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Dear Senator
Obama

The passing of an ex-post facto immunity for telecommunications
companies does not make that law constitutional. You need to explain to
the American people that you voted for the FISA reauthorization,
knowing that the immunity was unconstitutional, and that your
administration will challenge that immunity in court.

There is no provision in the Constitution for suspending the provision
forbidding ex-post facto laws, as there is for habeas corpus. Such laws
were actually outlawed in the Magna Carta, and hark back to the days of
the Star Chamber. If you are truly a new kind of politician, show us
your loyalty to American ideals of lawful conduct, and commit yourself
to overturning this immunity.

Ben Burrows
406 Shoemaker Road
Elkins Park, PA 19027-2420
215-266-2029

-------- Original Message --------

Subject:
Tell Sen. Obama: Hold lawbreakers accountable

Date:
Thu, 10 Jul 2008 12:22:23 -0700

From:
Nita Chaudhary, MoveOn.org Political Action
<moveon-help@list.moveon.org>

To:
Benjamin A Burrows <burrowsx@bellatlantic.net>

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Can you send a message to
Barack
Obama? Tell him: Please pledge to launch a full investigation into
wiretapping and the Bush
administration's other illegal activities.

Click here to send a message to Obama:

Click Here

Dear MoveOn member,

Yesterday, Congress
passed a bill that'll make it much harder to hold
the Bush administration responsible for its illegal wiretapping program.

Though progressive
champions like Senators Dodd and Feingold stood strong, Senator Obama
voted for the faulty bill.

But here's the thing:
Barack Obama is still our best chance at real
accountability: When he's elected, he can launch a full investigation
into wiretapping and the Bush administration's other illegal
activities, from torture to cooked intelligence.

Given his vote, it's
doubly important that Senator Obama come out now
and promise to hold the administration accountable if he wins. Will
you ask him to commit to a full investigation if he becomes President?
Clicking here will bring you directly to his website, where you can
send him a message:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/contact2

MoveOn members have
worked tirelessly over the last few years to put an
end to warrantless wiretapping and demand accountability for those
who've broken the law and violated the Constitution. Together we've
held vigils and sent hundreds of thousands of messages to Congress. In
the last few weeks alone, MoveOn members made thousands of phone calls
to the Senate—and the Obama campaign.

There's no
question—Senator Obama's vote is a real disappointment. The
bill passed yesterday will make it harder to hold the Bush
administration accountable. The "telecom immunity" clause basically
blocks ongoing lawsuits against the telephone companies that carried
out the administration's illegal wiretapping program. Those lawsuits
were one of our best hopes for finding out what actually happened.

That's not just bad
policy—it's bad politics. Americans want those who
violate the Constitution to see consequences; that's a core American
value and a winning position for the election. This along with his
strong stands on healthcare, the energy crisis and ending the war can
help the Senator win in November.

It's not too late for
Barack Obama to promise full accountability when
he becomes president. There are still other avenues, from independent
investigations to the Inspector General's office. The question is, will
Barack Obama commit to using these other avenues?

Right-wingers and the
media punditry will argue strongly against Barack
Obama holding the Bush administration accountable. They'll call
investigations "vindictive" or "refighting the fights of the past."  We
need to push him now to make it a priority.

Can you send a quick message to Obama now, asking him to
investigate and punish the Bush
administration's crimes?

http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/contact2

Why is this fight so
important? Because it strikes at the heart of
accountability in our democracy. No president should be able to
willfully break the law, then count on his successor to simply ignore
any wrongdoing. Letting the Bush administration completely off the hook
would send a signal to future presidents that they can do whatever they
please, without consequence. In this country, no person—and no
president—should be above the law.
–Nita, Patrick S.,
Tanya, Marika, and the team
Want to support our work?
We're entirely funded
by our 3.2 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks
from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a
long way. Chip
in here.

PAID
FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not
authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. This email was
sent to Benjamin A Burrows on July 10, 2008. To change your email
address or update your contact info, click
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