Move-On's Petition Regarding Those Who Threatened Pelosi

[Me.]

Dear MoveOn member,

This is pretty outrageous: a group of Clinton-supporting big Democratic donors are threatening to stop supporting Democrats in Congress because Nancy Pelosi said that the people, not the superdelegates, should decide the Presidential nomination.1

It's the worst kind of insider politics—billionaires bullying our elected leaders into ignoring the will of the voters.

But when we all pool our resources, together we're stronger than the fat cats. So let's tell Nancy Pelosi that if she keeps standing up for regular Americans, thousands of us will have her back. And we can more than match whatever the CEOs and billionaires refuse to contribute.

The statement reads: "The Democratic nomination should be decided by the voters—not by superdelegates or party high-rollers. We've given money—and time—to progressive candidates and causes, and we'll support Speaker Pelosi and others who stand up for Democracy in the Democratic Party."

We're launching it today with our friends at the blog OpenLeft.com. Our goal is to deliver tens of thousands of signatures to Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic leaders later this week.

A few weeks ago, Speaker Pelosi told ABC News, "If the votes of the superdelegates overturn what happened in the elections, it would be harmful to the Democratic Party."2

She's right, but Clinton's top fundraisers want her to back off. According to the New York Times, their letter "carries an ominous tone, which stops just short of delivering a threat. The donors remind Ms. Pelosi that they are 'strong supporters' of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee."3 Their language was careful, but their implied threat was universally understood. (Roll Call carried this headline: "Clinton donors threaten Pelosi and DCCC."4)

They're the old guard, and this is how the Democratic Party used to function—the big donors called the shots. But the small donor revolution has changed that. The 20 people who signed this letter have given Democrats an average of $2.4 million per year over the last 10 years.5 Small donations now dwarf that: In February alone, Obama and Clinton raised $47 million in small donations.6

Still, old habits die hard. We need to send a strong signal that we, the small donors, will back Democratic leaders who have the courage to stand up and do the right thing. Please sign our statement today.

http://pol.moveon.org/democracy/o.pl?id=12391-3132922-IClSpR&t=274

Thanks for all you do,

–Noah, Justin, Ilyse, Wes, and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team
Thursday, March 27th, 2008

“The statement reads: "The Democratic nomination should be decided by the voters—not by superdelegates or party high-rollers. We've given money—and time—to progressive candidates and causes, and we'll support Speaker Pelosi and others who stand up for Democracy in the Democratic Party."

http://pol.moveon.org/democracy/

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. Do we know who these people are?

[slinkerwink]

4. here's the list of their names

Marc Aronchick
Clarence Avant
Susie Tompkins Buell
Sim Farar
Robert L. Johnson
Chris Korge
Marc and Cathy Lasry
Hassan Nemazee
Alan and Susan Patricof
JB Pritzker
Amy Rao
Lynn de Rothschild
Haim Saban
Bernard Schwartz
Stanley S. Shuman
Jay Snyder
Maureen White and Steven Rattner

[RoadRage]

11. Wow.. JB Pritzker jumped out at me..

He's related to Penny Pritzker (not sure if he's a brother, uncle, cousin, etc.).. and Penny is Obama's finance chair. The Pritzker's run a huge hotel conglomerate HQ'd in Chicago - and have been a huge support of Obama since his senate run.

Not sure if there is a family division here or what??

[stillcool]

19. The brother is on the Clinton Finance team..

the sister is one of Obama's financial advisers. I remember reading about it a while back, but I don't recall the particulars.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

54. what? only 18 recommends? how come?

seems like we would want this on the front page.

[Eurobabe]

58. Who are these scumbags?

And where do they get off threatening a government official that is No. 2 in the line of succession? Perhaps they need to be taken away in plastic cuffs?

[Medusa]

62. DONE!

K&R!

[MonkeyFunk]

2. I don't get this angle

of saying they "threatened Pelosi".

It sounds more much menacing than it really is.

[zalinda]

6. Of course it does, that's what an Obama supporter does

they spin it so Clinton looks bad. I guess they don't understand that those people who are withholding their donations, don't OWE money to the dems. They donate freely.

