Thursday, February 27, 2003

ADAWATCH says Oppose Sutton



ACTION ALERT! PLEASE FORWARD:


Great News! Sen. Tom Harkin has put a "hold" on Sutton to give us more time and will be our champion on the Senate floor to help stop Sutton. Our problem is that Senators are still not hearing from enough of their consitituents. Please use this free phone number to call on Thursday. (See Below) Also, go to www.adawatch.org to see our ad running in Roll Call magazine.

NATIONAL CALL-IN DAY THURSDAY, FEB. 27
*****Call YOUR senators toll-free 1-888/508-2974*****
URGENT ALERT-
URGE SENATORS TO OPPOSE NOMINATION OF JEFFREY SUTTON


ADA Watch, a project of the national Coalition for Disability Rights, has joined forces with hundreds of national, state, and local groups to oppose the nomination of Jeffrey Sutton to a lifetime appointment on the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. ADA Watch needs you to call your senators and urge them to stand up against the efforts to continue the radical right's 20-year campaign to stack the federal courts with conservative ideologues. Specifically, we need you to tell your senators to block confirmation of Jeffrey Sutton to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit several important: Jeffrey Sutton is a leading activist in efforts to curtail Congress' historic role to enact legislation that protects individuals' civil rights, and provide equal opportunity for all Americans. As a leader in the so-called "states rights" movement, Mr. Sutton has personally argued key U.S. Supreme Court cases that, by narrow 5-4 majorities, have undermined Congress' ability to protect Americans against discrimination based on race, age, disability, and religion. For example, over the past several years, Mr. Sutton has been involved in a targeted effort to challenge and weaken the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), landmark legislation enacted by a bipartisan Congress and signed into law by then-President George H.W. Bush. Sutton also filed a brief in Olmstea which he argued that the unnecessary institutionalization of people with disabilities is not unconstitutional.


The Senate must take seriously its "advise and consent" role on federal judicial nominations. Please urge Senators to vote "No" on Sutton.


ACTION: Using a national toll-free call in number, you will be able to call YOUR senators toll-free (1-888/508-2974) on Thursday, Feb. 27 and urge them to oppose efforts to stack the federal courts with Jeffrey Sutton and other ideologues. Tell senators that they must not act as a "rubber stamp" on President Bush's judicial nominees, and must not confirm nominees who refuse to answer questions, and whose records indicate hostility to important equal opportunity principles guaranteed to protecting the rights of all Americans.


Sutton's a bad guy. Calling today was fun. Let's keep it up. Today was anti-war day. Let's make tomorrow anti-Sutton day.