The Daily Change

Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT)

As we wrote recently, many of the most fervent advocates for the Bowles-Simpson plan to cut Social Security and Medicare benefits while lowering corporate taxes lost their races.

There has been some debate about the case of Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), who had spoken favorably of the Bowles-Simpson plan in the past. But while Tester did offer some positive remarks about the plan, it’s important to remember that he explicitly rejected the plan’s call for cuts to Social Security — which are widely seen as the plan’s centerpiece. Here’s an article from the Missoulian from October 21st showing this:

While Tester has said the Simpson-Bowles plan is a good starting point on how to reduce the federal deficit, he never supported its Social Security proposals, campaign spokesman Aaron Murphy said last week.

ai???Cutting the debt and deficit will be about priorities, and Jon believes cutting the safety net from seniors is not what we should be discussing,ai??? Murphy said.

Additionally, his campaign website specifically called for the need to “expand” benefits in the Social Security and Medicare programs — which goes well beyond the normal “protecting” nomenclature:Ai??

In fact, during an August town hall meeting, Tester said he “doesn’t support cuts to Social Security and Medicare,” a fact he prominently displayed on his Senate website.

Perhaps this is why Tester did not receive the direct backing of Alan Simpson or Erskine Bowles.

Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-TX)

Unemployment in the United States remains high, with the jobless rate hovering at around 7.9 percent.

In an interview with a local radio host this morning, Republican congressman Randy Neugebauer (TX) had his own theory for why Americans are unable to find work — he suggested that we give them too much in government benefits so they are too lazy to simply take jobs:

NEUGEBAUER: Well unfortunately Tom we’ve gotten to the point in this country where we’ve incentivized people not to work instead of incentivized them to work. With unemployment benefits going for as long as 99 weeks, we’ve seen food stamps in this country increase 40 percent in the last 40 years, so basically unfortunately, there’s not a lot of incentive for a lot of people to work.

Listen to the congressman’s full explanation here (the relevant section starts at around 4:50).

Let’s get something clear. The average unemployment benefits in the third quarter of 2010 was $295 weekly — about a third of the average weekly salary at that point of $865.

Neugebauer is basically suggesting that Americans are too lazy to seek work because they are living too comfortably on $295 a week.

Let’s also keep in mind that there are about four jobless Americans for every job opening, the main problem in the economy is a lack of demand that would create good-paying jobs. We need government investment in the economy to stir that job creation. We don’t need ill-informed Members of Congress running down the unemployed.

When Change.org was founded in 2007, it was engineered to be a platform for the voiceless to quickly organize for a cause and win battles for progressive change. Indeed, the organization has helped people stop foreclosures of their homes, and has been involved in much positive change.

But it fell under controversy recently when it was revealed that it would start allowing corporate, Republican, and other organizations and causes to use its list-building tools. It is a for-profit corporation and these sources would allow it to expand its revenue stream.

The so-called ai???Campaign To Fix The Debtai??? is using Change.org tools to get members and build its e-mail list. Recall that the Campaign To Fix The Debt is a groupAi??run by corporate CEOs and bankers that is trying to cut Social Security and lower corporate tax rates.

The group is running a petition on Change’s site calling on Congress to endorse the Bowles-Simpson plan to cut Social Security and corporate taxes. In the three months the petition has been up, it has gained 255,846 supporters.

If you go to the Campaign To Fix The Debt’s website, you’ll see that it brags of having over 300,000 signatories to its petition:

Put two and two together and you’ll see that it appears that almost the entire membership list of the Campaign To Fix The Debt comes from Change.org’s petition tool.

Progressive organizations and grassroots activists who have been utilizing Change.org should be wary about the organization’s tentative alliance with this CEO-led group that is trying to cut Social Security while lowering the corporate tax rate.

We won’t compromise our values. Sign up to join our e-mail list using the tool below this post or …

Photo credit: U.S. Census Bureau

On Veterans Day, we should remember the sacrifices that Americans veterans have made, and what we owe them as a society.

Last April, the Los Angeles Times reported that the ai???unemployment rate for veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq is 10.3%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For veterans age 24 and under, the rate is 29.1%, or 12 points higher than for civilians the same age. That compares with 8.2% unemployment nationally, and 7.5% for all veterans.ai???

One of Washingtonai??i??s most powerful corporate lobbying groups, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, says that it is stepping up to help these unemployed veterans. ItAi?? launched a ai???Hiring Our Heroesai??? program to work with its corporate members to hire these jobless vets.

