The American Way - October 2008‏

SPOTLIGHT

New Ads Exposing GOP Senators' Records on Bush Judges People For the American Way has bought significant airtime in Maine to run an ad exposing Sen. Susan Collins' disastrous record on Bush judges, and is using ads to confront other incumbent senators with similar records. Check out the ads now, and please consider contributing to this important work. Watch these videos and spread the word >

ANNOUNCING OUR HAIKU CONTEST WINNERS

McPalin Haiku Hysteria: You voted, here are the results! Thank you to all who entered and voted in the contest! Of our 12 great finalists, three emerged after more than 14,000 People For supporters voted for their favorites. All three winning haikus will be published in next week's issue of The Nation. Congratulations to the winners! 1st place: McCain is ailin' Chooses hockey mom Palin You betcha, we're pucked! -- Chaunce Windle of South Bend, IN 2nd place: See dust thick on text books. Evolution was a fad. Science dead? You betcha. -- Laura Welch of Syracuse, NY 3rd place: Habeas corpus And that pesky Bill of Rights. Who needs' em? WINK. WINK. -- Jean Hall of Norwood, MA

THIS MONTH

Voter Fraud Bait & Switch In the last presidential debate, John McCain outrageously claimed before a national audience that the community organizing group ACORN was "maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history in this country, maybe destroying the fabric of democracy." The attacks on ACORN, coming from McCain, FOX News and the entire Right are based on a threat -- 'widespread voter fraud' -- which has been proven time and time again not to exist. And they are meant to distract from the real threat to democracy: efforts by the Right to suppress the vote and intimidate voters in poor and minority communities. Read more about People For's response to the attacks on ACORN > And see the dangerous consequences of McCain's reckless accusations >

Promoting Fairness & Equality: A Strategy for Success People For the American Way Foundation is running three radio ads in cities across California urging African Americans to oppose anti-gay discrimination. The ads are part of a long-term effort to challenge homophobia in the Black Church and African American communities by the African American Ministers Leadership Council (a project of People For the American Way Foundation). This vital work to break down long-existing barriers has included focus groups, message development and unprecedented outreach in the African American faith community. And the model being developed now will be applicable in states beyond California in the coming months and years. Check out the ads > FEATURED VIDEO The End of Choice? People For the American Way put together this web video explaining in very clear terms what's at stake for the right to choose this election. If you have any friends who have not fully absorbed what one more right-wing Supreme Court justice would mean for Americans' fundamental rights, forward them this short video. Watch > LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS Electing the Future People For the American Way Action Fund has worked hard this month to help young progressive candidates achieve elected office. A strong leadership pipeline is what will sustain the progressive movement over the the long term. The Right's built their farm team from the ground up -- GOPAC, the Right's leading candidate development program produced the current GOP Vice Presidential nominee, Sarah Palin. Answering the Right's investment in young leaders, the Action Fund ran ads on Air America Radio supporting young candidates for office in important state and local races around the country. Check out the ad, which was voiced by MSNBC and Air America's Rachel Maddow. Listen > Turning out the Youth Vote Young People For fellows at dozens of campuses in battleground states have been working to register, educate and turn out the student vote for this year's election. Fellows have registered thousands of new voters and have in recent weeks shifted gear to GOTV efforts. At Wilberforce University in Ohio -- the oldest private Historically Black University in the country -- they have registered over 90% of students, and over 50% of students have voted early or by absentee ballot already! This is just a small example of the significant work of fellows happening across the country. Check out this amazing video, produced by YP4 in partnership with Video the Vote to help get out the youth vote. Watch > BLOGS Powell Stands Up to the Real Muslim Smear In all the effort to defend Barack Obama against the rumor that he's secretly a Muslim, too may people have missed the real point. If he were a Muslim, why would it matter? The Constitution clearly states that "no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States..." Read More > "Angry" Al Franken In his book Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them, Al Franken recalls an episode in Paul Wellstone's 2002 run for re-election when, prior to his untimely death, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) ran a misleading ad called "Pork" that savaged Wellstone for voting "to spend thousands of dollars to control seaweed in Maui." It is only fitting that this time around, with Franken running against Norm Coleman, the man on whose behalf the NRSC ran that original ad, the NRSC would again stoop to such tricks. Read More > Right Wing Watch: Right Plots to Wage Culture War During Obama Presidency For those hoping that a victory by Barack Obama might somehow restrain or moderate the Religious Right ... well, you are going to be disappointed since the Right is already looking ahead and planning on reconstituting itself by rallying around Sarah Palin and launching an all-out culture war. Read More > More Blog Posts >