Liberal Group Puts Bounty on Head of Chamber of Commerce CEO

Chamber of Commerce CEO Tom Donohue is a wanted man -- at least according to the liberal activist group that's put a de facto bounty on his head.

A network of liberal groups known as Velvet Revolution started an ad campaign offering $200,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the man whose trade organization has become a thorn in the side of the Obama administration and congressional Democrats.

The group is not leveling any specific charges of criminal behavior. Rather, it is casting a wide net, fishing for any whistleblowers from Donohue's past who might come forward with allegations of wrongdoing. The campaign against the Chamber was launched in response to the group's opposition to climate change legislation and health care reform, and its plan to spend $100 million lobbying against these and other initiatives.

"On every issue, the Chamber is kind of the lead corporate advocate for the status quo," said Kevin Zeese, a lawyer who sits on the board for Velvet Revolution, calling Donohue a "knee-jerk reactionary" and the Chamber a "right-wing extremist group."

The Chamber of Commerce, meanwhile, decried the ad campaign and threatened possible legal action.

Their stated Manifesto

CHARTER O5 MANIFESTO
The United States Constitution and the Declaration of Independence clearly state that all citizens of the United States retain certain enumerated inalienable rights that the Government is not the source of, and cannot take away. The human rights and freedoms set forth in these documents are necessary and help guarantee a civilized life in a humane and democratic society by preventing government or other entities from abusing the natural rights of citizens. Unfortunately, for far too long in the United States, these basic rights have been ignored by the Government and are now largely relegated to theory in historical documents and a policy perspective frozen in the past instead of anchored in the spirit of American progress.

The right to freedom of expression has become merely the right to express the views of the Government or corporations, no matter how untrue those views may be. Persons who state contrary views are subject to retaliation, opprobrium, blacklisting, ridicule, harassment and arrest, even though consequences for peaceful speech and ideas are an anathema to true freedom. Moreover, the Government has been secretly engaged in the payoff of loyal journalists to espouse its propaganda to an unwitting public, while tolerating and fostering a lack of civility, discourse and respect for diverse points of view in the media. These actions have combined to generate a cynicism that is incapable of challenging power or the status quo, and created a dangerous climate of fear for legitimate journalists and millions of citizens who would otherwise prefer to voice their own opinions, and to hear other opinions on all issues and debates fairly reflected in the media such that citizens may make informed choices about their affairs.

The right to freedom of religion has been abridged by the takeover of the Government by a cynical political exploitation of a fundamentalist branch of religion. Those who espouse this ideology from within the corridors of political power believe only in one particular religious view and they ridicule, attack and suppress all other religious opinions, spiritual experience and much of scientific fact and theory. They believe that they have the God-given duty to spread their gospel throughout the world by use of the U.S. Government and its military, ignoring the opinions of citizens and humankind. They do not support religious tolerance or pluralism, and they relish foisting their religious values on others, by force, violence and coercion, if necessary.

The right to a fair judiciary is under constant attack. The religious fundamentalists and opportunists in power have demanded that only candidates who support their views be appointed to the federal judiciary. Judges who rule contrary to Government positions are routinely subject to ridicule, attacks on their character, and threats of bodily harm and impeachment. Politicians also use loyal judges to decide elections that they did not fairly win, or create and support election systems that withhold information desirable or necessary for proving irregularities or fraud, and then make misleading claims against those who challenge such conduct.

The rights to security and privacy have been set aside on the ground that the Government knows best, and if citizens have nothing to hide, they should not complain that their phones and computers are bugged, their homes and cars secretly searched, their mail opened, and their movements followed. Such activity unjustly chills freedom, and is often conducted without even the pretense of a neutral judicial authority. Judges, even when consulted about these misadventures, routinely rule that the will of the Government is superior to the rights of the citizens, even though it is clear that it is “We the People” who created the Government and retain all rights not expressly granted to it.

The right against disenfranchisement has become the right to disenfranchise those who oppose the Government. The Government’s war on drugs is tantamount to a strategy to disenfranchise literally millions of felons who would not generally vote for the party in power. The Federal Government has taken over control of the elections in key states and used loyal state officials to purchase voting machines which wholly lack sufficient safeguards, transparency and the ability to observe and verify the vote, has purged unfriendly voters through exclusions lists, and has limited the number of polling places in areas where citizens are opposed to the Government or the interests of those in power. The Government routinely gerrymanders congressional districts and then uses loyal judges to uphold those districts to favor its candidates.

