News Release

MAJOR PROGRESSIVE AND LABOR LEADERS DEMAND CONDITIONS FOR DRASTIC FINANCIAL BAILOUT

Toby Chaudhuri — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

WASHINGTON – Major progressive, labor and consumer rights leaders joined forces today to demand important corrections to the Bush administration’s financial rescue proposal despite warnings from the administration’s top economists who got us into this mess.

The groups, representing more than 20 million Americans, sent a letter to members of Congress today urging them to require basic conditions before agreeing to any financial bailout request. The groups also announced that hundreds of events will be held across the country on Thursday to demand conditions on the bailout.

With a groundswell of opposition forming around the Bush administration’s $700 billion bailout request, Campaign for America’s Future co-director Robert Borosage said Congress must not write President Bush a blank check for $700 billion without conditions.

“The financial crisis won’t go away on its own and doing nothing is not an option. Neither is writing a blank check for $700 billion to the same folks who got us into this mess, especially without a clear system of oversight and accountability.” said Borosage. “This is common sense. If American taxpayers are asked to bail out the financial industry, at the very least, we deserve to know how our hard-earned money will be spent.”

Representatives from top progressive and labor groups-- including the Campaign for America’s Future, AFL-CIO, SEIU, AFSCME, AFT, NEA, ACORN, Alliance for Justice, Center for American Progress and Center for Community Change -- met at an emergency closed-door meeting yesterday to develop a statement of principles for bailing the American economy out of its financial woes.

The statement urges Congress to insist on public oversight and transparency, taxpayer protections and equity, regulations to ensure this doesn’t happen again, major public investments to support the economy, increased accountability for executives and directors and aid for homeowners who were misled by predatory lenders.

More than 35 leaders signed the statement, including Borosage, AFL-CIO president John Sweeney, SEIU president Andy Stern, AFSCME president Gerald McEntee, United Steelworkers president Leo Gerard, ACORN president Maude Hurd, Center for American Progress president John Podesta, Center for Community Change president Deepak Bhargava and USAction president William McNary.

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TEXT OF LETTER
DEMANDING BAILOUT CONDITIONS

A Call for Common Sense

Every man, woman, and child in America is now being told to ante up $2,000 – an estimated $700 billion in all – to bail out Wall Street’s recklessness, or the very people who created this crisis are telling us that they will bring down our entire economy.

The Treasury Department’s proposal that the Secretary be given essentially unlimited authority to spend $700 billion to bail out any financial institution across the world is irresponsible and unacceptable.

We urge the Congress to insist on some basic conditions for any bailout.

Public Oversight. This kind of power can never be centralized in a single individual – much less one who did not even stand for election. Any funds must be controlled by an independent entity, with consumers and workers given seats on its board. Congress should be empowered to name independent monitors and to approve all board members.

Protect the Taxpayer. The Treasury bill would have taxpayers buying paper that nobody else wants at prices far above its current value. If a firm wants to auction off its toxic paper to the US Government, taxpayers should get equity in that firm equal to any amount paid in excess of the paper’s value. This will deter profitable firms from using the government as a dumpster for their toxic paper. And it will insure that if the bailout works and the firms become profitable, taxpayers, not simply bankers, benefit from the upside.

Curb the casino. This crisis was caused because sensible regulations of the banking system that worked for dozens of years were dismantled or went unenforced. No bailout can go forward without requiring the necessary regulation to insure this does not happen again. Any institution, which receives assistance, should agree to come under a microscope going forward in terms of disclosure requirements, and it should have stringent capital requirement imposed upon it.

Invest in the real economy. Ending the bankers strike is not sufficient enough to avoid the recession into which we have been driven. Major public investment in new energy and conservation, rebuilding schools and infrastructure, extending unemployment and food stamps, helping states avoid crippling cuts in police and health services – is vital to get the real economy moving and put people back to work. No bailout should proceed without being linked to support for a major public investment plan to get the economy going.

Hold CEOs and Boards of Directors Accountable. Wall Street CEOs shouldn’t be pocketing millions while taxpayers are forced to bail them out. Any firm that applies for relief must agree to cancel all stock option programs and CEOs should have stringent limits placed on their compensation until the Company has repaid all taxpayer assistance.

Aid the victims, not just the predators. Both bankers and home owners made foolish bets that home prices would keep rising. Many homeowners, however, were misled by predatory lenders into taking mortgages that they didn’t understand and couldn’t afford. It would be simply obscene to help the predators and not those that they preyed upon. No bail out of the banks should take place without measures to help people in trouble stay in their homes. Explicit provisions should ensure use of the full array of financial and legal tools available to the government to stop foreclosures and restructure home mortgage loans for ordinary Americans, including amending the bankruptcy code to allow judges to modify mortgages. Where workouts are not feasible, people should be allowed to stay in their homes as renters.

