An Open Letter to My Democratic Spammer

[WilliamPitt]

(Image: Pete, Politic365; Edited: EL / TO)

An Open Letter to My Democratic Spammer
By William Rivers Pitt
Truthout | Op-Ed

Friday 03 October 2014

Are you, by chance, feeling a bit ragged around the edges? On the verge of disaster? Perhaps even a bit doomed?

Me, too!

I can't imagine why...

...oh, wait. I know exactly why. I looked at my email this week.

"TRAGIC Conclusion," read one.

"Terrible News (JUST NOW)," read another.

"CANCEL NOTICE," read another.

"we. will. fail." read another.

And another, just like those. And another. And another. And another.

It wasn't the end of the world, as it turns out. It was, in fact, the master plan of some fundraiser fuzzwit for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, who decided the thing to do is to scream manically into every email address available using panic-riddled headlines designed to make you click them open, because Jesus, what if?

"Terrible News (JUST NOW)." Oh, no, what happened?

"CANCEL NOTICE." What didn't I pay for?

"TRAGIC Conclusion." Oh God, who died?

Probably 300 emails like this in my in-box since the weekend, one after the other prophesying calamity...unless I gave $5 to the Democrats.

Here's a memo to whoever came up with this particularly obnoxious fundraising tactic: You suck. I hope you get fired with such velocity that you can't even get a job drowning puppies in a kill shelter.

(snip)

If Democrats acted like Democrats, they might enjoy the same level of support from their own base...but instead, the people are presented with this eternally timid "Please Don't Hurt Me" coalition, afraid of the word "Liberal," and certainly addicted to the Wall Street/Defense/Petroleum money swelling their coffers. You ain't broke, despite that barrage of emails to the contrary.

You support fracking while giving lip-service to climate change? You want Keystone XL approved, despite the fact that it will run the world's dirtiest fuel through our breadbasket and over our main aquifer in a pipeline that is dead-bang guaranteed to leak? You endorse the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement? You're satisfied with the barren lack of accounting meted to the Wall Street brigands who stole our future? You're down with a third war in Iraq?

Wait, you don't support all that? But you won't stand against it, because you're afraid of losing votes or campaign money?

My heroes.

A bunch of braniacs have crunched the numbers and concluded that young people, plus minority voters, plus women, plus old white racist Fox News viewers dying off, means the long-term electoral odds are in the Democrats' favor, and gee wilikers, isn't that nifty news for the party in 30 years...except for the millions of people who will take a deep beating between then and now, and that's only if the party's institutional cowardice and greed doesn't let the oligarchs buy out the whole process from soup to nuts in the meantime.

The police are being weaponized and militarized from coast to coast, making even mild street protest a potentially lethal exercise. The Supreme Court doesn't believe women should have control of their own bodies. There are parts of the country where the tapwater is flammable. The US is spending billions of dollars to bomb the weapons it spent billions of dollars on just a few years ago.

And from the alleged "liberal" party? Silence, acquiescence, and that's only if they're not too busy cashing a check.

Come November, if the Democrats wind up flopping and flailing for an explanation as to why they got routed at the polls, let me offer a succinct reply: You stand for nothing. You are the Washington Generals to the Harlem Globetrotters. Everyone expects you to go down to defeat, because you always lay down, because you are paid to do so.

It doesn't have to be that way, but that's the way it is. When the midterms eat you alive, remember what I said. When you stand for nothing, you get nothing in return.

Write me an email about that.

The rest: http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/26605-an-open-letter-to-my-democratic-spammer

[dembotoz]

1. more than viagra ads

and fake rolex

[phantom power]

2. word

[raindaddy]

30. Win or lose they'll still get paid.

After flopping and flailing for a day or two ,they'll shrug their shoulders and blame the voters for not supporting the party. Voter apathy and lack of support is the reason they can't seem to bury a party that doesn't even bother to hide it's disdain for the middle class anymore.

The democrats who lose the election will be rewarded with lucrative jobs for their years of service and we'll pay the winners who will continue the charade.

"Come November, if the Democrats wind up flopping and flailing for an explanation as to why they got routed at the polls, let me offer a succinct reply: You stand for nothing. You are the Washington Generals to the Harlem Globetrotters. Everyone expects you to go down to defeat, because you always lay down, because you are paid to do so."

Great post!!!

[NuclearDem]

3. My favorite is "all hope is lost".

[FiveGoodMen]

4. If ever something needed to be said!

[tularetom]

5. I'll support Democrats when they start acting like Democrats

Got my monthly call from the DCCC yesterday and a nice young lady asked me, after all the dire predictions of gloom and doom, if they could count on me for the maximum donation. I said no and the usual guilt trip followed. Finally I told her from now on, if I'm able to donate, it will be to candidates who stand for the things I believe in and not to organizations that throw money at any fool that has a (D) behind their name.

