News Release

Netroots Nation 2009 Straw Poll Results

Toby Chaudhuri — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 12:22:23 -0400

PITTSBURGH, PA. – Progressive bloggers and activists are focused on pushing comprehensive health care reform this year and overwhelmingly support Rep. Joe Sestak, D-Pa., over Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa., for the Pennsylvania Democratic Senate nomination, according to a straw poll at this year’s Netroots Nation convention conducted by the Campaign for America’s Future and Democracy Corps.

Sixty percent of respondents said overhauling the nation’s health care system is one of their top two priorities. Fifty-three percent said they will not support a health care bill that does not include a public insurance option. Passing clean energy and environmental protection measures came in second with 22 percent.

President Clinton, former Gov. Howard Dean and White House senior advisor Valerie Jarrett all spoke this week at this year’s convention, which attracted more than 1,500 progressive bloggers and activists. Sen. Specter and Rep. Sestak both addressed the convention on Friday. Sen. Specter, who did not support a public health insurance option before, told the audience he supports it now.

In a match-up between the two candidates vying for the Pennsylvania Democratic Senate nomination, neither candidate reached 50 percent. A third remained undecided while 48 percent choose Rep. Sestak and 10 percent choose Sen. Specter. Rep Sestak was viewed more positively with a favorability rating of 46 compared to 15 for Sen. Specter.

President Obama received a 95 percent approval rating among the group. Not surprisingly, Sarah Palin was extremely unpopular with participants. Only 1 percent of attendees rated Palin favorably while 88 percent rated her unfavorably. Thirty-six percent rated Palin as the easiest Republican presidential nominee to defeat in 2012, followed by former Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., who was rated as easiest to beat by 20 percent, and Gov. Bobby Jindal, R-La., who was the choice of 12 percent.

This year’s convention marked the second year that Campaign for America’s Future and Democracy Corps conducted a straw poll at the Netroots Nation bloggers convention. More than 250 attendees participated in this year’s straw poll between Thursday, Aug. 13 and Friday, Aug. 14.

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**NOTE: An electronic copy of the straw poll results are available online at http://www.ourfuture.org/fact-sheets-briefs/2009083314/netroots-nation-straw-poll-health-care-no-1-issue.**

Statement of Campaign for America's Future Robert Borosage on the Bush Legacy

Rachel Perrone — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 14:50:11 -0500

Statement of Robert Borosage, co-director of the Campaign for American’s Future

George W. Bush is likely to be remembered only for his failures – for demonstrating, in no uncertain terms, the failure of modern conservatism. Handed all the reins of power – the White House, Congress, and to a large extent, the Supreme Court – conservative rule proved catastrophic.

George W. Bush embraced the bellicose unilateralism of the neo-conservatives, and undermined U.S. security in the worst foreign policy debacle since Vietnam – the war of choice in Iraq. Bush and Cheney scorned the Constitution to tout the “unitary executive,” and shredded the moral reputation of the US across the world in the torture committed at Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo and the CIA’s secret prisons.

Bush touted the supply doctrine of tax cuts uber alles, and created only greater debt, Gilded Age inequality and slow growth with stagnant wages. He championed the corporate “free trade” doctrines, and left the U.S. the world’s largest debtor, while American manufacturers suffered a decade-long recession. He celebrated deregulation and privatization, and watched as an unregulated banking system blew up the global economy with its speculative follies.

And now, at the end of this era of misrule, the costs are clear.

An economy in tatters, in the midst of the worst recession and the worst financial crisis since the 1930s.
$3 trillion squandered on the war in Iraq, which is now the second longest in American history (behind Vietnam), leaving more than 4,200 Americans dead, 30,000 wounded, and a military stretched to its limit.
Abuses of power that make Watergate look like a high school prank, including warrantless wiretapping, the politicization of the Justice Department, retribution against critics, and secret assertions of executive authority.
Unprecedented scorn for international law and human rights – every day we learn more about the torture of detainees at Guantanamo Bay, and the extraordinary rendition of individuals to countries that torture.
Rejection of science in the name of politics, misleading the public about global warming, endangered species, toxic chemicals, and consumer safety.
Refusal to protect Americans’ health, welfare, safety and legal rights by defunding or underfunding agencies charged with enforcing rules vital to keeping corporations accountable
A criminally slow response to Hurricane Katrina, our nation’s worst natural catastrophe in generations.
Gilded Age inequality, a declining middle class, and rising poverty – even when the economy was growing.

