tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86422623137663835582024-02-19T23:26:36.236-06:00The Campaign Finance Reformers Blog (new)For amplifying the voices and effectiveness of campaign finance reformers nationwide. To get started, click on Label "A. Explanation."Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.comBlogger94125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8642262313766383558.post-14540515031640603682015-11-14T05:36:00.003-06:002015-11-20T16:39:29.858-06:00Declaration for 2016 Congressional candidates to makeI, _________, a candidate for the United States [House of Representatives in the __ Congressional district of __________] [Senate for the State of ______________] publicly declare that I believe the American people should use the 2016 elections to force Congress to face up to whether Congress is badly corrupt or not. The voters in every Congressional district and in every state should say to their incumbent Representatives and Senators, "You need to tell us whether you think Congress is badly corrupt or not, and, if you think it is badly corrupt, you need to press your colleagues in Congress to address this matter before the 2016 elections, to debate the matter in Congress, and to enact (or not enact) a reform for the American people to consider in how they cast their votes in the 2016 elections. If you do not do this, or if you pass reform that your constituents deem inadequate, your constituents will decide whether or not to vote you out of office on November 8, 2016." I, ________, will communicate this declaration to my national, state and local [Democratic] [Republican] parties and to [Democratic] [Republican] incumbents and candidates for Congress throughout the country.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>UPDATE 11/20/15</b></span><br />
This has been shifted to a separate blog <a href="http://2016candidatesdeclarations.blogspot.com/2015/11/2016-congressional-candidate-declaration.html">2016 Congressional candidates' Declarations</a>.Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8642262313766383558.post-10956333424343799162015-11-11T18:39:00.000-06:002016-05-13T13:25:37.537-05:00MAYDAY: Tweet and shout at #MD08<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>[UPDATE 5/13/16- See <a href="http://2016candidatesdeclarations.blogspot.com/2016/05/ny19.html">NY19</a>]</b></span><br />
<br />
<br />
To <a href="http://mayday.us/">MAYDAY.US</a><br />
<br />
Jamie Raskin is MAYDAY's first endorsed Congressional candidate in the 2016 elections. He is a Democrat running in Maryland's 8th Congressional district.<br />
<br />
In MAYDAY's October 27, 2015 blog post <a href="http://blog.mayday.us/post/132031544325/kicking-off-2016-with-jamie-raskin-for-congress">Kicking off 2016 with Jamie Raskin for Congress</a>, MAYDAY says<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Most of Jamie Raskin’s grassroots donations come from his district voters.<br />
His main opponent’s donations come from investment bankers, Fortune 500 executives, and DC insiders.<br />
Kathleen Matthews, the leading opponent in the Democratic primary, thinks the way to do things is with a well-connected few. Matthews is a corporate lobbyist who represents powerful interests and politics as usual. Meanwhile, Jamie Raskin has been one of the most effective leaders in Maryland because he puts the people over special interests.<br />
Now Matthews’s big lobbyist money is outpacing Jamie Raskin’s grassroots donors: she just outraised him by $200,000, primarily from special interests.<br />
<a href="https://mayday.us/elect-jamie-raskin/donate/?&utm_source=maydayus&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=20151027">We’re kicking off the campaign by crowdfunding $100,000 to close the gap. Elect a leader for reform! Be part of the grassroots movement and donate now.</a>Help kick-start in-district organizing and communications, and volunteers all over the country make calls, fundraise, and spread the word.<br />
We also need 250 <a href="https://mayday.us/elect-jamie-raskin/volunteer/?&utm_source=maydayus&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=20151027">volunteers</a> — including 40 in Maryland — to build a revolution that will carry us to victory.</blockquote>
Ballotpedia says there are seven declared candidates in this Democratic primary. They are<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="multicol" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; width: 648px;"><tbody>
<tr><td align="left" valign="top" width="32%"><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;">
<a href="http://ballotpedia.org/Jamie_Raskin" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Jamie Raskin">Jamie Raskin</a> - State Senator<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-3" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://ballotpedia.org/Maryland's_8th_Congressional_District_election,_2016#cite_note-3" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;">[3]</a></sup></div>
<a href="http://ballotpedia.org/William_Jawando" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="William Jawando">William Jawando</a> - Former Obama aide<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-4" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://ballotpedia.org/Maryland's_8th_Congressional_District_election,_2016#cite_note-4" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;">[4]</a></sup><br />
<a href="http://ballotpedia.org/Kumar_Barve" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Kumar Barve">Kumar Barve</a> - State Delegate<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-sol_5-0" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://ballotpedia.org/Maryland's_8th_Congressional_District_election,_2016#cite_note-sol-5" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;">[5]</a></sup><br />
<a href="http://ballotpedia.org/Ana_Sol_Gutierrez" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Ana Sol Gutierrez">Ana Sol Gutierrez</a> - State Delegate<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-sol_5-1" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://ballotpedia.org/Maryland's_8th_Congressional_District_election,_2016#cite_note-sol-5" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;">[5]</a></sup><br />
<a href="http://ballotpedia.org/Kathleen_Matthews" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Kathleen Matthews">Kathleen Matthews</a><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-6" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://ballotpedia.org/Maryland's_8th_Congressional_District_election,_2016#cite_note-6" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;">[6]</a></sup><br />
<a href="http://ballotpedia.org/David_Anderson_(Maryland)" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="David Anderson (Maryland)">David Anderson</a> - Nonprofit executive<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-7" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://ballotpedia.org/Maryland's_8th_Congressional_District_election,_2016#cite_note-7" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;">[7]</a></sup><br />
<a href="http://ballotpedia.org/Joel_Rubin" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Joel Rubin">Joel Rubin</a><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-cong16_8-0" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://ballotpedia.org/Maryland's_8th_Congressional_District_election,_2016#cite_note-cong16-8" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;">[8]</a></sup></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="multicol" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; width: 648px;"><tbody></tbody></table>
<a href="http://ballotpedia.org/Maryland's_8th_Congressional_District_election,_2016">http://ballotpedia.org/Maryland's_8th_Congressional_District_election,_2016</a><br />
<br />
There is going to be a debate in Bethesda MD next Tuesday among the candidates. See <a href="http://www.bethesdamagazine.com/Bethesda-Beat/2015/Local-Version-Of-Undercard-Forum-Features-Three-Democrats-Seeking-Congressional-Nod/">Local Version Of ‘Undercard’ Forum Features Three Democrats Seeking Congressional Nod</a>, <i>Bethesda Magazine</i>, November 10, 2015.<br />
<br />
I have sent this open letter to Jamie Raskin: <a href="http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/11/some-questions-for-jamie-raskin.html">Some questions for Jamie Raskin</a>.<br />
<br />
I have tweeted to numerous <a href="https://twitter.com/jamie_raskin/followers">Jamie Raskin followers</a> this: "What do Jamie Raskin supporters think about his making an announcement as described at <a href="http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/11/some-questions-for-jamie-raskin.html">http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/11/some-questions-for-jamie-raskin.html</a> ?" There have been over 450 page views of the link I have tweeted.<br />
<br />
MAYDAY supporters should shout into the Maryland 8th Congressional district for the debate on Tuesday.<br />
<br />
They should shout that all the candidates in #MD08 announce that they are going to contribute to forcing Congress to act on corruption before Election Day 2016. (For further explanation, please read <a href="http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/11/some-questions-for-jamie-raskin.html">Some questions for Jamie Raskin</a>.)<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>UPDATE 11/12</b></span><br />
To get the shouting going, I have sent the below tweets to five of the six candidates (other than Jamie Raskin to whom I previously sent my letter).<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/wjawando">@wjawando</a> Will you announce in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MD08?src=hash">#MD08</a> to force Congress to act on corruption before Election Day 2016? <a href="https://t.co/9ezFlfPols">https://t.co/9ezFlfPols</a></div>
— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/664883296791371777">November 12, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/KumarBarve">@KumarBarve</a> Will you announce in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MD08?src=hash">#MD08</a> to force Congress to act on corruption before Election Day 2016? <a href="https://t.co/9ezFlfPols">https://t.co/9ezFlfPols</a></div>
— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/664883583757262848">November 12, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/asolg">@asolg</a> Will you announce in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MD08?src=hash">#MD08</a> to force Congress to act on corruption before Election Day 2016? <a href="https://t.co/9ezFlfPols">https://t.co/9ezFlfPols</a></div>
— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/664883897939963904">November 12, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/ElectKathleen">@ElectKathleen</a> Will you announce in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MD08?src=hash">#MD08</a> to force Congress to act on corruption before Election Day 2016? <a href="https://t.co/9ezFlg6Zd0">https://t.co/9ezFlg6Zd0</a></div>
— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/664884104744144896">November 12, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/JoelMartinRubin">@JoelMartinRubin</a> Will you announce in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MD08?src=hash">#MD08</a> to force Congress to act on corruption before Election Day 2016? <a href="https://t.co/9ezFlfPols">https://t.co/9ezFlfPols</a></div>
— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/664885944143765504">November 12, 2015</a></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>For you to contribute to the shouting, send your own tweets to the candidates.</b></span><br />
<a class="twitter social-link button" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/11/some-questions-for-jamie-raskin.html&text=@wjawando%20Will%20you%20announce%20in%20%23MD08%20to%20force%20Congress%20to%20act%20on%20corruption%20before%2011/8/16&amp">Tweet here to William Jawando</a><br />
<a class="twitter social-link button" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/11/some-questions-for-jamie-raskin.html&text=@KumarBarve%20Will%20you%20announce%20in%20%23MD08%20to%20force%20Congress%20to%20act%20on%20corruption%20before%2011/8/16&amp">Tweet here to Kumar Barve</a><br />
<a class="twitter social-link button" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/11/some-questions-for-jamie-raskin.html&text=@asolg%20Will%20you%20announce%20in%20%23MD08%20to%20force%20Congress%20to%20act%20on%20corruption%20before%2011/8/16&amp">Tweet here to Ana Sol-Gutiérrez</a><br />
<a class="twitter social-link button" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/11/some-questions-for-jamie-raskin.html&text=@ElectKathleen%20Will%20you%20announce%20in%20%23MD08%20to%20force%20Congress%20to%20act%20on%20corruption%20before%2011/8/16&amp">Tweet here to Kathleen Matthews</a><br />
<a class="twitter social-link button" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/11/some-questions-for-jamie-raskin.html&text=@JoelMartinRubin%20Will%20you%20announce%20in%20%23MD08%20to%20force%20Congress%20to%20act%20on%20corruption%20before%2011/8/16&amp">Tweet here to Joel Martin</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">If you want to do more, send tweets to followers of the candidates.</span></b><br />
<br />
To <a href="https://twitter.com/wjawando/followers">William Jawando followers</a>, tweet this:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
William Jawando needs to announce Congress shall be forced to act on corruption before 11/8/16. <a href="http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/11/some-questions-for-jamie-raskin.html">http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/11/some-questions-for-jamie-raskin.html</a></blockquote>
To <a href="https://twitter.com/KumarBarve/followers">Kumar Barve followers</a>, tweet this:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Kumar Barve needs to announce Congress shall be forced to act on corruption before 11/8/16. <a href="http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/11/some-questions-for-jamie-raskin.html">http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/11/some-questions-for-jamie-raskin.html</a></blockquote>
To <a href="https://twitter.com/asolg/followers">Ana Sol-Gutiérrez followers</a>, tweet this:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Ana Sol-Gutiérrez needs to announce Congress shall be forced to act on corruption before 11/8/16. <a href="http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/11/some-questions-for-jamie-raskin.html">http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/11/some-questions-for-jamie-raskin.html</a></blockquote>
To <a href="https://twitter.com/ElectKathleen/followers">Kathleen Matthews followers</a>, tweet this:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Kathleen Matthews needs to announce Congress shall be forced to act on corruption before 11/8/16. <a href="http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/11/some-questions-for-jamie-raskin.html">http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/11/some-questions-for-jamie-raskin.html</a></blockquote>
