Tag Archives: republicans

Spending on this year’s election didn’t just break records, it obliterated them. $4 billion in total.¹

In the wake of Citizens United, corporations like ExxonMobil and AIG can give hundreds of millions of dollars to a shadowy front group to swing an election. And they can do so in 100% secrecy.

Imagine how this election could have changed if voters knew which corporations were supporting Republican candidates with anonymous attack ads against Democrats.

Earlier this year Congress nearly passed a bill—the DISCLOSE Act—that would force front groups to let voters know which corporations and CEOs are funding their political attacks.

The bill came up short because some Republican senators said they didn’t want to pass the common sense measure until after the election.² Now that the election is over we have an opportunity to pass this bill, but it won’t happen unless we push hard on Congress to act before the end of the year.

Click here to tell Congress to pass the DISCLOSE Act and end secret political spending:

http://pol.moveon.org/discloseact?id=25122-9640874-Z.3dHpx&t=3

This bill won’t get corporate money out of politics, but if we know that a company is trying to buy an election, we can shame them and we can hold them accountable. We did it successfully with Target earlier this year when state laws forced the retailer to disclose that it had made a large donation to a far-right candidate for governor in Minnesota. MoveOn members and others launched a nationwide boycott that brand analysts said reduced Target’s favorable reputation by a third among customers in just ten days.³

We also know that disclosure can have a major effect in elections. In California this year, giant oil companies backed a ballot measure to repeal the state’s groundbreaking climate change law. But they couldn’t secretly funnel their money through front groups and voters overwhelmingly rejected the initiative in part because every ad has to mention the oil companies funding it by name.

The DISCLOSE Act isn’t perfect but it will at least let us follow the money. We still need to keep working to pass stronger legislation and overturn Citizens United, but ending the ability of corporations to buy elections in secret is an important and fundamental step for our democracy.

Please, click here to tell Congress to pass DISCLOSE before the end of the year:

http://pol.moveon.org/discloseact?id=25122-9640874-Z.3dHpx&t=4

Thanks for all you do.

–Ilyse, Robin, Laura, Tim, and the rest of the team

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

RE: Recount Alerts: Eight Outstanding

11/10/2010 Nativegrl77

Midnight tonight marks a critical milestone in our unwavering campaign to move America forward.

That’s the deadline for sending urgently needed financial resources to the field to support eight Democrats in races that remain too close to call. The most important thing you can do right now to ensure we win these battleground races is help us raise the remaining $43,627 we need by tonight’s Voter Protection deadline.

In the early morning hours after Election Day, we sent staff and legal teams to help these members locked in battles but they need urgent resources to keep up the fight.

Contribute $5, $10 or more before Midnight Tonight to our Voter Protection efforts to help keep up the fight.

I know I’ve asked a lot of you already. But what happens in these eight campaigns has enormous implications for the future. Having more Democrats in Congress will not only give us a head start on returning to the Majority in 2012, but it will also affect our ability to oppose the Republicans‘ radical plans for rolling back health care reform, dismantling the Department of Education and privatizing Social Security and Medicare.

Contribute $5, $10 or more before Midnight Tonight to our Voter Protection efforts to help keep up the fight.

Time and time again, you have refused to have your voices silenced by the special interests. Now we must reaffirm our commitment to ensure every vote is counted fairly and accurately.

Thank you,

Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the House

P.S. There are only hours left before tonight’s Midnight deadline to send out money to our voter protection efforts. Please stand with me to make sure Republicans don’t repeat the questionable tactics they used in Florida in 2000. We need these eight Democrats in Congress. Contribute before Midnight Tonight to our Voter Protection efforts to help keep up the fight.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

You Did Make a Difference

11/09/2010 Nativegrl77

Thank you for your incredible volunteer efforts throughout this campaign. Even though the media declared this election to be over months ago, you refused to give up. You fought hard until the very end — and I cannot thank you enough for all that you did.

There is no denying that your volunteer efforts still made a difference. It may be little solace right now, but without your efforts, the damage would have been significantly worse. It’s because of your phone calls and door knocks that many courageous Democrats won close races in battleground districts.

Update – Victory Declared in AZ-08!

On that note, it is my pleasure to share an update on one such race that was too close to call on Election Night — the race in AZ-08 has now been called for Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. She defeated one of the most extreme Republican candidates in America and it was her grassroots volunteers who made the difference.

That leaves approximately nine races which are now still too-close-to-call. But we are confident that when all the votes are counted, Democrats will win them all.

Thank you again for your amazing volunteer efforts in this campaign. You proved that no amount of special interest money can drown out the voices of grassroots Democrats.

Now is not the time to give up because we are disappointed or discouraged. As Chairman Van Hollen has said, “we may be bruised but our spirit will not be broken.”

Now is the time to remind ourselves that out of great adversity, great comebacks are born.

