News Mixed feelings about grassroots efforts

[pattylou]

I have mixed feelings about grassroots efforts and maybe we'll get into that. But, one thing I like about MoveOn is that they keep you updated after they have asked for your action. Regarding Tom Delay, here is how they have connected the dots for the work they have been doing regarding his behavior, over the last year or so.

<snip>

MoveOn members played an important role in making sure the rules weren't changed to protect DeLay and in telling a story about the connections between DeLay's corruption and other Republican representatives in Congress.

~~~Last December, MoveOn members called their members of Congress to insist they keep in place the ethics rule that forced DeLay to step down after he was indicted. DeLay had tried to rewrite the rules in order to protect himself—but a successful pushback forced DeLay and the Republicans to keep the rule in place.

~~~In June, more than 2,400 volunteers for MoveOn.org Political Action delivered petitions to 195 congressional offices—morethan 470,000 folks signed the petition calling on Congress to fire Tom DeLay from his leadership post.

~~~MoveOn members contributed for radio ads in the congressional districts of Republicans who will have close elections next year. The ads pointed out the connections between DeLay and the local representative—money that DeLay raised or contributed to the representative's campaign fund.

~~~The work of many MoveOn members forced Republican representatives to make public statements of support for DeLay. Those statements make it clear to constituents that their representative was tolerating DeLay's corruption all along.
<snip>
Sources

Republican Contract with America
1. http://www.house.gov/house/Contract/CONTRACT.html

(I don't think it was copyrighted either. But I'm happy to scale it back. I am not sure if Evo was talking to me or Astronuc.))

 

[Astronuc]

Some resources - http://www.usconstitution.org/do/Home

http://www.grassroots.org/do/Home ? Don't know about this one.

 

[russ_watters]

I'm not sure I would characterize a PAC as "grassroots".

 

[Astronuc]

I'm not sure I would characterize a PAC as "grassroots".

I don't believe I did, and I am not Patty did either.

The MoveOn family of organizations is made up of a couple of different pieces. MoveOn.org Civic Action, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization, formerly known just as MoveOn.org, primarily focuses on education and advocacy on important national issues. MoveOn.org Political Action, a federal PAC, formerly known as MoveOn PAC, mobilizes people across the country to fight important battles in Congress and help elect candidates who reflect our values. Both organizations are entirely funded by individuals.

As for the links I posted -

Interested in free hosting for your Nonprofit Organization?
Complete the application at http://www.grassroots.org/do/Tools

If you are a 501c3 and are interested in working with us to build one of these sites for humanitarian purposes, please contact us:

