Bryan Fischer, Executive Director

CITY OF BOISE, WITH $479 MILLION BUDGET, COMES AFTER SWINDELL AND FISCHER FOR $10,000

The City of Boise has placed a lien against all real and personal property belonging to Brandi Swindell and myself to collect a federal court judgment against us for $10,131, in connection with our effort to protect the public display of a Ten Commandments monument in Boise’s Julia Davis Park.

The June 23 letter says the city of Boise has taken action to place “an automatic lien against all real and personal property under your individual names.”

According to a letter received from the Boise City Attorney’s Office, “This Judgment will remain on your credit record until the debt is paid in full.” And if it is not resolved by July 15, the city says, “[W]e will proceed against you to collect the amounts due, plus interests and costs.”

You may read the city’s letter here.

This matter goes back to the very beginning of our battle with the city in January of 2004. When we got wind of the city’s surreptitious plan to remove the monument - which had stood peacefully in the park since 1965 - Ms. Swindell and I sought an injunction against the city to prevent removal of the monument, in order to give us time to organize a community response.

(The city slipped the monument removal item on to its agenda as late as legally possible, concealed it under a euphemistic label, scheduled it for discussion at a pre-council meeting that the public normally does not attend, and had scheduled removal of the monument just three days after the decision was made. We had no option but to move quickly if the city was to be stopped.)

As you are aware, the ACLU has padded its coffers by successfully suing cities on the grounds that the presence of religious monuments offends them. We reasoned that, if being offended is a legitimate basis to initiate legal action, then we had the same right to challenge the city on the grounds that removing this monument offended us.

A federal judge, who had ruled in 1995 that a similar monument in Bannock County was constitutionally protected, rejected our request, and to make matters worse, ordered us to pay $10,131 in attorney’s fees to the city. This for just three days work and despite the fact that the city has a full-time staff of several dozen lawyers, who are already being paid to do the legal work of the city. In other words, this federal judge ordered us to pay the city’s lawyers to do their job.

Ms. Swindell and I both work for small non-profit organizations and thus have limited means. The city of Boise, on the other hand, has an annual budget of $479 million, and thus is certainly in a position to waive this judgment. Yet the city’s mayor is still determined to come after us for $10,000. This is a sad indication of what this city is prepared to do to its own citizens who do nothing more than exercise their right to freedom of speech and to seek redress for their grievances.

The city has made no effort to contact us for these last 4 ½ years about this matter, and the very first communication we had from them on the subject came in the June 23 letter, in which we were informed that city leaders were dropping the hammer on us.

So we have until July 15 to find a way to satisfy the city’s demand. Appealing the judge’s 2004 ruling would have required an appeal to the 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals, where its left-leaning tilt means that we would be likely to lose and be at risk for another $80,000 in attorney’s fees. Ms. Swindell and I simply were not in a position to risk that kind of financial exposure.

Ms. Swindell and I are asking you to stand with us in the effort we made to protect the public display of the word of God and to protect freedom of religion and speech in Idaho’s capitol city. We need your help.

If you would like to come to our side, you may contribute to our legal expenses by sending donations to:

Keep the Commandments Coalition

PO Box 140031

Boise, ID 83714

Used with the permission of the Idaho Values Alliance

Gideon Bible Case Briefed at Appeals Court

Liberty Counsel filed its Initial Brief with the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals in defense of an equal access policy of the South Iron School District that permits the Gideons to distribute Bibles in the same manner other non-religious organizations are permitted to distribute secular literature. Liberty Counsel represents the District.

In September 2006, the ACLU sued the District to stop the Gideons from providing Bibles for public school students. Federal district Judge Catherine Perry issued an order prohibiting the distribution of any Bible, which she described as an “instrument of religion.”

Although the District has an equal access policy that treats the distribution of secular and religious literature outside of class on an equal basis, Judge Perry also ruled the District’s open access policy unconstitutional.

The distribution of Bibles or religious literature is treated the same as secular literature under the policy, but Judge Perry ruled that religious literature, particularly the Bible, may not be treated the same.

Read our News Release for more details on this important case.

TeenPact Judicial Program

Liberty University School of Law and Liberty Counsel are hosting the 2008 TeenPact Judicial (”TPJ”) program this week. TeenPact is an organization that allows students to learn the principles of law from those who know them best – practitioners and professors of law. This is the eleventh year TPJ has presented its judicial program at a national law school. This is the first time Liberty University School of Law and Liberty Counsel have hosted this program.