But at the very same time the Chamber is calling on its members to hire veterans who badly need jobs, the organization is using its lobbying clout to side with powerful corporate interests whose practices are ruining the lives of veterans, active duty troops, and their families by burying them in debt from shoddy education programs.

The for-profit college industry ai??i?? which includes big corporations like Ai??University of Phoenix, DeVry, ITT, EDMC, Corinthian, and the Washington Postai??i??s Kaplan University ai??i?? has become notorious in recent months for ripping off veterans, with deceptive recruitment practices, l0w-quality instruction, sky-high prices, high dropout rates, and poor job placement. And the taxpayers have been on the hook for this rip-off, as ai???for-profit colleges received more than half of the $563-million in Department of Defense tuition assistance paid to active-duty service members in the 2011 fiscal year.ai??? Many of the big for-profit college companies get more than 90 percent of their revenue from federal tax dollars.

The Obama administration has moved to try to curb …

Over the next couple months, Congress will deliberate in budget negotiations related to budget sequestration and the expiration of the Bush tax cuts.

There is a growing group of corporate CEO’s and right-wing politicians who are demanding that discussions over these issues include cuts to Medicare and Social Security — programs that are not responsible for the sequestration and tax cut issues.

Appearing on the Ed Show last night, re-elected independent Senator Bernie Sanders (VT) explained why Social Security should not be a part of these negotiations:

SANDERS: We are in the midst of a horrendous Wall Street-caused recession. We are not going to cut Social Security, which by the way as Harry Reid just reminded us, has nothing to with the recession. We’re not going to cut Medicare, we’re not going to cut Medicaid.

Watch it:

Indeed, Social Security is a self-funded program Ai??that isAi??currently projected to beAi??fully solventAi??until the year 2037. After that, it is expected to be able to pay out 75 percent of benefits until 2084, which basically equals full benefits, once inflation isAi??accounted for. There is no threat of the program running out of money any time soon.Ai??Ai??We could make it solvent far into the future if weAi??simply raised the payroll tax capAi??ai??i?? meaning that income above $106,000 would be taxed just like income below that amount is. It does not add to the deficit nor take funds from the general treasury.

Photo credit: Flickr user Maria GB2D

For those who think the Occupy movement has gone away, here’s exciting news from a tumblr of an Occupy activist:

Now OWS is launching theAi??ROLLING JUBILEE, a program that has been in development for months. OWS is going to start buying distressed debt (medical bills, student loans, etc.) in order to forgive it.Ai??As a test run, we spent $500, which bought $14,000 of distressed debt. We then ERASED THAT DEBT.Ai??(If youai??i??re a debt broker, once you own someoneai??i??s debt you can do whatever you want with it ai??i?? traditionally, you hound debtors to their grave trying to collect. Weai??i??re playing a different game. A MORE AWESOME GAME.)

This is a simple, powerful way to help folks in need ai??i??Ai??to free them from heavy debt loads so they can focus on being productive, happy and healthy.Ai??As you can see from our test run, the return on investment approachesAi??30:1. Thatai??i??s a crazy bargain!

Now, after many consultations with attorneys, the IRS, and our moles in the debt-brokerage world,Ai??we are ready to take the Rolling Jubilee program LIVE and NATIONWIDE, buying debt in communities that have been struggling during the recession.

The “Rolling Jubilee” program starts on November 15th. Occupy activists have set up a website for it here.

Today, the New York Times’s Paul Krugman has some sound advice for President Obama and congressional Democrats. If, during negotiations over preventing the upcoming budget sequester, Republicans put them in a position where they must agree to large cuts to public investment and social insurance programs like Medicare and Social Security, they should just say no:

Mr. Obama should hang tough, declaring himself willing, if necessary, to hold his ground even at the cost of letting his opponents inflict damage on a still-shaky economy. And this is definitely no time to negotiate a ai???grand bargainai??? on the budget that snatches defeat from the jaws of victory. […]

Itai??i??s worth pointing out that the fiscal cliff isnai??i??t really a cliff. Itai??i??s not like the debt-ceiling confrontation, where terrible things might well have happened right away if the deadline had been missed. This time, nothing very bad will happen to the economy if agreement isnai??i??t reached until a few weeks or even a few months into 2013. So thereai??i??s time to bargain. […]

Most of all, standing up to hostage-taking is the right thing to do for the health of Americaai??i??s political system.