I ended the call by telling her to remove my name from their database. I'm doubtful however that this will actually take place because I've requested that probably a dozen times before, to no avail.

[pocoloco]

93. Money for wimps??? LOL

Fucking braindead, they still keep calling.

[Daemonaquila]

6. Thank you.

Of course, the flaming will begin in about 3... 2... 1... by all those who worship the Mighty D over the candidate's substance, and of course those who will forever yell "NADER!!!!" like the Rethugs yell "BENGHAZI!!!!" Permanent butthurt doesn't win elections. It sure as hell doesn't fix the country. It's time for Dems to work their backbones and insist on candidates that walk the walk.

[beerandjesus]

49. those who will forever yell "NADER!!!!" like the Rethugs yell "BENGHAZI!!!!"

Greatest analogy ever!

[Dustlawyer]

54. I don't care anymore about the "Nader" crap! The soon to be disillusioned Hillary crowd may

currently be mad at me, but I have had it with the "Throw 'em a few social victories bones and screw them behind their backs" DNC candidates! I have used the Globetrotters/Washington Generals analogy countless times here because it's a perfect analogy. While we hold our nose and vote the lesser of two evils, they (Wall Street/Oil industry/Big Pharma/MIC) are laughing their asses off safe in the knowledge that their control over government and the media is secure! I get frustrated when I see the complaints about so called "spineless Democrats" rolling over on key legislation. Politicians are ambitious by nature and so it goes against that to roll over because they are what, scared?
THEY ARE BOUGHT OFF!!!
If we were smart and truly cared we would be getting behind Bernie Sanders and his stated number one issue, getting rid of campaign contributions and installing Publicly Funded Federal, State, and Local Elections! Most of the problems we have today are rooted in the fact that almost ALL of our politicians are bought by Big Business. Here we have a long term Senator who is telling us this point blank, he should know more than anyone! We have a national leader who has identified what is needed to fix the myriad problems this country faces due to the long time corruption of our system of government. It shouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that when you elect your representatives generally by who can collect the most in legal bribes, you are going to have big problems!

GO BERNIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BlancheSplanchnik]

90. .

[L0oniX]

7. Wife gets spammed a lot ...asking for money for Obama.

[merrily]

33. I got an email asking for more money for him as soon as he

got elected the first time. I can't remember if they even bothered to give a reason. After a few of those, I asked to have my name removed from his list. I don't need another "free" T shirt.

[L0oniX]

78. That's exactly what happened to my wife ...and they won't take her off the list.

[n2doc]

8. The Giants of the Democratic Party were Optimists, And Fighters

FDR. JFK. Truman. Early LBJ. They didn't let the opposition party dictate the narrative. They took on problems, laid out their case for why they were better than the Republicans, and won.

Time and time again it has been shown that Americans will support the person with a plan (even a simplistic, evil one like Reagan) over one who just says "I'll be less scary than them"


Good rant, BTW.

[truedelphi]

59. Watching Ken Burns documentary "The Roosevelts" I got so sick to my stomach

Realizng that we will never again have people like Teddy or FDR in a high office in this nation during my lifetime.

If you are not for the One Percent, pro-nuke, pro-endless war, pro-Gm seeds and foods, pro-Big Financial Firms and Big Banks, pro-Big Energy companies, pro-Big Pharma, etc, your name will never be on any ballot, except maybe on a third party ballot for dog catcher.

[MADem]

100. Teddy Roosevelt took an unhealthy delight in killing things.

He relished that grisly charge up San Juan Hill. He shot a Spaniard just to notch his belt.

FDR was a great man in many ways, but he wasn't perfect, either. He made some decisions born of pragmatism that didn't help, say, the Jews who were desperately trying to escape from Germany.

But hey, stuff always looks prettier in the rear view mirror.

Your great grandchildren will probably wax eloquent about Saints Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, too.

[truedelphi]

112. Not sure I get your point.

Teddy killed things at a time when killing people was the norm.

Not a stance we are "into" these days, although many here continue to celebrate the election of the very people who keep us in these endless but sanitized wars. (Of course these days we just don't really view much of the agony and bloodshed.) At least Teddy was "into" showing what he was responsible for. (Just as survivors of the Civil War relished their stories of taking out the "enemy.&quot

Our 21st Century media, both print and TV, has far more important matters to handle, like the Kardashians and other nonsense, doesn't it? Than to show us what the mangled bodies of those imploded when our air force drops bombs on those "enemy targets" look like aftert hey ahve been hit.

Somehow, Teddy's world was bit more honest, wasn't it? If you wanna see how dishonest our US officials have become, be sure to listen to Oliver at the point in the vid below when he talks about the meaning of "Imminent."

Many of us baby boomers had fathers who killed things.

My dad, a pacifist upon his return, killed many people during WWII. Killing was something people realized happened during a war. But here in the politically correct USA, in 2014, we pretend death from American weaponry isn't happening, and we allow our leaders to label those huuman beings who are killed as terrorists, as long as they are male, and over the age of 13.