The right to life is now the right to live only if the Government does not wish a citizen to die, which is a sign of tyranny. The death penalty is arbitrarily and unequally used by the Government. Medical choices made by citizens are outlawed on the basis of religion or economics rather than sound science, and democratic decisions are overruled by overreaching federal legislation.

The right to liberty has been supplanted by the Government’s policy of unfairly imprisoning citizens who violate any of the thousands of laws it has on the books. Most of those imprisoned are not threats to society, but rather perceived threats to the Government because they do not toe the line or are perceived to oppose the Government. The treatment of those persons in prison is an affront to human dignity and a menace to their health, and it is routinely aimed at breaking down their morale and humanity.

The right to travel is consistently violated, under weak national security grounds, to both citizens and foreign nationals. Thousands of people are denied the right to fly in the United States simply because of their name or nationality. Also, the granting of visas is handled arbitrarily, in part because the Government wants to prevent professional and personal contacts with citizens holding disfavored views or who are otherwise subject to discrimination.

The right to petition for redress is simply not meaningful anymore. When citizens complain to or about the Government, either publicly or otherwise, they are largely ignored or subject to ridicule or police investigation. The press is retaliated against for printing facts or perspectives that are not supportive of those in power or their supporters. Moreover, court decisions routinely favor the Government and Corporate Interests over the citizen.

In light of the above, CHARTER 05 provides the basis for VelvetRevolution.us, a free and open coalition of organizations and citizens of different convictions, different faiths, different political parties and different professions united by the will to secure the respect of civil and human rights in the United States and throughout the world, and anchored in a commitment to support the progress of all. This Charter arises from the solidarity and friendship of people everywhere who share our concern for the rights we are entitled to as human beings and citizens under the U.S. Constitution in America.

VR is a citizens brigade open to everyone who agrees with the rights of humanity and the U.S. Constitution and who promote the general public interest and pursuit of community. VR aims to support broad political and social reform and secure, through peaceful and legal means, the natural rights affirmed and guaranteed by our Constitution. CHARTER 05 provides the basis for all American citizens to reassert the primacy of the people through the fundamental principles of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution so that all citizens can work and live in a free, democratic and pluralistic society, committed to continued material, spiritual and just progress for all, as freely chosen by all.

VELVET REVOLUTION’S
Strategic Framework
VelvetRevolution.us (”VR”) was formed to deal with the crisis surrounding the anti-democratric, anti-American takeover of the United States Government. In short, the present Administration and a large portion of the Congress is controlled by a cabal of nationalistic, fundamentalist, ideologues who are attempting to shape the United States and the world in their view through the power of the US Government and its military. VR considers this a grave threat to the United States as we know it, to the stability of the world as a whole, and to freedom for all of its citizens. VR believes that the way to combat this threat is through massive, coordinated, non-violent, action by concerned, progressive, secular and religious organizations, and also by millions of likeminded individuals here and abroad. VR’s overall framework sets out and is intended to continue to set out clear goals that allow for collective action of citizens on a grand scale, based on the real needs and concerns of all people. As such, VR aims to embody the true spirit of American progress, continually seeking to improve society in order to reach a brighter, enlightened, prosperous and more diverse future.

The Role of VelvetRevolution

VR is necessary to

provide an aggressive and continuous opposition to a corrupt, elitist, corporate ideological agenda in the United States,
provide a means for all likeminded organizations and individuals to come together for concerted and coordinated action,
provide leadership in place of an otherwise fragmented and weak opposition,
provide an outlet for those who are disillusioned with the two party duopology to express their frustration,
provide an alternative to the mass corporate media with truthful and transparent information,
provide quick financial support to progressive organizations that are doing valuable work that supports VR’s mission but cannot wait for traditional funding from other sources or where circumstances make such alternative financial arrangements a material barrier to the progress of goals endorsed by VR.
VR is not interested in duplicating the work of other organizations. Instead, VR will provide what other organizations do not. First, we are building a coalition that coordinates and supports the work of existing groups, we are forming bridges with groups that have previously been on their own, and we are facilitating communications among the leadership of those interested in VR goals. Second, we are providing a one-stop shop for those currently spending hours each day on the Internet trying to get information about socially and politically conscious groups that oppose the policies of a corrupt Administration and Government — VR has information, news, a blog, action items and links to much of what is important to an informed citizenry. Third, we are using cutting-edge technology to spread our message, whether on the Internet, radio, or TV. VR will have a 24/7/365 rapid response war room that can deal with misinformation, propaganda and falsehoods of the ruling elite. We will send action alerts out to millions on our email citizens brigade, and place ads in all media where warranted to counter false information. VR will be an authoritative source of accurate information and will be a leader in this area. Fourth, we are preparing for and expecting the actions of corrupt leaders before they place a stranglehold on both the media and the truth! We are playing offense instead of defense.

