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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 . . .

DownsizeDC.org is part of a diverse coalition of 27 groups opposing Sen. Kit Bond’s proposed amendments to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The amendments, falsely advertised as a compromise between House and Senate bills, would “curtail judicial review” and “fails to include other reasonable civil liberties protections” provided in the House version. It would also “use the secret FISA court to rubber-stamp a grant of immunity to telecommunications companies that assisted with unlawful warrantless surveillance.”::::::The coalition has sent a letter to all members of Congress detailing our objections. You can read the letter by clicking the attachment below.::::::

Let’s ask the Iraqis how the feel . . .

Ron Paul will be calling — you could too

Tell Congress You Want Direct Dialogue — Not War With Iran

An RTBA Sponsor in Congress?

Today’s Downsizer-Dispatch . . .::::::Media notice: Tune-in to hear Jim Babka on the Jerry Hughes show today. Details below my signature.
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:::Quote of the Day:
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:::”The United States is a nation of laws: badly written and randomly enforced.” – Frank Zappa
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:::Subject: Unrelated bills rolled into one
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:::H.R. 2642 was introduced in June, 2007 to finance military construction and Veterans Affairs. Since then, Congress has added 230 pages of amendments to what was once a 50-page bill. Among the additions is the “Iraq Supplemental” to fund the the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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:::H.R. 2642 is bad, but it could have been worse . . .
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:::Two weeks ago, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted to add a 100-page amendment granting amnesty to over a million illegal immigrant farm workers. However, Democrat Sen. Robert Menendez raised a point of order against the amendment, and Majority Leader Harry Reid agreed to remove it.
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:::Perhaps they remembered the backlash when Congress added the REAL ID Act to the Iraq Supplemental in 2005. Perhaps they’re feeling pressure to pass the One Subject At A Time Act (OSTA) and know that adding an unpopular amnesty bill into the Iraq Supplemental would only intensify calls to pass OSTA.
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:::In any case, H.R. 2642 still contains numerous unrelated provisions: