Huffpo's Ryan Grim: Donor Strike! Rich Progressives Pledge to Withhold Cash

[flpoljunkie]

Donor Strike: Rich Progressives Pledge To Withhold Cash
by Ryan Grim

First Posted: 05-12-10 08:40 AM
Updated: 05-12-10 08:40 AM

A group of 27 major donors is vowing to withhold campaign cash from lawmakers who stand in the way of legislation that would allow for public funding of congressional campaigns. Over their careers, the donors have contributed millions to Democratic candidates -- and, on limited occasions, Republicans or independents -- but they say they've had it. And they don't mind if it means a lack of access.

Steve Kirsch kicked in roughly $10 million to try to elect Al Gore in 2000. "It is a trade off, because there are a lot of good things you can talk to them about, but most of the time they don't do anything about it anyway. Given the choice, I'd rather have campaign finance reform than access," said Kirsch, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur and founder of Infoseek, among other companies.

The millions that the donors have given is just the beginning, and doesn't include the millions more they've funneled by organizing fundraisers or otherwise corralling contributions.

The 27 donors plan to lobby other rich folks to sign on, with a plan of passing the Fair Elections Now Act, which has 149 cosponsors*, this year. The campaign's being run by Change Congress, co-founded by Lawrence Lessig and Joe Trippi, along with Common Cause and the Public Campaign Action Fund.

more...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/12/donor-strike-rich-progres_n_572766.html

*There are 17 cosponsors in the Senate for S.752, Fair Elections Now Act., introduced by Senator Dick Durbin on March, 31st, 2009.

To urge your member of Congress to sign on to the Fair Elections Now Act:

https://secure3.convio.net/change/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=579

Al Gore, in a very recent article in The New Republic, reported that 2/3 of the money a member of Congress raises is used to pay for TV ads!

[chill_wind]

1. K & R. n/t

[ej510]

2. This is major news the only way politicians will be held accountable by the electorate is with

publically financed elections.

[WeDidIt]

3. That's the best news I've heard all day.

Dayum!

[flpoljunkie]

6. Yes. Let's hope Congress is paying attention!

[old mark]

4. SOCIALISM!!!1111!! ARRRRRGGGHHH!!!

Would they ban lobbying, too?

Do they expect congress to work for COMMON PEOPLE?

How would politicians get rich?

:applause:


mark

[flpoljunkie]

5. In case you missed it, Al Gore says that 2/3 of money members of Congress raises goes for TV ads!

A big reason members of Congress need to raise so much money. The Fair Elections Now Act reduces their cost, but damn, what a waste of our money!

[flpoljunkie]

7. House adds new cosponsor to Fair Elections Now Act! Rep. Gary L. Ackerman, D-NY

H.R.1826
Title: Fair Elections Now Act
Sponsor: Rep Larson, John B. (introduced 3/31/2009) Cosponsors (150)
Related Bills: S.752
Latest Major Action: 7/30/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee Hearings Held.
COSPONSORS(150), BY DATE : (Sort: alphabetical order)

