In Focus: A Real Security Plan
Demand Port Security : 100% Inspection
Americans United has launched a new campaign and TV Ad on Homeland Security. The ad - "Seal" - takes President Bush and his allies in Congress to task for failing to secure America's ports and for only inspecting one of every twenty containers entering our ports.
The ad calls for 100 percent container inspection and demonstrates just one of the flimsy seals which are used to "secure" containers. "One" because, like much we've learned about port security in the process of launching this campaign, there are no standards for seals and "customs approved" seals like those in the ad can be ordered off the Internet by anyone anywhere in the world. The seal used in the ad, in fact, can be cut using a pair of child's scissors.
President Bush and his allies in Congress have set the wrong priorities and have failed to adequately protect America.
They have placed tax cuts above everything else - including investments in Homeland Security. In addition, as seems to be the case with nearly every issue with the Bush Administration, the moneyed special interests on this issue hold sway.
The AFL-CIO, for example, released a startling report recently on how Wal-Mart and other big retailers, large financial contributors to President Bush and his allies in Congress, have thwarted efforts to improve port security - placing their financial bottom lines above securing America from possible attack.
Americans United hopes that this is the first of a series of ads and field campaigns. We have the opportunity to run to pressure President Bush and his allies in Congress to get serious about providing real security for America.
Americans must and should know that progressives and their allies in Congress have better, tougher and smarter ideas for making America more secure and that President Bush and his allies have failed to do so because they have the wrong priorities and have been corrupted by the influence of the special interests.