Thursday, February 28, 2013

Congressional salaries should be the first cut

Below is an email from Diane Russell, a MoveOn member from Portland, Maine. Diane started a petition on SignOn.org, the petition site from MoveOn.org which allows anyone to start their own online campaign. If you have concerns or feedback about this petition, click here.


Sign the petition

Dear MoveOn member,

Congress is about to impose furloughs amounting to a 20% across-the-board pay cut for 800,000 federal employees, more than 44 percent of whom are veterans.1

And yet, where is the same 20% cut for Congress and the president? Are they not federal employees? Aren't these the people who keep telling us that everyone must share the burden?

The across-the-board cuts set to go into effect at the end of the week will hurt the economy and they should be stopped.

But if Congress insists on cutting anyone's salary, they should cut their own paychecks first. We pay their salaries. That's why I created petition on MoveOn.org's petition site, SignOn.org, which says:

Any across-the-board pay cuts for federal employees must include the same pay cuts for all members of Congress and the president of the United States.

Click here to add your name to this petition, and then pass it along to your friends.

It's up to us to demand that if members of Congress pass these unnecessary and harmful cuts—despite overwhelming public opposition—that they start with themselves.  

Thanks!

–Diane Russell

Source:

1. "Many federal workers facing furloughs are veterans," The Washington Post, February 13, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=287733&id=63488-10220574-BLtvtDx&t=5

This petition was created on SignOn.org, the progressive, nonprofit petition site. SignOn.org Political Action Edition is licensed to and paid for by MoveOn.org Political Action, which is not responsible for the contents of this or other petitions posted on the site. Diane didn't pay us to send this email—we never rent or sell the MoveOn.org list.

Want to support our work? We're entirely funded by our 7 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.


PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. This email was sent to eddie alfaro on February 28, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Sunday, February 24, 2013

They locked us out and fired us

Below is an email from La'kesia Johnson, a Cablevision technician who worked with the Communication Workers of America to create a petition on SignOn.org, the nonprofit site that allows anyone to start their own online petition. If you have concerns or feedback about this petition, click here.


Dear MoveOn member,

I got fired just for speaking my mind about my working conditions. That's not just wrong, it's illegal. 

I've worked as a Cablevision/Optimum technician for more than 6 years. A year ago, my coworkers and I voted to form a union, so we could have a voice on the job. But a year has come and gone, and Cablevision/Optimum management hasn't negotiated in good faith for a contract. 

Along with my co-workers, I asked to talk to my managers. They say they have an "open door" policy, but when we wanted to talk, they said they were too busy. Then they fired 22 of us, telling us we were "permanently replaced". 

They locked us out and fired us for speaking out about working conditions. That's illegal and just plain wrong. 

I'm without my paycheck just as my rent is going up. I have two children, Alexis and Rayshawn, one of whom has had serious medical care needs which has left us with a stack of bills. Meanwhile, Cablevision's CEO, James Dolan, made $11.5 million last year alone. 

That's why I created a petition on SignOn.org to James Dolan, the CEO of Cablevision/Optimum, which says:

I urge Cablevision/Optimum to reinstate all 22 of the workers they illegally fired and locked out on January 30 and to bargain with the union in good faith.

Click here to add your name to this petition, and then pass it along to your friends.

Thanks!

–La'kesia Johnson

This petition was created on SignOn.org, the progressive, nonprofit petition site. SignOn.org is sponsored by MoveOn Civic Action, which is not responsible for the contents of this or other petitions posted on the site. La'kesia and the Communication Workers of America didn't pay us to send this email—we never rent or sell the MoveOn.org list.

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 7 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.


This email was sent to eddie alfaro on February 24, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Nassau County deserves fair redistricting!

Below is an email from Elizabeth Oldendorp, a MoveOn member in Massapequa, NY, who created a petition on SignOn.org, the nonprofit site that allows anyone to start their own online petition. If you have concerns or feedback about this petition, click here.