President Bush argues it is premature to judge his presidency. But history provides context, not whitewash. Inescapably, the presidency of George W. Bush – and the conservative policies that he pursued – will be ranked among the most calamitous in American history.

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MAJOR PROGRESSIVE AND LABOR LEADERS DEMAND CONDITIONS FOR DRASTIC FINANCIAL BAILOUT

Toby Chaudhuri — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

WASHINGTON – Major progressive, labor and consumer rights leaders joined forces today to demand important corrections to the Bush administration’s financial rescue proposal despite warnings from the administration’s top economists who got us into this mess.

The groups, representing more than 20 million Americans, sent a letter to members of Congress today urging them to require basic conditions before agreeing to any financial bailout request. The groups also announced that hundreds of events will be held across the country on Thursday to demand conditions on the bailout.

With a groundswell of opposition forming around the Bush administration’s $700 billion bailout request, Campaign for America’s Future co-director Robert Borosage said Congress must not write President Bush a blank check for $700 billion without conditions.

“The financial crisis won’t go away on its own and doing nothing is not an option. Neither is writing a blank check for $700 billion to the same folks who got us into this mess, especially without a clear system of oversight and accountability.” said Borosage. “This is common sense. If American taxpayers are asked to bail out the financial industry, at the very least, we deserve to know how our hard-earned money will be spent.”

Representatives from top progressive and labor groups-- including the Campaign for America’s Future, AFL-CIO, SEIU, AFSCME, AFT, NEA, ACORN, Alliance for Justice, Center for American Progress and Center for Community Change -- met at an emergency closed-door meeting yesterday to develop a statement of principles for bailing the American economy out of its financial woes.

The statement urges Congress to insist on public oversight and transparency, taxpayer protections and equity, regulations to ensure this doesn’t happen again, major public investments to support the economy, increased accountability for executives and directors and aid for homeowners who were misled by predatory lenders.

More than 35 leaders signed the statement, including Borosage, AFL-CIO president John Sweeney, SEIU president Andy Stern, AFSCME president Gerald McEntee, United Steelworkers president Leo Gerard, ACORN president Maude Hurd, Center for American Progress president John Podesta, Center for Community Change president Deepak Bhargava and USAction president William McNary.

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TEXT OF LETTER
DEMANDING BAILOUT CONDITIONS

A Call for Common Sense

Every man, woman, and child in America is now being told to ante up $2,000 – an estimated $700 billion in all – to bail out Wall Street’s recklessness, or the very people who created this crisis are telling us that they will bring down our entire economy.

The Treasury Department’s proposal that the Secretary be given essentially unlimited authority to spend $700 billion to bail out any financial institution across the world is irresponsible and unacceptable.

We urge the Congress to insist on some basic conditions for any bailout.

Public Oversight. This kind of power can never be centralized in a single individual – much less one who did not even stand for election. Any funds must be controlled by an independent entity, with consumers and workers given seats on its board. Congress should be empowered to name independent monitors and to approve all board members.

Protect the Taxpayer. The Treasury bill would have taxpayers buying paper that nobody else wants at prices far above its current value. If a firm wants to auction off its toxic paper to the US Government, taxpayers should get equity in that firm equal to any amount paid in excess of the paper’s value. This will deter profitable firms from using the government as a dumpster for their toxic paper. And it will insure that if the bailout works and the firms become profitable, taxpayers, not simply bankers, benefit from the upside.

Curb the casino. This crisis was caused because sensible regulations of the banking system that worked for dozens of years were dismantled or went unenforced. No bailout can go forward without requiring the necessary regulation to insure this does not happen again. Any institution, which receives assistance, should agree to come under a microscope going forward in terms of disclosure requirements, and it should have stringent capital requirement imposed upon it.

Invest in the real economy. Ending the bankers strike is not sufficient enough to avoid the recession into which we have been driven. Major public investment in new energy and conservation, rebuilding schools and infrastructure, extending unemployment and food stamps, helping states avoid crippling cuts in police and health services – is vital to get the real economy moving and put people back to work. No bailout should proceed without being linked to support for a major public investment plan to get the economy going.

Hold CEOs and Boards of Directors Accountable. Wall Street CEOs shouldn’t be pocketing millions while taxpayers are forced to bail them out. Any firm that applies for relief must agree to cancel all stock option programs and CEOs should have stringent limits placed on their compensation until the Company has repaid all taxpayer assistance.

