Congress wants your name Posted by John Tate

Posted 06/16/10

Once again, free speech and political liberty are under attack in Congress. And this time they have a surprising (to some) assailant -- the National Rifle Association.

In a minute, I'll give you links to the sorry story and ask you to tell the NRA and your congressman you OPPOSE the freedom-killing DISCLOSE ACT, with or without the NRA's deal.

You see, if there is one thing the establishment hates, it is watching its hand-picked candidates be held accountable for their records on liberty issues.

They want their Big Government power grabs to go unnoticed.

After watching some of their favorites go down in flames in race after race these past few months and seeing their statist schemes like Cap and Tax grind to a halt as a result of a massive uprising by liberty-loving Americans, they plan to strike back.

In a move that has dire consequences for our First Amendment right to freedom of speech and for Campaign for Liberty's ability to fight for our freedoms, incumbent politicians have colluded with a super-sized establishment lobbying group, the National Rifle Association, to push H.R. 5175, the DISCLOSE ACT, or as I like to call it, the "Establishment Protection Act," through the House of Representatives as soon as this week.

According to Politico, the NRA bargained for an exemption for itself and other large, established groups while trampling the rights of private citizens, new groups (like Campaign for Liberty), and small organizations.

As John Bresnahan reports, "The proposal would exempt organizations that have more than 1 million members, have been in existence for more than 10 years, have members in all 50 states and raise 15 percent or less of their funds from corporations... The NRA, with 4 million members, will not actively oppose the DISCLOSE Act, according to Democratic sources."

RedState's Erick Erickson mentions one of our Regional Conference sponsors when saying, "I support Gun Owners of America, which is a consistent and uncompromising defender of the second amendment, not a weak little girl of an organization protecting itself while throwing everyone else under the bus."

Another pro-gun organization friendly to Campaign for Liberty, the National Association for Gun Rights, said in a national email, "And frankly, this craven deal by the NRA will damage our gun rights and our free speech rights."

As we hold politicians accountable and put them on record with our issue discussion program, the Establishment Protection Act will force organizations like C4L to turn over the names of their "top" donors for exercising our First Amendment rights.

You see, they are targeting groups like Campaign for Liberty because they think their "right" to hold office is more important than your rights to privacy and free speech.

Campaign for Liberty has experienced tremendous growth this past year, and the establishment knows we are out there every day fighting back against its statist power grabs.

They watch as we inform you which candidates support the Constitution and which candidates refuse to take a stand on liberty issues.

And they know we won't play their Washington game of trading principle for power. They want to silence us once and for all by going after our donors.

Campaign for Liberty will not be silenced, and we will lead the fight against the Establishment Protection Act so you have the right to speak freely without your name and personal information being turned over to Big Brother.

Find your representative here. Call, email, and fax him right away and INSIST he uphold your First Amendment right to free speech and vote against H.R. 5175, the Establishment Protection Act.

After you contact your representative, call the NRA headquarters at 1-800-672-3888 and their Legislative Action group at 1-800-392-8683 and let them know how you feel about their move to stab freedom organizations in the back.

City Council Posted by Joel

Posted 06/07/10

One of the simplest ways to get involved and make a difference in your local community is to attend a city counsil meeting. These meetings are open to the public and you might even meet other like minded people at one.

To find the time and location of you town's city counsil, just google (or "startpage") your town, and click the corresponding website with the city of ("Blank") directory; or if you live in a small town just visit the court house and start asking around. They should be able to point you in the right direction

I am planning to start attending mine here in Redmond. I would encourage everyone to do the same and post the meetings that you plan attending on the C4L calendar.

As our numbers grow we will need to have local leaders who have been at this for a while to help get others active. Please share your experiences at these meetings on C4L for others.

Take Action! Good Luck!

- Joel Henske -

Awesome! Posted by brian grattan

Posted 05/14/10

My Op/Ed got published on oregonlive.com--the web-site for The Oregonian.