Dear Inwood MoveOn member,

The proposed Republican redistricting map of Nassau County splits up communities, diluting their voting power for the express purpose of keeping Republicans in control with a supermajority for the next ten years. It carves out absurdly shaped, gerrymandered districts for political gain, at the expense of minority voters and long-standing communities. It creates districts that have few interests in common, and decimates many tight-knit communities by splitting them into as many as five different districts.

Hundreds of residents have made it abundantly clear by their statements at public meetings that they oppose this map, which unnecessarily moves nearly 360,000 voters to other districts! We urge our legislators to vote NO on the proposed GOP map. The people of Nassau County deserve no less!

That's why I created a petition on SignOn.org to Nassau County Legislators and County Executive Edward P. Mangano, which says:

Legislators of Nassau County and County Executive Ed Mangano, you must REJECT the proposed Republican redistricting map of Nassau County.

Click here to add your name to this petition, and then pass it along to your friends.

Thanks!

–Elizabeth Oldendorp

This petition was created on SignOn.org, the progressive, nonprofit petition site. SignOn.org is sponsored by MoveOn Civic Action, which is not responsible for the contents of this or other petitions posted on the site. Elizabeth Oldendorp didn't pay us to send this email—we never rent or sell the MoveOn.org list.

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 7 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.


This email was sent to eddie alfaro on February 23, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Friday, February 22, 2013

Will Senator Schumer let an undocumented Latino worker speak to Congress?

Below is an email from Claudia Reyes, a member of Presente.org, who created a petition on SignOn.org, the nonprofit site that allows anyone to start their own online petition. If you have concerns or feedback about this petition, click here.


Dear New York MoveOn member,

Last week, my 66-year-old mother was jailed. She had attended a Senate hearing on immigration reform organized by Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), where not a single Latino undocumented worker was given an opportunity to testify.

As Director of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano took the microphone, my mother stood up and called for an end to the deportations that tear apart our families. I am so proud of her bravery. But for this, my mother was detained for more than eight hours.

Is this really what it takes for the voices of those most impacted by immigration reform to be heard?

Please sign my petition on SIgnOn.org and tell Senator Schumer: We want a Latino undocumented worker to testify at the next immigration hearing.

Senator Schumer is responsible for pushing immigration reform through a Democrat-controlled Senate that is supposed to be on our side. He cares a lot about his image right now. That's why I created a petition on SignOn.org, which says:

To Senator Chuck Schumer:

Hearing undocumented Latinos testify about how immigration reform affects them is crucial. Latinos are disproportionately represented both in the numbers of people seeking citizenship through immigration reform and in the numbers impacted by deportation, detention, and family separation.

We ask that you invite a Latino undocumented immigrant to the next hearing. The nation needs to hear from day laborers, domestic workers, farm workers, and the many more working-class undocumented Latinos who are most significantly impacted by immigration reform.

Click here to add your name to this petition, and then pass it along to your friends.

Thank you for your support.

–Claudia Reyes

This petition was created on SignOn.org, the progressive, nonprofit petition site. SignOn.org is sponsored by MoveOn Civic Action, which is not responsible for the contents of this or other petitions posted on the site. Claudia Reyes and Presente.org didn't pay us to send this email—we never rent or sell the MoveOn.org list.

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 7 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.


This email was sent to eddie alfaro on February 22, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Pay a living wage

Below is an email from Ed Dunn, a MoveOn member who created a petition on SignOn.org, the nonprofit site that allows anyone to start their own online petition. If you have concerns or feedback about this petition, click here.


Dear MoveOn member,

Paying a living wage would solve many problems in America. Over half of the poor in this country work, yet they need government services such as food stamps and Medicare. We can turn these folks into taxpayers rather than people needing our tax dollars. We should stop subsidies to businesses that pay poverty wages.

Give work dignity by paying people a fair and just wage. We all do better when everyone is doing better.

That's why I created a petition on SignOn.org to Congress and President Barack Obama, which says:

Cut poverty in half by paying a living wage. End the subsidies to businesses that pay poverty wages.

Click here to add your name to this petition, and then pass it along to your friends.