Colbert created a very telling and hard hitting rant against Obama's drone warfare, but his audience laughed cluelessly at every single one of the statements, as though mentioning the death of innocents is a punchline. Colbert, I think, has given up, although John Oliver feels the need to tell the truth:

Today we are funding and killing the very people that Obama wanted us to fight WITH, a mere fourteen months ago. But hey, what a totally perfect scenario for the war profiteers, that yesterday's heroes to be supported are today's terrorists to be reviled.

[MADem]

115. Teddy wasn't IN WW2. He was in the Battle of San Juan Hill.

That was a jive conflict from the get-go.

Remember the Maine? Yeah, remember that the boiler room blew up.

That was one of those GW Bush-style "wars of choice." Built on a lie, for purposes of greed and expansionism. It wasn't cool then, either.

How you can find fault with "war profiteers" and ignore that debacle is beyond me.

[truedelphi]

116. Huh? I never said that Teddy was in WWII.

I talked about him being around at the same point in history when people who had survived the Civil war heavily bragged on their war stories.

But now that I understand your reading comprehension, I more easily understand why you think the way you do.

[MADem]

117. Never said you claimed that. The point is, he was rather bloodthirsty.

He didn't have a problem with the slaughter of "Spaniards" on a war pretext, or wild animals. He liked his Big Stick. He had racial prejudices, too, and didn't think much of the capabilities of women. Yet he's touted here like some kind of grand saviour, who was So Much Better than the leadership of today.

And FDR would be drawn and quartered by the DU purists of today if his name was Joe Smith and he were alive and kicking, with his patrician attitudes and heaping helpings of Noblesse Oblige. After all, he knew what the fate of millions were in those German ovens, and he didn't stop it when he could and should have. He incarcerated people of Japanese heritage, US citizens, because of their ethnicity, in horrible conditions in the middle of nowhere. Imagine if Obama started rounding up all the Syrians, "just in case?"

And the insult to my "reading comprehension?" That speaks to YOU and yours, not me and mine, if you want to go there, which, apparently, in uncivil fashion, you do.

[Voice for Peace]

9. I've tried writing back telling them to knock off the doomsday

Some of them even have sounded like threats.

Maybe your article will reach them. Thanks.

[1StrongBlackMan]

10. Fully expecting someone to ...

pooh-pooh this Open Letter as another tedious vanity post in ... 3 ... 2 ... 1 ...

Wait! It won't happen.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=5614361

[sheshe2]

81. +1

[davidthegnome]

11. Many points for this one

"this eternally timid "Please Don't Hurt Me" coalition"

We should be kicking ass and taking names, not begging for mercy.

[WillyT]

12. HUGE K & R !!! - THANK YOU !!!

[EileenFB]

13. My favorite was "you're our last hope"

It has been crazy the last couple of weeks that I had to start marking them as spam.

[Bluenorthwest]

14. When I think about the fact that our donations are paying huge salaries to the idiots who write that

stuff it makes it even worse.

[sabrina 1]

15. 'Blame the Voters'! That is what will happen if the Dems lose in November.

They can keep on blaming the voters if it makes them think that will work, or if they want to shift the blame to those who have the responsibility of giving the voters something to VOTE FOR. But we're still hearing the same 'campaign' mantra that has become so familiar: 'Voter for us because the other guys are even worse'.

I don't think the Dems will lose in November because we ARE at a point where the other guys are so bad voters really have no choice.

But if they do, get ready to take the blame despite the fact that YOU may have voted for them.

It is NEVER their fault. See 2010! They still blame the voters for that.

[Tikki]

20. Or the voters will blame all Democratic candidates and the Party for not trying hard enough...

So you get a lot of email...block it if you must.

Tikki

[merrily]

35. I've never blamed them for not trying hard enough to raise money for

themselves.

[Scuba]

40. Not for lack of trying, but for not pushing good policy.

Half the electorate doesn't even bother to vote, because neither party offers them anything.

[cascadiance]

48. This is why prop 90 "top two primary" in Oregon has a chance in hell of passing...

... which is what the Koch brothers and their ilk are using to have us screw up our elections like California and Washington already have. They are trying to get it passed by the increasing number of independents who are po'd with both parties that want to "vote" in the primary elections. That is the excuse the supporters say they should pay attention to pass that mess that destroys both large and smaller parties and the process of party engagement with voters and replace it with just big money ads and corporate media "engagement" with voters.

The DCCC and those who have similar agendas are also to blame for this messing with our election processes too!

[The Wizard]

108. Voters stayed home in 2010

because the Democrats gave in to the insurance lobby and took the public option off the table which was the key to real insurance reform. Sometimes I wonder if Jesse Ventura had them pegged when he said American politics was like professional wrestling in business suits.
Carlin put it another way. We have the illusion of having a choice on election day.

