Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Work our tails off

Time is short. We have a chance to save the Senate from a Republican takeover, but we're going to have to work our tails off for it.
We have a chance to save the Senate from a Republican takeover, but we're going to have to work our tails off for it.

I'm counting on MoveOn—and on you. Can you chip in to help MoveOn save the Senate?   

Chip in $3

Dear MoveOn member,

We have a chance to save the Senate from a Republican takeover—but we're going to have to work our tails off for it.

We have 35 days. Election polls have tightened.1 Control of the U.S. Senate will depend on a few percentage points in a handful of states. That means getting our supporters to the polls will determine whether we win or lose on Election Day.

I'm standing with MoveOn because they have an unparalleled track record of turning out voters to win elections. Will you help out with $3?

Yes, I'll chip in to MoveOn's voter turnout program and help save the Senate.

MoveOn members are making 5 million calls to the key voters in states with tight races. In other words, MoveOn is talking directly to the people who will swing this thing.

It's the right strategy—but time is short. Every vote—and every voter—matters.

Will you join me in fueling MoveOn's voter turnout program, and make sure we win?
  

Yes, I'll chip in $3. Count me in.

Saving the U.S. Senate is a big deal. It matters to me. It matters to all of us.

A Republican-controlled House and Senate would make the last government shutdown look like a warm-up act. Mitch McConnell has made it clear: he'll use every trick in the book to undo the progress we've made in the past six years and hand over the keys to the millionaires, billionaires, and powerful interests.

And we'd face the very real possibility of an ultra-conservative Supreme Court with the power to overturn Roe v. Wade and turbocharge Citizens United.

We can win this—and keep fighting the good fight.

Can you chip in $3 now for MoveOn's all-out effort to save the Senate?

Yes, I'll chip in.

When a race is close—and this year, there are simply way too many nail-biters—voter turnout can be the game changer.

MoveOn knows how to motivate voters and volunteers are already making calls, with a quarter of a million calls made already. Now, we need to make sure MoveOn has the resources to finish the job.

With 8 million members, MoveOn.org is the largest independent, people-powered progressive organization in the nation. It doesn't accept big corporate gifts or foundation funding. Small gifts from hundreds of thousands of individual citizens allow MoveOn to remain bold and fearless—the way it should be. The way you and I need it to be.

We can do this. We can save the Senate. We're just going to have to fight as if the future of our nation depended on our victory.

Because it does.

Thanks for all you do.

–Senator Elizabeth Warren

Source:

1. "Senate Update: Democrats Draw Almost Even. Is It The Money?" FiveThirtyEight, September 15, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=300823&id=102284-10220574-ryQQi_x&t=1

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. Start a monthly donation here or chip in a one-time donation 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 September 30, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Monday, September 29, 2014

Koch brothers caught red handed

A Koch brothers front group has just been caught red-handed sending a mailing that could stop people from voting in one of the most important Senate races in the country.

Hi there—I wanted to make sure you saw Maria's urgent message from the other day.


ABC news reports that a Koch brothers' front group sent false voter registration information to hundreds of thousands of voters in North Carolina—a state that could decide control of the Senate.

Can you chip in $3 to help set the record straight and hold accountable the people responsible?

Chip in $3

Dear MoveOn member, 

In an election too close to call that could determine control of the U.S. Senate, ABC News reports that hundreds of thousands of voters have received grossly incorrect voter registration information in the mail from the Koch brothers' right-wing front group, Americans for Prosperity.1

Here's just some of what's in the mailing:

  • The wrong deadline for registering to vote—cutting the registration window short by five days, critical for working families.
  • The wrong office for questions on voter registration and the wrong zip code for turning in a voter registration form.
  • False information about how voters will be notified of their precinct after they register to vote.2 
This may be a felony—if the voter registration information is intentionally misleading and is found to discourage voters.3 And we're preparing for possible legal action to hold the Koch-funded perpetrators accountable.

Can you chip in $3 to help us launch an emergency, rapid-response campaign to stop North Carolina's Senate seat from being stolen?

Yes, I'll chip in to fight back against this outrageous mailing.

If we don't fight back now, this mailing could tip the scales in North Carolina—one of the handful of states that will decide if Republicans take control of the Senate. We can't let them get away with it.

At best, this is an egregious oversight that could mean thousands of eligible voters not registering to vote. At worst, it's a cynical move by a right-wing organization to disenfranchise Democratic voters and steal a Senate seat—and maybe even control of the entire U.S. Senate. In either scenario, it demands a response.

Our team spun into action as soon as this news broke, putting in motion possible legal action and contacting MoveOn members in North Carolina who may have received this mailing.

Now, we need your support if we're going to fight this injustice, set the record straight, and hold accountable the people responsible for deceiving voters.