So stand your ground, Mr. President, and donai??i??t give in to threats. No deal is better than a bad deal.

We here at the PCCC will keep you updated on all the upcoming budget negotiations. If you want to stay involved in the fight to protect Social Security, Medicare, and public investment in our economy, sign up to our email list at the top.

Black Friday — the discount shopping day after Thanksgiving — is the busiest shopping day of the year. Last year, Americans spent a record $52.4 billion on that day.

On a conference call today, we heard from Wal-Mart workers and labor leaders — who’ve already been involved in aAi??series of historic informal strikes — Ai??that plan to use this day to send a message to America’s top private employer, Wal-Mart.

Across the country, networks of workers are coming together and planning to walk out on Black Friday, disrupting the company’s operations.

“A few months ago I lost my house, [the] co-manager said couldn’t I just go live in a homeless shelter?” recountedAi??Cory Parker, a man who has worked at Wal-Mart for nine months and who has recently gotten involved in Wal-Mart actions, on the call. “After that it made me want to fight for people who are going through that.”

The Corporate Action Network has set up a page for Americans to “adopt a Wal-Mart” to show up and support workers who will be walking out on Black Friday.

Recall that it would only cost Wal-Mart $12 per shopper every year to pay all of its workers a living wage. Federal Reserve documents revealed by Matthew Stoller indicate that Wal-Mart did indeed slighlty raise wages in 2006 in response to protests.

These walk-outs and protests are potentially game-changing. We here at the Progressive Change CampaignAi??CommitteeAi??will keep you informed on these Wal-Mart actions. If you’re not already on our mailing list, sign up at the top to get updates.

Thanks to our efforts, Elizabeth Warren and 31 other state and federal candidates were elected on Tuesday.

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee made a major impact in the 2012 elections. Below is a list of over 30 candidates for state and federal office who won thanks to the efforts of our 950,000 members:

Federal

Elizabeth Warren (MA-SEN) — Dem pickup!Ai??54% to 46%. PCCC members made 574,570 calls. $1,159,410 raised directly for Warren through 69,598 donations. And over a year of grassroots Warren organizing.
Sherrod Brown (OH-SEN):Ai??50% to 45%. PCCC members made 79,265 calls. $36,086 raised from 3,686 donations.
Tammy Baldwin (WI-SEN):Ai??51% to 46%. PCCC members made 92,030 calls. $55,200 raised from 4,585 donations.

Chris Murphy (CT-SEN):Ai??55% to 43%. PCCC members made 41,466 calls. 451 donations.

Mazie Hirono (HI-SEN):Ai??63% to 37%. PCCC members made 41,604 calls. 1,129 donations.

Sheldon Whitehouse (RI-SEN):Ai??65% to 35%. PCCC members made 10,764 calls. $10,113 raised from 1,102 donations.

Bernie Sanders (VT-SEN):Ai??71% to 25%. $53,056.61 raised from 4,199 donations.

Alan Grayson (FL-09) — Dem pickup!Ai??62% to 38%. PCCC members made 216,577 calls. $56,684 raised from 5,429 donations.

Annie Kuster (NH-02) — Dem pickup!Ai??50% to 45%. PCCC members made 119,095 calls. $88,456 raised through 10,726 donations.

Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01) — Dem pickup!Ai??50% to 46%. PCCC members made 133,355 calls. $15,721 raised from 2,302 donations.

Rick Nolan (MN-08) — Dem pickup!Ai??54% to 46%. PCCC members made 66,907 calls. $13,912 raised from 1,974 donations.

Mark Takano (CA-41) — Dem pickup!Ai??56% to 44%. PCCC members made 54,632 calls. $11,528 raised from 1,793 donations.

Lois Frankel (FL-22) — Dem pickup!Ai??55% to 45%. PCCC members made 230,522 calls. $13,217 raised from 2,987 donations.

Raul Ruiz (CA-36) — Dem pickup!Ai??51% to 49%. PCCC members made 5,626 calls.

Alan Lowenthal (CA-47) — Dem pickup!Ai??55% to 45%. PCCC members made 15,271 calls.

Mark Pocan (WI-02):Ai??68% to 32%. PCCC members made 34,090 calls. …

Join PCCC’s Take Back Democracy campaign.

