Thursday, July 31, 2014

Re: I'm going to bat for MoveOn

Hi there—I wanted to make sure you saw my recent note. Thanks


What happens in November will affect a generation. That's my definition of high-stakes, and it's why I'm going to bat for MoveOn's far-reaching plan to save the Senate. Believe me. When we fight, we win. Join me!

Chip in $3

Dear MoveOn member,

I'm counting on MoveOn members like you to help save the Senate on Election Day. In fact, it's my top priority from now until November 4.

The only way to level the playing field for all Americans is to fight and to fight hard. And right now, the place we need to fight is clear: the Senate.

Will you stand with me in supporting MoveOn's work to save the Senate in November?

Yes! Senator Warren, I'll contribute $3.

The powerful interests—and their armies of lawyers and lobbyists—swagger through the halls of Congress like they own the place. They think we don't see them trying to tip the scales in favor of the big guys who have already made it. They think they can throw buckets of money at their Republican allies to win back control of the Senate in November.

But not if MoveOn members and I have anything to say about it.

Take a look at some of the creative ways MoveOn's team will use your donation and the power of its 8 million members, all of whom are committed to saving the Senate from a GOP takeover in November:

  • MoveOn's staff will train and coach hundreds of volunteer bird-doggers on the ground in key states like Iowa and Colorado to ask politicians about their votes against the working people they represent.
  • They'll launch a high-visibility media and social media campaign, complete with targeted ad buys that pack a punch, to take down tainted GOP candidates and elevate progressive champions.
  • MoveOn team members in new field offices coast to coast will inspire and mobilize an informed and passionate progressive base to get to the polls on Election Day.

Can you chip in right now to fund MoveOn's campaign to save the Senate?

I'm in for $3 to save the Senate.

This isn't the first time I've asked for your support. Millions of MoveOn members were central in our fight for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to protect consumers from the tricks and traps hidden in the fine print of credit cards, mortgages, and student loans.

I bet you remember that many thought we'd cave under pressure from the big banks, which spent more than $1 million a day lobbying against the new consumer agency. The skeptics were wrong. Thanks to you, the CFPB is now celebrating its third anniversary! In the last three years, that agency has forced the big financial institutions to return more than $4 billion to the American consumers they cheated—and so much more.1

I'd say it's time for another victory for working families. Don't you agree? Let's go get it. Together.

Chip in to save the Senate so we can continue fighting.

Thanks for all you do.

–Senator Elizabeth Warren

Source:

1. "Sen. Elizabeth Warren to liberals: I'm fighting back," McClatchy DC, July 18, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=300055&id=99258-10220574-vxRkO4x&t=5

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.


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 July 31, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

I'm going to bat for MoveOn

What happens in November will affect a generation. That's my definition of high-stakes, and it's why I'm going to bat for MoveOn's far-reaching plan to save the Senate. Believe me. When we fight, we win. Join me!

Chip in $3

Dear MoveOn member,

I'm counting on MoveOn members like you to help save the Senate on Election Day. In fact, it's my top priority from now until November 4.

The only way to level the playing field for all Americans is to fight and to fight hard. And right now, the place we need to fight is clear: the Senate.

Will you stand with me in supporting MoveOn's work to save the Senate in November?

Yes! Senator Warren, I'll contribute $3.

The powerful interests—and their armies of lawyers and lobbyists—swagger through the halls of Congress like they own the place. They think we don't see them trying to tip the scales in favor of the big guys who have already made it. They think they can throw buckets of money at their Republican allies to win back control of the Senate in November.

But not if MoveOn members and I have anything to say about it.

Take a look at some of the creative ways MoveOn's team will use your donation and the power of its 8 million members, all of whom are committed to saving the Senate from a GOP takeover in November:

  • MoveOn's staff will train and coach hundreds of volunteer bird-doggers on the ground in key states like Iowa and Colorado to ask politicians about their votes against the working people they represent.
  • They'll launch a high-visibility media and social media campaign, complete with targeted ad buys that pack a punch, to take down tainted GOP candidates and elevate progressive champions.
  • MoveOn team members in new field offices coast to coast will inspire and mobilize an informed and passionate progressive base to get to the polls on Election Day.

