Buzzflash
del.icio.us
Digg
Facebook
Mixx it!
Reddit
Last summer, just hours after President Bush continued his dangerous expansion of executive powers and signed the "FISA Amendments Act of 2008," legislation that needlessly expanded the government's ability to spy on it's own citizens, The Nation joined with the ACLU in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the act. (Read our original post here.) We sued on behalf of ourself and two of our contributing writers--Naomi Klein and Chris Hedges--arguing vigorously that as journalists, FISA inhibited our reporting, and put at grave risk brave whistleblowers who seek to come forward and challenge authority.
Our lawsuit--which has been led by a remarkable legal team at the ACLU --is a coalition effort. We're suing along with Amnesty International USA, Human Rights Watch, Global Fund for Women, PEN American Center, the Washington Office on Latin America, Service Employees International Union and several private attorneys. The plaintiffs have one thing in common: We all challenge the constitutionality of FISA, arguing that it is an illegal--and wholly unnecessary--act that makes us less safe, not more, and erodes our basic values.
Last week, we got our day in court.
Arguing the suit in front of the Southern District of the US District Court, the ACLU's attorney representing The Nation and our coalition faced tough questioning--both on our standing to bring the suit and the merits itself. Arguments are continuing, but we are hopeful that the suit will get the green light to move forward, or that the judge will rule in our favor. If it goes to trial, or if the Judge issues a ruling in favor of our petition, this will be a critical moment in the defense of American civil liberties. We will keep you posted when the judge's decision comes down, and on the twists and turns of the proceedings. Three other quick updates from our orbit today:
• Follow me on Twitter! After some hesitancy and soul-searching, I started tweeting last week. While I can't promise "more politically incorrect tweets" like former-Governor Palin, I can promise quick-hit reactions to breaking news; progressive truth-telling in 140 characters or less, and the occasional personal anecdote. I'm @KatrinaNation; I hope you'll follow me. Look for breaking reactions this week to developments on healthcare reform.
• Three upcoming media appearances: I'm on MSNBC's Morning Joe on Tuesday at 7:45AM est; co-hosting MSNBC's Live with Carlos Watson from 11-12 on Wednesday; and part of the GRIT TV Media roundtable with The New Yorker's Hendrick Hertzberg at noon on Thursday. We'll have video highlights from each.
• Finally, we've been fortunate to have scholar and author Melissa Harris-Lacewell as part of our blogging team on The Notion, and she's written eloquently about the Henry Louis Gates arrest. For a good listen, check out Melissa's interview with Air America's Ana Marie Cox, about the media uproar and the racial implications of the Gates arrest.
Share this article
Katrina vanden Heuvel
Thoughts on politics, current affairs, riffs and reflections on what’s in the news and what’s not--but should be.
RSS
Lord, I can't wait for the ditto-heads to show up and attack the ACLU....
which fought to keep Rush's medical records secret!
(Too "mean-spirited", Ms vanden Heuvel?)
Posted by Mask at 07/27/2009 @ 3:02pm
"Lord, I can't wait for the ditto-heads to show up and attack the ACLU.... which fought to keep Rush's medical records secret!"
for someone who prides himself on making snappy insights about the politics behind things why do you ignore that the ACLU has to defend someone it's members generally detest in order to maintain legitimacy? if they don't defend rush's rights, they're hypocrites. same reason they defend NAMBLA. do rush and pedophiles turn people's stomachs at the ACLU? of course. if they don't defend their rights though, they open themselves up to political attack.
think mask, think.
Posted by urmygyro at 07/27/2009 @ 4:34pm
think mask, think.
Posted by urmygyro at 07/27/2009 @ 4:34pm
His personal contortion is to hang up his thinking cap.....now, he only dons his whistling cap and his close-to-the-heart Global Warming prayer beeds.......:)
Posted by Happy at 07/27/2009 @ 4:53pm
Thanks Katrina; I think I will have to utilyze "tweeter" (and Facebook), as well, for my 2010 political campaign: even though I wanting to be more 'old school'. Let's Cruise. TC
Posted by TharonChandler at 07/27/2009 @ 5:02pm
"I'm @KatrinaNation; I hope you'll follow me."
posted by Katrina vanden Heuvel on 07/27/2009 @ 2:52pm
If you are as amiable there in responding to posters as you are here on your own blog, I'm not sure I can take it.
