We are Liberty and Freedom loving, grassroots, non partisan, political activists. We believe in the founding principles of our founding fathers and are dedicated to restoring our great Republic to the Limited, Constitutional government that was once the envy of the world. Join us!
We have our monthly meetings on the second saturday of every month at 10:00 a.m. They are held at the City Island Library in Daytona Beach, FL. Thanks to Campbell Douglass for arranging that with the Libraries. View the blogs posted here to see what we have been doing here in Volusia county, FL.
Thanks to everyone who participate in our meetings regularly and everyone that has shown up for all the various events. Obviously we can't make them all but the effort put forth by everyone so far has been tremendous.
We would also like to welcome new arrivals to C4L and encourage them to participate in our meetings and events. We are not just talking, we are going out there and getting it done. We would like you to join us. New members can also view some orientation youtube videoes on the Forum here. They are great for learning the various functions and navigational features of the C4L web site.
Also, anyone who is not a Local Coordinator I would like to ask you to consider it? The Local Coordinator (LC) is the most important position in our organization. The Local Coordinator is the one spreading the message of C4L in their local communities and precincts. The Local Coordinator is the one actively recruiting new members, new LC's, and possible candidates for local offices that believe in the message of Liberty and the U.S. Constitution. For thorough explanation of the importance of a Local Coordinator please read the blog "What is a Local Coordinator".
Join Volusia County Campaign For Liberty on Facebook.
Volusia County Newspapers/ websites: Submitting Letters to the Editor and responding to editorials are a good way to spread the Campaign for Liberty message and it's free!
Reoccurring events to promote Campaign for Liberty and get petition signatures: Reoccuring events for promoting the C4L, new member outreach, and to collect petition signatures on any issue.
Volusia Patriots: Volusia Patriots has a good calender of events inside and outside of Volusia for going to and getting petition signatures, meeting like minded people, and new member outreach. View their calender of events here.
Volusia 912 Project: No matter what you think of Glenn Beck he reaches millions every night and his 912 project is a good place to find like minded individuals. They have an events calender here and regular meetings here. Don't try to convert them to C4L members just try and make friends with them so we can work together on issues that both parties are concerned about.
Note: Volusia County Campaign for Liberty, and Campaign for Liberty, do not necessarily agree with or endorse any of the above organizations and is in no way responsible for their content or subject matter. These are intended as second party resources ONLY!
When C4L made Audit the Fed (AtF) our main legislative priority for the 111th Congress, we had an uncertain road in front of us. After all, auditing the Federal Reserve wasn't exactly a typical mainstream topic of conversation.
Our members went to local events, knocked on doors, stood with signs, and did everything they could to collect petitions. We also held a Mass Action Event, where people called, faxed, emailed, and showed up to meet their representatives in support of Audit the Fed.
The Daily Caller is running a piece today on the Tea Party's support for the Audit, which includes interviews with FreedomWorks and Tea Party Patriots leaders. In 2009, we set up AudittheFed.com as a one stop shop where those interested could sign the petition, view the cosponsors, learn about the audit, see the coalition, and spread the word! We were proud to be able to assemble a diverse, bipartisan coalition in support of such critical legislation and to have so many groups join us in this fight. A fight that Ron Paul has been waging for over 30 years.
One point in the article needs clarification. Author Matthew Boyle writes: (emphasis ours)
Paul introduced legislation in early 2009 pushing for more accountability at the Fed, but it hasn't yet garnered enough support to get through Congress....
Audit the Fed rose above the divide our nation has seen on so many issues to become a common sense effort supported by 80% of Americans.
It's incredible to think of how far we have come, even to the point where Dr. Paul recently appeared on a major network to discuss completely ending the Fed - a proposition that has never been given serious consideration until the freedom movement took action.
Together, we have achieved- and will continue to achieve- great things.
Score one for the good guys. Here's the story from MarketWatch:
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - The Federal Reserve will be required to identify the names of banks that could have collapsed if not for the central bank's emergency lending, a federal appeals court said Friday. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York ruled on Friday that the Fed needs to disclose documents in response to Freedom of Information Act requests by Bloomberg L.P. and other news organizations. "We are reviewing the decision and considering our options for reconsideration or appeal," said Fed spokeswoman Barbara Hagenbaugh.
