Princeton University will Filibuster 24 hours at Frist (Hall)

[SmileMaker]

Thought you'd all want to know about this, even if you can't make it.

Frist Hall is the huge, sort of new, student center. It took a really long time to name it because it was expensive to build. Thom Hartmann wrote a good piece today on Commondreams.org that mentioned the financial motives that Frist might have for using religion as a means to a profitable end. I think I'll read it!

Filibuster at Frist Hall

Bill Frist will soon try to reverse 200 years of Senate tradition by
invoking the nuclear option and eliminating the filibuster. The
filibuster has served as a check on extremism within the Senate. Any
Senator may use the filibuster to speak for as long as he/she wants in
order to continue debate and hold up a vote. While a filibuster can
only be stopped with 60 votes, Frist plans to completely eliminate the
filibuster by a simple majority vote.

A group of concerned students are organizing a protest to take place
this Tuesday and Wednesday in front of the Frist Campus Center on the
Princeton campus.

We will stage our own 24 hour filibuster - 12 hours each day, starting
at 11:00AM on Tuesday, April 26. We are looking for volunteers to
filibuster for 30 minute blocks.

Come by Frist Campus Center Tuesday and Wednesday to participate in a
time-honored Senatorial tradition now threatened with the "nuclear"
option by Senator Bill Frist '74. University and community members
will actively interpret the constitution, relate long-winded anecdotes...


The response in the last 24 hours alone has been tremendous. Over 20
students have volunteered to join the filibuster. But we still need
about 30 more volunteers.

Reply to [e-mail] if you would like to join the
filibuster or get more information

Please spread the word.

[Toots]

1. I hope you have good speakers and contact the Media

If you are gunna do it at least do it right......Speak out on the faults of this Administration and the direction America is headed...Hammer them..

[SmileMaker]

2. Me too!

I plan to read Thom Hartmann's piece - Hope that the media does show up too.

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0425-20.htm

Published on Monday, April 25, 2005 by CommonDreams.org
The Frauds of the Clergy
by Thom Hartmann

Why would a multi-multi-millionaire Senator, who consistently votes to harm the hungry and the poor who so concerned Jesus, join forces with religious fundamentalists to stack this nation's highest courts? Could it be because he and his wealthy Republican friends see huge financial benefits for themselves and their corporate patrons in a compliant court?
At the "Justice Sunday" event hyped to national prominence by Bill Frist's appearance, Chuck Colson told America that we should read the Federalist Papers to understand the intent and the mind of the Founders.

Apparently Colson overlooked Federalist 47, published by James Madison on February 1, 1788. Titled, "The Particular Structure of the New Government and the Distribution of Power Among Its Different Parts," Madison wrote about how important it was that the different branches of government serve as checks and balances on each other.

"No political truth is of greater intrinsic value, or is stamped with the authority of more enlightened patrons of liberty," wrote Madison of the concern about any one particular group dominating all branches of government. He added, "The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny."

A paragraph later, Madison quotes the Enlightenment thinker Montesquieu, inserting his own capital letters for emphasis:

"'When the legislative and executive powers are united in the same person or body,' says he , 'there can be no liberty, because apprehensions may arise lest THE SAME monarch or senate should ENACT tyrannical laws to EXECUTE them in a tyrannical manner.'

"Again: 'Were the power of judging joined with the legislative, the life and liberty of the subject would be exposed to arbitrary control, for THE JUDGE would then be THE LEGISLATOR. Were it joined to the executive power, THE JUDGE might behave with all the violence of AN OPPRESSOR.'"

[0007]

3. Beautiful man beautiful! Thank you a thousand times and more...

for giving your energy.

You'll always know that I'm behind you and rooting strongly for your success.

[ElizabethEdwards]

4. Very clever

Just called our daughter who graduated from Princeton last year. Very clever idea.

[SmileMaker]

5. ...it continues - check here for some press coverage!

The Daily Princetonian
http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/archives/2005/04/27/news/12767.shtml

Josh Marshall from Talking Points Memo gave us a great
write-up on his very influential political blog.

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2005_04_24.php#005540

Everyone should check it out and forward on to friends.
More live blogging at

http://progrev.blogspot.com

[SmileMaker]

6. Filisbuster still going, very exciting!!

I was distracted with a sick relative earlier today - but, it sounds like things are buzzing along and the media is paying attention. Way to go Princeton students!!! ok - and staff :)

Here is an excerpt of a message that expresses the excitement that is happening on campus around this filibuster! Keep an eye on Asheesh's blog.

This has been unbelievable and has exceeded our expectations like you wouldn't imagine. You all
represent the best of Princeton- and all of the professors I've been talking to agree. Professor West told
me this afternoon that he was very proud of us.

-Asheesh

Asheesh Kapur Siddique (m)
Editor, Princeton Progressive Review
Magazine Blog: http://progrev.blogspot.com/
Professional Blog: http://www.campusprogress.org/page/community/group/main

Wednesday, April 27, 2005

Great! An update. Welcome Thom Hartmann Listeners!
Okay, now that the site is back up, let's update what's been going on. First, we did an interview with the Thom Hartmann Show, and we are working to get a link to it up here on the site.

In the interim, the filibuster is continuing and going awesome. Many, many, many students have signed on in the last few hours to read from texts in celebration of American democracy and in solidarity with Senate Democrats against Bill Frist's nuclear option. We have pictures available that you can look at to get a sense of what this protest looks like. We are going to have more available soon. More in a little.

# posted by Asheesh Kapur Siddique @ 2:53 PM 0 comments

[SmileMaker]

7. And now it's on Kos!!!

Online coverage at
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/4/27/182039/684