Saturday, October 31, 2015

1st in South Candidates Forum: Calling out HRC and DWS

The South Carolina Democratic Party is hosting a First In The South Candidates Forum this Friday, November 6th, at Winthrop University. It will be moderated by Rachel Maddow. The candidates who have been invited and will attend, and whose photos are on the front page of the SCDP website, are Hillary Clinton, Martin O'Malley and Bernie Sanders. Democratic Presidential candidate Lawrence Lessig has not been invited to the Forum.

Hillary Clinton and Debbie Wasserman Schultz need to be called out about this.

Rachel Maddow should take a public stand.


Calling out Secretary Clinton:

Secretary Clinton, here is what you say on your website about campaign finance reform:
Campaign finance reform
Our democracy should work for everyone, not just the wealthy and well-connected.“We have to end the flood of secret, unaccountable money that is distorting our elections, corrupting our political system, and drowning out the voices of too many everyday Americans. Our democracy should be about expanding the franchise, not charging an entrance fee."
HILLARY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015
Hillary is calling for aggressive campaign finance reform to end the stranglehold that wealthy interests have over our political system and restore a government of, by, and for the people—not just the wealthy and well-connected. Her proposals will will curb the outsized influence of big money in American politics, shine a light on secret spending and institute real reforms to raise the voices of regular voters.
Hillary will:
Overturn Citizens United. Hillary will appoint Supreme Court justices who value the right to vote over the right of billionaires to buy elections. She’ll push for a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United in order to restore the role of everyday voters in elections.
End secret, unaccountable money in politics. Hillary will push for legislation to require outside groups to publicly disclose significant political spending. And until Congress acts, she'll sign an executive order requiring federal government contractors to do the same. Hillary will also promote an SEC rule requiring publicly traded companies to disclose political spending to shareholders.
Amplify the voices of everyday Americans. Hillary will establish a small-donor matching system for presidential and congressional elections to incentivize small donors to participate in elections, and encourage candidates to spend more time engaging a representative cross-section of voters. 

Secretary Clinton, I think think you have no credibility in what you say you will do about the corrupting influence of money in politics.

This is not the venue for that case to be made against you. The venue for that is Friday's First In The South Candidates Forum to which Lawrence Lessig needs to be invited to attend.


Calling out Debbie Wasserman Schultz 

Representative Wasserman Schultz: MAYDAY.US lists you as one of the members of Congress who are leaders supporting fundamental reform.

You are in charge of which candidates are being allowed to participate in the Democratic debates. You are standing in the way of Lawrence Lessig's participation in the debates, and it is believed you are standing in the way of Lawrence Lessig's being invited to Friday's First In The South Candidates Forum

You may believe that Secretary Clinton is credible and trustworthy on what she says she will do about the corrupting influence of money in politics.

As stated above, I believe Secretary Clinton has no credibility in what she says she will do, and that this calls for a debate in which she and Lawrence Lessig are participants. This can start with Friday's First In The South Candidates Forum.

If Lawrence Lessig is not invited to the Forum, you need to be called out on the matter.


Rachel Maddow

Ms. Maddow:

If the failure to invite Lawrence Lessig to Friday's  Forum  is due to influence and control exerted by Secretary Clinton and Rep. Wasserman Schultz, you should take a public stand against that exclusion.

Call to arms for Lawrence Lessig in AL

Harvard Law Professor Lawrence Lessig is running for President, in order to Fix Our Broken Democracy - First. See Lessig2016.

He is running as a Democrat.

Professor Lessig wants to get on the Democratic Presidential Preference Primary Ballot in Alabama.

To do this, he needs to get signatures from 500 registered Alabama voters by this Friday, November 6th. See Presidential Candidate Ballot Access Election 2016.

Will you send tweets into Alabama to help Professor Lessig get the 500 signatures?

