STIMULUS TO FAIL

Dear MoveOn member,
This week, the Senate will vote on President Obama's economic stimulus plan—with historic investments in green jobs, health care, and education to get our economy back on track.

But right now, the stimulus doesn't have the votes to pass.1 Republicans and conservative Democrats are teaming up to strip out the good stuff—college loan assistance, health research, tax cuts for poor folks, and more—in favor of more tax cuts for corporations.2 If they don't get their way, they'll block the plan.

Last week, not a single Republican in the House voted for Obama's plan—they didn't think voters would ever hold them accountable. That's why we're asking folks to pledge now to help run ads after the vote letting the public know where key senators—both Republican and Democrat—came down on the bill. We need to get started now, so politicians and the media know their constituents are paying attention.

Can you pledge now to make sure senators know that voters will hold them accountable for their vote? You won't need your credit card—just let us know how much you'd like to pledge:

Pledge $25

Pledge $50

Pledge $100

Pledge $200

Pledge another amount

President Obama's plan isn't perfect, but it's mostly pretty great:

Millions of green jobs to double our clean energy production in three years.3
Affordable health care for the unemployed.4
The biggest investment in education since World War II—enough to "avert literally hundreds of thousands of teacher layoffs."5
This is just the opposite of the bank bailout.

But senators from both parties think their constituents aren't paying attention or are confused about what's at stake. That's why they need to know MoveOn members are ready to run ads telling voters whose side they're on.

If they vote to support the recovery plan, we'll run ads letting voters know they stood with Obama to create badly needed jobs. And if they oppose it, we'll make sure voters know that they're standing in the way of economic help for the rest of us.

Pledging today to run ads about how senators vote could change the outcome in the Senate. Click here to make your pledge:
http://pol.moveon.org/pledge09/?id=15472-3814003-ERR1tOx&t=8

Thanks for all you do.

–Noah, Lenore, Marika, Tanya and the rest of the team

Sources:
1. "GOP leaders doubt stimulus bill will pass Senate," Associated Press, February 1, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51126&id=15472-3814003-ERR1tOx&t=9

2. "Sen. Conrad: 'I'd have a very hard time voting' for recovery package as it stands," ThinkProgress, January 30, 2009
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/01/30/conrad-stimulus/

"Nelson 'Undecided' On Recovery Plan: 'I Don't Even Know How Many Democrats Will Vote For It As It Stands'," ThinkProgress, January 30, 2009
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/01/30/nelson-stimulus-bill/

3. "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act," Speaker Nancy Pelosi, January 27, 2009
http://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/legislation?id=0273

4. Ibid.

5. "Stimulus Plan Would Provide Flood of Aid to Education," The New York Times, January 27, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/28/education/28educ.html

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