Thanks!

–Ed Dunn

This petition was created on SignOn.org, the progressive, nonprofit petition site. SignOn.org is sponsored by MoveOn Civic Action, which is not responsible for the contents of this or other petitions posted on the site. Ed Dunn didn't pay us to send this email—we never rent or sell the MoveOn.org list.

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 7 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.


This email was sent to eddie alfaro on February 17, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Friday, February 15, 2013

One gun owner's message to the NRA

Dear MoveOn member,

"The NRA doesn't speak for me."

That's what Ohio MoveOn member, parent, and gun owner Jerry Thompson has to say to Congress in a powerful new ad he just filmed. It will air on the Sunday talk shows and next week on cable news networks. The ad has already received great coverage from CNN, USA Today and The Huffington Post.1

After the Newtown massacre and the National Rifle Association's disgusting response, Jerry has had enough. 

The gun violence prevention fight is heating up in the Senate this month, and the NRA is getting ready to write checks.2 If millions of people see Jerry's ad, we can drown out the NRA's money and their message, and pave the way for real reform.

Watch this gripping ad and share it with everyone you know.

Jerry's ad

Since Newtown, MoveOn members have sprung into action, holding hundreds of events all over the country, generating more than 750,000 petition signatures calling for new and better policies to end gun violence, and donating just under $1 million dollars to the effort.

Jerry tells members of Congress that if they "take money from the NRA—and then continue to do their bidding—we're gonna remember that come election time." Share this video with your friends and family to prove Jerry right and beat the NRA.

Click here to share the ad with your friends and family online.

Thanks for all you do.

–Garlin, Susannah, Eric, Linda, and the rest of the team

Source:

1. "First on CNN: New player in gun control ad wars," CNN, February 15, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=287317&id=62663-10220574-OKp8KNx&t=4

"MoveOn.org ad targets lawmakers on gun issue," USA Today, February 15, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=287318&id=62663-10220574-OKp8KNx&t=5

"NRA, Ohio Senator Rob Portman Targeted In New Ad Campaign," The Huffington Post, February 15, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=287319&id=62663-10220574-OKp8KNx&t=6

2. "John Boehner's Senate-first strategy," Politico, February 13, 2013 
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=287278&id=62663-10220574-OKp8KNx&t=7

"Stand and Fight," The Daily Caller, February 13, 2013 
http://dailycaller.com/2013/02/13/stand-and-fight/

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 7 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.


This email was sent to eddie alfaro on February 15, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Tell Rep. Meeks: Sign the Grayson-Takano letter

Reps. Alan Grayson, Mark Takano, and other members of Congress have promised to vote against any cuts to Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid benefits. Can you ask Rep. Meeks to become a co-signer on the Grayson-Takano letter today?

Representative Gregory Meeks
Phone: (202) 225-3461

Report Your Call Now

Dear MoveOn member,

President Obama's State of the Union address last night made many of us proud. He talked about climate change and new jobs programs, and he issued a stern call for a vote on laws to curb gun violence.

But the president left the door dangerously open for cuts to Social Security and Medicare benefits, claiming they are justified by the need to address the deficit.

MoveOn members have consistently made it clear that we don't agree. And as of this morning, neither do the bold members of Congress who have signed Representatives Alan Grayson and Mark Takano's letter promising to "vote against any and every cut to Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Security benefits."

Can you call Representative Gregory Meeks today and ask him to cosign the Grayson-Takano letter promising to vote against any and every cut to Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Security benefits?

Here's where to call:
Representative Gregory Meeks
Phone: (202) 225-3461

Then click here to report your call.

Republicans have been using every excuse in the book to try to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, and the current debate is just the latest false cover. But they can't cut these critical, popular programs that millions of Americans depend on without Democratic support. That's why getting Democrats like Rep. Meeks signed on to the Grayson-Takano letter is so important.

If enough of us get our members of Congress to sign, we can take Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid benefit cuts off the table for good and turn the focus to where it belongs: jobs, immigration, climate change, and so much more.