Can you chip in right now to fund MoveOn's campaign to save the Senate?

I'm in for $3 to save the Senate.

This isn't the first time I've asked for your support. Millions of MoveOn members were central in our fight for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to protect consumers from the tricks and traps hidden in the fine print of credit cards, mortgages, and student loans.

I bet you remember that many thought we'd cave under pressure from the big banks, which spent more than $1 million a day lobbying against the new consumer agency. The skeptics were wrong. Thanks to you, the CFPB is now celebrating its third anniversary! In the last three years, that agency has forced the big financial institutions to return more than $4 billion to the American consumers they cheated—and so much more.1

I'd say it's time for another victory for working families. Don't you agree? Let's go get it. Together.

Chip in to save the Senate so we can continue fighting.

Thanks for all you do.

–Senator Elizabeth Warren

Source:

1. "Sen. Elizabeth Warren to liberals: I'm fighting back," McClatchy DC, July 18, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=300055&id=99213-10220574-hH1qgmx&t=5

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.


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 July 30, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Netroots to Obama: Don't kill the Internet

Dear MoveOn member,

When President Obama visited Silicon Valley and Los Angeles this week for fundraisers, our protests filled the news coverage from California to Washington—on ABC, NBC, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Hill, and more.

It was awesome. Hundreds of activists with MoveOn.org, Free Press, CREDO, Color of Change, Demand Progress, and other grassroots, Internet-based groups came out to deliver a message to President Obama: fulfill your promise to protect Net Neutrality, and stop the FCC's proposal to turn the Internet into a pay-to-play scheme that favors wealthy corporations.

Have a look for yourself—and then share this short video of the big day with everyone you know, so that pressure mounts on President Obama to speak out to stop the FCC's plan to kill the Internet before it's too late:

Watch the video!

We're being heard. The president's motorcade drove right by us—aides and reporters rolling down windows to get a glimpse of our signs and hear our chants: "Barack Obama, yes you can, stop Tom Wheeler's stupid plan!"

Since his first campaign for president, President Obama has promised to preserve the open Internet that helped him get elected and that every American relies on to access information, start a new business, and compete on a level playing field. But he has yet to address the issue this summer or push for the FCC to preserve true "Net Neutrality" by treating broadband Internet as a public utility.

Now, President Obama is sitting on the sidelines while Tom Wheeler, the FCC chair that he appointed, moves ahead with a plan that would kill the Internet as a level playing field for all.

The president has a choice—allow the FCC to do the bidding of Verizon and Comcast and oversee the death of the open Internet, or use his political megaphone to call for the real solution: treating the Internet as a public utility.

There's still time for the president to call for what's right. And there's time for us to demand that he take that stand.

Can you watch and share this video so that more people know that, yes, President Obama can take a stand to save the Internet?

Thanks for all you do.

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


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 July 27, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Friday, July 25, 2014

Got an idea for a petition?

Got an idea for your own campaign? Click below to start a petition on MoveOn's petition website.

Start your Petition

Dear MoveOn member,

Here's how it'll go:

You see something that needs a change, so you start a petition on MoveOn's website.

You recruit your friends to sign it and they, in turn, get their friends.

We send it out to some of our members and they get really excited about it, so we send it to everyone in your city, your state, or maybe even all 8 million MoveOn members.

Now that you have a bunch of people on board, you organize them. We give you the support you need. You use our email tool to have them call their representatives, get more signers, go to events.

MoveOn pays for you to print up copies of your petition, and you deliver it to the person you're petitioning. You get on TV and in the newspaper. 

And you win.

It's happened hundreds of times already. It could very easily happen to you. All you need is a good enough idea and the willingness to put in the time. Show us you mean business and we'll be with you every step of the way. You really can do this. How about it?

Click here to start your own petition right now.

Thanks for all you do.

–Milan, Maria, Bobby, Mark, 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 members' progressive values).

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 July 25, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Suing Obama

Sign the petition: Tell Speaker Boehner and House Republicans to stop wasting millions of our tax dollars on their partisan lawsuit against President Obama and move on to the real issues facing our country.

"Speaker Boehner and House Republicans: Stop wasting millions of our tax dollars on your partisan lawsuit against President Obama. Please move on to the real issues facing our country."

