Congress moves to erode rights to speech, press, petition.(Inside Track)(Brief article)

Using the Jack Abramoff bribery scandal and other recent campaign contribution/bribery scandals as a pretext, a bipartisan group of U.S. senators, led by Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), is trying to limit grass-roots activism by labeling it as "lobbying." The American Family Association, the Traditional Values Coalition, Dr. James Dobson's Focus on the Family, and other pro-family, pro-life groups are leading a nationwide effort to stop this assault on the First Amendment, which was put on the fast track for Senate action in January.

"The Traditional Values Coalition is deeply concerned about the grass-roots lobbying requirements in Section 220 of S. 1, the Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act," said TVC Chairman Rev. Louis P. Sheldon on January 12. "This legislation will place onerous reporting requirements on individuals and organizations that lobby our ...