--Robert Borosage, co-director, Campaign for America’s Future
--John Sweeney, president, AFL-CIO
--Andy Stern, president, Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
--Gerald McEntee, president, Am. Fed. of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
--Randi Weingarten, president, American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
--Larry Cohen, president, Communications Workers of America (CWA)
--Dennis Van Roekel, president, National Education Association (NEA)
--Leo Gerard, president, United Steelworkers (USW)
--Maude Hurd, national president, ACORN
--Nan Aron, president, Alliance for Justice
--Amy Issacs, national director, Americans for Democratic Action
--Kevin Zeese, executive director, Campaign for Fresh Air & Clean Politics
--John Podesta, president, Center for American Progress Action Fund
--Deepak Bhargava, president, Center for Community Change
--Deborah Weinstein, executive director, Coalition for Human Needs
--Donald Mathis, president, Community Action Partnership
--Jane Hamsher, firedoglake.com
--James D. Weill, president, Food Research & Action Center (FRAC)
--Brent Blackwelder, president, Friends of the Earth
--John Cavanagh, director, Institute for Policy Studies
--Sarita Gupta, executive director, Jobs with Justice
--Wade Henderson, president, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
--Carissa Picard, esq., president, Military Spouses for Change
--Sally Greenberg, executive director, National Consumers League
--Christine L. Owens, executive director, National Employment Law Project
--Gary Bass, executive director, OMB Watch
--Adam Lioz, program director, Progressive Future
--Joanne Carter, executive director, RESULTS
--William McNary, president, USAction
--Paula Brantner, executive director, Workplace Fairness
--Dan Cantor, executive director, Working Families Party
--Mark Lotwis, executive director, 21st Century Democrats

NEW AD QUESTIONS FINANCIAL BAILOUT WITHOUT CONDITIONS

Toby Chaudhuri — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

WASHINGTON – With people across the country calling for greater oversight of the Bush administration’s proposed $700 billion bailout of the financial markets, a new ad in The New York Times and on several blogs today asks pointed questions that need to be answered before Congress hands the administration massive amounts of taxpayer money and unlimited power.

The ad features an extortion note with cut-out letters that read, “Give us $85 billion or the economy gets whacked.” The ad goes on to expose the latest reality in the financial crises: “It turns out that last week’s emergency bailout of once-mighty AIG was chump change. Now Wall Street is extorting another $700 billion from the taxpayers to cover their losses.”

The ad, called “Banksters Run Amok,” is the second in a seven-part ad campaign series sponsored by the Institute for America’s Future that encourages Americans to demand a real debate focused on “seven national crises that won’t wait.” This week’s ad focuses on the Bush administration’s “fast track” proposals in response to the possible meltdown of the U.S. financial system triggered by the mortgage crisis.

Campaign for America’s Future co-director Robert Borosage said that the real heist occurred decades ago when conservatives in power deregulated the financial system.

“Americans deserve a full accounting of how we got into this financial mess,” said Borosage. “Conservatives destroyed commonsense rules of the road allowing financiers to make billions playing with our system. These huge sums spent to cover bad bets could’ve been used to make America better.”

The ad raises three basic concerns surrounding the bailout. It points to the need for oversight in return for rescuing the banks. It also raises questions about the corruptive influence of Wall Street money on our politicians and justification for bailing out bankers rather than spending valuable taxpayer dollars on helping average Americans who need it most.

Each ad in the series seeks to provoke widespread discussion of major challenges facing the country. Leaders of the Institute are urging people to take the ads to public meetings, church groups and civic associations – to demand the debate the country needs.

The first ad outlined how the American dream is slipping out of reach for more and more families. Other ads in the series will focus on our soaring global debt, broken health care system, collapsing public infrastructure, the looming global warming challenge, increasing robber baron corruption and the seemingly endless occupation of Iraq and the war on terror.

The full text of this week’s ad follows:

BANKSTERS RUN AMOK
>#2 In A Series
A Debate Worthy of a Great Nation in Trouble

“Give us $85 billion of the economy gets whacked.”

It turns out that last week’s emergency bailout of once-mighty AIG was chump change. Now Wall Street is extorting another $700 billion from the taxpayers to cover their losses.

And like AIG, Bear, Fannie and Freddie, their brink of disaster plea is conveyed to the Feds as a dire threat, almost a ransom note: “Save us or we’ll take everyone down with us! We’re too big to fail!

These huge sums spent to cover bad bets could have been used to make America better—fix a broken health care system, end our addiction to oil, rebuild a country that’s falling apart. Instead we’re forced to bail out the banks to keep a credit meltdown from laying waste to the real economy.

Finance is too important to be left to the bankers. Our grandfathers learned that lesson in the Great Depression. But over the last thirty years Wall Street money and market fundamentalism took over Washington, disarming the cop on the financial beat. Now we’re paying the price for that folly.

