Subject: Stand up against one-party rule

From: "Ben Brandzel, MoveOn PAC" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 24 Mar 2005 17:20:45 -0800

Dear MoveOn member,

Radical Republicans are reaching for absolute power to appoint Supreme
Court justices who favor corporate and extreme-right interests over the
rest of us - and we only have a few weeks to stop them.

Their plan is to throw out 200 years of checks and balances in the Senate,
by silencing the minority party for the first time in American history.
It's a maneuver so outrageous that even Republicans call it the "nuclear
option." It will take 51 senators to defeat them, and the vote is probably
less than a month away.

The Republican leadership is working overtime to keep their plan out of
sight, because they know most Americans oppose their bid for absolute
power. To fight back, we need to expose them on the nation's editorial
pages, and demand that our senators stand up against one party rule.

The next week is critical. All our senators will be home and paying close
attention to the local press. Moderate Republican and Democratic senators
will be looking this week to see where their constituents stand - and
letters to the editor are one of the most powerful ways to show them that
we are ready to fight.

We've set up an online tool that makes submitting a letter easy. We
provide you with talking points and a list of local outlets. You write
your letter, choose where you want it to go, and click to send. Please
take a few minutes to write your letter today:

http://www.moveonpac.org/lte?lte_campaign_id=19&id=5266-86329-M2OO27L3CRzShJN.xocD4g&t=3&zip=94306-2927

To make sure our voice is heard at this critical time, we've set a goal of
submitting at least one letter to 1,000 separate newspapers nation-wide.
We've put up a counter so you can track our progress.

An effective letter to the editor is short, just a couple of paragraphs.
You don't have to be an expert. On the contrary, the goal is to show your
local media, your neighbors, and your Senators that millions of ordinary
citizens oppose the radical Republican grab for absolute power.

Especially while each Senator is back in their home state, their staff
will thoroughly search the local and national press for letters from their
constituents. For each letter they read, they know there are many other
voters who feel the same way. This is an important chance for each one of
us to make a huge impact.

Please take a few minutes to write a letter today:

http://www.moveonpac.org/lte?lte_campaign_id=19&id=5266-86329-M2OO27L3CRzShJN.xocD4g&t=4&zip=94306-2927

The "nuclear option" calls for Dick Cheney to use a parliamentary trick to overturn the 200-year-old right to filibuster judicial nominations. A filibuster is simply the right of a group of at least 41 concerned senators to extend debate and delay controversial votes. If Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist can twist enough arms to get 51 votes in support of Cheney's ruling, the minority party will be completely silenced for the first time ever.

Below are some important points we've compiled to help get you started on
your letter:

  * Radical Republicans want absolute power to appoint Supreme Court
    justices that will favor corporate interests and the extreme right
    over the rest of us.
  * To get it, they plan to use a parliamentary trick they call the
    "nuclear option" to overturn 200 years of bipartisan checks and
    balances that have kept the courts fair for centuries.
  * After eliminating the right to filibuster, Bush and the Republicans
    would have absolute, unchecked power over all three branches of the
    federal government for the first time in American history.
  * While the "nuclear option" is likely to come up in a fight over an
    Appeals Court nominee, make no mistake - the real targets here are the
    4 Supreme Court seats likely to turn over in the next 4 years.
  * Republicans have taken millions of dollars from their corporate
    backers. Now as payback, they're trying to force through judges who
    will favor those same corporate interests by overturning laws
    protecting the environment, civil rights, and workers -- laws these
    companies have been trying to get rid of for years.

To write, address, and send your letter online, just click here:

http://www.moveonpac.org/lte?lte_campaign_id=19&id=5266-86329-M2OO27L3CRzShJN.xocD4g&t=5&zip=94306-2927

The "nuclear option" calls for Dick Cheney to use a parliamentary trick to overturn the 200-year-old right to filibuster judicial nominations. A filibuster is simply the right of a group of at least 41 concerned senators to extend debate and delay controversial votes. If Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist can twist enough arms to get 51 votes in support of Cheney's ruling, the minority party will be completely silenced for the first time ever.

To win, we need to show enough national suport to secure the votes of 51 broad-minded senators from both parties. Together, we can do exactly that.

Thanks for all that you do,

--Ben Brandzel, Eli Pariser, and the whole MoveOn PAC Team 
  March 24, 2005

PAID FOR BY MOVEON PAC
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

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