It is currently at the top of the page on The Stump.  But, that won't last long as other Op/Ed's roll in, so here is the direct link.

As I write this, I see my article is now second on The Stump, and I have my first comment--a positive one!

Drug War News 4/2/10 Posted by Michael Salvi

Posted 04/02/10

SCALE-BACK OF COLLEGE AID DRUG PENALTY BECOMES ACCIDENTAL CASUALTY IN HEALTH CARE BATTLE
Efforts to further reform the Higher Education Act's anti-drug provision came frustratingly close before becoming an accidental casualty of the last minute negotiations over the health care budget reconciliation bill. But it isn't dead yet -- advocates will continue to try to get it passed during this session of Congress.

LAW ENFORCEMENT: THIS WEEK'S CORRUPT COPS STORIES
A police drug lab scandal broadens in San Francisco, somebody stole the drug evidence in suburban Atlanta, a former US Customs agent heads for prison, and yes, yet another pair of jail guards go down.

WASHINGTON MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION INITIATIVE AIMS FOR NOVEMBER BALLOT
There is a chance that the entire West Coast could be voting on legalizing marijuana in November. We've already reported on California and Oregon -- see below -- and this week, we take a look at the legalization initiative campaign in Washington state.

DRUG CZAR AVOIDS ANSWERING QUESTION ON FED RESPONSE TO CALIFORNIA INITIATIVE
The drug czar doesn't want to talk about what the federal response to marijuana legalization in California might be. Let's hope he has to talk about it come November 3.

MEXICO DRUG WAR UPDATE
The prohibition-related violence in Mexico took an ominous turn this week as supposed cartel armies attacked military bases in the north. And then there's the typical toll of dead cops, dead narcos, and dead civilians.

ASSET FORFEITURE: JUSTICE DEPARTMENT COLLABORATING WITH STATE, LOCAL COPS IN "POLICING FOR PROFIT," REPORT SAYS
What are asset forfeiture laws and practices like where you live? A scathing new report on "Policing for Profit" will help you find out.

STUDENTS: INTERN AT STOPTHEDRUGWAR.ORG (DRCNET) AND HELP STOP THE DRUG WAR!
Apply for an internship at DRCNet and you could spend a semester fighting the good fight!

Stop the Drug War (DRCNet) is an international organization working for an end to drug prohibition worldwide and for interim policy reform in US drug laws and criminal justice system. Read more about DRCNet.

Founded on March 16, 2002, LEAP is made up of current and former members of law enforcement who believe the existing drug policies have failed in their intended goals of addressing the problems of crime, drug abuse, addiction, juvenile drug use, stopping the flow of illegal drugs into this country and the internal sale and use of illegal drugs. By fighting a war on drugs the government has increased the problems of society and made them far worse. A system of regulation rather than prohibition is a less harmful, more ethical and a more effective public policy.

The mission of LEAP is to reduce the multitude of unintended harmful consequences resulting from fighting the war on drugs and to lessen the incidence of death, disease, crime, and addiction by ultimately ending drug prohibition.

LEAP's goals are:

1. To educate the public, the media, and policy makers, to the failure of current drug policy by presenting a true picture of the history, causes and effects of drug abuse and the crimes related to drug prohibition and
2. To restore the public's respect for law enforcement, which has been greatly diminished by its involvement in imposing drug prohibition.

LEAP's main strategy for accomplishing these goals is to create a constantly enlarging speakers bureau staffed with knowledgeable and articulate former drug-warriors who describe the impact of current drug policies on: police/community relations; the safety of law enforcement officers and suspects; police corruption and misconduct; and the financial and human costs associated with current drug policies.

FreedomFest Debate: The Federal Reserve w/ Thomas Woods 1/5 Posted by Michael Matthews

Posted 03/27/10

I thought that this would be a debate that we all deserve the privilege to see and contemplate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoK1uWmCXVM