And, of course if it was Obama donors, there would be a whole other spin to the story to make Obama look good.

zalinda

[Me.]

8. No They Don't Owe Their Money

But saying if you don't do what I want I won't help the party implies a quid pro quo threat, and they put it in writing. No one told them to do that either.

[Window]

22. Ha ha, Clinton doesn't need our help to make her look bad. She's doing it just fine by herself.

:rofl:

[PoliticalAmazon]

39. ITA. The reason Pelosi can tell them to take a hike is because Obama has changed dynamics of...

...of funding elections.

He has proven that you can build a successful campaign even without the support of the big-bucks democratic party voters, and this has disenfranchised folks like Hillary's snotty contributors who threatened Pelosi.

From the very beginning, Obama focused on the people. By soliciting contributions from voters, he accomplished many things:

1. Built campaign loyalty. Voters who contribute to a candidate are less likely to switch candidates.

2. Increased marketing exponentially. Voters who contribute to a campaign are far more likely to talk to their friends about their candidate and urge them to vote for their candidate.

3. Built campaign financing security. The big donors are important, of course, but having a strong voter contribution support base makes you less beholding to the big donors.

4. Built resiliancy to threats of withholding large donations. Buildling a big small-donor contribution base also builds a buffer between you and the big donors' power to control you and your campaign by threatening to withhold contributions if you don't do what they want you to do.

5. Built a large volunteer pool. Voters who donate to a candidate are much more likely to volunteer for their campaign.

6. Built more intense interest in the campaign. When there is a large groundswell of voter support, the media notices. When thousands and thousands of people show up for your speeches (sometimes tens of thousands more than show up at your opponent's speeches), the media notices. Voters are inspired by their candidates, but candidates are inspired AND energized by their supporters. This is not something that money can buy. It is earned, and it is earned the hard way.

The groundswell of support was something Howard Dean inspired, too, and it is becuase he also focused on the support of individual voters, which built his campaign.

Hillary Clinton did very little to solicit donations from voters. For months she didn't have a way voters could donate online. The message was clear: she believed she really didn't need the support of the voters, and I'm not just talking financial support--support by volunteerism and recruiting new voters to the campaign. She thought she could spend her big donors' money on lots of air time and buy the votes from voters.

She's made it clear since she became Senator that she has little regard for We the Peeps. She has served mainly the neocon agenda, and has sold our interests off to the highest bidder. Her lack of regard for We the Peeps has led her to make this fatal flaw: believing she could get elected by just using the support of her elite contributors.

[redqueen]

13. Count yourself among a very select group, then.

Most don't share Clinton's supporters' take on this.

[MonkeyFunk]

24. Over the last year, I've seen countless

posts here from people saying they wouldnt' give a dime to the DCCC until impeachment proceedings were brought.

Were they threatening Pelosi, too?

[redqueen]

25. Yes... but they are individuals.

Not a collection of a bunch of big-money extortionists.

If those people who wrote that letter actually represented "the people", I wouldn't have a problem with it. But they don't. If they did, they wouldn't need huge fat bank accounts to make their voices heard, but they do. They are the opposite of the grassroots. They are the corporate insiders who have had too much control over this party for far too long already.

[MonkeyFunk]

28. I just don't understandt he objection

They're withholding money because they don't like what she's doing. That's exactly the same thing people here do.

You can't FORCE them to contribute money, and they have just as much a right to free speech as you or I.

I think the outrage is selective. No, they're not "grassroots", but neither is Oprah, John Kerry, Ted Kennedy, or a multitude of Obama supporters. Both candidates have rich supporters and poor supporters and supporters in between. They're all free to say what they want, and contribute as much or as little as they want. Characterizing it as "threatening Pelosi" is unfair, imo. It makes it seem personal and menacing.

[redqueen]

30. IMO it *is* personal and menacing.

And if Oprah or some other fatcat tried to pull a "do as we say or ELSE!" stunt like this they'd get blasted just the same, and rightly so.

Rich people deserve no more of a voice than THE people. I am honestly shocked to see people here defending their tactics.

[Me.]