To <a href="https://twitter.com/JoelMartinRubin/followers">Joel Rubin followers</a>, tweet this:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Joel Rubin needs to announce Congress shall be forced to act on corruption before 11/8/16. <a href="http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/11/some-questions-for-jamie-raskin.html">http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/11/some-questions-for-jamie-raskin.html</a></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>UPDATE 5/13/16- See <a href="http://2016candidatesdeclarations.blogspot.com/2016/05/ny19.html">NY19</a></b></span><br />
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/ZephyrTeachout">@ZephyrTeachout</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Will4Ny19">@Will4Ny19</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/heaneyny">@heaneyny</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnFasoNy">@JohnFasoNy</a> Hey <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NY19?src=hash">#NY19</a>, tweet and shout like <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MD08?src=hash">#MD08</a> to help fix Congress. <a href="https://t.co/CrJfqVr2Pl">https://t.co/CrJfqVr2Pl</a></p>— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/731162076287275008">May 13, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8642262313766383558.post-41836172351335011172015-11-10T18:44:00.001-06:002015-11-14T03:43:10.191-06:00Some questions for Jamie RaskinDear Mr. Raskin,<br />
<br />
You are MAYDAY's first (and right now only) endorsed Congressional candidate in MAYDAY's 2016 election campaign. See <a href="http://blog.mayday.us/post/132031544325/kicking-off-2016-with-jamie-raskin-for-congress">Kicking off 2016 with Jamie Raskin for Congress</a>.<br />
<br />
I would like to pose some questions for your consideration.<br />
<br />
This starts with, just how is MAYDAY going to achieve its goal of obtaining a reform minded Congress that passes desired campaign finance reform legislation?<br />
<br />
MAYDAY has on <a href="https://mayday.us/">its front page</a> this quotation:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The mortal struggle at hand today is not between the right and the left. It is not between Republicans and Democrats. It is not between the Congress and the president. It is between us (currently outsiders to our own government) voters and the Washington Insiders.</blockquote>
This mortal struggle diagnosis would seem to call for as much unity as possible of voters to elect Congressional candidates who will take action on behalf of reform.<br />
<br />
This, however, presents a problem.<br />
<br />
Voters have differing views on important issues, such as climate change, immigration, and privacy versus security in the war against terrorism and battling crime. If a Congressional candidate takes positions on other important issues, many voters may not support the candidate on that basis, and this undermines the needed unity in the struggle of us voter outsiders against Washington insiders.<br />
<br />
On the other hand, a Congressional candidate who takes the position that Congress must be fixed first, that voter unity on that must not be undermined, and for that reason the candidate declines to take positions on other issues, in all likelihood, will attract little or no voter support.<br />
<br />
The foregoing conundrum may have been a contributing factor in Larry Lessig's decision to leave MAYDAY and undertake his almost "Hail Mary" run for President and his idea of a trustee President whose only purpose is to get reform passed by Congress. Professor Lessig denominated this a "referendum Presidential candidacy."<br />
<br />
That candidacy has now foundered, so focus may return to MAYDAY and its plan.<br />
<br />
The conundrum continues, however.<br />
<br />
Professor Lessig could not run a single issue Presidential campaign, and very likely no Congressional candidate can run a viable single issue Congressional campaign.<br />
<br />
You are running a multiple issue campaign, as is likely you must.<br />
<br />
No one can predict how much success MAYDAY will have in advancing the cause of reform in the 2016 Congressional elections.<br />
<br />
Possibly there will be no meaningful success in the 2016 elections, reform will not get enacted by the next Congress, and the situation will remain unchanged until a next chance arises with the 2018 elections.<br />
<br />
If unity of voters is critically important in order to force the passage of reform by Congress, and if Congressional candidates cannot run single issue candidacies, and if that can cause the reform issue to get lost in the mix in the 2016 elections, is there any alternative course of action for the 2016 elections?<br />
<br />
Here is an idea: Can the current Congress be forced by the American people to take action about reform before the 2016 elections, under the threat that the 2016 elections will be a referendum on how Congress, and individual Representatives and Senators, do in taking action to pass reform.<br />
<br />
It would require massive public mobilization for such a threat to become credible. Incumbent Representatives and incumbent Senators who are up for election in 2016 would need to be put on notice by their constituents that they risk being voted out of office if they don't act to pass reform before the 2016 elections, or if they pass reform and the reform that is passed is judged by voters not to be adequate.<br />
<br />
While there is widespread belief that Congress is "broken", there are numerous different things that might be done to try to "fix" Congress, and there will be differing ideas about what should be tried. These would be legitimately subjects of debate.<br />
<br />
Indeed, that is exactly what should happen. Both Republican and Democratic incumbents in Congress should be forced to take a position about whether or not they think Congress is "broken."<br />
<br />
They can take a position that they don't think Congress is "broken" and their constituents can decide whether the constituents agree or not.<br />
<br />
Alternatively, an incumbent in Congress who says that Congress is "broken" can propose what he or she thinks should be done to try to "fix" the broken Congress.<br />
<br />
Congressional debate should then ensue.<br />
<br />
This debate would be subject to an overhanging threat that Congress must debate the subject and agree, or not agree, on something, and that something will be the subject of the 2016 elections referendum.<br />
<br />
Voters can vote in favor of their incumbent if they think Congress has done a credible job in what Congress has proposed (or not proposed), or against their incumbent if voters are dissatisfied with what Congress has proposed (or not proposed).<br />
<br />
What do you think about that, Mr. Raskin?<br />
<br />
Are you willing to incorporate in your Congressional campaign a public announcement to the effect of:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I, Jamie Raskin, publicly announce that I believe the American people should use the 2016 elections to force Congress to face up to whether Congress is broken or not. The voters in every Congressional district and in every state should say to their incumbent Representatives and Senators, "You need to tell us whether you think Congress is broken or not, and, if you do think it is broken, you need to get your colleagues in Congress to address this matter before the 2016 elections, to debate the matter in Congress, and enact a reform for the American people to consider in how they cast their votes in the 2016 elections. If you do not do this, or if you pass reform that your constituents deem inadequate, your constituents will vote you out of office." I, Jamie Raskin, will do the utmost to communicate this announcement to my Democratic party, to the Democratic National Committee, and to Democratic incumbents and candidates for Congress throughout the country.</blockquote>
I hope, Mr. Raskin, that you, as MAYDAY's first endorsed candidate, will do that.<br />
<br />
Thank you very much.
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/jamie_raskin">@jamie_raskin</a> Some questions for you, Mr. Raskin. <a href="https://t.co/9ezFlfPols">https://t.co/9ezFlfPols</a></div>
— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/664244253594374144">November 11, 2015</a></blockquote>
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">UPDATE 11/14/16: </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> See <a href="http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/11/mayday-get-volunteers-going-for-jamie.html">MAYDAY: Tweet and shout at #MD08</a>.</span></b><br />
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8642262313766383558.post-90064964288000186452015-11-06T17:24:00.002-06:002015-11-07T06:32:09.074-06:00What would you do if you were Larry Lessig?This is <a href="https://lessig2016.us/">Larry Lessig</a>.<br />
<br />
It appears a hugely daunting question of what he should do next.<br />
<br />
How daunting is revealed by some of the things you would probably review in trying to answer the question.<br />
<br />
You would consider whether you should campaign for Bernie Sanders, who has become very publicly identified with getting big money out of politics. If he is not the Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton has a plank in her platform re <a href="https://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/campaign-finance-reform/">Campaign finance reform</a>, and possibly you would have influence about that by campaigning for Hillary Clinton.<br />
<br />
You would consider <a href="http://mayday.us/">MAYDAY.US</a>, the organization you started in 2014, having the goal of electing a reform minded Congress by 2016. You would ask yourself what you think are the prospects for MAYDAY's efforts at this point.<br />
<br />
You would consider what the prospects would be if you ran for President as an independent or third party candidate.<br />
<br />
You would look at historical precedents, including the Presidential runs of George Wallace, Ross Perot, and Ralph Nader.<br />
<br />
You would survey the status, sizes and platforms of the numerous minority political parties in the United States. A good start for information and Internet links could be <a href="http://ballotpedia.org/List_of_political_parties_in_the_United_States">Ballotpedia List of political parties in the United States</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_parties_in_the_United_States">Wikipedia List of political parties in the United States</a>.<br />
<br />
You would review the platforms and activities of the political parties to determine which would present the best potential for melding with your plan of achieving enactment of the <a href="https://lessig2016.us/the-plan/">Citizen Equality Act of 2017</a> (as that plan might be modified by you in the changed circumstances of your not running for President as a Democrat).<br />
<br />
Probably you would look closely at the Green Party and its <a href="http://www.gp.org/four_pillars_10_kv">Four Pillars-Ten Key Values</a> .<br />
<br />
Although <a href="http://www.coffeepartyusa.com/">Coffee Party USA</a> does not appear on the Ballotpedia and Wikipedia lists, you would probably look at that party's activities and its <a href="http://www.coffeepartyusa.com/goals">End State Goals</a>.<br />
<br />
You would consider the onerous ballot access difficulties if you tried to run as an independent or third party candidate.<br />
<br />
You would survey the organizations that have sprung up in the past several years, such as MoveToAmend, Represent.Us, WolfPAC, NHRebellion, and Stamp Stampede, as well as MAYDAY, and which have attracted a lot of support and interest, much of it in reaction to the Citizens United decision in 2010.<br />
<br />
You would consider how these organizations have disparate focii for their efforts.<br />
<br />
Among them, MoveToAmend has been pressing for a specific constitutional amendment saying corporations are not people and money is not speech. MoveToAmend's strategy has been to build pressure from the bottom up, in the form of getting local governing bodies and the like to pass resolutions urging the adoption of their constitutional amendment.<br />
<br />
WolfPAC is seeking a Free and Fair Elections Amendment to the constitution. WolfPAC's method is the targeting of state legislatures to get them to call for a convention of the states.<br />
<br />
Represent.Us is seeking to end corruption nationally by getting local governing bodies to pass anti-corruption laws that meet the standards of the American Anti-Corruption Act.<br />
<div>
<br />
You would consider the successes that are beginning to be achieved at the state and local level, including in Maine and Seattle in this past Tuesday's elections. See <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/campaign-finance-reform_563a14fee4b0b24aee482a20">Maine, Seattle Pave Next Path For Campaign Finance Reform</a>.<br />
<br />
A commentator in the Nonprofit Quarterly is already urging you to dedicate yourself to reform at state and local levels. See <a href="https://nonprofitquarterly.org/2015/11/06/lessigs-out-of-the-2016-race-heres-his-next-campaign-finance-reform-job/">Lessig’s Out of the 2016 Race: Here’s His Next Campaign Finance Reform Job</a>.<br />
<br />
The foregoing makes for a lot to think about in trying to decide what you would do if you were Larry Lessig, and there would be a lot more as you proceeded with your thinking.<br />
<br />
I would have to do a lot more thinking before I pretended to decide what I would do if I was Larry Lessig.<br />
<br />
There is a google group of Lessig volunteers who have been discussing what he should do. You might want to join the discussion at <a href="https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/team-lessig-volunteers/WxFd33P0zPc">https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/team-lessig-volunteers/WxFd33P0zPc</a>.</div>
Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8642262313766383558.post-355771130497035932015-11-04T16:16:00.000-06:002015-11-04T16:57:27.090-06:00You should tweet into SC for LessigAs you probably know, the Democratic National Party changed the rules and therefore absolutely prevented Larry Lessig from getting into the Democratic debates. See <a href="https://lessig2016.us/">https://lessig2016.us/</a><br />
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This has caused Professor Lessig to suspend his campaign.<br />
<br />
In a message conveying this to his supporters, Professor Lessig included a P.S., which said:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
P.S. Would I return to the race if invited to the debate? OF COURSE! So please feel free to raise some hell by <a href="http://lessig2016.us11.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=25e9e913a75b88071b086a84a&id=eff030261b&e=40c496c119">tweeting</a>, forwarding this email to a friend or watching and sharing this <a href="http://lessig2016.us11.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=25e9e913a75b88071b086a84a&id=90565eb620&e=40c496c119">45-second video from supporter Jordan Leigh</a>. I can’t help but believe the Democrats will do the right thing — eventually. Maybe you can make that happen.</blockquote>