Can you chip in $3 to help fight back?

Yes, I'll help educate voters and hold the people who sent this mailing accountable.

AFP's North Carolina director called the bad information his organization mailed out "non-substantive" and "minor administrative errors."4,5 So-called "minor errors"—that could disenfranchise thousands of people!

Whatever the story behind the faulty voter registration forms, the fact remains that there are likely hundreds of thousands of potential voters being handed false information about voting less than six weeks before a major election.

With sufficient funds, here's what we'll do to fight back:

  • We'll get ads on the radio and in community newspapers to give voters the correct information wherever the deceitful mailings were reported.
  • We'll prepare for possible legal action to hold the Koch-funded perpetrators accountable. If voter registration information is intentionally misleading and is found to discourage voters, providing that information could be a felony.
  • We'll organize MoveOn's awesome volunteers to call voters in North Carolina to make sure they understand the stakes of this election and have access to accurate information.
  • And we'll support voters in making their voices heard—to make this maneuver backfire. In 2012, when Republicans passed laws that turned voting into an obstacle course, some of the most affected communities—African Americans and Latinos—voted in greater numbers than in 2008, before voter suppression had become such a popular GOP tactic.6

We expect this campaign to cost around $80,000—and more if it becomes a legal battle. We expected we'd be fighting voter suppression this election season, and budgeted accordingly—but we never expected something this outrageous. That's why we're asking for your help right now.

Can you chip in $3 to help stop Americans for Prosperity, the Koch brothers, and the GOP from stealing the election?

Yes, I'll chip in to make sure this Senate seat isn't being stolen through dirty tricks.

Thanks for all you do.

–Maria, Victoria, Jo, Brian, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "Some North Carolina residents mailed incorrect voter registration information, ABC 11 Eyewitness News, September 26, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=300995&id=102232-10220574-elXYigx&t=1

2. "NC residents mailed incorrect voter registration information," The Raleigh News & Observer, September 25, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=300991&id=102232-10220574-elXYigx&t=3

3. "AFP says administrative errors behind mistakes in voter registration forms," The Raleigh News & Observer, September 26, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=300992&id=102232-10220574-elXYigx&t=4

4. Ibid.

5. "A Conservative Group Sent Voter Registration Information to a Cat," Time, September 26, 2014
https://time.com/3433411/afp-north-carolina-cat/

6. "How the GOP's War on Voting Backfired," The Nation, November 8, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=300993&id=102232-10220574-elXYigx&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. Start a monthly donation here or chip in a one-time donation 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 September 29, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Sunday, September 28, 2014

BREAKING: Koch scandal

A Koch brothers front group has just been caught red-handed sending a mailing that could stop people from voting in one of the most important Senate races in the country.
ABC news reports that a Koch brothers' front group sent false voter registration information to hundreds of thousands of voters in North Carolina—a state that could decide control of the Senate.

Can you chip in $3 to help set the record straight and hold accountable the people responsible?

Chip in $3

Dear MoveOn member, 

In an election too close to call that could determine control of the U.S. Senate, ABC News reports that hundreds of thousands of voters have received grossly incorrect voter registration information in the mail from the Koch brothers' right-wing front group, Americans for Prosperity.1

Here's just some of what's in the mailing:

  • The wrong deadline for registering to vote—cutting the registration window short by five days, critical for working families.
  • The wrong office for questions on voter registration and the wrong zip code for turning in a voter registration form.
  • False information about how voters will be notified of their precinct after they register to vote.2 
This may be a felony—if the voter registration information is intentionally misleading and is found to discourage voters.3 And we're preparing for possible legal action to hold the Koch-funded perpetrators accountable.

Can you chip in $3 to help us launch an emergency, rapid-response campaign to stop North Carolina's Senate seat from being stolen?

Yes, I'll chip in to fight back against this outrageous mailing.

If we don't fight back now, this mailing could tip the scales in North Carolina—one of the handful of states that will decide if Republicans take control of the Senate. We can't let them get away with it.

At best, this is an egregious oversight that could mean thousands of eligible voters not registering to vote. At worst, it's a cynical move by a right-wing organization to disenfranchise Democratic voters and steal a Senate seat—and maybe even control of the entire U.S. Senate. In either scenario, it demands a response.

Our team spun into action as soon as this news broke, putting in motion possible legal action and contacting MoveOn members in North Carolina who may have received this mailing.

Now, we need your support if we're going to fight this injustice, set the record straight, and hold accountable the people responsible for deceiving voters.

Can you chip in $3 to help fight back?

Yes, I'll help educate voters and hold the people who sent this mailing accountable.

