Banks taken to court!

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Yesterday, the NY Attorney General announced plans to file a lawsuit against HSBC for ignoring the law and hurting families in foreclosure. Big banks like HSBC think the rules don’t apply to them — not acceptable!

Over 40,000 people have already joined Elizabeth Warren in saying that we need to protect the public and break up the big banks.

Can you add your voice in support of the Brown-Vitter bill to break up the big banks? Click here to sign the petition.

Thanks! — Adam Green

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 PREVIOUS EMAIL:

Elizabeth Warren did it again.

In another moment sure to go viral on YouTube, she grilled Treasury Secretary Jack Lew on the Obama administration’s opposition to breaking up the big Wall Street banks that are “too big to fail.”

Warren endorsed breaking up the big banks and preventing future bailouts. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and David Vitter (R-Louisiana) have introduced a new bipartisan bill to do just that.

Watch Elizabeth Warren in action — and join her in urging President Obama and Congress to end “too big to fail.” Sign our petition supporting the Brown-Vitter bill.

Warren pointed out that the largest financial institutions are getting bigger and bigger — 30% larger than they were when they wrecked our economy.

She asked Treasure Secretary Lew, “How big do the biggest banks have to get before we consider breaking them up?” He had no answer.

The media and political insiders need to see the public quickly rallying around Warren in order for her grilling yesterday to make a lasting impact.

Watch Warren in action and sign our petition in support of breaking up the big banks.

Thanks for being a bold progressive.

Midwest Values PAC

Imagine a cold January morning in 2013. Your robot butler gently awakens you with a mug of steaming hot moon coffee, and you slip on your virtual reality glasses to scan the news before hopping in your hovercar to work. And as you telekinetically switch over to C-SPAN, you see — in ultra-high definition — a whole new wave of progressive fighters leading the charge in the U.S. Senate. Okay, so I may be a little ambitious about the new technology that might come out between now and next January. But the “new wave of progressive fighters” thing? That’s totally doable.  Elizabeth Warren. Tammy Baldwin. Martin Heinrich. Chris Murphy. Mazie Hirono. All these great leaders and more could join Sherrod Brown, Sheldon Whitehouse, and me in the Senate next year. And your support of Midwest Values PAC can help make it happen! Click here to make one last contribution this year so we can do even more for even more great progressives around the country. Already this year, grassroots support of MVP has made it possible for us to stand with more than a dozen great candidates for the U.S. Senate — as well as outstanding House candidates like Tammy Duckworth and Christie Vilsack. And, just to be clear, by “stand with,” I mean “give money to.” Money that’s already helping these candidates get their message out and build the kind of people-powered grassroots organizations that win elections. But the more progressives we can stand with (give money to), the bigger an impact we can have when the next Congress starts in January. And we don’t have much time. The contribution you make to MVP right now could be in the hands of a deserving progressive candidate within days, and deployed as part of their final push not long after that. So act fast. In fact, act now. And, as always, by “act,” I mean give money. Click here to help Midwest Values PAC help great progressives in the final days of the campaign. I’m so excited about all the incredible things we could do with all those great progressives standing together in the Senate. And I hope you’re ready to stand with Midwest Values PAC to make it happen. Thanks, Al P.S.: And, holy cow, Rich Carmona! A new poll just came out showing him ahead! In Arizona! This is more exciting than a thousand robot butlers. Click here to help us help more Democrats win!

Support Sherrod Brown

It’s a clip of Sherrod on Rachel Maddow’s show talking about the millions of undisclosed, special interest, Karl Rove-directed dollars pouring into the Ohio Senate race.
Watching it makes me proud to be on Sherrod’s team.
Click — to hear about what we’re fighting for straight from Sherrod — then make a contribution to help us get this message out!

We need to reach $500,000 in our Truth Fund this month. It’s a huge goal, but we’re on our way.
And with $10 million already spent against Sherrod on TV ads, now’s the time for you to act.
I hope you enjoy the video — and I hope you’ll consider making a grassroots investment in our campaign today.
Thank you so much,

Sarah Benzing Campaign Manager Friends of Sherrod Brown

Josh Mandel said WHAT?

