Social Security …would it really be safe with Republicans?



You may have heard about Alan Simpson, the right-wing millionaire and former Republican senator who President Obama (absurdly) appointed to lead the commission making recommendations to Congress about the future of Social Security.

Simpson compares Social Security to welfare, saying recently, “We’ve reached a point now where [Social Security] is like a milk cow with 310 million tits.”

It’s been widely reported that Simpson’s “deficit reduction” commission will make Social Security their prime target — choosing to cut a program that’s in surplus and helps the middle class instead of taking on tax cuts for the rich or wasteful military spending.

Twenty bold members of Congress just signed a letter to President Obama saying they’ll vote against any proposal from Simpson’s commission that cuts Social Security. They deserve our support.

Will you help us get 25,000 “citizen signers” of this letter opposing cuts to Social Security by signing it and inviting your friends? Click here.

These bold members of Congress, led by Progressive Caucus Chair Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), are asking their colleagues to join their letter. Proof that the public is paying attention to this issue will help them immensely.

We’ll also inform the media of our growing number of “citizen signers” so Simpson’s commission knows that these twenty members of Congress are not alone. Sign the letter here.

Simpson’s commission is packed with out-of-touch millionaires and corporate types. Any recommendation they make will lack credibility. But we need to make especially clear to Simpson’s commission, President Obama, and all of Congress that any proposal to cut Social Security is a non-starter.

Can you join together with progressives in Congress to send this message? Click here to add your name — then tell your friends.

Thanks for being a bold progressive,

Julia Rosen, Stephanie Taylor, Adam Green, Forrest Brown, and the rest of the PCCC team

The stakes couldn’t be higher


We face a radicalized Republican Party who wants to take back control of our country and turn it into a Palinesque nightmare. DFA members have chosen John Boehner and Mitch McConnell as the top ‘Villains’ of progressives in 2010. Washington pundits think Democrats could lose the House, the Senate or both in November and then these two Villains will come to power.

We’re not going to let that happen.

With only 51 days left until Election Day, the stakes couldn’t be higher. On Saturday, October 2nd — exactly one month from Election Day — we’re organizing a National Day of Action to volunteer for progressive candidates in your state. We’ll get together for a live nationwide conference call with Jim Dean and other special guests to get fired up and focused on a progressive message for victory. Afterward, we’ll knock on doors, make phone calls, attend a campaign rally… whatever volunteer activity you want to do for the candidate of your choice.

We’re not going to sit around and hope for change, we’re going to keep working to make it happen — but the key to all of it is you. We’ve set a goal of at least 10 Day of Action events in Washington. Can we count on you to host an event?

Sign up to help organize an event in Seattle right now.

All the DC pundits are bleating about our imminent defeat in November. But there’s one thing they don’t see in the polls or hear about in their media bubble – it’s you. It’s because of you that we stopped George W. Bush from privatizing Social Security in 2005, won control of Congress in 2006, and elected Barack Obama in 2008. The pundits got all of these wrong then and they’ll be wrong again this year.

But we’ve just got 51 days to make it happen. Winning means dealing a crushing defeat to the tea party crowd and emboldening those Democrats too afraid to stand on progressive principles. Losing means saying goodbye to progressive Heroes like Barbara Boxer, Russ Feingold and Alan Grayson… and all we’ll have left will be Villains like John Boehner and Mitch McConnell.

The stakes couldn’t be higher and we’re counting on you to step up and make a difference once again.

Sign up to help organize an event today and one of our National Field Organizers will contact you next week to work with you on your event.

Working together, we’ll win in November.

-Matt

Matt Blizek, Field Director
Democracy for America

Democracy for America relies on you and the people-power of more than one million members to fund the grassroots organizing and training that delivers progressive change on the issues that matter. Please Contribute Today and support our mission.

Breaking: Activists dump “mountain” of coal waste at EPA HQ


Rainforest Action Network
Tell our EPA to stand up for Appalachians and veto Spruce Mine!
Take Action
Take Action
Take Action

Moments ago, a bold group of RAN activists drove a truck onto the front lawn of the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C. and dumped a “mountain” of coal waste onto it.

It’s about time.

The coal debris traveled all the way from Appalachia where every day the EPA stands by and local residents watch in horror as another 300 million year old mountaintop is blown into oblivion by mountaintop removal (MTR) mining.

It’s a damn shame.

Neighboring communities and nearby waterways are flooded with the toxic debris, poisoning life in one of our nation’s most unique regions.

