Yearly Archives: 2008

Quote of the Day:
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:::”Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.”
:::~Ambrose Redmoon (James Neil Hollingworth)
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:::Subject: More urgent action needed
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:::The Senate is likely to vote tomorrow on the bill that . . .
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:::* Legalizes warrantless spying
:::* Grants immunity to the telecom companies that cooperated with previous illegal spying
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:::Please send a message to your Senators telling them to vote NO on this bill. Please note that the Senate is rushing forward on this and there is no bill number yet. You can bet that the Senate won’t even read it before they cast their votes. Just tell your Senators to vote NO on the Senate version of HR 6304. You can send your message here.
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:::We’ve adjusted our old campaign on the “Protect America Act” so that your message will go to your Senators ONLY. Please let them hear from you on this issue AGAIN today. Use your personal comments to tell them you object to what the House did, and that you expect them to vote NO on the Senate version of HR 6304.
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:::THANK & SPANK
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:::You may think this is a lost cause, but it isn’t. Even if we lose the vote in the Senate, as we lost the vote in the House on Friday, it’s important to remember the example of the REAL ID Act. Congress thought this issue was settled when they voted to pass REAL ID. They thought that was the end of it. But it wasn’t the end. It was only the beginning.
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:::Hundreds of groups, starting with DownsizeDC.org, and thousands of people have joined together to fight for the repeal of REAL ID. And because of this REAL ID is dying a death of a thousand cuts.
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:::The same thing must be done with warrantless spying. We must show Congress that they cannot steal our rights with impunity. We must convince them that when they attempt to do so, they will never hear the end of it. We must show them that this fight isn’t over until WE say it’s over.

Quote of the Day:
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:::Some people say our program to reduce the federal government goes too far, that it throws the baby out with the bath water. But we have no choice — this is Rosemary’s baby we’re talking about.
:::- Harry Browne, Downsize DC co-founder, “Liberty A to Z”
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:::On today’s (Sunday) Downsize DC Conference Call, my two hour radio show, my guests will be . . .
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:::* Pamela Browne, wife of the late Harry Browne
:::* Ed Brayton, blogger, Dispatches from the Culture War
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:::Our subjects will be . . .
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:::* Lots of stuff now available from the Harry Browne archives. I’ll give you a specific example in a moment.
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:::* The Supreme Court’s recent Habeas Corpus ruling. Lots of misinformation is circulating about this decision. If you listen, you’ll get the straight story.
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:::* And, as always, we’ll have an update from our sponsor, Gun Owners of America. A great new bill is being introduced. You can help GOA get it passed.
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:::My show starts at 3:06 PM Eastern (2:06 PM Central, 1:06 PM Mountain, and 12:06 PM Pacific). And you are encouraged to participate!
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:::Phone:  1-800-259-9231
:::Email:  CALL at DOWNSIZEDC dot ORG
:::NOTE: I present the email address this way to avoid automated spam harvesters. If you just hit “Reply” to this Dispatch it won’t make it to me by show time. Please use the “call” address ONLY.
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:::You can

ANOTHER URGENT ACTION ITEM
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:::Subject: Stop Congress from fomenting another war
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:::We rarely send you action items on Saturday. We’re doing so today because the House appears likely to vote on a bad resolution early next week. If you oppose starting a war with Iran then we must act now to oppose House Concurrent Resolution 362.
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:::This resolution has 169 co-sponsors, including 77 Democrats and 92 Republicans. The resolution calls on President Bush to . . .
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• Create an international blockade of Iran to prevent it from importing the refined gasoline it needs to run its economy

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• Subject all cargo entering or leaving Iran to stringent inspections

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• Tighten economic sanctions against Iran 

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• Violate international treaties by prohibiting Iranian officials not involved in negotiating the suspension of Iran’s nuclear program from travelling abroad.
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:::If another country took such actions against us, we would consider it an act of war.

We generally start our messages with a Quote of the Day. Here’s what the Dow Jones news service quotes Senator Kit Bond as saying with regard to warrantless spying and immunity for the law-breaking telecom companies . . .
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“I’m not here to say that the government is always right, but when the government tells you to do something, I’m sure you would all agree that I think you all recognize that is something you need to do.”
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This is a perfect expression of the criminal mentality of many in Congress. YOU must obey the government laws, but those in government have no obligation to do so. YOU must do what the government tells you, even if what they’re asking is illegal.
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:::Many in Congress think its okay for the President, the Attorney General, and the major telecoms to violate the law and the Constitution — particularly the Fourth Amendment. And so . . .
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:::The House is scheduled to vote today to grant immunity to the telecoms, as well as to make it easier for the President to spy on Americans without a warrant. All the Executive Branch will need to do is write a letter. All the telecoms will need to do is show that letter when challenged in court. If you didn’t send a message yesterday opposing this, please do so now. 
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:::We will publish the list of Congressional criminals, as reflected by their vote, in an upcoming Dispatch.
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:::If you did send such a message yesterday, and lots of you did, then

