and Biden have made clear their commitment to fighting for equal rights for all Americans whether it's by granting LGBT Americans all the civil rights and benefits available to heterosexual couples, or repealing 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell," said a statement issued by campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt. "Senator Obama has already announced that the Obama-Biden ticket opposes Proposition 8 and similar discriminatory constitutional amendments that could roll back the civil rights he and Senator Biden strongly believe should be afforded to all Americans."
Support marriage for all our citizens. Vote NO on Proposition 8.
Posted by jnfr at 10:05 AM | Comments (0)
October 25, 2008
Vote No on Prop. 8, California
If you're like me, and don't vote in California, consider making a donation to help pay for ads. The Mormon Church, in defiance of its own long-standing traditions, is pouring money into ads supporting this Proposition, which would take away the ability of gay and lesbian couples to marry.
As the couple in this ad says, homosexual marriage has been legal for months now, and we're just fine!
More great ads here.
Posted by jnfr at 08:02 AM | Comments (0)
July 09, 2008
Feingold on FISA
Feingold speaks in the Senate today.
UPDATE: We listened to this bit with Jonathan Turley on Countdown last night. It's a good summary of how outrageous this bill is, and what it means for the Constitution.
UPDATE: And all the amendments fail. Final vote this afternoon, but that's the end of our chances.
Posted by jnfr at 09:12 AM | Comments (0)
July 08, 2008
One Last Day
Tomorrow the Senate takes up the FISA supplemental bill, which if passed will, once and for all, hide the extent of domestic surveillance under the Bush administration. I am deeply embarrassed that my Congressman Mark Udall voted in favor of this travesty.
Please contact your Senator and ask them to vote NO on this bill, or at the very least, vote YES on the Bingaman amendment.
Posted by jnfr at 12:48 PM | Comments (0)
July 02, 2008
Feingold Speaks
Don't give up hope yet. The fight to end illegal surveillance by the Bush administration isn't over.
The Senate will once again consider H.R. 6304 when they return after the holiday recess. Please consider contacting your Senators and ask them to support various amendments proposed by Sens. Feingold, Dodd, Webb, and Tester to fix some of the most glaring problems with this bill.
Posted by jnfr at 09:34 AM | Comments (0)
June 13, 2008
McCain vs. Habeas corpus
In one more example of why we can't allow John McCain to choose any more Supreme Court judges, the Republican nominee backed Justice Robert's dissent against yesterday's Supreme Court ruling which allowed those indefinitely detained by our government to question their detainment in court.
Obama disagreed.
Mr. Obama issued a statement calling the decision “a rejection of the Bush administration’s attempt to create a legal black hole at Guantánamo” that he said was “yet another failed policy supported by John McCain.”
“This is an important step,” he said of the ruling, “toward re-establishing our credibility as a nation committed to the rule of law, and rejecting a false choice between fighting terrorism and respecting habeas corpus. Our courts have employed habeas corpus with rigor and fairness for more than two centuries, and we must continue to do so as we defend the freedom that violent extremists seek to destroy.”
UPDATE: Think Progress notes that Bush and McCain are once again in perfect agreement.
Posted by jnfr at 08:57 AM | Comments (0)
February 23, 2008
Ordinary People Say
Remember, there are no exceptions to the fourth amendment.
UPDATE: Now I understand! It's all because they love us so.
Posted by jnfr at 09:15 AM | Comments (0)
February 19, 2008
Wikileaks Mirrors
Since Wikileaks has been silenced, a number of mirror sites have sprung up overseas. Dan Feidt of HongPong has an updated list, FYI.
UPDATE: Here's a BBC story on the lawsuit and the site being taken down.
Whistle-blower site taken offline
A controversial website that allows whistle-blowers to anonymously post government and corporate documents has been taken offline in the US....
Posted by jnfr at 08:02 AM | Comments (0)
February 12, 2008
FISA today
Greenwald thinks we're going to lose on telecom immunity today. Leahy is going to back Dodd and Feingold. Do your part.
UPDATE: Looks like the Dems are caving on everything. I'm so ashamed of my senator sometimes.
UPDATE: It's all moving to the House next. Sign the petition and encourage them to do the right thing.
