Just the Beginning

 

By John Tate

Last night, both the House and Senate passed the so-called "Patriot" Act.
Losing sucks. Sorry -- there's just no way to sugarcoat that.
It hurts to see politicians patting themselves on the back and smiling for the cameras after supporting one of the worst violations of the Constitution in our Republic's history.
But I can't even begin to describe how proud I am of what you and other C4L members achieved this week.
Fellow Patriot, even though we lost the final votes, I'm considering this a massive victory for our young and growing organization.
Just think about it for a moment.
When the final votes were tallied, 23 senators voted against final passage -- up from 8 on Monday. In the House, 31 Republicans voted against the bill. It was only able to pass with the support of 54 Democrats.
Our pressure resulted in an historic level of opposition to a bill the establishment expected to easily ram through Congress -- and by a voice vote that would avoid any record of their positions.
Together, we joined with Rand Paul and helped a freshman senator stand up to one of the most powerful Senate majority leaders in recent memory -- and make him change his plans.
We even made the White House nervous, as it released a last minute statement begging for more power. (Matter of fact, rather than let their spying on Americans lapse for even a minute, Obama actually had a machine sign his signature on the law because he was out of the country!)
When the statists tried to steamroll the "Patriot" Act extension through in February this year, you and thousands of other C4L members across the country made your voices heard, and they were only able to muster a 90-day extension.
During this most recent battle, not only were we fighting against Harry Reid and the Democrats, but also Mitch McConnell and the rest of the GOP leadership, and, in the end, even the NRA, as they publicly took the establishment's side against gun owners.
Our fight was an important one.
Not only did we put the House and Senate on record for supporting spying on American citizens, but we put the Senate on record on two important amendments - protecting gun owners and your bank records.
Your actions over the past week are what made a difference. Campaign for Liberty members (along with our friends at the National Association for Gun Rights) generated thousands of calls into the Senate, supporting Rand Paul and the Constitution.
We shut down phone lines and made senators reconsider their positions.
And those phone calls forced Harry Reid to allow Rand to bring up his amendments and debate their importance on the Senate floor.
It provided an important opportunity for the message of liberty, as our challenge to the authority of the surveillance state was entered into the Congressional Record. In the future, it cannot be said we did nothing to fight back.
Senator Paul proved himself a political hero, and I'd encourage you to take a moment to watch his interview with Judge Napolitano from when he was in the heat of the battle.
Though the controversial provisions contained in the "Patriot" Act were extended for another four years, you and I showed the strength and determination of the liberty movement.
Campaign for Liberty is less than three years old, and we are just beginning to flex our political muscles. It is incredible to think about what we have accomplished so far, and there is no limit to what we can achieve in the future.
Over the next few weeks, C4L staff will be going over all the statements and hours of video we were able to collect during this debate. Whether they realize it or not, some politicians made enormous gaffes during this fight, and we intend to make sure they are held accountable.
And when 2015 rolls around for another extension of these provisions, you better believe C4L will be ready to win a total victory over the establishment.
Before we can continue to grow our organization and bring millions of more Americans to this fight, I need your help. Please, if you are able, click here to chip in $10 or whatever you can afford. Your contribution will allow C4L to ramp up its efforts to restore our liberties and reclaim our Constitution.
Standing up to the political establishment is never easy and is seldom popular, but with a dedicated membership base like the one C4L has, I know we have a strong future ahead of us.
Remember friend, without the rout at Lexington, there could have been no victory at Concord Bridge.

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