Tell your US Rep. and two US Senators no blank checks for Wall Street donors

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From: Public Campaign Action Fund

Your Bill Comes to $700 Billion

The New York Stock Exchange's opening bell sends shivers down the spines of all Americans as we consider the fate of the nation's largest banks and brokerages. Years of easy credit, sub-prime lending, and market deregulation have led us to what may be the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. What is Congress doing? Debating a taxpayer-financed bailout for the people who got us into this mess. You can be sure that they are remembering the well over $5 billion the finance, insurance, and real estate firms have poured into campaign contributions and lobbying since 1990. What can we do?

Tell Congress in no uncertain terms: no blank checks for Wall Street donors. The American people can't afford a special interest bailout.

Where's the bailout for people who were taken advantage of by predatory lenders and have now lost their homes? How about a law that caps the sky-high interest rates banks can charge on your credit card? Can we limit the "golden parachute" for the execs who walk away from the bankrupt bank? Sorry, no. The average American failed to write big checks to candidates for office, or attend those lavish fundraisers to bump elbows with members of Congress.

Congress is bailing out their friends on Wall Street and sticking us with the bill. Tell them enough is enough: no blank check bailout for their biggest donors.

If a bailout needs to happen, then make it come with strict provisions for regulation and oversight, and consequences for those executives and investors who fiddled while our financial security burned. Most importantly, include benefits for ordinary taxpayers in the bargain -- like full public financing of elections.

It's almost sickening that Congress has accepted $2 billion from Wall Street bigwigs and other wealthy special interests to finance their campaigns. Let's give our elected officials a choice: they can either continue to accept big money from Wall Street bigwigs and big money special interests or qualify for a grant by showing broad based community support. We can do this by passing the Fair Elections Now Act that is modeled on the Clean Elections programs working in seven states and two cities. Clean Elections gets candidates off the fundraising treadmill and makes them accountable to one interest and one interest only: the voters.

Thank you,
David Donnelly

P.S. Each day makes it more clear how desperately we need to pass Clean Elections laws in Congress. Help us keep up our fight with a donation today.

>All Things Reform Mobile: allthingsreform.mofuse.mobi >Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 (not toll-free) >US House/Senate Mobile: bit.ly/members >Contact your reps tips: bit.ly/dear >Shortened All Things Reform URL: bit.ly/dw

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Sign the Voters First Pledge at Public Campaign Action Fund, for volunteer public financing of federal elections

Public Campaign Action Fund is running a Voter Pledge drive for clean elections for federal candidates. Clean elections is another term for volunteer public financing of candidate campaigns. It can save the candidates from "dialing for dollars" every day in order to keep their campaign money flowing; this allows them to focus their time and energy on their important issues they want to share with the voters.

Please sign the 2008 Voters First Pledge right now, at Public Campaign-- you can help increase the pressure on lawmakers and candidates to back this needed reform. Thank you

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Participate in Fair Elections Action Week Monday April 14 to Friday April 18, 2008

The Fair Elections Now Coalition, a group of six public interest groups, is organizing this year's Fair Elections Action Week, which is Monday, April 14th to Friday, April 18. It will promote the Fair Elections Now Act (FENA) (S.1285) now being legislated in the US Senate. FENA would bring full public financing of elections to the US Senate.

Again, the dedicated web site for Fair Elections Action Week is at http://www.fairelectionsnow.org/. Learn what you can do now, by downloading their activist toolkit. Activists are encouraged to participate locally, across this great nation. Bookmark the site to keep up with the latest updates! Thank you

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Sign the letter to presidential candidate John McCain for public financing of elections

Public Campaign Action Fund has written a letter to US Senator and Republican presidential candidate John McCain, and they'd like us to sign onto it. The letter emphasizes the importance of two bills currently being legislated that would introduce and strengthen public financing of congressional and presidential races, effective in 2009. They are the Fair Elections Now Act (S.1285) and the Presidential Funding Act (S.436).

It is a great opportunity for Sen. McCain to return to his long celebrated reform issues and support these public financing bills. Democratic presidential candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton have co-sponsored them already.

Sign onto Public Campaign's online letter now, then spread the word! The more signatures of Americans fed up with special interest big money in federal campaigns, the more influential the letter to McCain will be! Thanks!

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Tell your two US Senators to vote YES on Fair Elections

It's now time again to contact your two US Senators and ask them to vote YES for public financing of congressional campaigns. A bill addresses this, called The Fair Elections Now Act (S.1285). Fair Elections is a major campaign finance reform issue, and passing it would undercut alot of questions relating to legislators' possible favoring of their private campaign contributors.

You can reach your senators through Yahoo! CapWiz, or, you can call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121. Thank you!

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Change Congress aims to bring reform candidates to congressional office

Change Congress is now open for business! Founded by Lawrence Lessig and Joe Trippi, Change Congress aims to find, debate with and win over congressional candidates on several reform issues. Citizens can get involved right away, by pledging their support for this cause, finding candidates in their districts, and asking them to pledge their support for these reforms. Join now!