http://www.usconstitution.org/do/Associates

33rd Precinct Community Council http://www.33pctcouncil.org
African Soul International http://www.africansoulinternational.org
ALERT Partnership http://www.alertpartnership.org
Association for Better Living http://www.associationforbetterliving.org
Atlanta Fulton Family Connection http://www.affconnection.org
Austin Advocate http://www.austinadvocate.org
Befrienders, Inc. http://www.befriendersinc.org
Blue Dragons Organization http://www.www.blue-dragons- co.org
Boston Asthma Initiative http://www.bostonasthma.org
Boston Self Help Center http://www.bostonselfhelp.org
Bringing IT and Spreading Hope http://www.bitash.org
Bronx Breathes http://www.bronxbreathes.org
Brunswick Historical Society http://www.brunswickhistory.org
Butterfly Hope http://www.butterflyhope.org
ByteBack Classes http://www.bytebackclasses.net
Cafe Phoenix (RAMS, Inc.) http://www.cafephoenix.org
Carrollton Ridge Community http://www.carrolltonridge.org
Catharsis Foundation http://www.catharsisfoundation.org
Central Delta Depot Museum http://www.cddm.org
Central Tibetan Relief Committee http://www.tibetrelief.org
Child Protection Project http://www.childpro.org
Cincinnati Housing Partners http://www.cincinnati-housing- partners.org
CityDance Theatre http://www.lccitydance.org
Clark Champaign Diabetes Association, Inc. http://www.ccdainc.org
Communities in Schools of the Laurel Highlands, Inc. http://www.cislh.org
Community Connections for Youth http://www.ccywoodstock.org
Community Development Corporations Association of Greater Cincinnati http://www.cdcagc.org
Community Soup Kitchen http://www.csknh.org
Decatur County Family YMCA http://www.decaturcountyfamilyymca.org
Dialogue-Producing Consortium http://www.dialoguemakers.org
Diamonds in the Ruff Children’s Society http://www.diamondsintheruff.info
The Don't Stand Alone Foundation For Children With Autism http://www.dontstandalone.org
Duluth Youth Agency Coalition http://www.dyacduluth.org
EarthCare.org http://www.earthcare.org
Earthnet Institute http://www.eni.edu
Echo House http://www.echohouse.org
Empowerment Institute, Inc. http://www.empoweri.org
Exchange for Change http://www.www.coffeeexchange.org
Fayetteville Area Habitat for Humanity http://www.fayhabitat.org
First 5 Tehama http://www.first5tehama.org
First Nations Outreach Project http://www.firstnationsoutreach.org
First Steps http://www.firststeps4teens.org
Fishing Mentors http://www.fishingmentors.org
Florida College Activist Coalition http://www.floridacollegeactivist.org
Free Clinics of Michigan http://www.freeclinicsofmi.org
Friendly Village D.A.R.E. http://www.friendlyvillageonline.org
Friends to the Elderly Youth and Family Center Inc. http://www.friendsbuffalo.org
Fusion Partnerships http://www.fusiongroup.org
Gabrielle Reilly Weekly http://www.gabriellereillyweekly.com
Generation Xcellence http://www.genxcell.org
Get Help-Give Help http://www.gethelp- givehelp.org
Global Neuroscience Initiative Foundation http://www.gnif.org
Global Perspective http://www.global- perspective.net
Grand Futures Prevention Coalition http://www.grandfutures.org
GRCN Connecting Communities http://www.grcnconnects.org
Greater Baton Rouge Clean Cities Coalition http://www.gbrccc.org
Groundwork Bridgeport http://www.groundworkbpt.org
Groundwork Minneapolis http://www.groundworkminneapolis.org
Guillaume Center, Inc. http://www.guillaumecenter.com
Habitat For Humanity of Wicomico County http://www.wicomicocountyhabitat.org
Harrisburg Literacy http://www.harrisburgliteracy.org
Hope Academic Enrichment Center http://www.haeconline.org
Interfaith Hospitality Network http://www.IHNToledo.org
Jersey County Homemakers Education Association http://www.jerseycountyhea.org
Junior League Palm Springs Desert Communities http://www.jlpsdc.org
Kamp Kessa http://www.kampkessa.org
Kansas CURE http://www.kscure.org
Life Crisis Center http://www.lifecrisiscenter.org
Looking for My Sister http://www.lookingformysister.org
Love Work Seeking Outreach http://www.lwsoutreach.org
Lower Richland Ruritan Club http://www.lrruritan.org
Mentor/Role Model Program http://www.mentor1.org
Mountain Home Christian Clinic http://www.mountainhomechristianclinic.org
Multicultural Self-Esteem Academy http://www.mseayouth.org
My Duluth http://www.myduluth.org
Narayan Ashram http://www.nilausa.org
National Independent Living Association http://www.narayanashram.org
The Neighborhood Network http://www.theneighborhoodnetwork.org
Neighbors Against Drug Abuse http://www.n-a-d-a.org
New Works Writers Series http://www.newworkswritersseries.org
Next Wave http://www.geronextwave.org
North Shore Housing Trust, Inc. http://www.nshousingtrust.org
Noticia Publica http://www.noticiapublica.org
Nzaasa African Renaissance Group http://www.nzaasa.org
Ohio Community Computing Network http://www.ohioccn.org
Oklahoma Academy of Mediators and Arbitrators http://www.oama.org
Open Inn, Inc. http://www.projectsafeplaceaz.org
P.A.L.S. 4 Paws http://www.pals4paws.net
Parents Helping Parents http://www.parentshelping.org
Parents of Special Children, Inc. http://www.pscoswego.org
Pathfinder Search and Rescue http://www.pathfindersar.org
Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra http://www.pasinfonia.org
Phoenix Indian Center, Inc. http://www.phxlearningcircle.org
Point Man International Ministries http://www.pointmanmuncie.org
Portage County Housing Services Council http://www.portagehousingcouncil.org
Quail Roost Foundation http://www.quailroostfoundation.org
Quality Consortium of Suffolk County http://www.qualityconsortium.org
Quality of Life Service Center http://www.qualityoflifeservicecenter.com
Quilters' Guild of Arlington http://www.qgoa.org
Raising Our Youth http://www.raisingouryouth.org
Reach for the Light, Inc. http://www.reachforthelight.com
Ride Advocacy Project http://www.rubyeskids.org
Renee Olubunmi Rondeau Peace Foundation http://www.rorpf.org
Roses and Rosemary http://www.rosesandrosemary.org
Rubye's Kids http://www.rubyeskids.org
Rural Hospital Relief Fund http://www.ruralhospitalrelief.org
Saginaw County Youth Protection Council http://www.scypc.org
Salisbury Wicomico Arts Council http://www.543arts.com
Santa Maria Valley Policy Panel http://www.santamariapolicypanel.org
Save Akron Schools http://www.saveakronschools.org
SeaKay http://www.seakay.org
Second Chance Support Services http://www.secondchance233.org
Serendipity Educational Resources, Inc http://www.seraz.org
SJ Ferret Rescue and Sanctuary http://www.sjferret.com
Somali American Community Association, Inc. http://www.sacausa.org
The South Suburban Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse http://www.sscouncil.org
Speak With Us http://www.speakwithus.org>
Student-Employee Assistance Program Against Chemical Dependency www.sapeap.org[/URL]
Students for Bhopal [url]http://www.studentsforbhopal.org[/url]
Summit County Historical Society [url]http://www.summithistory.org[/url]
TLC Preschool [url]http://www.tlclasalle.org[/url]
Twin Lakes Playhouse [url]http://www.twinlakesplayhouse.org[/url]
Union des Français de l'Etranger [PLAIN]http://www.ufeAlberta.org
United Playaz http://www.unitedplayaz.org
United Support & Memorial For Workplace Fatalities http://www.usmwf.org
United Way of Volusia-Flagler Counties http://www.volusiacitizencorps.org
Universal Triumvirate Group http://www.UTGroup.org
Upper Room Cultural Development Corp. (URCDC) http://www.urcdc.net
V-Day Tucson 2005 http://www.vdaytucson.org
Victory Over Addiction International, Inc. http://www.voai.org
Volusia County Citizen Corps http://www.volusiacitizencorps.org
The Welcome Ministry http://www.welcomeministry.org
Woodland Middle School - After School Adventures http://www.myduluth.org
Youth Action Project, Inc. http://www.youthactionproject.org
YWCA Youth of Texarkana http://www.ywca-txk.org