David Barber, Program Director for TeenPact, describes the week-long conference as “a hands-on, on-site program that teaches high-school students about law and the judicial system from a distinctly Biblical worldview. Throughout the week students participate in presentations from expert professors at Liberty University School of Law and some of the nation’s most experienced religious liberty attorneys from Liberty Counsel as they prepare oral arguments for a moot court tournament at the end of the week.” Barber explains that “the goal of the program is to inspire the next generation of Christian leaders to be passionate about their faith and give them the tools they need to proactively engage the culture for the glory of Jesus Christ.”

Read our News Release for more information about this exciting program for teens.

Get Involved With Liberty Counsel

You can give a gift to the nonprofit ministry of Liberty Counsel by calling 800-671-17767 or donating on our secure web site. Liberty Counsel is recognized by the IRS as a tax-exempt nonprofit organization. Donations are tax deductible as allowed by law.

You may also make a donation by ordering educational materials from our online store, such as the inspirational 92-page book, Take Back America. This book by Mat Staver will motivate you and equip you with the information you need to make a difference in your community and our government.

Used with the permission of Liberty Counsel

ACLJ Press Release

“Last chance.”  These words are literally true today - they perfectly describe our situation at this moment:

We have only days left before Congress abandons Washington for the 4th of July holiday -

- and we are just 23 signatures short of forcing the Broadcaster Freedom Act (H.R. 2905; S. 174 out of committee and onto the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote.

It’s got to happen - or every Christian organization on the air in America could be in jeopardy.

We need your immediate generosity to help protect the free speech of Christian and conservative broadcasters.

Speaker Pelosi is bottlenecking the bill in committee because her liberal allies want to reinstate the old so-called “Fairness Doctrine” - forcing every Christian TV or radio program (including ours) to include the opposing viewpoint … or go off the air.

How could we, in good conscience, broadcast a pro-abortion program?  Or a program in support of same-sex marriage?  Or promote terrorism?  It’s unimaginable.

Yet it could be required by law - if the “Fairness Doctrine” is re-instituted.

Your gift right now will help us in our efforts to oppose the Fairness Doctrine - and to support the vitally important Broadcaster Freedom Act.

The Broadcaster Freedom Act must pass Congress in order to protect the free speech of Christian and conservative broadcasters.

I have assembled a senior legal team from both our Washington, D.C., and Virginia offices.  We are researching the case law and performing legal analysis for members of the House and Senate.  If necessary, we will prepare a federal court action to protect our rights to free speech.

The Fairness Doctrine is unconstitutional, but that is not going to stop those who want to silence a conservative point of view.

We have a real battle on our hands; this could be our last chance in the 110th Congress.  That’s why we need your generous online contribution today to propel us forward on many fronts as we fight for life and liberty … in the halls of Congress and across the nation.

Thank you!

Used with the permission of the American Center for Law and Justice

FIRE Press Release

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., June 26, 2008—The Chair of Colorado College’s (CC’s) Board of Trustees has affirmed the school’s actions in finding that student Chris Robinson and another student wishing to remain anonymous violated CC’s “violence” policy for posting a flyer that parodied a flyer of the Feminist and Gender Studies program. In a letter to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), Board of Trustees Chair David van Diest Skilling wrote that “the College acted correctly in their handling of the students’ behavior” and that “there is no need for further action.” FIRE continues to call on CC to remove the guilty verdict from the students’ files immediately and to stand by its own promises of freedom of expression.

“For its intransigent behavior in this case, FIRE placed Colorado College on our Red Alert list, which we reserve for the worst offenders of liberty among college and university campuses,” FIRE President Greg Lukianoff said. “Given an opportunity to right the wrong done by CC’s administrators, the Board has decided to disregard the facts in this case and back the school’s actions instead of urging the college to enforce its own contractual obligations to protect freedom of speech on its campus.”

In early 2008, a pseudonymous group called “the Feminist and Gender Studies Interns” produced and distributed a flyer called “The Monthly Rag.” The flyer included a reference to “male castration,” an announcement about a lecture on “feminist porn” by a “world-famous prostitute and porn star,” an explanation of “packing” (pretending to have a phallus), and a quotation from The Bitch Manifesto.

