Change.org Launches the Most Powerful Petition Tool on the Web

Hey Changemakers,

We have big news to announce this week. Over the past few months we've been working hard to build the most powerful petition tool on the web, and this week we're releasing it to the public for free.

This puts the same advocacy tools used by large national nonprofits in the hands of individual activists and small organizations everywhere.

We're launching this now because we think the rise of social media presents an opportunity for an explosion of grassroots, citizen-led activism. It's now easier than ever to connect to others who share the same passion, organize, and spread the word. But what's been missing is a tool to enable people to easily start an online campaign that others can immediately join to translate their interest into powerful action. That's what we're launching today.

You can see a brief overview and demonstration of the new petition tool here:

www.change.org/petition

Our bloggers have recently begun using this tool to start petitions in response to news stories and have won close to a dozen campaigns - successfully pressuring companies and federal agencies to change their policies.

You can now do the same. Any time there's an issue that inspires you or a news story that makes you want to take action, we encourage you to start a petition on Change.org and turn your passion into action.
 

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One-Two Punch

Thank you for signing the open letter. We can turn this into a one-two punch if you also do one of the additional actions below right now. 

1. If you live in a state with a Senator who is part of the Democratic Caucus, please call your Senator right now and demand the vote to remove the chairmanship of any Senator who joins a Republcian filibuster against a public option:

Senate Swithcboard: (202) 224-3121

2. Please ask your friends, family, and like-minded co-workers to join you in signing the open letter:

www.DemocracyforAmerica.com/Accountability

3. If you have a twitter account, please tweet this message to your followers: "Call on the Dem Caucus to strip Dems who filibuster a public option of their chairmanships http://bit.ly/4DqMU1 RT & follow @dfaaction"

You can even auto-update your account by clicking here.

Working together, we're unstoppable. Thank you for everything you do.

-The DFA Team

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I wish they'd choose the Public Option 100%... but I don't think there's a chance in hell of that happening. I will be happy if there is a public option that works like Medicare by negotiating reduced prices, etc. AND if people can choose to go with it EVEN IF they are already insured by a Private carrier - that would keep Private Insurance on their toes...

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I  voiced my preferences for the public option included in the final health care reform bill.  Thanks~~~~mamabear

ps. I truely believe we will get 100% public option. It is the only way to hold insurance companys accountable

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On Monday, Majority Leader Harry Reid introduced the merged Senate health care bill -- a bill that includes a public option.

The question is no longer if we will have some sort of public option in the final health care reform bill, but instead what form it will take.

There are several interpretations of what a public option should look like, and I just shared my preferences with Senator Dick Durbin through his online public option poll at:

http://www.DickDurbin.com/PublicOptionPoll

Please click this link to voice your preferences for the public option included in the final health care reform bill:

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I just signed a petition to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to stop protecting corporate Democrats who are willing to filibuster a public health insurance option.

Can you please add your name? 

Click here to sign: http://action.firedoglake.com/harryreid

Thanks!

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Dear Yvonne,

Have you ever found yourself these last couple weeks jumping at the TV screen, wanting to challenge team Cheney on their fearmongering on torture and Guantánamo? The former Vice President and Liz Cheney seem to be everywhere these days, working to scare people away from having faith in America's values and our legal system.

You have your chance tonight at 5 p.m., Eastern when Liz Cheney participates in a conference call followed by a question and answer session open to the public.

Click here for information about how to participate, to read some of Ms. Cheney's past statements, and to see our explanations of how she has gotten the facts wrong.

This is our chance to inject some reason into the debate by directly challenging the myths put forward by former Vice President Dick Cheney and Ms. Cheney. There have been some whoppers.

Sincerely,
Sharon Kelly
Communications Director

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DUMP DOMA!

After months of pressure and activism by People For the American Way supporters, through our Dump DOMA campaign, Congress now has a bill in front of it that would repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Thank you to Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) for introducing the bill. At the press conference announcing the bill last week, the Congressman said, "we can and we will dump DOMA once and for all."

Many inside Washington thought this bill didn't stand enough of a chance to be introduced. But the bill, H.R. 3567, already has 94 cosponsors. And the number seems to be growing every day. This shows the power of activism and what a grassroots groundswell can produce.

