Freedom Campaign - May 2011

by Larry Greenley, Director of Marketing

Congratulations on Your Con-Con Successes!

Late last year and for the first couple months this year, we were concerned over the numerous Con-Con calls being introduced in so many states. However, our members have done a magnificent job in state after state in stopping these new Con-Con calls. In most cases the Con-Con resolutions have been stopped in committee through testimony by our members in public hearings.

The key to success has been personal contact with state legislators to inform them about the dangers of calling a constitutional convention, then following up with six to ten members providing personal testimony at the committee hearings. In several cases the sponsors of Con-Con calls have withdrawn their bills after hearing the testimony against other Con-Con calls in their state.

Please continue to monitor the status of any Con-Con resolutions in your state and take the appropriate actions to defeat them in committee, or if necessary, on the floor of your state legislature. Contact the Coordinator or Regional Field Director for your state to find out how to get involved. Go to http://www.JBS.org/STOPaCon-Con for educational tools.

Two New Tools

As many of you know, a main proponent of calling a Con-Con is the Arizona-based Goldwater Institute. They have issued some research reports in support of calling a constitutional convention by Robert Natelson, posted “Ten Facts to Rebut the Mythology of a Runaway Convention,” and sent representatives to several state legislatures to testify (complete with lengthy PowerPoint presentation) in committee hearings and in personal meetings with state legislators.

To help our members rebut these initiatives by the Goldwater Institute, we’ve published “10 Point Refutation” (refuting “Ten Facts to Rebut the Mythology of a Runaway Convention”) in the April 4 issue of The New American, and “Renewed Push for a Con-Con” (refuting “Amending the Constitution by Convention: A Complete View of the Founders’ Plan” by Robert Natelson) in the April 18 issue. Both articles were written by constitutional expert Joe Wolverton. They’ve also been posted online at TheNewAmerican.com and JBS.org/STOPaCon-Con.

New Addition to Our Headquarters Staff

I’m very pleased to announce that Christian Gomez has joined our Headquarters Staff. He began his full-time work for us on March 1, 2011, then moved from his home in the Bronx, New York, to Appleton to begin working as part of our headquarters staff as a Research Associate on March 21. His initial assignment is to focus on helping our staff and members prevent a constitutional convention.

Christian received his B.S. in Diplomacy and International Relations from the John C. Whitehead School of Diplomacy at Seton Hall University in December 2010. He has already worked at our headquarters during June to August 2010 as an intern for Campus Liberty Alliance. Since June 2010 Christian has been a free-lance writer for The New American. Furthermore, during the past couple years he has specialized in researching the life of Larry McDonald.

More Email Tools for Stopping a Con-Con

With Christian Gomez on our staff we’ll now increase our email tools for stopping Con-Con calls and rescinding previous Con-Con calls. While we’ve already had some email tools for the Con-Con battle, we’ll now create specific pre-written, editable emails in opposition to all the current state Con-Con resolutions and in support of all the current Con-Con rescission resolutions (only Missouri and Kansas at present). You’ll find a link to these email tools at JBS.org/STOPaCon-Con.

Remember to use these email tools to supplement your personal contacts and committee testimony in your state legislature, not replace them. Our primary method for stopping new Con-Con calls and rescinding old ones will remain personal contacts with state legislators and personal testimony at committee hearings.

Action Summary

• Contact the Coordinator or Regional Field Director for your state and find out whether there are any Con-Con resolutions that need to be opposed or Con-Con rescission resolutions that need to be supported.
• Use the two new articles by Joe Wolverton mentioned above to rebut the Goldwater Institute’s pro-Con-Con materials.
• Go to http://www.JBS.org/STOPaCon-Con to send emails to your state legislators in opposition to Con-Con calls and in support of Con-Con rescission resolutions.