AFP's North Carolina director called the bad information his organization mailed out "non-substantive" and "minor administrative errors."4,5 So-called "minor errors"—that could disenfranchise thousands of people!

Whatever the story behind the faulty voter registration forms, the fact remains that there are likely hundreds of thousands of potential voters being handed false information about voting less than six weeks before a major election.

With sufficient funds, here's what we'll do to fight back:

  • We'll get ads on the radio and in community newspapers to give voters the correct information wherever the deceitful mailings were reported.
  • We'll prepare for possible legal action to hold the Koch-funded perpetrators accountable. If voter registration information is intentionally misleading and is found to discourage voters, providing that information could be a felony.
  • We'll organize MoveOn's awesome volunteers to call voters in North Carolina to make sure they understand the stakes of this election and have access to accurate information.
  • And we'll support voters in making their voices heard—to make this maneuver backfire. In 2012, when Republicans passed laws that turned voting into an obstacle course, some of the most affected communities—African Americans and Latinos—voted in greater numbers than in 2008, before voter suppression had become such a popular GOP tactic.6

We expect this campaign to cost around $80,000—and more if it becomes a legal battle. We expected we'd be fighting voter suppression this election season, and budgeted accordingly—but we never expected something this outrageous. That's why we're asking for your help right now.

Can you chip in $3 to help stop Americans for Prosperity, the Koch brothers, and the GOP from stealing the election?

Yes, I'll chip in to make sure this Senate seat isn't being stolen through dirty tricks.

Thanks for all you do.

–Maria, Victoria, Jo, Brian, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "Some North Carolina residents mailed incorrect voter registration information, ABC 11 Eyewitness News, September 26, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=300995&id=102170-10220574-jIwdGgx&t=1

2. "NC residents mailed incorrect voter registration information," The Raleigh News & Observer, September 25, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=300991&id=102170-10220574-jIwdGgx&t=3

3. "AFP says administrative errors behind mistakes in voter registration forms," The Raleigh News & Observer, September 26, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=300992&id=102170-10220574-jIwdGgx&t=4

4. Ibid.

5. "A Conservative Group Sent Voter Registration Information to a Cat," Time, September 26, 2014
https://time.com/3433411/afp-north-carolina-cat/

6. "How the GOP's War on Voting Backfired," The Nation, November 8, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=300993&id=102170-10220574-jIwdGgx&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. Start a monthly donation here or chip in a one-time donation 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 September 28, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

We've seen the Republicans' playbook

If we're going to beat the GOP despite their dirty tricks to keep voters from the polls—like a Koch brothers front group mailing the wrong voter information to hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians this week—then we need to double the pace of our phone calls to progressive voters. Can you sign up to call from home and help us meet our goal of making 300,000 calls this week?

Yes, I'll Call from Home

Dear MoveOn member,

It's as if the Republicans are showing us a chapter out of their playbook right now.

Here's how it goes:

1. First, pass a slew of discriminatory voter ID laws to keep likely Democratic voters home. So far, they've done this in 31 states.1

2. Then, in states where the anti-voting laws are challenged, rely on panels of federal judges appointed by Republican presidents to re-instate them. That's what happened this month when two judges appointed by President Bush, and one by President Reagan, made a late ruling that Wisconsin's voter ID law could be enacted this year.2

3. And lastly—perhaps the GOP's most sinister play—send misleading mail that fools residents into sending their voter registration applications to the wrong address. This play was uncovered just this week in North Carolina where it seems the Koch brothers' front group Americans for Prosperity is pulling out all the stops to unseat Senator Kay Hagan—even if it means hundreds of thousands of residents are prevented from voting.3

We already knew we were up against a lot this November—but if we ever needed a reminder, Republicans have certainly given us one.

The only way to overcome their tactics is by sheer people power. We need more people making more calls to make sure more progressive voters show up on Election Day. MoveOn members have already made 300,000 calls since kicking off our Voters Rising campaign two weeks ago. Now, we need to double our pace.

We've set a goal of making our next 300,000 calls this week—can you help by signing up today to make calls from your home? 

Yes, I'll sign up to call from home this week.

As for North Carolina, some people will try to tell you that the mailings sent out by AFP were an innocent mistake—that it's easy to get information mixed up. But here's the truth: AFP had spent more than $7 million by February running the worst kind of attack ads against Sen. Hagan.4

If they could pay that much to buy up expensive airtime on television—nine months before the election—then they could pay to make sure their mailings didn't have misleading information.

There are two possibilities here: AFP either meant to send those mailings with the wrong information, or they don't care enough about the potential consequences to pay to get it right. Neither is acceptable.

MoveOn is investigating every option possible to counter the ill effects of AFP's schemes in North Carolina—and we're doing the same in Wisconsin and other states under right-wing attack.