Today’s Downsizer Dispatch . . .::::::EMERGENCY ACTION NEEDED!::::::Friends, ::::::We had another message planned for this morning, but now we need URGENT ACTION on another issue. A vote is about to happen on a so-called FISA and telecom immunity compromise. The news is not good for the Fourth Amendment. ::::::Oh, if only we had the “Read the Bills Act.” We haven’t seen the compromise bill yet (it was just filed and we just learned about it at 11:45 AM Eastern — while I’m writing this message). So I can’t give you the details of this bill because it could be rushed to a vote by tomorrow (not the seven days Congress should wait after reading a bill). ::::::We don’t even have a bill number yet. But here’s why we must act now. If this compromise bill . . .

Today’s Downsizer-Dispatch . . .::::::Quote of the Day:
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:::”George W. Bush brought death and chaos to Iraq on the basis of lies. Now, as he staggers through the last months of his failed presidency, he is trying one more bit of trickery — forcing the Nuri Al-Maliki government to legitimize a long-term military occupation of Iraq in a treaty, which will make that sovereign country an American colony.”
:::– from an editorial in the “Arab News,” June 8, 2008
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:::Subject: A Golden Rule Foreign Policy
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:::We advocate a “Golden Rule” foreign policy. We want our government to treat other people as we would want to be treated. Our politicians have not done this. Instead, they’ve used wrongs committed by others to justify wrongs of their own. 
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:::It doesn’t matter that our government’s policies may have done some good, or that our politicians may have intended to do only good. What matters is that they’ve done too many things to other people that those people didn’t want.
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:::The above quote of the day reflects widespread Arab and Muslim reaction to the Bush administration’s proposed “treaty of permanent occupation” with Iraq. We believe the Golden Rule requires us to give these reactions respectful consideration. Would we accept what we’re asking the Iraqi people to accept? The proposed treaty requires that Iraq . . .
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Is the “Read the Bills Act” Practical?

Today’s Downsizer Dispatch . . .::::::Quotes of the Day:::::::“The test for determining the scope of this [habeas corpus] provision must not be subject to manipulation by those whose power it is designed to restrain.”:::– from the Supreme Court’s decision restoring the writ of habeas corpus::::::“Ours is not a system designed to unleash the power of the government. It’s a system designed to control it.”:::– Steve Chapman::::::Subject: Good news sparks more fear mongering::::::On Thursday, June 12, the United States Supreme Court issued a ruling restoring the writ of habeas corpus. Those being held as suspected terrorists should now be able to challenge their detentions in a court of law, as our Constitution requires.::::::This is good news! The Judicial Branch has moved to block the overreaching power of the Executive Branch. This means America’s system of “checks and balances” still has some life! But more must be done to restore and preserve the rule of law.::::::We must . . .

::::::This means . . .

The World’s Largest Boondoggle?

You are part of a growing Downsize DC Army. It hasn’t been built in a day. It’s been built methodically, soldier-by-soldier.
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:::Each month your voice grows stronger. We now have 23,100+ subscribers to the Downsizer-Dispatch — and that’s a hard-core, intense, and effective force. How intense?
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:::* Your army of DC Downsizers averaged 46,233 messages to Congress/per month for the first five months of this year (more than two messages per subscriber).
:::* In February you set a record with 51,390 messages to Congress.
:::* And here in June, you’re on track to break that record. This morning we’re already at 23,964 messages (and phone calls beside).  
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:::Congress is hearing Downsize DC! And your efforts are creating buzz. This week, I’ve done four radio interviews promoting DownsizeDC.org and I’ll do my fifth this afternoon on Jerry Hughes (details below my signature) — double what I usually do in a week.
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:::But we stepped out on a limb, of late. Our opposition to the tax and spend, cap and trade bill cost us some subscribers. So too did our involvement in a national call-in day for dialogue with Iran and our new campaign for a national referendum about continuing U.S. troop presence in Iraq (we got the usual venomous messages about “cutting and running”).
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:::Frankly, I don’t understand people leaving the Downsize DC Army because they disagree with ONE of our campaigns. No one is required to send messages when they disagree with a given campaign. We must build a united force, and to do so, we must occasionally put aside differences yet continue work in those areas where we agree.
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:::Even still, being principled comes with a price. But I’m pleased to announce that we still grew despite these losses!
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:::And last month, we processed a record level of re-ocurring monthly pledges – $8,097. But even here, we cannot rest on our laurels . . .