Sign the Petition!

Dear MoveOn member,

House Speaker John Boehner just took his next step toward a taxpayer-funded lawsuit against President Obama. His reason? President Obama has used his executive authority to get things done, while Congress has dithered.

In a recent membership vote, 88% of MoveOn members said that if John Boehner launched this wasteful lawsuit, then holding him accountable should be a top MoveOn priority.

So we're fighting back. Together, we can elevate the profile of this ridiculous lawsuit, expose it as partisan politics at its worst, and ensure that it reinforces the worst of the GOP brand, backfiring on Republicans in the November elections.

Will you sign our petition to demonstrate your opposition to this latest Republican outrage? We've set a goal of 100,000 signatures—and we'll be reporting the numbers to the media in real time.

The petition says: "Speaker Boehner and House Republicans: Stop wasting millions of our tax dollars on your partisan lawsuit against President Obama. Please move on to the real issues facing our country."

Click here to sign, and then pass it on to your friends.

With elections approaching, this could be political suicide for Republicans. If we shine a huge spotlight on this insanity, it could drive down GOP popularity like the government shutdown last fall. New polling confirms that a large majority of Americans—including many Republicans—do not want the GOP wasting millions of our tax dollars on this political stunt.1

Yet today, the Republican-controlled House Rules Committee moved forward with legislation to authorize the lawsuit—laying the groundwork for a vote on the full House floor next week. Once that happens, Speaker Boehner will actually file suit.

And then he'll lose. Virtually every legal expert who's weighed in expects this lawsuit to be rejected on the merits.2 But John Boehner is filing it anyway, because he's afraid to stand up to his far-right Tea Party base. Impeachment may be next.

Will you sign the petition, so we can make sure House Speaker Boehner and Republicans know you've had enough? 

Sign the petition: Tell Speaker Boehner and House Republicans to stop wasting millions of taxpayer dollars on this partisan lawsuit, and move on to the real issues facing our country.

We have to fight back and ensure the courts aren't the only place that Republicans lose. Once at least 100,000 people sign our petition, MoveOn members will deliver it to their Republican representatives in GOP-held House districts—and we'll invite members of the media too—so that Republicans' constituents know what they're up to. We'll generate national press coverage exposing Republicans for the partisan obstructionists that they are, and run ads that carry this message to swing voters. If we play our cards right, we can make this sham lawsuit backfire in a big way.

The first step is generating as many signatures as possible today—so we can deliver the petition to Republican representatives and generate media coverage before the House votes.

Click here to sign, and then share the petition with everyone you know.

If this feels a bit like deja vu, it's because it's reminiscent of MoveOn's founding petition—against the Republican Congress that impeached Bill Clinton instead of attending to the pressing business facing the country in 1998. Once again, it's on the American people to stand up and fight back.

Thanks for all you do.

–Anna, Jo, Jessica, Nick, and the rest of the team

SOURCES:

1. "Poll: Boehner lawsuit a 'political stunt,'" The Hill, July 14, 2014.
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=300069&id=98969-10220574-NYwSnWx&t=8

2. "Why experts see little hope for GOP plan to sue Obama over law's delay," Los Angeles Times, July 19, 2014.
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=300070&id=98969-10220574-NYwSnWx&t=9

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.


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 July 24, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Call Rep. Meeks: Vote on Friday to stop a new Iraq War

Can you call Rep. Meeks? Tell him: "On Friday, please vote for House Concurrent Resolution 105 to stop a new Iraq war. As your constituent, I strongly oppose U.S. military involvement in Iraq." 

Representative Gregory Meeks
Phone: (202) 225-3461

Report Your Call!
Dear MoveOn member,

This was a news sub-headline today: "Total U.S. Military Personnel in Iraq Now at 825."1 Let's call the situation what it is: the steady drip of military escalation towards another war in Iraq.  

