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The Center for Individual Freedom

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and liberals in the House of Representatives had to make a choice.

Their options?

On one hand, they could have renewed a law that has undoubtedly helped our nation's intelligence professionals stop further terrorist attacks since 9-11.

On the other hand they could have REFUSED to allow a vote on the renewal of the Protect America Act -- which was set to expire within hours -- AND THEN GO ON VACATION!

Pelosi and her liberal cohorts chose the latter and in terms of knowing what terrorists have planned for us, our intelligence community has been working blind and dumb for two weeks.

But to make matters worse, now that Congress is back in session, Pelosi has still not scheduled a vote on the renewal of the Protect America Act.

But there is good news. Since that time, concerned activists like you have been making your voices heard. You've been putting the pressure on Pelosi and our leaders in Congress to stop playing politics with the safety and security of the American people.

And your voices are being heard. On Thursday, President Bush stepped up the pressure on Congress. Here's what he said:

"Members should also act on a very urgent priority, and that is to pass legislation our intelligence officials need to quickly and effectively monitor terrorist communications."

"At issue is a dispute over whether telecommunications companies should be subjected to class-action lawsuits because they are believed to have helped defend America after the attacks of 9/11.

"Allowing these lawsuits to proceed would be unfair. If any of these companies helped us, they did so after being told by our government that their assistance was legal and vital to our national security.

"Allowing the lawsuits to proceed could aid our enemies, because the litigation process could lead to the disclosure of information about how we conduct surveillance and it would give Al Qaida and others a road map as to how to avoid the surveillance." [Emphasis Mine]

But there is not a moment to lose. Now that Congress is back in town we must increase the pressure and call Pelosi on the carpet right here and right now.

International terrorists KNOW that the 'Pelosi-allowed' expiration of the Protect America Act has hampered the ability of our intelligence professionals to keep us safe from terrorist attacks and every hour our intelligence professionals are hampered is an hour too long!

We need to make one final push and THE TIME IS NOW!

Use the hyperlink below to send your urgent and personalized Blast Fax messages to President George W. Bush, Speaker Pelosi, Republican House leaders John Boehner and Roy Blunt and 29 Democratic House Members we have targeted who can be convinced to press Nancy Pelosi on this issue.

Tell them that the American people will not forgive Pelosi and the liberals in Congress for risking lives to appease far-left elements. Tell them to demand -- NOW THAT CONGRESS IS BACK IN SESSION -- that Pelosi STOP PLAYING POLITICS WITH THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND BRING the Protect America Act to the floor for an immediate vote!

http://www.cfiflistmanager.org/protectamericaiiibe.html

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There Is Not A Moment To Lose.

Col. Oliver North wrote about the urgency of the situation on Thursday.

Writing for FOX News, North wrote:

"What they (Islamic Leaders) may or may not be saying in private about plans for attacks against American citizens we may not know until it is too late. For that, we can thank Madam Pelosi and her decision to postpone action on the PAA."

"Those who claim that this delay won't hurt us should heed the warning proffered this week by General Amos Yadlin, the Chief of Israeli Military Intelligence. Testifying before the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Security Committee on February 26, the normally tight-lipped General forecast: 'Hezbollah will likely time its reprisals for the 40th day of mourning for its commander, Imad Mughiyah. That will be March 22-23.'

"Terror leaders like those in Afghanistan, Pakistan or Tehran, who want to know our secrets, need only subscribe to the Washington Post or the New York Times. For the United States, the mission of finding out what our enemies are planning to do to us before they have a chance to do it has always been a challenge. That task has become far more difficult because of the Democrats running our House of Representatives."

Of course, Pelosi and liberals at organizations like the ACLU would love for you to believe that they are the guardians and champions of privacy. But that's just political cover!

Don't get me wrong, privacy is important. In fact, as conservatives, I believe we often value privacy even more than the opposition -- which may be one reason why the opposition is advancing the privacy argument.

But the Protect America Act simply permits our nation's intelligence professionals to more effectively collect foreign intelligence information by monitoring targets in foreign lands!

We're NOT talking about indiscriminately listening in on the private phone conversations of American citizens here... we're talking about FOREIGN TERROR SUSPECTS -- who under the United States Constitution have no rights.

But instead of allowing a vote on this important legislation, Nancy Pelosi decided it was better to adjourn for vacation and allow it to expire.

House Minority Leader John Boehner wrote about the consequences of Pelosi's partisan games in an op-ed the day after she adjourned without calling a vote on the Protect America Act:

"Because of the Democrats' inaction, the Protect America Act expired last night at midnight, forcing our intelligence officials to revert to the same terror surveillance laws that failed to protect America from the al-Qaeda terrorist attack on 9/11. Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups are still plotting against the United States and our allies, but now our intelligence officials don't have all the tools they need to protect us. These laws didn't safeguard America in 2001, so why would House Democrat leaders place our nation at risk by putting them back into effect now?"

