(OT) TODAY, the Senate may vote to restrict YOUR right to free speech!

January 11, 2007

Stop Senate from Restricting Grassroots Activism: Call Both of Your Senators NOW:

This CONSERVATIVE ALERT is a special message for Jan Slama from RightMarch.com: ALERT: We have a SERIOUS CONSTITUTIONAL EMERGENCY on our hands -- and we need YOUR help to put a stop to it! You need to make a FREE phone call... NOW! With a new Congress in session, there are a lot of calls for "lobbying reform," to help "clean up" the high-priced favoritism that's all-too-common on BOTH sides of the aisle in Congress. However, there are some proposals that are being advanced that would establish, for the first time, federal regulation of grassroots activity that is intended to encourage members of the public to communicate with Members of Congress about pending legislative matters -- so-called "grassroots lobbying." In other words... some members of Congress want to take advantage of the current demands for "lobbying reform" and implement provisions that would actually be a restriction on the type of grassroots activism that YOU are a part of through RightMarch.com! We take no issue with proposals that may be legitimate responses to recent allegations of certain unethical actions by Members of Congress, congressional staff and lobbyists. But nothing in those allegations provides ANY justification whatsoever for the notion that incumbent Members of Congress should seize authority to scrutinize and regulate the constitutionally protected efforts of groups such as RightMarch.com -- and even MoveOn.org -- to alert citizens regarding legislative developments in Congress, and to encourage them to communicate their views to their elected representatives. The First Amendment protects the right to "petition the government," and such activities are at the heart of our republic. But TODAY, the Senate may vote to restrict YOUR right to free speech! First Amendment lawyer and Co-Counsel for the Free Speech Coalition, William J. Olson, said that the new push against grassroots lobbying "would allow corporations, unions and even foreign interests to spend literally hundreds of millions of dollars mobilizing their shareholders, officers, employees and members, yet hide those expenditures. On the flipside, their bill would require real citizen associations to essentially obtain Congress's consent to communicate about important policy matters that impact on them. It's not just the imbalance that is wrong; it's a frontal attack on the First Amendment and political speech." Democrats (and liberal Republicans) in the U.S. Senate plan to introduce anti-grassroots activism legislation TODAY. We need to act NOW to generate enough heat to STOP THEM! TAKE ACTION: Our good friend (and top-notch constitutional lawyer) Mark Fitzgibbons noted, "The grassroots legislation may be the most expansive and wrongly targeted regulation of First Amendment rights ever written. We hope that Democrats who pledged reform when campaigning will target real corruption instead of the rights of citizens to participate in their democracy," he concluded. We need to tell our Senators right away to support free speech! Call the toll-free number below NOW to reach both of your Senators, telling them to OPPOSE any attempt to restrict grassroots activism: 1-800-459-1887 When the operator answers, ask for the Senators from your state. When you reach their offices, simply say, "I am opposed to government restrictions on grassroots activism. I would like my Senator to OPPOSE Amendment 20 to the bill S. 1. Thank you." NOTE: If that toll-free number doesn't work, you can call your Senators directly at 1-202-224-3121. You can also send a free email to both of your Senators and your Congressman at http://capwiz.com/sicminc/issues/alert/?alertid=9213151 & type=CO asking them to oppose these restrictions. Be sure to send this Alert to EVERYONE you know who wants to help tell the Senate to support free speech rights and oppose restrictions on grassroots activism. Thank you!

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