[jopacaco]

16. I told the national Democratic groups to unsubscribe me

I have gotten tired of them ignoring good candidates and giving up elections as lost without even trying and that is what I told them when I unsubscribed. I told them I would give money to individual candidates whom I support. I have been donating to Shenna Bellows who I strongly support while she is being ignored by the DSCC. We can't win these elections if they don't even fight.

[Lifelong Protester]

43. Yeah. Wasserman-Schultz said it didn't matter who won

WI recall. Tell that to us in WI. No money for them.

[truedelphi]

114. Do you have a donation link to Shenna Bellows?

I'd be glad to donate to her on yr recommendation.

And welcome to DU.

[louis-t]

17. They're "begging".

Joe Biden told me so.

I've finally started unsubscribing. Jeez, I only had 30 emails when I came in today instead of 120.

[delete_bush]

36. Wait a minute...Joe emails you too?

Yeah, well, YOURS are probably boilerplate.

He personalizes the ones he sends ME, and even hints that he's mentioned me to the President.

Steve --

I mean it when I say that Barack couldn't be more grateful for everything you've done to stand by him.

But you don't have to take my word for it. You have a chance to hear this directly from him.

Chip in $3 or whatever you can to support Democrats across the country today, and you and your family will be automatically entered to fly to New York to meet Barack at an event.

[louis-t]

61. Yeah, well, Michelle has a thing for me. She said so....

She says she "needs me".

[delete_bush]

97. Oh. Damn.

Ok, Ok. Nancy Pelosi likes me more than she does you.

On second thought, you win.

[zipplewrath]

18. subcontracted out

On most large campaigns, the fund raising is "farmed out" in one sense or another. The consultant or whatever is compensated based upon the amount of funds raised. Their interest is purely in raising cash. They don't care what you think or feel. They do track what emails get people to donate more or less cash.

We are about 4 weeks away from the election. They will still try to raise cash so they'll increase their compensation. But the campaigns have pretty much planned out their strategy for the next 4 weeks. They've made their ad buys. They made the commercials. They've hired all their staff. Unless they significantly miss their fundraising goals, they won't change much about their plans, other than to react to specific events.

From here on out, probably the best use for "small dollar" donations is going to be for get out the vote efforts where they will still be making plans this month based upon the funds remaining. Extra vans, extra staff, longer hours, these kinds of adjustments they can make based upon what comes in. But Allison has made her plans (among others) and they will execute regardless of whether you send them money.

[Curmudgeoness]

50. But that excuse is bullshit.

I hear that all the time----it isn't us, it is the companies who are paid to fundraise for us.

I know damned well that if I were hiring a company to do anything for me, I would have final say in how it was done. And if I saw this sort of thing happening where my contributors were getting 10 or more emails a day with dire warnings of doom and gloom, I would have put a stop to it---immediately.

So who really is to blame for this?

[zipplewrath]

63. The effectiveness

They get hired because they are effective at what they are hired to do. The candidate doesn't care what you think and they believe it has been demonstrated that this strategy won't affect their votes.

[Curmudgeoness]

64. Maybe

but many people that I know are so fed up that they said they are done donating. It is possible that there are more people willing to continue donating than there are people who I talk to about it, it will work.

So, yes, Democrats will still vote for the Democrats, but fund raising may suffer over time. And what that will do is mean that more lobby money and corporate funding of elections will be needed. That will not be good.

[zipplewrath]

73. Way more

The sad fact is that the vast majority of people just keep giving and ignore the obvious.

[FiveGoodMen]

75. "The candidate doesn't care what you think"

That, right there, is why they don't wipe the floor with the GOP.

That's why we have a Representative Democracy In Name Only.

[Paladin]

19. Well said, Will. Thanks. (nt)

[TRoN33]

21. I have gotten the exactly same emails, William.

I'm getting sick of it and already making a move to block it from sending anything to me.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

22. Just being "not as bad" has lost it's flavor. It's a piss poor way campaigning and

a piss poor way of running a country.

[chrisa]

23. Bot-spam is more for the organizations, not the Democratic Party.

By donating to these people, you're giving your money to rich executives who don't need it. Maybe 0.5% of it actually goes to where you want it to.

I'll keep my hard earned money over giving it to some spam lord who sits there all day and doesn't need any more money.

[Fuddnik]

24. I changed my e-mail address 5 years ago, and never let those knuckleheads have it.

I gave them a yahoo adress that I haven't opened in 5 years.

And what comes in the mail gets tossed, unopened.