When I saw Josh Mandel call Sherrod a “liar” the other day, well, I was stunned.
As Sherrod’s research director, it’s my job to separate fact from fiction in this campaign. I know a liar when I see one. And I see a lot of them lined up against us.
Special interests have spent nearly $6.6 million on attack ads. We need your help to fight back with the truth. Please click here to help our No Fear Fund reach $1 million in May.
Ohioans deserves the truth. They deserve to know that Josh Mandel hired unqualified cronies to manage the people’s money as treasurer. They deserve to know that he refuses to take a position on Sherrod’s bill to help protect Ohio workers from China’s illegal currency manipulation, or on a bill that would stop student loan rates from doubling.
And they deserve to know that the guy calling Sherrod a “liar” was featured in a Washington Post piece titled “New Frontiers in Political Dishonesty.”
But I’ve seen way too many races where the lies get heard and the truth never comes out. I won’t let that happen here. And I need you to help me.
Please make a contribution to our No Fear Fund today so we can reach $1 million in May — and let’s get the truth out there.
Thank you for standing with us,

Evan Peterson Research Director Friends of Sherrod Brown
PS: One more thing. Will you forward this email to a few friends? Help us make sure Ohioans hear the truth about Mandel.

Committed to Keeping a Democratic Majority in the Senate

 2012 – Year of the Woman
                                While Rush Limbaugh and the Republicans wage a war on women that aims to roll back healthcare coverage and block access to contraception, Democrats are committed to stopping them in their tracks. As our new video declares, Democrats believe it’s time to end the culture wars and get back to work for the middle class. It’s quite a stark contrast to Limbaugh and his Grand Old Party.

In MA, Scott Brown Runs From His Anti-Women Blunt-Brown Amendment

Scott Brown is trying to run away from his support of his amendment that would have blocked access to basic health care services, while at the same time attempting to blame Elizabeth Warren for the political uproar around his extreme measure. The Warren campaign said it best – “He paid for a radio ad, wrote a newspaper column, taped a video, and did numerous interviews all talking about his legislation that threatens women’s healthcare. Now that people are outraged, he wants to change the subject, claiming he’s focusing on job creation.”

 Top Action
Denounce Rush Limbaugh’s Misogynist Attacks!
Have you signed yet? Denounce Rush Limbaugh’s vile and misogynist attacks on law student Sandra Fluke and all women.

Add your name »

 Poll Tracker
National: President Obama leads Mitt Romney (50-44%), Rick Santorum (53-39%), Newt Gingrich (54-37%), and Ron Paul (50-42%)
NBC/WSJ

New Jersey: Sen. Bob Menendez up 15 over Joe Kyrillos
Quinnipiac

Ohio: Sen. Sherrod Brown up 10 over Josh Mandel
NBC/Marist

Virginia: Tim Kaine up 10 over George Allen
NBC/Marist

GOP Fears Long Primary Will Cost Them Senate
                                Republicans have long seen 2012 as a chance to win back the White House and the Senate. But now, Republicans are worried that their long, drawn-0ut, nasty presidential primary will cost them the opportunity to expand power in Washington, according to The Hill. What’s bad news for Republicans is good news for Democrats. “In every primary, we’ve seen just how disappointed Republicans are in their candidates.  The longer the Republican primary goes, the longer we have to continue to build,” said Obama campaign manager Jim Messina.

Josh Mandel won’t tell you where he stands … Ohio – Support Sherrod Brown !

 

Our opponent, Josh Mandel, recently sat down for an interview with the Atlantic Monthly1. And he made a remark that really stood out.

 Defending his habit of dodging questions about his positions, he said:

“We don’t pretend to cast votes on all these different pieces of legislation going through Washington. You know, we leave that to Sherrod Brown and the other career politicians.”
But here’s the thing. You don’t have to be an elected official to know that it’s wrong to call a woman a “slut” just because she disagrees with you. You don’t have to be an elected official to know that President Obama did the right thing when he saved the auto industry and hundreds of thousands of Ohio jobs.