Sheldon Adelson was the single largest private donor of election 2012. Incensed by his opposition to labor unions, his support for a far-right middle east policy, and an investigation into corruption in his casinos by the Department of Justice, he gaveAi??tens of millions of dollarsAi??to Super PACs like Mitt Romney’s Restore Our Future.

But sometimes, even billionaires can’t buy American democracy. The New York Times reports that all eight of the candidates backed by Adelson were defeated at the polls. These candidates include Shmuley Boteach, who made a long-shot run for Congress in New Jersey, Florida’s Allen West, and, of course, Mitt Romney.

What the various analyses of Adelson’s losses does not take into account, however, is the fact that the Democrats who defeated his candidates had to amass millions of dollars of their own in order to be competitive. That meant taking time away from governing and meeting with their constituents. It also meant possibly having to appease certain special interests who only will fund-raise for candidates in exchange for special favors — such as the pharmaceutical industry with President Obama, after he gave it carve-outs in the Affordable Care Act.

The American system of campaign financing is badly in need of an overhaul. Click here to join our Take Back Democracy campaign and help us reform it.

Alan Simpson, author of a plan to cut Social Security

It’s conventional wisdom among elites in Washington and Wall Street that Social Security must be cut. The American people don’t agree.

That’s why a long string of lawmakers who supported the Bowles-Simpson plan — which would slash Social Security and Medicare benefits while lowering corporate taxes — went down in flames last night.

In fact, almost every candidate who was personally endorsed by the authors of the plan was defeated:

Charlie Bass: Bass was a strong supporter of the Bowles-Simpson plan, and the plan’s authors even personally endorsed him. He was defeated last night by bold progressive Annie Kuster.
Bob Kerrey: Kerrey, a Democrat, endorsed the Bowles-Simpson plan and got their endorsement in return. But promising to cut Social Security did not mobilize voters on his behalf, and he lost to his Republican opponent.
Brendan Doherty: Rhode Island Republican Brian Doherty — who proudly touted his support for the Bowles-Simpson plan and his endorsement by the plans’ authors — lost to David Cicilline.

The election results of last night should serve as a warning to both Democrats and Republicans alike: Americans treasure their social insurance programs such as Medicare and Social Security, and they do not want any candidate promising to cut them.

Wisconsin’s Tammy Baldwin, long a voice for economic justice, peace, and equality for all, has just been elected the first openly-lesbian U.S. Senator in American history.

Our members made 92,000 calls for Baldwin. We also raised more than $55,000 for her campaign. Through our blogging and press outreach, we revealed how her opponent Tommy Thompson went to bat for the corporate clients at the lobbying firm he worked at.

PCCC co-founder Stephanie Taylor has the following statement on Baldwin’s election:

Ai??Tammy Baldwin’s win is a huge grassroots victory for anyone who cares about Medicare and Social Security. Tommy Thompson said that he would “do away” with Medicare and Social Security, but voters chose to “do away” with Tommy Thompson instead. We are proud that our members chipped in over $55,000 to Tammy Baldwin’s campaign, and made over 92,000 calls to voters in Wisconsin.

Want to continue to elect bold progressives like Tammy Baldwin and then fight for a more progressive America? Sign up with your e-mail address at the top to stand with over 950,000 other progressives who are members of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee.

We also hope you’ll bookmark www.thedailychange.org, our blog that you are reading right now. We’ll keep you updated on the fight for economic justice and a more progressive America.

LIVE RESULTS UPDATE: SIXTEEN PCCC CANDIDATES WINNING AND COUNTINGai??i??

Peter Shumlin (VT-GOV) re-elected. (26,000 PCCC calls)

Chris Murphy (CT-SEN) elected. (41,000 PCCC calls)

Bernie Sanders (VT-SEN) re-elected. ($53,000 raised)

Sheldon Whitehouse (RI-SEN) re-elected. (10,000 PCCC calls, over 1,000 grassroots donations)

Alan Grayson (FL-HOUSE) elected. (216,577 PCCC calls,Ai??$56,684 raised)

Lois Frankel (FL-HOUSE) elected. (230,522 PCCC calls, nearly 3,000 contributions)

Elizabeth Warren (MA-SEN) elected. (570,000 PCCC calls, $1.1 million raised)

Tammy Baldwin (WI-SEN) elected. (92,000 PCCC calls, $55,000 raised)

Sherrod Brown (OH-SEN) elected. (79,000 PCCC calls, $36,000 raised)

Mark Pocan (WI-HOUSE) elected. (34,090 PCCC …

The national news media has just called the Massachusetts Senate race for Elizabeth Warren.