DOMA is discriminatory and wrong. The federal government has no right to put up barriers to equality. More and more people who supported the bill when it was passed are now supporting its repeal. Bill Clinton, the President who signed DOMA into law, supports Nadler's bill to repeal it. Former Republican Congressman Bob Barr, the 1996 bill's chief sponsor, now thinks DOMA should be repealed.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) wrote a very personal and honest op-ed about his vote for DOMA in 1996, how he regrets it and why he strongly supports its repeal. It's on Huffington Post. I suggest that you read it (link below) and I ask that you pass it on to anyone you might know who is on the fence about DOMA and marriage equality as an issue.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-earl-blumenauer/proudly-changing-my-posit_b_287689.html

 Send the action to your friends using our Tell-A-Friend tool or e-mail them this link:

http://www.dumpdoma.com/

Thanks again for your activism!

People For's Web Team

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Tonight, during a speech in which President Obama explained the need for a public option, right-wing Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) played the roll of teabagger and yelled, "You lie!"

Enough. Can you sign our rapid response petition, asking Congress to censure Wilson?

Click here to see petition and sign.

Hi--Tonight, we saw a momentum-shifting speech from President Obama -- and progressives who had the courage to speak up in recent days helped make it happen.

After an emergency, 6-day campaign -- launched as the West Wing was debating what would be in the president's speech -- President Obama did what so many of us hoped he would do, and urged him to do.

Obama embraced the public health insurance option and explained why insurance companies that profit by denying care need competition. To be fair, there were downsides, such as framing a public option with overwhelming 60%-70% support as a left-wing proposal.

But overall, his speech put big momentum in our direction and he used fighting words: promising to "call out" anyone who spreads misinformation to kill reform.

One person immediately deserves to be "called out." Right-wing Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) played the roll of teabagger by yelling "You lie!" at the president. Let's go on offense -- will you sign this petition to Congress?

PETITION: "Enough is enough. On an issue as critical as health care reform, it's time to stop the lies, the misinformation, and the uncivil disruptions. Rep. Joe Wilson went way over the line by yelling 'You lie' during President Obama's speech, and Congress should censure him immediately." Sign here.

It's getting late at night -- but let's see if we can get 20,000 signatures by noon tomorrow. Can you send this email to your friends who watched the speech?

After you sign the petition, you'll have the option of chipping in for an ad targeting Wilson.

Let's send a signal to President Obama that if he is willing to fight and win on the public option, a grassroots movement will be there with him -- including going to bat against crazed teabaggers who want to kill reform.

Can you sign the petition, and pass it on to others? Click here.

Censure could be a real possibility if we go on offense now. Sen. John McCain called Wilson's yelling "totally disrespectful." Wilson later called his own actions "inappropriate and regrettable" but repeated the same misinformation he yelled out at President Obama -- about illegal aliens.

Frankly, an apology is not enough. Apologies weren't enough for Van Jones, the bold progressive who right-wingers forced to resign from the White House this past week for remarks taken out of context. And House Rules of Decorum specifically state that it is not permissible to call the President a "liar" -- let alone yell it.

Can you sign our petition today asking Congress to censure Wilson -- and pass it on?

Thanks for being a fighting progressive!

--Adam Green, Stephanie Taylor, Michael Snook, Andrew Perez, Evan Miller, and the PCCC team

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INS is very, very, fussy; a friend of my daughter's at work flew from NYC to Canada to renew her VISA from Moldova (yes, she has a work VISA, was recruited at U/Virgina and yes, Merrill screwed up on the Visa requirements/applications) and they told her she could not fly back into the U$A to get her things, she'd have to go home to Moldova. Luckily, she was engaged to be married to a man from the U.K., she flew to Britain and stayed in his apartment there for 6 months until they were married and she got her VISA to come back into the U$A.
Sticky stuff ... put they're veyr picky ... or someone wasn't willing to pay the high fees "under the table".

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I'd appreciate help with the petition below:

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Blue, I'm confused - that March on DC. is sponsored by the Tea Party Movement & talked up by Beck .. so isn't that a Reich-wing deal??? Why would I want to be NEAR those people??

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LOL! Great article & links! And the bit at the end was funny!

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Subject: Is Rove Back?

Hi,

A special interest lobbying firm with ties to dirty energy companies was caught sending forged letters to a Democratic congressman's office -- urging him to oppose clean energy legislation.

I signed a petition urging the Department of Justice to investigate the company for fraud. Can you join me at the link below?

http://pol.moveon.org/roveisbackl/?r_by=16707-4568688-Ta6iOPx&rc=paste

Thanks!