Aid the victims, not just the predators. Both bankers and home owners made foolish bets that home prices would keep rising. Many homeowners, however, were misled by predatory lenders into taking mortgages that they didn’t understand and couldn’t afford. It would be simply obscene to help the predators and not those that they preyed upon. No bail out of the banks should take place without measures to help people in trouble stay in their homes. Explicit provisions should ensure use of the full array of financial and legal tools available to the government to stop foreclosures and restructure home mortgage loans for ordinary Americans, including amending the bankruptcy code to allow judges to modify mortgages. Where workouts are not feasible, people should be allowed to stay in their homes as renters.

--Robert Borosage, co-director, Campaign for America’s Future
--John Sweeney, president, AFL-CIO
--Andy Stern, president, Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
--Gerald McEntee, president, Am. Fed. of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
--Randi Weingarten, president, American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
--Larry Cohen, president, Communications Workers of America (CWA)
--Dennis Van Roekel, president, National Education Association (NEA)
--Leo Gerard, president, United Steelworkers (USW)
--Maude Hurd, national president, ACORN
--Nan Aron, president, Alliance for Justice
--Amy Issacs, national director, Americans for Democratic Action
--Kevin Zeese, executive director, Campaign for Fresh Air & Clean Politics
--John Podesta, president, Center for American Progress Action Fund
--Deepak Bhargava, president, Center for Community Change
--Deborah Weinstein, executive director, Coalition for Human Needs
--Donald Mathis, president, Community Action Partnership
--Jane Hamsher, firedoglake.com
--James D. Weill, president, Food Research & Action Center (FRAC)
--Brent Blackwelder, president, Friends of the Earth
--John Cavanagh, director, Institute for Policy Studies
--Sarita Gupta, executive director, Jobs with Justice
--Wade Henderson, president, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
--Carissa Picard, esq., president, Military Spouses for Change
--Sally Greenberg, executive director, National Consumers League
--Christine L. Owens, executive director, National Employment Law Project
--Gary Bass, executive director, OMB Watch
--Adam Lioz, program director, Progressive Future
--Joanne Carter, executive director, RESULTS
--William McNary, president, USAction
--Paula Brantner, executive director, Workplace Fairness
--Dan Cantor, executive director, Working Families Party
--Mark Lotwis, executive director, 21st Century Democrats

NEW AD QUESTIONS FINANCIAL BAILOUT WITHOUT CONDITIONS

Toby Chaudhuri — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

WASHINGTON – With people across the country calling for greater oversight of the Bush administration’s proposed $700 billion bailout of the financial markets, a new ad in The New York Times and on several blogs today asks pointed questions that need to be answered before Congress hands the administration massive amounts of taxpayer money and unlimited power.

The ad features an extortion note with cut-out letters that read, “Give us $85 billion or the economy gets whacked.” The ad goes on to expose the latest reality in the financial crises: “It turns out that last week’s emergency bailout of once-mighty AIG was chump change. Now Wall Street is extorting another $700 billion from the taxpayers to cover their losses.”

The ad, called “Banksters Run Amok,” is the second in a seven-part ad campaign series sponsored by the Institute for America’s Future that encourages Americans to demand a real debate focused on “seven national crises that won’t wait.” This week’s ad focuses on the Bush administration’s “fast track” proposals in response to the possible meltdown of the U.S. financial system triggered by the mortgage crisis.

Campaign for America’s Future co-director Robert Borosage said that the real heist occurred decades ago when conservatives in power deregulated the financial system.

“Americans deserve a full accounting of how we got into this financial mess,” said Borosage. “Conservatives destroyed commonsense rules of the road allowing financiers to make billions playing with our system. These huge sums spent to cover bad bets could’ve been used to make America better.”

The ad raises three basic concerns surrounding the bailout. It points to the need for oversight in return for rescuing the banks. It also raises questions about the corruptive influence of Wall Street money on our politicians and justification for bailing out bankers rather than spending valuable taxpayer dollars on helping average Americans who need it most.

Each ad in the series seeks to provoke widespread discussion of major challenges facing the country. Leaders of the Institute are urging people to take the ads to public meetings, church groups and civic associations – to demand the debate the country needs.

