Russ Feingold needs our help *now*!
Thomas Nephew
Dear Get FISA Right supporter,
As you may know, Senator Russ Feingold — the Senate’s champion of
civil liberties and the rule of law — is facing a tough re-election
campaign in Wisconsin. Recent polling results suggest the election hangs in the
balance; some recent polls have Feingold behind by 6 points or more, but Russ
is optimistic, citing internal polls showing a dead heat. His opponent Ron
Johnson’s chief strength is that he’s a plastics millionaire who
can bankroll his own campaign juggernaut. Politically, well… in Jim
Hightower’s words, "if [Johnson] were any dumber, we'd have to
water him."
As a supporter of getting FISA right again, and of repealing
the PATRIOT Act, we probably don’t have to tell you Russ Feingold is
our best ally in the Senate. National security / human rights advocates
have had to develop separate scenarios for the post-election period, depending
on whether or not Russ is re-elected. One activist tells us "Even if
Democrats hold the Senate, if Russ Feingold is not among them, the dynamic (and
the White House, internalizing the message that "civil liberties don't
sell") will tack demonstrably to the right."
So it’s absolutely critical we help Russ out as much as we can. So
we’ve set up a fundraising page — Get FISA Right With Russ Feingold – where “Get
FISA Right” supporters (and anyone else) can contribute to his campaign.
Our goal? $1,000 -- for now.
What has Russ done for us, for civil liberties, for the America we want? You
name it, he’s fought for it — often having to “wage war
with my own leadership …to get that opportunity.”
Stand with Feingold — support Russ now!
- Russ Feingold was the only senator to vote against the PATRIOT Act, presciently warning, “I am also very troubled by the broad expansion of government power under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, known as FISA. [...] ….the government can apparently go on a fishing expedition and collect information on virtually anyone. All it has to allege in order to get an order for these records from the court is that the information is sought for an investigation of international terrorism or clandestine intelligence gathering. That’s it.”
Fight the PATRIOT Act — support Russ now!
- Senator Feingold’s principled stand against the PATRIOT Act gained him allies in the effort to block the Military Commissions Act in 2006. Speaking in opposition, Feingold said : “Under this legislation, some individuals, at the designation of the executive branch alone, could be picked up, even in the United States, and held indefinitely without trial and without any access whatsoever to the courts. …why would we turn our back on hundreds of years of history and our nation’s commitment to liberty — particularly when there is no good reason to do so?”
Restore the rule of law — support Russ now!
- Senator Feingold has worked with President Obama when he can, but has called Obama to account when he must. Feingold produced recommendations doubling as a scorecard for evalutating Obama's performance on the rule of law in his first hundred days in office. The senator was among the first to criticize the Obama administration’s overuse of state secrets privileges — giving the Obama administration “Grade: D | Status: Troubling”
Hold the White House accountable no matter what — support Russ now!
- And of course, Senator Feingold was at the forefront in fighting against the FISA Amendment Act ratifying lawbreaking by the Bush administration, joining Senator Dodd in proposing an amendment to keep the telecom companies on the hook for assisting illegal surveillance. Feingold: “…even as the administration sought and obtained broad new authorities to collect communications of Americans, the administration refused to even consider when it might be violating the Constitution. If the administration can’t assure us that they respect the Constitution, Congress needs to step in.”
For real checks on executive power — support Russ now!
In an era of lockstep Republicans and pusillanimous Democrats, Senator Feingold stands out as one of the few politicians on Capitol Hill to stand up for what’s right, no matter who disagrees with him. Now it’s our turn: let's stand up for Russ!
Thank you in advance!
--Your fellow "Get FISA Right" activist
Thomas Nephew
=====
PS: Head here for more updates on what Get FISA Right has been up to
and what we have in store.
PPS: look for an action request on opposing FBI raids on peace activists soon!