3 Basic questions for the debate

What serious regulation of Wall Street banking practices must we demand in return for rescuing the banks?

Wall Street is a monster donor to both major parties. How can we trust any promise to crack down on these miscreants from politicians who compete for their contributions?

Rather than just bailing out bankers, shouldn’t we be helping the folks they victimized – freezing home foreclosures, renegotiating mortgages, reviving usury laws to cap predatory interest rates, investing public money in the real economy and putting people to work?

INSTITUTE FOR AMERICA’S FUTURE
>for more go to www.ourfuture.org

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**NOTE: To obtain an electronic copy of the “Banksters Run Amok” ad, background information and additional resources, please visit www.ourfuture.org.**

NEW AD CAMPAIGN CHALLENGES CANDIDATES, MEDIA TO "GIVE US A DEBATE WORTHY OF A GREAT NATION IN TROUBLE"

Toby Chaudhuri — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

WASHINGTON – A major new advertising campaign will begin running this week to focus the national debate on important issues at stake in this year’s elections. The ad campaign, sponsored by the Institute for America's Future, challenges candidates and the nation's media to "give us a debate worthy of a great nation in trouble," encouraging Americans to demand a real debate focused on "seven national crises that won’t wait."

The first in a seven-week series of provocative "op-ed" print ads will appear on Tuesday facing the editorial page of The New York Times. Each ad seeks to provoke widespread discussion of major challenges facing the country. Leaders of the Institute are urging people to take the ads to public meetings, church groups and civic associations - to demand the debate the country needs.

A full-page ad announcing the campaign will appear this week in the main news section of The New York Times and on Tuesday, the first issue ad on how the American Dream is slipping out of reach for more and more families will run on the op-ed page. Other ads in the series will focus on our soaring global debt and financial crises, broken health care system, collapsing public infrastructure, the looming global warming challenge, increasing Robber Baron corruption and the endless occupation of Iraq and the "war on terror."

Institute for America's Future co-director Robert Borosage said the campaign is designed to change the tone of the debate surrounding the presidential elections.

"These issues are simply too important to be lost in the media frenzy and amid political distractions," said Borosage. "It is time to shelve the gotcha politics and the horse-race journalism of the past. We're urging the candidates to confront the major challenges facing our country and the debates to focus on them."

An electronic copy of the first ad on "reviving the dream" is available online at http://tinyurl.com/american-dream. Text of the ad follows.

REVIVING THE DREAM
#1 In A Series
A Debate Worthy Of A Great Nation In Trouble

"Is a dream a lie if it don't come true. Or is it something worse."
--Bruce Springsteen, The River.

The American Dream is on life support. It is not expiring of old age. It is being killed off by calculated policies hostile to working people.

"The fundamentals of the economy are strong," says the President. The fundamentals of that statement are bunk. Yes, for entrenched corporations, for the rich and for some other privileged souls, this economy works. But for tens of millions of working families, life in 2008 is a hard slog and getting harder by the day.

Costs of living keep rising. Wages don’t keep pace. Savings vanish. Debt builds up. Poverty spreads. Those are the joys of what they told us are "good times." Now as the economy sours, home values plummet and job losses spread, it will get worse.

And inequalities scream out for change. A typical worker works a whole year to earn what her CEO takes home in one day. A hedge fund billionaire pays a lower tax rate than his secretary.

The old deal between the people who own the country and the workers who make it go has been busted. It’s time to cut a new one. Here are three places to start:

Over the last seven years profits and productivity soared. But workers didn’t see the benefits. This is a question of power. It’s time to empower workers to organize at the workplace and crack down on employers who trample their rights.

Corporations are shredding promises they made on health care and pensions. It’s time to forge a new social contract - health care, paid vacation and sick leave, pensions and a decent minimum wage - and enforce it.

When the economy is at full employment, workers can demand a fair share of prosperity. Make full employment the central target of our economic policies, with government acting, when necessary, as employer of last resort.

What do you think? Don’t stay silent. Join the debate at www.ourfuture.org.

INSTITUTE FOR AMERICA’S FUTURE
For more go to www.ourfuture.org.

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**NOTE: To obtain an electronic copy of the “Reviving The Dream” ad, please visist http://tinyurl.com/american-dream. For background information and additional resources for each ad, please visit www.ourfuture.org.**

NEW JOBLESS NUMBERS PUSH MISERY INDEX UP TO 11.7 PERCENT

Toby Chaudhuri — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

WASHINGTON -- The misery index hit the worst level since May 1991, according to a new analysis released today by the Campaign for America’s Future. New jobless numbers jumped to a 5-year high of 6.1 percent, pushing the misery index to 11.7 percent. The index hit double digits in June 2008 for the first time since 1993.

“Honest people who work hard for a living are struggling to make ends meet,” said Robert Borosage, co-director of the Campaign for America’s Future. “The misery is felt at the gas pump and the grocery store and it’s getting worse, not better.”