However, the single most important action that MoveOn members can take together in the next six weeks is to help win these critical elections and stop the Republican playbook from working.

We can do it if we hit our goal of making 5 million calls—but we have to double our pace. So can you sign up to make calls from home this week?

Yes, I'll sign up to make calls this week.

Thanks for all you do.

–Matt, Ben O., Joan, Nick, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "2014 Voter ID Laws," Long Distance Voter, September 16, 2014
http://www.longdistancevoter.org/2014-voter-id-laws

2. "Appeals Court Reinstates Wisconsin's Voter ID Law," Associated Press, September 12, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=301007&id=102165-10220574-DUuV9cx&t=4

3. "NC residents mailed incorrect voter registration information" The News & Observer, September 25, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=301010&id=102165-10220574-DUuV9cx&t=5

4. "Americans for Prosperity has already spent $7 million on ads against Kay Hagan. No, that's not a typo." The Washington Post, March 31, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=301008&id=102165-10220574-DUuV9cx&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. Start a monthly donation here or chip in a one-time donation 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 September 28, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Saturday, September 27, 2014

President Obama: Stand up to Big Oil and stop exploding oil trains!

Hi there—Next week, our friends at ForestEthics will be delivering this petition to President Obama. After accidents in North Dakota, Virginia, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Washington, Maine, Vermont, New York, and Lac-Mégantic, Ontario—the last of which involved a train owned by a U.S.-based railroad company and claimed the lives of 47 people—it's now clearer than ever that it is time for the Department of Transportation and President Obama to draft new safety regulations. Add your name to their petition before it is delivered next week.—Maria

Dear New York MoveOn member,

I'm Ashley Allison of the organization ForestEthics, and I started a petition to Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and President Barack Obama, which says:

Over the last several years, the oil and rail industries have brought the growing threat of hazardous, flammable oil trains into the Main Streets and downtowns of millions of North Americans.

The Department of Transportation's new draft safety rules on the rail transport of extremely volatile and flammable crude oil must be strong and enforceable, and protect all people—not Big Oil's profits.

The streets were a "river of fire" and "the whole sky was burning."1, That's how citizens of Lac-Mégantic, Canada described the scene after an oil. train derailed and exploded in their downtown last summer. 47 people died that night.2 

The Obama Administration is accepting public comments until September 30 on its new proposed oil train regulations. These new rules are not nearly strong enough and actually protect Big Oil's profits, while sacrificing the safety of threatened communities and the environment. After a record year of oil trains exploding, derailing, and spilling, it's time to stand up to Big Oil before the next disaster strikes. 

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

Thanks!

Ashley Allison

Sources:

1. "Last moments of Lac-Mégantic: Survivors share their stories," The Globe and Mail, August 19, 2014 
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=300969&id=102065-10220574-JCdkUbx&t=4

2. "'The Whole Sky Was Burning': A Lac-Mégantic Resident Recalls the Tragedy," Time, July 12, 2013 
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=300970&id=102065-10220574-JCdkUbx&t=5

2. "Last Lac-Mégantic Victims May Be ID'd By Special DNA Testing," The Huffington Post, October 06, 2013 
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=300971&id=102065-10220574-JCdkUbx&t=6

This petition was created on MoveOn's online petition site, where anyone can start their own online petitions. ForestEthics 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. Start a monthly donation here or chip in a one-time donation here.


This email was sent to eddie alfaro on September 27, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Friday, September 26, 2014

Hilarious: Kochs can't believe you exist

This is hilarious: Secret recordings just surfaced of the Koch brothers' top lawyer being totally perplexed about how MoveOn operates.
The Koch brothers' lawyer can't believe that MoveOn is powered by an army of grassroots members like you. So we're getting ready to deliver a cheeky card to Koch Industries General Counsel Mark Holden proving you do exist.

Will you add your name to the card? It says: "We are here. We exist! And our democracy is not for sale.
"

Sign the Card

Dear MoveOn member,

This is hilarious: Secret recordings just surfaced of the Koch brothers' top lawyer being totally perplexed about how MoveOn operates.

Koch Industries General Counsel Mark Holden was, according to The Huffington Post, "unable to believe that a bottom-up group like MoveOn could raise as much money as it does."1

The Kochs and their friends apparently can't believe a truly people-powered organization like MoveOn exists. Their political world is so dominated by billionaires that they literally can't imagine a genuine grassroots organization with millions of average Americans as members—and hundreds of thousands of $5, $50, and $500 donations each year.

But that's exactly who we are.

