Action Archive

The Debate We Need

OurFuture.org Staff — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 16:46:55 -0400

The American Dream is slipping out of reach for more and more families. Yet instead of addressing the root crises, our national debate has been hijacked by pigs, lipstick and tabloid gossip.

In response, the Institute for America's Future launched a 7-week campaign to demand a debate worthy of a great nation in trouble. It started with a New York Times ad series demanding a debate worthy of America. We then stepped up pressure for the debate we need by launching a petition drive aimed at the moderators of the presidential and VP debates: Tom Brokaw, Gwen Ifill, Jim Lehrer, and Bob Schieffer. By the end of our campaign nearly 13,000 progressives signed our petition, which helped us send a clear signal to the moderators: we deserve a debate worthy of a great nation in trouble.

Compared to the gotcha-debates of the primaries, our campaign was a great success. Spurred by the gravity of the financial crisis, and pressured by progressives like us and a public sick of politics not being focused on the issues that matter to them, the debate moderators changed the script from the primary debates and gave Americans a focus on the issues. Amazingly, the first three debates contained no petty distractions from the issues, however we were notably disappointed in the final debate when moderator Bob Schieffer drove the debate toward gotcha politics and wasted 15 minutes that should have been spent on discussing critical issues. However, overall, the campaign was a great success.

No Blank Check

OurFuture.org Staff — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:56:58 -0400

When the Bush administration sent a request to Congress for a $700 billion blank check for Wall Street Campaign for America's Future jumped into action, and so did progressives all across the country. Within days, progressives sent over 80,000 emails to members of Congress demanding that any bailout measure passed through Congress must contain strict oversight, new regulations, and help for Main Street, not just Wall Street.

As a result of our efforts, and the efforts of our progressive allies, Congress quickly rejected Bush's proposal, and demanded many of the changes we demanded. While the final bailout plan that passed Congress was much less than what we wanted, it was also much better than what the Bush administration wanted quickly shot through Congress without question.

With the help of progressives across the country we made a real difference. This challenge was just the first of many to come. This bailout was just the first step, a bitter pill that didn't do nearly enough for Main Street. In the coming months we will continue to push for Congress to support the real economy and real families, who are right now struggling to make ends meet.

"Thanks for the Memories!" TV Ad

Ian Mishalove — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 00:07:40 -0400

We went right into the lion's den and aired this TV ad for conservatives and media members gathered at the 2008 Republican National Committee Convention. The ad broadcasts unforgettable moments from conservatives’ last eight years in power -- memories they now wish the country would forget.

Thanks to the generous support of Campaign for America's Future supporters, we raised over $20,000 -- enough to saturate the airwaves with this ad throughout the convention host city -- which in turn attracted the national media exposure needed to broadcast the ad across the country.

Tell Fox News – They Don’t Own Patriotism

OurFuture.org Staff — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 13:00:50 -0400

In response to repeated attacks on the patriotism of progressives by right-wing media outlet Fox News, Campaign for America's Future launched the "Tell Fox News – They Don’t Own Patriotism" campaign. The goal of the campaign was to send a clear message to Fox News team in a format to which they'd be receptive: namely, personalized declarations of patriotism, each attached with a genuine Made-In-the-USA flag pin. The thrust of these personal declarations was that progressives are patriotic Americans too, and that no one holds a monopoly on patriotism.

Before we knew it over 600 progressives had sent us messages to pass along to Fox News, like this one from Patricia in Little Neck, NY:

“Patriotism does NOT belong to one party or ideology and I urge you to cease your incessant attacks. Please accept our 4th of July gift in hopes we can all come together & recognize that we are all true patriots under the same grand flag and constitution that celebrates our unity even among diversity.”

As promised, we delivered these messages and flag pins to the Fox News Channel Washington Bureau on Capitol Hill over the Fourth of July weekend.

The Big Con Exposed

Isaiah J. Poole — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 14:54:32 -0500

The Failure of Conservatism Conference
More than 100 activists participated in an all-day conference at the National Press Club in Washington to discuss how conservatism has been a failure for families, the nation’s economy and our standing in the world. Panelists also began a dialogue on a new progressive vision for the future. We have transcripts and video from the conference, which was co-sponsored by The American Prospect. We also have an archive of blog posts and other content related to the conference.