Lessig volunteers are trying to raise some hell.</div>
<div>
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<div>
We have started with the South Carolina Democratic Party in connection with its <a href="http://firstinthesouth.com/">First In The South Candidates Forum</a> scheduled for this Friday. We are tweeting to <a href="https://twitter.com/scdp/followers">South Carolina Democratic Party followers</a> individually. The tweet we are sending says: </div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Secretary Hillary Clinton is a DemocracyDenier. LetLessigDebate.<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Flessig2016.us%2F&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNFZvLAvNyYlcHC_MsZ-xTkbjHaEbw"> https://lessig2016.us/</a></blockquote>
<div>
You can help us send these individual tweets. Get the above tweet message on your mouse clipboard, go to the <a href="https://twitter.com/scdp/followers">South Carolina Democratic Party followers</a> page, scroll down to a random place on the page and pick a follower to start with. Then:<br />
<br />
1. Right click on person's Twitter name.<br />
2. Choose "open in new tab"<br />
3. Go to the new tab.<br />
4. Click on the "Tweet to" button.<br />
5. Paste the tweet message in the box.<br />
6. Hit the "Tweet" button.<br />
7. Close the tab, which takes you back to the list<br />
8. Go on to next follower, and repeat above steps.<br />
<br />
You should be able to send 30 to 40 tweets in a half hour. Send as many tweets as you are willing to. Don't worry about any duplication that may arise.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">CAVEAT:</span></b> Anyone tweeting should first read <a href="http://maydaysupporters.blogspot.com/2015/02/spamming-on-twitter.html">Spamming on Twitter</a> and <a href="http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/10/to-twitter-support.html">To Twitter @Support</a>. I have not received any response from Twitter. I believe in the arguments on my side for what I am doing. I hope others do too. Anyone who does tweeting here needs to make their own decision regarding risk to the their Twitter account.</div>
Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8642262313766383558.post-12629830927759570822015-11-02T12:53:00.002-06:002015-11-02T15:14:12.753-06:00We are tweeting like hellThe Democratic National Party has changed the rules, preventing Larry Lessig from getting into the Democratic debates.<br />
<br />
We are tweeting like hell to protest this, starting with the South Carolina Democratic Party and its First In The South Forum this Friday.
<br />
<br />
Below is a message that Professor Lessig has written to his supporters (if you click on Prof. Lessig's photo blow, there is a video):<br />
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<span style="color: #202020; font-family: "helvetica";"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">From Larry:</span></span><br />
<div style="color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
<div style="color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px; margin: 1em 0px; text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 1.6em;">As you know, the critical step in this improbable campaign has been to get into the debates. Though we raised more money than almost half of the field, and with you, built a vibrant campaign for reform, the party was slow to welcome us to this race. The polls have been slow to include me on the list of candidates. </span></div>
<div style="color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px; margin: 1em 0px; text-align: left;">
But last week, we were making progress. A national poll by Monmouth found me at 1%. Three days ago, an <a href="http://lessig2016.us11.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=25e9e913a75b88071b086a84a&id=439a0b6a4c&e=40c496c119" style="color: mediumblue; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">NBC poll</a> found the same. <a href="http://lessig2016.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=25e9e913a75b88071b086a84a&id=a4c553a869&e=40c496c119" style="color: mediumblue; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">HuffPost Pollster</a> now lists three polls at 1%. <strong>Since the Monmouth poll, no poll that included my name found me with less than 1%</strong>.</div>
<div style="color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px; margin: 1em 0px; text-align: left;">
Under the rules for the debate announced by the DNC in August — and upon which we relied when we launched our campaign — the standard was 3 polls “<a href="http://lessig2016.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=25e9e913a75b88071b086a84a&id=894902a225&e=40c496c119" style="color: mediumblue; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><strong>in the six weeks prior to the debate</strong></a>.” Depending on which polls CBS counted, we either have qualified or could be just one poll away from qualifying for the debate.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
But at the end of last week, I learned from my team that <strong>the DNC has now changed the rules</strong>. The standard is no longer <a href="http://lessig2016.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=25e9e913a75b88071b086a84a&id=5225b5fbe0&e=40c496c119" style="color: mediumblue; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">the rule announced by the DNC Chair</a> — 3 polls “<strong>in the six weeks prior to the debate.</strong>” The standard is now 3 polls<strong> “at least six weeks before the debate.”</strong> That means, for me to qualify, I had to have had 3 polls at 1% before October 10! You can read the <a href="http://lessig2016.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=25e9e913a75b88071b086a84a&id=a1249c871a&e=40c496c119" style="color: mediumblue; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">full and sad story</a> as described by the leader of my campaign, Steve Jarding. The consequence of this change is that it is now impossible for me to get into the second debate.</div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
<span style="line-height: 20.8px;">I cannot ask you to support a campaign for the Democratic nomination that can’t even get before the members of the Democratic party. And I can’t ask my family or my team to make any further sacrifices for a cause that has no opportunity to earn the support that the nomination will require. The uncertainty around my inclusion in the debates has understandably slowed support for the campaign. Without a commitment from the party that I would be included, we cannot afford to continue the campaign. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 20.8px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
So today the campaign will announce that I am no longer running for the Democratic nomination. You can see my video making this announcement <a href="http://lessig2016.us11.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=25e9e913a75b88071b086a84a&id=c7c4cc9eb0&e=40c496c119" style="color: mediumblue; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
<br style="line-height: 20.8px;" />
<a href="http://lessig2016.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=25e9e913a75b88071b086a84a&id=27ffc5c113&e=40c496c119" style="color: mediumblue; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20.8px;" target="_blank"><img align="none" class="CToWUd" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhdF2mErVmZpbDk2gace5ZhWG0TmMd5qVfUmDC4O5InmSyeEuWA8lo57N9Vk9OsiBre8VhirVpnUp1qfiJ8raNTJYKAkwNIFOQ3GDfASiQHukPgMX2Z0q7aXprXQFu2xOk8CGRN8Yki9lYNytbUURl_dSqD_vpaRrl2dhIXvRnO3zG-dxytlvY0J7-gwEyjKyx77jgOs3IoDWHP8HsL8Pj6eSBv0c4yWw=s0-d-e1-ft" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; min-height: 317px; outline: none; text-decoration: none; width: 576px;" width="576" /></a><br />
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<div style="line-height: 20.8px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
I have given this campaign every ounce of my energy. I wish I could have given more. We knew this would be difficult. I knew it would be personally costly. But the chance to help trigger a movement to fix the crippled and corrupted institution at the core of our democracy — Congress — is worth any burden. If I had been a better candidate, no doubt we could have carried this message further. But all any of us can do is to give everything we can. I have tried to do that. </div>
<div style="line-height: 20.8px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
You will never know how grateful I am for your support of this campaign. This fight continues, and your dedication has renewed my commitment to this cause for as long as I can serve. Thank you for your help and your support. </div>
<div style="line-height: 20.8px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
With gratitude,<br />
Lessig</div>
<div style="line-height: 20.8px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
P.S. Would I return to the race if invited to the debate? OF COURSE! So please feel free to raise some hell by <a href="http://lessig2016.us11.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=25e9e913a75b88071b086a84a&id=eff030261b&e=40c496c119" style="color: mediumblue; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">tweeting</a>, forwarding this email to a friend or watching and sharing this <a href="http://lessig2016.us11.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=25e9e913a75b88071b086a84a&id=90565eb620&e=40c496c119" style="color: mediumblue; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">45-second video from supporter Jordan Leigh</a>. I can’t help but believe the Democrats will do the right thing — eventually. Maybe you can make that happen.</div>
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Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8642262313766383558.post-30812520844998043302015-10-31T12:18:00.000-05:002015-11-01T11:02:45.655-06:001st in South Candidates Forum: Calling out HRC and DWSThe South Carolina Democratic Party is hosting a <a href="http://firstinthesouth.com/">First In The South Candidates Forum</a> 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 <a href="http://firstinthesouth.com/">front page</a> 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.<br />
<br />
Hillary Clinton and Debbie Wasserman Schultz need to be called out about this.<br />
<br />
Rachel Maddow should take a public stand.<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Calling out Secretary Clinton:</b></span><br />
<br />
Secretary Clinton, here is what you say on <a href="https://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/campaign-finance-reform/">your website about campaign finance reform</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Campaign finance reform<br />
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."<br />
HILLARY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015<br />
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.<br />
Hillary will:<br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
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. </blockquote>
<br />
Secretary Clinton, I think think you have no credibility in what you say you will do about the corrupting influence of money in politics.<br />
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<br />
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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.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Calling out Debbie Wasserman Schultz </span></b><br />
<br />
Representative Wasserman Schultz: <a href="http://mayday.us/">MAYDAY.US</a> lists you as one of the members of Congress who are <a href="https://mayday.us/legislators/#leaders">leaders supporting fundamental reform</a>.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
If Lawrence Lessig is not invited to the Forum, you need to be called out on the matter.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Rachel Maddow</span></b><br />
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<br /></div>
Ms. Maddow:<br />
<br />
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.</div>
</div>
Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8642262313766383558.post-81491147106878994532015-10-31T07:59:00.000-05:002015-10-31T08:21:10.301-05:00Call to arms for Lawrence Lessig in ALHarvard Law Professor Lawrence Lessig is running for President, in order to Fix Our Broken Democracy - First. See <a href="https://lessig2016.us/">Lessig2016</a>.<br />
<br />
He is running as a Democrat.<br />
<br />
Professor Lessig wants to get on the Democratic Presidential Preference Primary Ballot in Alabama.<br />
<br />
To do this, he needs to get signatures from 500 registered Alabama voters by this Friday, November 6th. See <a href="http://www.alabamavotes.gov/downloads/election/2016/pba-2016.pdf">Presidential Candidate Ballot Access Election 2016</a>.<br />
<br />
Will you send tweets into Alabama to help Professor Lessig get the 500 signatures?<br />
<br />
Here is a tweet message for you to send:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Please help Presidential candidate Lawrence Lessig get 500 signatures in AL by 11/6. <a href="http://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2015/10/help-larry-lessig-get-500-signatures-in.html">http://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2015/10/help-larry-lessig-get-500-signatures-in.html</a></b></blockquote>
It is very easy for you to send 30 to 40 tweets in a half hour.<br />
<br />
Here's how:<br />
<br />
1. Get the above tweet message on your mouse clipboard.<br />
<br />
2. Go to one of the below suggested Twitter follower lists.<br />
<br />
3. Proceed through the list, looking for persons who indicate they live in Alabama.<br />
<br />
4. Right click on the person's Twitter name.<br />
<br />
5. Choose "open in new tab"<br />
<br />
6. Go to the new tab.<br />
<br />
7. Click on the "Tweet to" button.<br />
<br />
8. Paste the tweet message in the box.<br />
<br />
9. Hit the "Tweet" button.<br />
<br />
10. Close the tab, which takes you back to the list.<br />
<br />
11. Find the next person to tweet to.<br />
<br />
Suggested follower lists to choose from<br />
<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/Sewell4Congress/followers">Followers of Rep. Terri Sewell</a> (Terri Sewell is a Democrat, representing ALth Cong'l district)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/UniteWomenAL/followers">Followers of Unite Women Alabama</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/aladems/followers">Followers of Alabama Democratic Party</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/TuscaloosaDems/followers">Followers of Tuscaloosa Democrats</a><br />
<br />Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8642262313766383558.post-12114145400315840872015-10-30T08:45:00.001-05:002015-10-30T08:48:51.720-05:00Larry Lessig Supporters SectionProfessor Lawrence Lessig's Presidential candidacy affords a special opportunity for messaging to advance the campaign finance reform movement.<br />
<br />
I have done such messaging.<br />
<br />