As a parody of “The Monthly Rag,” Robinson and a second student distributed a flyer called “The Monthly Bag” under the pseudonym “The Coalition of Some Dudes.” The flyer included references to “tough guy wisdom,” “chainsaw etiquette,” the shooting range of a sniper rifle, and a quotation about “female violence and abuse” of men from the website batteredmen.com.

Shortly thereafter, Colorado College President Richard F. Celeste sent out a campus-wide e-mail declaring that “The Monthly Bag” included “threatening and demeaning content” and asking the “Dudes” to come forward. When they did less than an hour later, they were subjected to a three-hour hearing and charged with “bias” and violating the college’s values of respect and integrity. Only after public pressure did CC retreat to the idea that the entire matter was about the “violent” implications of mentioning a sniper rifle. Skilling’s letter similarly invoked “the unprecedented wave of violence on college campuses” as justification for punishing the authors of the parody.

FIRE wrote to Celeste on March 21, 2008, pointing out that any punishment would contradict CC’s commitments to free expression, including a policy that states, “On a campus that is free and open, no idea can be banned or forbidden. No viewpoint or message may be deemed so hateful that it may not be expressed.” But on March 25, Vice President for Student Life/Dean of Students Mike Edmonds wrote to the “Dudes” stating that they had been found guilty of “violating the student code of conduct policy on violence.” Although Edmonds acknowledged that the publication was meant to satirize “The Monthly Rag,” he wrote that “in the climate in which we find ourselves today, violence—or implied violence—of any kind cannot be tolerated on a college campus” and that “the juxtaposition of weaponry and sexuality” in an anonymous parody made students feel threatened by chainsaws and rifles.

Robinson appealed Edmonds’s decision, but the final judge of the appeal was Edmonds himself. Robinson was notified in an April 11 letter that his appeal had failed and that the finding would remain in his student file until he graduates. Although Celeste had argued that the students were “not sanctioned or punished,” the April letter clearly stated that the letter in the file was a “discipline letter,” and the Student Code of Conduct makes clear that having a letter placed in a student’s file is an official punishment.

FIRE wrote to Skilling on May 16, urging him to ask Celeste to remove the guilty finding from the students’ files. Skilling replied on June 18 that the board found “no basis to make any changes to the College’s actions.” Skilling said that because “The Monthly Bag” was “published anonymously without warning or permission” and “referenced tools and weapons of violence,” the administration’s actions were legitimate.

Skilling also incorrectly asserted that the two “Dudes” freely posted a second issue of the “Monthly Bag” in April after identifying themselves, but in truth the authors of the second issue, “The Coalition of Some Other Dudes,” were four unnamed students.

“Colorado College’s Board of Trustees obviously has an incorrect version of the facts, and the Board should ask Celeste where these facts are coming from,” Lukianoff said. “FIRE will continue to pursue justice in this case until Colorado College admits its wrongdoing and removes this guilty finding. Colorado College should stop offering up excuses for shutting down controversial speech on campus and should honor its written promises to uphold freedom on campus.”

FIRE is a nonprofit educational foundation that unites civil rights and civil liberties leaders, scholars, journalists, and public intellectuals from across the political and ideological spectrum on behalf of individual rights, due process, freedom of expression, academic freedom, and rights of conscience at our nation’s colleges and universities. FIRE’s efforts to preserve liberty at Colorado College and at campuses nationwide can be viewed at thefire.org.

CONTACT:

Adam Kissel, Director, Individual Rights Defense Program, FIRE: 215-717-3473; adam@thefire.org
Richard F. Celeste, President, Colorado College: 719-389-6700; president@coloradocollege.edu
David van Diest Skilling, Chair of the Board of Trustees, Colorado College: P.O. Box 1620, Saratoga, WY 82331

Used with the permission of TheFIRE.org

The American Conservative Union

Last year Liberals in Congress tried and failed to raise taxes as part of the annual effort to “fix” the flawed Alternative Minimum Tax. This is the tax that was supposed to affect a few “rich people who don’t pay taxes.” As with many other Liberal tax schemes, the tax would now affect millions of middle class taxpayers. Instead of repealing the tax, long advocated by the American Conservative Union, Congress has passed a one year “fix.” As part of this bill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D-NY) insist on passing $61 billion in tax increases. We helped defeat these tax increases last year and we can do it again.

