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Posts Tagged ‘Al Franken
13
Aug
12
the Daily Share
1808: Charles Cotesworth Pinckney’s campaign sends history’s first fundraising email, requesting 75 cents to “help defeat the scourge of the Embargo Act of 1807.” Note: 75 cents would be around $10 in today’s dollars. 
1828: Andrew Jackson’s campaign asks supporters to “give a Jackson to stand with Jackson.” This failed because Andrew Jackson was not yet on the $20 bill and no one had any clue what he was talking about.
1924: Calvin Coolidge earns the nickname “Silent Cal” after his web team accidentally sends out a blank fundraising email. (It does surprisingly well.)
2012: Supporters donate $5, $10, or even $20 to help my campaign raise the $20,000 we need to keep our operation going and growing this month.
I know it might not seem like that last one fits in with the other great moments in fundraising email history (especially since I made them all up). But this is the kind of stuff that matters when you’re taking on powerful special interests.
I’m not on the ballot this year — but that doesn’t mean our people-powered grassroots machine is sitting in the garage. We’re taking our fight everywhere a progressive fighter is under attack. And we’re continuing to build our own momentum so that we can start next year off on the right foot.
Before the month is out, we need to raise another $20,000 — and you can help us get there right now by clicking to make a contribution of any amount you can afford.
It’s true that fundraising emails don’t really have a rich history. But emails like these can help us write the next chapter of American history. The people who fight the hardest get to decide what the country looks like in the years ahead. And helping campaigns like mine reach goals like this one is one of the best ways to fight.
So make today just a little bit more historic — help us reach our goal and make sure our progressive grassroots organization has the resources it needs to win.
Thanks,
Al
P.S.: Of course, one of the actual great moments in the history of fundraising email was my groundbreaking discovery of the “extra ask in the P.S.” gimmick. Won’t you recognize this historic achievement by making a contribution of $5 or more today?
Paid for and authorized by Al Franken for Senate 2014
11
Jan
12
a message from Al Franken …
I’m writing to thank everyone who helped keep our grassroots organization strong in 2011.
If you’re a longtime TeamFranken supporter who continued standing with us in 2011: THANK YOU!
If you made your first contribution in 2011: THANK YOU!
If your name is Ted: THANK YOU, TED!
If you could only afford a small gift: THANK YOU!
If you could afford a large gift, but only gave a small one: THANK YOU ANYWAY!
If you forgot to give but really meant to and totally would have except you got distracted at the last minute and now you feel awful: THANK YOU, I GUESS — AND PLEASE CLICK HERE TO GIVE NOW AND ALLEVIATE YOUR GUILT!
http://www.alfranken.com/page/m/6cf7873/715407ea/31809885/7816454a/2228609982/VEsH/
If you recruited friends to give: THANK YOU (AND THEM)!
If you skipped your morning coffee for a week in order to make a contribution: THANK YOU, AND I HOPE YOU DIDN’T SCREW UP ANY IMPORTANT WORK DEADLINES!
If you gave because you’re married to me: THANKS, FRANNI — I LOVE YOU!
I’m pretty sure that covers everybody.
THANK YOU ALL,
Al
P.S.: If you contributed because you love our tradition of including an extra “ask” in the P.S. of every email: THAT’S KIND OF WEIRD — BUT THANK YOU, AND WON’T YOU PLEASE CLICK HERE TO MAKE AN ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTION NOW?
Dear Carmen,
There’s nothing worse than a verbose fundraising email, so I’ll get right to the point: We’re $12,342 away from our November fundraising goal — can you click here to contribute $5 or $10 and help us reach it?
Please?
Thanks,
Al
P.S.: Okay, in case you felt shortchanged by that fairly brusque email, let me reassure you that, in fact, your support really does mean an awful lot to me. Every time I ask my staff how we’re doing and hear about all the $25 contributions people are sending in and all the nice notes that come along with the contributions, it lifts my spirits and makes me even more committed to doing the good work you worked so hard to send me to the Senate to do. It’s just that, when I asked the team how we were doing today, they told me about being $12,342 short of our monthly goal. And I know there are only 13 hours left, but I really, really want to get there. Not just for the satisfaction of reaching a goal, but because we need that money to fund our grassroots, people-powered campaign. And it really does make a difference when you send in a few dollars — in fact, if everyone who read this email sent in a few dollars, we’d blow through that goal. Actually, if only the people who read all the way through to this ridiculously long P.S. sent in a few dollars, we’d be all set for the month. Anyway.
P.P.S.: Please click here to contribute.
You should be worried — and angry.
More details are surfacing about various plans the “super-committee” on deficit reduction is considering. Proposals include cutting Medicaid, making people wait until they are 67 to get Medicare, shrinking Social Security benefits by cutting the cost-of-living adjustment, and deeper cuts to domestic discretionary programs. And some members have proposed combining these painful cuts with further reductions in tax rates for millionaires!
This doesn’t have to happen. Add your voice to the growing national chorus: slashing programs that are vital to women and families while protecting and enriching the wealthy few is wrong.
Register now for a special call on Wednesday, November 16 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern with Senator Al Franken and Deborah Weinstein, Executive Director of the Coalition on Human Needs, to learn the latest about what is happening with the super-committee and how you can take action. You can participate in the call by phone or computer (see below for details).
Time is running out. The deadline for the super-committee to approve a plan to send to Congress is November 23, and Congress has to vote on that plan before Christmas. Passage requires just a simple majority — no amendments, no filibuster.
Please help spread the word about this important call.
