T
The420Guy
Guest
A broad coalition of organizations from various human rights, civil
rights, woman's rights, criminal justice, drug policy, gay advocacy and
environmental organizations has come together to oppose the nomination
of John Ashcroft as Attorney General. It is the largest coalition to
ever oppose an executive branch nomination and has come together more
quickly than the coalition that successfully opposed the Bork nomination
to the Supreme Court. The coalition held its first public event today --
in attendance were over three dozen organizations. The event drew 20
television cameras and numerous other media. At an organizing meeting
later in the day over 80 leading Washington operatives came together to
strategize to stop this nomination. They represent a grass roots base of
millions of people.
I am writing to you in my role as a director of the Common Sense
Legislative Group -- the 501(c)(4) sister organization to Common Sense
for Drug Policy. I have taken a leave of absence from Common Sense for
at least the next two weeks to work for the Legislative Group and the
Stop Ashcroft Coalition full-time. I hope that gives you a sense how
important we view this effort.
As you know Senator Ashcroft is a grave danger to sensible drug policy
as well as other important issues. He favors a policy based almost
solely on interdiction and law enforcement. He has advocated cutting
treatment and prevention budgets to expand drug war strategies (even
though two of every three federal dollars already go to law
enforcement). He opposes needle exchange, opposes reforms to stop
racial profiling, favors mandatory sentencing, opposes medical
marijuana, favors prosecution for web links to certain drug advocacy
cites and has favored secret searches (where police can conduct
warrantless searches without telling the property owner they did so).
It is likely that the hearings will start next week under the
Chairmanship of Patrick J. Leahy (D-VT) and will conclude under the
Chairmanship of Orrin G. Hatch (R-UT) after President-elect Bush is
inaugurated. The decision on this nomination could be made in the next
two to three weeks so prompt action is necessary.
Stopping this nomination will be an uphill battle, but stopping it is
possible. It will take an intensive focus on energizing the grass roots
base of many organizations from many different issue areas including
drug policy reform and influencing the media in their coverage of
Senator Ashcroft.
While you should contact your senators, the initial focus is on the
Senate Judiciary Committee. The current members of this committee
include:
Republicans
Orrin G. Hatch (UT)
Strom Thurmond (SC)
Charles E. Grassley (IA)
Arlen Specter (PA)
Jon Kyl (AZ)
Jeff Sessions( (AL)
Robert C. Smith (NH)
John Ashcroft (MO) and Spence Abraham (MI) were defeated in the recent
election.
Democrats
Patrick J. Leahy (VT)
Edward M. Kennedy (MA)
Joseph R. Biden (DE)
Herb Kohl (WI)
Dianne Feinstein (CA)
Russell D. Feingold (WI)
Robert G. Torricelli (NJ)
Charles E. Schummer (NY)
The make-up of this committee will change as the new Senate takes
effect. I will update the membership as this information becomes
available.
While all of these Senators need to be contacted members of the
committee that need particular attention through letters, phone calls,
emails and faxes, especially from people from their states, include:
Arlen Specter (PA)
Mike DeWine (OH)
Dianne Feinstein (CA)
Herb Kohl (WI)
Russell Feingold (WI)
Robert Torricelli (NJ)
Stopping this nomination is very important to our making progress. I
urge you to take action today and urge your colleagues, members,
activists and friends to join you in doing so.
If anyone would like additional information on this matter, please
contact me at kevzeese@laser.net.
Kevin Zeese
From Kevin Zeese, President of Common Sense for Drug Policy
rights, woman's rights, criminal justice, drug policy, gay advocacy and
environmental organizations has come together to oppose the nomination
of John Ashcroft as Attorney General. It is the largest coalition to
ever oppose an executive branch nomination and has come together more
quickly than the coalition that successfully opposed the Bork nomination
to the Supreme Court. The coalition held its first public event today --
in attendance were over three dozen organizations. The event drew 20
television cameras and numerous other media. At an organizing meeting
later in the day over 80 leading Washington operatives came together to
strategize to stop this nomination. They represent a grass roots base of
millions of people.
I am writing to you in my role as a director of the Common Sense
Legislative Group -- the 501(c)(4) sister organization to Common Sense
for Drug Policy. I have taken a leave of absence from Common Sense for
at least the next two weeks to work for the Legislative Group and the
Stop Ashcroft Coalition full-time. I hope that gives you a sense how
important we view this effort.
As you know Senator Ashcroft is a grave danger to sensible drug policy
as well as other important issues. He favors a policy based almost
solely on interdiction and law enforcement. He has advocated cutting
treatment and prevention budgets to expand drug war strategies (even
though two of every three federal dollars already go to law
enforcement). He opposes needle exchange, opposes reforms to stop
racial profiling, favors mandatory sentencing, opposes medical
marijuana, favors prosecution for web links to certain drug advocacy
cites and has favored secret searches (where police can conduct
warrantless searches without telling the property owner they did so).
It is likely that the hearings will start next week under the
Chairmanship of Patrick J. Leahy (D-VT) and will conclude under the
Chairmanship of Orrin G. Hatch (R-UT) after President-elect Bush is
inaugurated. The decision on this nomination could be made in the next
two to three weeks so prompt action is necessary.
Stopping this nomination will be an uphill battle, but stopping it is
possible. It will take an intensive focus on energizing the grass roots
base of many organizations from many different issue areas including
drug policy reform and influencing the media in their coverage of
Senator Ashcroft.
While you should contact your senators, the initial focus is on the
Senate Judiciary Committee. The current members of this committee
include:
Republicans
Orrin G. Hatch (UT)
Strom Thurmond (SC)
Charles E. Grassley (IA)
Arlen Specter (PA)
Jon Kyl (AZ)
Jeff Sessions( (AL)
Robert C. Smith (NH)
John Ashcroft (MO) and Spence Abraham (MI) were defeated in the recent
election.
Democrats
Patrick J. Leahy (VT)
Edward M. Kennedy (MA)
Joseph R. Biden (DE)
Herb Kohl (WI)
Dianne Feinstein (CA)
Russell D. Feingold (WI)
Robert G. Torricelli (NJ)
Charles E. Schummer (NY)
The make-up of this committee will change as the new Senate takes
effect. I will update the membership as this information becomes
available.
While all of these Senators need to be contacted members of the
committee that need particular attention through letters, phone calls,
emails and faxes, especially from people from their states, include:
Arlen Specter (PA)
Mike DeWine (OH)
Dianne Feinstein (CA)
Herb Kohl (WI)
Russell Feingold (WI)
Robert Torricelli (NJ)
Stopping this nomination is very important to our making progress. I
urge you to take action today and urge your colleagues, members,
activists and friends to join you in doing so.
If anyone would like additional information on this matter, please
contact me at kevzeese@laser.net.
Kevin Zeese
From Kevin Zeese, President of Common Sense for Drug Policy
