Wall Street Journal: Paul Camp, Liberals Unite On Spy Bill
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http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121443403835305037.html
Type of Content: Article FISA Fight Creates Coalition WASHINGTON -- The fight over immunity for telecom companies in domestic-spying legislation is creating an unexpected side effect: unity among liberal bloggers and Ron Paul supporters. Liberal activists and supporters of the Texas Republican and former presidential candidate plan to join forces Thursday and begin a "money bomb" protest of lawmakers who support telecom immunity in the Foreign Surveillance Intelligence Act. During a "money bomb," grassroots activists donate money during a short period of time -- usually a day -- to create buzz and raise money for their candidate. The effort is timed to coincide with a planned Senate vote on the bill. Libertarians and liberal activists have blasted Democratic lawmakers, including presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, for supporting the legislation. Both groups are upset about a provision in the bill that would provide retroactive immunity from civil actions for telecom companies alleged to have provided information to the government as part of its secret, warrantless wiretapping program. The House passed the legislation on June 20 and a Senate vote could come as soon as Thursday. "There's entrenched power in Washington that protects itself and there are people on both sides who don't feel like they're having their rights protected," says Jane Hamsher, one of the organizers behind the effort and founder of the popular Democratic blog Firedoglake. "It's really about right and left coming together to fight the entrenched power and take their power away." The fund-raiser represents a novel partnership between the two groups, which have separately proven themselves adept at organizing activists and readers to take action. If it goes well, organizers say it could mark the beginning of a more far-reaching partnership between the two groups, which agree on issues from ending the Iraq war to protection of civil liberties. "For us, it's a natural alliance," says Trevor Lyman of BreaktheMatrix.com, and one of the organizers behind the famous Ron Paul "money bombs" which stunned the political establishment by raising about $14 million total for the Texas congressman's now-suspended presidential campaign. "When it comes to civil liberties, we're absolutely aligned" with liberal activists, he says, although he notes the two groups remain far apart on other matters such as economic issues. "We stand so closely on this issue." Mr. Paul missed the recent House vote on the domestic-spying legislation but later released a statement that he "strongly opposed every previous FISA overhaul attempt and I certainly would have voted against this one as well." Discussions between the liberal bloggers and Mr. Paul's supporters for a joint venture only began about a week ago, but took off as anger about the telecom immunity increased in both communities. The two groups agreed to form a bipartisan political action committee, Accountability Now, and to use the Democratic fund-raising site ActBlue.com to handle the paperwork involved in legally processing political donations. Beginning Thursday, blogs associated with both groups plan to begin plugging the joint-fundraising effort, asking their readers to pledge donations for the "money bomb" event. Organizers say they'd like to raise "as much as possible," perhaps several million dollars, during their one-day "money bomb," which is likely to be held in August. They say they're not yet sure what they'd do with proceeds from the fund-raiser. Most likely it will be used to fund advertisements against Democratic and Republican lawmakers who supported the warrantless wiretapping legislation. It would also likely be used to fund ads supporting congressional challengers who are against the bill. Write to Amy Schatz at Amy.Schatz@wsj.com Read »
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I'm sure there are points where we would agree with the Religious right (granted, it may be few and far between)such as freedom of speech and association issues. The ideal is to permit freedom as fully as possible,as long as you are not impinging on the rights and freedoms of others. The Sceptic is right to question the liberal view of government being the solution to economic problems. That is an issue both the liberals and conservatives mess up- the liberals want to tax us for universal healthcare, welfare, and other social issues, the conservatives want big buisness, big pharma, and big farm "tax breaks". It's not too different from the Religious Right wanting certain types of laws, and radical homosexuals wanting to charge religious adoption agencys with discrimination when they choose not to assist homosexuals with adoption. I think both groups should be free to associate with those of like mind, and niether group should be forced to deal with the other. (both should also be free to speak their mind, but also should have the class and dignity to be as inoffensive as possible to those who disagree.)
Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone; and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.--John Quincy Adams
Bravo!
For the Republic; for the Cause!
I am not sure that some of the peaceful democrats really believe it is good to take property from some at the point of a gun. When faced with real arguments to these points most liberals point out the evils of corporate welfare...they are used to arguing with republicans who then defend corporate welfare...once the hypocritical argumetns are trashed and it is openly admitted that yes theft fromt eh poor to give to Exxon is wrong...then democrats are more open to arguments that theft from the middle class to give to those who refuse to work is also wrong.
It is just that the democrats have a good argument when they say the percentage given to the truly poor is miniscule in comparison to the hundreds of billions doled out to Lockheed Martin, Halliburton etc...so why not give a few billion to those who are homeless? if this argument is not acknowledged then you will not get most democrats to listen to you. It jsut has to be countered with we need to right both wrongs...not we need to escalate both wrongs as we are currently doing.
