[Mb-civic] statement by ACLU director

[ean at sbcglobal.net]

Something is wrong in our country. The president is overreaching his 
authority with a vast program of illegal spying on Americans, and 
Congress, which is supposed to check executive power, is preparing to 
ratify his illegal surveillance program after the fact. 
In a backroom deal announced this week, key Senate 
Republicans met with Vice President Dick Cheney and agreed 
to create legislation that would rewrite our laws by requiring 
less disclosure and less judicial power to check wiretaps than 
current law demands. 
The message these partisans are sending to the people and 
thecountry is clear: partisans are willing to put party loyalty 
over fundamental and timeless values, such as the 
preservation of the Constitution and the rightful power of 
Congress as a check on the president. Many Americans are 
appalled that our President has not only ordered warrantless 
spying on Americans, but has unapologetically claimed that 
he has the power to break the law.
The question for us now is: What message will we the people 
send Congress?
The ACLU is asking you to join with us in declaring 
unequivocally that warrantless spying on innocent Americans 
is unacceptable.
It’s at moments like these that our system of checks and 
balances matters most. When the president asserts absolute 
power and the legislative branch abdicates its responsibilities, 
we must turn to the courts: the third pillar of our democracy.
Yesterday, the ACLU asked the judge in our NSA lawsuit to 
immediately block the illegal NSA spying program in order to 
prevent “concrete harm”to our plaintiffs— journalists, non-
profit groups and other advocates — and to the American 
way of life. The ACLU v. NSA lawsuit aggressively challenges 
the Bush Administration’s abuse of power, charging that the 
spying violates all Americans' rights to free speech and 
privacy under the First and Fourth Amendments of the 
Constitution.
White House allies in Congress may be willing to help cover 
up this illegal program, and other lawmakers may be willing 
to stand on the sidelines, but when the president breaks the 
law, neither Congress nor the courts should give him a get-
out-of-jail free card.
I urge you to stay involved as we work to end illegal 
government spying and restore the rule of law. The debate in 
Congress is far from over, and our legal challenge to the NSA 
has only just begun. We must stay vigilant if we want to 
preserve a democracy where the people are both safe and 
free.
Sincerely,

Anthony D. Romero
Executive Director


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"A war of aggression is the supreme international crime." -- Robert Jackson,
 former U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice and Nuremberg prosecutor

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