Are you passionate about the great American principles of individual liberty, constitutional government, sound money, free markets, and a non-interventionist foreign policy?
Are you currently searching for an active role within the Campaign for Liberty which will train and equip you for battle and allow you to effectively channel your efforts, vastly increasing your ability to win back lost freedoms and then preserve them for future generations?
If these things apply to you, please consider signing up as a local coordinator. Our Local Coordinator Training will assist you in learning about the political figures and structure in your area, arm you with important details needed to direct your time and energy effectively, and provide you with specific information that you will be able to share with your fellow activists.
Once you have signed up as a local coordinator, please consider leading your county or region. You can nominate yourself, or a fellow local coordinator from your dashboard; simply scroll to the bottom of the page and look for "Coordinators" on the right-hand side of the page. You will notice the categories of "County", "Regional" and "State". If there is no coordinator in any of those categories, you will see the word "nominate". Simply click "nominate" and you will be taken to a page where you can voice your recommendations on who should fill that position.
We've come a long way since the Campaign for Liberty was formed. As we move forward, there will be battles won, and battles lost; we will face stiff opposition, and form important alliances. Building up our team of local, county and regional coordinators will greatly increase our ability to reclaim our lost liberties and boldly confront our adversaries and win!
Update: The bill passed the House 223-202. You can find the roll call here.
Update #2: So here's the good news: the Paul amendment passed with the bill! No matter how bad the overall bill, it's still pretty incredible that we were able to get a thorough audit of the Fed all the way through the House.
The bad news: the overall bill is awful, so we will continue to oppose it as this debate shifts to the Senate, where it is likely to take at least a few months - if not fall off the radar entirely.
We will continue to work to pass S 604 in the Senate (and we may get a vote soon if Senators DeMint, Sanders, Vitter, and Bunning can delay Bernanke's confirmation), and we will keep working to get Audit the Fed a standalone vote in the House. After all, we can now tell 223 Dems that they already voted for a thorough audit! They just need to pass it on its own merits, instead of hiding it in an overall package that would increase the ability of the federal government to intervene in the economy.
It never ceases to amaze me how politicians can’t get away from being politicians even when they claim to be working in the defense of liberty.
We don’t need politicians on our side in this fight… what we need are statesmen!
People who fully understand what they are fighting for and what they are fighting against; people who are well versed in history, specifically the history of our founding and people whose convictions will hold fast and not allow the compromise of the most fundamental principals.
The pending 10th Amendment resolution is an example of a fruitless effort. While it is refreshing to see politicians take up the correct side of the argument, it is frustrating to see them take it up in such a toothless manner. It would seem to be a lot wasted effort.
The problem is that it is simply a resolution with no force of law… it’s basically a statement. If we are going to do this we need to make it law!!!! Law that has provisions for enforcement… what are the consequences to the federal government under these resolutions if they continue to act outside of the restraints spelled out under the constitution? What action will the states take if the federal government refuses to follow the “actual” rule of law???? Little to none….
Actual enforceable law is a must when a state endeavors to these ends.
Nullification of unconstitutional federal law by a state, withholding of funds to the federal government from a state, refusal to fund unconstitutionally federally mandated programs by a state, recall of and state grand jury indictments for representatives and senators who continue to act outside of the enumerated powers vested to them via Article-1 Section-8…
These things have teeth… these are the kinds of legislation that we as states need to pass and enforce if we wish to reclaim our republic.
We also need to educate ourselves and arm ourselves with the “true” facts, the true history. How many of us have taken the time to read the ratification debates? How many have taken the time to read Madison’s notes on the convention?... ECT.
We need to stop ASKING “what in the constitution gives you the power to do this” and start TELLING “the constitution does NOT give you the authority and here is why…”
When people ask these questions and the reply is “the commerce clause” or “the general welfare clause” all I see is that “deer in the headlights” look. Why don’t we know how to destroy their argument… those answers are so laughable and ridiculous to those of us who know our history its sad and yet I never hear a good retort to those false answers to very serious questions.