Progressive Change Campaign Committee Ai??(PCCC) members made over 570,000 calls for Warren and raised over $1.1 million for her campaign.

PCCC co-founder Stephanie Taylor has the following statement on Warren’s election:

“Progressives just won our marquee race of 2012 and elected a leader who will shake up the corridors of power from Washington to Wall Street.Ai??We are proud to have made nearly 600,000 calls and raised well over $1,000,000 in small-dollar donations for Warren’s campaign.Ai??The election of Elizabeth Warren is a historic moment and an investment in a progressive future whereAi??working families have a fighting chance.”

We’ll be updating our members all night with breaking news via text message. Click here to sign up for these news alerts.

LIVE RESULTS UPDATE: SIXTEEN PCCC CANDIDATES WINNING AND COUNTINGai??i??

Peter Shumlin (VT-GOV) re-elected. (26,000 PCCC calls)

Chris Murphy (CT-SEN) elected. (41,000 PCCC calls)

Bernie Sanders (VT-SEN) re-elected. ($53,000 raised)

Sheldon Whitehouse (RI-SEN) re-elected. (10,000 PCCC calls, over 1,000 grassroots donations)

Alan Grayson (FL-HOUSE) elected. (216,577 PCCC calls,Ai??$56,684 raised)

Lois Frankel (FL-HOUSE) elected. (230,522 PCCC calls, nearly 3,000 contributions)

Elizabeth Warren (MA-SEN) elected. (570,000 PCCC calls, $1.1 million raised)

Tammy Baldwin (WI-SEN) elected. (92,000 PCCC calls, $55,000 raised)

Sherrod Brown (OH-SEN) elected. (79,000 PCCC calls, $36,000 raised)

Mark Pocan (WI-HOUSE) elected. (34,090 PCCC calls)

Keith Ellison (MN-HOUSE) elected. (17,504 PCCC calls)

David Cicilline (RI-HOUSE) elected. (10,764 PCCC calls)

Beth Pearce (VT-TREASURER) elected. (26,000 PCCC calls)

Annie Kuster (NH-HOUSE) elected. (119,095 PCCC calls)

Raul Ruiz (CA-HOUSE) elected. (5,626 PCCC calls)

Carol Shea-Porter (NH-HOUSE) elected. (133,355 PCCC calls)

Alan Grayson: coming to a U.S. Capitol near you

The media is now calling the race for Florida’s 22nd Congressional district for Alan Grayson.

Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC) members made 216,577 calls for Grayson. Additionally, we raised $56,684 for his campaign.

PCCC co-founder Stephanie Taylor has the following statement for Grayson’s win:

We can’t wait to have Alan Grayson’s strong, authentic voice back in Congress on behalf of working families. We are proud that our members chipped in over $56,000 to his campaign, and made over 216,000 calls to voters in his district.

We’re excited to have Grayson back in Congress. Chime in in the comments section about what you’d love to see Grayson do now that he’s back on Capitol Hill.

We’ll be updating our members all night with breaking news via text message. Click here to sign up for these news alerts.

LIVE RESULTS UPDATE: SIXTEEN PCCC CANDIDATES WINNING AND COUNTINGai??i??

Peter Shumlin (VT-GOV) re-elected. (26,000 PCCC calls)

Chris Murphy (CT-SEN) elected. (41,000 PCCC calls)

Bernie Sanders (VT-SEN) re-elected. ($53,000 raised)

Sheldon Whitehouse (RI-SEN) re-elected. (10,000 PCCC calls, over 1,000 grassroots donations)

Alan Grayson (FL-HOUSE) elected. (216,577 PCCC calls,Ai??$56,684 raised)

Lois Frankel (FL-HOUSE) elected. (230,522 PCCC calls, nearly 3,000 contributions)

Elizabeth Warren (MA-SEN) elected. (570,000 PCCC calls, $1.1 million raised)

Tammy Baldwin (WI-SEN) elected. (92,000 PCCC calls, $55,000 raised)

Sherrod Brown (OH-SEN) elected. (79,000 PCCC calls, $36,000 raised)

Mark Pocan (WI-HOUSE) elected. (34,090 PCCC calls)

Keith Ellison (MN-HOUSE) elected. (17,504 PCCC calls)

David Cicilline (RI-HOUSE) elected. (10,764 PCCC calls)

Beth Pearce (VT-TREASURER) elected. (26,000 PCCC calls)

Annie Kuster (NH-HOUSE) elected. (119,095 PCCC calls)

Raul Ruiz (CA-HOUSE) elected. (5,626 PCCC calls)

Carol Shea-Porter (NH-HOUSE) elected. (133,355 PCCC calls)

The national news media has called the Connecticut Senate race for Chris Murphy.