GO HERE AND TELL CONGRESS WE DON’T NEED MORE TAXES IN ORDER TO ELIMINATE THE ALTERNATIVE MINIMUM TAX.

IT’S YOUR MONEY

When the Democrats took over Congress this year, they immediately installed the so-called PAYGO system. The premise is all revenue is the government’s money, that tax cuts force the government to “lose” money and must be “paid for.” Conservatives understand that tax relief is a savings to taxpayers-it allows them to keep more of their own money. It doesn’t cost the government anything. If the Liberals in Congress insist on “paying for” tax relief, it should be paid for by spending cuts. Yet according to their plan, not one wasteful government program would be cut to “pay for” the AMT mistake. Instead, a whole class of entrepreneurs would be punished for a major error by Congress.

Supporters of this bill will tell you some rich people –investment fund managers and oil and gas companies–will pay the taxes in this bill. That’s what they said when they passed the original Alternative Minimum Tax. Conservatives know that these taxes will ultimately be paid by you—the consumer—in higher prices.

CONTACT YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS TODAY AND TELL THEM YOU ARE FED UP WITH THESE GIMMICKS. URGE THE REPEAL OF THE ALTERNATIVE MINIMUM TAX ONCE AND FOR ALL.

The truth is “fixing” the Alternative Minimum Tax will not change federal revenue as it continues the policy in place for years. H.R. 6275 is just an excuse for the continuing effort by Liberals in Congress to raise taxes every chance they get. If we let them know we won’t stand for it, they will pass a bill to “fix” the AMT as they did last year.

TAKE ACTION NOW! CONTACT YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS BY COMPLETING THE FORM THAT CAN BE FOUND AT THIS LINK.

For all you do to advance conservative free-market principles, we at the American Conservative Union are most appreciative.

Sincerely,

Larry Hart
Director of Government Relations
The American Conservative Union

Used with the permission of The American Conservative Union

Liberty Counsel Press Release

Los Angeles, CA – On Monday, the homeschooling case known as In re Rachel L. v. The Superior Court of Los Angeles will be argued at the California Court of Appeal. On February 28, 2008, the Court of Appeal ruled that parents who lack teaching credentials do not have the right to school their children at home. The decision immediately became the subject of sharp criticism across the Nation, and a U.S. House resolution called for reconsideration of the case. The California Court of Appeal agreed to rehear the case, and oral argument is scheduled for Monday.

Earlier this month, Liberty Counsel filed a 57-page brief in the case on behalf of 19 members of the United States Congress. The brief overviews home education laws of all fifty states and the District of Columbia, where it is legal. In 1925, the U.S. Supreme Court recognized the rights of parents to direct the education of their children, stating: “The fundamental theory of liberty upon which all governments in this Union repose excludes any general power of the state to standardize its children by forcing them to accept instruction from public teachers only. The child is not the mere creature of the state; those who nurture him and direct his destiny have the right, coupled with the high duty, to recognize and prepare him for additional obligations.”

Congressional members represented by Liberty Counsel include: Ken Calvert (CA-44), John Campbell (CA-48), David Davis (TN-1), John Doolittle (CA-4), Tom Feeney (FL-24), Randy Forbes (VA-4), Trent Franks (AZ-2), Robin Hayes (NC-8), Wally Herger (CA-2), Jim Jordan (OH-4), Doug Lamborn (CO-5), Dan Lungren (CA-3), Thaddeus McCotter (MI-11), Gary Miller (CA-42), Marilyn Musgrave (CO-4), Ed Royce (CA-40), Pete Sessions (TX-32), Mark Souder (IN-3), and Howard McKeon (CA-25), who introduced H. Res. 1076, calling on the courts to uphold the fundamental and constitutional right of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children.

Anita L. Staver, President of Liberty Counsel, commented on the case: “Parents have a fundamental right to decide how to educate their children. The government does not always know best. Parents have educated their children successfully at home since the founding of this country. Some of the brightest minds in American history were homeschooled. As an attorney who was homeschooled until the seventh grade, I know the value of parent-directed education.”

Used with the permission of Liberty Counsel

Liberty Counsel Press Release

Jacksonville, FL – Today, a couple who worked and lived at Thornwood Terrace Apartments in Lake City, Florida, a government-subsidized facility owned and operated by The Hallmark Companies and Hallmark Management, is filing suit in federal court against Hallmark after they were terminated and evicted for displaying artwork referencing a Scripture verse in their office. Daniel Dixon was manager and lead maintenance technician at the apartment complex where he lived with his wife, Sharon, who was also a manager.

