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Democrats in the Senate appear to have caved again to the Bush administration's fearmongering tactics. This time, they've negotiated a 'compromise' fix to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) sought by Bush that grants full amnesty to the telecom giants for participation in his illegal program to spy on Americans.

But why amnesty? Bush wants retroactive immunity for the telecom companies to thwart civil liberties lawsuits that threaten to expose his own lawbreaking. If these lawsuits aren't allowed to go forward, we may never know the extent of the Bush administration's illegal efforts to spy on American citizens without the required warrants.

Spearheaded by Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) -- who has recently seen a surge in his political fundraising from telecom executives and lobbyists -- the proposed legislation would let Bush's accomplices completely off the hook and shield his administration from further disclosures of illegal activity.

Because Rockefeller's behind-the-scenes deal has already been struck, we must take immediate action to prevent this disastrous gutting of civil liberties. Luckily, there is momentum in this direction. Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) indicated on October 18 that he would place a 'hold' on the bill, a procedural move that would prevent the bill from moving to a vote. However, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has said he will schedule a vote on the measure anyway.

Senator Dodd has said that he is prepared to go to the floor and filibuster if his hold is not honored or the amnesty provisions are not removed from the bill. He'll need plenty of support if it goes that far.

Will you send a message to your Senators asking them to support Dodd's stand against amnesty for Bush's telco cronies? Please ask your Senator to join the filibuster, stand up for our Constitution, and pass a FISA reform bill that prevents terrorism AND protects the rights of Americans.