[certainot]

25. your sister's a whore, your brother's a thief, and your ideas are treasonous, say 400 radio blowhard

s on 1200 radio stations. for 25 years the left has been walking by.

liberals/ the left can't expect Democrats to go left if they continue to ignore talk radio.

that's the right's best weapon by far, yet there is no and has been no organized challenge to the right's most effective media tool outside the specifically targeted rush/fluke action. that limited action, per volunteer and dollar spent has probably been the most effective action on the left in the last 25 years. it is likely the cause of the record gender gap last election- the one that kept romney from getting absurdly close, for one thing, and now it has caused the GOP and its allies to pump a lot of costly radio ads and promos through radio to help keep it afloat.

ignoring republican radio is the biggest mistake in political history and it continues today.

the left cannot collectively say it is getting its candidates and reps 'backs'.

expecting the democratic party to shift left while allowing an army of coordinated carnival barkers to take free pot shots at their candidates and ideals 24/7 is dishonest and pitiful.

i answer the spam with an email pointing to the web site i just put up at http://republiconradio.org/ or http://republicanradio.org/ which among other things explains how to record and transcribe rw radio, and has a list of more than 70 universities that endorse rw radio with sports broadcasting- a practice that has to end, and if it did would destroy rw radio.

Sorry I don’t have money to contribute but I just put up a website at republiconradio.org and republicanradio.org that explains how Democrats can record and transcribe local RW radio attacks on their candidates. Here’s an excerpt:

DON'T LET REPUBLICAN RADIO LIE ABOUT YOUR CANDIDATES AND ISSUES
As elections approach, friendly interviews with Republican candidates, their aides, and think tank-sponsored guests become more common on Republican radio. They can say just about anything they want because Democrats and liberals don’t listen.

Talk radio is free advertising for the Republican Party and they feel comfortable saying things they wouldn’t on other media. Their radio appearances will provide more examples of ignorance, bigotry, and lies, which can be useful in advertising, letters to the editor, and debates.

Improvements in transcription software make it possible to get a good idea of what they’re saying and how often they’re saying it, without the pain of actually listening to it.

With a basic text application the transcriptions can be searched for points of interest. When the name of a Democratic candidate appears it is likely that she is being lied about and attacked with direction from local or national GOP-friendly think tanks.

Original recordings can be used for verification.

[Eleanors38]

26. Bed lice. Can't get rid if 'em. My $ & vote to Progressive Democrats.

[Autumn]

27. Yeah and it's your fault if we lose for trashing democrats before the mid terms.

I can't recomend your post enough Will.

"And from the alleged "liberal" party? Silence, acquiescence, and that's only if they're not too busy cashing a check." that brought tears to my eyes, but WTH lately my eyes leak a lot. I get so fucking tired and I'm just not sure I can do this any more.

[Frustratedlady]

28. So, now...I'm getting thank you emails for helping them reach their goal.

I was so po'd at the hundreds of pleas for money, I didn't donate to any candidate and certainly not to the DCCC.

Now, I'm receiving snail mail inferring my account is overdue. Fortunately, my mailman knows me and knows better.

[MizzM]

29. Bombed with this stuff

I know exactly what you mean. Enough is enough already! I have unsubscribed to each and every one.

[jmondine]

31. Don't mince words, Will...

... tell us how you really feel.

[cascadiance]

32. DCCC heads like Rahm Emanuel have called us "F*ing Retards" and expect money from us?!!

SERIOUSLY?




http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2010/01/26/rahm-emanuel-liberals-are-f-king-retarded/

And it hasn't gotten much better after he left the DCCC leadership either from what is described here.

http://my.firedoglake.com/edwardteller/2012/11/07/will-obama-encourage-a-purge-at-the-dccc-in-a-push-to-take-back-the-house-in-2014/

[merrily]

39. "dead" is not great either.

[T]he definitive Rahm Emanuel story takes place in Little Rock, Ark., in the heady days after Bill Clinton was first elected President.

It was there that Emanuel, then Clinton’s chief fund-raiser, repaired with George Stephanopoulos, Mandy Grunwald and other aides to Doe’s, the campaign hangout. Revenge was heavy in the air as the group discussed the enemies – Democrats, Republicans, members of the press – who wronged them during the 1992 campaign. Clifford Jackson, the ex-friend of the President and peddler of the Clinton draft-dodging stories, was high on the list. So was William Donald Schaefer, then the Governor of Maryland and a Democrat who endorsed George Bush. Nathan Landow, the fund-raiser who backed the candidacy of Paul Tsongas, made it, too.

Suddenly Emanuel grabbed his steak knife and, as those who were there remeber it, shouted out the name of another enemy, lifted the knife, then brought it down with full force into the table.

”Dead!” he screamed.

That Rahm was appointed to head the DCCC speaks volumes about where the Democratic Party wanted to go, where it was bound and determined to go. All the excuses fall by the wayside.

[wolfie001]

84. I hate that rat-assed bastard. Big fucking phoney. nt

[wcollar]

34. Amen!

I'm going start replying to these emails with the link to this post.

Thank you!

[MannyGoldstein]

37. "Republicans will suck worse. "

Last edited Fri Oct 3, 2014, 06:34 PM - Edit history (1)

The Third Way rallying cry. What's wrong with the Left that this doesn't get them pumped?

Great piece, Will!