Would you join me in having a little fun with this—by proving real MoveOn members DO exist? There are millions of us—including you! We'd like to deliver a card to Koch Industries with your name on it. The card says: "We are here. We exist! And our democracy is not for sale."
Let's set the record straight. Our average member's yearly donation is just over $41. We don't accept any corporate donations. No huge checks. No money that ties our hands. And nothing from special interests.

Last year, the MoveOn 1%—the one percent of MoveOn members who donated the most to MoveOn—donated an average of $330 each. That's as opposed to the hundreds of millions of dollars that the Koch brothers themselves will spend this year. There are literally hundreds of thousands of MoveOn members, nationwide, who donate just a few dollars when they can to help fuel our work.

Whether it's $5, $50, or $500, it's these small-dollar donations that keep us independent, keep us strong, and help us build a more just political system—and a more just country, together.

The Kochs should be surprised by how strong we are. And after our work together in this election, countering the corrupting influence of right-wing, big-money donors, they oughta be a little scared, too. Would you sign our card, and help us have a little fun with this?

Click here to sign our card today—and have a little fun with this amazing story.

Thanks for all you do.

–Victoria, Anna, Justin K., Ben O., and the rest of the team

Source:

1. "Koch Brothers' Real Fear Revealed In Secret Audio: Liberal Money," The Huffington Post, September 9, 2014  
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=300752&id=102038-10220574-p7vSm%3Dx&t=4

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 September 26, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Thursday, September 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.

–Maria, Milan, Corinne, Ben O., and the rest of the team

P.S. If you get 10 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 September 25, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

This breakthrough could change the election

Since I announced a new "secret weapon" breakthrough that could help stop Republicans from taking over the Senate, the response from MoveOn members has been enormous.
Our new voter contact program can be six times more effective at reaching voters than it was in 2012.

But scaling this up into a huge, national program to make 5 million calls to voters is going to cost $550,000. Can you chip in to help fund this?


Chip in $3

Dear MoveOn member,

Since I announced a new "secret weapon" breakthrough that could help stop Republicans from taking over the Senate just a few days ago, two incredible things have happened.

One: MoveOn members responded strongly to this plan, contributing over $150,000 in small-dollar donations to fund this "secret weapon."

Two: Polls have continued to tighten.1 Control of the Senate is going to come down to a few percentage points in a handful of states. In real terms, this means that engaging small fraction of voters in targeted areas can make a huge difference.

So we've made a decision: We're launching the gold standard version of our elections program. We know that this secret weapon could be a game changer in November—the most effective way to spend our resources targeting the critical voters for Election Day.

But now we need to raise another $400,000 to fully fund it.

Can you chip in $3 to help make sure we don't have to scale back or pull the plug?

Yes, I'll help fund this breakthrough program.

Let's look at some numbers.

Our volunteers' calls can be six times more effective at turning out voters than calls made in 2012.

If this seems like a quantum leap in effectiveness—well, it is. By stacking technology, targeting innovations, and using social science research, we're running a program that has never been run before. We're using a tool that will let our volunteers—MoveOn members like you—make three times as many calls per hour as 2012's tools. Our innovation in voter targeting will make our calls twice as effective. And there you go: six times more effective than 2012, when we helped re-elect President Obama.

Campaigns aren't defined by turnout and technology alone. But when a campaign is close—and we're seeing toss-up Senate races across key states—turnout and technology can account for a shift of several percentage points. And that's all we need to save the American people from a Republican Senate.

MoveOn members are already making calls—100,000 just last week. Our plan is to make 5 million calls to targeted voters in key states. But to ramp up our program the way we need to over the next six weeks, we need $550,000—and we aren't there yet. 

Can you chip in to help scale up our gold-standard program nationally?

Yes, I'll chip in $3.

A Republican Senate could block the president's judicial nominees, roll back gains on carbon regulation, cut access to affordable healthcare, and generally tie the federal government in knots.

We can't let that happen.

This is a numbers game. Five million calls over six weeks. A tool six times as effective as 2012. A small fraction of voters across just a handful of states who will determine control of the Senate.

The key number now: the $550,000 we need to raise. We've raised the first $150,000 already. We know we can do this. And we know we have to.

The decision to scale up our big program now is nerve-racking. But Election Day is only 40 days away. We had to make a decision on how big to go. And, with strong MoveOn member support so far, we decided to go all-in.

The good news is that, if the level of support we've seen so far keeps up, we won't have to scale back our approach. But that's true only if MoveOn members are willing to keep supporting the program consistently, from now through Election Day.

Will you chip in $3 to help us scale up this program nationally and keep it going through Election Day?

Yes, I'll help MoveOn scale up this program and keep it going.

Thanks for all you do.

–Ilya, Milan, Erica, Manny, and the rest of the team

P.S. Your contribution doesn't have to be huge. If there's any way you can swing a contribution right now—of any size—then I hope you'll be a part of this.