 Josh Mandel won’t say what he thinks about those — and many other — issues. Even worse, when the reporter asked whether Ohioans deserve to know where he stands, he said that “when I’m a U.S. Senator…they’ll know exactly what my position is.”

I know that you’re not an elected official — but I bet you have opinions on these issues. And if you want a Senator who isn’t afraid to tell you where he stands, it’s clear that there’s only one choice in this election. Stand with Sherrod by contributing $5 today!

 Frankly, Josh has it backwards. After all, in his current elected position, he has skipped every single meeting of an important state panel he was supposed to chair. In Josh’s world, you don’t have to tell people what you think until you’re elected — and then you don’t have to show up for work.

 That’s not how Sherrod treats his job. Sherrod’s always been proud to tell people where he stands — on the side of workers, on the side of women, on the side of Ohio’s manufacturers and small businesses. And whenever there’s a fight over the future of the middle class, Sherrod shows up to work hard for Ohio families.

I think Ohio can do better than Josh Mandel — someone who, according to the article, “quickly turns evasive or just blank on unfamiliar ground.” And if you agree, we need your support — will you give $5 or more now?

 You don’t have to be a “career politician” to know where you stand. And you don’t have to read between the lines to know where Sherrod stands.

 Thank you for helping us hold Josh Mandel accountable.

 Sarah Benzing
 Campaign Manager
 Friends of Sherrod Brown

Help me help Sherrod Brown … Al Franken

I’ve noticed something about the right-wing attack machine: Great progressives drive them absolutely nuts.

Sure, they’ll attack anyone who doesn’t agree that corporations are people, Social Security is a Ponzi scheme, and global warming is a hoax (that every legitimate scientist is in on).  But they really lose their minds when they encounter a true progressive who gets results for working families.

And they have gone positively crackers in their negative campaign against my friend Sherrod Brown, throwing everything they can at him — to the tune of more than $3.5 million in attack ads on Ohio T.V. already.

I’m helping Sherrod fight back — and you should, too.  His campaign has to raise $200,000 by the end of the month.  Can you knock $20 off that goal by clicking here right now?

I work with Sherrod a lot — and you’d be hard-pressed to find a more forceful advocate for the middle class.  Less raspy?  Maybe.  But more forceful?  No way.

That’s why the right-wing attack machine has zeroed in on Sherrod.  They can’t stand the idea that a guy who wears his progressive values on his sleeve not only gets to serve in the U.S. Senate, but gets things done there.  Sherrod’s won fights on behalf of working people his whole career — and if we want to win these fights in the future, we’d better make sure he keeps his seat in November.

Sherrod fights every day for the middle class.  I’m asking you to share that fight today — by clicking here to make a contribution to his campaign right now.

Every right-wing special interest group in Washington has Ohio’s Senate race at the top of their wish lists in 2012.  Sherrod really drives them berserk.  It’s one of my favorite things about him.

And the only thing that would drive these radicals crazier would be if we helped him overcome their attacks and win.

You know what to do — click here to help Sherrod’s campaign reach its $200,000 February goal right now!

Thanks for helping me help Sherrod keep driving the far right around the bend.

Al

P.S.: I have it on good authority that another thing that makes the right-wing attack machine flip out is when I include an extra “ask” in the P.S. of a fundraising email.  Seriously, they’re reading this right now and just freaking out — pounding on their desks, tearing out their hair, the whole deal.  And if you want to get them completely unglued, you could click here and prove that the “extra ask in the P.S.” trick works by donating $10 or more to Sherrod’s campaign right now!

DSCC Weekly , by Guy Cecil

The Republican War on Women Continues

Yesterday morning, House Republicans held a hearing on birth control and refused to include even one woman on the panel. And in the Senate, GOP leaders are backing the Blunt Amendment, which   would allow any employer to deny women basic contraception coverage for   any reason.  Once again, Republicans are proving that they are only interested in waging war on women.