[BobbyBoring]

38. Add my signature Will!

I'm so sick of this shit, especially the ones that try to shame you for not "Chipping In".
I would also add that, due to their actions, or lack thereof, I don't have anything to " Chip In'.
They are shameless cock suckers!

[DeadLetterOffice]

47. What's wrong with performing fellatio, exactly?

Might wanna edit that little piece of (hopefully unintentional) misogynistic/homophobic language...

[freebrew]

107. Agreed...

no democrats stood up for us when they shit-canned worker protection laws.
Some are still on-board with cutting SSA. Most voted for more war and more $$ for banks and military.

And, like you, I can't afford to give them any $$ because of their (in)action.

[Scuba]

41. Beautifully done, Will, thank you.

[RockaFowler]

44. I think I've unsubscribed to 10 of these this week alone

My husband is getting so sick of them - he wants to now vote for pRick Scott (not in my house sir). I understand they "need" money, but these SPAM emails are beyond annoying. Oh look there's another one in my inbox, this one from Al Franken. I live in Florida, why am I getting emails from Al Franken??

And you have to unsubscribe to each one individually. What a crock!

[Shrike47]

102. Al sends ME letters, all the way to Oregon. I refused to give up my e-mail address.

Paper money requests are annoying but recyclable.

Where do they think we get all the money they beg for?

[ReRe]

45. K&R

I know. They do it to me too. Thing is, I don't check my e-mail often. And when I do, I go straight down the line and delete each and every one of them. Went out and bought an answering machine for my land line at home and haven't answered it in months. Then I go right down the line occasionally and delete every one of those. I haven't figured out a way to diminish or completely cut off the mounds of snail mail yet. If you know where I can buy a cheap incinerator to handle that, I will dance upon the birth of your next child. Have you all hit the terrible twos yet?

[DeadLetterOffice]

46. This is a thing of beauty, Will. Absolute BEAUTY.

"Please Don't Hurt Me" coalition, afraid of the word "Liberal," and certainly addicted to the Wall Street/Defense/Petroleum money swelling their coffers

Sickeningly accurate description.

[proReality]

51. I treat them as a Republican scam and

mark each new Democratic whoever with a flame, sending them directly to the Junk Folder as they come in after that initial begging email. I'm sick of them telling me doom and gloom is on the horizon if I don't send them $1, $3, $10, ... I get over 100 of those damned things every single day.

[Orsino]

52. URGENT: WE NEED A PLATFORM BY TONIGHT

Won't you help us figure out an actual position?

[sendero]

70. LOL...

... priceless!

[TeamPooka]

53. K&R!

[Triana]

55. *WHAM!* Thank you Will. It needed to be said.

Tweeted to the @DSCC, DCCC and @TheDemocrats

[Dont call me Shirley]

56. THANK YOU, WILLIAM!

[zeemike]

57. You said it like I feel it.

Thanks.

[truedelphi]

58. US Pentagon is top user of the resources we have --

For OpEdNews: George Washington - Writer

Sara Flounders writes:

By every measure, the Pentagon is the largest institutional user of petroleum products and energy in general. Yet the Pentagon has a blanket exemption in all international climate agreements.


***


The Feb. 17, 2007, Energy Bulletin detailed the oil consumption just for the Pentagon's aircraft, ships, ground vehicles and facilities that made it the single-largest oil consumer in the world. Even according to rankings in the 2006 CIA World Factbook, only 35 countries (out of 210 in the world) consume more oil per day than the Pentagon. This information is not readily available ... because military emissions abroad are exempt from national reporting requirements under U.S. law and the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change" ...


Bryan Farrell in his new book, "The Green Zone: The Environmental Costs of Militarism," says that "the greatest single assault on the environment, on all of us around the globe, comes from one agency ... the Armed Forces of the United States." Just how did the Pentagon come to be exempt from climate agreements? At the time of the Kyoto Accords negotiations, the U.S. demanded as a provision of signing that all of its military operations worldwide and all operations it participates in with the U.N. and/or NATO be completely exempted from measurement or reductions. After securing this gigantic concession, the Bush administration then refused to sign the accords.

***

Although the U.S. had already received these assurances in the negotiations, the U.S. Congress passed an explicit provision guaranteeing U.S. military exemption. Inter Press Service reported on May 21, 1998: "U.S. law makers, in the latest blow to international efforts to halt global warming, today exempted U.S. military operations from the Kyoto agreement which lays out binding commitments to reduce 'greenhouse gas' emissions. The House of Representatives passed an amendment to next year's military authorization bill that 'prohibits the restriction of armed forces under the Kyoto Protocol.'"
According to environmental journalist Johanna Peace ... "The military accounts for a full 80 percent of the federal government's energy demand."
Above from OpEd article of late 2007
####

And any time we have rabid war mongering going on from the WH, ignored by our intrepid "heroes" in Congress, and supported by the US citizenry, the energy use by our military goes up.