Here is a tweet message for you to send:
Please help Presidential candidate Lawrence Lessig get 500 signatures in AL by 11/6. http://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2015/10/help-larry-lessig-get-500-signatures-in.html
It is very easy for you to send 30 to 40 tweets in a half hour.

Here's how:

1. Get the above tweet message on your mouse clipboard.

2. Go to one of the below suggested Twitter follower lists.

3. Proceed through the list, looking for persons who indicate they live in Alabama.

4. Right click on the person's Twitter name.

5. Choose "open in new tab"

6. Go to the new tab.

7. Click on the "Tweet to" button.

8. Paste the tweet message in the box.

9. Hit the "Tweet" button.

10. Close the tab, which takes you back to the list.

11. Find the next person to tweet to.

Suggested follower lists to choose from

Followers of  Rep. Terri Sewell (Terri Sewell is a Democrat, representing ALth Cong'l district)

Followers of Unite Women Alabama

Followers of Alabama Democratic Party

Followers of Tuscaloosa Democrats

Friday, October 30, 2015

Larry Lessig Supporters Section

Professor Lawrence Lessig's Presidential candidacy affords a special opportunity for messaging to advance the campaign finance reform movement.

I have done such messaging.

I wish to offer Lessig2016 volunteers a place where they can post messaging for advancing Professor Lessig's campaign.

The volunteers might create their own blog for doing such messaging, but until they do, I offer this.

I will call this the "Larry Lessig Supporters Section" and entries that come from volunteers will be designated in some fashion to be part of this.

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Why should anyone believe HRC on CFR?

This is what Hillary Clinton says about campaign finance reform on her campaign website 
Campaign finance reform
 Our democracy should work for everyone, not just the wealthy and well-connected.
“We have to end the flood of secret, unaccountable money that is distorting our elections, corrupting our political system, and drowning out the voices of too many everyday Americans. Our democracy should be about expanding the franchise, not charging an entrance fee.”
HILLARY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015
Hillary is calling for aggressive campaign finance reform to end the stranglehold that wealthy interests have over our political system and restore a government of, by, and for the people—not just the wealthy and well-connected. Her proposals will will curb the outsized influence of big money in American politics, shine a light on secret spending and institute real reforms to raise the voices of regular voters. 
Hillary will:
Overturn Citizens United. Hillary will appoint Supreme Court justices who value the right to vote over the right of billionaires to buy elections. She’ll push for a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United in order to restore the role of everyday voters in elections.
End secret, unaccountable money in politics. Hillary will push for legislation to require outside groups to publicly disclose significant political spending. And until Congress acts, she'll sign an executive order requiring federal government contractors to do the same. Hillary will also promote an SEC rule requiring publicly traded companies to disclose political spending to shareholders.
Amplify the voices of everyday Americans. Hillary will establish a small-donor matching system for presidential and congressional elections to incentivize small donors to participate in elections, and encourage candidates to spend more time engaging a representative cross-section of voters.


What does the history of Bill and Hillary Clinton show?

It is submitted that the history of Bill and Hillary Clinton shows that they have been master practitioners and supreme beneficiaries of the corrupting influence of money in politics, which Hillary Clinton's campaign website now condemns and says she is going to change.

It is predicted that the story of the Clinton Foundation for the past 15 years, as that story comes increasingly to light in the next 12 months, will reveal how the Clintons have appallingly nourished and further ingrained the corruption of money in politics in the United States, as well as globally. For more discussion, please see Should CFR make an example of Clinton Cash?

It can be expected that, in her campaign, Hillary Clinton will be called on to answer about how the Clintons have benefited from the corrupting influence of money in politics, and to explain why the American people should put any trust in her to make the changes she says she will make.


Note: Hillary Clinton will be speaking tomorrow (Oct. 28th) at "Politics and Eggs" put on by the New Hampshire Institute of Politics and the New England Council.

Update 1/17/16
If you received a tweet from me giving a link to this blog entry, and you want to learn what #DeclareForDemocracy is about, please go to  2016 Congressional candidates' Declarations.


