Progressive Democrat Issue 75: TELL THEM TO MIND THEIR OWN BUSINESS

You've all read it. The Bush administration is spying on American phone conversations and practically ALL phone companies are going along with it like sheep. I have heard that Qwest is then only company that has not caved in to the government request for private phone records. And, apparantly, the Bush administration has initiated a series of vindictive criminal and civil probes against Qwest in retaliation.

It is time to contact your phone company and complain that cooperating with illegal spying is, to put it mildly, bad customer service.

From the ACLU:

Yesterday the nation learned that American telephone companies are helping the government amass what one source called “the largest database ever assembled,” compiling call information on millions of consumers and businesses served by Verizon, AT&T and BellSouth. Take action now!

Scrambling to defend his program, President Bush told reporters “we’re not mining or trolling through the personal lives of millions of innocent Americans,” but that’s simply not true.

This illegal spying is not only directed toward terror suspects or international calls, as the Bush administration has frequently claimed. With the help of these phone companies, the government is tracking the calls and communications of millions of ordinary Americans. And that's just plain wrong.

The government shouldn't track when you call your mother, order pizza, or hold a conference call -- and your phone service provider shouldn’t help them without a warrant or Congress' approval.

Send these companies a message today. Sign our petition...and tell them you expect your phone records to be held in the strictest privacy.

We'll be delivering these petitions directly to AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth.

Maybe we should all look into Qwest...? I admire them for refusing to turn over private records to the government. Or, better yet, go for Working Assets, the phone company that has been blatantly and proudly liberal for years.