Posted by Benchrest at 07/27/2009 @ 6:18pm
Ahhh KVH, the trust-funder, born with silver-spoon in mouth, now looking out for the little guy, right??? Not! The only "racial implications" about Gate's arrest are the implications/facts that Gates, and most other cradle-to-grave lunatic liberals who infect academia, along with unrepentant terrorists like Bill Ayers, another friend of obama (shocking ),is that THEY are all racists who invoke race, automatically, in every situation. Gates should never be allowed to indoctrinate hatred into any American minds ever again. At least not on the taxpayer dole. This situation has shown how quickly the left, Obama, the MSM, Gates, and the entire "race-industry" with prejudge any situation involving race as a racist incident cause by whitey. They were wrong. The 911 tape clearly proves this, and the caller should sue Gates for libel. Obama is a complete MORON, who even admitted that he didn't know all the facts, yet he threw the police under the bus, but not his dear friend, the racist himself, prof. gates. Ridiculous. Obama is a humiliating president, and he's goin' down. Each time he opens his mouth, without the help of a telepromter, he shows his true colors, and those colors are racist and hateful, on the ready to pre-judge and "show antipathy towards those who aren't like him". LOL!
Posted by barry25 at 07/27/2009 @ 6:46pm
Fox news must keep this story going. Conservatives/Republicans MUST use this opportunity to show America what a racist Obama truly is. Anyone whose paid any attention to his past, his remarks, his friends/mentors/allies, or his writings KNOWS he a bonafide racist straight off the nipple of the communist-re-education camps/Academia. aA pathetic excuse for a Pres. or evean a human being. KEEP THIS STORY ALIVE!
Posted by barry25 at 07/27/2009 @ 7:10pm
Hey Mask,
How come ACLU did utter a peep about Michael Savage being banned along with murderers and child killers from England?
Gates should apologise to the cops for being an asshole,to the country for being stupid, and to the black community members who DO suffer from discrimination and racial injustice.
BTW, what is a Black scholar, exactly? Is it different than a regular scholar? And if so, wouldn't that be..discrimination..and a suit for equal pay? Would someone who is not a Black Scholar not be a scholar if he were black and brilliant? If he were stupid and black, would he be a Black Moron?...
What Obama did when he walked into the propellar becalled stupid? Is he not a Black "scholar"? did he lose that status standing there with the huge foot in his mouth when it (Obamas foot)should have been closer to Gates rear end?
or plug in any color to the equational description and we get....
nonsense.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Posted by YourJomamma at 07/27/2009 @ 8:13pm
Gates should apologise to the cops for being an asshole,to the country for being stupid,....
Posted by YourJomamma at 07/27/2009 @ 8:13pm
Hmmmm....I kinda like to keep on knowing that he's an ASSHOLE who really doesn't know right from wrong....and race has nothing to do with it....
His picking a fight with a cop checking on his own house already is deserving of being a Harvard-class dumb and stupid ASSHOLE......but better yet, he's now a BLACK DUMB & STUPID RACIST ASSHOLE....
Posted by Happy at 07/27/2009 @ 8:36pm
Gates should apologise to the cops for being an asshole,to the country for being stupid,....
Posted by YourJomamma at 07/27/2009 @ 8:13pm
Hmmmm....I kinda like to keep on knowing that he's an ASSHOLE who really doesn't know right from wrong....and race has nothing to do with it....
His picking a fight with a cop checking on his own house already is deserving of being a Harvard-class dumb and stupid ASSHOLE......but better yet, he's now a RACIST BLACK DUMB & STUPID ASSHOLE....
Posted by Happy at 07/27/2009 @ 8:37pm
Ooops....PC issues...
OK, make that Gates a DOUBLE!
Posted by Happy at 07/27/2009 @ 8:37pm
Cambridge Police Profiling Still A Grim Reality for Harvard Faculty Assholes
Guest Opinion
by Professor John Evans
Harvard University
When I first learned of the arrest of my colleague Professor Henry Louis "Skip" Gates after he stood up to the fascist jackboots of a declasse, ill-educated Cambridge police officer, I was of course angered -- but scarcely shocked....