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So, thanks to Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY), Speaker Pelosi says she will bring a vote to the floor on single-payer after the recess. Are you all ready to make those phone calls and write those letters?


Nancy's contact info..http://speaker.house.gov/contact/
Send our speaker an e-mail of encouragement.

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Lou Dobbs is using his platform on CNN to revive paranoid conspiracy theories about whether President Obama was born in the U.S.¹ While the question was put to rest long ago, Dobbs is pretending that this extremist nonsense is a legitimate national conversation.

Intentionally or not, he is stoking the fires of racial fear and paranoia in the same way that the McCain/Palin campaign did when they cast Obama as "not one of us."²Even after being called on this, Dobbs refuses to stop.

CNN, which is held in high regard by many Americans and describes itself as the "the most trusted name in news," is allowing one of its hosts to give legitimacy to debunked, racist conspiracy theories.

Please join us in calling on CNN to dump Dobbs, and ask your friends and family to do the same:

http://www.colorofchange.org/dobbs/?id=2435-837581

For more than a year, folks on the far right have been claiming that President Obama is not a U.S. citizen; that he was born in Kenya, and as a result can't be president³. This theory has been repeatedly debunked. Not only has the state of Hawaii provided a birth certificate to media organizations several times, there were also birth announcements in two separate Hawaii papers when Obama was born in 1961--for most reasonable people, that would remove any doubt.

Members of Dobbs' own staff have said they're uncomfortable with his insistence on pursuing this story⁴, but Dobbs insists on claiming there must be something to it because, "Obama refuses to produce the long-form of his birth certificate." Other news outlets have refused to give the idea any credence. The head of MSNBC, Phil Griffin, had this to say about the claim: "It's racist. It's racist. Just call it for what it is."⁵

Dobbs and race

Lou Dobbs has a history of attacking immigrants by spouting hateful rhetoric and lies. He once claimed that "the invasion of illegal aliens is threatening the health of many Americans" through "deadly imports" of diseases like leprosy and malaria.⁶ This kind of rhetoric feeds anti-immigrant hate, the kind of hate that leads to horrors like the beating death of Luis Ramirez in Pennsylvania and the shooting death of nine-year old Brisenia Flores in Arizona earlier this year. Dobbs' rhetoric has led organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) to call on CNN to reign in Dobbs in the past.⁷

Now, Dobbs is going after President Obama by giving voice to the same kind of xenophobic rhetoric, stoking the deep-seated fears of angry right-wing extremists who, as CNN analyst Roland Martin has said, can't accept the fact that their president is Black⁸.

Dobbs may not like Obama, but it's a real problem for him to use his powerful position as a moderator of discussion about the news to validate a dangerous falsehood that's rooted in racism.

Several watchdog groups have demanded action on the part of CNN. The head of the SPLC wrote CNN last week asking that they fire Dobbs based on his recent actions⁹. Media Matters and others have launched efforts to hold CNN accountable as well.¹⁰

CNN has the opportunity to live up to its description of itself as the most trusted cable news network. Or it can ignore the problem of Lou Dobbs and communicate something very different: that delivering real news and analysis is not its top priority, and that legitimizing extremist propaganda is an acceptable part of doing business.

Join us in calling on Jon Klein, the president of CNN, to take Dobbs off the air:

http://www.colorofchange.org/dobbs/?id=2435-837581

Thanks and Peace,

-- James, Gabriel, William, Dani and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
   July 31st, 2009

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Dear friends,

As you may know, right-wing talk show hosts have been bringing race-based fear mongering into the mainstream, but FOX's Glenn Beck just took it to another level. On Tuesday, Beck said:

This president has exposed himself as a guy over and over and over again who has a deep-seated hatred for white people... this guy is, I believe, a racist.

It's part of a larger argument Beck has been making: that President Obama wants to serve the needs of Black communities at White people's expense. This kind of talk stirs up fear, hate, and it can lead to violence.

I've joined ColorOfChange.org's effort to stop Glenn Beck. ColorOfChange is already putting calls into Beck's advertisers, asking them if they want to be associated with this kind of racist hate and fear-mongering. When the advertisers see that tens of thousands of us are behind that question, I believe they'll move their advertising dollars elsewhere, and his show and platform will be history.