The misery index is a gauge of economic well-being widely used by economists for decades. It represents the sum of the unemployment and inflation rates. Since unemployment and inflation are undesirable, the lower the index, the better.

The misery index played a role in the 1980 presidential election when President Reagan reminded voters that stagflation increased it to more than 20 percent. With unemployment and inflation on the rise, the misery index is important again.

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KEY ECONOMIC FIGURES

--Unemployment rate: 6.1 percent

--Inflation rate: 5.6 percent

--Misery index: 11.7 percent

[SOURCES: ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/suppl/empsit.cpseea1.txt; ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/special.requests/cpi/cpiai.txt; http://www.miseryindex.us/indexbymonth.asp]

NOTING THE FAILURE TO RESPOND TO HURRICANE KATRINA, NEW TV AD TELLS REPUBLICANS “THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES”

Toby Chaudhuri — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

ST. PAUL, MINN. – When Republican delegates check-in to their hotel rooms in St. Paul this week, they will receive a “thank you” message on their televisions. An ad called “Thanks For The Memories,” produced by Campaign for America’s Future, will broadcast unforgettable moments from the last eight years that conservatives wish the country would forget.

With Hurricane Gustav on the nation’s mind, the ad reminds viewers of the bungled response to Hurricane Katrina. It also highlights skyrocketing gas prices, soaring home foreclosures, the infamous “mission accomplished" banner and tells conservatives, “You’ve done a heckuva job!”

The ad begins playing this week in 365,000 hotel rooms across the country. The spot is available for viewing at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBJpXS09Mdo. Text of the Campaign for America’s Future ad follows:

“THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES”
TV:30

AUDIO: [“Thanks for the memories” music.]

ON-SCREEN: [In old-style cursive script,]

“To the conservatives gathered in St. Paul: …”

“Thanks for the memories...”

[Old film format, dusty, scratchy and flickering.]

AUDIO: [Music lyrics, “…nothing in my purse … the chuckles when the preacher said, for better or for worse …”]

ON-SCREEN: ["Welcome to New Orleans" sign flooded by Hurricane Katrina.

Gas pump meter hitting record prices.

Foreclosure lawn sign in front of people’s homes.

"Mission Accomplished" banner on military ship.]

ON-SCREEN: “You've done a heckuva job!”

ON-SCREEN: [In bold, modern lettering,]

“WE’LL TAKE IT FROM HERE.”

ON-SCREEN: [Photos of people who work for a living – factory worker, doctor with toddler, servicemen, fire fighters, teacher with student … and public goods -- construction of windmills, bridges and homes.]

ON-SCREEN: “OURFUTURE.ORG”

“PAID FOR BY CAMPAIGN FOR AMERICA’S FUTURE”

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**NOTE: An electronic copy of the ad is available at www.ourfuture.org. Media representatives interested in a DVD or beta copy of the ad should contact Jennifer Ettinger or Toby Chaudhuri at 202-955-5665 or jettinger@ourfuture.org. **

WAR ROOM OPERATION TO TRACK CHANGES IN ECONOMY; DELIVER TALKING POINTS AND SOLUTIONS

Toby Chaudhuri — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

WASHINGTON – The Campaign for America’s Future launched an economic war room today to help frame the ongoing debate as the economy changes at an increasing pace and continues to get worse for millions of Americans. The operation will deliver daily poll-tested talking points to candidates, elected officials, talk show hosts, columnists, bloggers, labor leaders, activists and others, tying the latest research by think tanks like the EPI Policy Center to the latest opinion research by top strategists.

Campaign for America’s Future co-director Robert Borosage said the alerts will include a set of persuasive facts and arguments on key issues, linking to a comprehensive analysis of solutions to economic problems on people’s minds.

“The change in the economy has been abrupt and serious,” said Borosage. “Economic issues are obviously on everyone’s mind, so it’s important to understand what is happening and to have messages that can move people. Our effort provides real policy alternatives to the political messaging already out there.”

Democratic pollster Celinda Lake and Drew Westen, an Emory University professor who has studied the way Americans think about issues and make decisions, are advising Borosage on messages they have tested and measured for impact. Lake and Westen joined Borosage on a conference call with reporters today to launch the messaging project.

Lake said on today’s call that Americans are increasingly convinced the country is on the edge of a recession and that Washington is not responding adequately.

“Economic problems are creating deep discontent across America,” said Lake. “The American Dream is slipping away and people want leaders to focus on kitchen-table issues like jobs, education, health care, housing and retirement. They are to ready to support our ideas if we present our values and policy solutions in a compelling way.”

Westen said Americans, whether Democratic or Republican, are persuaded more by emotions and values than by a laundry list of issues so policy arguments must be linked to broader themes to connect with them.

“Progressives typically bombard people with a laundry list of issues and policy positions, while conservatives offer them emotionally compelling appeals, whether to their values or prejudices,” said Westen. “The war room is designed to change that.”