Thousands Say No to Toxic Toys

Robert Borosage — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 03:00:00 -0500

The Campaign for America's Future on Tuesday delivered 85 pages of signatures from people across the country demanding the resignation of the acting chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Nancy Nord. A letter to Nord from America's Future co-director Robert L. Borosage accompanying the petitions said, "We hope you will do what's best for the safety of American families, acknowledge your failures and honorably step aside."

Also, our video highlighting the dangers of toxic trade—featuring a Barbie with "symptoms" from a one-night stand with Ken—has been featured by Fox News Channel, ABC News, The Washington Post and the Associated Press.

Tell Harry Reid: Expose The Obstructionists

OurFuture.org Staff — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 00:07:40 -0400

During the 110th Congress, progress on key issues was repeatedly obstructed in the Senate by the conservative minority. We launched a petition encouraging the Senate Majority Leader to not back down from the filibuster threats, and nearly 20,000 people signed on. Pressure from our campaign and progressives across the country pushed Senator Reid to force the Republicans to filibuster in a headline-grabbing move.

Unfortunately Reid only forced the filibuster for one day--and after that returned to letting the conservative minority have its way. We stepped up our pressure on Reid by publicizing the conservative obstruction with this video, which received over 100,000 views. Unfortunately, Reid failed to stand up against the obstruction, which cost the 110th Congress precious opportunity for progress.

Get the details in our obstruction web section, which includes our year-end analysis that documents how what is being reported as political stalemate is really the product of a conservative political strategy to block the progressive change America wants and needs. Also, be sure to follow us at Campaign for America's Future, because we will remain vigilant in exposing conservative obstruction in the next congressional session as well. In the meantime, check out our current campaigns.

First 100 Hours

Robert Borosage — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 17:38:13 -0500

In January 2007, we successfully called upon the new House of Representatives to serve the public interest and not the special interest — to raise the minimum wage, cut student loan rates, empower Medicare to negotiate for lower prices and redirect Big Oil subsidies into renewable energy.

Through multiple letter-writing campaigns, more than 15,000 emails were sent to members of the House. And they got the message, passing every item in House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi's "First 100 Hours" package.

The Real State of the Union

Robert Borosage — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 17:31:13 -0500

President Bush's 2007 State of the Union address was, true to form, divorced from reality. We made sure the public knew the real State of the Union. We We published "State of the Union -- By The Numbers" (below), and encouraged our supporters to write letters to the editor, so America would know the facts. We also developed an online video, "State of Delusion."

In his 2007 State of the Union address, President Bush will hail the state of the union as "strong," pointing to the growing economy, new jobs, and record home ownership. But for Americans worrying about how to make ends meet around their kitchen tables at night, the country is headed in the wrong direction.

Just look at the numbers, and how Bush's rhetoric has failed to match reality throughout his presidency...