Hello People,
My name is Robert Farrior, and I am about to ignite and lead a world revolution for freedom.
I invite you all to read my two-volume call to world revolution/declaration/plan/book, entitled "What Freedom?!!?", at Lulu.com, where it can be read in its entirety. Then help create the infrastructure of the new political party I'm launching, the Freedom Party, get freedom-minded people onto all ballots in opposition to all Democrats and Republicans running on every level of government, federal, state and local, start recall petitions against all those not up for re-election, and commence my presidential campaign, which is about to come out of nowhere to emerge victorious. We'll purge the judiciary, including the U.S. Supreme Court, once we've assumed control over the other two branches of government, and even before we take control of government, we'll begin to exercise power in various ways, including via the boycotts I prescribe.
That it is I that will lead you will become evident to you when you read the book and further when I step onto the public stage.
It is time for all oppressors to go down!
Sincerely,
Robert Farrior
Browns Mills, New Jersey, U.S.A.
email: rf1964@yahoo.com
or phone me, my number's listed
I am hardcore libertarian and I think that working on issue specific alliances with respectable people on the left and right is a VERY powerful way to start attackign the establishment. I recommend that all democrats who are peaceful at heart to read Chapter 14 of Murray Rothbard's "For A New Liberty".
http://mises.org/books/newliberty.pdf ___________page 339
You will read some fo the most concise, logical convincing arguments for maintaining a non-interventionist foreign policy. You will see that mainstream democrats and republicans are consistently working against the common man.
There is no reason why truly peaceful democrats/non-interventionist republicans and libertarians should not start workign together. Carrol Quigley explained the system of control precisely, David Rockefeller has employed Kissinger and Brezinski for thei r entire lives....whoever wins(obama or McCain) America will still be under the control of a david rockefeller interventionist....we can fight these people, they intentionally keep us divided up over phony issues liek gay marriage and Murphy Brown...it is a silly trick to keep us from fighting the real enemey...the rockefeller,Kissinger, Brezinski, Neo-con-Clinton pro interventionist alliance!
Yes, our real work has to be to expose the real enemies to liberty: the neo-con agenda and its proponents! We have had no real government for decades; only those who belong to Skull and Bones who want to break our backs and keep our grandchildren in deep debt. Enough already!! The rhetoric between the two parties is just that: rhetoric. There will only be real change when we, the people, take control again. It is no wonder that Congress now has the lowest rating EVER (9%)...they do absolutely nothing. Folks, we are at a crossroads and re3VOLution is the only answer.
I like everything in the article except that the apecifiic use of the monies raised is unknown. It seems to weaken the whole effect of the action. I also feel a kindred uneasiness with theskeptic. I'm going to try to write it off as being overly suspicious about our liberal "friends". Can an old dog really change his spots and learn constitutional tricks? I tend to think not.
Cow A Bella, Ya'll!
I agree with Kent. If we continually stay on our side of the fence, we will never draw people to our side. We have to stand on top of that fence and shout out loud for what we believe in. When people from the other side rise up to join us, it is inevitable that some of them will land on our side after working alongside us on issues like this. Think of Cindy Sheehan's public support of Ron Paul as an example.
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I'm surfing on a wave of nostalgia
for an age yet to come
--Pete Shelley
An important question, Tom.
May i suggest we demonstrate, in a direct, dispassionate way, the INEVITABLE link between big gov't and the abuses of our present mutual concern.
We can also point out that a freeer, more self-governing people is not at ALL antithetical to effective PROGRESS on many of the social inequalities/ problems (as opposed to the usual ineffective hot air and posturing) they (open-minded "lefties") are (rightly) concerned about.
We're just as opposed to "corporate" welfare as we are the perhaps more widely recognized "social welfare" (gov't handouts).
Take on allies where found. We may find we've a lot more in common than we first thought.
The thinking liberal's foundation of faith in a big federal government and big media must be shaken by what he sees they've conspired to in the past few years. More than ever, I hear liberals talk about the Constitution. Go figure that!
Kent
We have been lied to all our lives! Our children's American Dreams have been stolen!
The culprits are the thieves and megalomaniacs sitting in Washington D.C.
is more fundamental than that. Ultimately, they believe that they have the right to take property by force from its rightful owner and give it to someone they deem needs it more. We believe that is armed robbery and and act of war. How will we bridge that without them giving up the core of what makes them "liberals?"
Tom Mullen
www.tommullen.net
www.myspace.com/skepticsongs
Good idea.