The movie the Koch brothers couldn't kill

Dear MoveOn member,

Normally, when you make a movie, you don't have to worry about the villain coming after you in real life. When George Lucas made Star Wars, Darth Vader didn't use the dark side of the Force to kill the film's funding and distribution.

But it turns out that when you make a movie about the Koch brothers, that's exactly what can happen.

Today, we've got a podcast that tells the inside story of Citizen Koch, a movie that the Koch brothers' power almost crushed—but that, against the odds, is reaching theaters nationwide next month. It's an amazing tale. And you can hear the podcast right here on iTunes.

 

The team behind Citizen Koch, Tia Lessin and Carl Deal, spent a decade working with Michael Moore, on movies from Bowling for Columbine to Fahrenheit 9/11. So, for them, controversy was nothing new. But when they got a deal with PBS to fund and air the film, they were confident that no amount of controversy could threaten it. After all, PBS had never backed out of a deal like that before.

What they didn't realize? David Koch had donated $23 million to the biggest PBS stations in the country.¹ And as the PBS stations well knew, his donations could stop at any time.

If you want to learn the whole inside story of what happened—if you're concerned about the power of big money in America—then you've got to hear this podcast.

Thanks for all you do.

–Ben Wikler

P.S. Don't use iTunes? No problem. You can listen to the podcast on the Web, tune in via Stitcher (an Android and iOS app), or subscribe via RSS. And if you like the show, be sure to subscribe and post a review on iTunes!

P.P.S. Want to see Citizen Koch when it comes out this June? To find out whether it's showing near you, or organize a screening in your area, head over to CitizenKoch.com.

SOURCE:

1. "A Word from Our Sponsor: Public television's attempts to placate David Koch," The New Yorker, May 27, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=298215&id=95545-10220574-CfiGRFx&t=7

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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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 10, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Start a petition?

Dear MoveOn member,

Yesterday, we asked you in a survey what local issues you're paying close attention to, and you answered: "The funding for teachers, police and fire."

MoveOn can't take up every important local issue—but did you know that you can start up your own online petition on MoveOn's petition website?

Starting a petition is incredibly easy—in just a couple short clicks, you can immediately start sharing your petition with friends to collect signatures.

Click here to start your own petition right now.

Thanks for all you do.

–Milan, Alejandro, Joan, Bobby, and the rest of the team

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is 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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This email was sent to eddie alfaro on May 9, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Tell Rep. Meeks: Save the Internet!

Here's an urgent call to action from our allies at the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, who are organizing to protect Net Neutrality and save the Internet! 

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Dear MoveOn member, 

The White House responded on day one of our Net Neutrality campaign—issuing a statement distancing itself from the FCC's plan to create an Internet fast lane just for big corporations.

More than 60,000 people have already signed the joint petition from MoveOn and the Progressive Change Campaign Committee.

Celebrities Alyssa Milano and Wil Wheaton tweeted about our efforts, and there was a flood of media coverage.

Now, we need to build on this momentum and continue to pressure the FCC.

Will you call Representative Gregory Meeks right now and tell him:

Please tell FCC Chair Tom Wheeler that he must carry out President Obama's promise and support Net Neutrality. If he won't, he should step down so Obama can appoint someone who will stand up for Internet freedom and make the Internet better for all of us.

Here's where to call: 

Representative Gregory Meeks
Phone: (202) 225-3461

Then, please report your call by clicking here:

http://pol.moveon.org/call?tg=FHNY_05&cp_id=2082&id=95462-10220574-lbwMeFx&t=1

The House of Representatives has called FCC Chair Tom Wheeler to testify on May 20, so now is the time to make sure members of Congress know where we stand.

The next Facebook or Netflix could be in development right now, but it may never have a chance to succeed if the FCC allows big corporations to force it into an Internet slow lane.

Thanks!  

–Keith Rouda, PCCC Organizer

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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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 8, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Stop the corporate takeover of the Internet

Dear MoveOn member,

Comcast executives are hoping you won't watch this video. They're hoping that next Thursday, May 15, the Federal Communications Commission will unveil a plan that will allow them to raise costs and control what you see online.

Will you defy the big cable companies and watch this hilarious, biting video—and share it with everyone you know?

Thanks for all you do.

–Maria, Rosy, Nick, Victoria, and the rest of the team

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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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 7, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Start a petition?

Dear MoveOn member,

Yesterday, we asked you in a survey what local issues you're paying close attention to, and you answered: "The funding for teachers, police and fire."

MoveOn can't take up every important local issue—but did you know that you can start up your own online petition on MoveOn's petition website?

Starting a petition is incredibly easy—in just a couple short clicks, you can immediately start sharing your petition with friends to collect signatures.

Click here to start your own petition right now.

Thanks for all you do.

–Milan, Alejandro, Joan, Bobby, and the rest of the team

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is 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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This email was sent to eddie alfaro on May 7, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Save the Internet!

Dear MoveOn member,

I'm Joe Niederberger, and along with the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, I started a petition to President Barack Obama, which says:

The new FCC chair should carry out President Obama's promise and support Net neutrality. If he won't, he should step down so the president can appoint someone who will stand up for Internet freedom and make the Internet better for all of us.

On MTV in 2007, I asked Barack Obama a question about Net neutrality. And he gave me a fantastic promise that he would stand for Internet freedom. 

But now, Net neutrality is under attack. Obama's new FCC chair—a cable industry lobbyist—may break the promise the president made to me and all of us. 

Join me in demanding that promise be kept.

Here's what Obama told me on MTV in October 2007: 

I am a strong supporter of Net neutrality ... As president, I'm going to make sure that that is the principle that my FCC commissioners are applying. Without Net neutrality you could download and get much better quality from the Fox News site, and you'd be getting rotten service from some mom-and-pop site. And that, I think, destroys one of the best things about the Internet, which is that there's this incredible equality there. [Facebook and Google] might not have been started if you had not had a level playing field.

But all that could change. Last week, the New York Times reported that Obama's appointed FCC chairman, Tom Wheeler, is proposing a new set of rules in which broadband providers—phone and cable companies—will be allowed to charge fees for faster delivery of video and other data to consumers.¹

These new rules will be released on May 15, so we must act now. Join me in demanding that President Obama's Net neutrality promise be kept. 

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

Thanks!

–Joe Niederberger 

P.S. Click here to watch the president promise to protect Internet freedom.

Source:

1. "Lobbying Efforts Intensify After F.C.C. Tries 3rd Time on Net Neutrality," The New York Times, April 24, 2014 
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=298033&id=95319-10220574-8HDEBGx&t=4

This petition was created on MoveOn's online petition site, where anyone can start their own online petitions. The Progressive Change Campaign Committee 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 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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This email was sent to eddie alfaro on May 5, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Start a petition?

Dear MoveOn member,

Yesterday, we asked you in a survey what local issues you're paying close attention to, and you answered: "The funding for teachers, police and fire."

MoveOn can't take up every important local issue—but did you know that you can start up your own online petition on MoveOn's petition website?

Starting a petition is incredibly easy—in just a couple short clicks, you can immediately start sharing your petition with friends to collect signatures.

Click here to start your own petition right now.

Thanks for all you do.

–Milan, Alejandro, Joan, Bobby, and the rest of the team

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is 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.

---

This email was sent to eddie alfaro on May 5, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.