I wish to offer Lessig2016 volunteers a place where they can post messaging for advancing Professor Lessig's campaign.<br />
<br />
The volunteers might create their own blog for doing such messaging, but until they do, I offer this.<br />
<br />
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.Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8642262313766383558.post-51926979118242757702015-10-27T04:19:00.001-05:002016-04-04T19:54:44.183-05:00Why should anyone believe HRC on CFR?<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">This is what Hillary Clinton says about campaign finance reform on her <a href="https://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/campaign-finance-reform/">campaign website</a> </span></b><br />
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Campaign finance reform</blockquote>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: "open sans" , "arial" , serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal;"> </span>Our democracy should work for everyone, not just the wealthy and well-connected.<br />
“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.”<br />
HILLARY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015<br />
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<span style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 21px;">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 </span><span style="font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0em; line-height: 21px;">and institute real reforms to raise the voices of regular voters.</span><span style="font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0em; line-height: 21px;"> </span></blockquote>
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Hillary will:<br />
<b style="box-sizing: border-box;">Overturn <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Citizens United</i>.</b> 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 <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Citizens United</i> in order to restore the role of everyday voters in elections.<br />
<b style="box-sizing: border-box;">End secret, unaccountable money in politics.</b> 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.<br />
<b style="box-sizing: border-box;">Amplify the voices of everyday Americans.</b> 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.</blockquote>
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">What does the history of Bill and Hillary Clinton show?</span></b><br />
<br />
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.<br />
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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 <a href="http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/09/should-cfr-make-example-of-clinton-cash.html">Should CFR make an example of Clinton Cash?</a></div>
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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.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Note</b></span>: 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.</div>
</div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/nhiop">@nhiop</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NECouncil">@NECouncil</a> Why should anyone believe Hillary Clinton re: campaign finance reform? <a href="https://t.co/YTrj3idQxf">https://t.co/YTrj3idQxf</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PoliticsAndEggs?src=hash">#PoliticsAndEggs</a></div>
— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/659009763083223040">October 27, 2015</a></blockquote>
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Update 1/17/16</span></b><br />
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 <a href="http://2016%20congressional%20candidates%27%20declarations/">2016 Congressional candidates' Declarations</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Update 4/4/16</b></span><br />
See this Browsings, Harpers Blog, Nov. 17, 2015 posting <a href="http://linkis.com/harpers.org/blog/201/gEeKb">Shaky Foundations</a> (The Clintons’ so-called charitable enterprise has served as a vehicle to launder money and to enrich family friends.) By <a href="http://harpers.org/author/kensilverstein/">Ken Silverstein</a><br />
Also this November 19, 2015 Washington Post article <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/clinton-money/"> Two Clintons, 41 years, $3 billion</a>.<br />
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8642262313766383558.post-81837610320886919142015-10-25T16:30:00.000-05:002015-10-26T07:42:07.051-05:00Hey CFR'ers, get Lessig in the debatesTo all Campaign Finance Reformers (organizations and their supporters alike):<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
The Democratic debates can provide a national audience and publicity for our issue.<br />
<br />
But first Lawrence Lessig must get into the debates.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
Read this October 23, 2015 Lessig2016 press release <a href="https://lessig2016.us/do-they-want-hillary-to-debate-herself/">Do They Want Hillary To Debate Herself</a>. Then investigate further on your own, as you wish.<br />
<br />
If you think Lawrence Lessig should be included in the debates, sign <a href="https://lessig2016.us/we-need-you-to-act-now/">this Petition</a>.<br />
And send a tweet to Debbie Wasserman Schultz by clicking on this link: <b style="font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a class="twitter social-link button" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://lessig2016.us/do-they-want-hillary-to-debate-herself&text=%20%40DWStweets%20%23LetLessigDebate&amp">Tweet Now</a> </b><br />
<b style="font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><br /></b>Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8642262313766383558.post-18127145379064249222015-10-20T09:19:00.003-05:002015-10-21T03:54:43.446-05:00Something for Saturday's Jefferson-Jackson DinnerThe Iowa Democratic Party posted on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/IowaDemocrats">its Facebook page</a> and on <a href="http://iowademocrats.org/rod-blum-touts-dysfunction-and-gridlock-in-washington-as-democracy-at-its-best/">its website</a> the below article "Rod Blum Touts Dysfunction and Gridlock in Washington as 'Democracy at its best'".<a href="http://iowademocrats.org/rod-blum-touts-dysfunction-and-gridlock-in-washington-as-democracy-at-its-best/"> </a><br />
<br />
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?<br />
<br />
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."<br />
<br />
Then let there be debate.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
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Rod Blum Touts Dysfunction and Gridlock in Washington as “Democracy at its best”</h2>
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<span class="glyphicon glyphicon-user" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-family: 'Glyphicons Halflings'; line-height: 1; position: relative; top: 1px;"></span> <a href="http://iowademocrats.org/author/josh-levitt/" rel="author" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #989898; text-decoration: none;" title="Posts by Josh Levitt">Josh Levitt</a> <span class="glyphicon glyphicon-time" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-family: 'Glyphicons Halflings'; line-height: 1; position: relative; top: 1px;"></span> October 19th, 2015 <span class="glyphicon glyphicon-circle-arrow-right" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-family: 'Glyphicons Halflings'; line-height: 1; position: relative; top: 1px;"></span> Posted In: <a href="http://iowademocrats.org/category/news/" rel="category tag" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #989898; text-decoration: none;">News</a>, <a href="http://iowademocrats.org/category/press_release/" rel="category tag" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #989898; text-decoration: none;">Press Release</a></div>
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DES MOINES – Over the weekend, Rod Blum touted the recent dysfunction and gridlock in Washington, in two separate interviews (<a href="http://www.thonline.com/news/tri-state/article_1aa4d70c-ab9c-5914-b172-146dadc80ffa.html" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #45b7e9; text-decoration: none;">here</a> and <a href="http://wcfcourier.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/rod-blum-discusses-house-freedom-caucus/article_7dc8cb90-f666-5170-86ea-20772645d20f.html" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #45b7e9; text-decoration: none;">here</a>), going as far as to say <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">“this is democracy at its best” </strong>and <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">“I think the Founding Fathers are smiling right now for the first time in a long time.”</em></strong></div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Seriously?</em></div>
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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.</div>
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See for yourself below:</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="http://www.omaha.com/opinion/lee-h-hamilton-congressional-dysfunction-has-a-cost/article_68c9e746-e7d9-561f-b070-dc8cb478f514.html" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #45b7e9; text-decoration: none;">Lee H. Hamilton: Congressional dysfunction has a cost</a></strong></div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Omaha World-Herald</strong></div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">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.</em></div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d14af570-7553-11e5-933d-efcdc3c11c89.html" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #45b7e9; text-decoration: none;">Congressional chaos spurs US debt fears</a></strong></div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Financial Times</strong></div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">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.</em></div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">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.</em></div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/as-infrastructure-creaks-congress-dithers-1444060075" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #45b7e9; text-decoration: none;">As Infrastructure Creaks, Congress Dithers</a></strong></div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Wall Street Journal | Gerald Seib</strong></div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">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.</em></div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/race-for-speaker-chaos-complicates-congresss-to-do-list/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #45b7e9; text-decoration: none;">Congress faces looming deadlines amid chaos of House speaker election</a></strong></div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">CBS News</strong></div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">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.</em></div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Lawmakers face several looming deadlines, including the need to raise the debt ceiling by early November and another government funding battle in early December.</em></div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/editorial/bs-ed-gop-speaker-20151012-story.html" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #45b7e9; text-decoration: none;">Biggest economic threat: Congress</a></strong></div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Baltimore Sun Editorial</strong></div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">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.</em></div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/10/18/congress-returns-amid-chaos-over-house-speaker/74048782/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #45b7e9; text-decoration: none;">Congress returns amid chaos over House speaker</a></strong></div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">USA TODAY</strong></div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">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.</em></div>
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Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8642262313766383558.post-78176653397376956672015-10-17T20:36:00.000-05:002015-10-19T09:06:06.612-05:00A suggestion for Prof. LessigDear Professor Lessig,<br />
<br />
Here's what I think you should do, now that you have dropped the resignation component of your referendum Presidential candidacy.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
MAYDAY involved itself in a few 2014 Congressional elections.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
As you found yourself increasingly dubious about MAYDAY's prospects, you brainstormed for something else.<br />
<br />
You discovered your concept of the referendum Presidency, and you included a commitment to resign as soon as Congress passed reform.<br />
<br />
When MAYDAY launched, you said it was a "moonshot."<br />
<br />
If MAYDAY was a moonshot, I think you might fairly well say that your referendum Presidency concept was a "Hail Mary."<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
Instead of a "Hail Mary" play, you might say things have now shifted to a 1000 to 1 long shot.<br />
<br />
With your 1000 to 1 long shot, here's what I think you should do.<br />
<br />
The Presidential election has good news and bad news.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
So, what can you do with your 1000 to 1 long shot Presidential candidacy?<br />
<br />
You should campaign as hard as you can on your issue.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
That's what I think you should do.Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8642262313766383558.post-6825255318922567062015-10-14T12:42:00.000-05:002017-10-27T11:42:28.072-05:00To Twitter @SupportDear Twitter @Support,<br />
<br />
I am writing to obtain clarification about Twitter's terms of service for sending unsolicited directed tweets.<br />
<br />
I am a political activist against the corrupting influence of money in politics.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
This is ultimately a battle of people power versus money power.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
With the advent of the Internet and social media, these people have a new, inexpensive way to participate in political campaigns.<br />
<br />
The question I have for Twitter is the extent to which Twitter users are allowed to send unsolicited directed tweets.<br />
<br />
Should users be prevented from sending unsolicited directed political tweets merely because some recipients object to the unsolicited tweets?<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
I acknowledge the widespread abuses of the social media, and I condemn those abuses.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
That limit should also suffice concerning the sending of unsolicited directed tweets.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
Thank you for your consideration of this matter. I very much hope Twitter will act in an accommodating way about this.