The Senate -- with bi-partisan support from 20 Senate Democrats -- passed the renewal of the Protect America Act!

And frankly, if it could get an up-or-down vote in the House, IT WOULD PROBABLY PASS WITH SIGNIFICANT BIPARTISAN SUPPORT!

Maybe that's why Pelosi REFUSED to bring it to the floor and left town.

Let's make sure Pelosi stops playing petty politics and brings the Protect America Act to the floor IMMEDIATELY now that Congress is back in session!

http://www.cfiflistmanager.org/protectamericaiiibe.html

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The Dirtiest Political Game Of Them All...

As Pelosi and her House colleagues well know, there's a provision in the proposed renewal of the Protect America Act that's crucial to the success of our intelligence program.

After 9/11, American telecommunications companies acted quickly and patriotically to aid U.S. intelligence operations in intercepting terrorists and saving American lives.

As a consequence, leftist agitators and opportunistic plaintiffs lawyers have filed some 40 lawsuits against AT&T, Verizon and Sprint. This, despite the fact that they were given assurance from the U.S. Justice Department that their help was well within the boundaries of U.S. law.

That's why the Senate renewal -- co-sponsored by Kit Bond (R-MO) and Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) -- GRANTS RETROACTIVE IMMUNITY TO THOSE PRO-AMERICAN TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANIES THAT PUT THEIR COUNTRY AHEAD OF THEIR BOTTOM LINE.

It is that retroactive immunity that made Nancy Pelosi shriek in horror and fly off to San Francisco.

But why balk at this particular provision? Is it because Democrats hate big business?

That may be so, but there seems to be a little more to it this time.

According to columnist Robert Novak:

"The true cause for blocking the bill was the Senate-passed retroactive immunity from lawsuits for private telecommunications firms asked to eavesdrop by the government. The nation's torts bar, vigorously pursuing such suits, has spent months lobbying hard against immunity."

"The recess by House Democrats amounts to a judgment that losing the generous support of trial lawyers, the Democratic Party's most important financial base, is more dangerous than losing the anti-terrorist issue to Republicans."

So is this about money in the form of political contributions? Clearly, Nancy Pelosi wouldn't put the financial support of her trial lawyer friends ahead of our nation's security, would she?

Apparently, that's exactly what Pelosi's obstructionism is about!

According to Townhall.com columnist Amanda Carpenter:

"Court records and campaign contribution data reveal that 66 trial lawyers representing plaintiffs in lawsuits against these phone companies donated at least $1.5 million to Democrats."

Pelosi's political ploy must stop right here and right now.

http://www.cfiflistmanager.org/protectamericaiiibe.html

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The Secure America Act is Needed to Thwart Terrorist Attacks!

Pelosi and the Democratic leadership blocked a vote on the Protect America Act knowing full well that since 9/11, our intelligence agencies have used these tools to thwart major plots to commit unspeakable atrocities:

In mid-2002, U.S. agents uncovered a plot to hit targets on the East Coast. The plotters intended to use hijacked airplanes. By the way, one of the plotters of this caper was also involved in planning 9/11.

In May of 2002, our intelligence network busted a plot to bomb U.S. apartment buildings.

One of the plotters, Jose Padilla, planned to explode a "dirty bomb" inside the U.S. A dirty bomb is filled with conventional explosives and radioactive materials.

Padilla was recently found guilty of Conspiracy to Murder, Kidnap, and Maim Persons in a Foreign Country and Conspiracy to Provide Material Support for Terrorists.

Intelligence agencies -- with the help of telephone companies -- intercepted 70 calls by Padilla and his cohorts to their handlers. Enough said!

In 2006, U.S. and international authorities foiled a plot hatched by eight terrorists to blow up a commuter train tunnel connecting New Jersey and Manhattan.

According to CNN:

"[L]aw enforcement sources said the suspects wanted to cross the Canadian border into the United States."

"Once in New York City, they would board trains with backpacks full of explosives, which they planned to detonate when the trains passed through a tunnel under the Hudson River."

In addition to these plots to attack us on our home soil, the U.S. helped to uncover and thwart a number of major plots throughout the world. For example:

A 2003 plot to attack London's Heathrow Airport, using hijacked airliners,

At least two plots in 2004 to blow up targets in Britain -- strategies designed specifically to kill civilians,

At least two plots to attack ships in the Arabian Gulf and the Straits of Hormuz.

Much of that information was obtained through the surveillance capabilities of our nation's intelligence community. And what U.S. and British intelligence agencies did, PELOSI IS NOW PREVENTING -- simply by walking away from HER responsibility.

http://www.cfiflistmanager.org/protectamericaiiibe.html

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Yours In Freedom,

Jeff Mazzella
President
www.cfif.org

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