31. They Don't Have To Donate If They Don't Want To

But why the letter then? Don't want to donate, fine, but then put the money in your piggy bank and shut the hell up about what you will or will not do unless you get your way. But then I think you are intelligent enough to get it and are just in a rhetorical mode.

[MonkeyFunk]

32. For the same reason

I write to businesses that piss me off and tell them they've lost a customer.

[Me.]

34. Exactly

Glad you got it.

[H2O Man]

37. Right.

I normally do not watch Fox News. However, during a commercial break on Hardball, I flipped to Fox. Radio personality Ed Schultz was saying that two Super Delagates told him about the Clinton campaign contacting them, and saying they were "off the list," and had committed "political suicide" because they were backing Obama. It's kind of like the vicious attacks aimed at Governor Richardson.

[Me.]

38. Is It Really Politically Expedient

to provide incentive to Obama supporters?

[olkaz]

61. Let's also keep in mind that party loyalty is not part of their situation

Make no mistake, they will donate to whatever party offers them favors.

Let's not be that party.

[redqueen]

64. Very good point.

They're equal opportunity bribers.

[Hamlette]

29. sounds like a threat to me

we won't send you money for your congressional races (the only place they can send gobs of money like that) if you don't let Hillary steal the election.

[texastoast]

44. Ultimatim, then?

That might be a better word, but I think they mean the same.

[proud2BlibKansan]

68. Since the party can't get anything done without money

threatening to not donate money is a pretty serious threat indeed.

[crankychatter]

3. k n r

yep

[leftofcool]

5. BET Founder Robert Johnson was just on Fox Noise

says letter not a threat and people should read the super delegate charter. He also says that Pelosi just sent him a letter asking for 200,000 donation for the convention.

[Coexist]

7. wait, 5 minutes ago, he said she was asking for 100,000

is this a fish tale?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

10. The snipers are demanding more money.

[superkia]

14. LOL! If dirty politics are the game the Clintons want, there should...

be a sniper related joke attached to her in every story about her. Someone print some t-shirts or stickers, I would buy some. Its one of those things that I just shake my head and wonder what the hell was she thinking? I really think the elite thought that America was still in a deep sleep and Clinton was going to walk through this with ease. They had no idea and weren't prepared at all and this is what they come up with? Oh and where are those damn tax returns from years ago, are they getting doctored up or something, lets see some honesty from that camp.

[leftofcool]

15. It might have been 100,000 I was leaving Fox Noise

just about the time he said that, looking for real news

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

9. Robert Johnson, eh?

What a clown.

[leftofcool]

16. Why is he a clown?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

36. Well, besides the recent threatening letter...

there's this.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/01/13/proclinton-bet-founder-a_n_81286.html

[redqueen]

33. He's not a clown he was a damn fine guitarist!

[Window]

42. LOL! Yes, "that" Robert Johnson was a fine blues singer and guitarist.

[my3boyz]

18. I don't believe a word that comes out of his mouth

It might be true but it would have to come from someone else. He was the one that said he was not referring to Obama's drug use, right?

[Me.]

20. I've No Doubt She Sent A Fund Raising Letter

I get them fairly regularly, and I can check the amount I want to donate, $25, $50 etc. Didn't notice the spot for hundreds of thousands but I wasn't looking either.

[stillcool]

27. yeah. I'm surprised they have him out there...

Date: Friday, January 18, 2008
By: Associated Press and
Obama Gets Apology from BET Founder Bob Johnson

Bob Johnson, the controversial founder of BET, apologized Thursday to Sen. Barack Obama for his impromptu remarks four days ago criticizing the Democratic presidential candidate's admitted drug use as a teenager and referring to Obama as Sidney Poitier.

"I'm writing to apologize to you and your family personally for the un-called-for comments I made at a recent Clinton event," Johnson said in a statement. "In my zeal to support Senator Clinton, I made some very inappropriate remarks, for which I am truly sorry. I hope that you will accept this apology. Good luck on the campaign trail."

Obama spokesman Bill Burton responded Thursday, saying, "Obama accepts the apology. We're going to leave it at that."

But some black political observers said Johnson’s apology fell short.