Remember that Murphy faced off with right-wing wrestling tycoon Linda McMahon, who outspent him 5-to-1. She actually spent $28 million of her own money on the race, which means that she personally spent three times more than Murphy’s campaign spent altogether.

But recall Progressive Change Campaign Committee members sprung into action to support Murphy. We made 41,466 calls to Connecticut voters on his behalf, and helped beat back the negative television advertising being funded by McMahon’s millions.

PCCC co-founder Stephanie Taylor has the following statement on Murphy’s win:

Chris Murphy’s victory is a tremendous example of grassroots power over big corporate money. Linda McMahon spent $100 million dollars over the last 2 elections, trying to buy a Senate seat. We are proud that our grassroots army of volunteers made over 41,000 phone calls on his behalf, because we know he’ll be a great progressive voice in the Senate.

We’ll be updating our members all night with breaking news via text message. Click here to sign up for these news alerts.

LIVE RESULTS UPDATE: TWELVE PCCC CANDIDATES WINNING AND COUNTINGai??i??

Peter Shumlin (VT-GOV) re-elected. (26,000 PCCC calls)

Chris Murphy (CT-SEN) elected. (41,000 PCCC calls)

Bernie Sanders (VT-SEN) re-elected. ($53,000 raised)

Sheldon Whitehouse (RI-SEN) re-elected. (10,000 PCCC calls, over 1,000 grassroots donations)

Alan Grayson (FL-HOUSE) elected. (216,577 PCCC calls,Ai??$56,684 raised)

Lois Frankel (FL-HOUSE) elected. (230,522 PCCC calls, nearly 3,000 contributions)

Elizabeth Warren (MA-SEN) elected. (570,000 PCCC calls, $1.1 million raised)

Tammy Baldwin (WI-SEN) elected. (92,000 PCCC calls, $55,000 raised)

Sherrod Brown (OH-SEN) elected. (79,000 PCCC calls, $36,000 raised)

Mark Pocan (WI-HOUSE) elected. (34,090 PCCC calls)

Keith Ellison (MN-HOUSE) elected. (17,504 PCCC calls)

David Cicilline (RI-HOUSE) elected. (10,764 PCCC calls)

Last year, Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin (D) made history by signing into law legislation that would enact a single-payer health care system.

Tonight, Shumlin was re-elected by Vermont’s voters. Progressive Change Campaign Committee co-founder Stephanie Taylor has released the following statement following Shumlin’s win:

“GovernorAi??Shumlin’s victory is a major mandate for single payer health care. We are proud to have made over 26,000 calls to Vermont votersAi??inAi??the final week through our grassroots army of volunteers. We will continue mobilizing behind GovernorAi??ShumlinAi??to make sure every Vermonter has access to affordable health care.”

We look forward to continuing to work with Shumlin to enact Vermont’s single payer health care system.

We’ll be updating our members all night with breaking news via text message. Click here to sign up for these news alerts.

LIVE RESULTS UPDATE: TWELVE PCCC CANDIDATES WINNING AND COUNTINGai??i??

Peter Shumlin (VT-GOV) re-elected. (26,000 PCCC calls)

Chris Murphy (CT-SEN) elected. (41,000 PCCC calls)

Bernie Sanders (VT-SEN) re-elected. ($53,000 raised)

Sheldon Whitehouse (RI-SEN) re-elected. (10,000 PCCC calls, over 1,000 grassroots donations)

Alan Grayson (FL-HOUSE) elected. (216,577 PCCC calls,Ai??$56,684 raised)

Lois Frankel (FL-HOUSE) elected. (230,522 PCCC calls, nearly 3,000 contributions)

Elizabeth Warren (MA-SEN) elected. (570,000 PCCC calls, $1.1 million raised)

Tammy Baldwin (WI-SEN) elected. (92,000 PCCC calls, $55,000 raised)

Sherrod Brown (OH-SEN) elected. (79,000 PCCC calls, $36,000 raised)

Mark Pocan (WI-HOUSE) elected. (34,090 PCCC calls)

Keith Ellison (MN-HOUSE) elected. (17,504 PCCC calls)

David Cicilline (RI-HOUSE) elected. (10,764 PCCC calls)

Your vote counts, but what if you’re not allowed to cast it?