Jon Vogel
DCCC Executive Director

P.S. Our work in this campaign is not yet over. With approximately nine races that are still too close to call, we have lawyers and staff on the ground fighting hard for every vote and guarding against Republican dirty tricks. Please help us cover the cost of these expensive and important voter protection efforts so we can keep more Republican extremists out of Congress and be in a strong position to win back our House Majority in 2012.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Video: Dem, Tea Partier spar over health care bill (via Anderson Cooper 360)

11/06/2010 Nativegrl77

via Anderson Cooper 360

~ my 2cents ...

TGIF …caribbean

11/05/2010 Nativegrl77

The feature picture is called “The Faces of My People” by Margaret Burroughs b.1917 and made of woodcut on paper.

This fleeting moment of great weather today is yet but a moment and while the weather in the Caribbean, Indonesia are on our families minds the weather all over the US is bad … gotta say hoping everyone we know and love are okay.

Our President is on his way to make a bid to open up markets overseas- for a G20 summit including Japan-wishing him good luck and a great safe trip with Mrs Obama.

FYI –Mitch McConnell says he does not want the President to fail he wants him to change course while in different interview he and Boehner said in order for them to achieve what they want they need someone as President that will not veto everything they want to go through. This group of right of center Politicians are dodging questions about what they would cut once they gain control and instead of answering questions folks like McConnell, Cantor , Boehner are stating their sole goal is to repeal replace and eliminate social programs that help not just the poor but our elders, disabled , veterans and basically everyone who calls themselves a human being….sigh

Good News the jobs numbers have come in- overall 1.1 Million jobs came back or were created and there were 159,000 Private Sector jobs added, 151,000 non-farm jobs added as well as a net loss of 8,000 of jobs and unemployment stands at 9.6%. This is definitely an improvement but more bipartisan work needs to be done to really make an impact on what President Obama walked into after being elected. I ask everyone to call Republicans to tell them that you are an American and instead of making their sole goal to get rid of President Obama they better do something about jobs, jobs, jobs and our economy because if they do not the Republican Tea Party will definitely lose in 2yrs. The Republican Tea Party may have lied to Americans who voted for them in this mid-term election but the people will not forget. I am among I guess a small group who saw that the RTP has fooled enough people into believing your group of Corporate carpetbaggers have sold out their souls and have not just thrown the average American under the bus when the new 112th Congress Session begins the facts will be even more evident that RTP will do whatever it takes to pay back those secret entities that poured funds into various states where not just right of center candidates won we now have people so right of center that membership fighting will probably begin sooner than later. I say let the fighting begin because it will be the final piece of a sad, disgusting, and deceiving puzzle that this group has been waging ever since 53% of Americans voted for President Obama in 2008.

The big deal on the table at this moment is what do we (democrats) do now and while the current rhetoric is offensive, annoying and yes depressing to an extent we all have to be held accountable for what happened on Tuesday, Nov.2nd. I say ask yourself did you help out enough, stay home to protest and did you vote right of center to protest because you do not like what President Obama has done, is doing or that he is not tough enough, you are stupid and have no idea what the office is all about. I will admit the question that is going through my mind is did he get enough help from the Democratic Politicians “selling the message” that “the Media” keeps saying hurt not just President Obama’s base but the President chances for the 2012 elections though we are a long way from then and a lot can happen “the Media” will make that the topic of discussion. I will say that the low numbers of Democratic members of Congress willing to support legislation being debated, having trouble getting on the floor or passed on the floor of Congress in both Chambers has been a great disappointment and should definitely be something to work on for the new 112th Congressional Session. It does seem difficult for them to get enough airtime, some seemed unwilling to say what was good about HCR Wall Street reform, while the various pundits, host and interviewers have said for over twenty months that he had a chance to get the message out while questioning the message have switched up and now say there was major issue with the communication. I disagree with what most folks in “the Media” are saying. I believe cable and or mainstream TV spent a lot of time limiting the message and opted to debate the message without having a rebuttal available from the Obama Administration. I wonder how many designated Obama admin folks are asked to join panels on tv let alone fight to get a word in edge wise when they are on tv because the panel is so big and then after wards, we all see it right? The hosts bring back another panel of conservatives to beat down and or question what the President’s operative just said. If you are listening to the cable head Media noise, it is definitely annoying, offensive and we all need to remind ourselves that opinion News is for entertainment splashed with some real facts and a whole lot of right of center opinions.

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1649961/20101014/story.jhtml <<<copy & paste

Other News …

President Obama and the new Congressional membership will meet on Nov.18th

Haiti braces for Hurricane Tomas

Plane crashes in central Cuba… 68 dead

Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn has won his bid for full term in Illinois

Democratic Senator Patty Murray has won her bid for re-election

Myanmar will have controversial elections

The first woman President of Brazil will keep Iran ties, remain global player

Kenya takes on India in bid to be call center capital

CSPAN …