Click here if you can help out.


Source:

1. "Senate Update: Democrats Draw Almost Even. Is It The Money?" FiveThirtyEight, September 15, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=300823&id=101935-10220574-uEaAKyx&t=2

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

Are we doing the GOP's bidding?

"MoveOn members swing 2014 midterms to Mitch McConnell and the GOP"
Here's a blunt fact: We're behind on this week's calling goal, and if we don't step up now to stay on pace, we're likely handing this election to Mitch McConnell and the GOP. Can you help us meet our goal of 175,000 calls this week by talking to progressive voters in key states—from your home—to help get them to the polls? 

Yes, I'll Call from Home!

Dear MoveOn member,

"MoveOn members swing 2014 midterms to Mitch McConnell and the GOP."

What?! That statement may come off as outlandish, but the possibility of it becoming reality keeps us up at night. Of course, MoveOn members don't want McConnell and crew taking over the U.S. Senate—they'd subject America to a parade of horrible for the foreseeable future.

But let's be candid: Our actions, together, will speak louder than words, and if progressives aren't turning out to vote—and bringing our friends with us—then we're basically doing Mitch McConnell's bidding. 

So if you gasped, did a double take, or let out a resounding "No!" when you read that first line, then let's talk about what it'll take to make sure it never comes true.

MoveOn members set out to make 5 million calls to progressive voters before Election Day—it's the most important thing we can do together right now to play our part in saving the Senate. But we haven't gotten enough folks signed up for call shifts for the remainder of this week to keep us on pace.

It's time for an intervention.

Thursday and Saturday HAVE to be big days for our Voters Rising campaign, before we end up too deep in a hole to climb out.

Can you give just a couple of hours this Thursday or Saturday to make calls that get progressive voters to the polls?

American politics have become so predictable that there's one thing we know for sure: If a candidate has the full backing of the Tea Party-funding, government-bashing Koch brothers, then they're likely on the wrong side of every issue progressives care about.

That's true of our opponents in both Iowa and Kentucky.

Joni Ernst, running in Iowa against progressive champ Bruce Braley, supports eliminating the federal minimum wage, backs an anti-gay amendment to the Constitution, and supports privatizing Social Security.1 She also personally thanked the Koch brothers and friends for jump-starting her political career.2

Mitch McConnell—well, really, what more needs to be said about him? He's adamantly opposed to any efforts to curb corruption in our elections, and has promised to shut down the government—repeatedly, if necessary—to make President Obama abandon more progressive values in the name of politics.3

We know you don't really want to see Mitch McConnell or Joni Ernst win this November, but right now our side isn't doing nearly enough to make sure Republicans don't take control of the Senate—especially in light of their voter ID laws and other tactics designed to squash the progressive and liberal votes this fall.

We might have six weeks before Election Day, but every day that we're not calling progressive voters and getting them to commit to showing up is a missed opportunity that we can't get back.

So will you help us save the Senate from a Republican takeover and sign up to make calls to progressive voters—from your home—at an upcoming shift?

Yes, I'll sign up to make calls from home and help save the Senate.

Remember, you can actually participate from anywhere you have Internet access and a cell phone. And if you're nimble enough with your smartphone, you can use that alone to call voters, read scripts, and report your conversations all at the same time.

There's no reason to sit this one out—what happens in 2014 will have implications until at least 2020. We—MoveOn members—have to step up.

Thanks for all you do.

–Matt, Corinne, Mark, Ben W., and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "Iowa's Ernst sees federal minimum-wage law as 'ridiculous,'" MSNBC, August 26, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=300523&id=101925-10220574-e6C3KZx&t=4

2. "At Koch Retreat, Top GOP Senate Candidates Credited Koch Network For Their Rise," The Huffington Post, August 27, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=300494&id=101925-10220574-e6C3KZx&t=5

3. "Secret audio nails Mitch! Endangered McConnell busted humiliating himself on tape," Salon, August 27, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=300501&id=101925-10220574-e6C3KZx&t=6

"McConnell's plan to shut down Obama," Politico, August 20, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=300404&id=101925-10220574-e6C3KZx&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.


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

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

EPA: Climate change solutions cannot include fracking

Dear MoveOn member,

I'm actor and activist Mark Ruffalo, and I started a petition along with the organization Food & Water Watch to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy and President Barack Obama, which says:

Climate change is the issue of our time, so we support your decision to take executive action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, the window to save our planet from climate catastrophe is rapidly closing. Therefore, any action taken must be swift and meaningful.

