Free Speech Outside The ACLU

Wendy Kaminer, until just recently, was a member of the ACLU's board of directors. She has written a piece in the LA Times called How the ACLU lost its bearings. She discusses how the ACLU tried to punish her and another board member for criticizing the organization.

Wendy writes, "In the last two years, under the leadership of Executive Director Anthony Romero and President Nadine Strossen, the ACLU has repeatedly been caught practicing the opposite of what it preaches."

She gives us a peek into the ACLU mindset:

when the State Department condemned the publication of the controversial Muhammad cartoons last year, and publications in the U.S. declined to publish them, the ACLU was virtually silent. In fact, talking points issued by the press office addressing torture at Abu Ghraib while the cartoon controversy was raging advised against discussing the cartoons. Instead, they recommended ducking questions that arose about the cartoons by exhorting the U.S. government to "take the Abu Ghraib images seriously." This was predictably defended as an effort to "stay on message."

Much of the internal squabbling resulted because the ACLU had agreed to screen prospective employees using federal watch lists. But, this is an organization, which has vehemently opposed lists of people suspected of having ties to terrorist groups. Executive Director Romero signed an agreement with the Combined federal Campaign (CFC) certifying that the ACLU "does not knowingly employ individuals or contribute funds to organizations" named on specified "terrorist related lists." He also promised to notify the Administration of any change in circumstances, regarding the ACLU's compliance with this promise. This was done to bring in more funds to the organization.

When the NY Times exposed Romero's scheme, Romero claimed he never checked the watch lists even though he had certified ACLU compliance. Although he had agreed not to hire anyone named on the lists, he feigned shock that the government expected him to check them. How can anyone believe, trust or even have an ounce of respect for this flimflammer? And, the day the Times broke the story, the ACLU withdrew form the CFC.

While there are many things I disagree with Wendy Kaminer on, Anthony Romero is not one of them. Romero is ethically challenged and unfit to lead any organization. He is driven by dollars and his own twisted agenda, allowing the end to justify the means.