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
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To Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/Support">@Support</a>: Please read this "open" letter to you regarding the matter of unsolicited political tweets. <a href="http://t.co/tXStNyiKvY">http://t.co/tXStNyiKvY</a></div>
— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/654352599731306496">October 14, 2015</a></blockquote>
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Update 11/2</span></b><br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
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<a href="https://twitter.com/Support">@Support</a> I have not heard from you about this <a href="https://t.co/tXStNyiKvY">https://t.co/tXStNyiKvY</a> Can you please provide guidance? Thank you.</div>
— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/661244236373864449">November 2, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Update 1/1/16 </span></b><br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
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<a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06">@RobShattuckAL06</a> reported - this is spam</div>
— Amanta Claus (@Amantisme) <a href="https://twitter.com/Amantisme/status/682883424856702976">January 1, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/Amantisme">@Amantisme</a> Thank you. I wish Twitter would answer this <a href="https://t.co/tXStNyiKvY">https://t.co/tXStNyiKvY</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Support">@Support</a></div>
— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/682884694095085568">January 1, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
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<a href="https://twitter.com/AzureAlli4nce">@AzureAlli4nce</a> Thank you. Please read <a href="https://t.co/tXStNyiKvY">https://t.co/tXStNyiKvY</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Support">@Support</a></div>
— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/683039973281501186">January 1, 2016</a></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Update 1/24/16</b></span><br />
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
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<a href="https://twitter.com/NanceBroderzen">@NanceBroderzen</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/KrauseForIowa">@KrauseForIowa</a> Thank you. <a href="https://t.co/tXStNyAlnw">https://t.co/tXStNyAlnw</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Support">@Support</a></div>
— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/691394686569750528">January 24, 2016</a></blockquote>
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Update 2/12/16 </span></b><br />
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
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<a href="https://twitter.com/tinmanic">@tinmanic</a> Please see <a href="https://t.co/tXStNyiKvY">https://t.co/tXStNyiKvY</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Support">@Support</a></div>
— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/698086333026275328">February 12, 2016</a></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Addendum 2/14/16 to above letter</b></span><br />
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.<br />
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
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<a href="https://twitter.com/Support">@Support</a> Please see 2/14/16 addendum to my 10/14/15 letter to you. <a href="https://t.co/tXStNyAlnw">https://t.co/tXStNyAlnw</a></div>
— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/698824687153876992">February 14, 2016</a></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Update 5/4/16</b></span><br />
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
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<a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06">@RobShattuckAL06</a> stop spamming</div>
— Anthony LaMesa (@ajlamesa) <a href="https://twitter.com/ajlamesa/status/727686699493511168">May 4, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">
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<a href="https://twitter.com/ajlamesa">@ajlamesa</a> Thank you. Please see <a href="https://t.co/tXStNyiKvY">https://t.co/tXStNyiKvY</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Support">@Support</a></div>
— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/727759933144481792">May 4, 2016</a></blockquote>
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Update 2/8/17</span></b><br />
<br />
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/KCberv">@KCberv</a> I will add your complaint at the end of <a href="https://t.co/tXStNyiKvY">https://t.co/tXStNyiKvY</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Support">@Support</a></div>
— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/829490511866167300">February 9, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8642262313766383558.post-44997855685580292242015-10-13T10:43:00.004-05:002015-10-13T18:34:11.711-05:00Tweet for Larry Lessig tonight<div class="share-bar">
<a href="https://lessig2016.us/">Larry Lessig is running for President</a> because<br />
<br />
<h2 class="mk-shortcode mk-fancy-title fancy-title-align-left mk-force-responsive simple-style mixed-title" id="fancy-title-561c2480dd099" style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Montserrat, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 47px; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 36px; margin: 0px 0px 18px; padding-bottom: 32px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial !important; background-clip: initial !important; background-color: initial !important; background-image: initial !important; background-origin: initial !important; background-position: 0px 0px !important; background-repeat: initial !important; background-size: initial !important; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://lessig2016.us/"><span style="color: red;">Fixing democracy can’t wait.</span></a></span></h2>
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<span style="background: 0px 0px !important; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">He is not being allowed in the Democratic Debate tonight.</span><br />
<span style="background: 0px 0px !important; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span>
<span style="background: 0px 0px !important; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Send a tweet that says </span>"At #DemDebate, they should first debate how to #FixDemocracyFirst. #CNNDebate <a href="https://lessig2016.us/">https://lessig2016.us/</a>"<br />
<br />
You can send your tweet by clicking on this link: <b style="font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a class="twitter social-link button" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://lessig2016.us/&text=At%20%23DemDebate%20they%20should%20first%20debate%20how%20to%20%23FixDemocracyFirst%20%23CNNDebate&amp">Tweet Now</a> </b><br />
<b style="font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><br /></b>
If you want to be aggressive in pushing out Larry Lessig's name tonight, please consider the suggestion in <a href="http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/10/push-out-larry-lessigs-name.html">Push out Larry Lessig's name</a>.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ADDENDUM:</span></b> <a href="http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/10/tweet-for-larry-lessig-tonight.html">Team Lessig Social Media</a> is trying to figure out how we can "push out" Larry Lessig's name tonight on Twitter to the maximum extent possible. We have a problem with uncertainties under Twitter's terms of service. We would like to go to Twitter hashtags, such as <a href="https://twitter.com/search?f=tweets&vertical=news&q=%23getmoneyout&src=typd">#GetMoneyOut</a>, and send directed tweets to tweeters using that hashtag this tweet message: "Tweet for Larry Lessig tonight. <a href="http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/10/tweet-for-larry-lessig-tonight.html">http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/10/tweet-for-larry-lessig-tonight.html</a>" If our team does that, we are leery that Twitter may suspend Twitter accounts. For more information, please see <a href="http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/10/push-out-larry-lessigs-name.html">Push out Larry Lessig's name</a>. Can you help us out? Thanks.</div>
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Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8642262313766383558.post-43041224712343082322015-10-12T16:52:00.001-05:002015-10-13T14:56:44.688-05:00Push out Larry Lessig's name<a href="https://lessig2016.us/">Larry Lessig is running for President</a> because<br />
<br />
<h2 class="mk-shortcode mk-fancy-title fancy-title-align-left mk-force-responsive simple-style mixed-title" id="fancy-title-561c2480dd099" style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, Montserrat, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 47px; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 36px; margin: 0px 0px 18px; padding-bottom: 32px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial !important; background-clip: initial !important; background-color: initial !important; background-image: initial !important; background-origin: initial !important; background-position: 0px 0px !important; background-repeat: initial !important; background-size: initial !important; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://lessig2016.us/"><span style="color: red;">Fixing democracy can’t wait.</span></a></span></h2>
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<span style="background: 0px 0px !important; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">He is not being allowed in the Democratic Debate tomorrow night.</span></div>
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<span style="background: 0px 0px !important; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background: 0px 0px !important; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Help push out Larry Lessig's name today and tomorrow on Twitter.</span></div>
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<span style="background: 0px 0px !important; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div>
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Be aggressive. Go to one of these Twitter hashtags:</div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/search?f=tweets&vertical=news&q=%23CNNDebate&src=typd">#CNNDebate</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://twitter.com/search?f=tweets&vertical=news&q=%23DemocraticDebate&src=typd">#DemocraticDebate</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://twitter.com/search?f=tweets&vertical=news&q=%23DemDebate&src=tyah">#DemDebate</a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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and start sending individual, directed tweets to tweeters using the Twitter hashtag you have picked. Two suggestions for tweet messages are:</div>
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<br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
At the Democratic Debate, they should first debate FixDemocracyFirst. <a href="https://lessig2016.us/">https://lessig2016.us/</a></div>
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OR</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Larry Lessig should be in the Dem Debate so America can FixDemocracyFirst. <a href="https://lessig2016.us/">https://lessig2016.us/</a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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OR</div>
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make up your own tweet message to send.</div>
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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.</div>
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<br /></div>
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After you are done tweeting, please join the <a href="https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/teamlessigsocialmedia">Team Lessig Social Media</a> google group and tell others in the group what you have done.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">CAVEAT</span></b>: Anyone who wants to tweet as I have suggested should read emails I had a year ago with Twitter, which emails are posted at <a href="http://maydaysupporters.blogspot.com/2015/02/spamming-on-twitter.html">Spamming on Twitter</a>. I just had a report from someone who said:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">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. </span></blockquote>
I replied to that person, saying</div>
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<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
It is frustrating that Twitter is unclear about its rules, and worse if Twitter is inconsistent in how it applies the rules. </div>
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<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Just for your information, I have been sending this tweet message </div>
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<b><span style="border: 0px; color: #292f33; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Push out Larry Lessig's name tonight and tomorrow. </span><a href="http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/10/push-out-larry-lessigs-name.html" rel="nofollow" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border: 0px; color: #3b94d9; cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://<wbr></wbr>campaignfinancereformers.<wbr></wbr>blogspot.com/2015/10/push-out-<wbr></wbr>larry-lessigs-name.html</a></b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
to tweeters using the hashtag <a href="https://twitter.com/search?f=tweets&vertical=news&q=%23LetLessigDebate&src=tyah" rel="nofollow" style="border: 0px; color: #6611cc; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">#LetLessigDebate</a>. 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.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
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. </div>
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<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Anyone doing this needs to decide about the risk in doing this. I refer them to our other topic <a href="https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/team-lessig-volunteers/137QqjTuajk" rel="nofollow" style="border: 0px; color: #6611cc; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">https://groups.google.<wbr></wbr>com/forum/#!topic/team-lessig-<wbr></wbr>volunteers/137QqjTuajk</a></div>
<br />
I am seeking guidance from Twitter @support</div>
</div>
</div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/Support">@support</a> Would you please review this <a href="http://t.co/aXpfgZDkWC">http://t.co/aXpfgZDkWC</a> and provide guidance? Thank you.</div>
— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/653720656689930240">October 12, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8642262313766383558.post-15751822030367452482015-10-04T08:32:00.000-05:002015-10-06T09:46:11.687-05:00#DemocraticDebate question for Secretary ClintonSecretary 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?<br />
