April 18, 2007

Sen. Reid Finally Pulls Up His Civil Liberties Score

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Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, not that long ago, had a high ACLU score of 44%, and his score has been even as low as 40%, not very fitting for the supposedly liberal wing of the Senate. In the latest ACLU compilation, however, Reid scores 67%, a significant improvement, though nothing to brag about.

In the spring of 2006, Reid voted for the reauthorization of the Patriot Act. And last summer, he voted for the flag desecration amendment and for the Child Custody Protection Act, which would make it a crime for anyone other than a parent to accompany a minor across a state line to obtain an abortion. He scored better in the areas of judicial protection for detainees, the Military Commissions Act, voting rights reauthorization, the Federal Marriage Amendment, new worker database privacy protection, the Alito confirmation, and in the Patriot Act reauthorization cloture vote.

The highest current civil liberties scores in the Senate go to Sen. Tom Harkin, former Sen. Jon Corzine, Sen. Jeff Bingamin, Sen. Patrick Leahy, Sen. Russell Feingold, all of whom scored 100%.

The lowest scores go to Sen. Jeff Sessions, Sen. Wayne Allard, Sen. Pat Roberts, Sen. Thad Cochran, Sen. Tom Coburn, Sen. James Inhofe, and Sen. John Cornyn, all of whom scored 8%.

Scores of interest:

Sen. Hillary Clinton–83%
Sen. Barack Obama–83%
Sen. John McCain–33%
Sen. Sam Brownback–25%
Sen. Chuck Hagel–36%

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WE CAME UP SHORT.

We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

So we urgently need this specific ask, what you're reading right now, to start bringing in more donations than it ever has. The reality, for these next few months and next few years, is that we have to start finding ways to grow our online supporter base in a big way—and we're optimistic we can keep making real headway by being real with you about this.

Because the bottom line: Corporations and powerful people with deep pockets will never sustain the type of journalism Mother Jones exists to do. The only investors who won’t let independent, investigative journalism down are the people who actually care about its future—you.

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