Will you make a call right now to whip up support for Reps. Grayson and Takano's letter?

Representative Gregory Meeks
Phone: (202) 225-3461

Please report your call by clicking below:

http://civ.moveon.org/call?tg=FHNY_05&cp_id=1883&id=62576-10220574-xEbF5Jx&t=3

Thanks for all you do.

–Ilya, Wes, Linda, Nick, and the rest of the team

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 7 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.


This email was sent to eddie alfaro on February 14, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Start a petition in New York?

Dear New York MoveOn member,

The New York state legislature is back in session and facing a packed agenda, including voter suppression, the budget, and raising the minimum wage. MoveOn members across New York want to make their voices heard on these and many other issues in Albany, but first someone needs to take the lead—that's where you come in.

To help, MoveOn has launched a website called SignOn.org, where you can create your very own petition to Governor Andrew Cuomo or the New York legislature on whatever issues you're most concerned about. 

We'll help make sure all the signatures get delivered and even send the most popular petitions to other MoveOn members in the state. But don't wait—it is urgent that you act now before these issues are decided.

Click here to create your petition to Gov. Cuomo or the New York legislature.

Thanks for all you to do.

–Steven, Elena, Manny, Rosy, Bobby, Stefanie, and the rest of the team

P.S. If you get 20 signatures on your petition, we'll email it to at least 1,000 people in your area to help it grow (assuming of course that it's consistent with MoveOn's progressive values).

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 7 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.


This email was sent to eddie alfaro on February 14, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

John Boehner's latest outrage

Below is an email from Sheila M. Thomas, a MoveOn member who created a petition on SignOn.org, the nonprofit site that allows anyone to start their own online petition. If you have concerns or feedback about this petition, click here.


Dear MoveOn member,

Breaking news: The Senate just voted to renew the Violence Against Women Act!

Momentum's on our side, but House Speaker John Boehner and other representatives continue to block the bill from coming up for a vote. That's why I created a petition on SignOn.org urging the U.S. House of Representatives to renew the Violence Against Women Act.

Click here to add your name to this petition, and then pass it along to your friends.

In 1983, I was a victim of rape at gunpoint. At the time, I was a single mother of a five-year old daughter and attending a local community college. My rapist had already raped four women in my community. I was his fifth victim. He has never been captured.

The Violence Against Women Act initially strengthened federal penalties for repeat sex offenders, mandated that women didn't have to pay for their own rape exams, and helped communities develop law enforcement units dedicated to violence against women. This Act has been allowed to expire since it was passed, and House Republicans continue to block it—this is unacceptable.

Click here to add your name to my petition demanding an immediate extension of the Violence Against Women Act, and then pass it along to your friends.

Thanks!

–Sheila M. Thomas

This petition was created on SignOn.org, the progressive, nonprofit petition site. SignOn.org is sponsored by MoveOn Civic Action, which is not responsible for the contents of this or other petitions posted on the site. Sheila M. Thomas didn't pay us to send this email—we never rent or sell the MoveOn.org list.

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 7 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.


This email was sent to eddie alfaro on February 12, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Your waitress is underpaid

Below is an email from Saru Jayaraman of the Welcome Table, who created a petition on SignOn.org, the nonprofit site that allows anyone to start their own online petition. If you have concerns or feedback about this petition, click here.



Sign the petition

Dear MoveOn member,

You probably know that when you order a meal in restaurant, the person who brings you the food is generally paid less than minimum wage. Tips are supposed to make up the difference.

Here's the problem: Minimum wage for tipped employees is an appalling $2.13 an hour. And for millions of people who work in the restaurant industry, tips don't come close to providing a living wage.

This is not a small problem. Almost one-third of food workers don't have enough money to buy enough safe and nutritious food to meet their needs. The people who make and serve your food literally may be going hungry.

Next week, we'll be at a press conference in Washington, D.C. with key members of Congress, launching a big push to raise the minimum wage for food workers and restaurant employees.

To win this campaign, it's critical that we be able to walk on stage with momentum—that means tens of thousands of folks like you standing with us.

