It is a forgone conclusion that even if every Democrat were to win this fall, they would have their hands full between pushing a progressive agenda and undoing Bush Damage.
One of the areas in which I expect them to drag their feet is in the area of civil liberties. However I have some thoughts on why this should be expected and what is being done, and more importantly what else we can do to move the conversation on Civil Liberties. The battle over civil liberties will be won in three particular arenas: the media, the courts (no getting around these), our voting booths, and the local level.
And the good news is--we already have groups working at each of these tiers.
Follow over the jump for more.
We know that many of the more conservative Democrats are not concerned with taking up the civil liberties issue because they think the issue does not poll well.
This is not quite true. About 50% feel that Bush is handling the so-called War on Terror poorly. Dissaproval for Bush's War has increased ten-fold since 2001:
"Do you approve or disapprove of the way Bush is handling the U.S. campaign against terrorism?"
9/07: 40% Approve 57% Dissaprove
10/01 92% Approve 5% Dissaprove
This question is more of a catch-all, but we know momentum is clearly on the side of fixing the damage Bush has done and taking a different course. This is an issue which can be pushed. As thereisnospoon would say, we can move the Overton Window
The push won't start at the top. It must start at the bottom. There are a lot of amazing groups working on civil liberties right now. And if they continue doing what they're doing and join together, with grassroots support--we can push the civil liberties debate. The are several key arenas in which this strugle will be fought: the media, the courtrooms, the voting booth, and the local level.
The good news? We have groups working in each of these areas now.
Courtroom and Media Work
Obviously the ACLU and EFF are already well know for their legal battles, educating citizens through a variety of media, and activating its members via petitions and phonecalls to representatives.
The Voting Booth and Media Work
On August 8th we had the Accountability Now/Strange Bedfellows moneybomb which raised 175,000 in just one day. And they have more from previous fundraising. Here is what they plan to do with this civil liberty cash:
GG: I think that using this money to create a foundation for an organization, which is what it's done, that enables us to affect the debate on those issues in a way that hasn't been happening before. Targeting incumbents who have been jeopardizing those political values...or Democratic leadership that perceives that it can be indifferent to those issues. And then working in coalitions with other groups when it makes sense to do so...I think the key is that we've raised an enormous amount of money that will enable this organization to begin on a very firm footing. (My emghasis)
The Local Level
So we have have people fighting in the courts and educating the citizens; and now we have a coalition building organization with cash. There is one more piece. We need Civil Liberty Activists organizing in local districts and pressuring reps right in their hometowns. And a group is getting underway on this as well. The People's Coalition for the Constitution is a group working to form coalitions and grassroots groups in every congressional district across the country. Their goals are as follows:
1. Initial Outreach
Invite people you know to work with you on the local campaign and plan further outreach.
2. Community Education
Promote the campaign and create dialogue about how threats to the Constitution affect your community.
3. Coalition Building
Build a coalition from across the political spectrum. Agree on demands to make to representatives and candidates about unconstitutional policies.
4. Public Campaign
Hold a public forum or attend a candidate event to demonstrate widespread community support for candidates to defend the Constitution.
5. Accountability
Monitor representatives’ votes and use public pressure to reinforce your coalition’s demands.
So my message is-- there is a lot interesting and engaging work being done out there. If these three groups work together, and we join with them we can push the civil liberties debate. I highly recommend signing up with each of them, particularly with the People's Campaign for the Constitution which will pack a mighty wallop as people begin building groups in every district.
Psst... we now have a Daily Kos Civil Liberties Google Group. If you want to help focus the Kos community more on civil liberties, come join.