Journalist body-slammed for asking about health care

A journalist was viciously attacked by a billionaire GOP candidate for Congress in Montana who's running against MoveOn-endorsed prairie populist Rob Quist—with election day looming. A journalist was viciously attacked by a billionaire GOP candidate for Congress in Montana who's running against MoveOn-endorsed prairie populist Rob Quist—with election day looming.

Dear MoveOn member,

News broke tonight that Greg Gianforte, the far-right Republican millionaire running in Thursday's special election for Montana's U.S. House seat against progressive champion Rob Quist, has viciously assaulted a reporter who was simply trying to ask questions about the GOP plan to take away health care from 23 million people.¹

Details are still coming in—The Guardian has just released shocking audio of the incident—but one thing is clear: Whether it's on the playground or at a political event, bullying and violence are NOT acceptable.

This is outrageous, and we have to act fast.

This special election in a flippable district is within single digits, and the polls close in less than 24 hours. Our media team is working into the night to launch a rapid-response digital ad blitz using the audio of the assault to make sure that as many Montanans as possible learn about this before they head to the polls tomorrow.²

That's why we're reaching out tonight to ask you, Eddie: Can you rush an emergency contribution to help us cover the cost of rapid-response digital ads about Gianforte's assault of a reporter? We'll run these emergency ads until the polls close tomorrow, and then we'll use any leftover funds to support our resistance of the Trump Republican agenda, including supporting progressive Jon Ossoff's fight in the close special election in Georgia on June 20.

Yes, I'm in! To defeat the millionaire bullies like Greg Gianforte, I'll contribute $6 to get rapid-response ads on the air in Montana.

The bottom line is that Trump has empowered a new crop of rich bullies who don't respect the rule of law and have complete disdain for the press and for their constituents. This special election in Montana was already neck and neck, and this violent incident has the potential to change the outcome. If we can win this election in Montana tomorrow, it'll be seen as an unmistakable rejection of the kind of violence that Trump has injected into our political culture over the last two years, and a sign of what's to come for Republicans.

Let's help Rob Quist bring this race home tomorrow, then help Jon Ossoff win in Georgia, and then support progressive candidates across the country—showing Republicans that there are consequences for their unacceptable attacks on the press, extreme and reactionary agenda, and escalating assault on our values.

Rush an emergency contribution of $6—or whatever you can afford. We were not prepared for such a story to break at the last minute and urgently need your help to tip the balance in Montana.

Thanks for all you do.

—Matt, Erica, Maria, Schuyler, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "Republican candidate 'body-slams' Guardian reporter in Montana," The Guardian, May 24, 2017
https://act.moveon.org/go/10243?t=16&akid=183490.10220574.loXEqw

2. GOP Candidate Greg Gianforte Body-Slams Reporter, MoveOn.org, May 24, 2017
https://act.moveon.org/go/10244?t=18&akid=183490.10220574.loXEqw

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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 May 25th, 2017. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.