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Education
Bush's Rhetoric	The Reality
2005 State of the Union: We'll make it easier for Americans to afford a college education, by increasing the size of Pell Grants. 2004 State of the Union: I propose larger Pell grants for students who prepare for college with demanding courses in high school.	Average cost of a public four-year college in 2000, annual: $9,958 Average cost of a public four-year college in 2006, annual: $12,796 ¹ Maximum Pell grant in 2001 school year: $3,750 ^1a Maximum Pell grant in 2006 school year (inflation adjusted): $3,558 ^1b
Healthcare
Bush's Rhetoric	The Reality
2007 State of the Union: A future of hope and opportunity requires that all our citizens have affordable and available health care. 2006 State of the Union: Keeping America competitive requires affordable health care. Our government has a responsibility to provide health care for the poor and the elderly, and we are meeting that responsibility. For all Americans, we must confront the rising cost of care, strengthen the doctor-patient relationship, and help people afford the insurance coverage they need. 2005 State of the Union: we must make health care more affordable, and give families greater access to good coverage 2004 State of the Union: To make insurance more affordable, Congress must act to address rapidly rising health care costs. 2003 State of the Union: Our second goal is high quality, affordable health care for all Americans. 2001 State of the Union: Many working Americans do not have health care coverage, so we will help them buy their own insurance with refundable tax credits.	Americans without health insurance, 2000: 38.2 million ² Americans without health insurance, 2005: 46.6 million ³ Average monthly worker contribution for family coverage, 2000: $135 Average monthly worker contribution for family coverage, 2006: $248 ⁴ Percentage of annual bankruptcies due to medical bills: 55% ⁵
Energy
Bush's Rhetoric	The Reality
2007 State of the Union: Extending hope and opportunity depends on a stable supply of energy that keeps America's economy running and America's environment clean. For too long our nation has been dependent on foreign oil. 2006 State of the Union: Keeping America competitive requires affordable energy. And here we have a serious problem: America is addicted to oil, which is often imported from unstable parts of the world. The best way to break this addiction is through technology. 2005 State of the Union: To keep our economy growing, we also need reliable supplies of affordable, environmentally responsible energy 2004 State of the Union: Consumers and businesses need reliable supplies of energy to make our economy run -- so I urge you to pass legislation to modernize our electricity system, promote conservation, and make America less dependent on foreign sources of energy. 2003 State of the Union: Our third goal is to promote energy independence for our country, while dramatically improving the environment 2002 State of the Union: Good jobs also depend on reliable and affordable energy. This Congress must act to encourage conservation, promote technology, build infrastructure, and it must act to increase energy production at home so America is less dependent on foreign oil. 2001 State of the Union: We can promote alternative energy sources and conservation, and we must. America must become more energy-independent, and we will.	Average price of home heating oil on January 3, 2000: $1.15/gallon Average price of home heating oil on January 1, 2007: $2.42/gallon ⁶ Increase in average price since January 2000, percent: 110% Average price of a gallon of gasoline on January 3, 2000: $1.31 Average price of a gallon of gasoline on January 1, 2007: $2.38 ⁷ Increase in the average price since January 2000, percentage: 82% ExxonMobil profits in 2000: $7.9 billion ⁸ ExxonMobil profits in 2006: $36.1 billion ⁹ ExxonMobil's profit during the second quarter of 2006, per second: $1,318 ¹⁰ America's Annual Consumption of Gasoline (million of barrels per day) 2000: 8.472 ^10a America's Annual Consumption of Gasoline (million of barrels per day) 2005: 9.125 ^10b
Stagnant Incomes
The Reality
Median household income in 2000: $47,599 Median household income in 2005: $46,326 ¹¹ Decrease from 2000-2005: $1,273 Salary full-time minimum wage employee without vacation, 2006: $10,712 Average time for top CEOs to earn that sum, hours: 2.06 ¹² Federal minimum wage in 2000: $5.15/hr Federal minimum wage in 2006: $5.15/hr Loss in purchasing power, full time worker annually: $1,562
Retirement Insecurity
The Reality
Workers without defined-benefit retirement plan at work, private sector 2006, percentage: 80% ¹⁶ Baby boom Americans approaching retirement: 76 million ¹⁷
Iraq War Fiasco
Bush's Rhetoric	The Reality
2006 State of the Union: Fellow citizens, we are in this fight to win, and we are winning. 2006 State of the Union: As we make progress on the ground, and Iraqi forces increasingly take the lead, we should be able to further decrease our troop levels -- but those decisions will be made by our military commanders, not by politicians in Washington, D.C. 2005 State of the Union: As those [Iraqi] forces become more self-reliant and take on greater security responsibilities, America and its coalition partners will increasingly be in a supporting role. 2004 State of the Union: Month by month, Iraqis are assuming more responsibility for their own security and their own future. 2004 State of the Union: Already, the Kay Report identified dozens of weapons of mass destruction-related program activities and significant amounts of equipment that Iraq concealed from the United Nations 2003 State of the Union: The British government has learned that Saddam 2003 State of the Union: [Saddam Hussein] clearly has much to hide. 2003 State of the Union: Saddam Hussein has gone to elaborate lengths, spent enormous sums, taken great risks to build and keep weapons of mass destruction.	Number of US troops killed in Iraq prior to "Mission Accomplished" speech in 2003: 139 Number of US troops killed in Iraq as of January 22, 2007: 3,056 ¹⁸ Number of Iraqi civilians killed in 2006, according to the United Nations: 34,452 ¹⁹ Number of US troops wounded in Iraq prior to "Mission Accomplished" speech in 2003: 542 Number of US troops wounded in Iraq as of January 10, 2007: 22,834 ²⁰ Total US military expenditures (including Iraq/Afghanistan) in 2006: $522 billion (Includes China, Russia, the UK, Japan, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Italy, and Australia) ²¹ US Federal Discretionary Budget spent on Military not including Iraq, in 2006, percentage: 48.7% Amount spent on Education, percentage: 6.7% ²²
Debts and Deficits Climbing
The Reality
US Trade Deficit, October 2000, monthly: $33.8 billion US Trade Deficit in October 2006, monthly: $58.9 billion ²³ US Current Account Deficit, FY 2000: $435.4 billion ²⁴ US Current Account Deficit, FY 2006: $900 billion ²⁵ Loss of value of U.S. dollar relative to the Euro, January 24, 2000-January 23, 2006, percentage: 23% US Budget Deficit in FY 2000: $236 billion surplus ²⁶ US Budget Deficit in FY 2006: $423 billion deficit ²⁷ US National Debt in FY 2000: $5.7 trillion US National Debt in FY 2006: $8.5 trillion ²⁸ National Debt Increase 2000-2006: $2.8 trillion
Household Debt Surpasses Savings
The Reality
Personal savings, November 2000: $56.2 billion ²⁹ Personal savings, November 2006: $95.0 billion ³⁰