Update 4/4/16
See this Browsings, Harpers Blog, Nov. 17, 2015 posting Shaky Foundations (The Clintons’ so-called charitable enterprise has served as a vehicle to launder money and to enrich family friends.) By Ken Silverstein
Also this November 19, 2015 Washington Post article  Two Clintons, 41 years, $3 billion.

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Hey CFR'ers, get Lessig in the debates

To all Campaign Finance Reformers (organizations and their supporters alike):

Whatever the focus of your efforts, Lawrence Lessig's Presidential candidacy in the Democratic primary is a grand opportunity for advancing the cause of campaign finance reform.

The Democratic debates can provide a national audience and publicity for our issue.

But first Lawrence Lessig must get into the debates.

There is reason to think the Democratic National Committee is deliberately keeping Professor Lessig out, possibly because of a concern that his presence could unsettle the coronation of Secretary Clinton as the Democratic nominee.

Read this October 23, 2015 Lessig2016 press release Do They Want Hillary To Debate Herself. Then investigate further on your own, as you wish.

If you think Lawrence Lessig should be included in the debates, sign this Petition.
And send a tweet to Debbie Wasserman Schultz  by clicking on this link:    

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Something for Saturday's Jefferson-Jackson Dinner

The Iowa Democratic Party posted on its Facebook page  and on its website the below article "Rod Blum Touts Dysfunction and Gridlock in Washington as 'Democracy at its best'". 

Iowa Democrats, as well as Iowa Republicans and all Americans, should rightfully demand of their President and of their Representatives and Senators in Washington that those elected officials own up and tell us: Does our country have in Washington "Democracy at its best"? Or does our country have a broken Congress that is not properly doing its job for the American people?

Those elected officials who believe the latter is the case owe it to the American people to trumpet that Congress is broken and they should publicly call out their colleagues who contend the country has "Democracy at its best."

Then let there be debate.

Participants at the Iowa Democrats Jefferson-Jackson Dinner on Saturday should lay out their views about the foregoing, and what they will do to trumpet the matter and what they will do to call out Senators and Representatives in Washington and force debate about this in the 2016 elections.
   October 19th, 2015  Posted In: NewsPress Release

DES MOINES – Over the weekend, Rod Blum touted the recent dysfunction and gridlock in Washington, in two separate interviews (here and here), going as far as to say “this is democracy at its best” and “I think the Founding Fathers are smiling right now for the first time in a long time.”
Seriously?
Given Blum’s affiliation in the pro-gridlock and pro-shutdown House Freedom Caucus, it’s no surprise that he would view Washington, DC dysfunction as a positive. What’s clear, however, is that the recent chaos in Washington, DC caused by Congressional Republicans is nothing to brag about and far from our democracy at its finest; in fact, it could have lasting harmful effects on our country and our economy.
See for yourself below:
Omaha World-Herald

Congress’ inaction on a host of important issues — its inability to deal with our problems — is doing real damage to our country. It undermines our ability to lead in the world and causes undue economic and social hardship at home.

Financial Times

The US is two weeks from hitting its debt limit, raising the spectre for the third time in four years of what Jack Lew, Treasury secretary, has warned would be a “catastrophic” debt default. When Congress flirted with the issue in 2011 it resulted in the US losing its prized triple-A credit rating.

The issue is complicated by politics on Capitol Hill where the Republican-controlled House is in chaos since the resignation of Mr Boehner and an aborted bid to replace him with Kevin McCarthy, the majority leader. Both events were forced by the Freedom Caucus, a small but powerful faction that opposes raising the $18.1tn borrowing cap without a corresponding cut in government spending.