Will you take a stand and be counted, and invite your friends and family to do the same? It takes just a moment:

http://www.colorofchange.org/beck/?id=2044-855602

Glenn Beck is appealing to the worst in America. Of course, some Americans refuse to accept the fact that our president is Black or the idea that he could truly serve all Americans. But the only way these views fade away is if they're not reinforced by mainstream society. Instead, folks like Glenn Beck, Lou Dobbs, and Rush Limbaugh are exploiting racism and race-based fear to bump their ratings, stirring up racial discord in the process.

The dangers of these tactics are real. We saw the same dynamic during the presidential race: By the end, the McCain/Palin campaign was unable to control the violent energy whipped up by their race-baiting. It resulted in an unprecedented number of threats on Obama's life, a rise in the number of hate groups, and an increase in the number of threats and crimes against immigrants and Black people.

FOX has a horrible track record on pushing racist propaganda, but Glenn Beck appears to be taking the network to an even lower standard. He's trying to divide and distract America when we should be coming together and talking about issues that really matter--like health care and the economy.

The good news is that we have the power to stop this. All major media is funded by advertising. And advertisers care more than anything what consumers think. If we want to change what's happening and put an end to folks like Glenn Beck having a platform, we can do it.

It's up to us, and it can start now. Please join me:

http://www.colorofchange.org/beck/?id=2044-855602

Thanks.

Here are some links to more info:

"Beck: Obama has 'exposed himself as a guy' with 'a deep seated hatred for white people'"
http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200907280008

"Glenn Beck: Obama agenda driven by 'reparations' and desire to 'settle old racial scores'"
http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200907230040

"MSNBC's Deutsch encourages viewers to demand advertisers on Beck's show spend money elsewhere"
http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200907290037

"On Television and Radio, Talk of Obama's Citizenship"
http://tinyurl.com/mb467j 

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TWEET YOUR SENATOR:

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Bill Scher, 07.28.2009

OurFuture.org, LiberalOasis.com, WHMP, author of “Wait! Don’t Move To Canada!”

Can liberals outdo conservatives in contacting Congress? I sense that we progressives are not nearly as conditioned to call their representatives as conservatives are.

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Email AND call these 21 US Senators (19 Dems, 1 Pub, 1 Indep) who are UNDECIDED about supporting a public option for healthcare.

Tell them the American people need them to join the 39 US Senators (38 Dems, 1 Indep.) who support a public option, in order to reach a total of 51 US Senators!

US Capitol switchboard: (202) 224-3121. A switchboard operator will connect you directly with the Senate office you request.

Baucus/http://baucus.senate.gov/contact/emailForm.cfm?subj=issue
Bayh/http://bayh.senate.gov/contact/email/
Begich/http://begich.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=EmailSenator
Bennet/http://bennet.senate.gov/contact/
Byrd/http://byrd.senate.gov/contacts/
Cantwell/http://cantwell.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm
Carper/http://carper.senate.gov/contact/
Conrad/https://conrad.senate.gov/contact/webform.cfm
Dorgan/http://dorgan.senate.gov/contact/contact_form.cfm
Feinstein/http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactUs.EmailMe
Lieberman/http://lieberman.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm?regarding=issue
Lincoln/http://lincoln.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm
Bill Nelson/http://billnelson.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm
Benjamin Nelson/http://bennelson.senate.gov/email-issues.cfm
Pryor/http://pryor.senate.gov/contact/
Reid/http://reid.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm
Snowe/http://snowe.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactSenatorSnowe.Email
Tester/http://tester.senate.gov/Contact/index.cfm
Udall/http://markudall.senate.gov/contact/contact.cfm
Warner/http://warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Contact
Wyden/http://wyden.senate.gov/contact/

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In a “how-to guide” publicized in a mass e-mail on Thursday, the group cheered that “We’ve got cuffs and we aren’t afraid to use them!”

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Here is how your reps/sens. are voting on the public option.

http://standwithdrdean.com/where_congress_stands?chamber=&party=&state=&hc_status=&commit=Filter

Contact info, included.

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On July 30th in Washington, DC, Celebrate Medicares 44th Birthday and show Congress and President Obama that we support a national, single-payer healthcare system and demand the passage of HR 676.

Spread the word. Download the flyer!

Dear Yvonne:

Mark your calendar for July 30th!

Join unions, doctors, nurses, seniors, faith groups, and Americans of every stripe on July 30th in Washington, DC to Celebrate Medicares 44th Birthday and show Congress and President Obama that we support a national, single-payer healthcare system and demand the passage of HR 676.

