Note to the ethically challenged: It's called theft

Unfortunately, a prominent "values" group has today demonstrated that their sense of morality has definite limitations.  

People for the American Way has set up a toll-free number that connects directly to the Senate switchboard for its email list members to use to call their Senators and ask their Senators to reject the nuclear option.  They sent the email out this morning.  

This afternoon, Focus on the Family sent an alert to its email list asking its members to use PFAW's toll-free number to call their Senators and ask them to support the nuclear option.  Isn't that special?  

(text of FoF's email below the fold)

Place a Free Phone Call to Your Senators about Judicial
Filibusters

You have a unique opportunity today to make sure your U.S.
senators get an accurate read on public sentiment over the
continued filibustering of President Bush's judicial
nominees.

A left-wing pressure group leading the charge to justify
Democrats' abuse of filibusters to block conservative
court nominees is asking its supporters to flood
Washington with pro-filibuster phone calls today and
Thursday. The group, People for the American Way, has even
set up a special toll-free phone number that rings right
to the Capitol switchboard -- but it's only good through
the end of the day Thursday.

The number is 1-866-808-0065 -- and we encourage you to
use it to give your senators the other side of the story.
Simply dial and ask to be transferred to your senators'
offices; you'll have to call twice, to reach both of them,
and it may take a while for the call to connect or for
someone to answer. After you're connected to your
senator's office, explain that you support a return to the
constitutional tradition of 51 votes being sufficient to
confirm a judicial nominee, not the unprecedented 60 votes
required to break a filibuster.

The short version of that message: I support the
"constitutional option" to end judicial filibusters.

This is, without a doubt, unethical.  It may be legal, but it is still to my mind theft.  Why?  Because they are using an someone else's resources for a purpose that entity has not and would never have authorized.  Theft.

So now we know why Dr. Dobson and his ilk want the ten commandments posted.  They can't remember what the document says.  

•  It is because they are right

  God is on thier side and they will do whatever it takes to achieve thier goals. "By any means necessary" is their motto.

  by p a roberson on Wed Apr 06, 2005 at 04:19:01 PM PDT

•  Forgive my public education here.

  "Their" vice "thier"

  Oooooops !!! My bad !!!!

  by p a roberson on Wed Apr 06, 2005 at 04:19:52 PM PDT

•  Important Diary Entry from Earlier Today

  It seems people here may have been duped - I never called because a) no Senator and b) concerned that we would be counted as part of their tally of "dissenters" to the filibuster.

  http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/4/6/153329/5324

  In an odd way the people who did call were actually spending PFAW's money the way they would have wanted... but your call on ethics is correct.

  Thanks for posting the story.  I did a reverse look-up on the number but could not identify the owner of the number.

  by inclusiveheart on Wed Apr 06, 2005 at 04:35:30 PM PDT

  •  WOW!

    I did not get AFA's email.  I am floored.  They have used the PFAW number, and not even identified it as someone else's number.  They are acting like they are paying for it.  Thieves and liars!

    I don't really agree with the OP's position, "call on AFA's dime" as you probably can tell.

    by sberel on Wed Apr 06, 2005 at 04:41:19 PM PDT

    •  as tempting as it is I don't agree either really

      there are always strings attached to theivery.  I am constantly looking to free myself from strings and certainly am not particularly interested in getting myself entangled...

      by inclusiveheart on Wed Apr 06, 2005 at 04:57:26 PM PDT

•  seems smart to me

  "unethical?" you think these guys are worried about ethics when there are about a trillion unborn babies to save & all those people on life support that need to be saved & the homosexuals trying to seduce your children & subvert the basic building block of our family structure & with spongebob bin ladin in the background lurking...hmmmm? ethics are small potatoes.

  by rasbobbo on Wed Apr 06, 2005 at 04:37:21 PM PDT

  •  I am sure that is how some folks feel

    Their preoccupation with "sexual morality" precludes them from developing any sense of common decency.  Theft and deception is A-OK in service of their cause.  
    

    by sberel on Wed Apr 06, 2005 at 04:46:18 PM PDT

•  note to the spelling changed...

  it's "challenged," not "changed."

  {j/k!}

  by skippy on Wed Apr 06, 2005 at 04:55:22 PM PDT

•  Thou shall not steal?

  hmm.....
  why am i not surprised...

  by coffeeguzzler on Wed Apr 06, 2005 at 08:27:15 PM PDT