The proposed EPA power plant rules set inadequate targets, fail to aggressively promote renewable energy, and by encouraging the expanded use of natural gas from fracking could actually make matters worse. Methane, the main ingredient of natural gas, is 86 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide over 20 years—the time frame most critical for preventing climate catastrophe. Furthermore, the best science now tells us that methane emissions that occur during extraction, processing, and transport make natural gas as bad as coal.

Simply put, we cannot solve the climate crisis if most of our energy still comes from fossil fuels. Fracked gas is not a “bridge.” It’s a gangplank to disaster. Instead of replacing one climate-killing fossil fuel with another, we urge you to adopt a rule that makes the necessary bold and rapid switch to renewables. Ours and future generations depend on it.

The EPA has released draft rules to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants, a centerpiece of President Obama's Climate Action Plan. While executive action is necessary given the failure of Congress to act, the proposed rules fail to deliver the meaningful change promised by the president. 

The rules set weak targets. Scientists warn that immediate, deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions are essential to prevent a global temperature rise of more than 2 degrees Celsius, beyond which the worst impacts of climate change cannot be avoided.1 However, by moving the starting point for measurements to 2005, the rules assume dubious credit for transitory reductions that occurred because of economic recession. Compared to 1990 levels—the internationally recognized standard for measuring reductions—the rule would not lower total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions at all. 

Addressing only carbon dioxide emissions from combustion, the proposed rules encourage states to burn natural gas instead of coal for electricity. However, methane is 86 times worse than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas over 20 years—the most critical period during which scientists say bold action must be taken to prevent climate disaster.2 

Simply put, we cannot solve the climate crisis if most of our energy still comes from fossil fuels. Fracked gas is not a "bridge." It's a gangplank to disaster.

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

Thanks!

–Mark Ruffalo

Sources:

1. Below 2 degrees C or 1.5 degrees C, Climate Action Tracker, June 4, 2014-revised June 7, 2014. 
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=300926&id=101870-10220574-6jMXLRx&t=1 

2. "A Bridge to Nowhere: Methane Emissions and the Greenhouse Gas Footprint of Natural Gas," Energy Science & Engineering, April 2014.
 
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ese3.35/pdf 

This petition was created on MoveOn's online petition site, where anyone can start their own online petitions. Food and Water Watch 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.


This email was sent to eddie alfaro on September 23, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Monday, September 22, 2014

Corruption in 30 seconds

Are you interested in creating your own 30-second video about the issue of money in politics? We'll give the top ads national exposure to make sure this issue is raised this election season.

Submit Your Video!
Dear MoveOn member— 

Your mission, should you choose to accept it: Make a 30-second ad to wake up America to the crisis of big money in our politics.

The scale of the problem is clear. The corporate wing of the Supreme Court under Chief Justice Roberts keeps insisting that money is speech and corporations are people. Shadowy, unregulated front groups are pouring unprecedented amounts of money into elections. Right-wing billionaires like the Koch brothers have been able to effectively buy politicians and policies that benefit their bottom line.

So today, we're partnering with MAYDAY.US on a special video contest—#MAYDAYin30. All MoveOn members are invited to submit 30-second original videos on the issue of money in politics. I am honored to be joining a tremendous team of celebrity judges—including actor/activist George Takei, comedian Baratunde Thurston, actor Jason Alexander, iconic street artist Shepard Fairey, and others—to review the top submissions. And we'll give national exposure to the best ads.
  
Now, all we need is you. 

Are you interested in creating your own 30-second video about the issue of money in politics? Whether you're definitely interested or need time to think about it, let us know—we'll keep you in the loop as the contest proceeds.

Will you click here to learn more about the contest, and get ready to submit your video?

#MAYDAYin30 is being run by our friends at MAYDAY.US, an organization that is driving the discussion of money in politics to the heart of this year's elections. Back in July, more than 6,000 MoveOn members pitched in to help MAYDAY hit its ambitious goals and launch this new "Super PAC to end Super PACs." MAYDAY's approach is to support a cross-partisan array of candidates who are willing to make campaign finance reform a central tenet of their campaigns.

Many candidates claim they want to change the way elections are funded—but assume that voters won't hold them to this promise. This video contest can help change that.

If our videos are powerful, memorable, funny, moving, provocative, and persuasive enough, they can become an antidote to—and welcome relief from—the mind-numbing ads politicians run throughout their campaigns, as well as motivation to hold politicians accountable on Election Day.

We believe that Americans have an important story to tell about money in politics—your 30-second video can help us share that story.

Join the video contest—learn how or share your video now.

In 2004, MoveOn ran the "Bush in 30 Seconds" campaign—the results were 300 videos, many of them brilliant, that gave our members a creative way of engaging in the campaign. We tried to run the winning ad during the Super Bowl, but the network censored us. The controversy and coverage that followed, according to Kathleen Hall Jamieson, dean of the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, may have made our video "the ad that achieved the most air time with the least dollars expended of any ad in the history of the republic."1

We expanded on this work, in 2008, when we launched a new contest with the help of Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and John Legend: "Obama in 30 Seconds."

