Citizens United majority (!!!)

We helped push the Senate to take a historic vote declaring that money isn't speech. Now, we're on the air in Maine against Susan Collins, who sided with big corporations: And we're launching a big push targeting Mitch McConnell in Kentucky. It's just the beginning of our accountability campaign against senators who stood with corporations over the public. Can you chip in to fund it and keep it going?   Chip in $3

Dear MoveOn member,

The Senate just took a historic step: A 54-42 majority voted "yes" on overturning Citizens United.

It's momentous: A majority of senators declared they were ready for a constitutional amendment stating that money isn't speech.¹

But every single Republican senator opposed this amendment. Every single one!

From far-right ideologues like Ted Cruz—to Koch-bought obstructionists like Mitch McConnell—to "moderates" like Susan Collins.²

Today, we're holding them accountable. We're already up with a TV ad in Maine against "moderate" Susan Collins for her extreme position.

Can you pitch in $3 to turn up the heat on vulnerable Republican senators who opposed getting money out of politics and are up for re-election this fall?

There were two different visions of the problem debated which showcased two very different visions of what it means to live in a democracy.

On the one hand, we heard Senator Elizabeth Warren warn that "when 32 people can outspend 3.7 million citizens, our democracy is in real danger."³

What she said made me angry—how did this happen in our country? It also inspired me—this is one of the most important fights in our generation. We are making progress. It won't be easy, and it won't happen overnight. But we can win.

On the other hand, I heard Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, Chief Protector of the Status Quo. He's a gifted orator, but even he can't have really believed his over-the-top claim that "a little old lady" putting a sign on her lawn is the same as a multibillion-dollar international corporation pouring its company coffers into electing its preferred candidates.⁴ He also wrongly claimed that Saturday Night Live would be prohibited from producing political satire if this amendment passed.⁵

I had to laugh when I heard all this. But his words inspired me too, in a different way. Ted Cruz is a standard-bearer for the Republican Party—an increasingly backward, out-of-touch minority who unanimously sided with corporations over the public good. And now, we need to act to build momentum until senators like him are pushed out of the way—or out of the Senate.

Senator Warren: We're with you! And Senator Cruz: Corporations aren't people, money isn't speech, and a little old lady with a yard sign isn't the problem.

Please pitch in $3 so we can run more hard-hitting ads and a massive online and on-the-ground mobilization effort. We'll make sure the stubborn minority of Republican senators who are on the wrong side of history learn that there are big consequences for siding with corporate greed over the public good.

This is a clear issue: 80% of Americans—Democrats, Independents, and Republicans—want to see less corporate money in our elections.⁶ MoveOn members have been tapping into that energy, calling senators, showing up at their offices, and making sure the media is paying attention.

Just a few weeks ago, yesterday's vote would have been unimaginable. But our members helped force fence-sitters to pick a side and forced the Senate to take up this issue.

Over 180,000 MoveOn members signed Senator Bernie Sanders' petition in support of this vote. MoveOn members generated a blitz of phone calls that pushed fence-sitters in the Democratic Party onto the right side of history. In the 36 hours before the vote, we made 2,500 phone calls.

And MoveOn donors chipped in over $200,000 over the past few weeks. We're putting that to immediate use: We're up on TV in Maine, calling out "moderate" Republican Susan Collins for taking an extreme position on this vote. And today—to hold Mitch McConnell accountable—we're participating in a media event with allies and preparing billboards.

That's the beginning. But there's much more to do. While a majority of senators voted to support overturning Citizens United yesterday, 60 votes were needed to advance the measure, and 67 votes are needed to authorize a constitutional amendment.

It's going to be a long fight—but we're in it for the long haul. We've already made Washington take notice. Help us keep up the pressure through the election and beyond.

Help fund the campaign to save the soul of our democracy. Mark this historic vote with a $3 donation today.

This issue isn't going away. And until we have real action to overturn Citizens United, neither is this campaign.

Thanks for all you do.

–Mark, Alejandro, Justin K., Kate, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. List of Senators voting for S.J.Res. 19, U.S. Senate, September 11, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=300743&id=101257-10220574-bHSSTex&t=6

2. List of Senators opposing S.J.Res. 19, U.S. Senate, September 11, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=300743&id=101257-10220574-bHSSTex&t=7

3. "Sen. Elizabeth Warren Calls for Amendment to Overturn Citizens United," YouTube, September 9, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=300754&id=101257-10220574-bHSSTex&t=8

4. "Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) On Campaign Spending Amendment," C-SPAN, September 9, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=300738&id=101257-10220574-bHSSTex&t=9

5. "Ted Cruz: Citizens United amendment would end 'Saturday Night Live'," Daily Kos, September 10, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=300744&id=101257-10220574-bHSSTex&t=10

6. "Broad Bi-Partisan Consensus Supports Reforms to Supreme Court," Democracy Corps, May 7, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=300742&id=101257-10220574-bHSSTex&t=11

Want to support our work? We're entirely funded by our 8 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.

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