The American Civil Liberties Union plans to announce today a $2.5 million media campaign aimed at the aggressive anti-terrorism policies of the Bush administration and Attorney General John D. Ashcroft -- the largest such effort in its 80-year history.

Dubbed the "Campaign to Defend the Constitution," it will include rallies, legislative lobbying and television ads on major networks in New York, Los Angeles, Washington and other markets, the group said.

The campaign, launched shortly before the Nov. 5 elections, appears to be the first concerted public relations effort by critics of the administration's anti-terrorism tactics. The small coalition of groups opposed to the government's anti-terror tactics has focused primarily on the courts.

"We perceive a real need to reach out to the American public and inspire discussion and debate on these issues," said Anthony D. Romero, ACLU executive director. "This campaign is really a response to the statements of John Ashcroft and the policies of John Ashcroft's Justice Department."

Civil liberties advocates and liberal critics have protested guidelines issued by Ashcroft after Sept. 11, 2001, that give authorities broad new powers to conduct surveillance in domestic terror probes. Critics have also objected to the investigations and detentions of foreign nationals that have occurred in almost complete secrecy.

Ashcroft and President Bush have defended the tactics as lawful and necessary to help prevent future terrorist attacks. "Our critics seem to think that business as usual . . . would keep America safe from terrorists," Ashcroft said in recent remarks. "History instructs us that caution and complacency are not defenses of freedom."

While they acknowledge that Ashcroft's policies have not met with major opposition, ACLU officials say they believe that, more than a year after the attacks on New York and Washington, the tide of public opinion is turning.

"We have to balance the need for safety with the need to protect our freedoms," Romero said.

© 2002 The Washington Post Company

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