Liberty Counsel represents Daniel and Sharon Dixon in the case of Dixon v. Hallmark Companies. Hallmark owns and manages an apartment complex, which contains units that are government-subsidized by the USDA Rural Development program. Under the USDA program, Hallmark is required to comply with federal employment and housing antidiscrimination laws.

For at least eight years before they were fired and evicted, the Dixons had a 50″x26″ piece of stained glass artwork featuring flowers hanging on the wall in the management office where they worked. On the glass was a partial Scripture verse in 1-1/4 inch letters that read: “Consider the Lilies…Matthew 6:28.”

In September 2007, Christina Saunders, regional manager for Hallmark, asked Sharon if the words on the artwork referred to Scripture. After Sharon said they did, Sanders told her to remove the artwork. Sharon replied that she needed to discuss it with her co-manager husband, Daniel, and left the office to find him. While Sharon was gone, Sanders consulted her supervisor, Norine Lewis, and then took the artwork and put it inside Daniel and Sharon’s apartment. When Sharon returned, Sanders said that Sharon and Daniel were “too religious.” She fired them and demanded they vacate their apartment within 72 hours.

The Dixons were granted unemployment compensation over the objection of Hallmark, because Hallmark did not substantiate its claims of misconduct by the Dixons. The Dixons are filing suit today, claiming violations of Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (the Fair Housing Act) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibit discrimination in housing and employment on the basis of religion. The lawsuit requests punitive damages against Hallmark for reckless indifference to the federal laws.

Mathew D. Staver, Founder of Liberty Counsel and Dean of Liberty University School of Law, commented: “For eight years, without any complaint, Daniel and Sharon Dixon displayed floral artwork containing a citation to Scripture in their office. They were suddenly terminated as a result of the religious bigotry of one supervisor, even though no one objected to the picture. The Dixons lost their jobs and were booted out on the street, solely because artwork in their office made reference to the Bible. The Constitution and federal law prohibit religious discrimination. There must be ‘room in the inn’ for religious viewpoints.”

Used with the permission of Liberty Counsel

Stiff Right Alerts is a project of Stiff Right Jab

Today, the liberal assault on your First Amendment rights has been vigorously resurrected …

… and we now face the very real prospect of Christian and conservative broadcasters being tragically silenced.

We do not take this assault lightly - and we will meet it head-on with the force of our own convictions.

You can help, too.  Your signature on our online PETITION OF PROTEST against the Fairness Doctrine and in support of the Broadcaster Freedom Act represents our single best opportunity to succeed.

Here’s why:  The Broadcaster Freedom Act must pass Congress in order to protect the free speech of Christian and conservative broadcasters.

But there are those in Congress who wish to silence the conservative point of view.  Led by Speaker Pelosi, they have stalled the bill in committee - hoping to reinstate the so-called “Fairness Doctrine” unchallenged.

The Fairness Doctrine seems aptly named.  It sounds appealing.  But it’s nothing more than a political trap …

… Unabashedly aimed at establishing left-wing liberalism as the law of the land.

Broadcasters would be virtually forced to drop all controversial or religious programming rather than deal with trying to strike an “even balance” at their own expense.

As of right now, Congressmen Mike Pence and Greg Walden have collected 195 of the 218 signatures required for a “discharge petition” - to end the stonewalling and force this bill to the floor of the House for a vote.

Exercise your rights as a concerned citizen!  Join the ACLJ and Congressmen Pence and Walton in calling on Congress to vote, YEA OR NAY, on this bill by adding your name to our nationwide PETITION OF PROTEST campaign.

HOWEVER, THIS LEGISLATION IS ON A VERY SHORT FUSE.  WE MUST ACT NOW.

We need all 218 signatures on the discharge petition by July 4th for there to be action on the Broadcaster Freedom Act during the 110th Congress.  After that, the election campaign season will be in full swing, and a significant bill of this nature is not likely to be passed.

So I urge you to sign the online PETITION OF PROTEST to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and your U.S. Representative right now and stand with the ACLJ in support of free speech for Christian and conservative broadcasters.

Thank you in advance for participating personally in this effort, and in all the ongoing work of the ACLJ for the causes of life and liberty.