You want a decent planet for your kids? Then I hope that as well as your being out in the streets supporting the Climate Change crowd, you also are supportive of ending wars, because otherwise the latter will undo your efforts for the former.

[ChiciB1]

60. Guess We're All Getting Them!

I've had to delete so, so many EVERY SINGLE DAY with the same headline. I think I understand the lead in, they want people to vote. BUT what they don't seem to understand that TOO MANY DEMOCRATS really haven't fought very hard for "we the people!"

Which in turn has made it almost impossible for so many of us UNABLE to donate. Sure some have fought, but we NEED REAL FIRE IN THE BELLY FIGHTING!

Just me spouting off, but there are more reasons involved. REPUKES have blocked almost EVERYTHING Obama or Democratic, still we need MORE LEADERS!

[Veilex]

62. "Here's a memo to whoever came up with this particularly obnoxious fundraising tactic: You suck."

[phone]

[Xyzse]

65. It is why I blocked them finally.

I got fed up.

[blkmusclmachine]

66. The DEMS are corrupt. They're better liars about it than the Republicans, though.

[uppityperson]

67. I have unsubscribed from so many places the last couple weeks due to this.

The reason I put is too much spamming for money.

[Liberal_Dog]

68. A Hearty K & R

Spot on as usual!!

[Fred Friendlier]

69. Don't be stupid, William

The liberals are the problem.

What we need is for us leftists to make a big announcement that WE ARE GOING TO TURN OUT IN MASSIVE NUMBERS AND WIN THIS ELECTION.

And then we turn out in massive numbers, and after the victories - some of them tremendous upsets - OUR Senators and OUR Representatives can march over to party headquarters and lay down the law.

The alternative strategy of making a big announcement that WE ARE NOT GOING TO VOTE BECAUSE WE HATE YOU would earn us exactly zero respect and in fact would force the party to abandon us to our fate while they shift right - again - in search of reliable votes.

In other words, being seen as supporting the party gets us what we what but being seen as sabotaging the party gets us shunned for a generation. Just look at what happened to the Greens after they tried to get cute in 2000.

[whereisjustice]

91. I see, we need another 2008 when we have the house and senate and executive and

a president who lays down the lay on torture, war crimes, bank fraud, surveillance-

oh wait, it was the fucking Democrats who said prosecuting bank fraud and war crimes was ponies and rainbows.

Well, we got off shore drilling and keystone.

The truth is, what you are saying is ponies and rainbows. Nothing short of political pressure from the outside will make a difference.

We rallied, we worked, we voted, we donated and we were fucked by the closeted conservatives who called us hippies.

Now you have to deal with the consequences of this idiotic behavior: The Goldwater Girl.

[NCarolinawoman]

71. One of my latest ones is, "DO NOT DELETE THIS"!

How did they know?

[Man from Pickens]

72. We're DOOMED

gimme money and the end of the world may just be postponed!

[marble falls]

74. I've felt that these mailers are are more likely to suppress voting than enable it.

[LW1977]

76. K and F***ing R!

So God-damned sick of these emails!

[LW1977]

77. BOEHNER HUMILIATED!! (5 seconds Later:) BOEHNER VICTORIOUS!!!

[raven mad]

79. HUGE kick & rec and +1,000,000 and wow!

Amen, I so appreciate this. I've taken to not even opening them; automatic delete.

[840high]

80. k/r x 100

[krawhitham]

82. They do it because it works

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/08/urgent-democratic-emails-fundraising-bonanza-brandon-english-109775.html

House Democrats have their email fundraising down to a science: Cast Speaker John Boehner as the leading villain, use President Barack Obama’s signature (but sparingly) and don’t hesitate to go ALL CAPS with a subject line like this: “BREAKING: IMPEACHMENT.”

Over the top? Undoubtedly. But the fact is it’s working — better than anything Republicans have tried so far. Last week, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee raised $4.8 million, thanks to a series of “red alert” emails feeding off talk of impeachment and Boehner’s lawsuit against Obama over executive actions. It was the committee’s best week for online fundraising.

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/08/urgent-democratic-emails-fundraising-bonanza-brandon-english-109775.html

You know, just like some people only post here to drive traffic to other sites. They do it because it works

[fadedrose]

83. Excellent post nt

[marym625]

85. Wait. The world won't end if I don't send.$5 to every dem in America?

Bravo!

Peace!

[marym625]

86. I think I will send this to every group in response to the begging email

Last edited Fri Oct 3, 2014, 09:50 PM - Edit history (1)

Yep. That's what I am going to do

It will be my new answer to certain people. Will replace Lily Allen as a response.


Lily Allen - Fuck You [Official Music Video]:

[woo me with science]

87. MAGNIFICENT.

THANK YOU.

[FlatStanley]

88. Sorry if we don't meet your purity test

[WilliamPitt]

92. "We"?

You got a mouse in your pocket?

