******Action alert*******

[Dr.Phool]

Call your Congressman NOW!

They're going to ram the bailout bill down our throats, with nothing to show for it!

CALL YOUR CONGRESSMAN, AND ESPECIALLY CONYERS AND KUCINICH.

TELL THEM TO ATTACH H.R. 676 TO THE BAILOUT BILL. That's the Universal, Single Payer Bill..


IF WALL STREET GETS A BAILOUT, SO DO WE!!!!!!

CALL NOW AND ALL DAY LONG.

[AzDar]

1. K & R ...

:kick:

[MadHound]

2. Better yet, tell them to reject this travesty of a bailout in its entirety

Universal health care is a fine and wonderful thing, but it shouldn't come at the expense of trashing our economy, our government, our country. Taking on this much debt will crash our bond ratings, meaning that we will have no money to fund anything in government, UHC, defense, infrastructure, nothing. Better to kill this bill and come up with a better deal, one that won't trash our country.

[chknltl]

3. Here's a bit more help from Democrats.Com

(Taken from an e-mail I just got from Democrats.com)

Friday: Last Chance to Stop Paulson's Plunder

(1) Call your Representative at 800-473-6711 or 800-828-0498 or 202-224-3121 and say "No Bailout!"
(2) Find or Organize a "No Bailout" protest near you:
http://bailoutmainstreet.com/
(3) Visit your Representative's local office

The Senate's 74-25 vote for Paulson's Plunder came as no surprise, since the Senate is run by and for millionaires. So now it's back to the House of Representatives, where we shocked those millionaires on Monday by defeating their bailout bill by 228-205.

A terrified army of corporate lobbyists is working around the clock to switch 13 votes, but only 7 have switched so far - Jim Ramstad (R-MN), John Shadegg (R-AZ), Zach Wamp (R-TN), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Shelley Berkley (D-NV), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) and John Lewis (D- GA). Other possible switches include Pat Tiberi (R-OH), Pete Hoekstra (R-MI), John Yarmouth (D-KY), Brian Bilbray (R-CA), Steve Rothman (D-NJ), Lee Terry (R-NE), Jim Gerlach (R-PA), Tim Murphy (R-PA), Jason Altmire (D-PA), and Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ). But others may switch from Yes to No, including Ed Markey (D-MA), Charlie Melancon (D-LA), and Spencer Bachus (R-AL).

Bush's first Treasury Secretary, Paul O'Neill, called Paulson's plan "crazy" and "lunacy" with potentially "awful" consequences for the world's largest economy. Many of the best economists agree with O'Neill. Paulson's strongest supporters - including panicked CNBC hosts - now admit it will not raise stock prices or boost the economy as it falls into recession. Then why on earth should we give $700 $850 billion of our tax dollars to Wall Street??? Joe Lieberman gave away the real game when he told FOX " it will be good for John McCain."

With so much at stake, Congress should stay in session for another week (or two) to pass a much better (and cheaper!) plan proposed by Pete DeFazio (D-OR). But Congress desperately wants to go home so Friday may be our last chance to stop this $850 billion disaster .

(1) Call your Representative today!
First check how your Representative voted on Monday (and note switches above):
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll674.xml
If (s)he voted NO, say "Thank you for helping stop the Bailout on Monday. Don't betray us now by voting YES on Friday, or I will vote NO against you on Election Day."
If (s)he voted YES, say "I'm outraged that you supported the Bailout on Monday, and I will remember on Election Day. If you want my vote on Election Day, you must vote NO on Friday."

(2) Join or organize a street protest against the bailout:
http://bailoutmainstreet.com/

(3) We're also partnering with Progressive Democrats of America and USAction/TrueMajority to schedule local meetings with our Representatives to demand a Fair Deal for Main St . If you'd like to help,

Print this letter and fax it to your Representative's district office - use the phone book or search here . On your cover sheet, request a meeting for group of activists as soon as possible.
Better yet, visit your Representative's district office and follow these instructions .
Report scheduled meetings to [e-mail]
For inspiration, watch this great video from Agit-Pop:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTkcLvm4ZYE

Find more information and comment here:
http://www.democrats.com/friday-last-chance-to-stop-paulsons-plunder

Thanks for all you do!


________________

[endthewar]

4. What's the alternative to this bailout?

I'm not a fan of it, but it seems like it's something that everybody is against but people aren't really saying what other alternatives they are proposing instead.

[MadHound]

5. There are actually a number of alternatives out there

I know that Sanders has come up with one, and I believe Kucinich also. What is needed is a bottom up plan for bailing out the economy, rather than this top down plan that will benefit only the elite, that won't address the underlying problems, and that will lead to a financial crisis much worse than what we face if we do nothing at all.

[endthewar]

6. It seems like people in Congress would rather have an alternative

but are arguing that there isn't enough time to consider them completely. In fact, that was one of Obama's main arguments.

[MadHound]

8. Yet that reasoning flies in the face of reality

It's been what, two weeks since Paulson came out and imperiously said to pass the bailout or the economy would melt down in three days. No economic meltdown, credit cards still function, etc. etc. Yes, there is some tightness here and there, yes, the markets are going for a wild ride, both up and down. But this doesn't mean that the danger is imminent, it does mean that we have the space and time to come up with a better deal.

[endthewar]

9. The state of Massachusetts was denied a line of credit

Sounds pretty serious to me. How much time do you think we have before more serious economic things happen? Seems like none of the experts have a good idea. :hi:

[Waiting For Everyman]

7. Here ya go...

http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2008094030/strategy-memo-turning-wall-street-giveaway-economic-rescue-all-americans

DeFazio is backing a plan by the former regulator who solved a $100bn bailout of the S&Ls with $2bn. DeF has a substitute bill he's trying to get a vote on called the No Bailout Bill, which includes the S&L method.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKEbQhc3SD4&NR=1

[Waiting For Everyman]

10. An automatic petition to all of your representatives:

Campaign for America's Future
http://ga3.org/campaign/fight_back_for_main_street