The single most powerful statement you can make to support censure

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

is to contribute to Russ Feingold.

https://ssl14.pair.com/feingold/contrib/contribute.php?refer=web

If FLOODS of money (small donations from individuals from all around the country) came to him because of his stand - that would send a message that our representatives would PAY ATTENTION TO. Money speaks, as we have all sadly learned.

[katinmn]

1. You're right. Politicians listen to money.

Sadly, it sends a stronger message to them than a phone call, email or fax does.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

2. phones, emails and faxes have their place

but I now believe that money gets results. Democrats have to become their own self-employed lobbyists and dispense funds with those who please them.

I received a call from the Dem Cong Campaign folks the other day looking for money. I have contributed to them in the past. I told the guy on the phone that this year I would be doing solely self-directed contributions to those Dems that I feel represent me. The guy sighed, did not argue in any way and told me that he was hearing a lot of that recently. Well damn right! I am happy to send my individual dollars to individuals like Feingold, Boxer, Kennedy, Kerry, Harkin, Conyers who seem to retain some memory of the Constitution and act like they have some moral fortitude and a glimmering of understanding of how to be an opposition party. I wish they would break away completely and form a third party of truly progressive, strong, fiscally responsible, democrats. Or, I wish they would form a party within a party. Something!

[katinmn]

4. We are just beginning that fight for a party that reflects our values

It's amazing that so few elected leaders stand up for anything. Raising money and getting re-elected is the end-all.

A few months ago I started a tongue-in-cheek thread saying I was starting a citizen's lobbying fund to pay a senator to sponsor a companion to HF 550, which would give us verfied paper ballots and random audits. It seems strange that not one senator is willing to give people confidence in the electoral process. Too risky? WTF?
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/katinmn/13

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

5. Could this be an answer?

https://secure.progressivepatriotsfund.com/page/contribute

I will have to further research to find out more about them and specifically who they support, but it seems to be a move in the direction I'm looking for.

[katinmn]

6. Yep. I nominated someone for the first round.

I think she was in second place.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

7. I don't understand your post. Please explain, because I want to. nt.

[freefall]

29. Russ is holding a vote next week to determine which progressive

candidates he will donate his leadership PAC money to. Progressive Patriots Fund is Russ' leadership PAC and the best place to contribute if you want to support Russ.

Peace,

freefall

[freefall]

28. Yes. See my post #27 below. This is Russ' leadership PAC.

Contributing here is the best way to contribute to Russ right now. It allows him to support other Progressive Democrats in the fall election.

Peace,

freefall

[ladjf]

3. done

[dzika]

8. done

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

9. Thanks for keeping up momentum on this - and this is not just

an empty post - I did contribute myself before I posted this and I do live in a state beside Wisconsin. I just want the rest of the pols to get a measure of the outrage that is out here and that WE NEED A VOICE!! Conyers has been terrific, but he can't do it alone. I am looking for the Senate to act with some of the same passion and courage that some Reps have demonstrated. I heard that Boxer has signed on. Great! I expect that the non-DINO arm would sign on to this and start to flex some muscle. America wants this! How low do Bush's polls have to go before the rest of them feel "safe" God, it's like watching an endless loop of "Marathon Man" and certain Dems are always in the dentist chair!

[Trevelyan]

10. Wiki article has good background on Russ and his honor in campaign finance

for his own campaigns - 90% from small citzen donations of no more than $60.00 each and no "soft" money". Feingold is the man for this hour.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russ_Feingold

==Also much-noted was Feingold's advertising campaign, which was widely compared to that used by progressive candidate Paul Wellstone in his victorious Senate campaign in Minnesota. Shot in the form of home movies, the ads attempted to portray Feingold, who always referred to himself as "the underdog running for U.S. senate," as a down-to-earth, Capra-esque figure, taking the audience on a guided tour of the candidate's heavily-mortgaged home and introducing them to his children, all of whom were enrolled in public school.

The ads also contained a significant amount of humor. One featured Feingold meeting with a faux Elvis Presley, who offered Feingold his endorsement. (Bob Kasten responded to the Elvis endorsement with an advertisement featuring an Elvis impersonator attacking Feingold's record.) Another showed Feingold, standing next to a pair of half-sized cardboard cut-outs of his opponents, refusing to "stoop to their level" as the two were shown literally slinging mud at one another. In still another, Feingold was shown conclusively demonstrating that there were no skeletons in any of his closets.

On primary day, Feingold, whose support had shown in the single digits throughout much of the campaign, stunned observers by surging to victory with 70% of the vote. With only seven weeks before the election, the momentum created by this upset win, along with support from people who came out to vote for presidential candidates Bill Clinton and Ross Perot, allowed Feingold to beat Kasten by 6% on election day....