Used with the permission of the American Center for Law and Justice

Stiff Right Alerts is a project of Stiff Right Jab and the Center for Moral Liberalism

FIRE Press Release

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 5, 2008—Harvard University threatened to cancel a party planned by two Harvard student groups simply because of the party’s name: “Barely Legal.” The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) has asked Harvard to reaffirm its commitment to its students’ right to freedom of expression.

“Today is Harvard’s commencement, where students are celebrating their achievements and the completion of study at a world-renowned university. It is a shame that administrators at Harvard have cheapened those degrees by standing by a silly act of censorship and gross double standards,” FIRE President Greg Lukianoff said. “The truly mild idea behind the party—’So crazy it should be illegal’—is hardly the same thing as endorsing illegality. Harvard should know better.”

In April, the Latino Men’s Collective (LMC) and Fuerza Latina proposed that a party be held in the Adams House Dining Hall. Adams House administrators agreed to host the party-but once the party was publicized using the “Barely Legal” name, several students complained to the House masters. The student leadership of both LMC and Fuerza Latina publicly stated that they meant no offense by the party’s name and did not intend to glorify or encourage illegal activity. Nevertheless, Adams House administrators told LMC and Fuerza Latina they would not be allowed to hold the party unless the name was changed. The students agreed to take down all publicity for the party (a YouTube advertisement with the original name remains). Adams House Resident Dean Sharon Howell told The Harvard Crimson that the students “should have been more thoughtful considering the context.”

FIRE wrote to Howell on May 8, 2008, reminding her that threatening to cancel a student group’s party because some people found its name offensive was a clear violation of Harvard’s own binding promises of freedom of expression. In a May 30 response, Bradley E. Abruzzi, a Harvard Associate Attorney, stated that because Adams House has discretion over allowing student groups to organize events there, granting access to the House’s facilities “necessarily carries an endorsement of the event by the House.”

Harvard’s argument is bizarre, as Adams House has in the past hosted events including “S&M bingo,” “Erotica Night,” and “Chocoholica,” where partygoers distributed chocolate genitalia. “It is ridiculous to police the themes of college parties in the first place, but here Harvard has also acted arbitrarily and inconsistently,” Lukianoff said.

“Harvard’s claim that simply allowing a given event to take place on campus implies an endorsement of the event illustrates a major misunderstanding of expressive rights at Harvard,” Lukianoff said. “Does Harvard really wish to argue that since earlier parties involved ‘erotica’ and chocolate genitalia, Harvard endorses these things? No one assumes that a college agrees with or endorses all the expression on its campus—not only would this be impossible, but it is also incompatible with a true ‘marketplace of ideas.’ If Harvard is willing to censor something as small as a party with a mild theme, how can we believe that it will defend the expression of truly controversial views on its campus? It boggles the mind why Harvard thought it should intervene here in the first place.”

FIRE is a nonprofit educational foundation that unites civil rights and civil liberties leaders, scholars, journalists, and public intellectuals from across the political and ideological spectrum on behalf of individual rights, due process, freedom of expression, academic freedom, and rights of conscience at our nation’s colleges and universities. FIRE’s efforts to preserve liberty on campuses across America can be viewed at thefire.org.

CONTACT:
Greg Lukianoff, President, FIRE: 215-717-3473; greg_lukianoff@thefire.org
Adam Kissel, Director, Individual Rights Defense Program, FIRE: 215-717-3473; adam@thefire.org
Sharon Howell, Adams House Resident Dean, Harvard University: 617-493-2138; slhowell@fas.harvard.edu
Bradley E. Abruzzi, Associate Attorney, Harvard University: 617-495-1281; babruzzi@camail.harvard.edu

Stiff Right Jab and Stiff Right Alert use is by permission of TheFIRE.org

The Hill Newspaper
June 4, 2008

There it was, in print, staring right back up at me.

Exactly what we feared here at the ACU.

It almost seemed that the newspaper editors printed the headline with glee.

The left – the liberal money machine in America – is crushing the right in the money war.

Let me share with you some excerpts from this article:

“Left-wing fundraising is crushing the efforts of their counterparts on the right.”

“…groups funded by labor unions, trial lawyers and environmentalists have kept a singular focus: winning the White House and expanding… majorities in Congress.”

