If there's anything to learn from Barack Obama it's that people CAN make a difference, change CAN happen, and it's UP TO US, not just one guy, or two guys (Obama/Biden.) The ONLY reason Obama has succeeded to date is because MILLIONS OF INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE sent him money, volunteered for his campaign, and VOTED FOR HIM.
Today is one of those days when it is VITAL for us to take that to heart, and to avoid succumbing to cynicism.
A lot of people around here tend to call the game while the ball is still on the field and the clock still has considerable time on it. For example: Why should I call my Congresscritters about the bailout when they caved on FISA? It'll never make a difference. They'll just cave again. They're [blue dogs][republicans][DINOS][Joe Lieberman].
You are abdicating your citizenship when you do that. You are enabling the defeat of progressive values. If this is you, knock it the fuck off. Get on the freakin' phone anyways. Calling makes a difference. They DO pay attention, and they have acknowledged as much.
Maybe they will cave. And MAYBE THEY WON'T. Maybe THIS TIME there will be JUST TOO MUCH PRESSURE. Starting with YOU.
There are some really big hints being dropped right now about what action could really seriously make a difference in this economic crisis we are confronting right now. I request that people take the hint, resist cynicism, and ACT. NOW.
progressives will approach Nancy with ideas for reform, and she'll agree to push for their proposals, and she'll really mean it. Then industry lobbyists will go to Dennis Moore, Melissa Bean and a few other Democrats, and tell them how dire the consequences of the proposals would be, and that the members who understand how the economy works need to step up to stop Nancy and the crazy liberals from doing something rash.
snip
The only defense for the play is for a significant group of Democrats to say they won't vote for any proposal that isn't unpalatable to industry, and mean it. It's a pretty high stakes game of chicken, but otherwise we come out of this with nothing but a $700 billion giveaway to a crooked industry.
This is a freakin' anonymous cry for help from a progressive friend inside Congress. Take the freakin' hint.
If you don't GET the hint, here's the translation:
CALL YOUR CONGRESSPEOPLE and tell them NO BLANK CHECK:
* NO bailout without OVERSIGHT for financial companies as well as for Bernanke and Paulson
* NO premium price for failed assets
For more talking points, read new deal democrat's diary
Specifically, and especially if you are a constituent, call the Blue Dogs
Mike Arcuri (New York)
Joe Baca (California)
John Barrow (Georgia)
Melissa Bean (Illinois)
Marion Berry (Arkansas)
Sanford Bishop (Georgia)
Dan Boren (Oklahoma)
Leonard Boswell (Iowa)
Allen Boyd (Florida), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Administration
Dennis Cardoza (California)
Christopher Carney (Pennsylvania)
Ben Chandler (Kentucky)
Jim Cooper (Tennessee)
Jim Costa (California)
Bud Cramer (Alabama)
Lincoln Davis (Tennessee)
Joe Donnelly (Indiana)
Brad Ellsworth (Indiana)
Gabrielle Giffords (Arizona)
Kirsten Gillibrand (New York)
Bart Gordon (Tennessee)
Jane Harman (California)
Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (South Dakota), Blue Dog Whip
Baron Hill (Indiana)
Tim Holden (Pennsylvania)
Nick Lampson (Texas)
Tim Mahoney (Florida)
Jim Marshall (Georgia)
Jim Matheson (Utah)
Mike McIntyre (North Carolina)
Charlie Melancon (Louisiana)
Mike Michaud (Maine)
Dennis Moore (Kansas), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Policy
Patrick Murphy (Pennsylvania)
Collin Peterson (Minnesota)
Earl Pomeroy (North Dakota)
Mike Ross (Arkansas), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Communications
John Salazar (Colorado)
Loretta Sanchez (California)
Adam Schiff (California)
David Scott (Georgia)
Heath Shuler (North Carolina)
Zack Space (Ohio)
John Tanner (Tennessee)
Gene Taylor (Mississippi)
Mike Thompson (California)
Charlie Wilson (Ohio)
Here are some tips from the EFF on effective contact with MOCs:
Your Message's Perceived Priority
When you contact your legislators, be aware that they and their staffers tend to "rank" communiques based on the format, and based on who you are. This is not always fair or just - isn't an e-mail as serious as a phone call? - but it is a political reality.
In order of MOST to LEAST effective, these are the means of contacting legislators:
personal visit to the legislator's Washington DC office or home-state office
personally handwritten but LEGIBLE short letter
personally typewritten or word-processed letter
phone call to a key staffer in the office
phone call to the reception staffers in the office
personally written fax
an obvious form letter or fax
personally written e-mail
an obvious form e-mail
In order of MOST to LEAST effective, these are the kinds of people who contact legislators
government officials
constituent organizations or corporations (entities in the legislator' home district/state)
individual constituents (voters in the legislator's home district/state)
major international, national or regional organizations or corporations
little-known international, national or regional orgs. & corps.
non-constituent individual Americans
foreign individuals, or foreign orgs. & corps.
This may of course vary with the circumstances of the issue at hand, but it's a good rough guide.
and an important point about email:
Even personally written e-mail that does not look like a form letter is not presently given much weight by most legislators, partly because of unfamiliarity with the medium, and partly because they cannot generally tell whether you are a constituent or not. E-mail should only be sent as an afterthought, a little extra bit of action. And if you ARE a constituent, say so in the first sentence and include your full name, phone number and postal address as "evidence".
Best action to take right now:
TRY TO ARRANGE AN IN PERSON VISIT ASAP/THIS WEEK with the local office of your Senators and/or Congresscritter. Try to meet with a staffer in person. Lots of tips here about how to do that
I plan on doing this in the morning.
Other tips, ideas and thoughts:
- Put a sign in your car window that says NO BAILOUT/NO BLANK CHECK
- Organize a neighborhood rally at intersections. If we did this today and throughout the week and posted these pictures online, send pics to local news, it can get attention.
- This is a BIPARTISAN CONCERN. Why on earth would ANY American agree to this? Find common ground with neighbors who you might otherwise disagree with and get them to contact their Congresscritters too. Send a mass email to everybody you know.
Just for good measure, Barack thinks you're up to it:
I hope you'll join me. I hope you'll walk with me, so that we can turn the page on the failed policies of the past. And if you make that commitment, if everybody out here is getting registered, if everybody is out there volunteering, if all of you are doing a little community organizing, if you're making phone calls, sending out emails, knocking on doors, talking to folks at church, if you've decided that you want to roll up your sleeves and join with me and change this country, block by block, neighborhood by neighborhood, county by county, state by state, then I promise you this -- we will not just win Florida. We will win this general election, and then you and I together are going to change this country and change the world.
UPDATE:
Obama's talking points
First, there must be no blank check when American taxpayers are on the hook for this much money.
Second, taxpayers shouldn't be spending a dime to reward CEOs on Wall Street.
Third, taxpayers should be protected and should be able to recoup this investment.
Fourth, this plan has to help homeowners stay in their homes.
Fifth, this is a global crisis, and the United States must insist that other nations join us in helping secure the financial markets.
Sixth, we need to start putting in place the rules of the road I've been calling for for years to prevent this from ever happening again.
And finally, this plan can't just be a plan for Wall Street, it has to be a plan for Main Street.