¹ Costs include tuition, fees, room & board. MSN Money 2000/Associated Press. "The Real Cost of College: Going Down?" January 14, 2005. College Board. Trends in College Pricing 2007.
^1a US Department of Education. "FY 2003 Budget Summary." February 4, 2002.
^1b Constant Dollars as taken from College Board. "Total Pell Grant Funding Declines for First Time in Six Years." October 24, 2006.
² US Census Bureau.
³ US Census Bureau.
⁴ The Kaiser Family Foundation. "Employer Health Benefits 2006 Annual Survey." September 26, 2006.
⁵ Health Affairs Health Policy Journal. "Marketwatch: Illness and Injury Contributors to Bankruptcy." February 2, 2005.
⁶ United States Energy Information Administration. "U.S. Weekly No. 2 Heating Oil Residential Prices-cents per gallon." January 4, 2007.
⁷ United States Energy Information Administration. "U.S. All Grades All Formulations Retail Gasoline Prices-cents per gallon." January 5, 2007.
⁸CNN Money.
⁹ CNN Money.
¹⁰ CNN.com "ExxonMobil makes more than $10 billion." July 27, 2006.
^10a US Energy Information Administration. Annual Energy Review 2005. July 27, 2006
^10b US Energy Information Administration. Annual Energy Review 2005. July 27, 2006
¹¹ Constant Dollars. US Census Bureau, Table H-8. Median Household Income by State: 1984 to 2005
¹² Forbes Magazine. "What the Boss Makes." April 20, 2006
¹³ The White House. "President Bush Discusses Global Climate Change." June 11, 2001.
¹⁴ New York Times, Blinding Ourselves in Space, January 21, 2006.
¹⁵ National Climate Data Center. US Department of Commerce. "Climate of 2006 ? In Historical Perspective." January 9, 2007.
¹⁶ Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey: Employee Benefits in Private Industry in the United States, March 2006.
¹⁷ The Seattle Times. Retirement of baby boomers may reverberate in workplace. January 22, 2005.
¹⁸ iCasualties.org. "Iraq Coalition Casualty Count." January 17, 2007.
¹⁹ UN Assistance Mission for Iraq. "Human Rights Report." January 16, 2006.
²⁰ iCasualties.org. "Iraq Coalition Casualty Count." January 17, 2007.
²¹ sCenter for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. "US Spending vs. the World." February 16, 2006. (*latest available data for China and Russia are for FY 2004)
²² White House Office of Management and Budget. "Table S?3. Growth in Discretionary Budget Authority by Major Agency." February 6, 2006.
²³ U.S. Census Bureau Foreign Trade Statistics. "Trade Deficit Decreases in November, 2006." January 10, 2007.
²⁴ Economic Policy Institute. "Economic Snapshots." March 14, 2001.
²⁵ Economic Policy Institute. "Current Account Picture." March 14, 2006.
²⁶ White House Office of Management and Budget. Historical Tables
²⁷ White House Office of Management and Budget. "Table S-1. Budget Totals."
²⁸ Bureau of the Public Debt. "The Debt to the Penny." January 16, 2007.
²⁹ Bureau of Economic Analysis. "Personal Income and Outlays." December 22, 2000.
³⁰ Bureau of Economic Analysis. "Personal Income and Outlays." December 22, 2006.