<br />
[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 <a href="http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/09/should-cfr-make-example-of-clinton-cash.html">Should CFR make an example of Clinton Cash?</a>.]Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8642262313766383558.post-75497328105366277632015-10-03T17:39:00.000-05:002015-10-03T18:05:58.254-05:00Certain emails with Represent.UsI am a participant on the <a href="https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/teamlessigsocialmedia">Team Lessig Social Media</a> website. The website cites the online book <a href="http://falkvinge.net/files/2013/04/Swarmwise-2013-by-Rick-Falkvinge-v1.1-2013Sep01.pdf">SWARMWISE The Tactical Manual to Changing the World</a> as a model to follow. I initiated a discussion about this book. See <a href="https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/teamlessigsocialmedia/OBlr_G6gLcs">https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/teamlessigsocialmedia/OBlr_G6gLcs</a>. 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 <a href="https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/teamlessigsocialmedia">Team Lessig Social Media</a> 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 <a href="https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/teamlessigsocialmedia">Team Lessig Social Media</a> finds this form of sharing to be objectionable, I will be happy to try to revise it.<br />
<div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">From: </span><b class="gmail_sendername" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Rob Shattuck</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><span dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><rdshattuck@gmail.com></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Date: Thu, Sep 24, 2015 at 7:27 AM</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Subject: Re: Debate Night</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">To: Represent Us <info@represent.us></span><br />
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
OK, thanks Jamie. Represent.Us has at least favorited some of my tweets, and I appreciate that. Rob</div>
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<div class="gmail_extra">
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<div class="gmail_quote">
On Wed, Sep 23, 2015 at 2:39 PM, Represent Us <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:info@represent.us" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">info@represent.us</a>></span> wrote:<br />
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div dir="ltr">
Hi Rob,<br />
<br />
Thank you for your email and apologies for the delay in my response.<br />
<div>
<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/RepresentDotUs" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Represent.Us does have a twitter</a> 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.<br />
<br />
Cheers,<br />
<br />
Jamie and the Represent.Us Team</div>
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<div class="gmail_extra">
<br />
<div class="gmail_quote">
On Fri, Sep 11, 2015 at 5:25 PM, Rob Shattuck <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:rdshattuck@gmail.com" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">rdshattuck@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br />
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<div dir="ltr">
Thanks Mansur,<br />
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<br /></div>
<div>
I tried to get tweeting going during the first debate. See <a href="http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/08/are-cfrers-tweeting-tonight.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://<wbr></wbr>campaignfinancereformers.<wbr></wbr>blogspot.com/2015/08/are-<wbr></wbr>cfrers-tweeting-tonight.html</a>. To my knowledge, nothing got going.</div>
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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.).</div>
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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.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Sincerely,</div>
<div>
Rob Shattuck</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Rob Shattuck</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:rdshattuck@gmail.com" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">rdshattuck@gmail.com</a><wbr></wbr>></span><br />
Date: Sat, Aug 22, 2015 at 12:10 PM<br />
Subject: Re: What motivates you?<br />
To: <a href="mailto:susan@represent.us" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">susan@represent.us</a><br />
<br />
<div dir="ltr">
Dear Susan,<br />
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<br /></div>
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Your email is timely for me.</div>
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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 <a href="http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/08/cfrers-agenda-2016.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">CFR'ers Agenda 2016</a> and <a href="http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-tweeting-plan.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">The tweeting plan</a>. </div>
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I am very desirous of finding others in the grassroots to join with in these efforts.</div>
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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.</div>
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<div>
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 <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" style="color: #1155cc;">Team up with Represent.Us re: small business</a>.</div>
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I look forward to hearing from you.</div>
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Sincerely,</div>
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Rob Shattuck</div>
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On Fri, Aug 21, 2015 at 8:01 AM, Susan Heitker <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:hq@represent.us" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">hq@represent.us</a>></span> <wbr></wbr>wrote:<br />
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
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Hi Robert,</div>
<div dir="ltr">
Thanks for supporting people across the nation to fix corruption in our political system.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
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.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
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.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<strong>What is your primary motivation for giving to Represent.Us? </strong>(Click on your selection) </div>
<ol>
<li dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr">
<a href="http://act.represent.us/go/1100?t=1&akid=8065.278378.k60cYY" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Comprehensive Anti-Corruption Acts</a></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr">
<a href="http://act.represent.us/go/1101?t=2&akid=8065.278378.k60cYY" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Cross-partisan ethos</a></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr">
<a href="http://act.represent.us/go/1102?t=3&akid=8065.278378.k60cYY" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Represent.Us chapters and volunteers</a></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr">
<a href="http://act.represent.us/go/1103?t=4&akid=8065.278378.k60cYY" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Creative digital media (ex. satirical Gil Fulbright senatorial campaign)</a></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr">
<a href="http://act.represent.us/go/1104?t=5&akid=8065.278378.k60cYY" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Bold, iconic actions (ex. Representation Day)</a></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr">
<a href="http://act.represent.us/go/1105?t=6&akid=8065.278378.k60cYY" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Money in politics blocks progress on the issue I am most concerned about</a></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr">
<a href="http://act.represent.us/go/1106?t=7&akid=8065.278378.k60cYY" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Add your own and tell your story</a></div>
</li>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr">
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.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
Thanks for joining the team.</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;">
— Susan</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;">
<em>Susan Heitker<br />Manager, Membership Engagement</em><br />
<em>Represent.Us</em></div>
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<div class="gmail_extra">
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<div class="gmail_quote">
On Fri, Sep 11, 2015 at 3:30 PM, Represent.Us <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:hq@represent.us" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">hq@represent.us</a>></span> wrote:<br />
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
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<div dir="ltr">
Robert –</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<strong>Not one presidential candidate has faced a debate question about our nation's corrupt political system. </strong>But we have the opportunity to change that during the next presidential primary debate on Wednesday, September 16th.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
CNN has asked the public to submit questions, and with enough public pressure we could make sure they force every candidate to answer ours: <strong>As president, what specific steps would you take to fix our corrupt political system?</strong></div>
<div dir="ltr">
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.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<a href="http://act.represent.us/go/1179?t=1&akid=8210.278378.S32JvN" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><strong>Will you add your name and pressure CNN to ask the question during Wednesday night's debate?</strong></a></div>
<div dir="ltr">
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.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<a href="http://act.represent.us/go/1179?t=2&akid=8210.278378.S32JvN" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><strong>Click here to tell the CNN moderators to present our question on corruption to the candidates.</strong></a></div>
<div dir="ltr">
Every election, Americans tune in to see the candidates give talking-point answers to the same softball, party-approved questions.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
No more. We won't be satisfied until every candidate – Republican, Democrat, and Independent – has told us exactly how they plan to fix corruption. </div>
– Mansur<br />
<br />
<em>Mansur Gidfar<br />Communications Director<br />Represent.Us<br /> </em><br />
<div dir="ltr">
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!</div>
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Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8642262313766383558.post-18039367687010059422015-09-29T18:00:00.002-05:002015-10-03T11:31:30.411-05:00Where are the Swarms for CFR?One Rick Falkvinge has written a book entitled <i>SWARMWISE
The Tactical Manual to Changing the World.</i><br />
<br />
The book can be found on the Internet <a href="http://falkvinge.net/files/2013/04/Swarmwise-2013-by-Rick-Falkvinge-v1.1-2013Sep01.pdf">here</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/teamlessigsocialmedia">Team Lessig Social Media</a> advocates Swarmwise as a method to follow and experiment with.<br />
<br />
What swarms are there for the campaign finance reform movement?<br />
<br />
Introductory paragraphs (found on pages 13-17) in <i>Swarmwise</i>, based on the author's real life application of the swarm, say the following:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
On June 7, 2009, the Swedish Pirate Party got 225,915 votes in the
European elections, becoming the largest party in the most coveted
subthirty demographic. Our campaign budget was fifty thousand
euros. Our competitors had spent six million. We had spent less
than 1 percent of their budget and still beat them, giving us a costefficiency
advantage of over two orders of magnitude. This was
entirely due to working swarmwise, and the methods can translate to
almost any organized large-scale activity.This book is about that secret sauce. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
A swarm organization is a decentralized, collaborative effort of volunteers
that looks like a hierarchical, traditional organization from
the outside. It is built by a small core of people that construct a scaffolding
of go-to people, enabling a large number of volunteers to
cooperate on a common goal in quantities of people not possible
before the net was available.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Working with a swarm requires you to do a lot of things completely opposite from what you learn at an archetypal business school. You need to release the control of your brand and its messages. You need to delegate authority to the point where anybody can make almost any decision for the entire organization. You need to accept and embrace that people in the organization will do exactly as they please, and the only way to lead is to inspire them to want to go where you want the organization as a whole to go.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
When I kick-started the swarm of the Swedish Pirate Party, I had
posted a rough manifesto on a rather ugly website and mentioned
the site just once in a chat channel of a file-sharing lobby. That was
all the advertising that ever happened; the next day, the party had
hundreds of activists. Timing, social context, and message are crucial
– but if you have those three, your initial swarm will form like
bees to honey in hours. Growing it and maintaining it will also be
crucial, but those are the next challenges in line. We take one challenge
at a time.</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: center;">* * * * </span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Perhaps most significantly, focus in the swarm is always on what
everybody can do, and never what people cannot or must do.
Focus in the swarm is always on what
everybody can do.
This sets it completely apart from a traditional corporation or
democratic institution, which focuses sharply on what people must
do and what bounds and limits they are confined to. This difference
is part of why a swarm can be so effective: everybody can find
something he or she likes to do, all the time, off a suggested palette
that furthers the swarm’s goals — and there is nobody there to tell
people how things must or may not be done.
