New group founded to fight torture, roots in MoveOn

[babylonsister]

Website to new group:
http://www.americanfreedomcampaign.org/


New group founded to fight torture

By: Mike Allen
Jul 31, 2007 03:24 PM EST


MoveOn.org, a progressive group that has appealed largely to Democrats, is hoping to reach some disaffected Republicans as a founder of the American Freedom Campaign, a new effort aiming to rein in executive branch power.

The campaign, announced Tuesday, will circulate a pledge saying Americans “do not torture, we do not imprison people without charge or legal recourse, allow our phones and e-mails to be tapped without a court order, and above all we do not give a president unchecked power.”

The group plans to mobilize grassroots support for legislation that will “prohibit torture and all cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment,” “prohibit the use of secret evidence,” prohibit the detention of anyone as an “enemy combatant” and “prohibit the abuse of signing statements” attached to bills the President signs.

Wes Boyd, a MoveOn.org co-founder who is helping organize the new campaign, said the campaign will encourage volunteers to contact their members of Congress about specific pieces of legislation and even organize gatherings at Capitol Hill offices via the Web site MeetUp.com.

“This is about whether we have a president, or a king,” Boyd said. “We are not going to give any president, whether it’s a Democrat or a Republican, those powers.”

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http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0707/5178.html