Wall Street Journal | Gerald Seib

Meanwhile, Washington remains stuck in the partisan mud. That stopgap bill, passed to at least keep road and bridge repairs and improvements moving along during the summer months, expires at the end of this month. It will surprise nobody to learn that Congress still hasn’t come up with a plan to keep funds moving.
CBS News

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s decision on Thursday to withdraw from the race for speaker has thrown the majority’s leadership into disarray, but it does not change the fact that Congress has a packed agenda for the rest of the year.

Lawmakers face several looming deadlines, including the need to raise the debt ceiling by early November and another government funding battle in early December.
Baltimore Sun Editorial

Whether the next House speaker is Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, Florida’s Rep. Dan Webster or somebody else who both the extremists in the Republican Party’s Freedom Caucus and the more rational, establishment-oriented party members can back, the immediate future for that chamber looks bleak. The tea party wing doesn’t have the votes to impose its will on the federal government — at least not while Mr. Obama is still in office and the Democrats hold enough seats to block a 60-vote majority in the U.S. Senate — but it does have enough power to make the House majority hopelessly dysfunctional.
USA TODAY

But budget drama looms. Lawmakers are facing an Oct. 29 deadline to renew highway spending and a Nov. 3 deadline to lift the debt limit so the government can continue borrowing money to pay its bills. Congressional leaders plan to negotiate with the White House on a long-term budget deal that will keep federal agencies open past Dec. 11. For the House, the most pressing business continues to be choosing a new speaker to replace John Boehner, R-Ohio, who plans to leave Congress at the end of this month unless Republicans fail to choose a new leader. House Ways and Means Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., is expected to announce soon whether he will run for the top job. Ryan is being pushed to run by Republican colleagues who see him as the best hope to unite the fractured GOP caucus.

Saturday, October 17, 2015

A suggestion for Prof. Lessig

Dear Professor Lessig,

Here's what I think you should do, now that you have dropped the resignation component of your referendum Presidential candidacy.

With MAYDAY, you started at the Congressional level. When MAYDAY got going in 2014, your plan was to elect a reform minded Congress by 2016.

MAYDAY involved itself in a few 2014 Congressional elections.

Your idea was  to learn what you could from those elections, and then proceed to devise a plan of action looking towards the 2016 Congressional elections.

The problem was, in the months following the 2014 elections, I think you came to the conclusion nothing you could devise for MAYDAY at the Congressional level was going to cut it.

As you found yourself increasingly dubious about MAYDAY's prospects, you brainstormed for something else.

You discovered your concept of the referendum Presidency, and you included a commitment to resign as soon as Congress passed reform.

When MAYDAY launched, you said it was  a "moonshot."

If MAYDAY was a moonshot, I think you might fairly well say that your referendum Presidency concept was a "Hail Mary."

OK, it took about six weeks for you to conclude that the resignation component of your  concept would make your campaign an impossibility, and so you have dropped that component.

Instead of a "Hail Mary" play, you might say things have now shifted to a 1000 to 1 long shot.

With your 1000 to 1 long shot, here's what I think you should do.

The Presidential election has good news and bad news.

The good news is the Presidential election sucks up most of the political oxygen, and you very much want your issue to partake of that oxygen and catch hold of national public attention.

The bad news is that the Presidential election is where money holds maximum sway. A billion or so dollars is going to be invested on the Republican side of the Presidential election, and a billion or so dollars is going to be invested on the Democratic side.

The reason you are a 1000 to 1 long shot is because it is virtually impossible to imagine you becoming competitive without huge amounts of campaign donations, and it is virtually impossible to imagine such amounts being forthcoming to you.

Bernie Sanders has established a viable and competitive Presidential candidacy with high public recognition of carrying the banner on your issue. Just about anyone who believes in your issue, and who wants to make a small donation with a view to making a small difference, will donate to Bernie Sanders and not to you.

So, what can you do with your 1000 to 1 long shot Presidential candidacy?

You should campaign as hard as you can on your issue.

You should use your campaign to get your issue played up as much as you can with Bernie Sanders supporters, and with Donald Trump, Ben Carson, and Carly Fiorina supporters.