 

[pattylou]

My bad. They regularly talk about "grassroot organisation." And, surely mobilising everyday stay at home moms, concerned students, other "normal" citizens etc - ("2400 volunteers... 470,000 signatures" etc) qualifies as something akin to grassroots?

PAC has a pejorative feel to it. It's gotten a lot of bad press. They sign off as a Political Action Team, and they are a PAC, AFAIK, so I'll try to find a more appropriate term that i am more comfortable with. I have difficulty using the term PAC because of the bad press that some of these have (rightly) gotten.

Edit:

If you google Moveon Grassroots you get 349,000 hits. Adding quotes, you still get 194 hits.

MoveOn PAC gets you 277,000 hits. Adding quotes gets you 117,000 hits.

It seems that the general sense is that both characterizations are used, and the PAC may be more correct.

 

[russ_watters]

I don't believe I did, and I am not Patty did either.

Sorry, that was meant for patty - MoveOn.org is (has) a pac.

It seems that the general sense is that both characterizations are used, and the PAC may be more correct.

"PAC" is the legal characterization of the organization and MoveOn has different parts for different legal purposes. The part of the organization that pays for tv commercials is the pac.

edit: Not being real clear on what exactly a PAC is, I googled...

Political Action Committees (PACs) are an important aspect of American politics and the American electoral system. Political Action Committees exist legally as a means for corporations, trade unions etc. to make donations to candidates for Federal office - something that they cannot do directly.