The Goal Of VelvetRevolution

VR’s main goal is to mobilize hundreds of organizations and millions of citizens into a massive force to change the direction of the United States from dishonesty, divisiveness, nationalism and war-mongering to transparency, pluralism, optimism and just conflict resolution so that the true potential of American community can be achieved. In order to achieve this goal, VR will use education, media, protests, boycotts, rewards, and technology in the broadest sense possible. We will focus on creativity and effectiveness, and provide the easiest ways for organizations and people to work together. Our tactics will be both revolutionary and evolutionary, and we will pride ourselves on our ability to quickly adapt, while remaining part of a progressive tradition that has lasted for centuries.

Action Items and Core Areas

VR believes that there are several overarching issues that need to be broadly and aggressively addressed in order to save our democracy.

These are:

Electoral Reform - The past three national elections have been marred by voter suppression, gerrymandering, disenfranchisement and intentional electoral fraud. Therefore, VR is in the forefront of the election reform movement. VR affirms that the equality inherent in one person, one vote represents the true spirit of democracy where all are equal before the law and must have their rights of enfranchisement respected and not excessively regulated. Therefore, just as no person should have two votes in an election, no person should have their vote taken away or subject to challenge based on cynical legal technicalities or form or location. We are conducting a massive campaign against the nine major vote machine companies to pressure them into providing open software source code and a recountable, auditable paper ballot for every vote cast, or else face divestiture and litigation by members, affiliates and others. In addition, we are demanding a constitutional amendment recognizing that all adult American citizens have the right to vote, plus recommending a number of changes in the running of elections to increase accuracy and accountability, reduce fraud, and increase the availability of information and data about elections to all citizens prior to and during any possible recount. Finally, we are supporting litigation and legislation to require transparency and fairness in the voting process.

Media Reform - The mainstream corporate media is not doing its job with regard to investigations and truthfulness, and it is failing to inform the citizens in a dispassionate way about diverse points of view. It has become wholly delinquent for years now in their important role as watchdog for the citizenry. Instead, it is guilty of being a mouthpiece for the Administration and Government in power and the spreading of propaganda instead of truth. Therefore, VR will set the standard for transparency and honesty, and will demand that the mass corporate media follow suit. VR will set up a 24/7/365 war newsroom to counter the right, and will use TV, radio, Internet and alternative media to spread the truth. VR will use ads in all media to counter propaganda. News outlets that spew falsehoods and propaganda will be targeted by VR for action and/or divestiture. Indeed, we are the only organization to demand that more than 1000 TV networks and their affiliates institute internal policies against the use of government propaganda and government paid journalists.

Conflict Resolution - The present war in Iraq and the threats of wars elsewhere in the world are follies of a corrupt, fundamentalist, ideological, corporate, military-industrialist cabal, and are not in the long-term best interest of the United States and its people. Of course, VR believes in the use of the military where necessary for genuinely defensive action and for the security of the United States. However, we are opposed to the policies of the present Administration and Government which supports them and we believe that war must be a last resort after all avenues of just conflict resolution have been exhausted. Therefore, VR was a founding member of AfterDowningStreet.org, a coalition to demand an investigation into the basis for the war, which has gathered over 500,000 signatures, 122 Congress Members and 10 Senators. We also demand the withdrawal of United States forces from Iraq and the renouncement of the doctrines of so-called “preemptive war.”

Civil Rights - The United States has lost its role as the world leader in the protection and expansion of civil rights. Millions of people are imprisoned and denied the right to vote, thousands of people are subjected to capital punishment, including the mentally ill, and the wars on drugs and terrorism have done much more damage than good to our nation and its security. Therefore, VR demands a stop to the continuing growth and privatization of prison construction, amnesty for millions of released and incarcerated nonviolent prisoners, the reinstatement of the right to vote for all felons, the repeal of other disenfranchisement laws, no more torture and the treatment rather than the incarceration of drug offenders.
Obviously, these goals are broad and ambitious. VR will only initiate select actions that require our national power or materially benefit from the coordination of the unique skills and position of VR. However, VR can and will support initiatives and actions that our affiliates initiate, either through VR media or grants. Also, VR will endorse the activities of others that support the main goals set forth above.

120 progressive organizations

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