Sign the petition: Tell Congress to give food workers and restaurant employees a fair minimum wage.

We can do this, but not without grassroots support. That's why I created a petition on SignOn.org to Congress, which says:

Raising the minimum wage for the benefit of 29 million low-wage workers would increase food costs at most by 10 cents a day for consumers.

As a consumer, I am willing to pay an extra dime a day for my food so that close to eight million food system workers and 21 million additional low-wage workers can receive a much-deserved raise to help them meet their basic needs.

I ask that you support the Miller-Harkin Fair Minimum Wage Act, which would raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $9.80/hour over the next 3 years and the tipped minimum wage from $2.13 to 70% of the regular minimum wage.

Click here to add your name to this petition, and then pass it along to your friends.

Thanks!

–Saru Jayaraman

This petition was created on SignOn.org, the progressive, nonprofit petition site. SignOn.org is sponsored by MoveOn Civic Action, which is not responsible for the contents of this or other petitions posted on the site. The Welcome Table didn't pay us to send this email—we never rent or sell the MoveOn.org list.

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 7 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.


This email was sent to eddie alfaro on February 9, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Our big plan for 2013


MoveOn's new Million Leaders strategy is how progressives will win in 2013. More ideas, more leaders, and more wins. Do you have an idea for a campaign you'd like to run or join? Click here to find a campaign near you, or start one yourself!

Get started!
Dear MoveOn member,

Fifteen years ago, we were working on educational software. We weren't activists.

But six months into the media circus around the impeachment of Bill Clinton, we'd had enough with the polarizing game playing. We wrote a one-sentence common-sense plea for our leaders to "censure and Move On to pressing issues facing the country" and emailed it to fewer than 100 friends and family. The response knocked us off our feet. Within days, hundreds of thousands of people had signed on. That was the catalyst that launched MoveOn.org. 

Now, because of you, MoveOn members are a powerful force for change in this country. We're seven million strong—and growing every day. Together, we've helped elect a president, twice. We've shown that small-dollar contributions from everyday people can overcome billionaire-funded super PACs. We helped win health care reform and an end to the war in Iraq.

But we know there's so much work to be done. Debates over immigration. Climate change. Gun violence. Corporate control of our democracy. 

Taking advantage of this moment in history demands creativity and leadership from every corner of the country, at a scale we've never seen before. We need to make change happen at every level—from Inwood to Washington. That's why today, we're excited to announce the launch of MoveOn's Million Leaders strategy.

In short, our strategy is to unleash a wave of previously-untapped people-power as MoveOn members across the country step up as the leaders of their own campaigns for social change, supported by the rest of MoveOn's membership.

We need to be fighting on more fronts, with more people leading, and breakthroughs at every level. That's how we'll win in 2013. There's no stopping what we can do together when progressives like you are backed up by MoveOn's collective people power, campaign savvy, and toolset—that's what the Million Leaders strategy is all about.

MoveOn members are already off and running. Will you join their efforts—then consider starting your own campaign?

Here are 3 campaigns that MoveOn members
are leading right now—click to get involved
!

Save Our Small Town Post Offices

Newtown, today we tell our leaders "No more!"

Support Rep. Peter Welch's Bill to REPEAL $500M Giveaway to Drug Giant, AMGEN

Or, consider starting your own campaign! 

 Click here to start your own campaign at SignOn.org

The Million Leaders strategy is a reflection of the moment we're living in, and a reinvestment in how MoveOn began 15 years ago. Every day, new leaders are stepping up in that tradition. 

Like Gene and Sandy in Madison, WI. After Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker signed legislation making voting harder for college students, poor people, seniors, and African Americans, MoveOn members Gene and Sandy Lundergan started a petition on MoveOn's petition site, SignOn.org, urging the University of Wisconsin chancellor to issue students ID cards that would comply with the new law and help students vote. Nearly 9,000 people signed the petition, and after teaming up with campus groups like the Young Progressives, they won, convincing the university to issue the new student voter IDs!1

And like Lori Haas in Richmond, VA. In the wake of the Newtown massacre, Lori started a petition on SignOn.org which drew in tens of thousands of supporters. MoveOn amplified Lori's call for vigils around the country—and more than 300 events came together overnight. Lori and thousands of other dedicated leaders are now running campaigns on gun violence prevention targeting Congress, Walmart, city councils, governors, and more—with resources and strategic support from MoveOn.

