A chance of a better bill?

Emptywheel informs us that ACLU tentatively sees some silver lining:

While we still have concerns about aspects of the new House FISA bill, the American Civil Liberties Union is encouraged by the new draft - particularly the language on state secrets, which would allow the cases to go forward while allowing the telecommunications companies to assert any defenses. We commend House leadership for keeping the courthouse door open.

Emptywheel comments:

I'm curious to see what the legal types around these parts think. But it seems that it challenges immunity advocates to put their money where their mouth is. For a long time, immunity advocates have argued that those poor little telecoms couldn't defend themselves because the government invoked state secrets.

Well, says Congress, simply have the courts review the materials about which the government has invoked state secrets. Voila, problem solved.

Mcjoan alerts us that Leahy and Conyers are calling on folks to write local letters-to-the- editor in support of fixing FISA the right way, without caving to White House scare tactics. Need some help doing that? Go to Fix FISA.

Martin Heinrich, our local progressive Dem running for Heather Wilson's seat in NM-01, loudly and clearly rejected FISA scaremongering from gooper Darren White's fund-raising letter and was backed up by NM Dem Senate candidate Tom Udall.

Glenn Greenwald comments here. From his Update II:

I've now had the opportunity to read the full text of the House FISA bill which they unveiled today. It is actually surprisingly good, though the real question, of course, is how committed they really are to having it enacted, as opposed to this being merely a base-placating measure with the real intention of enacting something virtually identical to the Rockefeller/Cheney bill once it is returned from the Senate.

UPDATE:

If you want to know who the Blue Dog Democrats (Bush Dogs, DINOs) who support telcom immunity are, you can learn more here.  If they are in your district, you know whose ass to kick into the middle of next month.

--the BB