Am I right to assume MoveOn.org just raised $274,030 in less than a day?

[Ian David]

We've achieved 109% of our $ 250,000 goal ($274,030)!

Hurricane Katrina has presented a defining moment for President Bush. So far, it's defined him as indecisive, uninterested in poverty and critically unprepared. Last night's nationally televised address was an attempt by the White House to mark a turning point. But President Bush failed to deeply address either of the core vulnerabilities Katrina exposed—the federal government's inability to respond to disaster, and the poverty and racism that still remains in America. With the media jury out on the speech, we can help draw focus to Bush's failure to deliver on his core promise—to protect America from disaster. Our ad team worked overnight, preparing a rapid-response TV ad we want to get on the air as soon as possible, to help shape this historic moment. If we can raise $250,000 today, we can do it. Can you contribute?

Date: Wed, 21 Sep 2005 13:14:00 -0700 04:14:00 PM EDT
From: "Eli Pariser, MoveOn.org Political Action" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Our work together, after Katrina

Dear MoveOn member,

Hurricane Katrina exposed the deep poverty and racism that remains in our
country. It showed that the President failed to deliver on his central
promise--to keep us safe. But more broadly, Hurricane Katrina demonstrated
that a right-wing "sink or swim" ideology is a disaster for America.

Yesterday, USA Today released a new poll showing that a record 58% of
Americans disapprove of President Bush. In the same poll, nearly
two-thirds of Americans said they believe it's time for troops to start
leaving Iraq. It's clear we're at a turning point. We have an opportunity,
together, to help lead the country in a different direction.

So today, I'm not asking you to sign a petition or fund an ad. I want to
tell you what we're hearing from you about the bold steps we need to take
together.

We need to do everything we can to help the victims and rebuild New
Orleans. But more broadly, it's time for the 3.3 million of us in
MoveOn--and millions more in the progressive movement--to raise our voices
and offer our vision for an America where no one gets left behind.

What does that look like? Here's what we're hearing from you:

* Security: It's time to really make America safe. In the months ahead,
we'll push for a Katrina Commission that can identify where things
went wrong, so we can prepare for--or prevent--the next disaster. It's
already becoming clear that Bush and this Congress, obsessed with
Iraq, have neglected emergency response, communications infrastructure
and even the security of our ports, chemical plants, and nuclear
materials. Together, we can drag our leaders back to dealing with the
big threats we face--first and foremost, by pushing for a responsible
exit strategy from Iraq with a timeline that starts now.

* Prosperity: It's time to rebuild a middle-class America. Many people
stayed in New Orleans because they literally couldn't afford to leave.
In the months ahead, we'll push for increases in the minimum wage, and
we'll fight attempts to exploit low-wage workers in the wake of
Katrina. We'll also work to prevent Republicans from privatizing
Social Security and offering more tax cuts for millionaires--policies
which benefit the very rich and leave most of us behind.

* Sustainability: It's time to create a sustainable future for our kids.
Global warming almost certainly increased the force of Hurricane
Katrina, according to top scientists in the field. And gas prices are
out of control. It's time for a moon-shot investment in energy
independence--and we'll fight for it. At the same time, we'll make
sure that Republicans can't use this opportunity to push through
drilling in the Arctic or to enact other bad energy policies that just
benefit their oil company donors.

It's time to make government work again. Hurricane Katrina exposed the rot
at the core of the Bush Administration. Folks are seeing the consequences
of corruption. Together, we'll work to prevent people like Tom DeLay and
Karl Rove, who have betrayed the public trust, from doing so again. We'll
work for electoral reform, so that every vote is counted and counted
correctly. And we'll push to see that political appointees--like the next
appointment to the Supreme Court--are vetted carefully to make sure
they'll serve the public, not just their friends.

Finally, it's time to throw the bums out. To make the changes the country
needs, we'll need to change the leadership. 2006 is not very far away, and
things look pretty bleak for Republican candidates trying to defend the
disaster at home and abroad. Together, we'll make sure that great
progressive Democrats have the support they need--and that Republicans pay
a price at the ballot box.

On the MoveOn team, we see it as our job to identify the moments when we
can have an impact together to build a more progressive country--and to
let you know about them. We've never had a bigger opportunity than right
now, when right-wing ideology has so decisively and obviously failed.

We're here to serve you, the 3.3 million Americans that make MoveOn
powerful and possible. If you feel like we missed an important initiative,
we want to hear about it. You can offer your thoughts--and rate others'
ideas--about MoveOn's goals at: <1>http://www.actionforum.com/forum/?forum_id=266

MoveOn.org Political Action is entirely funded by our members. We have no
corporate contributors, no foundation grants, no money from unions. We
don't even have a major donors program. Instead of pursuing a few very
wealthy folks, we've always believed it's better to have hundreds of
thousands of small contributors--and we do.

If you'd like to support this work going forward, you can give now at: <2>https://political.moveon.org/donate/donate.html

Thanks so much for everything you've done to help get us to this tipping
point. And thanks for everything you're going to do to help build a
progressive America.

Sincerely,
--Eli Pariser, Executive Director, and the whole MoveOn.org Political
Action Team
September 21st, 2005

P.S. You may be wondering where media accountability falls in all this.
Like HurricaneHousing.org, that's work's being done by MoveOn.org Civic
Action, the non-partisan branch of MoveOn. In fact, MoveOn members have
contributed to several important state-level media reform victories
recently. And the Civic Action team will be in touch soon with some great
new developments on this campaign.

PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

References

Visible links
1. http://www.actionforum.com/forum/?forum_id=266
2. https://political.moveon.org/donate/donate.html

[TallahasseeGrannie]

1. Now that's the way to move on. n/t

[rinsd]

2. Not to be a wet blanket....

...but wouldn't a better use of that money be a donation to Katrina victims as opposed to quick ad playing in limited rotation and markets?

[Ian David]

3. You're only giving comfort and encouragement to the hurricanes. n/t