Tomorrow morning, the House of Representatives will vote on a resolution, House Concurrent Resolution 105, to stop this march towards a full-blown Iraq war. Introduced by champions of peace Reps. Jim McGovern (D-MA), Walter Jones (R-NC), and Barbara Lee (D-CA), the new resolution would require President Obama to seek explicit congressional authorization before further stepping up U.S. military involvement in Iraq—authorization that currently does not exist.2 

That means the House vote tomorrow is a vote to stop America from getting dragged into Iraq War III. The vote's timing also comes just as lawmakers are preparing to return to their home districts for the annual August recess. It's important that public opposition to a new Iraq war remains fresh in their minds, especially as the crisis there threatens to boil over at any minute—with nearly a thousand of our military personnel already in the crosshairs.  

Can you call Rep. Meeks right now?

Tell him: "As your constituent, I'm calling to ask you to vote for House Concurrent Resolution 105, which would keep America from sliding back to war in Iraq. Along with the rest of the American public, I strongly oppose U.S. military involvement in Iraq. Thank you." 

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=2111&id=98961-10220574-scdkcIx&t=2

With Congress voting on Friday, we need have our voices heard and make our message unmistakably clear. The situation in Iraq is difficult, but the solution is not American bombs or troops. Lawmakers need to hear that along with scores of foreign policy experts, military leaders, and veterans, constituents in their home districts don't want U.S. military intervention in Iraq either.3 Let Rep. Meeks know: miring America in another Iraq war would be a disastrous mistake.

Thanks for all you do.

Anna, Stephen, Matt, Corinne, and the rest of the team

P.S. In case you missed it, check out this new video on Iraq and share it with your friends and family: http://front.moveon.org/video-dont-go-back-to-iraq/.

Sources:

1. "U.S. Increases Surveillance, Military Advisers in Iraq," Wall Street Journal, July 24, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=300086&id=98961-10220574-scdkcIx&t=3

2. "Congress may take up bill to withdraw US advisers from Iraq," Al-Monitor, July 18, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=300087&id=98961-10220574-scdkcIx&t=4

3. "Quotes Against Military Intervention in Iraq," Win Without War, accessed July 24, 2014
http://winwithoutwar.org/quotes-iraq/

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.


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 July 24, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Refugee children in court alone?

Children fleeing violence are seeking refuge in the United States in record numbers. Every child is entitled to an immigration hearing, but there is no guarantee these children—who may have experienced unspeakable trauma—will have legal support.

The MoveOn community is raising funds for much-needed legal support for these children—donating every penny to Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), the leading organization providing legal representation to children entering the U.S. alone. Can you make a donation to KIND to ensure these children have the legal counsel and support they need when they face an immigration judge?


Chip in $3
Dear MoveOn member,

Thousands of children fleeing violence from their home countries have come to the United States—sometimes traveling long distances without their parents—seeking refuge. This humanitarian crisis has overwhelmed the existing support the United States provides for children who have been victimized by violence.

These children—some just barely older than toddlers—are crowded into temporary shelters, detention centers, and even facilities on military bases.

United States immigration law guarantees all children from certain Central American countries due process, including an asylum hearing in front of an immigration judge. These hearings are crucial to protecting refugee children. Sending some of these kids back could be, in the words of Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, "to send them back to certain death."1

During the hearings, an immigration judge hears from each child and determines if that child is eligible for refugee status or humanitarian protection. But these children aren't guaranteed legal representation when they face the court and could find themselves alone in the hearing that will determine the rest of their lives.

That's why we're coming together as a MoveOn community to raise funds for Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), an organization dedicated to providing legal support to children. We'll give every penny of your contribution to KIND.

Can you chip in to make sure these refugee children get the legal counsel and representation they need?

Yes, I can contribute $3 to help a child seeking refuge from violence receive legal support.

Since 2012, the number of children seeking refuge in the United States has soared from three Central American countries: Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Stories of the violence these children are fleeing are chilling. This region, known as the Northern Triangle, has some of the highest murder rates in the world, and children may come to the United States having witnessed family members and friends hurt, raped, or killed in rampant outbreaks of gang violence.2

For many of these children, what happens during these immigration hearings could be the difference between life or death. No child should be forced to appear in court alone.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees reports that nearly two-thirds of the children and families from Central America may be eligible for humanitarian protection under international guidelines3—but we are treating them like criminals.

Can you contribute $3 to make sure these children have legal representation when they appear before an immigration judge?

