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granny d
Elizabeth Warren Vows Campaign Built on 'Ideas and Principles - Not Money and Access'
"Granny D is in one of my all-time favorite political activists," says Massachussetts senator and presidential candidate. "We are going to build a primary campaign based on ideas and principles – not money and access."
Feb 24, 2019
Announcing her campaign will shun the tradition of "fancy receptions," endless phone calls, and "big money fundraisers" with deep-pocketed donors "who can write big checks," Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Monday--inspired by the courageous activism of Doris "Granny D" Haddock, who in her late eighties walked thousands of miles against the corrupting influence of big money in politics--told supporters that she will walk a path focused on small donors as she pursues the 2020 Democratic nomination for president.
"For every time you see a presidential candidate talking with voters at a town hall, rally, or local diner, those same candidates are spending three or four or five times as long with wealthy donors--on the phone, or in conference rooms at hedge fund offices, or at fancy receptions and intimate dinners--all behind closed doors," Warren wrote in an email to supporters early on Monday. "When I thank the people giving to my campaign, it will not be based on the size of their donation."
\u201cI\u2019ve already said that I'll run my campaign differently \u2013 no Washington lobbyist money, no dark money, no super PACs. But today, I\u2019m going further. My presidential primary campaign will be run on the principle of equal access for anybody who joins it.\u201d— Elizabeth Warren (@Elizabeth Warren) 1551102013
According to CNN:
Warren's announcement Monday is an implicit challenge to--and perhaps even criticism of--some of her competitors in the Democratic field who have courted big-dollar donors and bundlers.
The Warren campaign has not held a single fundraiser since New Year's Eve when Warren launched her presidential exploratory committee, Warren aides confirmed to CNN.
The time that Warren and her staff can save by skipping glitzy fundraisers and call times with deep-pocketed donors, they say, is time they are devoting to more organizing events, town halls, and calls to grassroots supporters and small-dollar donors. In just under two months, Warren has traveled to Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Nevada, California, Georgia and Puerto Rico, and has clocked in more than 20 campaign events.
Warren has already disavowed accepting any PAC money and donations from federal lobbyists and has pressured others Democratic candidates to do the same.
On Sunday, Warren teased her announcement before entering a local residence in Laconia, New Hampshire, where the spirited campaign finance reform activist, Granny D, was born.
"At the age of 88, one of my favorite activists named Granny D walked 10 miles a day for 14 months across the United States. Why? Because she was fighting for campaign finance reform," Warren declares in the video. "I agree with Granny D - we need to get big money out of politics." Watch:
\u201cWe are going to build a primary campaign based on ideas and principles \u2013 not money and access. Tomorrow I\u2019m making a big announcement about how we\u2019re going to do just that.\u201d— Elizabeth Warren (@Elizabeth Warren) 1551044767
"Not only will I not accept money from PACs or federal lobbyists, but I'm going further than that," said Warren.
"We want to build a campaign built on ideas and on principles in rooms like the kind I'm about to walk into," she added, "full of volunteers and neighbors and enthusiastic Democrats who want to dream big and fight hard."
Granny D, who died in 2010 at the age of 100, spent the last decades of her life committed to fighting big money in politics and demanding meaningful campaign finance reform. As The Nation's John Nichols wrote following her death:
Former President Jimmy Carter hailed Granny D. as "a true patriot" and declared that "our nation has been blessed by her remarkable life."
Haddock's walk made her a national celebrity, who was hailed by presidents and senators. Yet, she did not rest on the laurels. Rather, Granny D. ramped up her activism, spending her 90s as one of the most outspoken critics of the war in Iraq and a passionate advocate for holding former President Bush and former Vice President Cheney to account for the lies that spawned the invasion and occupation.
Granny D. even ran for the U.S. Senate, earning the Democratic nomination as an anti-war challenger to U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg, R-New Hampshire.
Don't mourn her for too long, Nichols said after her death. Like Joe Hill, he said, Haddock would only want people to do one thing: Organize.
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'Our Congress:' Protesters Say Democracy Is Awakening
On an April Sunday, more than 200 organizations united in Washington to fight for voting rights and campaign finance reform.
Apr 18, 2016
Chanting "Our Capitol!" and "Our Congress!" in a colorful parade that stretched from the top of Capitol Hill to its base, an unusual mix of demonstrators on Sunday managed to turn the too often esoteric issues of campaign finance and election law into matters worthy of genuine passion.
On the penultimate day of a week of activity designed to focus attention on the erosion of political fundraising regulations and voting rights laws, about 1,500 gathered to give voice to views that, according to most polls, vast majorities of Americans support.
While that crowd may not have been anywhere near record-breaking on a national Capital Mall that has seen Million Men marches and two Obama inaugurals, it was enough to buoy the spirits of those who for decades have waged a lonely battle to reform the nation's political system.