Hard-Hitting Campaigns You Made Possible

tjackson — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 17:42:56 -0500

From September to November 2006, we exposed some of Washington's worst pay-to-play politicians. Through TV and print ads, online videos, direct mail and phone calls, we informed more than one million voters about how their representatives were responsible for Iraq war profiteering, the Part D drug disaster, and outsourcing American jobs.

Here are those tough campaigns that we ran from September- November 2006 to expose some of Washington's worst pay-to-play politicians.

Internet Video Ads

Campaign for America's Future supporters contributed their time, money and personal stories to air this series of video ads exposing the politicians responsible for Iraq war profiteering, the Part D drug disaster, and outsourcing American jobs.

Stop War
Profiteering Now!

Senators exposed in this ad:

Lower Our Drug
Costs!

Senators exposed in this ad:

Stop American
Job Losses!

Reps. exposed in this ad:

The Results:

The ads were pushed to more than 1.6 million of these lawmakers' own constituents through Google and other targeted online publicity.
More than 10,000+ people watched the video ads in YouTube.

Print Ads

We also launched tough print ads and websites to expose lawmakers who sold out seniors by voting for the Part D drug disaster and donut hole.

Protect Seniors,
Not Drug Companies

Lawmakers exposed in this ad: Reps. Rob Simmons (CT), Charles Taylor (NC), Deborah Pryce (OH), Don Sherwood (PA), Curt Weldon (PA) and Heather Wilson (NM), and Sen. Mike DeWine (OH).

The Results:

These print ads were published in the lawmakers' home district newspapers, which had a combined readership of 1.4 million.

Mail & TV Ads

We targeted direct mail to the constituents of Reps. Don Sherwood (PA) and Deborah Pryce (OH) to expose their special interest ties and sell-out votes. The mailings arrived simultaneously with the launch of TV ads that reinforced the same message -- aired by our allies at Campaign Money Watch.

The Results:

Nearly 50,000 households received our hard-hitting mail pieces.
The complementary TV ads were aired for hundreds of thousands viewers.

Phone Calls

We placed tens of thousands of phone calls to the constituents of Rep.'s Deborah Pryce and Don Sherwood to expose these Rep's sell-out votes on energy and prescription drugs.

The Results:

Phone calls were made to nearly 50,000 of Rep. Pryce and Sherwood's constituents.

Action Archive

The Debate We Need

No Blank Check

"Thanks for the Memories!" TV Ad

Tell Fox News – They Don’t Own Patriotism

The Big Con Exposed

Thousands Say No to Toxic Toys

Tell Harry Reid: Expose The Obstructionists

First 100 Hours

The Real State of the Union

Hard-Hitting Campaigns You Made Possible

Stop War
Profiteering Now!

Lower Our Drug
Costs!

Stop American
Job Losses!

The Results:

Protect Seniors,
Not Drug Companies

The Results:

Direct Mail

Don Sherwood Got His

Big Oil and Deborah Pryce

The Results:

The Results:

Action Archive

The Debate We Need

No Blank Check

"Thanks for the Memories!" TV Ad

Tell Fox News – They Don’t Own Patriotism

The Big Con Exposed

Thousands Say No to Toxic Toys

Tell Harry Reid: Expose The Obstructionists

First 100 Hours

The Real State of the Union

Hard-Hitting Campaigns You Made Possible

Stop War Profiteering Now!

Lower Our Drug Costs!

Stop American Job Losses!

The Results:

Protect Seniors, Not Drug Companies

The Results:

Direct Mail

Don Sherwood Got His

Big Oil and Deborah Pryce

The Results:

The Results:

Stop War
Profiteering Now!

Lower Our Drug
Costs!

Stop American
Job Losses!

Protect Seniors,
Not Drug Companies