CMD's Lisa Graves Testifies Before U.S. Senate on Patriot Act

Submitted by John Stauber on

Lisa Graves, the Executive Director of the Center for Media and Democracy, was the only public interest group advocate invited to testify in Washington on Wednesday, September 23, before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee in its hearing on the Patriot Act and national security surveillance issues.

The complete hearing, including her testimony, is viewable online. In her written testimony, Lisa dissected U.S. government propaganda and spin from the previous Patriot Act debate of 2004 and 2005, calling for policy improvements to better protect human rights and civil liberties.

She was interviewed by Amy Goodman on her Democracy Now! program on September 22, where she explained the issues at stake in the current debate over Patriot Act renewal advocated by the Obama Administration.

Democracy
Human Rights
U.S. Government

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Charron replied on

Power to The People is just as relevant today as it was in the beginning. Stand up to the "Govern mint$" now so our children will onece again be able to Stand With the Government as was intended....God Bless Us Everyone! (We're gonna need it!!!) Peace out.

acabtaxi replied on

My name is Randy Albert and I have ran A Cab Taxi service in Elk City, Oklahoma for almost ten years.I believe I may have experienced the worst case of documented phone tampering by law enforcement in history. For over two years we have had our calls blocked by law enforcement.(not monitored) I have an incredible amount of proof and I believe you will be shocked by the details. I have carefully documented it on video and have a lot of information that I believe is worth an incredible amount of money. For six months I had two phones with the same phone number on them. One received calls from about half the cell phone companies and the other received calls from land lines and the other half of the cell phone companies. I transferred threw four companies like this and even put the number on an AT&T land line but it still didn't fix it. Tracfone told me for six months that they would fix it but I don't think it was Tracfone I was talking to on the video. So many unreal things have happened to me in the last 2 1/2 years that I feel lucky to even be alive. I had a group of people try to make a deal with me not to call the FCC and I would have all the cab calls I could do but after two weeks I couldn't go threw with it and broke the deal. Please help me with this mess. The local FBI told me that we didn't need a taxi service here anymore and if I wanted to get my phone to work right I was going to have to go to the Texas Panhandle to get phone service. I don't think its a case of proving it anymore there is too much evidence. Please call me 580821ACAB 580225TAXI or email me at insanityexpress@hotmail.com I can prove that the Department Of Transportation in Oklahoma City played a huge role in tampering with my land line and check out what I believe to be an impersonation of Fox News in New york 3 minutes into this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KN91fAOhnrg

rabidmadMike replied on

I am sick of agenda-driven, partisans giving half-truths out in what is supposed to be a testimony of effectiveness of policy and not what Lisa thinks about said policy. What Lisa so quickly overlooks is that all administrations were given wide and accepted powers of watching potential threats until they were deemed non-threats. These methods were used to a much greater degree by some previous administrations than even Bush's and I for one welcome the intrusions on any "bad actors" and the innocent who were proved and kept innocent. We all have been kept safer which is what a tunnel-vision, partisan, mini-thinker like Lisa should re-found here criticism of any safty mechanism on. Go back and study what really keeps US safe. MJ.

Lisa Graves replied on

Dear Mike: While I reject your criticism, well-intentioned though it may be, I think our Founding Fathers captured my views on the issues you raise the most eloquently: Amendment IV 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. I make no apologies for defending America's constitutional democracy. Lisa

rabidmadmike replied on

Hi Lisa and thanks for your reply. I am amazed that you, a presummed dem/lib would hide behind a strict reading of the 4th ammendment. No lib has ever had a problem with (your favorite daddy) FDR putting away, jailing, spying upon and intimidating thousands when he had to. Why would you retreat from your candied position of "the Constitution is a living breathing document"? I am guessing you don't think our country is in as much danger as it was in the 40's. The War Powers Act was and is a proxy ammendment to the 4th giving the President tools that his informed and responsible position needed to carry out his first priority to the job and country. While i am sure FDR had his opposers he ultimately got to do what he needed to do and so did all other administrations. I really think that your fained concern for 4th rights is more an attempt to put an opposite party admin in a neferious light and foster doubt on its true and responsible intent to carry out its duty to you and our country or else you wouldn't and couldn't take the nitpicking stand against the responsible use of well-written, specific, and responsibly used assigned powers. No citizen has ever had a rights violation confirmed while many terrorists have been caught. When will you take the gloves off and help fight this country's threats? Your fellow citizen, MJ.

Anonymous replied on

tell her lisa! anyone who is willing to give up their rights because the government says they are trying to make us safer is misslead and most likely brainwashed. I think that person needs to look into what the government says are potential terrorists. It is scary, I meet most of the criteria, anyone who talks bad about our government is considered a terrorist threat, or anyone who supports freedom for that matter. In fact, the person who said that is probably a "terrorist threat" according to our government. Im sure she wouldnt want someone listening in on their personal calls.

walldodger1969 replied on

mikie mikie.. don't you realize we are at war with a "WORD"!!! you my sheepish friend ,have been hoodwinked,lied to , fed propaganda til you are a shill for the bushies of the gummiement...she's trying to save your sorryass from the powers ,and you want to drink their kool aid.......well sip away.

rabidmadmike replied on

Thankyou for your kind reply draftdodger oh I mean wallbuilder oh whatever. You and Lisa cannot hide the fact that you are ignoring the fact that even the Bill Clinton, who if you did some investigation would find he is your daddy, used rendition to a much larger degree than the bushies along with all types of wiretapping. AND these tools are always sunsetted out during times of peace. Lisa is trying to make the case of lying being involved in the use of temporary and uniquily effective tools. The use of which is NOT an indication or an end to any of your,mine,or our rights. While I do admire that you and I do take the time to watch our Government and implore you to keep up the good work of vigilence I also ask you to never judge me as a shill until you "take the log out of your own eye". Never let the patriotic fire for America go out in your heart my fellow American, MJ.