MoveOn members across the country have stepped up before to provide support for those impacted by major humanitarian crisis. When Hurricane Sandy left thousands without power, food, and shelter, MoveOn members opened their homes to help. And MoveOn members helped provide temporary housing for more than 30,000 people displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

By making a contribution now, you can help again, and make sure children looking to the United States for protection from deadly violence receive the chance they are legally guaranteed to share their stories and plead their cases.

Thanks for all you do.

–Anna, Stephen, Matt, Maria, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "O'Malley: U.S. shouldn't send immigrant children back to 'certain death,'" CNN, July 11, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=299998&id=98878-10220574-TLcOxsx&t=4

2. "Why are so many minors fleeing Central America for the U.S. border?" KSHB, July 16, 2014 

http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=299999&id=98878-10220574-TLcOxsx&t=6

3. "Children on the Run," United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees, March 12, 2014 

http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=300000&id=98878-10220574-TLcOxsx&t=8


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 July 22, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Monday, July 21, 2014

We crashed the FCC's website!

The FCC's plan to kill Net Neutrality created such a backlash that it actually crashed their website last week. Now we need to keep up the pressure. Can you chip in $3 to save the free and open Internet?

Chip in $3

Dear MoveOn member,

This is what saving the Internet looks like: So many people wrote to the FCC last week protesting its latest proposal to kill Net Neutrality that the FCC's own website crashed!

It's the most comments the FCC has received on any issue—rivaling the public response for Janet Jackson's famed "wardrobe malfunction."1

MoveOn members have been sounding the alarm—and it's working. Can you chip in $3 so we can lean into this momentum and win this fight?

Yes, I'll chip in to help save the free and open Internet.

We've got a two-part approach: First, we'll flood the FCC with comments again, during the second and final comment period for their rules on Net Neutrality. We'll make it clear that it's Comcast, Verizon, and AT&T vs. millions of Americans, small businesses, tech companies, and artists.

Second, we'll hold President Obama accountable to his promises to save the open Internet that helped propel him to office twice. And we've got a golden opportunity, if we can seize it.

This Wednesday, July 23, President Obama is heading to California for two fundraisers—one in Silicon Valley, the center of the Internet world, and the other in Los Angeles, at the home of Hollywood producer Shonda Rhimes ("Scandal" and "Grey's Anatomy"), who herself is a Net Neutrality advocate.2

We'll be outside these events, calling on President Obama to use his megaphone to call on the FCC to save the Internet by treating it as a public utility. But doing the event right will take money—for signs and banners, for getting the word out to more activists on short notice, for high-quality photos and video of the event to reach a wide audience.

In addition, keeping the comments flowing to the FCC and getting more members of Congress to speak out will take organizers—and our only source of funding is you, the MoveOn member. Can you chip in to save the Internet?

Yes, I'll chip in to help save the free and open Internet.

We really do have a shot. Tom Wheeler, chairman of the FCC, responded to our pressure this spring and changed his proposal. It's still bad, but it includes the option that holds the solution—treating the Internet as the public utility that it is, just like telephone services and water. And that solution is hitting the mainstream.

Everyone from the heads of Etsy and Kickstarter to Eddie Vedder and Fred Armisen is speaking up in favor of reclassifying the Internet as a utility. And last this week, 13 Democratic senators joined them.

When the FCC's website crashed, our allies in Washington, D.C., scrambled to print out comments that were streaming in from members to hand-deliver them to the FCC, earning headlines in Time, Politico, and The New York Times.3

It's not every day we have a shot at defeating Comcast and Verizon.

Click here to chip in now.

Thanks for all you do.

–Victoria, Nick, Justin, Joan, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "FCC Extends Net Neutrality Deadline After Website Crashes," Time, July 15, 2014
http://time.com/2988157/net-neutrality-website/

2. "Creators Of Hundreds Of TV Shows Petition FCC To Not Cancel Net Neutrality," Consumerist, May 13, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=300008&id=98829-10220574-q9l1v9x&t=5

3. "FCC Web woes extend net neutrality deadline," Politico, July 15, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=300005&id=98829-10220574-q9l1v9x&t=7

"F.C.C. Is Deluged With Comments on Net Neutrality Rules," The New York Times, July 15, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=300006&id=98829-10220574-q9l1v9x&t=8

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.


