MoveOn.org

'Mary Kay' politics

bniolet — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:19:26 -0400

Wake Up America thinks there's good politics to be found in Mary Kay, Amway or Tupperware parties.

The organization, which is seeking to be a national conservative answer to MoveOn.org, is offering to pay commissions to volunteers who recruit more volunteers and raise money.

In short, the group is building a multi-level marketing pyramid. The commissions wouldn't likely amount to a whole lot of money, but would be intended to help compensate volunteers for their time and effort.

"We're not offering any pink Cadillacs," said state Sen. Andrew Brock, a Mocksville Republican, a reference to the Mary Kay cosmetics sales prize. "We're wanting to grow and not get rich."

The commission rate has not yet been determined, Brock said.

Police split up Hagan protest

kkiley — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:18:40 -0400

Police separated two groups organizing outside of U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan's office in Raleigh today while they were protesting health care reform.

The protest originally was organized by the national liberal advocacy group MoveOn.org, which held protests at senators' offices across the country today. The protest of about 20 people was pushing for a public option in health care reform. The national group has been watching Hagan specifically.

Another group organized by NC Freedom, a conservative group, showed up to protest against MoveOn and the public option for health care.

The group's plan, according to its Web site, was to block out the health care protest. "We need to have number sufficient to encircle their entire group," the Web site says. After protesting at different ends of the sidewalk, the conservative group, which was larger and had more signs, surrounded the group from MoveOn.

Police said the two groups were blocking the courthouse's door, and moved them to different parts of the sidewalk outside of the courthouse. Officers said it was a judgment call to separate the two groups.

Correction: An earlier version of the post incorrectly said Hagan had not decided whether to support a public option. Hagan supports the public option proposed last week by the Senate health committee. That plan is known as the Community Health Insurance option.

More after the jump

MoveOn watching Hagan's health

kkiley — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:05:28 -0400

MoveOn.org, the liberal advocacy group, is threatening to run ads against North Carolina Sen. Kay Hagan if she does not support President Barack Obama’s health care plan.

Justin Ruben, executive director of MoveOn.org said the group was prepared to “run ads in North Carolina and DC asking that she advocate for the public option and support the president in truly solving the nation’s health care crisis,” Rob Christensen reports

“Given recent comments showing that Senator Hagan is not supporting the public health insurance option, MoveOn.org will be making clear that our 115,000 members in North Carolina -- many of whom volunteered for or donated to her campaign last year -- believe the public option is the heart of true health care reform,” Ruben said in a statement.

Hagan expressed reservations about a federally run insurance program that would harm the private insurance market. She told reporters in Charlotte Friday that she had not taken “a public option off the table.”

MoveOn.org was formed in 1998 to influence the national debate. It was a major opponent of U.S. involvement in Iraq. The group has raised millions of dollars for Democratic candidates.

Radio ad targets McIntyre

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 12:37:29 -0400

MoveOn.org is pushing U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre to support President Obama's budget.

The liberal action group is running radio ads in the Lumberton Democrat's district arguing that the president's budget will "make Wall Street pay its fair share."

The minute-long ad cites the recent kerfluffle over bonuses at insurance firm AIG and says former President Bush's "tax cuts for the wealthy" will give hedge fund managers "millions more in tax loopholes."

"President Obama's new budget will make Wall Street pay its fair share and use the savings to invest in energy, education and health care, to help get our economy moving again," the narrator says. "Wall Street firms oppose it, but given their recent track record, that's a good sign."

The group is targeting conservative and moderate Democrats. Another recent ad by a separate liberal group targeted Rep. Bob Etheridge on the budget.

After the jump, the script.

GOP group airs ad against Hagan

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 08:24:26 -0400

A national Republican group is airing ads on behalf of U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole.

The ad by the National Republican Senatorial Committee attacks Democratic rival Kay Hagan, playing off the Olympics to show Hagan winning gold medals for "financial irresponsibility" among other things.

Hagan spokeswoman Colleen Flanagan said the ad belies Dole's statements that she wants to run a positive campaign and her appeal to Hagan to avoid third-party ads.

"We just felt from the very beginning that this pledge was completely disingenuous," Flanagan said.

Dole spokesman Hogan Gidley said that Hagan's "shady, ultra-liberal friends" have spent $2.3 million on ads attacking Dole to date.

The Demcratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, a 527 group called Majority Action and MoveOn.org are airing ads attacking Dole. The U.S. Chamber is running ads for Dole.

Democratic sources say the NRSC is spending about $300,000 on the ad. (Char-O)

More on that MoveOn ad

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:16:13 -0400

More on that MoveOn.org ad on John McCain and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole from CNN:

The 30-second spot, "Pocket," is MoveOn's first Senate race ad this cycle, according to Communications Director Ilyse Hogue. She added that MoveOn currently has no set plans to use similar versions of the ad in other states, but has not ruled out the possibility, as the nation's energy woes continue to dominate headlines this campaign season.
Dole campaign spokesman Dan McLagan downplayed the potential statewide impact of the MoveOn buy, saying Dole had already been hit with a million dollars in outside spending, "and they are welcome to spend more. That dog ain't gonna hunt down here. These are the same surrender monkeys that called for a peaceful response to the 9/11 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 Americans. Their credibility in North Carolina is pretty low."

MoveOn's 'Pocket' ad on Dole, McCain

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:25:11 -0400

A new ad from the liberal group MoveOn.org attacks U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole and Republican presidential candidate John McCain's ties to oil companies.

Edwards: Iraq, economy tied

ryanteaguebeckwith — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 11:25:22 -0500

John Edwards wants to end the war in Iraq to help the recession.

The former Democratic presidential candidate announced today that he is joining a group of anti-war activists who are trying to spotlight the cost of the war and its effects on the U.S. economy.

Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth, have joined the Iraq/Recession Campaign, along with John Podesta, CEO of the Center for American Progress, Eli Pariser, executive director of MoveOn.org; and Brad Woodhouse, president of Americans United for Change, among others.

In a conference call this morning, Edwards said he met a lot of Americans on the campaign trail who had "angst" over spending on the war.

"People don't understand why we're spending $500 billion and counting in Iraq at the same time that we've got, you know, 40-plus million Americans who don't have any health-care coverage, 37 million living in poverty, people terrified about being able to pay their bills," he said. "It doesn't make sense to them, and they see no end in sight."

Edwards praised Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton for saying the war should be ended. His wife, Elizabeth, said voters who are concerned about the economy should be concerned about Iraq as well.

Edwards on Iraq/Recession