Why don’t more of us know that the phrase “to regulate commerce among the states”
Means to make commerce “regular” AMONG the states… in other words “to ensure FREE TRADE among the states”… it was never understood by those who drafted the provision or by those who ratified the provision to mean that the federal government had the power to regulate the physical items that were traded state to state, just that there would be FREE TRADE state to state. This was clarified in the Virginia ratification debates and it is a matter of record and is undisputable.
Same with the so called “general welfare clause”… Patrick Henry attacked this wording in the ratification debates and asked what would prevent some future politician from justifying anything that he wanted to do by saying that it was for the general welfare…. Edmund Randolph’s answer was that the “general welfare” wording appeared in the preamble to the constitution as well as the preamble to Article-1 Section-8 and that the preamble held NO FORCE OF LAW… the only powers that congress would have were those specifically enumerated and the preamble was simply a “mission statement”.
Another example of useless legislation is the Firearms Freedom Acts that are floating around.
These bills fail miserably on two fronts:
First: They lend legitimacy to the federal governments claim that the “commerce” clause gives them the power to regulate the actual items that are traded over state lines… IT DOES NOT!!!!! The bill states that if firearms are manufactured and sold within the state then the federal government has no right to regulate them… the federal government doesn’t have the right to regulate them regardless of where they are manufactured and traded… As stated above, the commerce clause only gives the federal government the power to ensure FREE TRADE among the states. (example: if Georgia wanted to charge a tax to Florida but not to Alabama for goods traded over state lines the federal government would have the power and duty under the constitution to put a stop to such activity) that’s it… no other power is given by this clause.
Second: They felt so inclined as to include an “exclusion” clause in the interest of so called political correctness:
“(5) EXCEPTIONS.–This section does not apply to:
(a) A firearm that cannot be carried and used by one person. (b) A firearm that has a bore diameter greater than 1 1/2 inches and that uses smokeless powder, rather than black powder, as a propellant. (c) Ammunition with a projectile that explodes using an explosion of chemical energy after the projectile leaves the firearm. (d) A firearm that discharges two or more projectiles with one activation of the trigger or other firing device.”
So, they destroy their own argument… the argument made in this bill is that if a firearm is manufactured within and sold within a state then the federal government has no power to regulate it… then they state that the federal government has the right to regulate the firearms that fall under the provisions of section (5) “the exemptions clause” even it said firearm is manufactured within and sold within the state????????? Really???????
If they have the power to regulate those, then they would have the right to regulate them all… a first year law student could make the feds case against this bill blindfolded.
Its one or the other… either the feds can or they can’t…. And in all actuality THEY CAN NOT!!!!! Regardless if whether or not they are traded across state lines or not.
What is really needed is an Article-5 Constitutional Convention, for the purpose of proposing amendments that clarify and reiterate the original intent of the Constitution.
The power to reclaim our republic lies in the states, but we must propagate our state legislatures with TRUE patriots who are intellectually up to the task.
This is part 1 and 2 of Roger Shealy's presentation on Auditing the Fed. I'm not sure if it will be the final cut or not but I wanted to post it for comments. I have a few ideas for improvement that I have already sent Roger. Anyway here is the first cut, parts 1 and 2.
The first public presentation of it was done at our Volusia County monthly C4L meeting in November. Everyone loved it and we all agreed that we needed to get it on DVD and youtube in an effort to make it go viral. Roger will be giving this presentation to the Orange County C4L in December and he is willing to show it to other meet ups , organizations, and well anyone that will listen. If you would like to have him come to your meeting and show it send him an email through one of his sites. This is a must see presentation. Roger is brilliant!
Roger Shealy is a financial advisor, economist, and CPA. View his business site here. He is also running for Florida State House in District 29. You can view his campaign website here. He is also a C4L Local Coordinator.
I'll post updates on the progress of the final cut as I receive them from Roger.
I'm trying to put the videos directly on this blog but am having issues so for now I'll put the links to youtube up.
Also, I have an update on the vote for the Paul- Grayson amendment vote. Kosmas did vote in favor of it! Read the article on RonPaul.com and watch the youtube video of the vote. Call her office and thank her for voting in favor of this important amendment.
DC phone: 202-225-2706, Orlando phone: 407-208-1106, and Port Orange ph: 386-756-9798.
