"The Right Seeks to Rein In Presidential Power," by William Fisher | truthout interview

Or, "How To Distinguish a Conservative From A Fascist."

What's wrong with these ten points, which make up the "American Freedom Agenda"?
  • End the use of military commissions to prosecute crimes.
  • Prohibit the use of secret evidence or evidence obtained by torture.
  • Prohibit the detention of American citizens as enemy combatants without proof.
  • Restore habeas corpus for alleged alien combatants.
  • End National Security Agency warrantless wiretapping.
  • Challenge presidential signing statements.
  • Bar executive use of the state-secret privilege to deny justice.
  • Prohibit the president from collaborating with foreign governments to kidnap, detain or torture persons abroad.
  • Amend the Espionage Act to permit journalists to report on classified national security matters without threat of persecution.
  • Prohibit of the labeling of groups or individuals in the US as global terrorists based on secret evidence.
Nothing, right? Only Ron Paul has signed a pledge supporting them, among current candidates. I'm sure Kucinich would in a flash; who else? The AFA plans to call on all candidates to endorse them; it rightly (no pun intended) points out that the Democrats haven't pushed hard enough against the administration -- not that the Republicans are any help.

Take your allies where you find them. Key quote from Bruce Fein, former associate deputy attorney general under Reagan, and founder of The Liberty Coalition (members include the ACLU):
"Too many people who call themselves conservatives have lost their way. Those who support George W. Bush's inerpretation of executive power are democrats, they are monarchists. And liberals don't seem to understand that poeple with views like ours can be conservatives," he said.

"We have many policy disagreements with liberals and progressives, as well as within the conservative movement. But we should have no disagreement about what the Founding Fathers had in mind when they wrote the Constitution and the Bill of Rights." He added, "We welcome the participation and support of liberals and progressives who share that vision."