Here’s another case of apparent voter suppression, this time reported by well-known Virginia blogger and activist Not Larry Sabato.

Apparently a Fairfax, Virginia is removing voters from the roll because they didn’t “show up for jury duty.” One voter, Crawford, explained that he had has his duty waived:

Earlier today, I had a chance to speak with Charles Crawford. Ai??Mr. Crawford is a resident of Great Falls, Virginia. Ai??He has been registered at his current precinct for over 20 years.

But when Mr. Crawford showed up to vote today, he was denied his ballot.

Mr. Crawford tells me he then went home, calling the state board of elections who told him they didn’t know why he wasn’t on the voter rolls. Ai??He then called the Fairfax County Board of Elections and found the problem.

Apparently Fairfax County Clerk John T. Frey, a Republican, had sent in to the electoral board “2,000 names” of people who had “not shown up for jury duty” to be removed as registered voters.

Mr. Crawford told the electoral board he had not received a letter for jury duty in years, and when he had to opt out some time ago it was because he was a member of the foreign service stationed overseas, and he sent in that information and received a letter back confirming that he had been waived from jury duty.

This act of suppression joins numerous others that have been occurring all over the country.

It’ll take time to get to the bottom of all this, but in the meantime you can sign up to call voters and get to the polls with our Call Out The Vote program.

A younger John Lewis — a Georgia man who was arrested and was beaten fighting for the right to vote.

Fulton County is a Georgia county with a significant African-American population — roughly a third of the county — that tends to be a stronghold for Democrats (it is based around Atlanta).

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that there may indeed be wide-spread voter suppression going on there:

ai???There are lots of reports of folks who registered on time but are not in the system, reports of places that ran out of provisional ballots, reports of not having let people cast provisional ballots,ai??? said [a representative of the Secretary of State]. ai???Keep in mind, the provisional ballot is the ultimate safety net. Itai??i??s not a matter of ai???ifai??i?? you can fill it out.ai??? […] The Atlanta Journal-Constitution also received reports from residents that machines at county polling places were not working.

One woman apparently left in tears after being unable to vote, but did return later in the day to cast her ballot.

We don’t know if this foul play yet or not. But Georgia has a history of voter suppression against African Americans.

If you encounter any voter suppression or election irregularities, please contact us at tips@boldprogressives.org or Tweet at us @boldprogressive.

Weai??i??re making final phone calls to voters to elect bold progressives like Elizabeth Warren. Click here to sign up.

The Massachusetts Democratic Party is reporting on the latest dirty trick:

If you witness any election irregularities or voter suppression, send us a tip about it at tips@boldprogressives.org. Or tweet it at us @boldprogressive.

We don’t yet know who is behind this dirty trick, but we know how to fight back.

Weai??i??re making final phone calls to voters to elect bold progressives like Elizabeth Warren. Click here to sign up.

This mailer is not true, and thousands of Pennsylvanians are getting it anyway.

The state of Pennsylvania — controlled by Republican Governor Tom Corbett — is sending mailers to voters falsely telling themthat they need a photo ID to vote.

There are now reports that local Republican activists are harassing voters at the polls, demanding that they show identification. A local judge has intervened to prohibit the Republicans from harassing these voters:

An Allegheny County judge on Tuesday issued an order to halt electioneering outside a polling location in Homestead. County officials received a complaint shortly before 10 a.m. Tuesday that Republicans outside a polling location on Maple Street in Homestead were stopping people outside the polls and asking for identification. The order states: ai???Individuals outside the polls are prohibited from questioning, obstructing, interrogating or asking about any form of identification and/demanding any form of identification from any prospective voter.ai???

If you witness any election irregularities or voter suppression, send us a tip about it at tips@boldprogressives.org. Or tweet it at us @boldprogressive.

Weai??i??re making final phone calls to voters to elect bold progressives like Elizabeth Warren. Click here to sign up.

