As of right now, Republican Senators who sit on the Judiciary Committee claim that they have been hearing "crickets" from their grassroots with regard to this nominee, who many Senators and conservative groups have labeled the most extreme, radically pro-abortion, Guantanamo terrorist sympathizer, and politically-motivated of all Obama's nominees to the Department of Justice thus far, and that's saying something! There is also much chatter that Dawn Johnsen is very likely to be President Obama's top choice for the next vacancy to the Supreme Court, which may not be far down the road given Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's recent health diagnosis.

Important facts both you and your Senators should know about Dawn Johnsen:

• Former Legal Director for the National Abortion Rights Action League, now NARAL Pro-Choice America (NARAL).

• Served as Staff Counsel to the far left-wing group American Civil Liberties Union's (ACLU) Reproductive Freedom Project, where she gained attention for her comments on the ACLU's position on abortion: "Our position is that there is no ‘father' and no ‘child' -- just a fetus."

• Staunch opponent of any restriction on abortion, including partial-birth abortion and parental notification. In the case Webster v. Reproductive Health Services, Johnsen co-authored a brief on behalf of 77 feminist organizations in which she stated: "Legal abortion remains safer than childbirth."

• Board Member of the American Constitution Society (ACS). While speaking at a 2003 ACS conference on "Reproductive Rights: Framing the Agenda," Johnsen stated: "How the Constitution develops and evolves, what the Constitution means, these are complicated issues."

• Last year, Johnsen declared that "the progressive agenda should focus on the courts as the vehicles for desired change."

• Has gone on record calling the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal funding of abortion, "callous" and "discriminatory."

• Sympathizes with Guantanamo terrorist detainees and supports granting them rights of U.S. citizens: "The President should order an immiediate review to determine which should be released and which transferred to secure facilities within the United States for further processing, including [...] trial before Article III courts."

Keeping Johnsen's openly admitted political agenda in mind, it is important to note that the main function of the OLC is to interpret the law and advise the Attorney General rather than to shape the law or otherwise pursue instituting policy. During the George W. Bush years, the Democrats loudly voiced their protests against the "politicization of the Justice Department." Back in 2007, even liberal Senate Judiciary Chairman Pat Leahy (D-VT) stated: "This is about improper political influence of our justice system -- it is about the White House manipulating the Justice Department into its own political arm. It is about manipulating our justice system to pursue a partisan political agenda." Thank you, Senator Leahy, we couldn't have said it better ourselves!

Take Action!

The Judiciary Committee will meet tomorrow morning to resume consideration of Dawn Johnsen, and the Members of that Committee need you to weigh in! Even if your Senators are not Members of the committee, they still need to hear from the grassroots all over the country, so please focus your calls on both Republicans and Democrats and tell them to vote NO on advancing Dawn Johnsen to the full Senate!

Democrats:

Leahy (D-VT)
Kohl (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Feingold (D-WI)
Schumer (D-NY)
Durbin (D-IL)
Cardin (D-MD)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Kaufman (D-DE)

Republicans:

Specter (R-PA)
Hatch (R-UT)
Grassley (R-IA)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Sessions (R-AL)
Graham (R-SC)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Coburn (R-OK)
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