Posted by jnfr at 07:45 AM | Comments (0)
January 29, 2008
No Exceptions
The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution, in whole, says:
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.
Note there are no exceptions listed. No Exceptions!
Posted by jnfr at 11:42 AM | Comments (0)
January 26, 2008
And This is Leadership
Thank you, Senator Dodd.
Posted by jnfr at 09:10 AM | Comments (0)
January 25, 2008
This is Leadership
Politicians, take note.
Posted by jnfr at 07:24 AM | Comments (0)
December 18, 2007
Thank you Senator Dodd
And all those who helped him slow down the stampede towards telecom immunity. Dodd speaks:
This fight is not over, but we won a significant victory on this, and it was the outpouring of public concern that helped make it happen.
Posted by jnfr at 09:46 AM | Comments (0)
November 14, 2007
No Telecom Amnesty
Chris Dodd has started another citizen-based whip count.
Click the image and do your part.
Posted by jnfr at 10:23 AM | Comments (0)
September 18, 2007
Restore Habeas Corpus
Once again, Chris Dodd leads the way. See more here. They're keeping track of the vote count via the widget below.
UPDATE: The vote to close debate failed by four votes.
Posted by jnfr at 01:52 PM | Comments (0)
March 30, 2007
Restore the Constitution
In this clip, Chris Dodd discusses his proposed legislation, the Restore the Constitution Act of 2007, which defines the characteristics of enemy combatants, defines who can be tried by military tribunals, outlines the types of evidence that can be used against them, and most importantly restores the right of habeas corpus to all persons detained by the United States.
You can read the full text of the Act at the link above, and sign on as a citizen co-sponsor. The Act itself is rather long and technical, and one problem with the web site is that it doesn't give a very good non-technical discussion of the ramifications of the many sub-sections of the Act. But the primary purpose is clear — to restore the honor of the United States and return to our faith in the Constitution by affirming the right of Habeas Corpus to all people in our judicial system.
This doesn't keep us from trying terrorists and finding them guilty. It keeps us from sliding into the gutter with them, and stops the Administration from denying this most basic and long-standing legal right.
_______________________________________
Apparently this has been introduced as Senate Bill 576. It's been read twice and referred to the Armed Services Committee. It has ten co-sponsors.
In searching the bill's status, I also found S. 185, the Habeus Corpus Restoration Act, sponsored by Arlen Spector and co-sponsored by Patrick Leahy. This bill is much shorter and does not contain all the specifics about how the military trials should be conducted. It has been read twice and is in the hands of the Judiciary Committee.
Posted by jnfr at 08:30 AM | Comments (0)
March 29, 2007
Guantanamo detainee #940
Adel Hamad, husband and father, aid worker and teacher, continues to be detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, despite efforts to clear his name and return him to his family in Sudan.
Guantanamo Unclassified
More information at Project Hamad.
See also this article at Slate, The YouTube Defense: Human rights go viral.
UPDATE: Eric Alterman shares a report from a human rights activist who followed up on several Guantanamo detainees who were sent home.
Here is part of her report:
Former Guantanamo detainees who were sent home to Russia in 2004 experienced torture and other abuse despite Moscow's pledge to the U.S. government that they would be treated humanely, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released today.The Russian prisoners' experience illustrates why the United States should stop relying "diplomatic assurances" of fair treatment to justify sending prisoners from Guantanamo Bay to countries where they are at risk of torture.
The seven Russians were all detained soon after the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan and eventually spent about two years in Guantanamo. Although they complained of mistreatment by the Americans, all of the detainees repeatedly asked authorities at Guantanamo not to be returned to Russia because they expected to be treated worse there. And indeed, three of them experienced serious torture and ill-treatment after being arrested in Russia. Two of them were convicted at unfair trials; and all of them have been harassed and hounded by Russian law enforcement....
So much for the rule of law. The Alterman post contains a link to her entire report (43 pg. PDF file).
Posted by jnfr at 09:04 AM | Comments (0)
August 17, 2006
Music to my ears ...
"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. So all 'inherent power' must derive from that Constitution."
Federal Judge Orders Halt to Warrantless Wiretapping
Posted by jnfr at 12:10 PM | Comments (0)