"And when we kiss they're perfectly aligned"
Dear Amy,
If you were like me you spent much of last week devouring as much of the Democratic National Convention as you could. Beyond the cheering, confetti, and the impressive speeches, it was clear that something bigger was - and is - happening in America. An unmistakable progressive undercurrent has moved through the Democratic party faithful - and it was clearly the source of energy and optimism both in the Convention hall and everywhere else I traveled in Boston.
Across the river from the Convention hall, literally thousands showed up at our Campaign for America's Future events to listen, learn and take action with progressive champions like Howard Dean, Michael Moore, and Reps. Dennis Kucinich and Jan Schakowsky. And that's what we do here at the Campaign for America's Future - bring progressive activists and leaders together to make change happen and build an enduring progressive majority in America.
If you felt even an ounce of the progressive optimism and energy from last week, or sense - like I do - the air of inevitable success that is clearly stirring in the progressive movement, please share it with at least one person you know:
http://www.ourfuture.org/action_center/tellafriend.cfm
Please share the encouragement that the forecast for positive change in America is looking very good today! And, invite friends and neighbors to lend themselves to what is becoming, literally, a tidal wave for progressive reform in our country.
The time has come for all Americans to rally around the issues that define the promise that is America - including an economy that works for working people, good jobs with good benefits, affordable quality healthcare for all, a secure retirement at the end of a life of work, a thriving system of public education, energy independence, and real national security. These issues are at the core of every American's quality of life and the time for action is now!
We need dedicated progressives like you to be our voices on the ground - in America's homes, schools, and communities. This is the moment for progressives in America to stand strong together, to lead the discussion about the failed policies of the right-wing conservative movement, and to act for real change.
http://www.ourfuture.org/action_center/tellafriend.cfm
Over the next few weeks, you will hear more from the Campaign for America's Future about how you can help. We absolutely cannot do it without you, but even more importantly none of us can do this alone.
I believe that working together we can change the focus of this nation's politics - from the politics of fear to the politics of hope. What you do, right now, will affect the outcome of November's election, return the focus of the debate in this country to what is good for the people, not what is good for corporations, and allow YOU to help set the agenda going forward.
Tell everyone you know how this administration's lack of compassion and lack of regard for the average American has affected you. Tell them why you have joined the Campaign for America's Future. Ask them to stand with you:
http://www.ourfuture.org/action_center/tellafriend.cfm
We must make our country once more a beacon to the world, respected for our freedoms, a source of hope. This goal is the driving force behind our organization and with your help, your hope, your strength and your support we can see it realized for all Americans. The progressive voice in this country speaks for the empowerment of all citizens. The progressive voice in this country speaks for the rights of all to have a quality education and quality healthcare. The progressive voice in this country speaks for the need to protect our environment and our jobs. The progressive voice in this country is YOU!
We thank you for speaking out.
Sincerely,
Roger Hickey
P.S. Please don't forget to share the encouragement and excitement that progressive reform IS HAPPENING, and let friends and neighbors know that their support would always be greatly welcomed:
http://www.ourfuture.org/action_center/tellafriend.cfm
Dear Amy,
Something very special is happening out here. Yesterday we stopped in Milwaukee and Beloit, Wi., and Davenport and Dubuque, Ia. So much hope has been pinned on this campaign -- we can feel that in the incredible size of the crowds and in the energy and excitement at each campaign stop. Thousands are even lining the sides of the road, waiting hours just to watch our caravan drive by. Nothing like this has ever happened during a presidential campaign as early as August.
We have come to listen -- but also to deliver our plan for a stronger America. All this week, I have been writing you about that plan, and today I would like to talk about health care.
During the New Hampshire primary, I met a woman named Mary Ann Knowles. Despite undergoing chemotherapy, she struggled to keep going to work every single day -- just to hang on to her health insurance. Mary Ann's story stuck with me not only because I got to know her, but because we keep hearing similar stories all across the country. Sadly, it represents the predicament so many Americans are living with: unreliable access to health care and skyrocketing costs. Nothing has been done to address this problem, and now, nearly 44 million Americans are living without health insurance.
Health care should not be a privilege for the wealthy, the connected, and the elected. We are the wealthiest nation on earth. There is simply no excuse for hard-working Americans having to worry about whether they will be able to afford the treatment they need when they are sick.
John Edwards and I have proposed a practical plan to immediately provide health care to every child, get health care and prescription drug costs under control, and ensure doctors -- not insurance company bureaucrats -- make health care decisions.
