Ice cream is
delicious. This is disgusting.
Move On member,
From Ben Cohen,
co-founder of Ben & Jerry's ice cream—but today I'm writing about something
that leaves a foul taste in my mouth: money in politics.
Jeb Bush has raised
so much money that he's told his billionaire donors to give no more than $1
million now and save the rest for later—and he's going to let his Super PAC run
his campaign.1,2 The billionaire Koch brothers have pledged $100 million to the
candidates they support, likely including Governor Scott Walker's run for
president.3,4 While Ted Cruz raised $4 million in a few days, he helped his
Super PAC raise $31 million.5 And Hillary Clinton is planning on raising
$200-300 million for Super PACs that back her—in addition to $2.5 billion for
her own campaign.6
This system is
disgusting. It's proof that our democracy is more awash in political spending
than ever. It's a reminder that the richest 1%, corporations, and their
lobbyists are going to own these elections—and that pushes the rest of us to
the sidelines.
Fortunately,
MoveOn's 8 million members are doing something about this—and I know, because
I'm a MoveOn member, and I see the meaningful, long-term work MoveOn is doing
to overturn Citizens United.
Which is why I'm
writing today: Will you join me in supporting MoveOn's efforts to overturn
Citizens United and combat its impact? If you donate $10 or more, my friends
from MoveOn will send you a stamp that you can use to legally stamp your own
dollar bills with this simple message: "Amend the Constitution—Stamp Money
Out Of Politics."
1. "Jeb Bush
asks donors to limit gifts to $1 million," Morningstar, March 4,
2015
2. "The robots
are here: Jeb Bush and the first super PAC-run campaign," The Washington
Post, April 21, 2015
3. "Koch-backed
network aims to spend nearly $1 billion in run-up to 2016," The Washington
Post, January 26, 2015
4. "Scott
Walker Is King of Kochworld," Bloomberg Politics, February 17, 2015
5. "Network of
'Super PACs' Says It Has Raised $31 Million for Ted Cruz," The New York
Times, April 8, 2015
6. "Hillary
Clinton Embraces a 'Super PAC,' Trying to Erode a Republican Edge," The
New York Times, May 6, 2015
7. The Stamp
Stampede, accessed May 12, 2015