The first ad outlined how the American dream is slipping out of reach for more and more families. Other ads in the series will focus on our soaring global debt, broken health care system, collapsing public infrastructure, the looming global warming challenge, increasing robber baron corruption and the seemingly endless occupation of Iraq and the war on terror.

The full text of this week’s ad follows:

BANKSTERS RUN AMOK
>#2 In A Series
A Debate Worthy of a Great Nation in Trouble

“Give us $85 billion of the economy gets whacked.”

It turns out that last week’s emergency bailout of once-mighty AIG was chump change. Now Wall Street is extorting another $700 billion from the taxpayers to cover their losses.

And like AIG, Bear, Fannie and Freddie, their brink of disaster plea is conveyed to the Feds as a dire threat, almost a ransom note: “Save us or we’ll take everyone down with us! We’re too big to fail!

These huge sums spent to cover bad bets could have been used to make America better—fix a broken health care system, end our addiction to oil, rebuild a country that’s falling apart. Instead we’re forced to bail out the banks to keep a credit meltdown from laying waste to the real economy.

Finance is too important to be left to the bankers. Our grandfathers learned that lesson in the Great Depression. But over the last thirty years Wall Street money and market fundamentalism took over Washington, disarming the cop on the financial beat. Now we’re paying the price for that folly.

3 Basic questions for the debate

What serious regulation of Wall Street banking practices must we demand in return for rescuing the banks?

Wall Street is a monster donor to both major parties. How can we trust any promise to crack down on these miscreants from politicians who compete for their contributions?

Rather than just bailing out bankers, shouldn’t we be helping the folks they victimized – freezing home foreclosures, renegotiating mortgages, reviving usury laws to cap predatory interest rates, investing public money in the real economy and putting people to work?

INSTITUTE FOR AMERICA’S FUTURE
>for more go to www.ourfuture.org

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**NOTE: To obtain an electronic copy of the “Banksters Run Amok” ad, background information and additional resources, please visit www.ourfuture.org.**

NOTING THE FAILURE TO RESPOND TO HURRICANE KATRINA, NEW TV AD TELLS REPUBLICANS “THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES”

Toby Chaudhuri — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

ST. PAUL, MINN. – When Republican delegates check-in to their hotel rooms in St. Paul this week, they will receive a “thank you” message on their televisions. An ad called “Thanks For The Memories,” produced by Campaign for America’s Future, will broadcast unforgettable moments from the last eight years that conservatives wish the country would forget.

With Hurricane Gustav on the nation’s mind, the ad reminds viewers of the bungled response to Hurricane Katrina. It also highlights skyrocketing gas prices, soaring home foreclosures, the infamous “mission accomplished" banner and tells conservatives, “You’ve done a heckuva job!”

The ad begins playing this week in 365,000 hotel rooms across the country. The spot is available for viewing at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBJpXS09Mdo. Text of the Campaign for America’s Future ad follows:

“THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES”
TV:30

AUDIO: [“Thanks for the memories” music.]

ON-SCREEN: [In old-style cursive script,]

“To the conservatives gathered in St. Paul: …”

“Thanks for the memories...”

[Old film format, dusty, scratchy and flickering.]

AUDIO: [Music lyrics, “…nothing in my purse … the chuckles when the preacher said, for better or for worse …”]

ON-SCREEN: ["Welcome to New Orleans" sign flooded by Hurricane Katrina.

Gas pump meter hitting record prices.

Foreclosure lawn sign in front of people’s homes.

"Mission Accomplished" banner on military ship.]

ON-SCREEN: “You've done a heckuva job!”

ON-SCREEN: [In bold, modern lettering,]

“WE’LL TAKE IT FROM HERE.”

ON-SCREEN: [Photos of people who work for a living – factory worker, doctor with toddler, servicemen, fire fighters, teacher with student … and public goods -- construction of windmills, bridges and homes.]

ON-SCREEN: “OURFUTURE.ORG”

“PAID FOR BY CAMPAIGN FOR AMERICA’S FUTURE”

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**NOTE: An electronic copy of the ad is available at www.ourfuture.org. Media representatives interested in a DVD or beta copy of the ad should contact Jennifer Ettinger or Toby Chaudhuri at 202-955-5665 or jettinger@ourfuture.org. **

WAR ROOM OPERATION TO TRACK CHANGES IN ECONOMY; DELIVER TALKING POINTS AND SOLUTIONS

Toby Chaudhuri — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

WASHINGTON – The Campaign for America’s Future launched an economic war room today to help frame the ongoing debate as the economy changes at an increasing pace and continues to get worse for millions of Americans. The operation will deliver daily poll-tested talking points to candidates, elected officials, talk show hosts, columnists, bloggers, labor leaders, activists and others, tying the latest research by think tanks like the EPI Policy Center to the latest opinion research by top strategists.

