The disrespect for the Constitution and assault on civil liberties over the last eight years goes far beyond the FISA Amendment Act. That's why Get FISA Right is teaming up with the American Freedom Campaign, Common Cause, Human Rights Watch, the World Resources Institute, the Center for Constitutional Rights, and dozens of other groups on September 17, Constitution Day. Our demand: that the media and the presidential campaigns start discussing constitutional issues.

You can help us do that with a short, simple letter to the editor -- and by helping draft an op-ed piece asking "Can we please talk about the Constitution?"

This election needs to be about more than lipstick, hockey moms, and Blackberries. It's time to talk about the Constitution and how the two candidates propose to undo the damage of the past eight years.

We're contacting editorial boards across the country asking that they:

• urge presidential candidates to present their views on constitutional issues on September 17 -- and for the rest of the campaign
  
• prepare editorials on restoring the rule of law to the next administration and Congress
• report on and analyze how the candidates would exert their executive authority as President. (Charlie Savage and the Boston Globe did this late last year; it's time for a remake.)

In addition, we believe it is critical that the televised presidential debates pose questions about constitutional issues like warrantless electronic surveillance, torture, abrogation of habeas corpus, and how to restore our Constitution.

Again, we need your help -- in two ways.

1. Please take a moment to write and send a *short* letter (best no more than 4 sentences!) to the editor of your local newspaper, putting these demands in your own words. We wouldn't be "Get FISA Right" if we didn't hope you'd mention rolling back the infamous FISA Amendment Act, but these letters will really have more impact if we don't provide a canned script for you to follow.

If you don't know your local paper's letter to the editor email address, use this tool to find ones in your area. (Please don't send the same letter to multiple newspapers, though.)

2.Help us with our op-ed piece. Collaborative writing -- of open letters, blog posts, ad scripts -- has always been one of Get FISA Right's strengths; and with the media attention we've gotten so far, we think we've got a good shot at getting this op-ed piece placed. Please join in here.

You're about to make election campaign history -- as part of a grassroots movement bringing the Constitution back where it belongs, front and center in the debate about our country's future. We really are the change we've been waiting for.

Thanks for all you do -- let's get to work!