Online Petitions. Sign Them and Pass Them On, Please. Thanks!

Sign these online petitions. If you don’t think they make a difference, read this first;
1. Online Petitions are a political tool and can make a difference, especially if part of a bigger game plan/strategy
a. They allow us to lobby, persuade, and pressure – see below
b. They allow us to show support or opposition for an issue/cause
c. They serve as Political firepower for leadership – see below
d. They Allow us/others to gauge support for a issue/cause
e. They are an opportunity for the grassroots/groups to show off their numbers
f. They help us and others to Organize, outreach, and fundraise as well as stay informed and involved.
g. They allow us to co-sponsor actual congressional legislation
2. CNN reacted twice to petitions and pressure
a. Once issuing an apology for alleged bias against Muslim women.
b. Once resulting in a resignation – See. A. Jordan
3. General Wesley Clark Prior to announcing his run for the democratic presidential nomination credited an online petition and grassroots supporters for convincing him to do so.
4. Petitions are becoming more common as utilization of the internet for grassroots activism and organization continues to evolve.
5. They’re becoming more effective as major political parties and organizations adopt them as a political tool.

A couple of quotes from recently...Re: petitions.....
2 John Kerry quotes from meet the press yesterday, regarding his/internet petitions/co-sponsorships;
"So I think we did a great job, and we are going to continue to build on that campaign as I am now with my Kids First health plan. We have over 400, 000 co-sponsors through the Internet who want to fight for this, and we are going to fight for it."

"I believe that Secretary Rumsfeld has managed this about as inappropriately and with as much miscalculation as any war leader in our history. I personally called for his resignation over a year and a half ago. Eight hundred thousand people have signed a petition on our Web site calling for his resignation. I think there's a very strong feeling in the country--you heard it from Senator McCain and others--of lack of confidence in the manager of this war."

2 Barbara Boxer quotes mentioning her petitions;
Senator Boxer on the floor Re: Rice - "I have tens of thousands of signatures”

Senator Boxer in email "More than 94, 000 Americans from across the country signed my petition and stood together to demand the truth from Condoleezza Rice. It was truly an overwhelming response -- much more than I could have anticipated. "

"This is just the beginning"


---------------Petitions – Sign Them and Pass Them On--------------
Agenda/Plan
1. Co-Sponsor The Democratic Agenda: A Future of Security, Opportunity and Responsibility ! .
http://democrats.senate.gov/cosponsor-form.html
2. If you support Dean and his plan for the DNC sign his petition! ( http://www.democrats.org/action/200502150001.html?psc=demnews )
Show Your Support
Governor Dean's Plan for the Future of the Democratic Party;

Show Up! Never concede a single state, county, district, or voter. Build a truly national party that wages a permanent campaign in all 50 states.

Strengthen State Parties and the Grassroots. Better integrate state and national party operations and support Democrats organizing in local communities.

Focus on Our Core Values. Articulate core Democratic values strongly and clearly, and show people how our agenda for reform reflects those values.

Take Advantage of Cutting-Edge Technologies. Leverage the Internet and cutting-edge technologies to better organize, empower, and communicate with people.

Train Tomorrow's Leaders. Strengthen our leadership institutes so we can recruit new talent, cultivate new leaders, and elect Democrats at every level of office.

Sign our pledge below and tell us in the comments section what we can do to build the party in your community. We'll deliver your remarks to Governor Dean.

Sign the Petition
Yes! I support Governor Dean's Plan to build a lasting Democratic majority.
http://www.democrats.org/action/200502150001.html?psc=demnews
Social Security
1. Barbara Boxer's Social Security petition - stand with me in fighting to protect, preserve, and defend Social Security for all Americans; stand with me in strongly supporting Social Security programs that have worked so well for the past 70 years.
http://boxer.senate.gov/contact/petition.cfm
2. Tell your representatives to protect social security from the current administration attack. The only crisis is what the white house is trying to do to bankrupt social security and other social programs.
http://www.moveon.org/socialsecurity/
3. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper to explain why George Bush's plan to cut promised Social Security benefits is wrong. The DNC has made it really easy to do, just go to http://www.democrats.org/action/200501050001.html
4.Dear Working Families e-Activist:
Let's stop Social Security privatization in its tracks.

If enough members of Congress pledge now to oppose Social Security privatization, President Bush's proposal will be dead on arrival when it gets to Capitol Hill.