Campaign for America’s Future co-director Robert Borosage said the alerts will include a set of persuasive facts and arguments on key issues, linking to a comprehensive analysis of solutions to economic problems on people’s minds.

“The change in the economy has been abrupt and serious,” said Borosage. “Economic issues are obviously on everyone’s mind, so it’s important to understand what is happening and to have messages that can move people. Our effort provides real policy alternatives to the political messaging already out there.”

Democratic pollster Celinda Lake and Drew Westen, an Emory University professor who has studied the way Americans think about issues and make decisions, are advising Borosage on messages they have tested and measured for impact. Lake and Westen joined Borosage on a conference call with reporters today to launch the messaging project.

Lake said on today’s call that Americans are increasingly convinced the country is on the edge of a recession and that Washington is not responding adequately.

“Economic problems are creating deep discontent across America,” said Lake. “The American Dream is slipping away and people want leaders to focus on kitchen-table issues like jobs, education, health care, housing and retirement. They are to ready to support our ideas if we present our values and policy solutions in a compelling way.”

Westen said Americans, whether Democratic or Republican, are persuaded more by emotions and values than by a laundry list of issues so policy arguments must be linked to broader themes to connect with them.

“Progressives typically bombard people with a laundry list of issues and policy positions, while conservatives offer them emotionally compelling appeals, whether to their values or prejudices,” said Westen. “The war room is designed to change that.”

The need for the economic war room became clear when the Campaign for America’s Future met with dozens of elected officials and progressive leaders to discuss economic messaging. The group found that opinion leaders were better versed at political messages but less so on solutions and effective ways of communicating them. To fill that gap, more than 3,000 federal- and state-elected officials and 3,000 activists are already receiving alerts from the economic war room.

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**NOTE: Media representatives interested in more details about the economic war room should visit www.ourfuture.org/makingsense. Anyone interested in receiving real-time alerts, may do so by signing up on the website.**

SOCIAL SECURITY PRIVATIZATION COULD FORCE THOUSANDS ACROSS THE COUNTRY INTO POVERTY

Toby Chaudhuri — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Social Security privatization, embraced by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., would cut guaranteed benefits for thousands of future retirees by thousands of dollars, according to a new state-specific report released today by the research arm of the Campaign for America’s Future. Today’s report shows that more than 8.6 million older Americans would have a greater risk of falling into poverty, each losing more than $240,000 over the course of their lifetimes, by the time a privatization plan like the one supported by Sen. McCain and President Bush is fully implemented.

Campaign for America’s Future co-director Roger Hickey, whose organization has worked to defend and strengthen Social Security for more than a decade, said the popular program is at risk again.

“Social Security is very popular across the country, but its guaranteed benefits are in the national crossfire again,” said Hickey. “Sen. McCain has been very clear about his plans to push privatization again despite the public backlash President Bush faced when he pushed his scheme a few years ago. The conservative ideologues just won’t stop trying to privatize Social Security.”

48.5 million Americans depend on their earned Social Security benefit every month, according to the Social Security Administration. Thousands of businesses and state governments also depend on the program. More than $580.5 billion flows into the U.S. economy from Social Security each year.

Diverting a portion of payroll taxes into risky private accounts could force many people below the poverty line. More than 36.4 million Americans currently live in poverty, according to the U.S. Census. Meanwhile, 7.9 million individuals depend on their guaranteed Social Security benefits for 90 percent or more of their income. The average Social Security check for individual retirees is $1,088 per month; it takes $867 per month to stay above the federal poverty line. These Social Security recipients would be close to the edge and vulnerable to rising food, housing and energy costs.