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 July 21, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Friday, July 18, 2014

Re: Smackdown! Elizabeth Warren vs. Mitch McConnell

Hi MoveOn member, I just wanted to make sure you saw this message from the other day.
Elizabeth Warren is going toe-to-toe with Mitch McConnell to provide some relief for families drowning in student debt. If we want her to win, we need to get behind her. Will you chip in $3 to help get her back? 

Chip in $3

Dear MoveOn member,

When Mitch McConnell filibustered Elizabeth Warren's bill to ease the burden of student debt, the pundits said the bill was dead and it was time to give up.1

But Elizabeth Warren isn't giving up—she's taking the fight to Mitch McConnell's backyard.2 And we need to get behind her.

Sen. Warren went to Kentucky to campaign with McConnell's challenger with a simple message: If Mitch McConnell keeps blocking help for families drowning in debt, it might just cost him his seat.

And since the latest polls show Mitch McConnell in a dead heat against his Democratic opponent, he's either gotta stop blocking help for students—or pay the price politically.

Sen. Warren can't force Mitch McConnell to back down all on her own. If we can raise $100,000, we'll get started by putting an ad on the Facebook page of every college student in the state of Kentucky letting them know that Mitch McConnell is almost single-handedly making them pay a higher interest rate on their college loans. Can you chip in $3?

Yes, I can contribute $3 to help Elizabeth Warren fight to reduce student debt.

This is exactly why we were so excited to have Elizabeth Warren in the Senate in the first place. Other Democrats talk about working families. She's fighting for them.

And here's why her strategy is so smart: Political experts think Republicans will win control of the Senate because of low turnout in a midterm election. But if college students turn out like they did in 2012, then Democrats will keep control of the Senate, and Mitch McConnell is finished.

Still, if we want Elizabeth Warren to win this fight, we need to get behind her. The opposition of the banks and the big student lenders is just too powerful for anyone to win alone.

Click here to donate $3 to help Elizabeth Warren fight to reduce student debt.

Thanks for all you do.

–Ilya, Alejandro, Corinne, Mark, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "Elizabeth Warren's bill to refinance student loans dies in the Senate. Now what?" The Washington Post, June 11, 2014

2. "Alison Grimes and Elizabeth Warren rally for higher ed " The Courier-Journal, June 29, 2014

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.


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 July 18, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Stop unlimited carbon pollution now

Dear MoveOn member,

I'm Representative Keith Ellison, and I started a petition to EPA administrator Gina McCarthy, which says:

We have the EPA's back as they take on Big Coal and climate deniers in Congress by stopping unlimited carbon pollution.

Climate change is real and is already causing harm. We are already seeing more extreme weather, and scientists predict we will continue to see more intense heat waves, more superstorms, and lower air quality from unchecked climate change. 

And who is harmed most by this extreme weather? Those least able to cope: communities of color, who are more vulnerable to heat-related deaths and are also more likely to live near coal plants, contributing to higher asthma rates, as well as the poor, children, and the elderly. 

It is time to fight back, and the Obama administration is doing just that. The EPA has taken a historic step and, for the first time ever, is proposing to limit carbon pollution from power plants, which emit 40% of U.S. carbon pollution. Power plants will be required to reduce their pollution 30% by 2030. 

You can bet Big Coal will fight tooth and nail to stand in the way of a clean energy future. Congress itself is the last refuge for ignoring reality, with a whopping 160 climate science deniers who took nearly $60 million in dirty energy contributions. 

With the forces of the status quo rallying, we need to have the EPA's back and stand up for bold action to control dangerous carbon pollution from power plants. 

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

Thanks!

–Rep. Keith Ellison

This petition was started by Representative Keith Ellison on MoveOn Petitions Political Action Edition, which is licensed to and paid for by MoveOn.org Political Action. Representative Ellison 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 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.


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 July 16, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Monday, July 14, 2014

You've got to hear this feminist

Dear MoveOn member,  

Hobby Lobby. Rush Limbaugh. Campus sexual assault. You don't have to look hard to find attacks on women's rights. 