Sincerely,
Joan Entmacher
Vice President, Family Economic Security
National Women’s Law Center
Details: When you register for the call, you will receive instructions for connecting by phone and/or computer. There will be some slides accompanying this update online, and if you want to ask questions and download materials you will need to do it by computer. But you will be able to follow everything on this 20-minute call by phone, if that’s more convenient for you. Whether you’re near a computer or not, please join us, Senator Al Franken, the Coalition on Human Needs, and many other allies on Wednesday!
01
Aug
11
It’s time … Al Franken
There’s no good argument against marriage equality. There’s no good argument for the Defense of Marriage Act, one of the most unfair laws passed in my lifetime. And there’s no good argument for leaving it on the books.
What are we waiting for? The country has evolved — Americans support the repeal of DOMA. So does President Obama. So does President Clinton, who signed it into law in 1996. So does Bob Barr, the Republican who wrote the darn thing.
I say it’s time. It’s time for gay and lesbian Americans to enjoy the same rights as the rest of us. It’s time to toss the bigotry and the fear into the dumpster of embarrassing history where they belong. And you know what? It’s time for progressives like you and me to stop waiting around for someone else to make this country what it ought to be.
It’s time to repeal DOMA. Let’s start right now, you and me. I’ve written a petition to get the ball rolling — click here to add your name now!
http://www.alfranken.com/page/m/6cf77b8/715407ea/32330668/781644e8/1218681880/VEsE/
Marrying Franni was the best thing that ever happened to me. And it’s always pained me to know that our country denies that right to millions of gays and lesbians.
Over the years, those of us who support marriage equality have had to put up with a series of nonsensical arguments from those who support marriage discrimination. And, one by one, their ridiculous objections have been proven wrong.
Same-sex marriage doesn’t hurt straight couples. It doesn’t hurt kids who grow up in loving same-sex families. It doesn’t hurt anyone. DOMA, on the other hand, is an ugly stain on our country. And every day we don’t repeal it is another day we’re making millions of Americans second-class citizens.
Let’s make today the day — sign my petition to repeal DOMA and let’s get this done already.
http://www.alfranken.com/page/m/6cf77b8/715407ea/32330668/781644e8/1218681880/VEsF/
I think we can do this, and I think we can do it now. But we can only do it if we convince decision-makers in the Obama administration and Congress that we won’t shut up until this gets done.
So let’s show them how many of us are prepared to fight for this — right now. Sign my petition and tell Washington it’s time to repeal DOMA.
http://www.alfranken.com/page/m/6cf77b8/715407ea/32330668/781644e8/1218681880/VEsC/
This is going to be a tough fight. But it’s a matter of simple fairness. We’re right. And we can win. Are you ready to fight alongside me?
Thanks,
Al Franken
P.S.: The first step is signing our petition. But if you’re ready to do more right now, how about forwarding this email to ten people or sharing it with your friends on Facebook? Or Tweet about it — and make sure to use the hashtag #itstime.
We made Rep. Paul Ryan feel big pressure this week in Wisconsin.
Along with his challenger, Rob Zerban, we delivered 65,000 signatures to Ryan’s local office — opposing his plan to end Medicare.
Local and national media covered our activism! The local newspaper headline blared, “Zerban presents petition on Medicare to Ryan’s office.”
Many candidates and political committees promise to do stuff in the future. We’re committed to doing effective work now.
We work with leaders in Congress and on the campaign trail who are committed to being bold progressives and partnering with the grassroots to move the ball forward on issues we care about.
That’s why we partnered with Sen. Al Franken to re-ignite public pressure for Elizabeth Warren — and partnered with other bold leaders on the public option and Wall Street reform.
Now, we’re showing how candidates can use their campaigns to pressure Republicans back home on Medicare — in a way that impacts the current debate.
Thanks for being a bold progressive.
– Adam Green, Stephanie Taylor, Jeremy Feigenbaum, Neil Sroka, and the PCCC team
Remember Election Night 2010?
Remember watching Democrats you admired—progressive champions—giving concession speeches? Remember shaking your head as radical right-wingers were declared winners? Remember the first moment you realized that John Boehner was going to become Speaker of the House?
Not fun memories. But here’s the thing: In a lot of states, the cake was baked a long time before the polls closed—not in 2010, but in 2009.
Every cycle, races are won and lost—months before anyone votes—because one side builds an early advantage that proves to be insurmountable.
And if the DSCC misses its June 30th goal of $113,000, a Democratic Senator who’s fought to support President Obama for years will lose…a dangerous Tea Party radical will become a U.S. Senator…an open seat Democrats could have won will go to the GOP—and it might just be the takeover that gives Republicans a Senate majority.
That’s what’s at stake on June 30th. And with Democrats defending 23 seats—compared with just 10 for the GOP—we can’t afford to let any fall off the map now. So please click here and help the DSCC reach its $113,000 goal by making a $5 contribution now! www.dscc.org
Look, I know you’ve been getting a ton of emails about this deadline. And I know it’s not easy to hear that, if we don’t act now, we’re going to lose races and maybe even the Senate.
But the GOP needs to take just four of 23 Democratic-held seats to take the majority. And if we miss our June 30th goal, it’ll be like handing them a couple of freebies right from the start.
That’s why a group of Democratic Senators has put together a match—so that any contribution you make by clicking on this link before the deadline counts for double.
But 90 percent of the contributions that fund the DSCC’s operations—from hard-hitting response ads to its national grassroots organizing plan—comes from individuals like you. And if individuals like you don’t step up to meet this deadline, there won’t be anything anyone can do later to make up for it.
Now do you see why we keep bugging you with all these emails? Plain and simple, your response today will determine how many races we can win next year. In fact, if the technology existed, I bet Future You—the one watching TV on Election Night 2012—would be forwarding these things to Present-Day You like crazy.
So do Future You a solid. Please give whatever you can to help the DSCC reach its $113,000 goal before June 30th. www.dscc.org
Thanks,
