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~Mumpower for Congress Committee~
Press Release
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
11th District
Republican Congressional candidate Carl Mumpower has taken the offensive in
challenging candidates Heath Shuler, John Armor, and Spence Campbell for their
shared position in support of FISA immunity and the warrantless wiretapping of
American Citizens.
"The
speed with which my colleagues bunched together speaks either to a clear
disregard for the United States Constitution or the need to pander to voters'
fears," said Mumpower. "In either case, we have a trio of strange
bedfellows - unified behind a bill that dodges the real problems, supports
big-government, and tramples on individual liberties."
Citing the
fact that many of his own supporters in the Republican Party have contacted
Mumpower in recent days to express their disagreement with his position, he
reiterated his credentials as an "independent" Republican and his
unwillingness to follow the herd on this or any other issue.
"My own
supporters are coming after me on this," said Mumpower. "I must have
received a half a dozen angry letters already today. But it would be wrong to
back down on my principles just to say whatever it takes to get elected.
When I say I'm independent, I mean it and I will not sidestep the right
thing for the easy thing."
Expanding on
the legislation itself, Mumpower commented: "Intelligence failures,
the kind which resulted in the horrors of 9-11, are often used to stress the
importance of nonsense like the warrantless wiretapping provisions found in
FISA. They more accurately reflect a failure in analysis and interdepartmental
cooperation than a lack of information," said Mumpower. "The
various government agencies trying to protect us can't process and act on the
information they have - avoiding accountability and applying situational ethics
to our system of checks and balances through FISA is reactive versus
responsible leadership."
"Evidently
my colleagues have not looked deep enough into existing FISA law (18 USC 2530-d
and 50 USC 1806-f) to understand that telecoms already have immunity where they
acted 'pursuant to written government certification or where they prove they
acted in good faith' and that they are free to present any evidence of their
defense in secret", said Mumpower. "There is a difference in
having reasonable immunity for doing the right thing and a blank check for
taking short-cuts and ignoring the law."
"
Ben Franklin has a quote that speaks clearly to the over-extension of
FISA", said Mumpower, "Those who would give up essential liberty, to
purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor
safety." "It is my honor to stand apart from the other
three candidates for the 11th Congressional seat, the President, and
a host of other lock-step politicians who are undermining the rule of law and
our civil liberties behind a mask of nobility."
CarL Mumpower
11th District Republican Congressional Candidate
#68
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