The need for the economic war room became clear when the Campaign for America’s Future met with dozens of elected officials and progressive leaders to discuss economic messaging. The group found that opinion leaders were better versed at political messages but less so on solutions and effective ways of communicating them. To fill that gap, more than 3,000 federal- and state-elected officials and 3,000 activists are already receiving alerts from the economic war room.

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**NOTE: Media representatives interested in more details about the economic war room should visit www.ourfuture.org/makingsense. Anyone interested in receiving real-time alerts, may do so by signing up on the website.**

SOCIAL SECURITY PRIVATIZATION COULD FORCE THOUSANDS ACROSS THE COUNTRY INTO POVERTY

Toby Chaudhuri — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Social Security privatization, embraced by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., would cut guaranteed benefits for thousands of future retirees by thousands of dollars, according to a new state-specific report released today by the research arm of the Campaign for America’s Future. Today’s report shows that more than 8.6 million older Americans would have a greater risk of falling into poverty, each losing more than $240,000 over the course of their lifetimes, by the time a privatization plan like the one supported by Sen. McCain and President Bush is fully implemented.

Campaign for America’s Future co-director Roger Hickey, whose organization has worked to defend and strengthen Social Security for more than a decade, said the popular program is at risk again.

“Social Security is very popular across the country, but its guaranteed benefits are in the national crossfire again,” said Hickey. “Sen. McCain has been very clear about his plans to push privatization again despite the public backlash President Bush faced when he pushed his scheme a few years ago. The conservative ideologues just won’t stop trying to privatize Social Security.”

48.5 million Americans depend on their earned Social Security benefit every month, according to the Social Security Administration. Thousands of businesses and state governments also depend on the program. More than $580.5 billion flows into the U.S. economy from Social Security each year.

Diverting a portion of payroll taxes into risky private accounts could force many people below the poverty line. More than 36.4 million Americans currently live in poverty, according to the U.S. Census. Meanwhile, 7.9 million individuals depend on their guaranteed Social Security benefits for 90 percent or more of their income. The average Social Security check for individual retirees is $1,088 per month; it takes $867 per month to stay above the federal poverty line. These Social Security recipients would be close to the edge and vulnerable to rising food, housing and energy costs.

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**NOTE: Media representatives interested in copies of today's state-specific Social Security reports should visit www.ourfuture.org/privatization. **

SOCIAL SECURITY PRIVATIZATION
STATE-SPECIFIC BREAKDOWN

(State; number of beneficiaries; average Social Security benefit; statewide income from Social Security; number of people living in poverty; number of additional people who could be forced into poverty with privatization; total benefit that could be lost with privatization)

