2/22: Attend a Vigil to Stop Illegal Wiretapping

Dear MoveOn member,

So the President is breaking the law. What can we do about it? Well, next week, MoveOn members from Orlando, Florida to Seattle, Washington are organizing Constitution Vigils to speak out on this critical issue.

The pressure's mounting. Just yesterday, the Justice Department announced that it's opening an internal review—a major admission that laws may have been broken.1 The administration's front is crumbling. It's time for Congress to do its job, defend the Constitution and fully investigate the president's illegal program. In order for them to do that, they need to hear from us.

Can you attend a Constitution Vigil this coming Wednesday, February 22nd to send a strong message to Congress that we're watching and we expect them to do their job and hold the president accountable?

http://political.moveon.org/event/breakingthelaw?id=6894-6730547-0zHJVEvV3CnhBYvtMaTCWg&t=2

At each vigil, we'll get together with other MoveOn members and supporters from the ACLU and People for the American Way to read the Bill of Rights to remind Congress about what's at stake and that it's their job to defend the Constitution. And, we'll invite the media and get our message out to millions of Americans.

If there isn't an event near you, please consider hosting one of your own.

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=1470&id=6894-6730547-0zHJVEvV3CnhBYvtMaTCWg&t=3

Hosting a vigil is really easy. All you have to do is pick a place to have it, register online and gather folks together when people arrive at your event. We'll provide you with all the tools you need.

An internal review at the Justice Department is an important development but it's not enough. With reports of wider abuses in the National Security Agency2 and growing concern from leading conservatives,3 it's obvious that Congress needs to do its job, enforce the law and fully investigate the president's dangerous power grab.

Momentum is turning against the president and it's clear that he's worried about it. Until this week, a full Congressional investigation seemed certain—-but the Bush administration is nervous about what an investigation will find. So, they've been running a full-blown campaign to get Republicans to back off. According to the Washington Post, it's been "full court press," and even Dick Cheney has personally lobbied out-of-line Republicans.4

We can't let them get away with this.

We believe that public pressure will force Congress to take this seriously. When our elected officials are home for the President's Day break, they need to see the faces of people in their community who expect them to hold the president accountable. If thousands of us come together, we'll give Congress the push they need to go all the way.

Can you attend a Constitution Vigil in your community?

http://political.moveon.org/event/breakingthelaw?id=6894-6730547-0zHJVEvV3CnhBYvtMaTCWg&t=4

By attending a vigil on the 22nd, you'll be sending a clear message to your elected officials: they need to do their job, defend the Constitution and hold the president accountable, and you're watching to make sure they do.

Thanks for all you do,

–Eli, Nita, Tanya, Matt and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team
Friday, February 17th, 2006

Sources:

1. "Justice Dept. is Probing OK for Bush's Spying," Cleveland Plain Dealer, February 16, 2006
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=1478

2. "Whistleblower says NSA Violations Bigger," United Press International, February 14, 2006
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=1476

3. "No Checks, Many Imbalances," Washington Post, February 16, 2006
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=1477

4. Congressional Probe of NSA Spying Is in Doubt, Washington Post, February 15, 2006
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=1468

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