As President Obama says, "We must build on what works and leave out what doesnt."

Medicare has successfully provided care to seniors and people with disabilities for almost half a century. Medicare is a truly American-made system that other health care systems around the world have since been modeled after. With little over 3% administrative overhead, we must look to this American solution to our health care crisis.

The best way to save this system is to expand it, improve it, and make it a truly single-payer system by removing the for-profit interests.

So, the Leadership Conference for Guaranteed Health Care is launching a rally and lobby day on Thursday, July 30th in Washington DC with concurrent actions around the country to bring this message to Washington DC and the Congress.

The Rally and Lobby Day in DC is currently being planned and logistics will be announced soon.

But you can start helping now by cosponsoring the event. Go to our Rally Page and fill our our cosponsorship form. Also, spread the word - download our flyer!

Thanks for all that you do,
Healthcare-NOW! National Staff

Healthcare-NOW! survives on the generosity of our supporters. Please consider making a donation to support our efforts to pass HR 676 using our secure server.

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REMEMBER, when you make the calls today, TELL your Senators and Representatives that you are OPPOSED to the Conrad co-op proposal, and that you NEED a strong, robust Medicare-like public option in health care reform with NO TRIGGERS or CONDITIONS!

And moderate Democrats, the New Democrats Coalition, and the Blue Dogs, have joined together to oppose a strong, robust Medicare-like public option, and to support a 7-year trigger for the public option only if it's included in health care reform.

CALL these three House chairmen with these talking points below, and add that YOU DO NOT want them to listen to these turncoat Blue Dog Democrats and New Democrats Coalition. Tell them you want them to stand firm FOR a strong, robust Medicare-like public option!

Ways and Means Committee Chair Charlie Rangel (202) 225-3625)

Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Henry Waxman (202) 225-2927)

Education and Labor Committee Chair George Miller (202) 225-3725)

Here's the talking points that you can and should use when calling in favor of a strong, robust Medicare-like public option, and remember, the "trigger" may happen if we don't let up in our opposition to it in our phone calls:

Tell [Name] that you DO NOT want the 7-year trigger for the public option and take it off the table, and that you want him to support an affordable strong, robust Medicare-like public option. We NEED a strong, robust Medicare-like public option NOW OPEN TO ALL AMERICANS AND AFFORDABLE, not more of the SAME broken system that's given us unaffordable premiums, little private insurance coverage, and rising co-pays. Also, DON'T TAX OUR EMPLOYER HEALTH BENEFITS. Instead, follow the proposal by President Obama to tax the wealthy above $250,000, eliminate the overpayments in Medicare Advantage, and put tax capital gains to help fund health care reform.

continued below

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CALL the White House at: 202-456-1111 and E-MAIL them as well!

Please CALL Senator Max Baucus at (202) 224-2651

Please CALL Senator Olympia Snowe at (202) 224-5344

Please CALL Senator Charles Schumer at 202-224-6542

Please CALL Senator Edward Kennedy at (202) 224-4543

Please CALL Senator John Rockefeller at (202) 224-6472

Please CALL Senator Ron Wyden at (202) 224-5244

Please CALL Senator Kent Conrad at (202) 224-2043

Please CALL Senator Jeff Bingaman at (202) 224-5521

Please CALL Senator John Kerry at (202) 224-2742

Please CALL Senator Blanche Lincoln at 202-224-4843

Please CALL Senator Debbie Stabenow at (202) 224-4822

Please CALL Senator Maria Cantwell at 202-224-3441

Please CALL Senator Bill Nelson at 202-224-5274

Please CALL Senator Robert Menendez at 202-224-4744

Please CALL Senator Thomas Carper at (202) 224-2441

It's really important that we CALL these Senators on the Senate Finance Committee because some of them are still SERIOUSLY considering the 7-year trigger for the public option in case private insurance fails and are NOW thinking that the Conrad co-op proposal may be a good thing to get Republican votes.  Well, here's a frickin' news alert--the Republicans aren't in power anymore. You guys are in power now! Act like it!

We have to get them to stop considering the public option as a "fall-back trigger" seven years from now AND the Conrad co-op proposal, because we NEED a Medicare-like public option NOW that is affordable and OPEN TO ALL Americans.