So we're back at it—looking for videos that can drive the debate. We know MoveOn members have a lot to say about money in politics—#MAYDAYin30 is that opportunity.

Submit your video today—or submit several videos! The more the merrier. Your computer, phone, and camera are the only tools you need to share your story. We're ready to watch and listen.

Thanks for all you do.

–Anna, Ilya, Nick, Justin, and the rest of the MoveOn team

P.S. You know we like raising money to run hard-hitting, values-driven, memorable ads, right? Well, if any of these ads are the right fit, we'll test them out—and if they work, maybe the next ad we'll raise money to air will be YOURS! 

Source:

1. "Censored at the Super Bowl," Newsweek, January 29, 2004   
http://www.newsweek.com/censored-super-bowl-125799

 

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

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Republicans are trying to rig the vote. Will you fight back?

If Republicans can't count on your vote, they'd rather you not be counted at all! Will you sign up to call progressive voters in key states this week and help get them to the polls? 

Yes, I'll call from home!

Dear MoveOn member,

In America, voting is supposed to bring us all together and make us equal as citizens of our great democracy. The right to choose our leaders is at the heart of what it means to be an American.

Try telling that to the Republican Party these days.

For the worst examples of anti-voting tactics designed to rig the system in favor of Republicans, look no further than Thom Tillis of North Carolina—a state criticized as "First in Voter Suppression" when he was leading the GOP-controlled state house.1 Or Republican officials in Iowa, where voter suppression schemes have run the gamut from illegal voter purges to anti-voting voter ID restrictions.2

It's outrageous. But here's how to fight back and make their anti-voting attempts backfire: get out the vote! This week, we're calling progressive voters in key states—including North Carolina and Iowa—to make sure they turn out at the polls.

Will you sign up today to call voters in these states this week—from your home?

Yes, I'll make calls from home.

No, I can't make calls, but I'll chip in $3.

It's no mystery why Republican politicians are trying to make voting harder. They're trying to run on deeply unpopular and irresponsible ideas—so they're targeting the very voters they think will support their Democratic opponents. It's insulting and disrespectful to our Constitution when they undermine the fundamental freedom at the heart of it.

These GOP schemes include requiring specific kinds of ID that they know many people just don't have because it takes time and money to get them.3 Taking away early voting opportunities. Hindering voter registration drives. And of course, pushing the fraud of "voter fraud."4

They're all designed with one goal in mind: if Republicans can't count on your vote, they'd rather you not be counted at all!

MoveOn members are fighting back. This Tuesday, on National Voter Registration Day, we'll be promoting the importance of being a voter—especially this fall with control of the U.S. Senate hanging in the balance.5 We'll also be reminding Iowa voters that Thursday is the first day when they can vote in person by absentee ballot.6

And this week, MoveOn members are making calls to get out the vote in key states where voting rights are under threat, including North Carolina and Iowa. They're also the states with close races where the outcomes could swing control of the U.S. Senate to the GOP.

Will you lend a hand this week by signing up to make calls from your home—or anywhere you have an Internet connection and a phone? 

Yes, I'll make calls from home.

No, I can't make calls, but I'll chip in $3.

It's bad enough when Republicans try to rewrite our laws to favor powerful corporate interests and the wealthiest few bankrolling their political campaigns. Koch brothers ring a bell? But it's especially galling that these politicians want to rig the vote, too—so that the system stays rigged in their favor.

This is our chance to make Republicans' attempts to cheat backfire. It's simple: we'll get out the votes of the Americans they wish weren't voting at all.

Thanks for all you do.

–Matt, Corinne, Mark, Ben W., and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "North Carolina: First in Voter Suppression," The New York Times, July 26, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=300888&id=101758-10220574-I_BXgmx&t=4

2. "Iowa's Republican Secretary of State Just Proved That Voter ID Laws Are Unnecessary," ThinkProgress, May 9, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=300891&id=101758-10220574-I_BXgmx&t=5

3. "The Challenge of Obtaining Voter Identification," Brennan Center for Justice, July 18, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=300861&id=101758-10220574-I_BXgmx&t=6

4. "Myth of Voter Fraud," Brennan Center for Justice, accessed September 21, 2014
http://www.brennancenter.org/issues/voter-fraud

5. National Voter Registration Day, website accessed September 21, 2014
http://www.nationalvoterregistrationday.org/

6. "General Election—November 4, 2014," Iowa Secretary of State, accessed September 21, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=300892&id=101758-10220574-I_BXgmx&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.


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