Posted on 02/27/2003 5:27:37 AM PST by Liz
Dudley Brown didn't want to talk about it. It's a little too weird for him. "I'll let the national organization speak about this," he said. But, yes, he said, it's true. The Rocky Mountain Gun Owners and the ACLU are on the same team.
Let's pause for a moment to savor the image.
As executive director of RMGO, Brown is famous for bristling at the mere suggestion that his organization is chummy with the likes of the "liberal" National Rifle Association. So what could possibly compel the Gun Owners of America to collaborate with the ACLU?
Simple. A common enemy.
Attorney General John Ashcroft.
For a brief period in the mid- '90s, the two groups worked together to oppose anti-terrorism legislation in the wake of the Oklahoma City bombing.
But it was a different time. The Gun Owners fought former Attorney General Janet Reno and the Clinton administration on so many fronts. What was one more?
Now, as the powers of the original Patriot Act are being exploited - the FBI seizing library patrons' records and quizzing cable TV installers about anything "unusual" they see in customers' homes - this unlikely alliance is here to stay.
And as Ashcroft's office quietly circulates the sequel to the Patriot Act among Republicans in Congress, even weirder partnerships are forming with the ACLU.
The Southern Baptists and the American Humanist Association, for example.
No kidding.
In a country that can be counted on to polarize into predictable camps of right and left, the anti-Ashcroft movement is a rare unifying force.
In fact, it has produced some of the strangest political marriages since Mary Matalin crawled into bed next to James Carville.
Among those joining the ACLU coalition are the American Muslim Alliance, Human Rights Watch, Phyllis Schlafly's Eagle Forum, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and more than 100 other groups.
This week they helped pay for full-page ads in The New York Times and The Washington Times slamming "Patriot Act II."
Laura Murphy, director of the ACLU's Washington office, explained why.
The bill, formally known as the "Domestic Security Enhancement Act of 2003," would allow the government to:
Make secret arrests.
Strip citizenship from Americans who have supported organizations labeled "terrorist" groups, even if they had no knowledge of any alleged links to terrorism.
Provide immunity to federal agents who conduct illegal surveillance.
Expand home searches and wiretaps without a warrant.
And create a national DNA database on "suspected terrorists" (no definition of terrorist required).
"This country has been involved in many wars - in Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War - and we've never seen the government seize these kinds of powers before," said Murphy.
"It feels pre-internment. I mean, does anybody really think this government is beyond rounding up all the Iraqi nationals and locking them away someplace?"
The implications are so threatening to cherished rights of privacy, due process, freedom of speech and the foundations of democracy that it's no wonder groups of Americans across the political spectrum have united in opposition.
"We disagree on many things," Brown said of the Gun Owners and ACLU. But he is so opposed to "the government spying on Americans," he's willing to stand alongside the ACLU to fight it.
That says it all.
Diane Carman's column runs Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday.
AshBOTS are vicious, ain't they?!
FReegards...MUD
Who's going to be the first to challenge Phyllis Schlafly's patriotism? Anyone want to call her a liberal shill? For my money, if Schlafly is opposed to Ashcroft on certain issues, there's probably some pretty good reasons behind it.
"The budget plan, which will be for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, is the first in history to exceed $2 Trillion,..."
Look at this budget. Bush is not pro-tax-paying, citizens of the United States of America.
That's who's going to foot the bill for all of his spending to buy votes.
"The budget plan, which will be for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, is the first in history to exceed $2 Trillion,..."
Look at this budget. Bush is not pro-tax-paying-citizens of the United States of America. He's hanging them out to dry.
That's who's going to foot the bill for all of his spending to buy votes.
We have a 'Shibboleth of the Day' winner!
Focus??? The whole Bush administration and the rest of the RINOs in congress need to see an opthalmologist in a hurry. ;^)
FReegards...MUD
FReegards...MUD
Therefore, if I give money to Operation Rescue and my kid brother gives money to Greenpeace we could both lose our citizenship. Thanks John.
Balderdash, ma'am, no wonder folks are makin' fun of you...do you even realize the decrease in NON-Defense Spending as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product has been fer the last 15 years?! Do you?! Well, it's dropped dramatically since '94 and even more dramatically since we regained the White House...if you want to review the figures, you can see that NON-Military Spending is projected to drop DRAMATICALLY between now and 2008...Dubyuh's definitely one of US when it comes to spending!!
"That's who's going to foot the bill for all of his spending to buy votes."
All WHAT SPENDING?! Sure, the Education Bill was a boondoggle and I'll be damned if I can figger out why Dubyuh buckled on Steel Tariffs, but you really seem CLUELESS when you spew this sorta non-factual NONSENSE!!
I usedta carry a Pitchfork, too, but this sorta BS don't fly fer folks who are actually paying attention...MUD
Always, my FRiend...'cept fer when it comes to Justice fer Clinton, then I gotta follow you around and annoy you 'til you agree...LOL!!
Utmost FReegards...MUD
Washington's $782 Billion Spending Spree
"...Congress and the president got a once-in-a-lifetime "interest dividend" of $247 billion.
"And they squandered every penny."
"They allocated all $247 billion to new spending and when that money ran out, spent $782 billion more."
"That's $1,029 trillion in NEW NON-INTEREST spending in just four years in the largest increase since World War II."
Mudboy, can you back-up your claim that this increase in spending was to build up our military? No, I know you can't.
Bush has out-spent most Liberal Democrats on social programs.
Bush is hanging the U.S. Taxpayers out to dry.
Refute the facts I've linked to, big mouth or shut up yourself.
"But new defense spending represents just 21 percent of the $782 billion total spending increase, and less that a quarter of that increase can be attributed directly to the war on terrorism."
Bush is hanging the U.S. Taxpayers and their grandchildren's grandchildren out to dry.
C'mon you two, stop the name calling and personal attacks and refute the facts.
SPENDING ORGY!!! 'The Washington Times'
"As President Reagan said, "Controlling government spending is like protecting your virtue; you just have to learn to say 'no.'"
Just say NO MORE BUSH!!!
Oh, for the days when the only "ORGIES" we had to worry about were in the 'Oval Office'.
LOL!
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