Posted by Happy at 07/27/2009 @ 9:36pm
Harvard is looking more and more like an anti white, non acedemic,discriminatory, PC beyond repair zone where free speech is tolerarted only for the left.....and it should perhaps be investigated and shut down for impersonating an institution of higher learning...and for defrauding students who expect an open university where all issues and opinions are celebrated as part of the education process..... instead they are treated to an ALGORIAN curricula that celebrates "scholars" who celebrate color.....the place is starting to look more like a TSA union shop which represents nothing like it founders set up or the countrys founders envisioned for the country...
Posted by YourJomamma at 07/27/2009 @ 10:15pm
"and for defrauding students who expect an open university where all issues and opinions are celebrated as part of the education process"
you are clearly out of touch YourJomamma...students go to Harvard to get big old paychecks after they receive their diplomas.
follow the money genius.
Posted by urmygyro at 07/27/2009 @ 10:31pm
hey Yourjomamma---aren't you one of these guys talkign about freedom of choice? yet you're calling for a private university to be shut down b/c of an off-campus incident that invovled no students? and you're also calling for it be shut down b/c
here's my guess: if you need heart surgery 10 years from now and you could only choose b/w a student that graduated harvard medical school this year and has 10 years from now has a stellar reputation as a surgeon---or a student who graduated from the university of puerto rico school of medicine and has a mediocre reputation---you'd be going with the harvard grad no questions asked. indeed, i'd bet even if both of those grads have very good reps in the same community you'd likely go with the harvard-educated surgeon.
10 yeras from now you're accused of a serious crime of which you're not guilty. you have two choices. a harvard law grad defense attorney with an excellent reputtation vs. a florida a&m grad with a mediocre reputation. again--you're going wtih teh harvard grad no questions asked. and again, even if their professional reputations as 10 years as lawyers is equal.
Posted by urmygyro at 07/27/2009 @ 10:46pm
KVH needs to make certain they label all this leftist baggage "Ship High In Transit" as they did all the bundled manure fertilizer blocks back in wooden sailing vessel days to avoid all the odor when bilge water hits it!
Looks like the American Communist Litigation Union is a busy bunch of little marxists! Maybe they would be intrested in helping Sgt. Crowley sue the "Racist in Chief" Obamanation for his reverse discrimination along with national slandering and defamation of charactor of him and all law enforcement personel?
Posted by BigPasture at 07/28/2009 @ 06:33am
I think this is an interesting test of the United States justice system.
-Politics.com intern
Posted by SDUPolticsdotcom at 07/28/2009 @ 08:40am
Posted by BigPasture at 07/28/2009 @ 06:33am
See, RIO first learned of the great Commie/Demoncrat conspiracy, during the physical act of love. A profound sense of fatigue... a feeling of emptiness followed. Luckily RIO was able to interpret these feelings correctly. Loss of essence.
He can assure you it has not recurred. Women sense his power and they seek the life essence. He does not avoid women.
RIO/BP does deny them his essence.
Posted by Mask at 07/28/2009 @ 08:51am
Posted by urmygyro at 07/27/2009 @ 4:34pm
urmy, except for this newfound obsession with me, not sure how you get an attack on hypocrites on the Right by me....as an attack on the ACLU?!?!?!?!???
Posted by Mask at 07/28/2009 @ 08:53am
define "obsession."
read my post again. the point is just b/c the aclu defended rush doesn't mean they meant it. it's politics, stupid!
Posted by urmygyro at 07/28/2009 @ 2:17pm
URGENT ACTION ALERT for SINGLE-PAYER
Our House of Representatives may vote as early as this week on its bill to reform the healthcare system. On July 17, 2009, the Education and Labor Committee approved an amendment offered by Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-OH, to that bill that would allow states to pass and implement single-payer plans with the necessary federal ERISA rule waivers which might otherwise prevent states from doing so.
This was a huge victory for single-payer but if we are to build on this victory, we must act now. The Kucinich amendment must be retained.
http://tinyurl.com/l259b5
Posted by judybrowni at 07/30/2009 @ 4:45pm