But over and over, attacks on women wind up backfiring—and that's no accident. As you can hear in this interview with Nita Chaudhary, co-founder of the group Ultraviolet and former national campaigns and organizing director at MoveOn, it's the result of a rising wave of young feminist leaders fighting to put a political and economic price on sexism. 

If you want to know how to win the war on women, you've got to hear this podcast.


Within days of Ultraviolet's launch in 2012, Nita and her team were taking on the likes of John Boehner and Rush Limbaugh, using cutting-edge rapid-response campaign tactics that sent their opponents reeling. 

Today, Ultraviolet is a grassroots force with hundreds of thousands of members, shining a powerful light on anti-woman politicians, sexism in pop culture and the media, and rape on campus. On this episode of "The Good Fight," you'll get to hear how it all came together—and what's next. 

The technology might be different, but feminism in 2014 comes from the same place it always has: the radical notion that women are people. Now, thanks to Nita and her allies, that idea's got an army behind it. 

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 do use iTunes and you like the show, be sure to subscribe on iTunes .... and post a review!
 

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.


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 July 14, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Re: Republican political suicide

Hi there—It looks like you recently considered a donation to help us fight the GOP's War on Women, but didn't complete it. Can you help out?

The Supreme Court decision striking down coverage for birth control shows how extreme and anti-woman the Republican Party has become. Now we need to hold them accountable with voters. Can you chip in $3?

Chip in $3

Dear MoveOn member,

For days, I've been angry about the Supreme Court's Hobby Lobby decision. It's just so wrong, and so disrespectful to women.

But this morning I woke up with a different idea. It's time to stop being mad. It's time to get even.

Because the one good thing about this decision is that it shows for all the world that the Republican Party is flat-out, 100% against access to birth control. And that's political suicide.

Consider this: 99% of women use contraception at some point in their lives.1 Ninety-nine percent. Opposing birth control isn't a fringe view. It's the farthest fraying edge of the fringe.

So between now and November, we need to hold Republicans accountable by making sure that every female voter in every key state knows the Republican Party position on birth control. If they want to support legislation to overturn Hobby Lobby, great. But if not, we'll make sure it costs them their seats in Congress. Will you chip in $3 to help make it happen? 

Yes, I can contribute $3 to hold Republican politicians accountable for opposing access to birth control.

Remember 2012? Republicans lost the women's vote by 12 points while talking about "legitimate rape"—the biggest gender gap in history.2

They thought they could fix it by coaching politicians on messaging to women.3 But here's what the Republicans haven't learned: It's not just what they say—it's their policies.

And no Republican position is more out of the mainstream than their opposition to access to contraception.

Republicans are on the verge of taking control of the Senate, and if they do, then they'll have the power to block any Supreme Court nomination President Obama puts forward—locking in terrible decisions like Hobby Lobby for a generation or more.

But with your help, we can hang this decision like an albatross around the necks of Republican candidates all over the country. We'll show up at public events and challenge candidates directly. We'll run ads online. And any Republican who doesn't support legislation to overturn Hobby Lobby will have to answer to voters.

I'm tired of being mad. Let's fix this.

Click here to chip in $3 and help hold Republicans accountable for opposing access to birth control.

Thanks for all you do.

–Anna, Alejandro, Justin, Rosy, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "Contraceptive Use in the United States," Guttmacher Institute, June 2014
http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/fb_contr_use.html

2. "Gender Gap in 2012 Vote Is Largest in Gallup's History," Gallup, November 9, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=299877&id=98377-10220574-9fEg4Fx&t=5  

3. "GOP men tutored in running against women," Politico, December 5, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=299880&id=98377-10220574-9fEg4Fx&t=6  

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.


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

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Boehner's lawsuit

Dear MoveOn member,

If you thought House Republicans couldn't get worse, I've got bad news. Speaker John Boehner is now threatening to sue President Obama because House Republicans are mad that President Obama is using his executive authority to get things done where Congress won't act.1

Such a ridiculous lawsuit would be a wasteful and inappropriate use of taxpayer dollars for political purposes, and we've hatched a plan to fight back.

