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Eric J in MN

(35,619 posts)
Fri Aug 26, 2016, 04:40 AM Aug 2016

Amy Goodman (Democracy Now!) interview about Bernie Sanders' new group 'Our Revolution'

JEFF WEAVER was Bernie Sander's campaign manager and he's now the president of "Our Revolution."

CLAIRE SANDBERG resigned from "Our Revolution" shortly before it was launched. She opposes Jeff Weaver's decision to make it a 501c4. A 501c4 can accept huge donations. It can't coordinate with campaigns. As a current elected official, Bernie Sanders can't direct a 501c4.

LARRY COHEN "was a senior adviser to Bernie Sanders and past president of Communications Workers of America." He's the chair of "Our Revolution."


CLAIRE SANDBERG: Well, Jeff has gone on the record admitting that he wanted to form the organization as a 501(c)(4) for the express purpose of accepting billionaire money, which of course flies in the face of what all of our supporters were so excited about, that we were taking a country back from the billionaire class without the use of billionaire money, $27 at a time.

AMY GOODMAN: Larry Cohen, your response? You’re the incoming board chair of Our Revolution.

LARRY COHEN: Yeah, the board of Our Revolution will be key leaders from the various movements that make up progressive America, from civil rights, environmental justice, from people who are running for office. And there will be no contributions from billionaires, and I guarantee that.



Transcript and video:
http://www.democracynow.org/2016/8/25/our_revolution_bernie_sanders_launches_new
14 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Lunabell

(5,920 posts)
1. How can he guarantee no money from billionaires?
Fri Aug 26, 2016, 05:13 AM
Aug 2016

Well, other than it isn't in a billionaires best interest, but still...

Hortensis

(58,785 posts)
3. "I'm sorry, Bloomberg reports you're now a billionaire.
Fri Aug 26, 2016, 05:44 AM
Aug 2016

We'll no longer be able to accept donations from you." Lol. Well, if it happens we'll never know. 501(c)4s spawned the term "dark money."

NurseJackie

(42,862 posts)
4. That's fascinating. I did not know that. (Thank you.)
Fri Aug 26, 2016, 06:45 AM
Aug 2016

The more I learn, the less reason I can find to be enthralled and enamored with this group. The whole thing is bizarre to me. It's like a group of people got together to try and figure out what they could do with a bunch of sour grapes. It may be a good way for them to work-it-out and shake-it-off and get rid of pent up energy and emotion and disappointment. Aside from that, I think they'll have very limited "success".


Hortensis

(58,785 posts)
5. It'll be interesting to see how this develops, for sure.
Fri Aug 26, 2016, 07:07 AM
Aug 2016

I don't think they went this direction without having the expectation of substantial donations to make it worthwhile. Who knows? It's possible this decision could have been influenced by donor wishes.

Hortensis

(58,785 posts)
2. 501(c)4 donor identities also don't have to be disclosed.
Fri Aug 26, 2016, 05:38 AM
Aug 2016

This "dark money" enabling the biggest difference between them and super PACs, which do have to disclose donors. They both accept unlimited amounts, of course, and reportedly (c)4s outspend super PACs by large amounts. Legally, they're supposedly social welfare groups and only 50% can be spent on political activities, so wonder what's planned for the rest.

Bernie's funding by mainly small donations from people excited by his message was inspiring, and I'm sorry they're now abandoning the grassroots path to become a background enabler. Also, this means while in the Senate Sanders will not "have a leadership role," whatever that means. He was on TV last night rolling it out. (?)

Perhaps, lacking the excitement of a presidential race, Sanders and Weaver do not expect to have the degree of popular support they need to fund their activities, but I'm guessing his age has something to do with it. Continuing as a "grassroots" movement would be by far, far, far the harder way for Sanders, and it could make sense looking at a future run for the presidency, but that's not going to happen.

As it is, Sanders probably already has at least one donor lined up who can take the place of thousands of exhausting hours of speaking engagements and interviews, travels, meetings, phone calls with the stroke of a pen. Makes sense in that respect.

 

BobbyDrake

(2,542 posts)
6. You have to keep in mind, Jeff Weaver didn't get PAID like the media con$ultant$ did.
Fri Aug 26, 2016, 07:13 AM
Aug 2016

He was only salary, while they were on (unrestricted) commission. This seems like his chance to make up some of the difference. Everyone on their "board" too, most likely.

Eric J in MN

(35,619 posts)
7. Larry Cohen: 'the board will be all volunteers'
Fri Aug 26, 2016, 01:51 PM
Aug 2016

LARRY COHEN: Yeah, the board of Our Revolution will be key leaders from the various movements that make up progressive America, from civil rights, environmental justice, from people who are running for office. And there will be no contributions from billionaires, and I guarantee that. And I think it’s unfortunate that staff left. They’re good people. Jeff (Weaver) has worked with Bernie for 30 years. He’s very close to Bernie. But this—Our Revolution is not about Jeff or me or Claire (Sandberg); it’s about the hundreds of thousands of people that are networked across the country. My job as board chair—the board will be all volunteers—is to support those networks and those people, and to continue the political revolution that we saw in this campaign and that has its ancestry from the many movements in this country.
 

BobbyDrake

(2,542 posts)
8. The president (Jeff Weaver) of an organization is not a board member.
Fri Aug 26, 2016, 03:07 PM
Aug 2016

This is Governance Structure 101. The board elects the executive officers, who implement the board's strategies.

Jeff Weaver is not working for "Our Revolution" for free.

 

BobbyDrake

(2,542 posts)
10. But does a 501(c)(4) have to disclose board member salaries?
Fri Aug 26, 2016, 03:15 PM
Aug 2016

Or do we have to take Cohen at his word? As has been pointed out elsewhere, 501(c)(4)'s are where the term "dark money" came from in the first place. When people set up an organization expressly designed to hide the money trail, I have a hard time believing them when they claim to be working for free.

wildeyed

(11,240 posts)
12. Not a huge fan of Jeff Weaver either,
Fri Aug 26, 2016, 10:03 PM
Aug 2016

but in his defense, you need to be a c4 to lobby. At least that is my understanding. I am involved with a group that works to decrease the influence of big money in local government, and we have both c3 and c4 groups under the umbrella of the organization. We chuckle that in order to fight big lobbyists, we had to form a c4 and become a lobbyist, but there it is. We were also somehow getting funding from a tobacco settlement payout for a period of time, so that was also ironic, that big tobacco was paying the rent.... Politics is so messy.

I know we are not getting billionaire money because we never have any and also, all the Libertarian big money groups hate our guts so hard and spend so much trying to defeat us

question everything

(47,271 posts)
13. who put Weaver at this post?
Fri Aug 26, 2016, 10:49 PM
Aug 2016

A story that I read used the passive verb - was installed, or appointed - don't remember.

If so many founding members object to him, why is it that they, not him, leave?

Just asking.

Eric J in MN

(35,619 posts)
14. Jane Sanders read an article that it would be tricky
Sat Aug 27, 2016, 07:30 AM
Aug 2016

...for "Our Revolution" to comply with campaign finance law.

She decided that the solution was to put Jeff Weaver, who is a lawyer, in charge.

Bernie Sanders praised Jeff Weaver at the launch speech as someone who has been with him for 30 years.

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