We helped push
the Senate to take a historic vote declaring that money isn't speech. Now, we're on the air in Maine against Susan Collins,
who sided with big corporations:
And we're launching a big push targeting Mitch McConnell in
Kentucky. It's just the beginning of our accountability campaign against senators who stood with corporations over the
public. Can you chip in to fund it and keep it going?
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Dear Aaron,
The Senate just took a historic step: A 54-42 majority
voted "yes" on overturning Citizens United.
It's momentous: A majority of senators declared they were ready for a constitutional amendment stating that money isn't speech.1
But every single Republican senator opposed this amendment. Every single one!
From far-right ideologues like Ted Cruz—to Koch-bought obstructionists like Mitch McConnell—to "moderates"
like Susan Collins.2
Today, we're holding them accountable. We're already up with a TV ad in Maine against "moderate" Susan Collins
for her extreme position.
Can you pitch in $3 to
turn up the heat on vulnerable Republican senators who opposed getting money out of politics and are up for re-election this
fall?
There were two different visions of the problem debated which showcased two very different visions of what it means to live
in a democracy.
On the one hand, we heard Senator Elizabeth Warren warn that "when 32 people can outspend 3.7 million citizens, our
democracy is in real danger."3
What she said made me angry—how did this happen in our country? It also inspired me—this is one of the most important
fights in our generation. We are making progress. It won't be easy, and it won't happen overnight. But we can win.
On the other hand, I heard Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, Chief Protector of the Status Quo. He's a gifted orator, but even he
can't have really believed his over-the-top claim that "a little old lady" putting a sign on her lawn is the same
as a multibillion-dollar international corporation pouring its company coffers into electing its preferred candidates.4
He also wrongly claimed that Saturday Night Live would be prohibited from producing
political satire if this amendment passed.5
I had to laugh when I heard all this. But his words inspired me too, in a different way. Ted
Cruz is a standard-bearer for the Republican Party—an increasingly backward, out-of-touch minority who unanimously
sided with corporations over the public good. And now, we need to act to build momentum until senators like him are pushed
out of the way—or out of the Senate.
Senator Warren: We're with you! And Senator Cruz: Corporations aren't people, money isn't
speech, and a little old lady with a yard sign isn't the problem.
This is a clear issue: 80% of Americans—Democrats, Independents, and Republicans—want to see less corporate
money in our elections.6 MoveOn members have been tapping into that energy, calling senators, showing up at
their offices, and making sure the media is paying attention.
Just a few weeks ago, yesterday's vote would have been unimaginable. But our members helped force fence-sitters to pick
a side and forced the Senate to take up this issue.
Over 180,000 MoveOn members signed Senator Bernie Sanders'
petition in support of this vote. MoveOn members generated
a blitz of phone calls that pushed fence-sitters in the Democratic Party onto the right side of history. In the 36 hours
before the vote, we made 2,500 phone calls.
And MoveOn donors chipped in over $200,000 over the past few weeks. We're putting that to immediate use: We're up on TV in
Maine, calling out "moderate" Republican Susan Collins for taking an extreme position on this vote. And today—to
hold Mitch McConnell accountable—we're participating in a media event with allies and preparing billboards.
That's the beginning. But there's much more to do. While a majority of senators voted to support overturning Citizens United
yesterday, 60 votes were needed to advance the measure, and 67 votes are needed to authorize a constitutional amendment.
It's going to be a long fight—but we're in it for the long haul. We've already made Washington take notice. Help us
keep up the pressure through the election and beyond.
This issue isn't going away. And until we have real action to overturn Citizens United, neither is this campaign.
Thanks for all you do.
–Mark, Alejandro, Justin K., Kate, and the rest of the team
Sources:
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 Aaron Leitch on September 12, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.