Former Democratic Senator Russ Feingold has been doing some grassroots organizing of his own. He has create a new Political Action Committee to "provide means for individuals to stand up to the big money special interests ruling Washington"
The group is called "Progressive United".
Russ tells Rachel Maddow "Progressive United" is a play on words, and a reaction against "Citizens United" decision.
The goal of this new PAC is to organize and stand against the "Citizens United" decision which "is enabling Corporate Treasuries to fundamentally change our Political process" ...
"This [Citizens United] Decision creates a new 'Gilded Age' on steroids. It is fundamentally changing our Political process. We have to reverse the decision."
Russ Feingold also has some insider perspective on the Wisconsin "Budget Process", as he served there of ten years. He also explained this to Rachel Maddow:
The argument that this is really about the budget process is phonier than a $3 dollar bill. There is a budget process in the state, I served for ten years in the Wisconsin state senate. It’s a very methodical process and they usually figure it out by July and they have a budget. What [Walker] did last week was say basically, ‘I wanna take away all these rights of collective bargaining for people and I want it done within the next five or six days. This is just a direct attack driven by corporate interests in the state and this country that they have been fantasizing about forever, which is to bust the unions. And that’s what the agenda is. It is really NOT about the State Budget -- that's just simply phony.
For the accounting specifics of the real story behind Wisconsin's "phony Budget Crisis", please check out my research from yesterday.
And take a few moments to join Progressives United
progressivesunited.org
Stand with Russ Feingold, as we stand against the Citizens United decision.
Somebody has to.
Progressives United aims to build a massive grassroots effort dedicated to mitigating the effects of, and eventually overturning, the Citizens United decision. It is an organization that works to provide means for individuals to stand up to the big money special interests ruling Washington.
http://www.youtube.com/...
Progressives United -- Our Mission
In January of 2010, the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision greatly expanded the corrupting influence of corporate special interests. It's time we fought back. Launched one year after that decision, Progressives United will:
1. Empower Americans to stand up against the exploding corporate influence in Washington, especially since the Citizens United decision.
2. Hold our representatives accountable to every constituent, regardless of economic class or insider access.
3. Support national, state, and local candidates who stand up for our progressive ideals.
Make these goals your mission too.
progressivesunited.org
Do it today.
It's not like it can wait. It matters.
As Rachel also explains in stark relief, Unions are the last "big money players" standing with the Democrats in political elections.
And the new Corporate Front Groups empowered by Citizens United -- have as their Agenda to tear down and severely weaken Unions, as the WI Budget fight clearly demonstrates. Wisconsin is about Union Busting -- NOT Budget fixing.
The fine print in that budget bill has several clauses to do just that -- weaken and ultimately destroy Unions, to make them a meaningless shell of their former selves ...
We will ALL be the poorer for it, if they succeed.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/...
larger
Rachel Maddow:
Unions the only competition Republicans have in electoral politics.
Post Citizens United, Conservatives look at this and they smell blood. Compare it to 2008, they have knocked the Unions down to 6th and 7th place.
Without Unions essentially ALL of the "Big Money' in Politics would be Right Wing Money. ALL of it. That is not hyperbole. ALL of it.
Unions are the only players -- they are the only 'fish' of any size on the Liberal side.
... and if the GOP Agenda gets their way, as they have planned for so many state Govt around the country -- if are successful in painting Unions and Public Employees, as the "Bad Guys" -- then overwhelming majority of political speech we will end up hearing on America's airways, will only that which is sanctioned and approved by Billionaire Front Groups and their backers.
Front Groups have an Agenda to Stop Progress -- in order to maximize their own Profits, and their supposed Tea Party ideals. Last November was our wake up call. They are just getting warmed up ...
Wisconsin is ‘ground zero’ for battle over unions
Feb. 17, 2011, USA Today News
All the more reason to support Public Workers, to support Unions NOW ... they are the leading edge of so many conservative "straw man" bowling pins, the GOP plans on knocking over. To these conservatives "Strike!" has an entirely different meaning ...
As the President put it:
“I think it’s very important for us to understand that public employees, they’re our neighbors, they’re our friends.”
[...] it’s important not to vilify them or to suggest that somehow all these budget problems are due to public employees.”
... and all the more reason to support Progressives like Russ Feingold, who has the time, knowledge, and motivation ...
to help organize US ... to stand up against them --
The Conservative Front Groups who would really like to knock the few remaining Union Players -- off the Political Map, as Rachel put it. Little fish beware. The Big Money Sharks are circling ...
Let's not give them that chance, to "strike".
The Time to act is now.