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**NOTE: Media representatives interested in copies of today's state-specific Social Security reports should visit www.ourfuture.org/privatization. **

SOCIAL SECURITY PRIVATIZATION
STATE-SPECIFIC BREAKDOWN

(State; number of beneficiaries; average Social Security benefit; statewide income from Social Security; number of people living in poverty; number of additional people who could be forced into poverty with privatization; total benefit that could be lost with privatization)

--Alabama; 934,000; $1,041; $10.5 billion; 742,000; 194,000; $162,000
--Alaska; 68,000; $1,031; $774.1 million; 70,000; 7,000; $249,000
--Arizona; 959,000; $1,102; $11.8 billion; 857,000; 130,000; $204,000
--Arkansas; 588,000; $1,013; $6.5 billion; 471,000; 107,000; $117,000
--California; 4,571,000; $1,076; $54.4 billion; 4,690,000; 970,000; $312,000
--Colorado; 616,000; $1,062; $7.3 billion; 556,000; 94,000; $262,000
--Connecticut; 592,000; $1,179; $7.8 billion; 280,000; 78,000; $391,000
--Delaware; 157,000; $1,143; $2 billion; 91,000; 17,000; $286,000
--Florida; 3,477,000; $1,074; $41.7 billion; 2,226,000; 668,000; $180,000
--Georgia; 1,305,000; $1,056; $15.1 billion; 1,333,000; 217,000; $229,000
--Hawaii; 207,000; $1,067; $2.5 billion; 116,000; 20,000; $184,000
--Idaho; 240,000; $1,054; $2.8 billion; 180,000; 51,000; $118,000
--Illinois; 1,921,000; $1,117; $23.8 billion; 1,539,000; 354,000; $286,000
--Indiana; 1,097,000; $1,135; $13.6 billion; 777,000; 145,000; $183,000
--Iowa; 558,000; $1,076; $6.7 billion; 316,000; 82,000; $140,000
--Kansas; 457,000; $1,104; $5.6 billion; 330,000; 87,000; $157,000
--Kentucky; 827,000; $1,024; $9.1 billion; 693,000; 143,000; $158,000
--Louisiana; 735,000; $1,007; $7.9 billion; 793,000; 192,000; $147,000
--Maine; 280,000; $1,000; $3.1 billion; 165,000; 62,000; $141,000
--Maryland; 786,000; $1,097; $9.6 billion; 428,000; 104,000; $282,000
--Massachusetts; 1,080,000; $1,087; $13 billion; 620,000; 179,000; $363,000
--Michigan; 1,802,000; $1,165; $22.9 billion; 1,331,000; 237,000; $264,000
--Minnesota; 814,000; $1,088; $9.9 billion; 491,000; 149,000; $254,000
--Mississippi; 559,000; $1,000; $6 billion; 592,000; 111,000; $96,000
--Missouri; 1,089,000; $1,063; $12.7 billion; 769,000; 202,000; $190,000
--Montana; 176,000; $1,027; $2 billion; 125,000; 38,000; $87,000
--Nebraska; 295,000; $1,062; $3.5 billion; 197,000; 59,000; $137,000
--Nevada; 362,000; $1,085; $4.4 billion; 253,000; 71,000; $203,000
--New Hampshire; 231,000; $1,114; $2.9 billion; 102,000; 39,000; $235,000
--New Jersey; 1,388,000; $1,190; $18.4 billion; 741,000; 154,000; $366,000
--New Mexico; 327,000; $1,010; $3.6 billion; 353,000; 70,000; $137,000
--New York; 3,097,000; $1,137; $38.8 billion; 2,662,000; 548,000; $383,000
--North Carolina; 1,587,000; $1,064; $18.6 billion; 1,261,000; 318,000; $184,000
--North Dakota; 116,000; $1,004; $1.3 billion; 69,000; 24,000; $95,000
--Ohio; 1,992,000; $1,090; $23.8 billion; 1,486,000; 332,000; $207,000
--Oklahoma; 657,000; $1,038; $7.5 billion; 587,000; 121,000; $125,000
--Oregon; 643,000; $1,087; $7.8 billion; 480,000; 105,000; $199,000
--Pennsylvania; 2,456,000; $1,111; $30.1 billion; 1,448,000; 379,000; $230,000
--Rhode Island; 193,000; $1,080; $2.3 billion; 114,000; 30,000; $215,000
--South Carolina; 822,000; $1,066; $9.6 billion; 656,000; 184,000; $145,000
--South Dakota; 144,000; $999; $1.6 billion; 102,000; 36,000; $92,000
--Tennessee; 1,139,000; $1,058; $13.1 billion; 952,000; 197,000; $182,000
--Texas; 3,102,000; $1,050; $35.4 billion; 3,868,000; 718,000; $236,000
--Utah; 290,000; $1,087; $3.5 billion; 265,000; 53,000; $154,000
--Vermont; 117,000; $1,075; $1.4 billion; 62,000; 19,000; $160,000
--Virginia; 1,180,000; $1,071; $13.9 billion; 708,000; 181,000; $250,000
--Washington; 982,000; $1,122; $12.2 billion; 736,000; 133,000; $265,000
--West Virginia; 424,000; $1,065; $4.9 billion; 307,000; 79,000; $125,000
--Wisconsin; 980,000; $1,108; $12.1 billion; 591,000; 169,000; $181,000
--Wyoming; 84,000; $1,075; $1 billion; 46,000; 18,000; $130,000

