Going Bigger

Dear MoveOn member,

Yesterday, Republicans on the Senate Intelligence Committee voted not to investigate President Bush's illegal wiretapping program.1 It's a good reminder why it is so important to win in November—we need Congress to hold the president accountable, not let him off the hook.

So, today, we're launching a new advertising campaign to take back Congress by saturating TV for three months in five Republican districts. It's a key part of our now bigger plan to win in November—and stop the Bush agenda.

We'll be showing you the ads as they come out, but we need to raise $500,000 this week to get the $2 million program going. Acting early is key: our impact now will multiply over the next 8 months. Can you contribute $15 to make this happen?

http://political.moveon.org/donate/06march2.html?id=6998-6730547-4dLoX8tG8B1qM.46C.eRAw&t=2

This year is our best opportunity yet to win back the House—and put progressives in a position to check President Bush's power (more on that tomorrow). Democratic control of a branch of government would entirely change the political dynamic. We'd actually be able to move forward on issues like health care, energy independence, and getting out of Iraq.

And looking at the poll numbers, it's clear the public is ready for a change, too:

* President Bush's approval numbers hit new lows—34% in the CBS/New York Times poll.2

* Americans want a change of direction in Washington—64% say the country is headed in the wrong direction.3

* Voters prefer Democrats over Republicans—53% to 39% according to Gallup polling.4

Now we've got to drive this opportunity home. There are three points to the strategy for the new ad program:

* Make more elections competitive. Right now, about 30 House seats are considered "competitive." We'll need to increase that number if we want to win. Our program will focus on five House districts where we could win, but where voters haven't totally made the connection between their Republican member of Congress and the mess in Washington. By moving these second-tier races, we'll have more chances at victory.

* Show that when we stand up and fight, we can win. Our ads will focus on progressive concerns like energy independence and the Republican cuts to social programs. By demonstrating that these issues make an impact, we can shape the conventional wisdom about what works—and encourage Democrats to stand up and fight.

* Scientific testing. We're not just going to throw any old TV ad up on the air. Being geeky, we've developed a method for scientifically testing ads to make sure the ads resonate with voters. Along the way, we'll be polling in these districts—so we know precisely what kind of impact we're having together.

We know Republicans will be desperate to keep control of Congress. They plan to throw everything they've got at the election and that's why our bigger election plan is so important—putting them on defense first. Can you contribute today?

http://political.moveon.org/donate/06march2.html?id=6998-6730547-4dLoX8tG8B1qM.46C.eRAw&t=3

The best chance we have to stop the Bush agenda is the election this coming November and everything is on the line. Please contribute today.

Thanks for all you do.

–Tom, Joan, Eli, Jennifer and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team
Wednesday, March 8th, 2006

Sources

1. "Senate Panel Blocks Eavesdropping Probe," The Washington Post, March 8, 2006.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=1530

2. The Polling Report, Summary of Bush Job Ratings, March 8, 2006.
http://www.pollingreport.com/BushJob.htm

3. The Polling Report, Direction of the Country, March 8, 2006.
http://www.pollingreport.com/right.htm

4. The Polling Report, Election 2006, March 8, 2006.
http://www.pollingreport.com/2006.htm#misc

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