From: Lawrence Lessig <lawrence@change-congress.org>
Date: Tue, Jan 19, 2010 at 11:03
Subject: Important news about the Supreme Court
Dear Friend,
The case originated in the last presidential election, when a group called Citizens United tried to run TV ads promoting a film that criticized then-Senator Hillary Clinton -- without disclosing the names and identities of their donors.
After being blocked at the district level, Citizens United appealed their case all the way to the high court. But what's at issue isn't just their right to promote this film.
Simply put, an unfavorable decision -- which may come as soon as tomorrow -- could overturn generations of election law, allowing corporations to spend unlimited sums of money supporting the candidates and causes that are best not for the American people but for their bottom lines.
We don't know what the Court will decide, but we're preparing for a worst-case scenario. It's vital that we have the resources we need to fight back through grassroots lobbying, television and Internet advertising, and a nationwide movement to organize people around fundamental reform.
Make a donation to help Change Congress change this country:
http://action.change-congress.org/donate
In what may be a bit of dark humor from the Court, tomorrow -- the date many are expecting this decision will be handed down -- is also the one-year anniversary of President Obama's inauguration.
The past year has taught us a lot about how our government functions, as progressives and conservatives alike have been disappointed that a President who seemed to personify change -- whether or not you even agreed with the kind of change he was offering -- has been stymied every step of the way.
It's hard to believe that anyone could look at today's political landscape and determine that corporations need more, not less, influence over Washington. But that's exactly what the Court may do tomorrow -- and we need to be prepared to act.
This isn't just a pivotal moment, but an opportune one as well. The decision will be covered on the front pages of every newspaper in the country -- and millions of people will be wondering what they can do to bring sanity back into our political system.
We may not have another chance like this to rally people around the cause of changing our government -- and we need to make sure we have the ability to organize and motivate them all at this moment of extraordinary passion.
Please donate today to help leverage this outrage -- and build a movement for reform that even the entrenched interests in Washington cannot ignore:
http://action.change-congress.org/donate
I'll be in touch tomorrow with an update.
Best,
Lawrence Lessig
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