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NEW VIDEO CALLS HEALTH INSURANCE INDUSTRY’S BLUFF

Toby Chaudhuri — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

WASHINGTON – The health care industry is blatantly failing to deliver on its promise to listen to people’s ideas about how to create high-quality care for every American, according to a new Internet video produced by the Campaign for America’s Future for a coalition of hundreds of groups working to fix our nation’s broken health care system.

As part of the insurance industry’s new “listening tour,” the industry-funded Coalition for An American Health Care Solution launched a hotline for individuals to share ideas about how to improve and expand the health care system. Unfortunately, calls to the hotline go straight to an answering machine. In response, the Internet video asks, “What else would you expect from the health care industry?”

The video was produced for the Health Care for America Now coalition, which was launched last month. Between now and Election Day, the groups plans to spend $25 million in paid media and have 100 organizers in 45 states.

# # #

**NOTE: To view the Internet video, please visit http://tinyurl.com/6o6fep.**

“CALLING THEIR BLUFF”
Internet Video - 50 sec.

ONSCREEN: The health insurance companies say they want to hear from you… They’ve even launched a hotline for you to share your input… Call now! 1-800-289-1136. They say they want to listen to your thoughts on health care. [Dial tone, phone dials number.] Oh Really?

MESSAGE MACHINE: Thank you for calling the Coalition for an American Health Care Solution. No one is available to take your call right now, so please leave your name phone number and a short message.

CALLER: Hey, this is Bob from Detroit. This is the fifth time I’ve called you today. I’ve heard you’ve started some listening tour. But if you really want to listen, pick up the phone.

ONSCREEN: What else would you expect from the health care industry? Fight Back. HealthCareForAmericaNow.org Produced by Campaign for America’s Future.

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THE RIGHT-WING BLOCK-AND-BLAME STRATEGY IS THE REAL STORY OF THE 110TH CONGRESS, REPORT SAYS

Toby Chaudhuri — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

WASHINGTON – Republicans in Congress, working in concert with the White House, organized a deliberate political strategy to sabotage the Democratic majority in Congress as it responded to a mandate to solve major problems facing the nation, according to a new report released today by the Campaign for America’s Future. With the American public registering overwhelming disapproval of the job Congress is doing, the facts in today’s report show that Republicans are to blame.

Campaign for America’s Future co-director Robert Borosage said that the reputation of the Congress would be very different had the Republican minority and President Bush not orchestrated a systematic campaign of obstruction to bottle up any progress.

“Now this is sort of like knee-capping the postman and then complaining that the mail is late,” said Borosage. “As Republicans posture about the do-nothing Congress, it's worth remembering that much would have gotten done had they not been in the way.”

The report shows that the Republican strategy forced a record number of cloture votes — 94 so far — that require a super-majority of sixty votes to end filibusters. This was reinforced by more than 119 veto threats by President Bush, essentially repealing majority rule. Never before has an ideological minority obstructed so many important measures from becoming law.

If Republicans had not adopted this strategy, majorities in both the House and the Senate favored passage of the following:

--WAR IN IRAQ: Setting a date certain to bring the occupation of Iraq to an end, freeing up the $12 billion a month in direct costs (almost a half-billion dollars a day) for vital needs here at home, and insuring that soldiers are guaranteed adequate rest and recovery between deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan;

--ENERGY: Investing billions in renewable energy sources and energy efficiency, creating green-collar jobs, and paying for it by repealing subsidies for oil companies already pocketing the greatest profits in recorded history;

--HEALTH CARE: Providing health care for millions of children of working and poor families, giving them with a chance for a healthy start to life, and saving seniors tens of billions of dollars in prescription drug prices by empowering Medicare to negotiate bulk purchase discounts.