You should even say, while you want people to donate to you, if they think you have no chance and they don't want to donate to you because you have no chance, then they should donate to Bernie Sanders.

You should get back to your MAYDAY roots, and work on making your issue an important issue in as many Congressional districts as you can. You should work on finding people who are willing to put themselves forward as Congressional candidates on your issue and do as much as they can to elevate the issue in their Congressional districts.

You should devise a plan for trying to force Congress to act before the 2016 elections, with the 2016 Congressional elections being a referendum on how well incumbent Senators and Representatives have done relative to contributing to, or failing to contribute to, Congress acting before the 2016 elections.

That's what I think you should do.

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

To Twitter @Support

Dear Twitter @Support,

I am writing to obtain clarification about Twitter's terms of service for sending unsolicited directed tweets.

I am a political activist against the corrupting influence of money in politics.

There are two Presidential candidates, Bernie Sanders and Larry Lessig, who are strenuously endeavoring to press this matter with the American people and to bring about meaningful change.

This is ultimately a battle of people power versus money power.

In pursuing its agenda, the money power has access to great amounts of money that it deploys to buy expensive advertising campaigns, including TV and radio commercials, billboards, phone banks, and the U.S. mail, to put on elaborate entertainment events, and to obtain costly professional consultation and fundraising services to assist in the same.

These advertising campaigns make massive, unsolicited communications to voters. Voters can turn off their TV or radio, throw away mail unopened, and hang up the phone on a campaign caller, but they cannot stop the advertising and stop it from going to other voters.

On the other side, there are the vast majority of the people who don't have the financial resources that the money power has. These people are limited to inexpensive ways for participating in political campaigns, such as by going door to door, or setting up tables and handing out leaflets in public places, or parading in public places with signs.

With the advent of the Internet and social media, these people have a new, inexpensive way to participate in political campaigns.

The question I have for Twitter is the extent to which Twitter users are allowed to send unsolicited directed tweets.

Should users be prevented from sending unsolicited directed political tweets merely because some recipients object to the unsolicited tweets?

Keep in mind what happens with the advertising campaigns of the money power, such as TV ads and that viewers who find TV political ads objectionable can turn off their TV but they cannot stop the ads from airing and cannot prevent communication or attempted communication to other TV viewers.

I acknowledge the widespread abuses of the social media, and I condemn those abuses.

I also acknowledge that unsolicited political communications in any form can be extremely annoying and unweclome. They are, however, allowed as an important adjunct of our democracy.

Just as objections to TV political ads don't get translated into shutting off the ads, complaints about unsolicited tweets should not result in Twitter suspending user accounts.

As I understand, Twitter has a daily limit on the number of tweets a user can send, and, if that daily limit is exceeded, the user is prevented from sending further tweets for a few hours to get the user back under the limit.

That limit should also suffice concerning the sending of unsolicited directed tweets.

If Twitter thinks a lower daily limit should be applied to the sending of unsolicited directed tweets, Twitter should say what that limit is and should apply the same remedy as when the general daily limit is exceeded, i.e., the user is prevented from sending unsolicited directed tweets for a few hours to get the user back below the limit.

Thank you for your consideration of this matter. I very much hope Twitter will act in an accommodating way about this.

Update 11/2
Update 1/1/16 



Update 1/24/16


Update 2/12/16 

Addendum  2/14/16 to above letter
Twitter @Support: In my campaign efforts, I am sending tweets to people for a second time, and, in doing that, I am seeing that some have blocked me. For the reasons stated in my letter, I hope Twitter does not suspend my account because a few people choose to block me. I continue to await guidance from Twitter. Thank you.


Update 5/4/16



Update 2/8/17


Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Tweet for Larry Lessig tonight

Monday, October 12, 2015

Push out Larry Lessig's name

Larry Lessig is running for President because

Fixing democracy can’t wait.

He is not being allowed in the Democratic Debate tomorrow night.