Our legal team is investigating options to hold Speaker Boehner accountable if he moves forward—from launching a lawsuit of our own, to filing a formal complaint in Congress, to other responses. And we are planning protests outside of Republicans' district offices and other tactics that can break into the news. Together, we can help expose the lawsuit for the cynical political ploy that it is and generate press coverage that holds Republicans accountable as the November elections loom. 

Because MoveOn is its members, we want to know what you think before we decide whether to proceed. Do you think we should move forward—or do you want us focused on other things? Click to let us know:

Yes, MoveOn should fight to hold Speaker Boehner and House Republicans accountable if they use taxpayer dollars to sue President Obama.

No, I'd prefer for MoveOn to focus on other things (and tell us which other things).

Thanks for all you do.

–Anna, Bobby, Matt, Amy, and the rest of the team

Source:

1. "Boehner v. Obama: House lawsuit brings new twist to familiar conflict," CBS News, July 3, 2014

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 July 9, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Monday, July 7, 2014

The Koch brothers did _______ in New York

Dear MoveOn member,

The Koch brothers—the extreme, right-wing oil billionaires—are working behind the scenes and out in the open to pollute our politics and the environment in almost every state.

We put together this quick set of maps to show just how widespread their destructive influence is. The more people who become aware of what the Koch brothers are doing in their state, the better we'll be able recognize and fight back against their schemes.

Will you share it with your friends and family?

Almost every state has a Koch problem

Thanks for all you do.

–Garlin, Nick, Stephen, Maria, 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.


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

Sunday, July 6, 2014

This Wednesday: Say 'no' to the Koch brothers' oligarchy!

Join U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and MoveOn's Anna Galland on a strategy call this Wednesday, July 9 at 8:30 p.m. ET. RSVP to secure your spot and ask a question.

Dear MoveOn member,

The great issue of our time is whether the American people will be successful in defeating the efforts of the billionaire class which seeks to move our country into an oligarchic form of society in which a handful of super-wealthy families control the economic and political life of this nation. 

The Koch brothers, right-wing extremists who are now worth some $80 billion dollars, are prepared to spend as much as it takes to create an America in their vision. And what is that vision? The elimination of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, federal aid to education, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the concept of the minimum wage. Meanwhile, of course, they want more tax breaks for corporations and the rich.

In the 2012 presidential election, Barack Obama and Mitt Romney each spent a little more than $1 billion in their presidential races. As a result of the disastrous Citizen's United Supreme Court ruling, the Koch brothers and their shadow money group, Americans for Prosperity, spent $412 million—and that figure is only going to rise in the months and years to come. Incredibly, the Koch Brothers and their allies have amassed power that rivals either political party.

That is not what America is supposed to be about.

Will you join me and MoveOn's Anna Galland on an important call this Wednesday, July 9, at 8:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. CT/6:30 p.m. MT/5:30 p.m. PT) to talk about the strategies we can use to shine a spotlight on the Koch brothers' actions?

Yes! I'm signing up and I have a question to ask you, Senator. [Important to note: You have until 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, July 9 to sign up.]

Our job is to strengthen our democratic foundations, not eviscerate them. Our job is to expand the middle-class and eliminate poverty, not create more income and wealth inequality. Our job is to reverse global warming, not increase fossil fuel production.

The truth is that while the Koch brothers and their allies have unlimited sums of money at their disposal, there are real limits to what they can accomplish—only if we are smart and well organized in our opposition. On issue after issue, the vast majority of Americans agree with our views—not right-wing extremism.

Will you join me and MoveOn's Anna Galland on a strategy conference call this Wednesday, July 9 to shine a spotlight on the Koch brothers' political activity and discuss how we can defeat them?

Yes. I'm joining the call.

We'll be laying out our plans for 2014 to counter the unlimited resources of the Koch brothers and their right-wing allies—and we need your support. If the Koch brothers succeed in winning control of the U.S. Senate this November, it will be a disaster for the future of our country. We must act and we must act now. You have got to be a part of that fight.

I'm looking forward to Wednesday's call. The future of our country is at stake. Let's go forward together.

Thanks for all you do.

–Senator Bernie Sanders  

P.S. Be sure to check out MoveOn's Facebook page this week for great Koch graphics. You can also join MoveOn's team and live Tweet July 9's call using #KochProblem.

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.


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 July 6, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.