Rep Nadler, Jerrold - 3/31/2009
Rep Pingree, Chellie - 3/31/2009
Rep Jones, Walter B., Jr. - 3/31/2009
Rep Platts, Todd Russell - 3/31/2009
Rep Cooper, Jim - 3/31/2009
Rep Holt, Rush D. - 3/31/2009
Rep Cohen, Steve - 3/31/2009
Rep Heinrich, Martin - 3/31/2009
Rep Polis, Jared - 3/31/2009
Rep Edwards, Donna F. - 3/31/2009
Rep Capuano, Michael E. - 3/31/2009
Rep Doyle, Michael F. - 3/31/2009
Rep Grayson, Alan - 4/21/2009
Rep Shea-Porter, Carol - 4/21/2009
Rep Courtney, Joe - 4/21/2009
Rep Abercrombie, Neil - 4/21/2009
Rep Blumenauer, Earl - 4/21/2009
Rep Welch, Peter - 4/21/2009
Rep Himes, James A. - 4/21/2009
Rep Maffei, Daniel B. - 4/21/2009
Rep Green, Gene - 4/22/2009
Rep Lee, Barbara - 4/30/2009
Rep Kucinich, Dennis J. - 5/5/2009
Rep Murphy, Christopher S. - 5/5/2009
Rep Hinchey, Maurice D. - 5/6/2009
Rep DeLauro, Rosa L. - 5/6/2009
Rep Massa, Eric J. J. - 5/11/2009
Rep Filner, Bob - 5/12/2009
Rep Dahlkemper, Kathleen A. - 5/12/2009
Rep Smith, Adam - 5/13/2009
Rep Arcuri, Michael A. - 5/19/2009
Rep Schakowsky, Janice D. - 5/19/2009
Rep Moran, James P. - 5/19/2009
Rep McDermott, Jim - 5/20/2009
Rep Delahunt, William D. - 5/20/2009
Rep Cummings, Elijah E. - 6/2/2009
Rep Johnson, Henry C. "Hank," Jr. - 6/2/2009
Rep Hare, Phil - 6/2/2009
Rep Connolly, Gerald E. "Gerry" - 6/2/2009
Rep Hodes, Paul W. - 6/2/2009
Rep Honda, Michael M. - 6/2/2009
Rep Woolsey, Lynn C. - 6/3/2009
Rep Israel, Steve - 6/3/2009
Rep McCollum, Betty - 6/4/2009
Rep Lofgren, Zoe - 6/4/2009
Rep Sestak, Joe - 6/4/2009
Rep Perriello, Thomas S.P. - 6/8/2009
Rep Foster, Bill - 6/9/2009
Rep Doggett, Lloyd - 6/9/2009
Rep Kosmas, Suzanne M. - 6/10/2009
Rep Markey, Betsy - 6/10/2009
Rep Teague, Harry - 6/10/2009
Rep Conyers, John, Jr. - 6/15/2009
Rep Wu, David - 6/16/2009
Rep Baldwin, Tammy - 6/19/2009
Rep Ruppersberger, C. A. Dutch - 6/25/2009
Rep Maloney, Carolyn B. - 7/10/2009
Rep Ellison, Keith - 7/14/2009
Rep Reyes, Silvestre - 7/14/2009
Rep Rothman, Steven R. - 7/15/2009
Rep Fattah, Chaka - 7/15/2009
Rep Kind, Ron - 7/16/2009
Rep Slaughter, Louise McIntosh - 7/21/2009
Rep Eshoo, Anna G. - 7/21/2009
Rep Grijalva, Raul M. - 7/22/2009
Rep Miller, George - 7/22/2009
Rep Jackson, Jesse L., Jr. - 7/23/2009
Rep Ortiz, Solomon P. - 7/24/2009
Rep Kagen, Steve - 7/27/2009
Rep Lowey, Nita M. - 7/27/2009
Rep McGovern, James P. - 7/29/2009
Rep Costello, Jerry F. - 7/29/2009
Rep Lewis, John - 7/29/2009
Rep Michaud, Michael H. - 7/30/2009
Rep Serrano, Jose E. - 7/30/2009
Rep Rangel, Charles B. - 7/31/2009
Rep Tonko, Paul D. - 7/31/2009
Rep Stark, Fortney Pete - 9/9/2009
Rep DeFazio, Peter A. - 9/9/2009
Rep Peters, Gary C. - 9/10/2009
Rep Lujan, Ben Ray - 9/14/2009
Rep Clay, Wm. Lacy - 9/14/2009
Rep Hastings, Alcee L. - 9/14/2009
Rep Jackson-Lee, Sheila - 9/14/2009
Rep Johnson, Eddie Bernice - 9/16/2009
Rep Price, David E. - 9/17/2009
Rep Chandler, Ben - 9/22/2009
