Walz Denounces TV Ad as Reckless on National Security

Press Release

Last night, a mysterious lobbying group started airing a paid television ad in Minnesota's 1st Congressional District with the aim of frightening southern Minnesotans and convincing Congress to grant immunity to telecommunications companies that participated in President Bush's illegal wiretapping program from 2001 to 2005. These companies are facing lawsuits because of their involvement in the illegal program and they want Congress to grant them amnesty and protect their bottom line.

"This ad is reckless with our national security," said Congressman Tim Walz, a 24 year veteran of the National Guard. "Implying that America's surveillance against terrorists is crippled is a lie. What's worse, this group has encouraged terrorists to think our country's surveillance system is weak, when nothing could be further from the truth. Why on earth would any group go on television and claim that America's intelligence agencies can't do their job?"

As a result of recent court rulings, special-interest lobbying groups like this one now have the ability to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money to say whatever they want through paid advertising to advance their agenda.

"This lobbying group's so-called ‘issue ad' is a new low," added Walz. "Citizens in southern Minnesota aren't fooled by this fear-mongering but they do deserve to know who is behind this shadowy organization and where they are from."

Prior to this Congressional recess, Walz urged the President and Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle to stay in Washington and reach an agreement to permanently modernize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), properly balancing the government's intelligence gathering needs with safeguarding the very liberties that millions of Americans have fought and died for.

"As a 24 year veteran of the National Guard, I understand better than this group that this is a dangerous world," concluded Walz. "My message to those terrorists who seek to do our country harm is: We still have the tools in place to intercept and disrupt what you may be planning -- and we can act lightening fast -- because there is no disagreement in our country about protecting the American people."

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