From an email from Common Cause:
Frank, you should know who just got put in charge of the dangerous, right-wing plot to call a disastrous Article V convention to amend the U.S. Constitution.
It’s none other than Scott Walker — the former Wisconsin governor who’s gained a national reputation for siding with corporate power and against ordinary Americans.
It’s worrying — and telling — that Walker has chosen an Article V convention as the best way to amend the U.S. Constitution and force through his far-right, anti-worker agenda.
After all, right-wing billionaires like the Koch brothers and the Mercers and corporate lobby groups like the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) have already signed onto this effort to shred our constitutional rights.
Their agenda is clear and shocking: strip First Amendment protections. Gut environmental regulations. Roll back civil rights advances. And cut Medicare, Medicaid, and other safety net programs.
The progress they’ve already made should worry every American.
Frank, if just six more states call for a convention, they’ll have the two-thirds supermajority needed to throw our entire constitutional system into chaos. And with Walker now at the helm, even more conservative mega-donors will surely open their checkbooks to help take this sinister effort over the top.
We have no choice but to respond — and be ready to fight back in every state they target.
The odds may seem stacked against us, but I want you to know that concentrated and organized grassroots action can stop this right-wing attack on our Constitution.
In fact, we’ve proven we can fight the extremists and win. Common Cause activists have already successfully rolled back calls for an Article V convention in Delaware, New Mexico, Maryland, and Nevada.
To ensure we have the resources required to win against these sinister forces, I’m asking you to step up today as a Guardian for Democracy — and become part of a special group of Common Cause Members who’ve agreed to make the biggest impact they can with a monthly donation to sustain our work.
This is the most effective way to support our state-by-state grassroots work to DEFEND our Constitution and STOP an Article V constitutional convention. Can we count on you today?
Yes, I will be a Guardian for Democracy >>
No, I’m sorry, I can’t make a monthly donation.
And Frank, as a special thank you for your monthly gift, we’ll send you a free copy of former Common Cause Board Chair Robert Reich’s latest book “The Common Good” — if you become a Guardian for Democracy before August 31st.
Scott Walker’s Article V constitutional convention would be absolutely unprecedented in U.S. history — and would certainly open the door to major constitutional chaos.
Many constitutional experts believe it’s the biggest present threat to our democracy — and it’s happening right now, fueled by right-wing special interest groups, behind closed doors, and out of the public eye.
28 states have already passed the call for an Article V convention, and just six more signing on would set the process off.
Remember what this means: shredding First Amendment protections. Gutting environmental regulations. Rolling back civil rights advances. Cutting Medicare, Medicaid, and other safety net programs.
This isn’t some plot out of a dystopian novel. Their effort is actually underway as I write. Even more frightening is the reality that there are no rules or guidelines in our current Constitution that can constrain an Article V convention once it’s called. Name a constitutional right you care about — free press, reproductive rights, privacy, criminal justice. Any one of these could be placed on the chopping block.
With just six states between us and an Article V convention, the time to redouble our efforts is right now. That’s why I’m urging you to immediately help Common Cause in our state-by-state battle to block and rescind calls for an Article V convention.
If you agree we need to STOP Scott Walker and this sinister, right-wing plot to trample our rights, can you step up with a monthly donation of $5, $15, or even $25 today?
And remember: as our way of saying thanks, we’ll send you a copy of Robert Reich’s latest book “The Common Good,” about the values we all share as Americans and how we can bring them back to our politics.
The U.S. Constitution is one of the most important human rights documents in the history of the world. But if we let these right-wing extremists have their way, none of those rights will be safe: free speech, freedom of religion, and even our right to vote.
I know that if we hold firm, we can defend these cherished rights — and make sure we leave a worthy democracy for the next generation.
Thanks for all you do,
Karen Hobert Flynn, President
and the team at Common Cause
P.S. Want to learn more about the dangers of an Article V constitutional convention? Visit www.defendourconstitution.org.