Real politics is about precinct organizing, not sign waves or YouTube clips
By: Steve Bierfeldt
At a campaign rally on a cold winter evening, thousands of individuals crowd around a stage to hear a presidential candidate speak on life, liberty, and the Constitution. Homemade signs litter the crowd as the fiery congressman from Texas speaks to a sea of activists, many whom had never before taken an interest in politics. As he concludes, cheers erupt from the mass of people as they celebrate the one man speaking what no other candidate dares to say. Ron Paul has ignited a crowd desperate for a leader and in doing so has energized the thousands in attendance, as he asks for their support in the upcoming presidential primary.
The next day, about 75 percent of them do not show up to vote.
The above illustrates the difficulty facing the liberty movement today-the willingness of its participants to engage in philosophical discussion, policy talk, or social activism, but their reluctance to engage in political action, the only thing that counts on Election Day. With the Ron Paul campaign over and his supporters looking to continue his vision, we see many cling to the same techniques that were unsuccessful during his run for the presidency.
I count myself tremendously blessed to have experienced a number of facets of the liberty movement. From training college students at a political think-tank to volunteering for Paul in his candidacy for president, I was able to see first hand all that goes into one of the few honest and trustworthy movements in politics. Later, when I served as campaign manager for a Ron Paul-endorsed candidate for Congress, I was able to put those skills into practice. This essay relates what I have learned.
Liberty candidates and their supporters all too often believe a fancy website with an automated real-time ticker will revolutionize the campaign and bring immediate media attention to their cause. They believe simply announcing a "money bomb" will be all that is needed to reform the system and transform their candidacy from an upstart libertarian radar blip to a powerhouse ready to take on the political world. But, as wonderful as money bombs and interactive website assuredly are, there is more to real politics.
Despite the signs, the blimps, and the unmatched enthusiasm of Ron Paul's supporters, on election night when the returns came back the votes were not there. Not in Iowa, or New Hampshire, or Wyoming, or Michigan. Paul's supporters were often quick to react to the tactics of the political establishment and media, tactics we believed to be underhanded (and which oftentimes were). But the liberty movement limited its effectiveness when it only played defense.
We watched political talking heads dismiss Ron Paul as a fringe candidate, who purportedly had a handful of supporters spamming polls with text-message votes, and our only response was to complain about the bias that we were up against and pour efforts into more online polls. Just as conservatives and libertarians should not expect favorable editorials from the New York Times or the Huffington Post, we should never be content to sit and complain. We can whine about how unfair the media is and how we will never be given a fair shake, or we can do something about it. We can hit the establishment where it really hurts, not in the online polls, but where the political class is most vulnerable-in local elections and the grassroots organizations that are the base of the political pyramid.
One look to our town councils, state houses, or local political parties will show us the people we are up against. Many of these folks have dedicated their lives to destroying the principles we believe in. They have done so for only a paycheck, their proverbial 30 pieces of silver, and sometimes only out of a desire to have a title or control an office. In response we have committed ourselves not to taking their titles and offices away from them but instead to complaining about the system and offering symbolic protests.
If elections were won by text messages, blog posts, or facebook links, the liberty movement would have achieved victory 20 times over. Instead we will continue to lose, and lose badly, until we realize it is up to us, as the next generation of freedom advocates, to learn how to win.
The starry-eyed advocate of liberty believes a sound philosophy is what should take precedence above everything else in political life. He believes an uncomprising adherence to principle should trump hard-won victories, party politics, and a desire for power, fame, and fortune. The starry-eyed advocate of liberty is 100 percent correct. It is in this that the true believers in freedom hold the advantage.
When working for a political nonprofit that would by all definitions be described as one run by "neocons," I was often railed and berated for my defense of life, liberty, the Constitution, and especially Ron Paul. After one such defense of the ideals of our founding fathers I was called "young," "naive," and with a sigh and a chuckle was lectured by colleagues about how they, "Remembered when they were that immature and idealistic." My response was simple: "good." While I will not always be young, I hoped I would always be naive and idealistic-always willing to put principle ahead of politics, even if that meant costing myself an election, being called names, or remaining unpopular with those in the power.