Rather, people inspire one another. There are no report lines among
activists. As everybody communicates with everybody else all the
time, successful projects quickly create ripples to other parts of the
swarm. Less successful ones cause the swarm to learn and move on,
with no fingers pointed. </blockquote>
To what extent can the campaign reform movement benefit from study of Swarmwise and from conscious efforts to apply its ideas. To what extent are there swarms being built, and at work? Which campaign finance reform organizations are exemplary in building a swarm?<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
. </blockquote>
Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8642262313766383558.post-48683187283411735972015-09-18T10:49:00.001-05:002015-09-20T09:38:56.553-05:00You be a 2016 MAYDAY candidate<a href="https://mayday.us/">MAYDAY</a>'s stated goal is to elect a reform minded Congress by 2016.<br />
<br />
Lawrence Lessig, who previously headed up MAYDAY, has left that in order to prosecute MAYDAY's mission at the Presidential election level.<br />
<br />
Professor Lessig is running for President on the single issue that, if elected President, he will serve only as long as it takes to get Congress to pass the reforms necessary to fix our corrupt political system, and then he will resign. For more information, go to <a href="https://lessig2016.us/">Lessig2016</a>.<br />
<br />
With Lawrence Lessig on this new course, it is unclear what actions MAYDAY will take regarding the 2016 Congressional elections.<br />
<br />
MAYDAY's most recent pronouncement, from August 12th, is, "We have not yet decided what action MAYDAY will be taking in 2016 races." <a href="http://blog.mayday.us/post/126510302980/mayday-is-a-super-pac-lessig-is-a-candidate">http://blog.mayday.us/post/126510302980/mayday-is-a-super-pac-lessig-is-a-candidate</a>.<br />
<br />
I recently tried to ask MAYDAY whether it could give an estimate about when it would decide, and no response has been forthcoming. <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/MaydayPAC/comments/3jemqn/when_will_mayday_decide_about_2016/"> https://www.reddit.com/r/MaydayPAC/comments/3jemqn/when_will_mayday_decide_about_2016/</a><br />
<br />
I ran for Congress in 2014 in the Alabama 6th Congressional district. My candidacy was a single issue candidacy of fixing Congress first, as Professor Lessig is now trying to do at the Presidential election level.<br />
<br />
I don't know whether Professor Lessig would consider it helpful to his campaign if there were Congressional candidates running in the 2016 elections who conduct similar, single issue campaigns about fixing Congress first.<br />
<br />
Any Congressional candidate running such a single issue campaign probably has no chance of winning.<br />
<br />
Such candidates, however, could contribute to publicizing the issue in their Congressional districts, and that alone could be a sufficient reason for being a Congressional candidate.<br />
<br />
I have been urging, and I continue to urge, that persons who deeply believe in #FixDemocracyFirst should consider putting themselves forward as a Congressional candidate in their district.<br />
<br />
This may not be as daunting as you think.<br />
<br />
Please review my blog entry <a href="http://maydaysupporters.blogspot.com/2015/04/you-be-congressional-candidate.html">You be a Congressional candidate</a> from April, and consider what I say there.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Edit 9/20:</b></span> My attention has just been called to this August 24th Huffington Post article, in which Professor Lessig talks about "referendum" Congressional candidates. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lawrence-lessig/the-plan-part-2-referendu_b_8033838.html">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lawrence-lessig/the-plan-part-2-referendu_b_8033838.html</a><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Addendum for Sanders supporters</span></b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://berniesanders.com/issues/money-in-politics/">Getting Big Money Out of Politics</a> is the number 2 listed issue on the Bernie Sanders list of issues <a href="https://berniesanders.com/issues/">https://berniesanders.com/issues/</a>.<br />
<br />
Candidate Lessig's position is that nothing can be done until democracy is fixed.<br />
<br />
Candidate Sanders is pressing numerous other issues in his campaign, and these are very important to many of his supporters.<br />
<br />
Anyone who want to fix democracy first should be desirous of there being many Congressional candidates publicizing the corruption issue to the voters. Sanders supporters should want that as well.<br />
<br />
I think Sanders supporters as well can consider putting themselves out as Congressional candidates<br />
<br />
<br />Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8642262313766383558.post-40774368157774574002015-09-16T10:02:00.001-05:002015-09-16T19:22:29.499-05:00Tweet #DebateCorruptionTonight<div class="share-bar">
Tweet that you want <a href="https://twitter.com/search?f=tweets&vertical=default&q=%23DebateCorruptionTonight&src=typd">#DebateCorruptionTonight</a> (click below link):<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><a class="twitter social-link button" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/09/debatecorruptionwednesday.html&text=I%20agree%20%23DebateCorruptionTonight%20%23CNNDebate&amp">Twitter</a> </b></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
The link in the tweet that pops up for you to send is <a href="http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/09/debatecorruptionwednesday.html">http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/09/debatecorruptionwednesday.html</a>. Go to it and see if you are ok with it.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="share-bar">
<br /></div>
Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8642262313766383558.post-3039325278929354772015-09-14T03:10:00.000-05:002015-09-16T11:20:52.484-05:00#DebateCorruptionWednesdayDear United State of America,<br />
<br />
I am a citizen, residing in Birmingham, Alabama.<br />
<br />
There are millions of Americans who want our country and Congress to debate the demand for campaign finance reform that gyrocopter pilot Doug Hughes put in the letter he tried to deliver to 535 members of Congress in April. (That letter can be read <a href="http://www.democracynow.org/blog/2015/4/16/read_the_letter_gyrocopter_pilot_doug">here</a>.)<br />
<br />
In the first Republican debate in August, Donald Trump said blatantly to millions of Americans, "Our system is broken." (A video of what Donald Trump said at the first debate is <a href="http://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2015/08/trump-our-system-is-broken.html">here</a>.)<br />
<br />
Our country and our Congress need to ramp up this debate.<br />
<br />
This week of the second Republican debate is excellent opportunity for sounding the alarum louder.<br />
<br />
Wednesday night should be crescendo time.<br />
<br />
#DebateCorruptionWednesday, or just #DebateCorruption.<br />
<br />
Sincerely,<br />
Rob Shattuck<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
Dear United States of America, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DebateCorruptionWednesday?src=hash">#DebateCorruptionWednesday</a> <a href="http://t.co/smmE7ptz8d">http://t.co/smmE7ptz8d</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CNNDebate?src=hash">#CNNDebate</a></div>
— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobShattuckAL06/status/643338905228591104">September 14, 2015</a></blockquote>
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">If you agree, click here to send your own tweet:</span></b><b style="font-size: xx-large;"> <a class="twitter social-link button" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/09/debatecorruptionwednesday.html&text=I%20agree%20%23DebateCorruptionTonight%20%23CNNDebate&amp">Twitter</a> </b><br />
<div class="share-bar">
<br /></div>
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Ask CNN to ask question about corruption</span></b><br />
<div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
According to Represent.Us, as of mid-afternoon on Monday, the 14th, nearly 13,000 people had added their names to demand that CNN ask a critical question during Wednesday night's presidential debate, to wit:<br />
<b>As president, what specific steps would you take to fix our corrupt political system?</b></div>
<div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin: 1em 0em;">
Use the following Represent.Us link to add your name::</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin: 1em 0em;">
<strong style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://act.represent.us/go/1179?t=1&akid=8233.278378.CAdxy6" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Add your name now and join the thousands of Americans who are pressuring CNN to ask the question.</a></strong></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin: 1em 0em;">
Represent.Us says<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12.8px;">: "If we're going to get our question into the debates, 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!"</span></span></div>
</div>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br />
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Share this on: <a class="facebook social-link button" href="https://www.facebook.com/dialog/feed?app_id=398699090199182&link=https://represent.us/action/askthequestion/&picture=https://represent.us/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/DebateStage.jpg&name=CNN%20Must%20Ask%20Debate%20Question%20on%20Corruption&caption=End%20corruption.%20Defend%20the%20Republic.&description=Every%20election%2C%20Americans%20tune%20in%20to%20see%20the%20candidates%20give%20talking-point%20answers%20to%20the%20same%20softball%2C%20party-approved%20debate%20questions.%20No%20more.%20&redirect_uri=http://represent.us/close.html&display=popup">Facebook</a> <a class="twitter social-link button" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://represent.us/action/askthequestion/&text=A%20question%20all%20candidates%20need%20to%20answer%20%23AskTheQuestion%20%23CNNDebate%20%23DebateQuestionsWeWantToHear&via=representdotus">Twitter</a> <a class="email social-link button" href="https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&fs=1&tf=1&to=&su=CNN%20Must%20Ask%20Debate%20Question%20On%20Corruption&body=Not%20one%20Presidential%20candidate%20has%20faced%20a%20debate%20question%20about%20our%20nation%E2%80%99s%20corrupt%20political%20system.%20It%27s%20time%20to%20change%20that.%20%20https%3A%2F%2Frepresent.us%2Faction%2Faskthequestion%2F" target="_blank">Email</a></div>
Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8642262313766383558.post-45152412087588031112015-09-06T07:33:00.003-05:002015-09-06T17:13:40.334-05:00What is your personal CFR plan?Professor Larry Lessig is certain to get his $1,000,000 to continue his campaign for President in the Democratic primaries, having as its mission to #FixDemocracyFirst, and his candidacy set up as a referendum for the American people to demand that our broken Congress, caused by the corruption of money in politics, be fixed on a first priority basis. For more information, go to <a href="https://lessigforpresident.com/">Lessig2016</a>.<br />
<br />
There is dubiousness about Professor Lessig's single, first, root issue candidacy. He has explained why he believes nothing else can accomplish what is needed. See <a href="https://medium.com/equal-citizens/frodo-baggins-for-president-5096bdbb94d">Frodo Baggins for President</a> and <a href="https://medium.com/equal-citizens/on-the-trustee-president-not-either-or-but-both-and-f802d7360ef8">On the Trustee President: Not EITHER/OR but BOTH/AND</a>. Whatever "Hail Mary" Professor Lessig's candidacy is, he has chosen it and is going with it.<br />
<br />
What Professor Lessig currently thinks about the 2016 Congressional elections is unclear.<br />
<br />
It would seem that Congressional candidates could play a complementary role to Professor Lessig's Presidential candidacy. The campaigns of Congressional candidates could help in publicizing the goal of Professor Lessig's candidacy and why it is important to the American people.<br />
<br />
There is a question of what kind of Congressional candidacies would work best for that purpose, and, in particular, whether single issue Congressional candidacies, such as Professor Lessig is endeavoring at the Presidential level, would work better, or whether more normal, multiple issue candidacies would work better.<br />
<br />
As Professor Lessig's campaign proceeds, insight about that may develop.<br />
<br />
This leads to consideration of where MAYDAY stands in prosecuting its mission to elect a reform minded Congress by 2016.<br />
<br />
MAYDAY's most recent pronouncement, from August 12th, is, "We have not yet decided what action MAYDAY will be taking in 2016 races." <a href="http://blog.mayday.us/post/126510302980/mayday-is-a-super-pac-lessig-is-a-candidate">http://blog.mayday.us/post/126510302980/mayday-is-a-super-pac-lessig-is-a-candidate</a>.<br />
<br />
MAYDAY is not even giving an estimate of when it will decide. Or at least I tried to ask them a couple of days ago, and no response has been forthcoming. <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/MaydayPAC/comments/3jemqn/when_will_mayday_decide_about_2016/"> https://www.reddit.com/r/MaydayPAC/comments/3jemqn/when_will_mayday_decide_about_2016/</a><br />
<br />
I don't know what the explanation is for MAYDAY's tarrying at this point in time. I believe there are two or three difficult things that MAYDAY has to decide about, and it is possible MAYDAY has not yet been able to reach decisions about them. See <a href="http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/07/zephyr-teachouts-conundrums.html">Zephyr Teachout's conundrums</a>.<br />
<br />
If you have strong feelings about campaign finance reform, what are your options of things to dedicate personal efforts to?<br />
<br />
One option, obviously, is to work on behalf of <a href="https://lessigforpresident.com/">Lessig2016</a>. (For an idea, please see the tweeting suggestion in the edit I made today on <a href="http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/08/tweet4lessig.html">Tweet4Lessig</a>.)<br />
<br />
If you believe that supporting Bernie Sanders is a better way to advance campaign finance reform, please consider this <a href="http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/07/proposed-congl-messaging-campaign.html">Proposed messaging plan re: Congress</a>.<br />
<br />
If you are really ambitious, consider being a Congressional candidate yourself. See <a href="http://maydaysupporters.blogspot.com/2015/04/you-be-congressional-candidate.html">You be a Congressional candidate</a>.<br />