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A look at clean elections in action

Candidates, and ultimately voters, are already enjoying clean elections in Maine. The first state in the nation to bring this campaign finance reform to state offices, it has been successfully administered since 1996. This local newspaper story is about a current state representative candidate- what qualifies him for the program, and how he is free from big money from special interests as reflected by his campaign issues and work.

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Watch video on public financing of elections

John Rauh, founder of Americans for Campaign Reform (Just $6) interviews best-selling author Frances Moore Lappe in an entertaining video about public financing of elections, or, as some call it, "clean elections".

Presently, this video clip is not picked up by users of the Firefox browser.
UPDATE: A commenter notified us that video works on Firefox. Thanks for letting us know!

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Look for possibly big money commercials by nonprofits later this election season

According to a Feb. 25th Mother Jones article, a shift of major campaign funds from candidates and parties to individuals will take place later this election season. And 501(c)(4) nonprofit organizations may have a say on what commercials will be aired right before the November general elections.

Even if the two eventual major party presidential candidates accept the public financing system for their general election campaigns this fall, they will have little say or control over people outside their campaigns advertising for or against them costing millions of dollars.

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Let we, the people finance our next president's candidacy

I have just submitted a letter to the editor to my local newspaper, the Abilene (TX) Reporter-News. It's about Clean Elections-- public financing in light of super duper Tuesday primaries coming next week. I don't know if they'll publish it in time, as it's only several days away.

Super Duper Tuesday will include presidential primaries for 20 states on February 5th. It will require a large coffer of funds from each of the remaining candidates in order to reach all of the voters across the widely dispersed states that include California and New York. The best way to handle this is Clean Elections-- public financing of elections supplies a central fund provided by the U.S. taxpayer. It will not give amounts in favor of some candidates over others, thus leaving the issues the main focus of the campaign trail. Wouldn't it be nice to keep special interest money out of the campaign of our future leader? Clean elections leave the candidates free for speaking openly, and not for begging for dollars.

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Where do the Republican presidential candidates stand?

All of the Democratic candidates for president support public financing of elections. We see Republicans supporting public financing in Congress and state legislatures all over the country. How about the Republican presidential candidates?

The presidential "bully pulpit" can move Congress on issues, especially in the new president's first months in office. Let's ask those Republicans still in the primaries where they stand. Public Citizen, a public interest organization promoting Clean Elections, is running a campaign to do just that:

The Republican candidates talk about changing Washington but have refused -- so far -- to support policies that bite the hands that feed their campaigns.

Tell the GOP presidential candidates that real change means supporting policies that put voters ahead of big money in presidential and congressional elections.

After we collect signatures on this petition, we'll fax each of the Republican presidential candidates a letter on February 4th, the day before Super Tuesday on February 5th, to urge them to support public financing.

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Tell the FEC NO on this Friday's ruling about presidential public financing

Public Campaign has issued a letter to the FEC (Federal Election Commission) concerning the public financing of presidential elections. The FEC is considering a ruling that would prevent some small-dollar donations given through the web from triggering public matching funds for candidates who have opted into the system.

The FEC vote for this is scheduled for this Friday, December 14. Public Campaign urges us to turn down this new rule, so that small donors can keep a stake in the race for presidential campaign contributions. If you agree, please take action here to "sign" Public Campaign's letter to the FEC.

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Tell your Congressmen YES to restoring presidential public financing

Public Citizen has launched a netroots campaign for public financing of elections. The "Presidential Funding Act of 2007" (HR 776 and S 436) brings the presidential public finance program, which started in the mid-1970's, up to date. Although it has worked for a few decades, it needs to be restored in its ability to support those candidates who wish to avoid the day-to-day big money fundraising that many of today's candidates go through. If you agree, please take action here or go directly to your Representative's and two Senators' websites through this service. Here's what Public Citizen says in its new drive:

White House: NOT for Sale!
The 2008 presidential candidates are engaged in never-ending race for campaign contributions – relying more than ever on bundlers and big donors, who attain special access and plum appointments as reward for their support. It was not always like this. For years, the presidential public funding system worked to level the playing field by setting limits on campaign spending and prevented candidates from becoming indebted to major contributors. Since the Bush/Gore race in 2000, it has failed as an alternative to big special interest money because it has not kept up with the costs of modern campaigns. Champions of fair elections in both houses of Congress have introduced the “Presidential Funding Act of 2007” to update the system. This legislation would make the funding system a viable alternative in today’s political environment. Please take a minute to add your own words to the letter below and tell your members of Congress to co-sponsor and help pass the fix for funding presidential elections.

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Call your U.S. Representative to co-sponsor the Fair Elections Now Act

Common Cause, a participant public interest group in this ongoing Fair Elections Action Week, has a notice out that the U.S. House now has a sister bill to the Senate's Fair Elections Now Act. Please see this blog's November 12, 2007 post for more information about the senate bill; if you agree to further legislation with this U.S. House bill, please take action at this webpage, or just call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 .

