(Article changed on March 30, 2014 at 00:48)
Last week Nate Silver gave his assessment that the Democrats had a 60% chance of losing the Senate in the next election. Considering the fact that Democratic leaders were bragging last time about how Silver always got it right, this is an ominous sign. Being in denial hasn't stopped global warming, and it won't work here either.
Something fundamental has got to change and fast, otherwise here is what is going to happen next: If the Republicans do take over the Senate on their platform, and if the Democrats try to filibuster, the next election cycle it will get even worse. And if Obama tries to veto, the Democratic presidential candidate in 2012 will be toast.
There is one and only one possibility for turning this dynamic around.
In 2010, a couple days after the opinion in the supreme court Citizen's United case, President Obama, in his State of the Union speech called for congress to act to reverse that decision. That means one and only one thing, a constitutional amendment to negate the sacrilege of corporate personhood. Of all the issues we have EVER worked on, this is the one that has gotten the most response.
There are actually two identical twin proposed joint resolutions on the table right now, S.J.Res.18 (in the Senate) and H.J.Res.21 (in the House), to do just that, but so far they only have a handful of cosponsors.
IF the Democrats in both chambers were to EN MASSE step up and cosponsor these resolutions, THEN they could go to the American people and say, "Elect more Democrats so we can reverse Citizens United." Oh, and by the way, this works at the STATE level too, because 3/4 of the states must ratify such a thing.
What we are talking about here is a generational opportunity to transform the legislatures of this country that would precipitate massive positive change in so many ways they are almost uncountable.
We get emails from both Democrats and Republicans in our own inbox, perhaps because the Republicans think we are the slightest bit interested in what they have to say. All we are getting from Democrats are incessant desperate pleas for campaign contributions, with apocalyptic titles like "Devastating Defeat." From the Republicans we get not a hint of fundraising solicitations, only Obamacare, Obamacare, Obamacare, and it's getting traction.
There is NO chance of the Democrats out fundraising the Republicans in his off year election. Their one and only hope to is to use the Republicans' obscene campaign spending against them, jiu jitsu style. And if the Democrats are too corrupt to wean themselves from their own corporate sponsors, that is exactly what will doom them in the first place.
Who will drag these mules to water?
It's got to start with you. You must pick up the phone right now, call your Democratic members of the Senate and House, and demand that they get a clue. And here is the most powerful way you can do it.
http://www.peaceteam.net/people_lobby.php
This means YOU . . . each and every person who is reading these words right now.
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