Groups Oppose Cheney-Specter Wiretapping Bill

GROUPS OPPOSE CHENEY-SPECTER WIRETAPPING BILL
[SOURCE: Center for Democracy and Technology]
More than 30 groups from across the political spectrum sent a letter urging Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA) to abandon a proposal that would authorize unchecked, warrantless surveillance of Americans in the United States. Ostensibly intended to bring the White House's warrantless surveillance programs under some sort of judicial review, the proposed legislative "compromise" does not bind the administration to make any changes to its programs if they are deemed by a court to be overreaching. The bill also provides broad new surveillance powers to this and future administrations. The groups made it clear that even doing nothing to rein in the administration's unauthorized, unchecked surveillance programs would be preferable to passing the Specter-Cheney compromise.
Joint Letter: http://www.cdt.org/security/20060802specterletter.pdf