Here are the major features of our plan:
Up to $1,000 of health care premium relief. Our plan will provide relief for employers who offer their employees health coverage by helping out with high-cost health cases -- saving families up to $1,000 per year.
Tax credits to make health insurance more affordable. Our plan will provide tax credits to make health insurance more affordable for people between jobs, Americans ages 55-64, and small businesses.
Health care for every child. Our plan will pick up the full cost of more than 20 million children enrolled in Medicaid. In exchange, states will expand eligibility for children's health coverage and low-income adults and enroll every child.
More affordable prescription drugs. Our plan will cut the cost of prescription drugs by requiring the government to negotiate better prices and by allowing Americans to re-import discounted drugs from Canada.
Control skyrocketing costs. Our plan will reduce health care costs by cutting administrative costs, waste, fraud, and abuse; enhancing disease management efforts; and reforming malpractice insurance.
A real Patients' Bill of Rights. The Bush administration sent its lawyers to the Supreme Court to stand with the HMOs and against patients. John Edwards and I support a real Patients' Bill of Rights to ensure that patients have the right to see the specialists they need without interference from bureaucrats.
Please take the time to read our entire health care plan by visiting:
http://www.johnkerry.com/issues/health_care
This plan will only happen with your support. On Friday, after I accepted the nomination, I called for 5 million voices to speak to the 55 million voters we're going to need to win. Nearly everyone in America is feeling the sting of runaway health care costs. But it's up to us to let them know that America can do better. Read our full plan online, and help spread the word right up to Election Day.
Sincerely,
John Kerry
P.S. Join us on our tour across the country by going here:
http://blog.johnkerry.com
Dear MoveOn member,
We've always believed that popular culture and populist politics go hand in hand. That's why MoveOn PAC is very proud to be presenting a truly historic cultural event: the Vote for Change Tour, featuring Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, the Dave Matthews Band, Pearl Jam, R.E.M., the Dixie Chicks, John Mellencamp, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor, Babyface, Death Cab for Cutie, Ben Harper, Jurassic 5, My Morning Jacket, Keb' Mo' and Bright Eyes. The tour will benefit America Coming Together (ACT). As Mike Mills of R.E.M. said, "this unprecedented coming together of musicians underscores the depth of the desire for change in our country's direction."
For more information, and to sign up for pre-sale tickets, go to:
http://www.moveonpac.org/vfc/
Never before have so many world-famous musicians come together to shift the balance in an election. But these artists created the Vote for Change tour because they feel that this is the most important election in our nation's history. The schedule is designed to make a maximum impact: each of the concerts will occur in a key battleground state during the first and second weeks of October.
Like many MoveOn members, most of the artists have never been involved in electoral politics before. And like many of us, they're jumping in now because they believe there's just too much at stake on November 2nd to sit on the sidelines. Here's how Dave Matthews put it:
"A vote for change is a vote for a stronger, safer, healthier America. . . It is our duty to this beautiful land to let our voices be heard. That's the reason for the tour. That's why I'm doing it."
Tickets go on sale to the public on Saturday, August 21st, but we have hundreds of tickets to each show that we'll be able to offer to MoveOn members -- and anyone who joins MoveOn -- a few days before. To check out the tour dates and sign up for a chance for pre-sale tickets, just go to:
http://www.moveonpac.org/vfc/
Please pass this link on to friends and colleagues. As long as people who click it agree to receive MoveOn emails, they'll have a shot at the pre-sale tickets.
We're partnering in this effort with America Coming Together (ACT), the terrific on-the-ground organization which is reaching out to millions of voters during the run-up to the election. ACT will receive all of the proceeds from the ticket sales. (There are some important legal disclaimers on this below.)
The Vote for Change tour is going to be a clear, passionate, and powerful call to arms for folks in the key battleground states and beyond. But the incredible array of artists involved is also a tremendous endorsement of the work we're all doing together -- a cultural event that will strengthen our voice in national politics.
Thanks for making this possible, through everything you do.
Sincerely,
--Eli Pariser
MoveOn PAC
August 4th, 2004
P.S. By purchasing tickets to these concerts, you will be making a political contribution to ACT, subject to the limitations and restrictions of federal campaign laws. Contributions to ACT are not deductible for federal income tax purposes."
P.P.S. In a climate where artists are often reprimanded for speaking out against the President, signing on to do this tour is a sign of real courage. If you'd like to send a short message of appreciation and encouragement to the artists for their willingness to speak out, just click here:
http://www.moveonpac.org/vfc/comments.html
PAID FOR BY MOVEON PAC www.moveonpac.org
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.