Fifteen years ago, we had no idea that what we were doing would be a game changer. Now, we have no doubt that MoveOn members will win game-changing victories this year. We're so proud of everything you have accomplished—and everything you will accomplish—together, for our country!

Thanks for all you do.

–Joan Blades and Wes Boyd
MoveOn founders

P.S. Meet Anna Galland, MoveOn's new Executive Director, and hear Robert Reich, Van Jones, and Katrina Vanden Heuvel talk more about the Million Leaders strategy. Watch and share this short video: http://www.moveon.org/r?r=286924&id=62022-10220574-3YjeAAx&t=4

Sources:

1. "Free voter IDs available to UW-Madison students," University of Wisconsin-Madison News, January 20, 2012
http://www.news.wisc.edu/20227

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 7 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.


This email was sent to eddie alfaro on February 5, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Sunday, February 3, 2013

You were on Rachel Maddow Friday night!

Dear MoveOn member,

In case you missed it, I wanted to share with you this incredible segment from last night's Rachel Maddow Show on the history of MoveOn—how we got started, grew to over 7 million members, and together became such a powerful political force in America.

It's an inspiring re-telling of some of the most amazing work we've done together, and it also includes an interview with Ilyse Hogue—a long-time MoveOn powerhouse who we're so proud has just been named the new President of NARAL Pro-Choice America.


Click to watch the video

One last thing—I thought Ilyse was so great in this interview that I was inspired to go right to the NARAL Pro-Choice America website and make a donation. It's so important that we continue the fight to defend a woman's right to choose, so I hope you'll click here and make a donation to NARAL Pro-Choice America as well.

Thanks for all you do.

–Anna, Nick, Alejandro, Lenore, and the rest of the team

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 7 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.


This email was sent to eddie alfaro on February 3, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Saying goodbye to Mitch McConnell

Republican Leader Mitch McConnell's Senate seat is vulnerable for the first time in three decades. He's facing his worst ratings ever, and the media and the grassroots are both starting to noticeCan you power our early campaign to help Kentucky voters Ditch Mitch once and for all? 

Chip in $5

Dear MoveOn member,

Mitch McConnell is the biggest obstructionist in the U.S. government—a human roadblock stopping any progress in Washington.

McConnell's the reason the terrible idea to cut folks' Social Security won't go away. And when, just last week, his backroom deals killed reform to make the Senate more productive, he bragged about it. McConnell's a prime example of what can happen when a politician puts his donors and his party before the well-being of his constituents and his country.

But get this: Mitch McConnell, the most powerful Republican in the Senate, is vulnerable right now. For the first time in 28 years, he could actually lose his next election. He's the most unpopular senator in the country.1 And in a recent poll, only 17% of Kentucky voters said they plan to vote for him next year!2 If we buckle down right now and commit to this race, we can put McConnell out of office in just two short years.

That's why, before this election is fully engaged and the airwaves are flooded with Super PAC cash, we're launching a Ditch Mitch campaign to go after McConnell early. We need to lock in McConnell's unpopularity among Kentucky voters starting now and signal to other progressives that this race is winnable. It's the same strategy Obama used to beat Romney.

Then, when McConnell finishes his primary race, weakened and demoralized, he'll be looking at 70,000 MoveOn members in Kentucky ready to take him on—backed by the strength of 7 million more across the country.

If we can raise $300,000 in the next 24 hours, we can roll out our early offensive to take McConnell's Senate seat.

Can you chip in $5 to help voters Ditch Mitch?