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/political_action_committees.htm

I'm not a big fan of PACs. In fairness, I acknowledge that that could be because PACs tend to benefit Democrats more than Republicans, but it is also largely because their contributions are negative: they mostly focus on attacking opposition candidates (and MoveOn.org is one of the worst of the Michael Moore-ish breed of PACs). Also, the relationship between non-profit part and the pac part of organizations smells funny to me. However, the other side of the coin is that corporate donations tend to favor Republicans and I'm in favor of restricting them as well.

 

[Astronuc]

I am not in favor of PAC's either, because some eventually expects something for an investment (bribe).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_action_committee

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_action_committees (not complete)

Perhaps this is a better site - http://www.opensecrets.org/ = http://www.crp.org/ which is:

The Center for Responsive Politics

1101 14th St., NW • Suite 1030
Washington, DC 20005-5635

(202) 857-0044 • fax (202) 857-7809
info@crp.org • webmaster@crp.org

General Inquiries:
info@crp.org

Media Contact: Steven Weiss
editor@capitaleye.org

The Center for Responsive Politics is a non-partisan, non-profit research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics, and its effect on elections and public policy. The Center conducts computer-based research on campaign finance issues for the news media, academics, activists, and the public at large. The Center’s work is aimed at creating a more educated voter, an involved citizenry, and a more responsive government.

Support for the Center comes from a combination of foundation grants and individual contributions. The Center accepts no contributions from businesses or labor unions. You can support the work of the Center directly by contributing through opensecrets.org.

I seem to remember Republican PAC's from about the time of Reagan, and the Democrats had to play catch-up.

Take a look at GOP.com affiliated with the Republican National Committee - one can 'invest' in the government. I am sure the DNC has something comparable.

I get solicitations from both parties - to buy tables at dinners for $25,000 or in the case of Bush and Cheney, I can have dinner with them for the right price. Not that I would want to. Got the same nonsense from the Clinton, Gore, Kerry and the DNC.

Also, checkout - A HISTORY OF FAVORS
http://www.ccsi.com/~comcause/news/cc_7.html

and

http://www.skepticfiles.org/socialis/team_100.htm

Project Censored: Nomination for the "Ten Best Censored Stories of 1990"

More than $25 million, raised in individual $100,000 contributions to help
the 1988 Bush election effort, has opened a new era of fatcat influence in
Washington. The $100,000 contributions were raised in a bigmoney fund
raising drive called "Team 100" by Robert Mosbacher, who was chief fund
raiser for Bush's 1988 campaign and is now Commerce Secretary.

These contributions are part of what is known as the soft money system
which, according to critics, "is nothing more than a laundering operation
designed to bring illegal federal contributions into federal elections."

SOURCE: COMMON CAUSE MAGAZINE, Mar/Apr 1990, "All the President's Donors,
by Jean Cobb, Jeff Denny, Vicki Kemper, and Viveca Novak, pp 21-27, 38.

The Dubya Report - http://www.thedubyareport.com/money.html - The Money Trail

I would really like the politicians and candidates to address substantive issues, and at the very least, spend no more than the tax revenues - which means they have to pay of the national debt.

 

[Evo]

To avoid copyright violation, please do not post the entire article, only a paragraph or two at most are allowable, members can follow the link to read the rest.

 

[Astronuc]

Thanks, Evo. It's not clear that article is copyrighted.

I added the link in the title to the site where the article is posted in entirety.

Common Causes, which apparently published the article initially is at -

http://www.commoncause.org/site/pp.asp?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=186966

where one will find - Eruption of Corruption in Washington (Sep 28)

Senate Ethics Committee Must Investigate Frist's Stock Transaction (Sep 27)

Congressional Leadership Should Just Say "No" to $24 Billion in Earmarks (Sep 22) Indeed, just six weeks ago, the President signed a $286 billion transportation bill containing more than 6,000 pet projects for Members of Congress. These "earmarked" projects will cost a staggering $24 billion or nearly 40 percent of the amount Congress has set aside for the Katrina relief effort so far. Still, House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) told The Washington Post Thursday that the transportation bill "is exactly the highway bill we need."

and elsewhere - http://www.ccsi.com/~comcause/news/bushsr.html
"A 1992 Common Cause Magazine Investigation Reveals A Pattern Of Special Favors For Former President Bush's Inner Circle Of $100,000 Donors."