The American Civil Liberties Union is politically radioactive in a Republican primary, which is why an ACLU ad has become an issue in the race involving 3rd district Congressman Walter Jones.
The ACLU is running a radio ad encouraging Jones to vote against a bill providing legal protections for telephone companies to help the government conduct warrantless wiretap program, Rob Christensen reports.
The ad asks voters to call Jones to oppose the Bush administration bill: "We need Congressman Jones to stand with Congress."
Jones says he is not interested in anything ACLU has to say. In fact, he notes he has a long history of opposing the ACLU on such issues as Boy Scouts and gay scoutmasters and the right of military chaplains to use the name of Jesus in prayers.
"Their ads are wrong and need to be stopped," Jones said. "While the ACLU is playing politics, the threat of terrorism is very real and must be addressed."
His primary opponent, Joe McLaughlin, claims the ACLU ad is designed to help Jones.
"Obviously all of Walter Jones work on behalf of the 'Blame America First' crowd is paying off as the ultra-left continues to pour money into our district to support their new found friend," McLaughlin said.
| ACLU ad on Jones |




Re: Pulleeese
Well Paul won his primary 2-1 last night so I'd hardly say his wings were clipped. It's been 8 years of Bush so it can't still all be Clinton's fault and I didn't see Bush challenging Rumsfeld's assertion that the size of the military was inadequate right up till the day he fired him. Bush had 8 years to rebuild the military and has instead left it a hollow shell, not to mention millions of state tax dollars worth of military equipment in Iraq leaving us to pick up the bill. This war has been a disaster for the nation and the Republican Party because we abandoned our limited foreign policy principles of Robert Taft and invested in Wilsonian pipe dreams that has left Hamas in power in Gaza, Mubarak watching his back due to the emboldened members of the Muslim Brotherhood, and Iraq fixing to fall into Iran's lap all because Bush couldn't wait to take out Hussein.