Actual Letter to Senator Feinstein

On Thursday, January 19, 2006, at 03:51 PM, senator@feinstein.senate.gov wrote:

January 19, 2006

Dear Mr. Steve:

(...inspiring letter about actions taken to enforce the FISA act.)

Again, thank you for writing. I hope that you will continue to
write to me on issues of importance to you. Best regards.

Sincerely yours,

Dianne Feinstein
United States Senator


Senator Feinstein:

Thanks for the invitation, and all you did to attempt to hold the administration's feet to the fire in reference to their bashing of the FISA statute.

I was just reading the news and noted this:

Senators voting against S. 2271 (USA PATRIOT Act Additional Reauthorizing Amendments Act of 2006):

Byrd (D-WV)
Feingold (D-WI)
Harkin (D-IA)
Jeffords (I-VT)

Senator Inouye (D-HI) did not cast a vote. All other U.S. Senators voted to amend the bill, set to be reauthorized.

There must be some mistake. I do no see your name here. Surely someone with the respect you have for the US Bill of RIghts would never agree to reinstitute the horrors of the Patriot Act! Remember what Franklin said: Those willing to give away their freedom in exchange for security deserve neither.

I am hoping that this was simply a misprint in the news. Please tell me that you didn't vote to reauthorize this bill.

Do you remember what Senator Feingold had to say about the bill?

“What we are witnessing is quite simply a capitulation to the intransigent and misleading rhetoric of a White House that sees any effort to protect civil liberties as a sign of weakness,” Feingold said on the Senate floor February 15.

“Protecting American values is not weakness, Mr. President.

“Standing on principle is not weakness.

“And committing to fighting terrorism aggressively without compromising the rights and freedoms this country was founded upon—that’s not weakness either.”

I have read that under this new Patriot Act, peaceful protest at a Secret Service event can be labeled "disruptive or potentially dangerous conduct" and if I were to do it I could face a year in prison. Is this true? Has someone burned the Bill of Rights when I wasn't looking?

Can you imagine living in a country where holding a sign or peacefully protesting can land you in prison? Please tell me that this is not the case.

sincerely,

Steve