It’s hard to believe this is legal in the United States. Well, enough is enough. Appalachian locals and their allies are fed up. We’ve all had it.

Call Lisa Jackson from the EPA and tell her to veto all future MTR permits..

Spruce Mine is the largest proposed MTR mine site in Appalachia and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson has the opportunity to veto it. Your call today could be the tipping point.

Dial up the EPA and say “Lisa, Veto Spruce Mine!”.

The action this morning aims to give the EPA a tiny glimpse into what life is like for the people of Appalachia getting dumped on right and left by MTR mining companies.

Make sure the EPA gets the point. Flood their phone lines with your calls today.

Thanks for supporting the action today and being such an integral part of the Network.

Amanda Starbuck

For the mountains,

Annie Sartor
Global Finance Campaign

Dems Midnight deadline -Tonight


RAPID RESPONSE AD BUY DEADLINE: MIDNIGHT TONIGHT
$94,071 TO GO: CONTRIBUTE TODAY >>
49 Days Until the Election

I know you receive a lot of emails, but I wouldn’t be writing if this was not so critical.

Midnight Tonight is our Rapid Response deadline to counter the barrage of post-Citizens United right-wing shadow groups that are on the air attacking Democrats in battleground districts.

We cannot let these swift boat-style attacks go unanswered. Your help putting Rapid Response ads on the air can tip the balance of air power and secure victory for Democrats in battleground races. We’re just $94,071 away from our goal, but we only have hours left before our media buy deadline.

Contribute $5, $10 or more to our Emergency Rapid Response Ad Fund before Midnight Tonight to help Democrats under attack by right-wing shadow groups in battleground races.

I’ve seen the latest polls in these battleground districts and these races can go either way. For anyone who thinks we can’t beat the Republicans, I have two words: Pennsylvania-12.

Just a few months ago, your grassroots resources put organizers on the ground and rapid response ads on the air. You literally made the difference between victory and defeat in that race — and the same can be true now if you can help fund our response to this latest wave of attacks.

The lobbyists are hiring staff and Republicans are already measuring the drapes before a single vote has even been cast. We have organizers ready to be dispatched and ads ready to go up on the air that can make all the difference. The only thing missing is your resources.

Contribute to our Emergency Rapid Response Ad Fund before Midnight Tonight to help Democrats under attack by right-wing shadow groups.

Chris Van Hollen
Chris Van Hollen
DCCC Chairman

P.S. You literally made the difference between victory and defeat in PA-12 – and the same can be true now if you can help fund our response to this latest wave of shadow group attacks. We’re just $94,071 away from our goal, but we only have hours left. Contribute to our Emergency Rapid Response Ad Fund before Midnight Tonight.

22 Million Jobs


This election, the choice is clear:

  • Republicans like John Boehner and Mitch McConnell want to retain the Bush-Cheney reckless tax cuts for the wealthy that created out of control budget deficits and lead America into a jobs-losing recession.

Which do you choose? I know, I know, the choice is obvious, right?

Believe it or not, some corporate Democrats in the Senate might side with lobbyists and racist Tea Party Republicans instead of you and me. If we’re going to win in November, we must raise $50,000 from at least 5,000 DFA members by the end of this week for an aggressive no-holds-barred campaign that backs up President Obama and Patrick Leahy right now.

Contribute $10 today to fuel DFA’s aggressive campaign to win in 2010

Racist Tea Party Republicans are more intent on beating Obama — no matter what the cost — than creating jobs for the American middle-class. The right wing wants to score political points by taking money from our kids’ and grandkids’ future, and handing out tax dollars to the wealthiest Americans.

It’s up to us to stop them.

That’s why yesterday, Senator Patrick Leahy joined with Democracy for America members in calling on Congress to let the Bush-Cheney tax cuts for the wealthy expire this year as planned. Already, in just 24 hours, over 50,000 Americans have added their name and signers are still rolling in.

I will choose the Democrats’ campaign for “Jobs, Jobs, Jobs” on Election Day over the Republicans’ dream of more “Tax Gifts for Millionaires” — and so will the rest of America — if Democrats stand up and do the right thing.

But it’s up to us to make Senate Democrats deliver for the middle class — Contribute now.

It’s not rocket science. It’s now or never. The more Democrats deliver for regular Americans in September and October, the bigger our victories will be this November.

Thank you for working to get the job done.

-Charles

Charles Chamberlain, Political Director
Democracy for America