The advocates of liberty have a tremendous advantage over their entrenched political counterparts. While we face a foe that has the techniques and technical knowledge to win elections, we take solace in the fact that our foe is morally empty. Training oneself how to write a direct-mail letter, assemble a press release, or become a better public speaker is merely a skill that can be learned and refined. But having that skill and choosing to throw away political prestige in order adhere to a sound antistatist philosophy is a road few people are willing to walk.
That, however, does not mean that advocates of liberty should fail to cultivate the technical skills their opponents posses. Our side must learn how to succeed not just on the Internet or in the journals of intellectual thought, but in the political races and campaigns that shape our government. The supporters of liberty are among the most dedicated individuals one will find in any cause, political or not. Very few are willing to budge on any aspect of freedom no matter how small. Yet this philosophical correctness is not enough to initiate the transformation that is needed in government. Believing you are correct is not enough. Even actually being correct is not enough.
Politics is not an art, expressive and creative, no matter how much so many of us want it to be. Campaigns and elections are very much a science, with tried and true methods that move votes from the living-room couch to the election booth. The science of elections is based on numbers, statistics, and techniques that have concrete goals.
Yard signs are popular campaign memorabilia-but yard signs do not vote. Volunteer for any candidate in virtually any race, and you will be hounded about yard signs. The candidate always wants to know what color they will be, where they will go, and how many can be placed along the highway. Yet yard signs are something that campaigns seem to do just for the sake of doing them; statistically they have an extremely low impact on changing minds, switching votes, or mobilizing the base.
By contrast, as much as many of us complain about automated pre-recorded messages from candidates-robo-calls-there is a reason campaigns, even in the age of advanced social networking, continue to do them: they work. Despite the anecdotal stories you hear about someone becoming angry at the flood of automated calls he has been receiving and pledging not to vote for that candidate out of spite ... it does not happen. Ask yourself, if you truly believed in the message Ron Paul was proclaiming and thought he was the only hope for our country, would you really refuse to vote for him simply because of a few automated telephone calls? If so, then statistically you weren't going to vote for him anyway. Such voters are negligible.
Some in the liberty movement dismiss old-fashioned direct-mail letters that include surveys and requests for contributions as either out of touch with the new way of doing things or simply as junk mail from groups that are out to make a quick buck. In reality, direct mail serves as a proven method to gauge what issues are important to an organization's membership base. As far as fundraising goes, there is a reason groups send out physical mail asking for help to fund project proposals: it works. Every part of a direct mail letter is a scientific instrument used to provide the best product and service to the member of that organization.
Direct mail should not turn off the advocates of liberty but instead bring them into a world where they too can learn what works and what doesn't when it comes to recruiting for a cause or spreading a message. There is a reason most direct-mail letters are printed in courier font. It is because most donors to political organizations are over 70 years old, and the font reminds many of them of a typewriter. It gives them a tactile connection to an organization with which they feel philosophical sympathy.
What is effective and what is easy are often two completely different things. The most effective way of changing minds and recruiting new voters or members is the tactic so many of us shy away from-door-to-door recruitment. Political operatives, campaign workers, and volunteers all agree when asked what the best technique is to influence voters: knocking on their doors, handing them a piece of literature, and talking with them. Despite right-wing jeers about Barack Obama's label as a "community organizer, the ability to sort and mobilize a community is the most basic and most effective way to win in politics.
A successful movement breaks down its locality as specifically as possible in order to appoint outgoing organizers who are a good match for their areas. In the realm of political campaigns, the selection of "precinct captains" is made to ensure that those in charge have a friendly face and a strong tie to the community. In today's world, we could live almost our entire lives without ever leaving our house. Delivery services, tele-commuting, and Netflix have made it theoretically possible never to need to engage another person in meaningful conversation. Yet despite all of our modern conveniences, deep down people long for individual connections.
Going out of your way and initiating conversation with a complete stranger can be nerve-racking. You will undoubtedly run into individuals who make it quite clear that you are not allowed on their property again. But the most important question to ask of yourself about that is, "So what?" We pay respect to a congressman from Texas who at age 72 sought the nomination for president despite being harassed, bullied, and excluded from debates by members of his own party, and yet we are unwilling to endure the discomfort that might occur from an interaction on a neighbor's porch? A little awkward conversation is a small price to pay in the fight for liberty.