[The Doctor.]

11. Money talks...

I suppose if Reps start seeing the money spike wherever they oppose Bush, they'll start to follow suit.

[Rainscents]

12. Yes! I called his WI office and ask for them send me contribute

letter so, I can donate! Guy on the phone was delighted that I was calling from Washington State!!!

[understandinglife]

13. Yes. Done. $20.06

Be The Bu$h Opposition - 24/7

[troubleinwinter]

14. Me too. $20.06.

[magellan]

15. Done

[H2O Man]

16. Good point.

Very good point. In order to communicate, you have to speak the language that your audience understands. Those in the Senate will understand if we all send even small donations to Russ Feingold. This is very important.

[byronius]

18. H2O Man. I went to your blog.

Your stuff is excellent. I'll read often. Fucking incredible profile photo. Says, like, twenty billion things. All at once.

I would pay twenty bucks to hear the story.

[H2O Man]

20. The photo

is from a legal hearing on a burial protection case.

Thank you for your kind words about my blog. I hope that you enjoy it.

[byronius]

49. 'Burial Protection Case?' You dug up a body and got caught?

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

22. The best political bang for your buck that you can possibly purchase!

Even ONE DOLLAR would mean something, for heavens sakes! I like the folks who are sending $20.06 because it's even more cohesive and message-sending. We have a LOT of power - we just have to harness it in the direction we want.

[ClassWarrior]

50. .

[ClassWarrior]

52. .

[ClassWarrior]

53. .

[ClassWarrior]

54. .

[omega minimo]

26. ...and the language of politics is money? IYHO?

"In order to communicate, you have to speak the language that your audience understands."

:shrug:

[H2O Man]

40. And in your opinion

the best way is ....?

[omega minimo]

41. 'best way" or "single most powerful statement you can make......."?

guess I got my hopes up when I saw that thread title :evilgrin:

perhaps it's a philosophical discussion, for another time.....

which does not discredit the efforts being fostered here.

:thumbsup:

[H2O Man]

47. Well, I guess

there are many ways to not answer a question.

[omega minimo]

48. Well, I guess

you didn't understand what I said.

The humor got lost in translation also, apparently.

Clarification b/w "best way" and "single most powerful statement you can make" was unwelcome?

I was attempting to graciously refrain from appearing to criticize the efforts of those in this particular thread. I trusted that you would ken the possibilities of a "philosophical discussion" at another time.

I'm sorry if that was missed or the reply was not what you expected.

I was trying to avoid TopDog. Nice Try! :hi:

[byronius]

17. Done. Sent them an email, too. What a leader. This is my Democrat.

Barbar Boxer notwithstanding.

[KAT119]

19. Done! Russ & Cindy Sheehan are on the ramparts holding the torch!! Heroes!

[CantGetFooledAgain]

21. Absolutely. Excellent point.

I just donated. Thanks Phoebe for the reminder. Not only are you 100% correct that this will send a very strong message, but also the Senator deserves every penny and more for showing such amazing courage in today's political climate.

Now let's see some other Democratic senators step up and support this resolution.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

23. Felt good, didn't it?

If this snowballed, we could get a good kick in the pants going for any Democratic Senator who had even an once of doubt about which way the wind is blowing. Maybe they could sense "the times, they are a'changing".

[liberaltrucker]

24. Done-with pride

:patriot:

[omega minimo]

25. I hate this

......esp. if it's true :evilfrown:

[IndyOp]

30. Donations don't have to be large - many, many small donations

make a powerful impression! MoveOn.org *loves* to brag about the number of $5 donations they get - it shows that the real folks are involved.

Calls and postcards and letters all count, too.

Right now, I do give $ when I can - I feel as if I am helping to buy democracy back from the wealthy who have been paying for rightwing thinktanks and slick ad campaigns that sway votes, and for voting machine companies that steal votes.

When we are able to get control of our democracy back we can pass laws that limit the amount of time, amount of money that can be spent on campaigns, and require that all campaigns be publically funded - period. At that point we will really make progress.

:hi:

[omega minimo]

33. Is it cynical? "The single most powerful statement you can make to support

"The single most powerful statement you can make to support censure" is $$$$$$$$$$$$$??????????

and as an afterthought:

"Calls and postcards and letters all count, too."

It's very sad. It may be true. It's very sad that our democracy has become an auction house.

:hi:

[IndyOp]

34. It is sad, indeed. We might be able to get out of this fix

without infusions of $, but the $ will make it easier, faster.

Someday it would be great to get the $ out of the picture, but I don't think that day is today.

