Photo via ninjaneil902.

Quick reminder to everyone:  keep those calls and FAXes coming to your Senators.  Tell them to stand up for the rule of law and for the balance of powers between Congress and the executive branch — and to vote NO on Sen. McConnell’s cloture motion today.

Glenn has background on why this is important — and the games the Bush Administration is playing (and on how gullible Mike Allen is with an utter failure to fact check):

…The administration explicitly admits that the President won’t allow an extension because he wants to repeat the success of last August — when Congressional Democrats capitulated to every Bush demand because they were told they had to act within a matter of days, i.e., before their recess, lest they cause us all to be killed by The Terrorists. "They need the heat of the current law lapsing to get this done," said a senior administration official, courteously granted anonymity by The Politico’s Allen to issue these threats.

This veto threat is one of the President’s most brazen acts ever, so nakedly exposing the fun and games he routinely plays with National Security Threats. After sending Mike McConnell out last August to warn that we will all die without the PAA, Bush now says that he would rather let it expire than give Congress another 30 days. He just comes right out and announces, then, that he will leave us all vulnerable to a Terrorist Attack unless he not only gets everything he wants from Congress — all his new warrantless eavesdropping powers made permanent plus full immunity for his lawbreaking telecom partners — but also gets it exactly when he wants it (i.e., now — not 30 days from now)….

We have a President, not a king — and in this nation, the rule of law is sovereign, not a petulant little man and his behind-the-scenes manipulative number 2, bent on creating a unilateral executive empire borne of a grudge nursed since the Nixon Administration.  Just say no.

True leaders understand the need to balance civil liberties concerns with national security needs.  They are not, nor should they be, mutually exclusive.  Let’s get to work!

Let’s hit the phones and FAXes. Numbers for Senators are here. Also, ProjectVoteSmart has a great compilation of information that you can search by zipcode. Credo has a fantastic tool for contacting your representatives.  EFF has a great tool as well. 

You can send FAXes for free through a number of internet spots, including  FreeFax, eFAX, faxzero, and any number of other places if you don’t have a FAX of your own.  (Do read the fine print on all of these before using them.)

Toll-free numbers for Congress from Katymine:

1 (800) 828 – 0498
1 (800) 459 – 1887
1 (800) 614 – 2803
1 (866) 340 – 9281
1 (866) 338 – 1015
1 (877) 851 – 6437

Every Senator needs a call, so please take the time to call or FAX yours today.  Several Senators could use extra contact on this — uncommitted Democrats, members of the Gang of 14, and a number of wavering Republicans.  Tell them to vote "no" on cloture.  It is well past time that respect for the rule of law and the role of Congress in the balance of powers was restored:

UPDATE:  California readers will no doubt be unsurprised by this — but Sen. Feinstein continues to dither about her vote.  Please give her a call/FAX and tell her to vote "NO" on cloture.  She’s a Democrat, and it sure would be nice if she acted like it.

Phone: (202) 224-3841
Fax: (202) 228-3954
TTY/TDD: (202) 224-2501