Citizen's Lobby - Tina Richards' GREAT idea

[proud2BlibKansan]

Citizen's Lobby
by
Michael Foley, Ph.D

Tina Richards has an idea. Tina is the mother of a Marine scheduled for his third tour of duty in Iraq
who took on Rep. David Obey (Dem., Wisconsin) and the Democratic leadership over funding for the
war. Though her home is Missouri, she's in the process of moving to the Washington, D.C. area to
keep up the fight to end the war. Her idea is simple. Bring 10,000 concerned citizens to Washington this summer to lobby their Congressional representatives and counter the ten thousand paid
lobbyists who ensure that ours is the most lavishly financed and most seriously immune to change
legislature in the world.

If realized, Tina's idea has the potential to revolutionize politics on Capitol Hill. Not just because it will bring enormous public pressure to bear around a single issue of pressing national importance. That has happened before. More important, it will provide a new model for citizen lobbying that
Washington sorely needs.

In personal style, Tina is respectful, humble and forthright. She just wants members of Congress to
know what she feels and how important ending the war is to her. But Tina is not afraid to embarrass
those members of Congress who stand in the way of change, and in particular the Democratic Party
leadership, those who should be “on her side.” In this respect, Tina's model of citizen lobbyist stands in stark contrast to what has passed for public interest lobbying over the last thirty years.

Public interest lobbying grew out of the political movements of the sixties, but it quickly ceased to be movement politics – masses of citizens besieging government for change. Instead, the women's and
environmental and peace movements spawned permanent lobbying organizations, mostly
headquartered in the capitol, dedicated to monitoring the spate of new laws that Congress passed in
response to new public demands and expanding their reach through close attention to what went on
in the labyrinths of Congress and the federal bureaucracy.

more . . . http://grassrootsamerica4us.org/citizen_lobby.html

[Tom Joad]

1. Go Tina... check out the group in my sig line too

For a better foreign policy.

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. SIGNED!

Thanks for sharing that.

[FtWayneBlue]

13. signed it, thanks.

[proud2BlibKansan]

16. Hey!

How are you? How was DC?

Going back to CC this next weekend! Can't wait.

[FtWayneBlue]

20. DC was great!

Had a good group to go with, including Lobo. Remember Lobo?
There were some great college kids from DePauw in Greencastle and IU South Bend. They didn't seem to mind the cold, too much. I was surprised there were so many warmongers there, and their level of hatred toward us. Sometimes it was like running the gauntlet on our march.
It was a shame the weather kept so many away, and the police, but I did feel thankful to them for keeping the warmongers from getting any more violent. It seems that some of them fibbed about what was going on to those wanting to drive to the rally, tho. They were told to stay away due to rioting and tear gassing being emminent.

[proud2BlibKansan]

21. Ah Lobo!

One of my faves. I wonder if he will be at Camp Casey for Easter.

I was thinking about you guys on the 17th. Sounded like the war mongers are getting more desperate. Glad you made it out of there in one piece. :hug:

[DCKit]

3. A REAL disruption to lobbying

Would be to replace the paid lineholders the lobbyists use with ordinary citizens with real concerns.

The highly financed lobbying firm's access would be cut off completely.

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. That's pretty much the idea

And it can be done if we can get 10,000 citizens to come.

[DCKit]

6. Hey, I live here

AND I need a job. Send me up to the hill with your concerns for your reps.

[Skidmore]

8. I need a job too, but this should not be

a paid job. This group should reflect the action citizen doing the job of being a citizen. No salary. Perhaps there could be a pot to reimburse people for travel expenses, but I should be very limited. If we are fighting off the influence of paid lobbyists, then we need to separate ourselves and do this in a manner that reflects what we say is wanted in a relationship between citizens and representatives.

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. Here is contact info if you really want to get involved

http://grassrootsamerica4us.org/Contact.html

[Skidmore]

7. Yup, yup,yup.

Should not be paid for lobbying, citizen volunteers. Rotate lobbyists and use the affiliation of citizenship. Must speak only for the citizen as a person living in the nation, not as an extension of the corporation or employer.

[loudsue]

5. How do you get a pass to become a citizen lobbiest?

That's one area of politics I don't think we've ever discussed on DU... you know? What are the nuts & bolts of this type of strategy? How much money does it take to line a politicians pocket, or do we, regular folks, get a voice without the money?

:freak: We need a "How To" manual around here somewhere.

:kick::kick::kick:

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. Your pass is your birth certificate

Every citizen has the right to lobby Congress.

[loudsue]

11. But, I mean, we can't just show up, right?

How do we go about getting ourselves in front of the Senators and reps? I was doing a petition delivery to one of our senators one time for moveon.org, and they wouldn't let us into his office. (North Carolina: it was when Jesse Helms was still our republican senator.)

:kick:

[proud2BlibKansan]

15. LOL You need to talk to Tina

She is a master at meeting with Congress critters.

[leftchick]

12. Fantastic

K&R!

Thank you!

:)

[FtWayneBlue]

14. Is there something cooking for July 4?

It seems that I have heard about Peace Activists coming to DC for Independence Day and not leaving until the occupation of Iraq is stopped.

[proud2BlibKansan]

17. Yes I heard that too

I believe it was in an email from Cindy.

I will be there June 18.

[Breeze54]

18. I'm pretty sure

Code Pink is planning events for Independence Day weekend.

http://www.codepink4peace.org/

-------------------------------------------

"CODEPINK believes that not one more dollar should be appropriated for continued war
and occupation, and will continue to push the position that Congress should only fund
the safe, orderly and rapid withdrawal of all troops by the end of this year."

Read more of CODEPINK's response to the passing of the supplemental bill.
We will continue our broad and exciting Don't Buy Bush's War Campaign.

We need to flood the offices, halls, sidewalks and streets of Congress with people
opposed to the war from now through this Fall.

We're asking for your help to get people to Washington DC and to do similar actions locally.

CALL CONGRESS:
we're also asking you to call and email your member of Congress telling him or her to stop buying Bush's war.

Watch the Washington Post's film about this campaign.
(you need a high speed connection)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2007/03/28/VI2007032801891.html

Maybe someone could upload this to You Tube and post it in the Political Video Forum??
I can't watch it because I have dial-up. :-(

[w4rma]

19. Very good. (nt)