--Alabama; 934,000; $1,041; $10.5 billion; 742,000; 194,000; $162,000
--Alaska; 68,000; $1,031; $774.1 million; 70,000; 7,000; $249,000
--Arizona; 959,000; $1,102; $11.8 billion; 857,000; 130,000; $204,000
--Arkansas; 588,000; $1,013; $6.5 billion; 471,000; 107,000; $117,000
--California; 4,571,000; $1,076; $54.4 billion; 4,690,000; 970,000; $312,000
--Colorado; 616,000; $1,062; $7.3 billion; 556,000; 94,000; $262,000
--Connecticut; 592,000; $1,179; $7.8 billion; 280,000; 78,000; $391,000
--Delaware; 157,000; $1,143; $2 billion; 91,000; 17,000; $286,000
--Florida; 3,477,000; $1,074; $41.7 billion; 2,226,000; 668,000; $180,000
--Georgia; 1,305,000; $1,056; $15.1 billion; 1,333,000; 217,000; $229,000
--Hawaii; 207,000; $1,067; $2.5 billion; 116,000; 20,000; $184,000
--Idaho; 240,000; $1,054; $2.8 billion; 180,000; 51,000; $118,000
--Illinois; 1,921,000; $1,117; $23.8 billion; 1,539,000; 354,000; $286,000
--Indiana; 1,097,000; $1,135; $13.6 billion; 777,000; 145,000; $183,000
--Iowa; 558,000; $1,076; $6.7 billion; 316,000; 82,000; $140,000
--Kansas; 457,000; $1,104; $5.6 billion; 330,000; 87,000; $157,000
--Kentucky; 827,000; $1,024; $9.1 billion; 693,000; 143,000; $158,000
--Louisiana; 735,000; $1,007; $7.9 billion; 793,000; 192,000; $147,000
--Maine; 280,000; $1,000; $3.1 billion; 165,000; 62,000; $141,000
--Maryland; 786,000; $1,097; $9.6 billion; 428,000; 104,000; $282,000
--Massachusetts; 1,080,000; $1,087; $13 billion; 620,000; 179,000; $363,000
--Michigan; 1,802,000; $1,165; $22.9 billion; 1,331,000; 237,000; $264,000
--Minnesota; 814,000; $1,088; $9.9 billion; 491,000; 149,000; $254,000
--Mississippi; 559,000; $1,000; $6 billion; 592,000; 111,000; $96,000
--Missouri; 1,089,000; $1,063; $12.7 billion; 769,000; 202,000; $190,000
--Montana; 176,000; $1,027; $2 billion; 125,000; 38,000; $87,000
--Nebraska; 295,000; $1,062; $3.5 billion; 197,000; 59,000; $137,000
--Nevada; 362,000; $1,085; $4.4 billion; 253,000; 71,000; $203,000
--New Hampshire; 231,000; $1,114; $2.9 billion; 102,000; 39,000; $235,000
--New Jersey; 1,388,000; $1,190; $18.4 billion; 741,000; 154,000; $366,000
--New Mexico; 327,000; $1,010; $3.6 billion; 353,000; 70,000; $137,000
--New York; 3,097,000; $1,137; $38.8 billion; 2,662,000; 548,000; $383,000
--North Carolina; 1,587,000; $1,064; $18.6 billion; 1,261,000; 318,000; $184,000
--North Dakota; 116,000; $1,004; $1.3 billion; 69,000; 24,000; $95,000
--Ohio; 1,992,000; $1,090; $23.8 billion; 1,486,000; 332,000; $207,000
--Oklahoma; 657,000; $1,038; $7.5 billion; 587,000; 121,000; $125,000
--Oregon; 643,000; $1,087; $7.8 billion; 480,000; 105,000; $199,000
--Pennsylvania; 2,456,000; $1,111; $30.1 billion; 1,448,000; 379,000; $230,000
--Rhode Island; 193,000; $1,080; $2.3 billion; 114,000; 30,000; $215,000
--South Carolina; 822,000; $1,066; $9.6 billion; 656,000; 184,000; $145,000
--South Dakota; 144,000; $999; $1.6 billion; 102,000; 36,000; $92,000
--Tennessee; 1,139,000; $1,058; $13.1 billion; 952,000; 197,000; $182,000
--Texas; 3,102,000; $1,050; $35.4 billion; 3,868,000; 718,000; $236,000
--Utah; 290,000; $1,087; $3.5 billion; 265,000; 53,000; $154,000
--Vermont; 117,000; $1,075; $1.4 billion; 62,000; 19,000; $160,000
--Virginia; 1,180,000; $1,071; $13.9 billion; 708,000; 181,000; $250,000
--Washington; 982,000; $1,122; $12.2 billion; 736,000; 133,000; $265,000
--West Virginia; 424,000; $1,065; $4.9 billion; 307,000; 79,000; $125,000
--Wisconsin; 980,000; $1,108; $12.1 billion; 591,000; 169,000; $181,000
--Wyoming; 84,000; $1,075; $1 billion; 46,000; 18,000; $130,000

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NEW VIDEO CALLS HEALTH INSURANCE INDUSTRY’S BLUFF

Toby Chaudhuri — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

WASHINGTON – The health care industry is blatantly failing to deliver on its promise to listen to people’s ideas about how to create high-quality care for every American, according to a new Internet video produced by the Campaign for America’s Future for a coalition of hundreds of groups working to fix our nation’s broken health care system.

As part of the insurance industry’s new “listening tour,” the industry-funded Coalition for An American Health Care Solution launched a hotline for individuals to share ideas about how to improve and expand the health care system. Unfortunately, calls to the hotline go straight to an answering machine. In response, the Internet video asks, “What else would you expect from the health care industry?”

The video was produced for the Health Care for America Now coalition, which was launched last month. Between now and Election Day, the groups plans to spend $25 million in paid media and have 100 organizers in 45 states.

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**NOTE: To view the Internet video, please visit http://tinyurl.com/6o6fep.**

“CALLING THEIR BLUFF”
Internet Video - 50 sec.

ONSCREEN: The health insurance companies say they want to hear from you… They’ve even launched a hotline for you to share your input… Call now! 1-800-289-1136. They say they want to listen to your thoughts on health care. [Dial tone, phone dials number.] Oh Really?

MESSAGE MACHINE: Thank you for calling the Coalition for an American Health Care Solution. No one is available to take your call right now, so please leave your name phone number and a short message.

CALLER: Hey, this is Bob from Detroit. This is the fifth time I’ve called you today. I’ve heard you’ve started some listening tour. But if you really want to listen, pick up the phone.

ONSCREEN: What else would you expect from the health care industry? Fight Back. HealthCareForAmericaNow.org Produced by Campaign for America’s Future.

