Yesterday, I published a diary comparing the hysteria over a judge ruling the pledge of allegiance unconstitutional with the seeming indifference that lawmakers and pundits have accepted the gutting of the constitution by the Bush admin. Tonight, I found there is an effort, supported by conservatives and progressives and introduced by Ron Paul to address this indifference.
Via Glenn Greenwald
Two organizations, one of conservative orientation, American Freedom Agenda, another founded by progressives, American Freedom Campaign, are advancing a 10-point agenda for saving the consitution.
A bill introduced last week in the House by Ron Paul seeks to put this agenda into law. Whatever you think of Ron Paul, he is surely right on this one.
So, who are these organizations?
American Freedom Agenda was founded by people such as - Bruce Fein. Bob Barr, John Whitehead and Richard Viguerie. Believe me, I never thought I would be on the same side as those guys. (one caveat there, I recently saw Barr debate Ethan Nadelman on Federal Drug Policy and he seemed, on that issue, very sane).
The American Freedom Campaign starts from ideologically opposite origins: Wes Boyd, co-founder, MoveOn.org, David Fenton (Executive Director of AFC), Chairman, Fenton Communications
, William Haseltine, Ph.D., scientist and social entrepreneur, and Naomi Wolf, author of “The End of America: A Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot.”
None the less, as Naomi Wolf makes clear, The American Freedom Campaign is 100% behind Ron Paul's bill. Read her endorsement:
Finally, Action! Ron Paul Introduces Bill to Defend Constitution!
Let's take a look at the 10-points:
Prohibit military commissions whose verdicts are suspect except in places of active hostilities where a battlefield tribunal is necessary to obtain fresh testimony or to prevent anarchy;
Prohibit the use of secret evidence or evidence obtained by torture or coercion in military or civilian tribunals;
Prohibit the detention of American citizens as unlawful enemy combatants without proof of criminal activity on the President’s say-so;
Restore habeas corpus for alleged alien enemy combatants, i.e., non-citizens who have allegedly participated in active hostilities against the United States, to protect the innocent;
Prohibit the National Security Agency from intercepting phone conversations or emails or breaking and entering homes on the President’s say-so in violation of federal law;
Empower the House of Representatives and the Senate collectively to challenge in the Supreme Court the constitutionality of signing statements that declare the intent of the President to disregard duly enacted provisions of bills he has signed into law because he maintains they are unconstitutional;
Prohibit the executive from invoking the state secrets privilege to deny justice to victims of constitutional violations perpetrated by government officers or agents; and, establish legislative-executive committees in the House and Senate to adjudicate the withholding of information from Congress based on executive privilege that obstructs oversight and government in the sunshine;
Prohibit the President from kidnapping, detaining, and torturing persons abroad in collaboration with foreign governments;
Amend the Espionage Act to permit journalists to report on classified national security matters without fear of prosecution; and;
Prohibit the listing of individuals or organizations with a presence in the United States as global terrorists or global terrorist organizations based on secret evidence.
Not a lot to argue with there, at least not from where I sit. On this issue, progressives and (some) conservatives share common ground. I will be supporting this anyway I can, even though it looks to me that it is a losing cause.
But it would be instructive, at a minimum, to have both Democrats and Republicans on the record on this one. Then we could see where we actually stand.
If you are interested in supporting this, follow the links to either organizations's website.