Rep Yarmuth, John A. - 9/23/2009
Rep Miller, Brad - 9/25/2009
Rep Olver, John W. - 9/25/2009
Rep Tsongas, Niki - 10/1/2009
Rep Kaptur, Marcy - 10/1/2009
Rep Markey, Edward J. - 10/6/2009
Rep Hirono, Mazie K. - 10/6/2009
Rep Harman, Jane - 10/6/2009
Rep Murphy, Scott - 10/6/2009
Rep Walz, Timothy J. - 10/8/2009
Rep Boccieri, John A. - 10/8/2009
Rep Frank, Barney - 10/8/2009
Rep Gutierrez, Luis V. - 10/8/2009
Rep Thompson, Bennie G. - 10/8/2009
Rep Braley, Bruce L. - 10/14/2009
Rep Kildee, Dale E. - 10/14/2009
Rep Norton, Eleanor Holmes - 10/14/2009
Rep Scott, Robert C. "Bobby" - 10/14/2009
Rep Loebsack, David - 10/15/2009
Rep Andrews, Robert E. - 10/15/2009
Rep McCarthy, Carolyn - 10/27/2009
Rep Davis, Danny K. - 10/28/2009
Rep Van Hollen, Chris - 11/2/2009
Rep McNerney, Jerry - 11/3/2009
Rep Pascrell, Bill, Jr. - 11/4/2009
Rep Kissell, Larry - 11/5/2009
Rep Sanchez, Linda T. - 11/5/2009
Rep Napolitano, Grace F. - 11/16/2009
Rep Farr, Sam - 11/16/2009
Rep Sutton, Betty - 11/17/2009
Rep Sarbanes, John P. - 12/1/2009
Rep Halvorson, Deborah L. - 12/1/2009
Rep Castle, Michael N. - 12/10/2009
Rep Watt, Melvin L. - 12/14/2009
Rep Minnick, Walter - 12/15/2009
Rep Owens, William L. - 12/16/2009
Rep Chu, Judy - 12/16/2009
Rep Engel, Eliot L. - 1/12/2010
Rep Matsui, Doris O. - 1/20/2010
Rep Kennedy, Patrick J. - 1/26/2010
Rep Speier, Jackie - 1/26/2010
Rep Garamendi, John - 2/3/2010
Rep Roybal-Allard, Lucille - 2/3/2010
Rep Bishop, Timothy H. - 2/3/2010
Rep Watson, Diane E. - 2/3/2010
Rep Langevin, James R. - 2/3/2010
Rep Quigley, Mike - 2/22/2010
Rep Payne, Donald M. - 2/22/2010
Rep Weiner, Anthony D. - 2/24/2010
Rep Davis, Susan A. - 2/24/2010
Rep Butterfield, G. K. - 2/25/2010
Rep Kilroy, Mary Jo - 3/2/2010
Rep Hall, John J. - 3/16/2010
Rep Capps, Lois - 3/25/2010
Rep Lipinski, Daniel - 4/14/2010
Rep Cleaver, Emanuel - 4/14/2010
Rep Schauer, Mark H. - 4/14/2010
Rep Boswell, Leonard L. - 4/22/2010
Rep Thompson, Mike - 4/22/2010
Rep Meek, Kendrick B. - 4/22/2010
Rep Fudge, Marcia L. - 4/28/2010
Rep Waters, Maxine - 4/29/2010
Rep Ackerman, Gary L. - 5/12/2010

http://thomas.loc.gov Type 'Fair Election Now Act' in the Search Box

[flpoljunkie]

8. If Congress fails to end 'Too Big To Fail,' then the Dems will have failed us. Don't think they get

how pissed people are at the Big Banks who drove our economy in the dirt.

If they stand up for us against the banking industry, particularly with a strong and independent Consumer Financial Protection Agency, then we will have a reason to come out in November. I hope they do not blow this opportunity. If they do, they will pay the price, and ought not complain.

The progressive Dems are making progress in the Senate. Let us hope they succeed and make us proud to be Democrats.

[polichick]

9. Excellent - maybe if we pledge to withhold our votes too something will get done! nt