You don't have to wait for the next campaign season to become active-organizing can, and should, be done everywhere and all the time. If you are in school, begin by drawing up "precincts" on campus and appointing leaders to recruit new members from dorm buildings, Greek houses, or off-campus apartments. Recruiting for your Young Americans for Liberty chapter or volunteering for a local liberty candidate will give you experience with real political work and familiarize you with tactics that have proven successful. You'll be learning by practice.
Virtually every college in the nation wastes millions of the dollars it has taken from students in the form of activity fees to promote a slew of programs that are unjust or immoral. Refuse merely to complain about the waste that is going on and run for a position in your student government. Gather other liberty-minded friends together and run for all of the government positions. Upon your successful election, stand up and do exactly what you have criticized politicians for not doing-fulfilling campaign promises to lower costs and cut spending. Vote against all the programs you spoke out against. Do not just talk about the philosophy behind limited government, take action and achieve it.
Instead of talking about the poor leadership that exists within your local political party, force a change. Find out the date of the next election for party chairman and spend the next several months recruiting liberty-minded individuals who live in your county. Use established political techniques to build a network of activists and then file the paperwork to become a candidate. Instead of talking about philosophy and the need to bring in new leadership to the county party, become the vehicle that accomplishes it.
Become more involved with your YAL chapter or help friends at another school start one of their own. Familiarize yourself with the Campaign for Liberty and make it a point to visit their web site each day. The organization formed by Ron Paul has established a national local coordinator program, offers a new featured article every morning, and hosts both statewide and regional conferences containing some of the best political training you will ever receive. Those who adhere to the ideals of freedom no longer have any excuse for not getting deeply involved. Through YAL and C4L, you can learn all the political techniques you need to wrest control of government from those who have contributed to its overgrowth.
Your fellow believers in freedom do not need your homemade signs or your blog posts. They need votes to win their elections and restore strictly constitutional government. There must come a time when each defender of liberty says "enough" and commits himself to a struggle that enacts change rather than merely discussing it. That time is now. This is your country, and it's being taken from you one election at a time. Take it back.
Steve Bierfeldt is director of development for Campaign for Liberty.
Thanks to your quick action in contacting Congress, the House Financial Services Committee earlier today rejected Representative Mel Watt's attempt to hijack Audit the Fed by voting 43-26 to pass Ron Paul's amendment to the financial regulatory reform bill.
Dr. Paul called me right after the vote to personally express his thanks to C4L members for all of your efforts!
It is an incredible testament to the growing power of the liberty movement that we were able to get such an audit passed by a major House committee, but this is by no means the end of our fight.
Financial Services leadership has seemed determined for several months that if an audit of the Fed were to get out of Committee, it should be attached to an overall regulatory reform package that would actually increase the powers of the Fed to interfere in our economy.
Congressman Paul's amendment gives the Government Accountability Office power to conduct a thorough audit of the Fed's entire $2 trillion balance sheet and replaces the Watt language that would have further restricted GAO audits of the Federal Reserve.
While this is a victory over an attempted hijacking of our cause, the audit authority is still being rolled into the Financial Stability Improvement Act, a bill that Campaign for Liberty will oppose.
This Act will be voted on as soon as the Committee returns from its Thanksgiving break, and we will then know if it will move to the floor.
And it's already becoming clear that Ron Paul's amendment may face challenges on the House floor.
Now is the time to turn up the pressure!
Keep contacting Congress and tell your representative that before Congress debates over giving the Fed any new powers, we need to know what they're doing with the ones they already have!
Urge your representative to support a standalone, up or down vote on Audit the Fed, H.R. 1207.
We've put too much work into this effort to see an audit bogged down in yet another Washington bureaucratic nightmare.
Make no mistake, though, the victory today proved we can get the votes to pass the thorough, historic audit we've been fighting for this past year. We have put the Federal Reserve on notice that the freedom movement is serious about reclaiming our country and that it is here to stay.
Thanks for all you do for the cause of freedom. Now, let's finish this fight!
Financial Services leadership seems determined to include Audit the Fed as part of a regulatory reform package instead of passing it as a standalone bill.
While C4L will still do everything in its power to fight for a standalone vote on Audit the Fed on the House floor, it is critical we challenge Watt's amendment in Committee.