At the end of last week, Rep. John Larson (D-CT), member of the House Leadership and new champion of "Fair Elections" public financing reform, sent a letter to the entire U.S. House asking for original cosponsors of his Fair Elections Now Act, a sister bill to the Durbin-Specter bill of the same name in the Senate.
Larson comes from the newest "Clean Elections" state, Connecticut, which will offer full public funding to candidates for state office who accept spending limits and swear off special interest cash in the 2008 election. He's also someone, like Durbin, who is simply tired of the fundraising arms race and the corrosive influence of big money on our political system.
Months ago we declared this Fair Elections Action Week--with events for public funding of campaigns happening throughout the country--and now there's a key opportunity to push this issue in Congress. We're asking folks to call their representatives and ask them to be original cosponsors of Rep. Larson's Fair Elections Now Act--so please make a call today and help give this bill some momentum and some new supporters! If you don't want to leave your call information with Common Cause, just call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask for your U.S. Representative's office to leave your message.

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Tell your U.S. Senators to vote YES for Fair Elections Now Act

Citizen activists across this country have come together this week, November 12-16, 2007, to support clean elections. A website is devoted just to this, called Fair Elections Action Week.

The increase in government corruption in the last few years has shown a need to publicly-finance our elections. Private fundraising takes way too much of the candidates' time, including that of the incumbent, your own representative. With clean elections, all qualified candidates who personally raise a set amount of individual contributions can commit much more of their own time exclusively with the voters. No more full-time fundraising. More interacting with the people.

Several states and lower levels of government have recently been successful with clean elections. The time is now to tell our local, state and national representatives to implement public financing of elections. Right now in congress, Senators Durbin of Illinois and Specter of Penn. is sponsoring S 1285, Fair Elections Now Act. Tell your two US Senators in Washington, DC today to co-sponsor or vote yes for this clean elections bill, by email from their websites, by phone or by visiting their local offices.

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Upload your question to the presidential candidates, and vote for your favorite!

10 Questions is an "ask the presidential candidate" website through the use of videos. You ask your question on video, then upload it to 10 Questions; then, viewers will vote up or down for the best videos to forward to the candidates. Check it out; be careful of the home page, as it is slow due to all of the videos. Also, vote up for the "clean elections" clip!

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Vote UP (yes) on the new S 1285 clean elections bill

S 1285, the Fair Elections Now Act, is the Senate version of public financing of campaigns legislation that is also going through the House. If both houses pass their own versions, they will settle in conference on one to send to President Bush. It will then be hoped that Bush will sign the final legislation into law.

S 1285 is very early in the legislative process still; however, http://www.washingtonwatch.org/ has begun an internet poll on whether people like the bill or not. It is now on All Things Reform, in the left hand column for you to vote yourself! I have, and noticed that not too many people on the 'net have voted on this bill yet; so, your vote can make a real impact. I have also added a bill status information box.

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Get ready now for Fair Elections Week, November 12-16, 2007

Fair Elections Now! is a website devoted to the upcoming Fair Elections Week of November 12-16, 2007. It is run by the Fair Elections Now Coalition, which includes Brennan Center for Justice, Common Cause, Democracy Matters, Public Campaign, Public Citizen and U.S. PIRG.

Fair Elections Week is a great opportunity for supporters of public financing of campaigns. Instead of relying only on fundraising drives, candidates can focus their attention on the race at hand, and, most importantly, on the voters.

At Fair Elections Now!, there are several things everyone can do to participate and make the Week a success. I, personally have signed up already to host an event in my town. I have already signed the petition to support Clean Elections. I have read what's posted on the website's bulletin board. There are indeed many ways to get involved for this worthy campaign fianance reform cause, just by going to the website.

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Study assesses each state's campaign disclosure laws and programs

Grading State Disclosure is a study of the Campaign Disclosure Project, which seeks to bring greater transparency and accountability to money in state politics through assessments of state disclosure laws and programs.

Some states provide better and more complete access to information about the money that fuels campaigns than others, through both a strong campaign disclosure law and high-quality Internet access to disclosure reports. The purpose of the Campaign Disclosure Project’s Grading State Disclosure 2007 study is to provide an overview of how each state measures up to a set standard for disclosure programs, as well as to show how each state compares to others around the country. Check how your state is doing!

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Support the Alaska Clean Elections Act

The Public Campaign Action Fund is running a petition drive to bring full public financing to state races in Alaska. And with several legislators now indicted for ethics violations, now is a great time to promote clean elections.

Accusations and guilty pleas of political corruption have been running high in Alaska. Four current and former legislators have been indicted on corruption and bribery charges while two corporate executives and a lobbyist have pled guilty to the same.

Alaska's elections should be about voters and not special interest donors--both honest and dishonest ones. Support Clean Elections campaign reform. Sign our petition below and tell others so we can build our base and make our elections about voters and volunteers instead of dollars and donors.

Alaska Clean Elections Act petition.

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