Letter from Senator Feingold and others (including Kerry) to other

[Mass]

senators saying they will oppose cloture on the P.A.T.R.I.O.T Act.

http://feingold.senate.gov/Patriot_Act_Dear_Colleague121405.pdf

December 14, 2005
Dear Colleague,
Prior to the Thanksgiving recess, several Senators expressed strong opposition to the
draft Patriot Act reauthorization conference report that was circulated by the conferees.
We were gratified that Congress did not attempt to rush through a flawed conference
report at that time, and we hoped the conferees would make significant improvements to
the conference report before we returned to session this month.

We write to express our grave disappointment that the conference committee has made so
few changes to the conference report since then. And now, in the last week of the
session, the Senate is being asked to reauthorize the Patriot Act without adequate
opportunity for debate. If the conference report comes to the Senate in the same form
that it was filed in the House last week, we will oppose cloture on the conference report.
We urge you to do the same.

Signing: Craig, Durbin, Sununu, Feingold, Murkowski, Salazar, Hagel, Kerry, Obama

Have added since Reid and Leahy.

[karynnj]

1. Interesting group of Senators signing this.

I hope they can get the 41 to deny cloture.

[ray of light]

2. it's time for the people out here to make a lot of calls to the

Senators who didn't sign.

[sandnsea]

3. Senate version has ACLU support

And bi-partisan support even from that Bob Bahr group. That's the hard part of getting through the noise. People already are wahooing Feingold on this vote, but what they don't understand is that he's supporting the Senate version. We aren't getting the right message out on this.

[wisteria]

4. If what you say is true, why isn't Kos out there claiming Feigold

is bogarting the spot-light? That said, what do you think we should do?

[sandnsea]

5. I give up

I was on the ACLU site a month ago and they were pushing the Senate version and they had joined with Bob Bahr and had a bipartisan organization that supported the Senate version. Now, it's completely different and they're just attacking both provisions and praising the "Liberty Six" in the Senate, 4 Republicans, Stevens, Murkowski, Craig, Sununu, and 2 Democrats, Feingold & Salazar.

So who knows. This is how we end up with crap compromise bills though. I wouldn't trust those 4 Republicans with my fish bowl, let alone my freedom.

[Mass]

6. Add Wyden to the list

Reuters says that they seem to have enough votes to stop the bill. It will be interesting to see.

http://today.reuters.com/News/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2005-12-14T205311Z_01_BAU469099_RTRUKOC_0_US-SECURITY-PATRIOT.xml

[TayTay]

7. Excellent. I can call some people to call the NH & ME

Senators. to vote against cloture. I guess that vote is scheduled for Friday morning. This should be interesting.

Thanks for the heads up on this.