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THE RIGHT-WING BLOCK-AND-BLAME STRATEGY IS THE REAL STORY OF THE 110TH CONGRESS, REPORT SAYS

Toby Chaudhuri — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

WASHINGTON – Republicans in Congress, working in concert with the White House, organized a deliberate political strategy to sabotage the Democratic majority in Congress as it responded to a mandate to solve major problems facing the nation, according to a new report released today by the Campaign for America’s Future. With the American public registering overwhelming disapproval of the job Congress is doing, the facts in today’s report show that Republicans are to blame.

Campaign for America’s Future co-director Robert Borosage said that the reputation of the Congress would be very different had the Republican minority and President Bush not orchestrated a systematic campaign of obstruction to bottle up any progress.

“Now this is sort of like knee-capping the postman and then complaining that the mail is late,” said Borosage. “As Republicans posture about the do-nothing Congress, it's worth remembering that much would have gotten done had they not been in the way.”

The report shows that the Republican strategy forced a record number of cloture votes — 94 so far — that require a super-majority of sixty votes to end filibusters. This was reinforced by more than 119 veto threats by President Bush, essentially repealing majority rule. Never before has an ideological minority obstructed so many important measures from becoming law.

If Republicans had not adopted this strategy, majorities in both the House and the Senate favored passage of the following:

--WAR IN IRAQ: Setting a date certain to bring the occupation of Iraq to an end, freeing up the $12 billion a month in direct costs (almost a half-billion dollars a day) for vital needs here at home, and insuring that soldiers are guaranteed adequate rest and recovery between deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan;

--ENERGY: Investing billions in renewable energy sources and energy efficiency, creating green-collar jobs, and paying for it by repealing subsidies for oil companies already pocketing the greatest profits in recorded history;

--HEALTH CARE: Providing health care for millions of children of working and poor families, giving them with a chance for a healthy start to life, and saving seniors tens of billions of dollars in prescription drug prices by empowering Medicare to negotiate bulk purchase discounts.

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**NOTE: An electronic copy of the report is available at www.ourfuture.org/obstruction.**

Economic And Energy Issues, Ending War In Iraq, Top Netroots' Concerns

Toby Chaudhuri — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

AUSTIN, TEXAS – Progressive bloggers and activists are most concerned about solving basic economic problems and our country’s energy crisis as well as ending the war in Iraq, according to a straw poll of participants at this year’s Netroots Nation conference conducted by the Campaign for America’s Future and Democracy Corps. Those polled also believe that ending the war in Iraq and solving our energy and health care crises should be top priorities for the next president.

“This straw poll was designed to help us understand a little more about who our netroots activists are and where they stand,” said Toby Chaudhuri, communications director for the Campaign for America’s Future. “There’s a sea change happening in American politics and it’s growing on the Internet. Progressives are gaining popularity, strength, capacity and political sophistication, far outpacing conservatives online.”

The straw poll helps describe the progressive netroots’ increased involvement in politics, which 68 percent say is because of the Internet.

Nearly half of those who participated said they contributed more than $200 to political campaigns in the last year (47 percent), with about a third saying they had given more than $400 (32 percent). Two-thirds also donated to political campaigns at the federal level (65 percent) and state and local level (67 percent).

Those who responded clocked lots of hours working on campaigns too. Although two-thirds said they don’t work in politics professionally (66 percent), the average blogger spends the equivalent of a part-time work schedule on political activities, averaging 24 hours of work every week.

Although it is widely understood that bloggers are young political beginners, about half have been active in politics for more than a decade (48 percent), with more than three-quarters active for more than 5 years (78 percent). Fifty-two percent have volunteered for state and local campaigns while 41 percent have done so for federal campaigns. Nearly 70 percent said they are 30 or above and about half (46 percent) said they are more than 40.

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**NOTE: Complete straw poll results are available at www.ourfuture.org and www.democracycorps.org.**

NETROOTS NATION 2008
STRAW POLL FQ
Conducted By
Campaign for America’s Future and Democracy Corps
Thursday, July 17 to Sunday, July 20, 2008
Austin, Texas

ISSUES AND CONCERNS

Of the list of concerns below, please indicate which one of these is your top concern at this time.

Energy and global warming - 19%
The growing gap between the rich and the poor - 17%
Loss of constitutional rights - 15%
The war in Iraq - 11%
Corruption and special interests running Washington - 10%
Lack of affordable health care - 9%
The federal deficit and government spending - 3%
High gas prices - 2%
Lack of equal rights for gay and lesbian community - 2%
Terrorism - 1%
Making education more affordable - 1%
Increased debt owed to foreign nations - 0%
Increased taxes and more spending - 0%
Illegal immigration - 0%

Now, please indicate which of the concerns listed below is your next top concern at this time.

The war in Iraq - 17%
The growing gap between the rich and the poor - 12%
Loss of constitutional rights - 12%
Lack of affordable health care - 10%
Energy and global warming - 9%
Corruption and special interests running Washington - 9%
Illegal immigration - 4%
High gas prices - 4%
The federal deficit and government spending - 3%
Lack of equal rights for gay and lesbian community - 3%
Making education more affordable - 2%
Increased taxes and more spending - 1%
Increased debt owed to foreign nations - 1%
Terrorism - 0%

Now something a little different, of that same list of concerns, please indicate below which one of these you feel should be the top priority for the next administration.