<br />
Without being a candidate yourself, consider trying to organize concerted targeting of the campaign finance reform issue in your own Congressional district. See <a href="http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/08/fl-17th-and-18th-congl-districts-picked.html">FL 17th and 18th Cong'l districts picked</a>.<br />
<br />
Consider joining the CFR Tweet Squad to do organized tweeting into targeted Congressional districts or in other targeted ways. See <a href="http://campaignfinancereformers.blogspot.com/2015/08/join-cfr-tweet-squad-today.html">Join the CFR Tweet Squad today</a>.<br />
<br />
There are several campaign finance reform organizations working in other areas than the Presidential and Congressional elections. These efforts are mainly at municipal and state levels, including to obtain state and municipal calls (or resolutions) for amendments to the U.S. Constitutions or to enact local anti-corruption laws. Your personal CFR plan could include working in these organizations' activities.<br />
<br />
I have endeavored to solicit these other organizations to find ways to join forces better and particularly offered my tweeting ideas for adaptation and use in their particular efforts. The organizations have been largely unresponsive to my entreaties. You could consider making personal efforts to help in contacting the organizations.<br />
<br />
Offer your own ideas for things that campaign finance reformers can dedicate efforts to from now until Election Day in 2016.<br />
<br />
Here's hoping you develop your personal plan for helping advance the cause.Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8642262313766383558.post-36433768737949607122015-09-05T10:43:00.002-05:002015-09-06T02:57:45.279-05:00Keep Larry Lessig goingCurrently <a href="https://lessigforpresident.com/">Lessig2016</a> shows that Professor Larry Lessig has raised $896,192 of his $1,000,000 goal by Labor Day.<br />
<br />
If that goal is met, Prof. Lessig will continue his campaign for President in the Democratic primaries, with the sole mission of Fixing Democracy First, by means of making his candidacy a referendum for the American people to demand that our broken Congress, caused by the corruption of money in politics, be fixed on a first priority basis. For more information, go to <a href="https://lessigforpresident.com/">Lessig2016</a>.<br />
<br />
Those who despair that the United States cannot fix its broken Congress should take a minimal step of helping to keep Larry Lessig going past Labor Day.<br />
<br />
Please donate something to him here: <a href="https://lessigforpresident.com/donate/">https://lessigforpresident.com/donate/</a>.<br />
<br />
Thank you.Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8642262313766383558.post-89094649871275824942015-09-04T18:29:00.000-05:002016-01-17T11:08:50.715-06:00Should CFR make an example of Clinton Cash?<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Politicians and their self interest</span></b><br />
<br />
The self interest of politicians cannot be eradicated. They are frequently confronted with conflicts between self interest and their public duty, and they sometimes choose self interest ahead of public duty.<br />
<br />
Politicians may at times justify putting their self interest first, on the grounds that such is needed to get elected or stay in office, and that their intention is ultimately to do good in elected office for the public.<br />
<br />
Generally it is imperative for politicians to hide from the voters the politicians' actions in which they put their self interest ahead of the public's interest. This is because of the risk the politician will not be elected or reelected if the voters know the extent to which the politician's self interest was put ahead of the public's interest.<br />
<br />
In the current movement to "get money out" of politics, the complaint is that the politicians allow themselves to be corruptly influenced by campaign contributions, which they need to get elected and reelected.<br />
<br />
The politicians will not own up to voters about this corrupt influence and will deflect the voters as much as possible away from the subject. This is because an honest addressing of the issue with the voters would likely lead to difficult problems for the politician, the politician's donors, and also for fellow politicians and their donors.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Clintons since 2000</span></b><br />
<br />
Peter Schweitzer's book <i>Clinton Cash </i>(subtitle The Untold Story of How and Why Foreign Governments and Businesses Helped Make Bill and Hillary Rich), published in May, investigates the activities of the Clintons and the Clinton Foundation they created after Bill Clinton left office in 2000.<br />
<br />
It cannot be doubted that the Clintons have a great deal of self interest they have promoted for decades.<br />
<br />
It is also not to be doubted they have undertaken much for advancing public interests.<br />
<br />
In their careers, the Clintons have many times confronted choices between advancing their self interest and acting for the public interest. As with politicians generally, the Clintons have endeavored to keep hidden from the public information about actions of theirs that have advanced their self interest in derogation of the public interest. The Clintons may even deny it ever happened, and they are not going to cooperate to help the public learn adequate information about those actions.<br />
<br />
In particular, the Clintons are not going to help the public understand the extent to which the Clintons have, since 2000, used their Foundation to advance their self interests to the detriment of the public interest.<br />
<br />
If the Clintons are not going to help the public on this, the public, with the help of investigative reporters, can endeavor to learn and understand what it can about the Clintons' actions.<br />
<br />
The <i>Clinton Cash</i> book is a helpful start.<br />
<br />
It is impossible to get inside the Clintons' heads to determine the calculations made by them, starting in 2000, in creating and using the Foundation to advance their self interests, including gaining wealth and getting Hillary Clinton elected as President down the line. While it is impossible to get in their heads, adequate information and facts can provide a good basis for drawing important conclusions.<br />
<br />
If the Clintons are not going to explain themselves to the public, first it is fair for the public to be skeptical about characterizations coming from the Clintons concerning the nature of their actions and be skeptical when Clintons endeavor to play up their their actions as being humanitarian and for the public good and avoid any discussion of how their actions advanced their self interests.<br />
<br />
A starting place is a general recognition that there is huge corruption in some foreign countries.<br />
<br />
It is also the case that the greater the corruption in foreign countries, the greater the profits that can be made in finding ways to benefit from the corruption.<br />
<br />
For the Clintons, there has been an opportunity that the most corrupt countries are also some of the poorest and most in need of humanitarian aid. The opportunity is that humanitarian activities could be used as a good cover for actions that seek to benefit from the corruption.<br />
<br />
The exploitation of corruption in foreign countries has been curtailed by Western countries, including the United States, which have passed laws making it illegal to pay bribes to foreign officials in order to obtain commercial contracts. These laws need to be circumnavigated if one is going to attempt to profit from foreign country corruption.<br />
<br />
As <i>Clinton Cash</i> narrates, the Clintons picked some of the most corrupt countries in the world for dispensing humanitarian aid through the auspices of their Foundation.<br />
<br />
In entering these corrupt countries to dispense humanitarian aid, the Clintons brought along with them many business friends for introduction to the governments and the officials of these corrupt countries, and to establish contact with local businesses in the foreign countries which participate in the foreign country corruption. <i>Clinton Cash</i> provides extensive information about many transactions which the Clintons played key roles in bringing about, and in which the business friends the Clintons brought along were, together with corrupt foreign country officials and local foreign country businesses, able to profit enormously from corruption..<br />
<br />
As a part of this picture, these Clinton friends and the corrupt foreign countries, and their officials and local business cohorts, made large donations to the Clinton Foundation.<br />
<br />
In addition, Bill Clinton got huge speaking fees from such friends of his and from the corrupt foreign governments and their officials and local business cohorts.<br />
<br />
The humanitarian activities of the Clinton Foundation potentially provided excellent cover of allowing the Clintons to play up the humanitarian activities, and to keep information hidden about the profiting that went on for the Clinton friends and the foreign officials and local business cohorts, who were making donations to the Foundation and paying Bill Clinton huge speaking fees. <br />
<br />
Besides having to skirt laws prohibiting the bribery of foreign officials, the Clintons also needed to avoid United States campaign finance laws prohibiting foreign governments and foreign nationals.from making campaign contributions to Hillary Clinton. Donations that foreign governments and foreign nationals made to the the Clinton Foundation, and speaking fees paid to Bill Clinton, were not subject to such limitations.<br />
<br />
To repeat, it is impossible to get inside the heads of the Clintons about the their plan, strategy and tactics they employed after 2000 in connection with the Clinton Foundation and Bill Clinton's speaking fees.<br />
<br />
The only recourse for the public is to learn facts and information about the Clinton Foundation activities and the speaking fees which are sufficient to reach reasonable conclusions. The Clintons have not and will not be cooperative with the public in this regard and have striven and will strive to keep such facts and information away from public knowledge.<br />
<br />
A noteworthy element is the huge entourage that surrounds the Clintons, and whose loyalty has essentially been purchased by the Clintons. These include untold numbers of persons who have been elevated in their professional careers by the Clintons. Other untold numbers have been on payrolls under the control of the Clintons. These persons are potentially an important source of information that would help the public to understand the extent to which the Clintons put their self interests ahead of the public good. The extent to which these persons are silenced by the Clintons is something else the Clintons will endeavor to prevent the public from knowing. <br />
<br />
In addition to playing up the Foundation's humanitarian activities, <i>Clinton Cash</i> reports that Bill Clinton has argued that what the Clintons have done with the Foundation and the speaking fees is in the vein of public/private partnerships, and they are the wave of the future for addressing some of the world's problems.<br />
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It is fine to tout the value of public/private partnerships, but anyone doing so also needs to consider whether the public/private partnership paradigm can expand the quantum of corruption that goes on. It is doubtful that Bill Clinton has spoken much about how the corruption can be expanded under the paradigm or that he has offered much in the way of suggestion about what is needed to defend against the expansion of corruption growing out of public/private partnerships, such as have been pursued by the Clintons through the Foundation. Without Bill Clinton willing to be forthcoming about this, the public is relegated to what information and facts it can get to evaluate the extent to which the Clinton Foundation and the speaking fees have abetted and increased corruption..<br />
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Finally, it should be noted that the questionable nature of what the Clintons have been doing with their Foundation and the speaking fees has been sufficient to attract Congressional and executive branch oversight over the Clintons' activities. Whether such oversight was sufficiently rigorous, or whether it was compromised by Washington DC's culture of corruption, needs to be part of the evaluation of what the Clintons have done.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">What should CFR'ers make of <i>Clinton Cash</i>?</span></b><br />
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Campaign finance reformers, who are decrying the corruption of money in politics, and decrying the oligarchy of billionaires that, in the minds of campaign finance reformers, runs the country, should read <i>Clinton Cash,</i> and decide whether the example of the Clintons can be used in the campaign finance reform cause.<br />
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To me the book reveals money running amuck in United States political affairs in an unprecedented way. It is suggestive of political corruption being abetted and expanded by the Clintons. It should open the eyes of Americans about how far the corruption of money may have been carried by a former President, who is held in high regard by Americans and who may have egregiously put the self interest of the Clintons and of their friends, based almost solely on money, ahead of the public interest. This is compounded by the power of the Clintons, and how they are insulated by that power and have purchased silence of their huge entourage. It offers a potential good case in point of the culture of corruption in Washington resulting in Congressional and executive branch oversight being wanting.<br />
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I think campaign finance reformers should pound on the example of <i>Clinton Cash</i> in trying to open the eyes of American people about the corruption of money in politics.<br />
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Bernie Sanders should use this in his Presidential campaign. If he declines to bring the corruption of the Clintons up, Sanders supporters should do so on their own, in order to advance the cause of campaign finance reform and to advance their candidate.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Update 1/17/16</span></b><br />
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 <a href="http://2016%20congressional%20candidates%27%20declarations/">2016 Congressional candidates' Declarations</a>.Rob Shattuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02707865352312442808noreply@blogger.com2