"A letter isn't enough, it should be a public apology, with a handshake and a hug," Charles Ellison, chief editor and senior fellow for Blackpolicy.org, told BlackAmericaWeb.com Thursday.

"That was raw and just wrong on Johnson's part," Ellison said. "Who is he to talk, considering his network set the standard for glorifying certain types of behavior in the community, including drug and street gangster, hustler and pimp culture?"

http://www.blackamericaweb.com/site.aspx/bawnews/johnsonapology118

[Starbucks Anarchist]

65. The same Robert Johnson who said the estate tax was racist?

Truly a champion of the little guy. :eyes:

http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=3ecbba91-f447-455b-98a3-d92f522a4814

[Scurrilous]

12. K & R

:thumbsup:

[Oilwellian]

17. Profile of signers here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5280868

[Life Long Dem]

21. Move-on Wow an army of cry babies. Ready to defend the country.

:cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry:
:cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry:

:cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry:
:cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry:

:cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry:
:cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry:

:cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry:
:cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry:

[redqueen]

26. Huh?

:wtf:

[Life Long Dem]

23. The superdelegates will take care of the will of the people

I think we have a bigger army.

[blogslut]

35. done

kick

[Me.]

40. Thanks

I hope the 600+ views of this thread indicates a number of signers

[BumRushDaShow]

41. K&R

:kick:

[Window]

43. I signed. K/R.

:kick:

[City Lights]

45. Signed. K&R

[Seabiscuit]

46. Such bullshit. The supporters didn't "threaten" anyone. They merely disagreed with Pelosi's

statement, which undermined their autonomy and freedom to decide for themselves who to support.

All else in the moveon.org propaganda is pure fabrication.

moveon.org used to be a decent organization. Now they've turned to shit.

Anyone circulating and/or signing this petition is a complete fool.

[damndude]

47. count me among the foolish

i don't agree with anyone calling themselves a loyal democrat supporting the intimidation of a speaker of the house because the campaign you support is leaking like the titanic. no matter how nuanced and thinly veiled, a threat is a threat.

[Seabiscuit]

50. They didn't "threaten" or "intimidate" anyone. That's a complete lie that's

being spread around.

[Me.]

48. Pish

Tosh

[Seabiscuit]

51. Plish

Plosh

[JMDEM]

56. Move on is dead to me

Pelosi is dead to me
Olbermann is dead to me
Huffington post is dead to me
Buzzflash is dead to me
Kerry is dead to me
Kennedy is dead to me
blah blah blah...

:sarcasm:

[proud2BlibKansan]

70. Then call me a fool

:hi:

[totodeinhere]

49. I hope everybody signs it.

[RBInMaine]

52. DONE !

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

53. signed

and this thread kicked and to be linked on Friday daily news.

[Me.]

55. Excellent!

[arrested_president]

57. signed

kick

[Life Long Dem]

59. What Hillary supporter thinks Hillary will dig heself out this hole?

Answer: none.

[Seabiscuit]

63. There's no hole to dig out of. It's a complete fabrication, that's all.

All the donors did was tell Pelosi they disagreed with her, and that they will make up their own minds who to support.

All else is a stupid, fanciful lie spread by Obamanoids and not worth paying any attention to.

[Me.]

66. Thanks For The Kick

[Seabiscuit]

73. You do know you're spreading lies, don't you?

[Me.]

74. Another Kick

Keep the petition going

[Life Long Dem]

75. Think the way you want.

[Me.]

60. Just In Case

:kick:

[Tarheel_Dem]

67. Signed & thanks for posting........nt

[proud2BlibKansan]

69. My first thought was how much money from everyday folks has the party lost?

I know I quit sending them money back when Pelosi took impeachment off the table. Every fundraising request and every survey they send me - I send back with this message:



Anyway, I wonder if a lot of other people are doing that too. Instead of supporting the party, we are sending what we can afford to Obama. Perhaps Pelosi finally figured all of this out? :shrug:

[Me.]

71. Good Point

Some progressive sites like Fire Dog Lake are doing directed contributions, where they put the money directly into the pockets of progressive candidates

[liberaldem4ever]

72. Signed K&R

[Scurrilous]

76. Kick

:kick: