privacy is a SMOKESCREEN.

[artichoke bill <artichoke@null.dev.com>]

from eff:
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Subject: ALERT: Congress Rushing to Enact Anti-Privacy Bill - Call 
Congress NOW!
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 **** Last minute update ****

Just before ye editor was about to send this issue out, reports are
filtering in that negotiations on the bill that is the subject of the
alert below, have collapsed.

CNN reports: "Key members of the Senate blamed House conservatives for 
the
failure, saying they had insisted on linking proposed new
wiretapping authority for the FBI to an expansion of privacy laws."

CNN quotes Rep. Charles Schumer (D-NY) as saying that House Republican
leaders "have come up with this smokescreen called privacy".  You may
wish to let Rep. Schumer know how you feel about your right to privacy
being labelled "a smokescreen":

     9th Dist. NY   Schumer, Charles E. (D)
     1-202-225-6616 (voice), 1-202-225-4183 (fax)

The full text of the CNN article is available at:
http://www.cnn.com/US/9608/01/wh.terror.bill/index.html

The article also reports that "lawmakers said there is hope for
agreement after the month long" Congressional recess beginning at the 
end
of this week.

THIS MEANS THAT THE ALERT BELOW IS STILL URGENT, and still important.
We just have a short breathing space now.