The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

Table of Contents

• Introduction

Executive Branch

• Looking Forward to New Blood in Washington
• Interview with Bob Edgar

On the Hill

• The Americans With Disabilities Act, Act Two
• As Home Foreclosures Climb, Efforts to Help Troubled Homeowners Continue
• The Year in Judicial and Executive Nominations
• Advocating for Federal Leadership on Education
• Facing New Challenges with the 2010 Census
• Modernizing the Federal Poverty Measure
• Piecemeal Legislation, Raids Take Place of Immigration Overhaul
• Below the Surface
• Interview with Kathryn Kolbert

In the Courts

• Wrapping up the Supreme Court’s 2007-2008 Term

In the States

• Colorado: Battleground for More Than Just the Presidency.
• Interview with Lilly Ledbetter

Leadership Conference Activities

• Preventing a Digital TV Divide
• Examining the State of Fair Housing in the 21st Century
• Bringing Diverse Communities Together
• 32nd Annual Hubert H. Humphrey Civil Rights Award Dinner
• Interview with John Payton

Interview with Bob Edgar of Common Cause

Civil Rights Monitor: Why did you decide to take your current position as the head of a major civil rights organization?

Bob Edgar: I think this period we are living through right now is one of the most dangerous periods in my lifetime for our democracy. The gains we made in the 60s and when I served in Congress during the post-Watergate period are being eroded and I think you have the same feeling of distrust in government today as you saw then. I think Common Cause can play an important role in a powerful new pro-democracy movement that restores our nation’s respect for the rule of law and human rights.

Another reason I wanted to lead Common Cause is because of my deep respect for John Gardner [founder of Common Cause]. He believed citizens could make good things happen and without their participation the government is up for grabs. His vision is my vision.

Civil Rights Monitor: Looking forward, what are the issues with which your organization will be most concerned?

Bob Edgar: Common Cause is currently engaged in our “Recapture the Flag,” campaign. At the center of the campaign is our desire to reclaim the flag as a symbol of true American values such as respect for the rule of law, human rights, and individual freedoms. To recapture the flag we need to put an end to secret renditions to countries we know torture, we need to close Guantanamo and restore the right to a fair trial, we need to obey the Geneva Conventions against torture, stop illegal wire tapping of American citizens, and restore the proper role of Congress as a watch dog over the executive branch.

We will also be expanding our work around the country as it pertains to money in politics, election reform, government ethics, and making certain our media serve the information needs of the public. Common Cause will also be looking at how we can further progress on meeting the basic human needs such as health, peace, and healing the earth.

Civil Rights Monitor: Can you talk a little bit about why you think civil rights issues are still important issues in the 21st century?

Bob Edgar: In my view, the vision of Reverend Martin Luther King has not been realized. Our Department of Justice in its current politicized state means justice only for some of us. Our education system does not meet the needs of many of our children and opportunities for higher education are dissipating, not increasing. Special interests from the financial service industry, the health industry, big pharmaceuticals and others are allowed to prey on the poorest and most vulnerable among our citizens. Our generation and the ones to follow in the next century have their work cut out for them.

Civil Rights Monitor: What do you think are the biggest challenges you and your organization face in doing the work that you do?

Bob Edgar: Common Cause is now 400,000 strong. In order to have the impact we want to we need to be more than 4 million. I think we also need to think less in finite organizational terms and more in movement terms. While some people today are joining organizations, it seems that more and more people see themselves as part of a movement and identify with the issues more than a specific organization. We need to involve these people and engage them in such a way that utilizes the technological resources that are available and leverages their old fashion enthusiasm and "boots on the ground" capabilities.

Civil Rights Monitor: Can you talk a little about why it’s important for you and your organization to be a part of the LCCR coalition?

Bob Edgar: LCCR has been and will be the most important coordinating group around civil rights issues looking toward the future. It has also been an important partner on key issues for Common Cause and helpful to us in broadening our understanding of the impact of the issues we work on from diverse perspectives. It also performs a much needed early warning function so that members of the community can quickly become aware of important developments relevant to civil rights issues and learn about opportunities to address issues in a productive way.

Bob Edgar is the new president and CEO of Common Cause, May 2007