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**NOTE: An electronic copy of the report is available at www.ourfuture.org/obstruction.**

McCAIN WOULD DRIVE UP HEALTH CARE COSTS FOR FAMILIES, WHILE BENEFITING HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANIES

Toby Chaudhuri — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:00:00 -0400

WASHINGTON – Sen. John McCain’s health care plan would dismantle the employer-provided system that covers more than 60 percent of non-elderly Americans and drive up health care costs, according to experts responding to the announcement of his proposal today. An average family could see their health care costs as much as double under the McCain health care plan, according to an analysis by the Campaign for America’s Future.

Campaign for America’s Future co-director Roger Hickey, one of the leaders of a new coalition of groups working to fix the broken health care system, said that Sen. McCain’s plan would tax the health care premiums employers pay for their workers, encouraging most companies to stop providing any coverage. Hickey noted that instead of lowering costs, this would force millions of Americans to buy more expensive coverage with inadequate tax credits, greatly increasing the number of families who can’t afford quality care.

“John McCain’s plan must’ve been written by the insurance companies. It leaves them in more control of America’s health care system than ever before,” said Hickey. “John McCain wants us all to buy insurance not as part of a group – like an employee group or a co-op – that can negotiate for better coverage at lower premiums, but as individuals, at the mercy of the private insurance companies. It would leave millions of people with worse coverage, more chronic health problems and higher levels of health cost-driven bankruptcies.”

Most people, even those with good insurance, don’t get the health care they need, contributing to rising health costs. Sen. McCain, however, believes that the problem with health care is that Americans have too much insurance and that if consumers pay for it out of their own pockets, they will in turn force hospitals and insurance companies to become more efficient.

Dr. Jacob Hacker, a professor at Yale University and the author of the “Health Care for America” plan, which Sens. Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John Edwards used as the basis for their health care proposals, disagrees with McCain’s fundamental premise. Hacker said the real problem is rising health care costs and declining coverage.

“McCain’s proposal doesn’t address either of these problems in a serious way,” said Hacker. “The real problem for most Americans isn’t just less coverage. It’s that they risk losing coverage or they can’t get coverage when they’re unhealthy, particularly in the individual market. McCain’s proposal does nothing to provide that kind of broader health security.”

AFL-CIO political director Karen Ackerman joined Hickey and Hacker on a conference call with reporters today and announced details of a new campaign to explain the devastating effects of Sen. McCain’s health care plan to millions of voters nationwide. The AFL-CIO campaign will include a massive national canvass to 200,000 union households on Saturday, May 17.

“While those with pre-existing conditions simply will have an even harder time finding health care than they do now, insurance companies -- and John McCain’s friends who lobby for them -- stand to make a killing,” said Ackerman. “Working families need a fresh vision and new direction to turn around our country. So far, Sen. McCain has provided neither. We’re working hard to make sure Sen. McCain hears the voices of working families.”

In early March, the AFL-CIO launched a major effort to educate voters about Sen. McCain’s economic record and plans, pressuring him at every campaign event he holds, including this week’s health care events in Florida, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Ohio and Colorado. In the coming weeks, the AFL-CIO will focus on 13 million union voters in 23 battleground states, educating them on exactly who stands to benefit from Sen. McCain’s health care proposals, communicating with voters at the worksite, the doorstep, on the phone, through the mail and online.

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HEALTH CARE COSTS BACKGROUND

$11,765	Average premium cost of the most popular employer-based plan last year [Kaiser Family Foundation]
$5,000	Tax credit for a family under the McCain plan [johnmccain.com]
$6,765	Average additional yearly cost per family under the McCain plan [Campaign for America’s Future]
$3,226	Average amount per worker employers paid for premiums last year [Kaiser Family Foundation]

News Release

**Netroots Nation 2009 Straw Poll Results**

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NEW VIDEO CALLS HEALTH INSURANCE INDUSTRY’S BLUFF

THE RIGHT-WING BLOCK-AND-BLAME STRATEGY IS THE REAL STORY OF THE 110TH CONGRESS, REPORT SAYS

McCAIN WOULD DRIVE UP HEALTH CARE COSTS FOR FAMILIES, WHILE BENEFITING HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANIES

Netroots Nation 2009 Straw Poll Results