The war in Iraq - 23%
Energy and global warming - 20%
Lack of affordable health care - 15%
The growing gap between the rich and the poor - 12%
Loss of constitutional rights - 7%
Corruption and special interests running Washington - 6%
The federal deficit and government spending - 3%
Increased debt owed to foreign nations - 3%
High gas prices - 2%
Making education more affordable - 1%
Illegal immigration - 1%
Terrorism - 0%
Increased taxes and more spending - 0%
Lack of equal rights for gay and lesbian community - 0%

Now, please indicate which of the concerns listed below you feel should be the next highest priority for the next administration.

Lack of affordable health care - 17%
Energy and global warming - 17%
The war in Iraq - 16%
The growing gap between the rich and the poor - 12%
Loss of constitutional rights - 10%
Corruption and special interests running Washington - 8%
The federal deficit and government spending - 4%
Making education more affordable - 3%
High gas prices - 3%
Increased debt owed to foreign nations - 3%
Terrorism - 1%
Illegal immigration - 1%
Increased taxes and more spending - 0%
Lack of equal rights for gay and lesbian community - 0%

CONGRESS

Overall, how much do you think Congress has accomplished this term, that is since January 2007: a great deal, a good amount, not too much, or nothing at all?

Not too much - 68%
A good amount - 16%
Nothing at all - 12%
A great deal -2%

[If 'Nothing at all' or 'Not too much'] On the scale below please indicate who you feel is most to blame for the lack of accomplishment in Congress?

Democrats in Congress are to blame (1) - 5%
2 - 1%
3 - 2%
4 - 2%
The Administration and Republicans and Democrats in Congress are to blame equally (5) - 29%
7 - 17%
8 - 15%
6 -11%
9 -3%
The Administration and Republicans in Congress are to blame (10) - 15%

VICE PRESIDENT

Please choose the statement which comes closer to your view, even if neither is exactly right:

Obama should pick someone politically similar to himself, reinforcing the dynamic nature of his candidacy and the urgent need for change, and keeping true to his liberal roots - 72%

Obama should pick someone more toward the political center in order to help balance the ticket and make him more electable - 25%

INVOLVEMENT

How long, would you say, have you been active in politics?

10+ years - 48%
5-10 years - 30%
3-5 years - 18%
0-2 years - 7%

Do you yourself post or contribute to a political blog?

Yes - 68%
No - 30%

[If 'Yes'] How long have you been posting or contributing to a political blog?

4-5 years - 23%
3-4 years - 24%
1-2 years - 27%
Less than 1 year - 14%

Please indicate below in what ways you are currently active in state and local politics and campaigns. Please check all that apply.

Donate money to a political campaign at the state or local level - 67%
Volunteer for a political campaign at the state or local level - 52%
Write for a political blog focusing on local or state politics - 26%
Work professionally for a political campaign at the state or local level - 19%
Write for an online publication other than a blog focusing on local or state politics - 12%
Produce other media or "mashups" focusing on local or state politics - 8%
Write for a print publication focusing on local or state politics - 6%

Now, please indicate below in what ways you are currently active in federal politics and campaigns. Please check all that apply.

Donate money to a political campaign at the federal level - 65%
Volunteer for a political campaign at the federal level - 41%
Write for a political blog focusing on federal politics - 30%
Work professionally for a political campaign at the federal level - 12%
Write for an online publication other than a blog focusing on federal politics - 8%
Produce other media or "mashups" focusing on federal politics - 8%
Write for a print publication focusing on federal politics - 3%

Approximately how much money have you contributed to political organizations or campaigns over the past 12 months.

$400 or more - 32%
$300-$400 - 5%
$200-$300 - 10%
$150-$200 - 9%
$100-$150 - 9%
$50-$100 - 12%
Less than $50 - 10%
$0 - I haven't contributed - 11%
Prefer not to answer - 1%

Do you work with a political organization, campaign or other such entity as part of your occupation?

No - 66%
Yes - 32%

Approximately how many hours a week do you devote to a political organization, campaign or website?

(Mean: 23.5, Median 12.5)

Had it not been for the advent of the internet, do you think your level of activity in politics would be more, less, or about the same as it is now?

Less - 68%
About the same - 25%
More - 6%

DEMOGRAPHICS

What is your gender?

Male - 58%
Female - 40%

What year were you born?

18-29 - 27%
30-39 - 23%
40-49 - 22%
50-64 - 22%
64+ - 2%

Please choose the term that best describes how you think of yourself in political terms.

Progressive - 47%
Liberal - 40%
Moderate - 12%
Conservative - 0%

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