Dear Friends of Liberty,

We hope you find this newsletter informative and useful in your efforts to protect our Constitutional Rights.

In Liberty,

Michael D. Ostrolenk

National Director, Liberty Coalition

Liberty Legislator of the Month:

The intelligence-sharing system to be managed by the NAO will rely
heavily on private contractors including Boeing, BAE Systems, L-3
Communications and Science Applications International Corporation
(SAIC). These companies already provide technology and personnel to
U.S. agencies involved in foreign intelligence, and the NAO greatly

"Most people don't realize it, but they're carrying a tracking device

In fact, it's unlikely that a single state will comply with this
national ID law — a whopping unfunded surveillance mandate passed
hastily by Congress in May 2005. The Department of Homeland Security
asked states to commit to REAL ID or ask for an extension by October
1st, so now is a good time to review where things are with REAL ID, and
perhaps see where they're going.

“The idea that the federal government can comb through the medical records of Americans and label them “mentally defective” is truly chilling,” said Liberty Coalition second amendment policy expert Mike Stollenwerk. “Such labeling is a gross violation of privacy rights and is ripe with potential for abuse.”

The rebellion against the REAL ID Act keeps growing -- last week, Montana became the fifth state to push back against the federal government's national ID mandate. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is currently taking comment on its draft regulations for implementing REAL ID, and it's critical that you make clear that this privacy-invasive law is fundamentally flawed and must be repealed entirely. The May 8 comment deadline is fast approaching --

OpenTheGovernment.org invites you to come join James Madison, Ms. Public, and George W. Bush in a flash video game show - Democracy in Jeopardy! - about government openness and secrecy. The flash video can be viewed at http://democracy.openthegovernment.org - with links provided for ways to take action to fight back against secrecy and promote openness.

"The FBI has clearly abused its power and violated the constitutional rights of tens of thousands of Americans. These actions must not be tolerated in a free society," said Liberty Coalition national director Michael Ostrolenk. "While enhanced public scrutiny and Congressional oversight are a good first step, they are not enough to protect our Nation's liberty from abusive, unchecked power. Congress must act to stop the issuance of National Security Letters!"

This legislation will give Federal employees the Freedom to Tell the Truth when they bring concerns of waste, fraud, abuse, and other misconduct to the attention of their supervisors.