Help push out Larry Lessig's name today and tomorrow on Twitter.

Be aggressive. Go to one of these Twitter hashtags:





and start sending individual, directed tweets to tweeters using the Twitter hashtag you have picked. Two suggestions for tweet messages are:

At the Democratic Debate, they should first debate FixDemocracyFirst. https://lessig2016.us/

OR

Larry Lessig should be in the Dem Debate so America can FixDemocracyFirst. https://lessig2016.us/

OR

make up your own tweet message to send.

An easy way to send a lot of tweets quickly is to get your tweet message on your clipboard, go to the hashtag you have selected, start with the first tweeter under the hashtag,  right click on the tweeter's name, click "open in new tab", click on the "Tweet to _____" box, paste your message in the pop up box, click "Tweet" button, close the new tab, and move on to the next tweeter under the hashtag you have selected.

After you are done tweeting, please join the Team Lessig Social Media google group and tell others in the group what you have done.

CAVEAT: Anyone who wants to tweet as I have suggested should read emails I had a year ago with Twitter, which emails are posted at Spamming on Twitter. I just had a report from someone who said:
I did this for about 30 minutes.  Then I got a pop-up message on Twitter that my activity appeared to be spam or otherwise malicious, and therefore my Tweet would not be sent..  It said my ability to send Tweets was being suspended (for a while, I think).  It said I should try again later.  
I replied to that person, saying

It is frustrating that Twitter is unclear about its rules, and worse if Twitter is inconsistent in how it applies the rules. 
Just for your information, I have been sending this tweet message 
to tweeters using the hashtag #LetLessigDebate. I have sent out 50 to 100 tweets and have gotten 87 page views of my link, without any problem, as I have not had a problem in doing this many, many times now.
If this is a valuable tool, the Lessig2016 campaign ought to communicate with Twitter to get more certainty about what is permitted and what is not permitted. 
Anyone doing this needs to decide about the risk in doing this. I refer them to our other topic https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/team-lessig-volunteers/137QqjTuajk

I am seeking guidance from Twitter @support

Sunday, October 4, 2015

#DemocraticDebate question for Secretary Clinton

Secretary Clinton, do you and your husband have anything to explain to the American voters about what has gone on with the Clinton Foundation for the past 15 years?

[The foregoing question pertains to the corrupting influence of money in politics, and the extent to which the Clintons have benefited from the same and have abetted the same, including during the past 15 years via the activities of the Clinton Foundation. For further explanation, see Should CFR make an example of Clinton Cash?.]

Saturday, October 3, 2015

Certain emails with Represent.Us

I am a participant on the Team Lessig Social Media website. The website cites the online book SWARMWISE The Tactical Manual to Changing the World as a model to follow. I initiated a discussion about this book. See https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/teamlessigsocialmedia/OBlr_G6gLcs. In the discussion, questions were raised about campaign finance refrom organizations joining their forces better. I have done a lot of urging that the same happen, and I am trying to convey to others on the Team Lessig Social Media website how I have made little headway. The below recent interchange of emails I have had with Represent.Us seems indicative of organizations preferring to keep things "in house". The emails are posted here to facilitate transmittal of this information. If Represent.Us or Team Lessig Social Media finds this form of sharing to be objectionable, I will be happy to try to revise it.


From: Rob Shattuck <rdshattuck@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Sep 24, 2015 at 7:27 AM
Subject: Re: Debate Night
To: Represent Us <info@represent.us>

OK, thanks Jamie. Represent.Us has at least favorited some of my tweets, and I appreciate that. Rob

On Wed, Sep 23, 2015 at 2:39 PM, Represent Us <info@represent.us> wrote:
Hi Rob,

Thank you for your email and apologies for the delay in my response.

Represent.Us does have a twitter and we are always looking for ways to engage with our supporters and get attention on twitter. We are happy to have you run your own twitter campaigns and even tweet at us, however it is unlikely that we would enter into any partnership with you to run any specific tweet campaigns.