ALSO, CALL ALL OF THESE BLUE DOGS AND TELL THEM TO STOP HOLDING UP PROGRESS AND TO SUPPORT A STRONG, ROBUST MEDICARE-LIKE PUBLIC OPTION WITH NO TRIGGERS OR CONDITIONS!

Use this congressional hotline to do so: Capitol Hill 800-828-0498

Blue Dog Leadership Team

Rep. Baron Hill (IN-09), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Policy
Rep. Charlie Melancon (LA-03), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Communications
Rep. Heath Shuler (NC-11), Blue Dog Whip

Blue Dog Members

Barrow, John (GA-12)
Boren, Dan (OK-02)
Boyd, Allen (FL-02)
Bright, Bobby (AL-02)
Cardoza, Dennis (CA-18)
Childers, Travis (MS-01)
Costa, Jim (CA-20)
Cuellar, Henry (TX-28)
Davis, Lincoln (TN-04)
Donnelly, Joe (IN-02)
Ellsworth, Brad (IN-08)
Giffords, Gabrielle (AZ-08)
Gordon, Bart (TN-06)
Griffith, Parker (AL-05)
Hill, Baron (IN-09)
McIntyre, Mike (NC-07)
Marshall, Jim (GA-03)
Matheson, Jim (UT-02)
Melancon, Charlie (LA-03)
Michaud, Mike (ME-02)
Minnick, Walt (ID-01)
Mitchell, Harry (AZ-05)
Moore, Dennis (KS-03)
Nye, Glenn (VA-02)
Peterson, Collin (MN-07)
Pomeroy, Earl (ND)
Salazar, John (CO-03)
Scott, David (GA-13)
Shuler, Heath (NC-11)
Space, Zack (OH-18)
Tanner, John (TN-08)
Taylor, Gene (MS-04)

Make them regret they ever tried to hold up progress on a strong, Medicare-like public option in health care reform.

If you want a strong, robust Medicare-like public option, then the time to fight is here and NOW! Let's not stop on making these calls!

A strong, robust Medicare-like public option is the line in the sand for me. Is it the line in the sand for you as well?

Please REC this diary up so others can see the phone numbers and make the calls today!

Cross-posted to my blog at The Line In The Sand.

Tags: public option, health care reform, 2009, health care, Recommended (all tags) :: Previous Tag Versions

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Join the March on Washington

Join us in a 'CyberMarch' on Washington on May 30, 2009. We want Medicare for All -- health care for every American!  Sign Up today and choose your avatar who will go to Washington for you on May 30.  Your avatar will join others to demand that insurance companies be removed from health care.

The Virtual March on Washington is an important and fun way to show your support for universal single payer health care.

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ACLU Petition for CIA Torture Special Prosecutor

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Join the Million Member Mobilization Campaign and watch the signatures of American workers, standing up for themselves, multiply ...

http://www.freechoiceact.org/page/s/aflcio?source=widget

E.F.C.A. Now!

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Tell Max Baucus he must put single-payer reform on the table: http://www.change.org/ideas/294/
...eative_figuring

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The big banks and credit card companies are at again! Despite billions in taxpayer bailouts, they're hiking interest rates and raising fees on our credit cards, often for no reason whatsoever. In this collapsing economy, we don't need the big financial institutions looking to our credit cards for ways out of their financial mess.

Members of Congress just reintroduced bills to rein in these abuses, and we need them to pass now! The Federal Reserve agreed credit card reforms are needed, but then gave the companies 18 months before they have to comply. When our rates go up, we're lucky if we get 24 hours notice, not 18 months!! So until the middle of 2010, card companies can increase our rates and fees and continue to squeeze us to make up for their losses on Wall Street.

Please join me in sending an email to your elected officials urging them to pass credit card reforms and implement them now  not in 2010. It is time to prohibit credit card companies from arbitrarily hiking interest rates on our card balances, and stop 'bait and switch' clauses that let them change interest rates and fees for any (or no) reason whatsoever.

The more people who send a quick message to their Senators and Representative, the better chance we have at putting Main Street, not just Wall Street, first in the economic recovery.

Take action at: http://creditcardreform.org/

Thank you!

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Tell your healthcare and insurance horror stories at Guaranteed Healthcare

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Personally, I want DC to have two Senators, too, but in the meantime, the League of Women Voters is saying today is the day to call your Senators and tell them to vote for representation for DC - support S. 160, the DC House Voting Rights Act of 2009. (This is for cloture, so there can be a full vote on the bill.)

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Discussion continues from

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