Not So Fast, Mukasey

U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey has signed on to a new Justice Department plan to loosen FBI restrictions to allow agents to open a national security or criminal investigation against someone without any clear basis for suspicion.

Luckily, a team of four Democratic Senators have issued a letter to Mukasey, warning him that the plan threatens to undermine Constitutionally-mandated civil liberties. Signers Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island told Mukasey they were troubled by what they heard in the briefing session on the plan.

The efforts of this Democratic line of defense to stand up for civil liberties should be applauded, but we can't forget the past examples of our Democratic leaders backing down too quickly on these issues. Sign Progressive Future's petition to Senators Feingold, Durbin, Kennedy and Whitehouse, telling them that we urge them to keep sticking up for civil liberties, and asking that they add our names to the letter's signature.

Petition Text:

Dear Senators Durbin, Feingold, Kennedy and Whitehouse:

The American public applauds you for your efforts to stand up to the Justice Department and defend our civil liberties. I am counting on you to not give up the fight against the loosened FBI regulations until our Constitutional freedoms are secured. I ask you to pledge that this issue does not become a remake of the FISA bill, and support, I ask that you add my signature to the letter you sent to Mr. Mukasey.

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