Please take one minute now to urge your members of Congress to sign the Pledge to Strengthen Social Security and to oppose privatization proposals that would:
• Cut guaranteed benefits.
• Weaken Social Security by diverting money from the Trust Fund to pay for private accounts.
• Explode the federal deficit.
• Possibly increase the retirement age.
Please click the following link now to urge your members of Congress to sign the pledge:
www.unionvoice.org/campaign/sspledge
6.Dear Friend,

George Bush claims he wants to protect Social Security -- but pushing a privatization plan which cuts benefits and increases debt is a funny way of showing it.

Tomorrow I will begin a two-day tour holding Social Security Town Hall meetings in four cities. In New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Las Vegas. Senators Durbin, Dorgan and I will have an open dialogue with people about Democrats commitment to strengthening Social Security and why the President's plan is wrong for America.

At every stop on our tour we will be asking people to sign our Pledge to Protect Social Security. This simple pledge lays out the reasons why George Bush's privatization plan is not the answer:


• It would cut Social Security¹s funding and weaken the program.
• It would cut benefits by one-third or more, even for those who choose not to risk their money in a privatized account.
• It would require even deeper benefit cuts for those who do choose a privatized account.
• It would require borrowing nearly $5 trillion, much of which from foreign countries like China and Japan.


Join Senate Democrats and sign our Social Security Pledge today:

http://democrats.senate.gov/ss/pledge.html

Social Security is the most successful social program in the history of our country. It allows millions of seniors and people with disabilities to live independently and with dignity. It has reduced the poverty rate among seniors from about 50 percent to about 10 percent.

And in the event of an injury or death to a worker, Social Security provides a family safety net. At the time of greatest need, Social Security ensures that a husband or a wife does not have to cope with the prospect of poverty at the same time they cope with the loss of a loved one.

Democrats want to work with the President to strengthen Social Security. But we will never agree to Republican privatization plans that make Social Security's financial problems worse, while making deep cuts in benefits and forcing massive increases in debt.

I look forward to writing you again next week to let you know how our tour went and to share with you some of the stories I hear.

http://democrats.senate.gov/ss/pledge.html

Thank you,

Harry Reid
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Vote Reform and Voting Rights:
1. President Bush and RNC: Disavow Voter Suppression For years, Republicans have used voter intimidation, misinformation, and other tactics to undermine the votes of blacks and other minorities. It's racist, undemocratic, and fundamentally un-American.
We're joining Julian Bond, Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr., Representatives Maxine Waters and Jesse Jackson, Jr. and others to demand that it stop. Please join us by signing below. " I urge you to publicly disavow all forms of voter suppression and to publicly condemn voter suppression activity by your staff and volunteers. " To learn more specific incidents of voter suppression and the tactics used, read this illuminating report by the People for the American Way Foundation and the NAACP, Sign the petition here..
http://www.moveonpac.org/suppression/
2. This is a petition that calls for a voter's bill of rights, a necessity after the 2000 and 2004 election messes.
http://www.codepinkalert.org/National_Actions_Voter_Bill_of_Rights.shtml
3. Thank Barbara Boxer, Stephany tubbs-jones, Harry reid for standing up for democracy.
http://moveonpac.org/boxer_reid/
4. BECOME A CITIZEN COSPONSOR OF HILARY CLINTON’S COUNT EVERY VOTE ACT

I am asking you to sign on now as a citizen co-sponsor of vitally important election reform legislation. Next week, I will introduce the Count Every Vote Act of 2005, co-sponsored by Senator Barbara Boxer. This comprehensive election reform bill will:

• Provide a verified paper ballot for every vote cast in electronic voting machines.

• Set a uniform standard for provisional ballots, so that
every qualified voter within the state will know their votes are treated equally and will be counted.

• Require the Federal Election Assistance Commission to issue standards that ensure uniform access to voting machines and election personnel in every community. It's outrageous that some people in predominantly minority communities had to wait up to 10 hours to vote, while people in other communities often voted in minutes!

http://www.friendsofhillary.com/CountEveryVote
5. Repair the Vote

Doubt about the integrity of the electoral process undermines our democracy. To restore confidence in our vote, sign this petition to Congress demanding immediate electoral reform. Our goal is to deliver 200, 000 signatures to Senators and Representatives when they return from their Presidents' Day recess. Our petition is:
"Congress must support electoral reforms such as guaranteeing paper receipts for electronic voting machines, providing remedies for long lines, and prohibiting partisan election officials."