Over 54,000 have already signed our petition, but we’re trying to get 100,000 to stand strong. Sign the petition »

Allen Embraces VA GOP’s ‘Personhood’ Amendment Pandering to the far right, George Allen issued a statement in support of extreme legislation that jeopardizes access to contraception and health care for Virginia women. Read more »

Sherrod Brown, Debbie Stabenow Up Double Digits Two polls released this week showed Michigan’s Debbie Stabenow and Ohio’s Sherrod Brown up double digits against their GOP challengers. A Quinnipiac poll showed Brown up 13 points, and a PPP poll showed Stabenow up at least 14 over each challenger. The Michigan survey showed that Pete Hoekstra’s controversial Super Bowl ad backfired terribly, with a plurality of voters saying they were turned off by the ad.

Hoekstra Takes Down Ad

After becoming a national punch line, Pete Hoekstra removed his infamous Super Bowl ad from Michigan airwaves. Now, Hoekstra is running a new spot blaming the media for the controversy. Meanwhile, his primary opponent is using the ad to outline Hoekstra’s terrible voting record on spending. Read more »

Spotlight: Scott Brown Trying to Block Access to Healthcare

In Massachusetts, Elizabeth Warren is taking issue with Scott Brown’s support for a GOP bill that would allow any employer to deny any health coverage for any reason. “It’s an assault on every family in Massachusetts,” Warren told the Boston Globe. “This would mean no one could count on basic health coverage.” Read more »

Top Action

Stop the Republican War on Women

It’s hard to believe that in the 21st century we have to fight for access to birth control, but that is the fact. Please stand with us: Add your name to our One Million Strong for Women campaign, and help us fight back against attacks on women’s health! Add your name »

Quick Hit Hide Show Fate of the Senate Even the ultra-conservative Weekly Standard agrees Democrats are looking strong. This week they lay out a long list of reasons why Senate Democrats are winning the fight to maintain their majority. Read more »

Nowhere else I’d rather be … Sarah Benzing

I knew when I came on as Sherrod’s campaign manager that this would be a tough fight. And, believe me – it’s not easy to plan a winning campaign when you’re facing a larger special interest spending gap than any other Democrat in the country.

But there’s nowhere else I’d rather be. The nearly $3,000,000 worth of attack ads Karl Rove and his pals have thrown at us already tell me that I’m working for the right guy – a true progressive who represents a real danger to the special interests’ monopoly on political power.

And small-dollar contributions from thousands of progressives like you tell me that we can win, no matter what the special interests have in store.

If you haven’t had a chance to help Sherrod win by making a contribution to our grassroots campaign, now’s a great time. And if you’ve given once, now’s a perfect time to double down on your support by giving again!

Like you, I’ve watched these powerful interests conspire to paralyze our government and hurt our middle class. I’ve watched them smear progressives and try to buy elections. I’ve watched them lie about our agenda and hide their own.

And let me tell you: It’s a privilege to be able to fight against them every single day on this campaign. Sherrod says he takes Karl Rove’s onslaught of attacks as a badge of honor. And none of us here at the campaign are afraid of a tough fight.

I hope I can count on you to share that same spirit – and I hope you’ll consider clicking here and making a contribution to make our campaign possible. Even $5 would help, so please give today!

There’s no one I’d rather be working for than Sherrod Brown. And I’m incredibly proud to be part of a campaign where we don’t back off our progressive values and we don’t back down when we’re attacked. But it’s your support that makes it all possible. And I hope you’re ready for this fight.

Please click here to give now!

Thanks for making this all possible.

Sarah Benzing Campaign Manager Friends of Sherrod Brown

a message from Patty Murray …join the march to reverse Citizens United

Great news – we’re nearly halfway to our goal of 100,000 Citizen Cosponsors to reverse Citizens United and fight Karl Rove’s unregulated attack dog politics. But we’re still missing your name!

Will you join us? We need 100,000 Citizens Cosponsors by Saturday – the second anniversary of Citizens United’s assault on our democracy. 

WWW.DSCC.ORG

Help us send a clear message to Karl Rove: We won’t look the other way while you use unregulated corporate cash to attack Tammy Baldwin and Sherrod Brown, destroy President Obama and seize complete control of Washington.

Sign on now, and fight back.

WWW.DSCC.ORG 

Patty Murray