It will become much easier for our representatives to claim they still support Audit the Fed on the House floor if the Watt version passes, when, in reality, Representative Watt's amendment puts restrictions on Government Accountability Office audits of the Fed.
For example, Watt's amendment prevents the GAO from auditing or reviewing decisions to authorize, modify, extend, or terminate loans or liquidity facilities.
Congressman Paul will offer an amendment in Committee restoring an audit of the Fed's entire $2 trillion balance sheet, but we have received word that some of the Democrat members may be waffling on their support for his amendment.
Help us turn up the pressure on these members! Below is the list of Democrats on the committee who have cosponsored H.R. 1207. Please call them and urge them to vote "Yes" on Ron Paul's amendment. Click on their names to get their web contact information.
When contacting these members, remember that up to this point, they have been allies on this issue. A civil yet firm tone should be kept during these calls. They should be thanked for their cosponsorship, told that Mel Watt's changes to the bill are unacceptable, and urged to hold the line and honor their promise to support transparency at the Fed by voting "Yes" on Ron Paul's amendment.
For more information on the Watt amendment, check out this article by The Huffington Post's Ryan Grim.
We are continuing our work to achieve a standalone vote on H.R. 1207 on the House floor, but we must first stop the Watt amendment in the Financial Services Committee.
Make sure the Financial Services Committee members hear from you as soon as their offices open Thursday morning!
A vote could come any time tomorrow. Call, email, and fax the Financial Services Committee members to vote "Yes" on Congressman Ron Paul's amendment.
Campaign for Liberty is taking the battle against Big Government's takeover of health care and health freedom to the television airwaves, and we need your help to mobilize more Americans in key target states.
As you know, the House passed a massive takeover of the health care industry a few days ago -- and the Senate is poised to begin action in the coming days.
With that in mind, Campaign for Liberty has begun to run the first of our hard-hitting TV ads in Nebraska urging voters to contact Senator Ben Nelson and tell him they oppose the Obama/Pelosi/Reid power grab. We're also airing ads in Nevada informing Harry Reid's constituents of his plans for their health care.
Thanks to the support of C4L members, we've purchased a week's worth of airtime in both states.
You'll be pleased to know we've been able to work with a supporter to obtain excellent air times at discounted rates. Our ads are airing all this week during shows like Larry King Live, The O'Reilly Factor, Countdown with Keith Olbermann, and this coming Sunday, the ads will play during Meet the Press. In Nebraska, our ad will also run during the NASCAR race!
With such great time slots, our message will get lots of attention. But in order to make sure we win this battle in the Senate, we have much more to do.
First, we need to keep these ads up for longer than the week's time we've already purchased.
Next, we have identified five other key states where one or both senators could prove to be the deciding vote(s) for or against further government meddling in our lives.
These states are Arkansas (Sen. Blanche Lincoln), Louisiana (Sen. Mary Landrieu), Montana (Senators Max Baucus and Jon Tester), Virginia (Senators Mark Warner and Jim Webb), and Maine (Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins).
Senator Blanche Lincoln is up for reelection in 2010, but she is facing a very hard fight to return to Washington. With enough pressure, she may be persuaded to vote against the Senate health care bill.
And that's why I'm asking for your help today.
It's vital we extend our ad campaign -- and move it into Arkansas and these other targeted states to get more people to turn up the heat on their senators.
We have set a fundraising goal of $100,000 to continue airing our Nebraska ads and to expand into Arkansas. Hopefully, we can raise more than that and go to even more swing states! Money raised above that amount will go toward extending this campaign around the nation.
A real-time ticker at the top of this page will list the amount raised and display the names of those who contribute to this crucial endeavor.
And click here to donate to our television ad campaign. All funds raised will be devoted exclusively to this project.
You and I can stop this bureaucratic nightmare in the Senate, but to do so, we have to keep the focus squarely on this attempted power grab in Washington.
Campaign for Liberty is a 501(c)4 lobbying organization which neither supports nor opposes candidates for public office and claims no responsibility for the actions of individuals or groups of individuals who use the Campaign for Liberty logo or name or who may claim to act as representatives of the Campaign for Liberty without prior written consent of the Campaign for Liberty. [?]
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