Please drop by StopFakeReform.com and sign the petition. Here’s the letter and co-signers.
Dear DSCC & DCCC —
We read that you have chosen to accept President Obama’s ban on fundraising from PACs and lobbyists, but only for June 18 – the day he headlines a fundraiser for you.
This isn’t just hypocritical – it defies common sense that you’d think the public would believe this was a principled stand against special-interest influence.
For 364 days a year, your rules would allow members of Congress to leave a hearing about regulating Wall Street and then walk straight to the DSCC and DCCC offices to “dial for dollars” from Wall Street lobbyists who want more bailout money and less accountability to taxpayers. Most Americans would find that conflict of interest repulsive.
We call on you to ban PAC and lobbyist contributions 365 days a year, just as President Obama did.
This is actually the least you could do to take on special-interest influence.
Will the DSCC and DCCC reject donations from executives of bailout recipients such as AIG, the way you did for Enron? Will you require candidates you support to publicly endorse the real solution to special-interest influence: public funding of congressional elections?
The public is tired of political gamesmanship. Please recognize that your “one day of reform” is absurd on its face and, if left standing, an embarrassment to your organizations. We urge you to announce a 365-day ban of PAC and lobbyist contributions – at a minimum.
Sincerely,
Lawrence Lessig, Co-Founder, Change Congress
Hugh Jackson
Founder, Las Vegas Gleaner (NV, Sen. Leader Harry Reid’s home state)Tracy Viselli
Founder, Reno and Its Discontents (NV, Sen. Leader Harry Reid’s home state)Rosi Efthim
Editorial Director, BlueJersey (NJ, DSCC Chair Robert Menendez’s home state)Nick Nyhart,
President, Public CampaignChris Bowers
Co-Founder, OpenLeft (National)Glenn Greenwald
Writer, Salon.com (National)John Amato
Founder, CrooksandLiars (National)Baratunde Thurston
Co-Founder, Jack and Jill Politics (National)Cheryl Contee
Co-Founder, Jack and Jill Politics (National)Digby
Founder, Hullaballoo (National)Howie Klein
Founder, DownWithTyranny (National)Chris Rabb
Founder, Afro-Netizen (National)Marisa Treviño
Publisher, Latina Lista (National)Philip Anderson
Founder, The Albany Project (NY)Dean Barker
Co-Founder, Blue Hampshire (NH)Matt Singer
Founder, LeftInTheWest (MT)Matt Glazer
Editor, BurntOrangeReport (TX)Kenneth Quinnell
Founder, Florida Progressive Coalition (FL)Alison Morano
Florida Progressive Coalition (FL) & Co-Host, No Days Off Radio (National)Susan Smith
Co-Host, No Days Off Radio (National)Betsy Muse
Managing Editor, BlueNC (NC)Sherry Walker
Co-founder, Left in Alabama (AL)Jason Melrath
Delaware Liberal (DE)Patrick Crowley
Blogger, Rhode Island’s Future (RI)Boadicea
Managing Editor, TexasKaos (TX)Manuel Guzmán
Editor, Latino Político (National)Liane Allen (mataliandy)
Blogger, Green Mountain Daily (VT)Rebecca Hargrave Malamud
Designer, webchick.orgBrian Leubitz
Publisher & Editor, Calitics (CA, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s home state)Paul A. Hogarth
Managing Editor, Beyond Chron (CA, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s home state)Adam Lambert
Writer, BlueJersey (NJ, DSCC Chair Robert Menendez’s home state)David Arkush
Director of Congress Watch Division, Public CitizenLisa Gilbert
Democracy Advocate, U.S. Public Interest Research GroupLN Rock
African American Political Pundit (National)Mark Nickolas
Managing Editor, Political Base (National)Pam Spaulding
Founder, Pam’s House Blend (NC & National)David Dayen
Blogger, Calitics, D-Day, Hullabaloo (CA & National)Garlin Gilchrist II
Co-Founder, The SuperSpade (National)Natasha Chart
Editor, Change.org (National)Josh Nelson
Founder, EnviroKnow (National)Alex Thurston
Co-Founder, The Seminal (National)Martin Longman
Editor, Booman Tribune (National)Faye M. Anderson
Citizen Journalist, Anderson@Large (National)Ben Carnacki
Founder, West Virginia Blue (WV)Adam Green
CEO, Change CongressStephanie Taylor
Organizing Director, Change CongressJaphet Els
Political Director, Change CongressDavid Donnelly
Public Campaign Action FundRick Jacobs
Courage CampaignJason Rosenbaym
Editor, The SeminalBen Tribbett
Founder, Not Larry Sabato (VA)Matthew Reichbach
Blogger, New Mexico FBIHOP (NM)Bob Neer
Co-Founder, BlueMassGroup (MA)David Kravitz
Co-Founder, BlueMassGroup (MA)Charley Blandy
Co-Founder, BlueMassGroup (MA)John Erhardt
Managing Editor, SquareState (CO)Eric Hoffpauir
Blogger, Show Me Progress (MO)
Wow – thanks for the alert re this. Truly, our party can be shameless when they most need to show shame!!
We’re up to 1680 out of a goal of 5000 signatures. Not bad for the first day.
As I wrote in my post, we have to hold our side of the aisle accountable if we expect the system to change.
I was honored to see your name there along with mine.
ditto, hopefully it all does some good
I see at least one person affiliated with a PAC as a signee on the list who happens to be the CEO of the organization sponsoring this petition.
Adam Green, listed as CEO of Change Congress, is the Treasurer for the Progressive Change Campaign Committee.
How does Change Congress rationalize being against the PAC process while their CEO is actively participating in the process? What’s the difference if the money goes straight from PAC to candidate or if it is funneled through a party organ?
Fake reform, indeed.