http://www.moveonpac.org/repairthevote
Join former democratic presidential candidate John Kerry and sign the petition and show your support for his goal/initiative of A Health Care Plan for Every Child. This is an unprecedented opportunity to 'co-sponsor' an actual congressional bill. http://www.johnkerry.com/petition/everychild.php
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REFUSE to surrender your freedom. Join the over 70,000 signatures/pledges and over 400,000 ACLU members in fighting for freedoms and defending our American Values:
reserve the separation of church and state • Amend the Patriot Act to keep us safe and free • Defend the right to dissent • Safeguard a woman's right to choose • Advocate for the full equality of LGBT people • Protect privacy in all aspects of our lives
http://www.aclu.org/refusetosurrender/?orgid=n&MX=1827&H=1
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Accountability;
1. Sign John Kerry's petition to replace Donald Rumsfeld! .
http://www.johnkerry.com/petition/rumsfeld2.php
STOP BUSH’S BUDGET CUTS—2 ACTION ALERTS:

From the Democratic Party: Tell Bush to Take His Budget Back to the Drawing Board!

The proposed 2006 federal budget President Bush released yesterday would drive America deeper into debt while making cuts that will hurt veterans, farmers, and other working Americans..
Sign our petition today … America needs a responsible budget that meets our priorities while making serious reductions in the deficit.

http://www.democrats.org/action

2. DEFEND HARRY REID FROM GOP SMEAR MACHINE!

Republicans are again playing their tired old game of trying to demonize--in their words "Daschle-ize"--anyone who disagrees with them. This time they are calling newly elected Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid names just for taking principled stands against the administration's most extreme positions.
It's not going to work and a big reason for that is you. We need you and every American tired of the hypocrisy emanating from George Bush and his cronies at the RNC to stand with Harry by signing our new petition.

http://action.dscc.org/campaign/reid


3. DEMAND A SPECIAL PROSECUTOR! HOW DID A FAKE JOURNALIST FROM A GOP FRONT GROUP GET A WHITE HOUSE PRESS PASS?

Sign a petition demanding appointment of a special prosecutor to look into how Jeff Gannon of Talon News managed to get a White House press pass—despite the fact that he used a fake name, holds no bona fide journalism degree, works for a GOP-front group and is the alleged operator of several gay escort service websites!
http://democrats.com/gannon
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ASK CONGRESS FOR REAL SECURITY REFORMS—NOT A WAR ON IMMIGRANTS
From the ACLU: The United States is a nation of immigrants with a long, proud history of granting asylum to those fleeing from religious or political persecution. But "security reform" legislation introduced in Congress makes a mockery of that tradition with an outrageous requirement that would force many asylum seekers to get supporting evidence from the very governments they are fleeing. House Judiciary Committee Chairman, James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), has proposed a bill . This bill would allow officials to require people seeking asylum to get supporting evidence from the very governments they are fleeing. It would also impose federal control over the issuance of state drivers licenses, even if this violation of their own policies. Further, it would expand the PATRIOT Act to allow deportations of lawful permanent residents for providing non-violent, humanitarian support to organizations later labeled as "terrorist" by the government, even where such support was completely legal at the time it was provided.

Tell Congress to oppose H.R. 418, the REAL ID ACT of 2005:
http://www.aclu.org/ImmigrantsRights/ImmigrantsRights.cfm?ID=17407&c=22
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Please help to persuade California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to be a savior, not a terminator, of California's and America's last wild forests. ! .
http://www.savebiogems.org/takeaction.asp
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Stop 'USA Next'
<img src=" ">
The right-wing fringe has declared war on Social Security -- and this week they launched their newest attack. This ridiculous ad is the latest from USA Next, a front group for radical conservatives who want to dismantle Social Security.

You won't be surprised to hear who they hired to publicize their efforts: the same team of hatchet men that ran the swift boat smear campaign against John Kerry. Now they are targeting the AARP, a group that millions of seniors rely on to defend their interests.

We must stop these people … now.


This petition will be delivered to every TV station that aired the false claims of the swift boat crew -- and any station that tries to air ads like these now.


I demand that you keep political hate speech and false claims off the air.\
http://bsd.democracyforamerica.com/page/petition/stopusanext
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PRESERVE THE INTEGRITY OF THE U.S. SENATE: SAVE THE FILIBUSTER

From Common Cause: The filibuster has a long history in the Senate of fending off actions supported by a bare majority, but deeply offensive to the minority. If an individual senator were to abuse the privilege of the filibuster, he or she could be over overridden by a super majority of 60 votes.