Cheers,

Jamie and the Represent.Us Team

On Fri, Sep 11, 2015 at 5:25 PM, Rob Shattuck <rdshattuck@gmail.com> wrote:
Thanks Mansur,

I tried to get tweeting going during the first debate. See http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/08/are-cfrers-tweeting-tonight.html. To my knowledge, nothing got going.

A couple of weeks ago, in response to a solicitation from Susan, I replied that I had keen interest in developing tweeting campaigns.  Susan never replied to me. (See below emails.).

My interest in tweeting campaigns continues. If Represent.Us would like to get something going regarding next week's debate, or for something else, please let me know.

Sincerely,
Rob Shattuck


From: Rob Shattuck <rdshattuck@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, Aug 22, 2015 at 12:10 PM
Subject: Re: What motivates you?
To: susan@represent.us

Dear Susan,

Your email is timely for me.

My main interest is in the use of Twitter to advance the cause of anti-corruption/campaign finance reform. I have spent more than a year at this. For current explication of my interest and efforts, see CFR'ers Agenda 2016 and The tweeting plan

I am very desirous of finding others in the grassroots to join with in these efforts.

If this is of interest to Represent.Us, but Represent.Us would want efforts in which it participated to be more tailored to its agenda and activities, I am open to discussion of the same.

For your information, I previously endeavored to participate in the small business initiative of Represent.Us, but little seemed to have come of that. See Team up with Represent.Us re: small business.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Rob Shattuck


On Fri, Aug 21, 2015 at 8:01 AM, Susan Heitker <hq@represent.us> wrote:
Hi Robert,
Thanks for supporting people across the nation to fix corruption in our political system.
We have 500,000 members throughout the country working in their communities to build an unstoppable movement. Many of them are creating Represent.Us chapters, others are planning bold, iconic actions to get our issue noticed, and still others are working locally to enact tough, new anti-corruption laws and resolutions.
As one of our members, we want to know what excites you about the anti-corruption movement and Represent.Us. Please answer the following question.
What is your primary motivation for giving to Represent.Us? (Click on your selection) 
We are grateful to have you on board. Passing bold anti-corruption laws makes it possible to win on all other issues. And achieving such sweeping change will need a lot of people rolling up their sleeves, pitching in, and getting to work.
Thanks for joining the team.
— Susan
Susan Heitker
Manager, Membership Engagement

Represent.Us

On Fri, Sep 11, 2015 at 3:30 PM, Represent.Us <hq@represent.us> wrote:
Robert –
Not one presidential candidate has faced a debate question about our nation's corrupt political system. But we have the opportunity to change that during the next presidential primary debate on Wednesday, September 16th.
CNN has asked the public to submit questions, and with enough public pressure we could make sure they force every candidate to answer ours: As president, what specific steps would you take to fix our corrupt political system?
It's hard to overstate how huge this opportunity is. More people watched the last debate than any of this year's NBA Finals or MLB World Series games. If we succeed, we put America's corruption crisis front and center for millions of Americans to see, creating a new wave of demand for solutions like the American Anti-Corruption Act.
Allowing the presidential candidates to go unchallenged on America's corruption crisis simply isn't an option. Asking tough questions will force the candidates to tell us exactly where they stand and give us the power to hold them accountable to their answers – but only if enough of us demand it.
Every election, Americans tune in to see the candidates give talking-point answers to the same softball, party-approved questions.
No more. We won't be satisfied until every candidate – Republican, Democrat, and Independent – has told us exactly how they plan to fix corruption. 
– Mansur

Mansur Gidfar
Communications Director
Represent.Us
 

P.S. If we're going to get our question into the debate, we'll need to make a big splash on social media too. CNN loves their hashtags, so don't forget to include #CNNDebate and #AskTheQuestion in your posts – otherwise CNN's team might not see them!