Response to Sen. Webb's Response to My Letter Including Support for an Airline/Airport Recycling Act

Dear Senator Webb,

Thank you for replying to my telephone calls and letters about FISA. I appreciate your responses and the attention.

If I understand your letter correctly, it sounds like you opposed many parts of FISA. Then why did you vote for it? I do not understand.

Meanwhile (new subject): I support Sen. Barack Obama's quest to get us out of Iraq as fast as possible, and I hope you will assist him and work strenuously to achieve it. This is My Number One Issue.

(Another new subject):

When I travel I am appalled by the lack and customary absence of recycling containers in U.S. airports. In this day and time of attention devoted to recycling, I am stunned that airports and airlines do not recycle newspapers and containers.

A U.S. Airport/Airline Recycling Act would:

1. Improve the environment;
2. Create jobs;
3. Reduce the manufacture of more containers;
4. Reduce solid waste;
5. Reduce energy demands;
6. Save gasoline costs (for trucks used to haul trash);
7. Utilize newspapers and containers in an environmentally sound way to
produce recycled materials for other products;
8. Focus attention on recycling, thereby producing more recycling at homes,
schools, and businesses.

If airline employees and passengers can "carry it on," why can't they "carry it off"? Perhaps (another idea) incentives to passengers could be offered.

I pose this to you as policy to consider for legislation quickly. It has benefits for all.

Sincerely,
Patriciadc

Letter from Sen. Jim Webb RE: FISA

July 14, 2008

Dear :

Thank you for contacting my office regarding legislation designed to update the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) (H.R.6304). I appreciate your taking the time to share your thoughts and concerns with me.

As you know, this legislation would amend current law by expanding the intelligence community's authority to collect foreign intelligence through electronic means. Having served as U.S. Secretary of the Navy and as Assistant Secretary of Defense, I relied on decades of experience in dealing with national security matters and classified intelligence when I voted - along with a bipartisan coalition of 68 other senators - in favor of final passage of this bill on July 9, 2008. Before this vote, I also met with a wide variety of people who were both supportive of, and opposed to, the legislation.

During the Senate's FISA debates in February and in July, I supported a number of amendments that were designed to improve the constitutional protections of our citizens. For example, in February, Senators Russell Feingold, Jon Tester, and I introduced an amendment that would have added additional checks and balances with respect to assessing the appropriate use of surveillance. Unfortunately, this amendment did not pass the full Senate.

Regarding retroactive immunity for telecommunication companies that participated in the National Security Agency's (NSA) warrantless wiretapping program, I do not support full immunity for companies who aided Government surveillance. I prefer a middle-ground solution that would allow court cases to proceed under appropriate circumstances. For example, during the July FISA debate, I supported an amendment offered by Senator Arlen Specter, which would have permitted cases to move forward if the court found that the Administration's surveillance program was unconstitutional. Similarly, I supported an amendment offered by Senator Jeff Bingaman, which would have required an independent investigation of the Administration's surveillance program before telecommunication companies could be granted immunity. Although these amendments failed, the legislation requires some court oversight in pending civil cases and does not foreclose future criminal cases.

Thank you once again for sharing your specific views on the important issue of electronic surveillance. As the Senate continues to debate policies related to surveillance and fulfills its oversight duties, please be assured that my staff and I will keep your thoughts in mind.

I would also invite you to visit my website at www.webb.senate.gov for regular updates about my activities and positions on matters that are important to Virginia and our nation.

Sincerely,

Jim Webb
United States Senator

Obama OBurnout

Is he like all the others the way my pal Maureen characterizes politicians?

I thought we were voting for "change."

Keenly irritating is his aboutface on FISA, then, perhaps a change of mind about Nafta, then, the child rape execution question, but the worst, the worst, is his waffling on Iraq.

When thousands of us passionately believed he was going to do all within his might to get us out of Iraq quickly, now come the words that, well, maybe he'll see things differently, the closer he gets to office.

Hillary? Calling Hillary! No need to call her since Obama's studying her playbook, but why? She failed in her quest!

Isn't this what she did: Tried to be all things to every body (two words), and turned off her base?

Like thousands of others, I am one of those passionate activists who has traveled from state to state canvassing for Obama, registering voters, making telephone calls, sending in my wee bits of money. Oh, sure, he's got my vote, but my passion has withered, and I am taking a break for now.

Letter from Senator Webb April 7, 2008

Alas, can you imagine? The same reply sent by Webb responding to an entirely different subject! How convenient.

I copied Sen. Webb on a letter I sent to Cong. Moran (in another post) about FISA, and here is some of what he said again:

Thank you for your recent electronic mail message to my office in Washington. I am pleased that because of the Internet, more than 100,000 Virginians will send their ideas directly to me this year.

Please be assured that your views are very helpful to me and my staff. As the Senate addresses crucial economic, domestic and foreign policy issues facing our nation, we will be sure to keep your comments and ideas in mind.

Blah, blah, blah, so what's new, Jim? Is your staff so lazy it can't even craft templates for different subjects? Lest I forget: You've only been in office 16 months. I guess that's not enough time to draft templates.

Letter Sent Apr. 1 to Congressman Moran

(With copies to Senators Warner and Webb)

Dear Congressman Moran,

I am happy to read that the U.S. House of Representatives has withstood pressure from the White House and the Senate to buckle under and allow immunity for the telephone companies as part of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

Now that it recognizes its strong-arm tactics are indeed diluted, the White House, according to today's Wall Street Journal, will once again apply pressure on the House to accept its goal to excuse the phone companies from violating the law.

I am proud of the House and I certainly hope you and your colleagues (and perhaps even some Senate members!) will continue to be stalwart and ignore Bush and his cronies who represent Big Business, rather than the citizens of the United States, and who never quaver in their attempts to weaken our civil rights laws.

Sincerely,
Patriciadc