We’ve just received word that Pennsylvania voters are getting mailers claiming that they have to have a photo ID to vote today. Here’s a picture of the mailer being given out:

This mailer isn’t accurate at all. On October 2nd, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court stopped the full enforcement of the Voter ID Law for this 2012 election. That means that you do not need an ID to vote.

Pennsylvania’s Governor Tom Corbett (R) is simply misleading voters by allowing this mailer to be given out.

If you witness any election irregularities or voter suppression, send us a tip about it at tips@boldprogressives.org. Or tweet it at us @boldprogressive.

Weai??i??re making final phone calls to voters to elect bold progressives like Elizabeth Warren. Click here to sign up.

Today’s election day, and David Nir from Daily Kos has posted this great graphic that lists poll closing times in each state across the country:

We’re making final phone calls to voters to elect bold progressives like Elizabeth Warren. Click here to sign up.

Who’s paying for these mysterious robo-calls?

Last week, we told you how Massachusetts Democrats are getting phone calls falsely claiming that the election is on Wednesday and how there are anonymous online ads popping up in California claiming that Democrats have to vote on November 7th.

Here’s the latest voter suppression scheme. Minority voters in certain swing states are getting anonymous robo-calls claiming that they can vote over the phone:

Persistent reports of robocalls incorrectly telling voters they can cast ballots over the phone and fears of aggressive challenges by monitors at polling places threaten to mar Election Day in many key states, voting rights advocates said Monday.

The fake phone calls, some of which involve live callers, continued to crop up in Virginia, North Carolina and Florida, primarily among African-American voters, said Barbara Arnwine of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. The group has mounted a counteroffensive of tens of thousands of calls reminding voters they can’t cast ballots over the phone.

If you witness any election irregularities or voter suppression, send us a tip about it at tips@boldprogressives.org. Or tweet it at us @boldprogressive.

Weai??i??re making final phone calls to voters to elect bold progressives like Elizabeth Warren. Click here to sign up.

Tommy Thompson

Bold progressive Tammy Baldwin is on the cusp of history — she may soon be the first openly-gay Senator in American history.

Her opponent Tommy Thompson — who spent the past few years getting rich working at a D.C. lobbying firm — made a crass joke last night on the eve of the election. He joked that a deer one of his campaign cars hit was “named Tammy Baldwin”:

Thompson joked while talking to workers at the La Crosse steel fabricator that he got a deer even before the season opener. Actually it was one of his campaign cars; he said he was riding in the bus behind it when the crash happened early Sunday near Shawano. ai???Nobody was hurt,ai??? he said. ai???It did a lot of damage. I think the deer was named Tammy Baldwin, but Iai??i??m not sure.ai???

Are you voting in Wisconsin today? If you witness any election irregularities or voter suppression, send us a tip about it at tips@boldprogressives.org. Or tweet it at us @boldprogressive.

We’re making final phone calls to voters to elect bold progressives like Elizabeth Warren. Click here to sign up.

Alan Grayson must defeat one far-right radio host before he returns to Congress.

Bold progressive Alan Grayson’s on the verge of returning to Congress. The only thing that stands between him and the House of Representatives is Todd Long, the far-right radio host who is the Republican nominee opposing Grayson.

We here at the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC) checked out Long’s 2010 book, The Conservative Comeback: How To Win The Battle For The Soul Of America. The book serves as a peek into the mind of Long, and it reveals that his ideology is even more extreme than that of a typical House Republican. Here’s some highlights from the book based on Long’s thoughts on various subjects:

He’s avowedly anti-science: Long calls evolution a “false, misleading teaching” and relates an anecdote about a “wise friend” telling him, “If you teach kids they come from monkeys, do not be surprised if they act
like monkeys.ai??? [pages 88-89]
He degrades Social Security as a “Ponzi Scheme”: “It is ironic, to the point of being amusing, that the many Americans who are shaking their heads
today about how so many of their fellow citizens could be so gullible as to be taken in by Madoff are themselves participants in the worldai??i??s largest and longest-running Ponzi schemeai??i??welcome to the US Social Security program.” [pages 134-135]
He wants the federal government to end its involvement in Medicare: “I believe all health care programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, should be funded by each state with local control and oversight.” [page 141]

And as we reminded you last month, Long said that he thinks House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) is far too progressive. He instead proposed that Republicans make Rep. Michele Bachmann (MN) House Speaker.

Now’s your chance to stop Long from …