[FlatStanley]

98. I like to think I'm descended from royalty?

[Thespian2]

89. Accurate Post, WilliamPitt

Politicians in the Democratic party have no spine, no guts, no balls, no brains, no party. If they get their asses handed to them on a platter, well, they will simply stick their tails between their legs and piss and moan. We all get the same crying, whining bullshit emails you do; thus we know that they are playing the fear card...a losing hand.

[Mira]

94. Dear Will, I had so hoped someone would take on responding to these abominations

I am thrilled it was you!

[Bigredhunk]

95. Totally Agree Re: The "Doom & Gloom" E-mails

They probably did research and it proved that this type of language works for soliciting donations. A few days ago I read on here that Dems are setting record fundraising levels. Not sure if that's true or not(?)

I agree that Dems are almost all waayyyy too PUSSY, weak, afraid of their own shadow. It's nauseating. Republicans tell you to fuck yourself and then smile while doing it. They all stand together and are all on the same message all the time. I'm never sure if that last part is good or not. I love party unity (and wish the Dems could close ranks better), but I also like that we're not always like nazis going step-for-step together. Same goes for their base. On one hand I admire their ability to get things out, repeating the same stupid things over and over until it becomes mainstream (flip-flop with Kerry, soreloserman, messiah with Obama). It's very effective for their side. I also loathe it, party because it works, mostly because it's fucking pathetic. They're such followers. They don't have an independent thought in their heads.

My only defense of Dems being weak re: attacking big money, oil, pharma…they need that whore'ish corporate cash to get elected. I want them to run on being proud of being liberal, SS, Medicare, ACA, unions, etc…. But they are in a tough spot for trying to go against the corporations who do wrong while also needing their money. If we had publicly financed elections that would be moot.

[Old Codger]

96. Dropped off the lists

I made sure to go to the sites and unsubscribe from their lists... Some had interesting things to sya at times but the majority of the time it was a beg beg beg for 3 dollars or 5 dollars or whatever i =wanted to give and could I please make it a recurring donation . If I gave the minimum they ask for each time they mailed me I would have nothing left at all...

Someones stupid idea that needs to be dropped they are alienating a lot of people... I will still vote Dem. across the board but they leave a sour taste in my mouth..

[Drunken Irishman]

99. Speaking of spam...

[davidpdx]

101. This maybe one of the few times I'll agree with you

I frankly got very sick of the emails from the 2-3 organizations and this morning unsubscribed to them. When they send 10+ emails a day between them that is just fucking ridiculous. 300 in a week sounds about right though.

Then you have all the other organizations (MoveOn, PCCC, NARAL, ColorofChange, UltraViolet, Sumofus, etc.) that I belong to which I get emails from as well. Most of them are begging for money as well.

I don't mind donating money, but to be absolutely PUMMELLED with emails, there is no reason for that.

[Shrike47]

103. I don't donate via e-mail, only by check in the mail. We get lots of begging letters but no spam.

I think their goal is to drive us crazy. My local state rep asked for money. I e-mailed him last year asking him to vote no on something that affects me financially. He voted yes. Does he really think I'm going to send him money?

[corkhead]

104. Thank you, you said exactly what I have been thinking

but I got fed up at the end of May and unsubscribed to all of them back then. My email box still gets a couple that trickle in now and then, but most of them are long gone.

[The Wizard]

105. If you beat a dead horse

the horse is still dead and your arms are very tired. It's called wasted energy. If the Democrats want to succeed they have to put up candidates like Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. Their message is clear and resonates with the vast majority. A Warren/Sanders or Sanders/Warren ticket would cost the Koch suckers a fortune. Third way Democrats are easily compromised and would just do the Koch's bidding. Give people real reasons to vote with a clear and concise message and they will come out in droves.
The constant beg-o-thon is a real turn off and may serve to to the opposite of its intended purpose.
The Internet and the TV Remote have made TV campaign ads the modern day buggy whip.

[pangaia]

106. Mr. Pitt, I do not get spam from Democratic fund raisers.

Maybe you need to do something about that.

Now, given that you are a little bit better known than I am , I can understand that.
But I unsubscribed some time ago from Act Blue, Alan Grayson, etc, etc etc.

However, that said.
Your 'open letter' is.. GRRRREEEEEAAAAATT !!!!!

[NorthCarolina]

109. Excellent, and succinct, post. +100000...thanks. nt

[stupidicus]

110. The charade has been obvious to some of us for a long time now

With Bush/the repugs, they often hide their criminality with incompetence - think disbanding the Iraqi military and booting the Baathes, and about some of the ISIL leadership http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/09/29/fight-lives?utm_source=tny&utm_campaign=generalsocial&utm_medium=twitter&mbid=social_twitter-- and the dems use timidity to hide complicity/collusion.

Their chief job and goal these days appears to be fearmongering about those they enable that way.

[Generic Other]

111. I started sending them a shoe

After I step in dogshit.

[shanti]

113. Nothing but the truth, Ruth

K&R!