ACTFORCHANGE ACTIVISM UPDATE: August 4, 2004
You are receiving this newsletter because you have previously taken action on ActForChange in support of progressive values.
IN THIS BULLETIN:
FEATURED ACTION: President Bush, Reagan was Right
ACTIVISM OPPORTUNITY: Ashcroft, Stop Voter Suppression in its Tracks
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President Bush, Reagan was Right
In the latest reversal of a long standing U.S. position, the Bush administration last week announced that it will only support a nuclear nonproliferation treaty if provisions for inspection and verification are removed. Even former President Reagan, in promoting a similar treaty with the Soviet Union, promised conservative opponents (who favored increased nuclear weapons) that his position was "trust but verify." In an era when an increasing number of countries appear to be developing nuclear weapons, including Iran and North Korea, this reversal of policy is both bizarre and dangerous.
Click here to urge President Bush to reverse his position and have the U.S. join the rest of the world in supporting inspections and verification.
Please forward this newsletter to your friends and help spread the word about this important campaign!
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Attorney General Ashcroft, Stop Voter Suppression in its Tracks
One of the dirty tricks of American elections is "voter suppression," in which a campaign seeks to discourage or prevent supporters of the other side from voting. While this can be done with both illegal and legal means, it is fundamentally inconsistent with our ideals of greater civic participation and should be prosecuted where illegal and repudiated where not.
Click here to demand that Attorney General Ashcroft act publicly to stop voter suppression from affecting the 2004 elections.
Over the last year, several disturbing examples have made clear that the close national election is bringing out the worst in American campaigns. For example, in a rare burst of candor, state Rep. John Pappageorge, a Michigan Republican, said, "If we do not suppress the Detroit vote, we're going to have a tough time in this election."
Voter suppression is fundamentally un-American, and Attorney General Ashcroft must make it clear that the full resources of the Justice Department are committed to ensuring a clean election in which all who are eligible and want to vote may do so free of dirty tricks and intimidation.
Click here to take action!
Please forward this newsletter to your friends and help spread the word about this important campaign!
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Thank you for working to build a better world.
Jennifer Willis
Director
ActForChange.com
Dear MoveOn member,
Fox News showed its Republican colors last week by giving the Democratic convention short shrift. Fox News host Cal Thomas himself said: "I think if you're going to be there during prime time and if your whole reason for being there is to cover the convention, then you ought to, in fact, cover the convention" [1].
Instead of covering the convention, Fox covered it up. For instance, they aired just 45 seconds of former Vice President Al Gore's speech before cutting away to attack him. In sharp contrast, Fox's cable peers CNN and MSNBC showed viewers the full 13-minute speech. As Washington Post media critic Howard Kurtz asked:
Whatever happened to "we report, you decide"? Shouldn't Fox viewers get to hear Gore before O'Reilly and his guests start sounding off? [2]
This is a disservice to Fox viewers, many of whom don't know what they're missing by relying on Fox. By writing a letter to our local papers, we can reach out to neighbors who count on Fox News for election coverage. Writing a letter to the editor doesn't actually take very long -- you can do it in ten minutes or less.
We've made it really easy for you, with talking points, sample letters, and a tool to find your local paper, at:
http://www.moveon.org/lte/lte.html?lte_campaign_id=7&zip=99802&id=3214-642605-pJ0LNRM9e_IODVdidduo_g
Gore wasn't alone in getting the silent treatment from Fox. The network also interrupted former President Jimmy Carter and Senator Ted Kennedy to make room for the pundits. Ret. General Wesley Clark and Rev. Jesse Jackson were shut out entirely.
All in all, Fox News showed a quarter less of the Democratic Convention than CNN and a full third less than MSNBC [3]. Fox News insists its reporting is fair and balanced, but the numbers make plain that Fox shut out the Democrats to protect their Republican friends.
As Paul Krugman wrote in yesterday's New York Times, "Fox News is for all practical purposes a G.O.P. propaganda agency" [4]. Serious news networks give their viewers every opportunity to decide for themselves how to vote. Anything less is unfit for democracy. Our letters can inform our neighbors of the convention outrage on Fox.
Thank you for all that you do.
Sincerely,
--Wes Boyd and Noah T. Winer
MoveOn.org
August 4th, 2004
Sources:
[1] http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,126838,00.html
[2] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32979-2004Aug1.html
[3] http://mediamatters.org/items/200408020002
[4] http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/03/opinion/03krug.html