To remove a long-standing parliamentary maneuver to serve immediate partisan goals violates core democratic values and is an anathema to the Senate's long standing commitment to consensus and a bipartisan deliberative process... It is an abuse of power to strip the Senate minority of a tool designed to protect its rights – rights both parties have vociferously defended throughout the Senate’s history

We the undersigned call on the United States Senators not to support changing of long standing Senate filibuster rules to blatantly advance one party’s goals.
http://www.commoncause.org/site/apps/ka/ct/contactus.asp?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=317178&en=jfKJJLPpGaLGJSPCK9KCIUOvGfKWI1NvE8JHKYOIKtH
Dear MoveOn member,

As we write this, the Senate is debating the nomination of mining and cattle industry lobbyist William Myers III for a lifetime appointment to the Circuit Court of Appeals -- the second highest court in the land. Myers is the first of 20 nominees Bush has re-submitted in his second term. All 20 repeat nominees were rejected last term by Senate Democrats (as compared to 204 judges they accepted) because these nominees consistently sided with corporate special interests over the rights of ordinary Americans.

The Senate has the power to approve or reject judicial nominations because judges -- above all else -- must be trusted by Americans on all sides to rule fairly. So why does Bush refuse to send new nominees both parties can agree on? Because while his presidency will be over in 4 years, the judges he appoints will be on the bench for the rest of their lives. This is Bush's big push to lock in his hard right, corporate-friendly ideology for decades to come -- and that is exactly why we must not back down now.

The fight begins today. The Myers vote is a key test -- and may well determine whether Bush can stack the judiciary, all the way up to the Supreme Court, with a steady stream of hard right, pro-corporate judges. It's crucial that our Senators know that we out here in America are counting on them to hold the line against all 20 of Bush's rejected, partisan judges.

Please sign today:

http://www.moveonpac.org/judges/

We will deliver your comments to your Senators before the crucial votes on these 20 judicial nominees.

Here's a brief summary of just the first three of the 20 partisan judges re-nominated by President Bush.
William Myers III has never been a judge and spent most of his career as a lobbyist for the cattle and mining industry.<1> He has written that all habitat conservation laws are unconstitutional because they interfere with potential profit.<2> In 2001, Bush appointed him as the chief lawyer for the Department of the Interior. In that role he continued as a champion of corporate interests, setting his agenda in meetings with former employers he promised not to speak with, and even illegally giving away sacred Native American land to be strip mined.<3>

Terrence Boyle was a legal aide to Jesse Helms. As a judge, his signature decisions have attempted to circumvent federal laws barring employment discrimination by race, gender, and disability.<4> His rulings have been overturned a staggering 120 times by the conservative 4th District Court of Appeals, either due to gross errors in judgment or simple incompetence.<5>

William Pryor Jr. served as Attorney General of Alabama, where he took money from Phillip Morris, fought against the anti-tobacco lawsuit until it was almost over, and cost the people of Alabama billions in settlement money for their healthcare system as a result.<6> He called Roe v. Wade "the worst abomination of constitutional law in our history," and has consistently argued against the federal protections for the civil rights of minorities, lesbian and gay couples, women, and the disabled.<7>
If we falter now, then decades down the road dozens of judges like this will still be ruling in favor of unchecked corporate greed and against the basic principles of accountability and fairness.
The Bush Administration is prepared to stop at nothing to smash Democratic resistance and stack the courts. As President of the Senate, Dick Cheney has even threatened to push these 20 through by using a parliamentary trick so abusive even he calls it the "nuclear option." If they can get away with it, the "nuclear option" would eliminate the right to filibuster -- a rule that has allowed 40 or more Senators to keep extremists from all sides off the courts for centuries.
If that happens, when Supreme Court vacancies begin to open up in a few months there will be no motivation for Bush to nominate justices acceptable to both parties, and no ability for Democrats to oppose even the most dangerous extremists.
We must draw the line here, by stopping Bush's 20 repeat nominees. They were rejected once -- they can and must be rejected again.
Please sign the petition today:
http://www.moveonpac.org/judges/
Thanks for all that you do,
--Ben Brandzel, Eli Pariser and the whole MoveOn PAC Team
Tuesday, March 1st, 2005