:hi:

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

38. Please see post # 22 - it's not the amount of the contribution

and remember, even if you send a letter or a postcard without a donation to tell a representative how you feel, - you have an outlay of at least a dollar to cover the cost of materials and postage.

The point is the VOLUME of the response and that even small amounts from large numbers of people can outweigh fewer, larger corporate donations, plus it acts as a reminder that they are elected because of the ELECTORATE - we are the people who actually go to the polls and cast our vote. (At least, in theory that's how it works. . .)

I am saddened too that we have become an auction house, but if we have become one, let's recognize it and at least enter the auction with a paddle for the masses of the American people. If we don't, they just sell off American assets at firesale prices to their cronies.

[wtmusic]

44. Not sad at all

It shows you're sincere about helping. You're willing to part with some green. Whatever you can afford.

A postcard is wonderful but helps you more than it helps him.

[omega minimo]

46. Did ya know a handwritten message is multipled by the number of people

that politicos offices estimate felt the same as you but didn't write? That multiplier is higher at every level of gov't. Your postcard to Feingold might be counted as representing the opinion of hundreds or thousands of Americans who just don't bother?

If "the single most powerful statement" any of us can make is writing a check, yes, that is sad. It IS sad that Americans have disempowered themselves by losing touch with the collective power of their own voices. Too many people don't vote, too many people don't participate, too many people are spectators or think it doesn't matter anyway so what the hell and after too many years of that, the "sincere" efforts here (which I also applaud) are considered the most effective or direct form of communication in a rigged game of greed, corruption and disenfranchisement.

:wow: Wow-- that IS sad!!!!!! B-) :hi: :kick:

Democracy is not a spectator sport

[freefall]

27. Yes. But don't contribute at his Senatorial site. He doesn't run for

another four years. Contribute at Progressive Patriots Fund. This is Russ' leadership PAC. I called Russ' campaign office earlier today and the staffer I talked with pointed me to PPF; I did contribute to the Senate campaign but plan to make all future contributions to the PPF site. Contributing to PPF gives Russ more influence in the party. He can use the PAC money to support other progressive candidates in the fall election; he cannot do that with donations to his Senate campaign site.

Next week Russ will hold a vote on the PPF web site to determine which progressive candidates he should contribute to next. Using a PAC to contribute to other candidates was one of the ways Tom Delay increased and solidified his power. Can you imagine the Bug Man soliciting votes form the hoi-polloi in order to determine who to give his PAC money to? Just another way in which Russ is progressive and different from the rest of them.

In order to have the money to support these candidates Russ needs contributions from us. Please contribute whatever you can at

https://secure.progressivepatriotsfund.com/page/contribute/pppcontribute

And don't forget to register on the site so you can vote for your favorite Progressive Democrats next week.

Peace,

freefall

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

32. There are so many great points in your post!

The first point is that the staffer pointed you in the right direction when you talked to him/her.(I think a lot of campaigns would have just been happy to suck up the money but NOT educate and possibly re-direct you. You sound like you were treated like an intelligent, political being with long term goals.

I made a contribution to his senate campaign, but it was small as I noted in the OP. I have noted the fund you posted, but I just did not know too much about them. I have no objection to Russ being politically astute enough to position himself as a point-man or power broker for the more liberal Democrats. I think your comparison to Tom DeLay is on point (and I'm not implying anything negative about Feingold)

Do we finally have a leader with a vision and some power (from us) to back him up?

[freefall]

35. Wow! Thanks for your kind words. And that staffer was very

helpful. I was definitely treated "like an intelligent, political being with long term goals." I was actually already registered at Progressive Patriots Fund but didn't understand the difference in contributing there instead of the Senate campaign site until the staffer explained. Then a light bulb went off.

Let's hope we have enough power to help Russ change the direction this country is going in.

Thanks again, Phoebe. Your compliment made my day.

:loveya:

[PVK]

31. $50.00 here. I reward good behavior. n/t

[Swamp Rat]

36. AND call your senators!!!

STRIKE WHILE THE IRON IS HOT!!!

SUPPORT FEINGOLD!!!

:patriot:

[kimpossible]

37. Ayep.

First thing I did yesterday morning was sign Russ' petition and then donate him some money.

http://progressivepatriotsfund.com/page/petition/censure0306

[bleever]

39. Done.

Thanks for the thread!

[madokie]

42. Money talks and bullshit walks and Russ is a talking for me and you

[wtmusic]

43. Done. $50.

Damn that felt good!

[Vadem]

45. Done! $50.00 to Russ! n/t

[undeterred]

51. and when you contribute ask him to support Bryan Kennedy

He is the progressive Democrat running against the notorious James Sensenbrenner in Wisconsin's 5th district!