To make this a reality, we need to begin building an infrastructure and campaign team now, because McConnell's starting with $7 million in the bank, and he's already spent the past week attacking MoveOn to fire up his base.3

But MoveOn members are up to the fight, because we know that getting rid of McConnell means an immediate opportunity for more progressive wins, and the biggest setback Senate Republicans have faced in a decade.

Here's a glimpse of what we've got in store: 

  • We'll help individual MoveOn members across Kentucky launch and run a network of independent, super-local, creative mini-campaigns that can do serious damage to McConnell's reputation in their communities.
  • We'll crowdsource ad ideas from our 7 million members and bring back the same team who produced some of the best political ads of 2012. 
  • Every time he's in Kentucky, we'll be following McConnell at speaking events and fundraisers.
  • The entire time McConnell is fighting off his primary challenger, we'll be using methods we honed in this past election to systematically speak with every Democrat and progressive in Kentucky—and there are 500,000 more Democrats than Republicans.

There's a lot more we can do to end McConnell's Senate run. But it has to start right here, with $300,000 to kick-start this two-year campaign. Can you contribute today?

Can you chip in $5 to help voters Ditch Mitch?

Thanks for all you do.

–Ilya, Steven, Stefanie, Wes, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "Poll: The most unpopular senator," Politico, December 11, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=286782&id=61840-10220574-tYHecEx&t=7

2. "Mitch McConnell support weak in poll," Politico, January 28, 2013 
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=286780&id=61840-10220574-tYHecEx&t=8

3. "Mitch McConnell starts with big war chest," Politico, January 31, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=286787&id=61840-10220574-tYHecEx&t=9

 

Want to support our work? We're entirely funded by our 7 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.


PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. This email was sent to eddie alfaro on February 2, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Friday, February 1, 2013

Host a Million Leaders House Party in Inwood

I'm excited that all across the country our fellow MoveOn members are stepping up to tackle local, state, and federal issues. Will you join me by hosting a Million Leaders House Party on February 16 or 17 in Inwood? 

Click here to host!

Dear fellow MoveOn member,

If you had the power to change one thing in your community, or the country, what would it be? You and I believe that big, bold change is possible—that's why we're MoveOn members. Together, we've made that change happen again and again.

I'm living proof that, with the help of MoveOn's tools and resources, members can now organize our own successful campaigns even in the smallest of cities or reddest of states—like Oklahoma, where I live.

Since November, I've been organizing to pressure Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin to accept the federal Medicaid expansion money that would extend health coverage to over 200,000 Oklahomans. We kicked off our campaign with a SignOn.org petition which helped to build a statewide coalition of stakeholders. This week, hundreds of us will take the fight directly to the Governor, where we'll rally and deliver over 5,000 petition signatures. 

On February 16 and 17, MoveOn members across the country are getting together at hundreds of Million Leaders House Parties to support organizing by members like you and me. You've already taken important steps toward ending gun violence. Now, these house parties will be your chance to start a campaign about this issue or another important issue—local, state, or national—that will improve your community. At the Million Leaders House Parties, you'll get to know other local members who are just as passionate as you are. And you'll learn how to easily launch a campaign by starting a petition, making calls to Congress, or organizing a rally. But—it can only happen if we have a house party host in Inwood.

Will you host a Million Leaders House Party on February 16 or 17 to plan the change you want to see in your community?

Yes, I will host a house party!

In the last six months, hundreds of thousands of MoveOn members have stepped up to protect Social Security benefits and re-elect the President. But to achieve long-term change and build real progressive power, more of us are going to have to take charge—together. 

Hosting a house party is easy—all you have to do is sign up to host, pick an issue you are interested in, and then start planning your event. You'll be given everything you need to have a fun party, and we'll invite other MoveOn members from your area to attend so that you can start planning and running your own powerful campaign right away!

Can you host a house party in Inwood on February 16 or 17?

Yes, I can!

I'm proud to be one of 7 million MoveOn members across the country, and I can't wait to see how we can keep working together to change the world. 

Thanks for all you do.

–Ginny Webster, Regional Organizer, OK

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 7 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.


This email was sent to eddie alfaro on February 1, 2013. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.