“the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the AFL-CIO are planning to spend record amounts … SEIU will spend $85 million this election cycle, more than it has during any similar two-year period in history… the AFL-CIO has budgeted $53.4 million for political activity this cycle, a $5 million increase over 2004….MoveOn.org will raise and spend about $35 million… the Sierra Club has organized 450 groups across the country and claims to have 5,000 volunteers spread across 10 battleground states including Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Oregon and Virginia…NARAL Pro-Choice America has budgeted $10 million for the presidential and congressional races …. of the 10 independent groups that have spent the most this year on television advertising in the presidential campaign, eight are liberal, according to a new report by the Wisconsin Advertising Project, a nonpartisan academic study.”

That is why ACU Chairman David A. Keene asked me to put together a plan to help re-focus the nation on our conservative principles using the party platform process and then deploy an effort nationwide to set the record straight on where the liberals really stand and what their agenda really means for America.

We started this effort last week with what some have called a “tongue-in-cheek” short video, but one that holds a powerful message.  It shows a member of the liberal leadership in Congress stating clearly that as a liberal she would “socialize” American companies.  She tried to catch herself and stop the statement, but we all heard it.  You may have watched the short video on our new COME CLEAN page on the ACU website at:  http://www.conservative.org/ACUCOMECLEAN.html

The left continues to think we will continue to just talk to ourselves, but not really join the fight. We must win the fight by defining the issues clearly to the American public so they understand the historic stakes of this election.

The left, in their desire to socialize medicine, drive up energy prices, destroy traditional family values and weaken our national security are planning to pour millions and millions of dollars and put hundreds of feet on the ground over the next several months into an effort to destroy what we hold dear in this country.

This is compounded by the ultra-left special interest groups who are trying to confuse the American public into thinking that their agenda will solve our ills.

They are going to call it “hope.”

But behind that “word” is a liberal agenda of even more outrageous out of control wasteful government spending the likes of which we can only dream about, higher gas prices with more taxes, increased taxes on investments, and more and more government control over our lives.

You see we know that the American people prefer a conservative agenda.  On poll after poll the American people overwhelmingly choose the label “conservative” to describe themselves, rather than “liberal.”

However, the liberal money machine, fed by the drum of a relentless liberal mass media, are planning to confuse and convince the American people that their agenda is not one of liberalism but one of “change.”

We all want change to improve the economy and make the future brighter for our families but we know that change will not be found in the liberal prescription government-filled bottle.

So we have launched the Come Clean effort and we are going to do more than ever this year to ensure the American people know the truth.

This is an unprecedented effort from ACU.

But, we cannot be successful without your help.  If every ACU supporter, if every CPAC attendee, if every strong conservative responded to this email with the largest contribution possible we would have the resources necessary to make this happen.

That is why I am writing to you today.  This week – the week of June 16, 2008 – we are drawing a line.  We are going to start right now in amassing the resources necessary to take the fight to the liberal special interests.

It is not enough to talk to each other about the problem, we have to amass our resources and fight back.

The newspaper The Hill made it clear, now is not the time to sit on the sidelines.  We must make the liberals come clean about their real motives behind their efforts and bring their actions out into public view.

So I hope you will join us today by going to our special ACU Come Clean effort website at:  https://www.digitaldonation.com/donate.aspx?campid=1291

There you can make a secure on-line contribution today to help us fight back and draw that line in the sand.

If we can spell out the stakes, if we can show the American people the truth, they will see the light.  But, to paint that picture for them to fight back against the liberal media and the millions of ultra-liberal special interest money we need your help.

You can help join this effort today at:  https://www.digitaldonation.com/donate.aspx?campid=1291

If you would prefer to send a donation today through the mail you can by sending it to:

The American Conservative Union
1007 Cameron Street
Alexandria, VA 22314

Please add the line “2008 Come Clean effort” in the memo section.

If you want to read more about other issues we are involved in during this Congress and read more about the actions of the liberals, visit our main website at:  www.conservative.org

As always you can reach our National Headquarters at: (703) 836-8602.

The stakes have never been so high.  There is just so much at risk this year.

Don’t allow the liberals to bury us at this critical time – we can fight back and win.   We are prepared to make the effort with your help.

Sincerely,

Dennis Whitfield
Executive Vice President

P.S.  Please do not delay.  The Hill newspaper headline says it all… the left is crushing the right in the money race.

But it will not last long with your support at  https://www.digitaldonation.com/donate.aspx?campid=1291

Thank you again.  We can fight and win together.

Used with the permission of the ACU