Back in 2000, when 90-year-old Doris Haddock, better known as "Granny D" for her coast-to-coast march for campaign finance reform, was arrested at the Capitol, only a few dozen joined her, recalled Nick Nyhart, head of Every Voice Center. Already, nearly 1,000 demonstrators have been arrested this week for voting rights and campaign finance reform. "This is an order of magnitude bigger than anything I've seen in many years," said Nyhart.
On Monday, demonstrators plan to continue to engage in civil disobedience outside the Capitol while others go inside to lobby members of Congress.
"I would be proud to have every one of you sitting in the cell next to me," Chris Shelton, president of the Communications Workers of America, declared. "I beseech you to show up tomorrow and get arrested." Shelton, who said 200 of his union members plan to risk arrest, vowed it will send a message to lawmakers that it's time to "get off your ass and change what you're doing."
The Monday activities will mark the last formal day of protests by Democracy Spring and Democracy Awakening, two efforts that have brought thousands of people to Washington to press for passage of four bills focusing on campaign finance reform and voting rights, and for the US Senate to take up President Barack Obama's nominee for the Supreme Court, Merrick Garland. The legislation would:
- Repeal the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United that opened the door to unlimited corporate campaign giving;
- Establish a public financing mechanism for congressional races designed to encourage small donors;
- Repeal the Supreme Court decision rolling back voting rights protections;
- Make it easier to register to vote and cast a ballot.
More than 200 organizations are supporting Democracy Awakening and while most backers of the movement are on the progressive side of the spectrum, Democracy Spring was joined by some conservatives on its march from Philadelphia to Washington.
More impressive than the numbers, organizers of the protest said, was its diversity. The crowd, which enjoyed picnic-perfect weather by the side of the Capitol Reflecting Pool, heard from speakers representing government watchdog groups, environmental organizations, the gay rights movement and civil rights veterans. One of the latter, William Barber, a founder of North Carolina's "Moral Mondays" movement, said it will take a "fusion" of progressive white, Latinos and blacks to push back efforts by conservatives to "lock up the South for another generation."
"This is a racial and class warfare on our democracy," Barber proclaimed. "Wake up America! It's our time! This is our Selma!"
Members of the audience reflected the range of interests that are now being brought to focus on what Rob Weissman of Public Citizen described as a "rigged political system."
"The key issue is this money thing," retired Philadelphia architect Bob Pistelli said when asked why he was marching. "It's something that's causing things to slow down and stop" in the political system, added Pistelli, who said he's looking for a way to give politicians a forum other than 30-second political commercials. He said such ads have just given rise to a culture of deception: "You can sell anything if you put enough money behind it and repeat it enough times."
For Nisha Witt, an engineer running a solar technology business in Norfolk, Virginia, it was the power of big energy companies that stirred her anger and brought her to the march. "We've got corporate money persuading the people we put into office that fossil fuels is the way to go," said Witt, a Sierra Club member. "I was definitely excited to come. It gets people to wake up."
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Arkansans and National Groups Launch Ballot Initiative to Overturn Citizens United
Ben Cohen and Other National Democracy Leaders Join State Residents for a March on the Capitol
May 14, 2015
WHAT: March to the state Capitol, followed by a press conference at which local and national democracy leaders will announce a new effort to obtain voter support for a constitutional amendment to overturn the U.S. Supreme Court's controversial Citizens United ruling. That 2010 decision gave corporations the green light to spend unlimited sums to influence elections.
The march will be led by 81-year old Rhana Bazzini, who last year marched more than 400 miles in support of a constitutional amendment. Participants and activists will protest the recent flood of money from outside groups and the wealthy into Arkansas' state and local elections. In 2014, nearly $68.3 million was spent on the race for Arkansas' U.S. Senate seat. Of that, $39.8 million was spent by outside groups - those not affiliated with the candidates. The race was among the top five most expensive U.S. Senate races in outside spending.
From business leaders to local public servants, the people of the Natural State will discuss their plan to advance a statewide ballot initiative for a constitutional amendment. Their goal is to ensure that the voices of Arkansas voters are not drowned out by corporations and the wealthy.
Previous attempts to place an initiative on the ballot have been rejected by the state attorney general, but organizers are hopeful that a version of the initiative resubmitted on May 11 will be approved. The attorney general has until May 25 to decide.
WHEN: 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 19 - march
12:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 19 - press conference
WHERE: March begins at MacArthur Park, corner of East 9th and Commerce Streets, Little Rock
Press conference will be held outside the Capitol at 500 Woodlane St. In case of rain, it will be held in the second floor rotunda of the Capitol building.
WHO: State Rep. Clarke Tucker (D-Little Rock)
Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben and Jerry's, founder of the Stamp Stampede
Rhana Bazzini, leader of 400-mile march for an amendment
John Bonifaz, co-founder and president, Free Speech for People
Jonah Minkoff-Zern, campaign director, Public Citizen's Democracy Is for People Campaign
Rio Tazewell, campaign coordinator, People For the American Way
Scott Foval, regional political coordinator, People For the American Way
Tyler Pearson, recent candidate for state Senate
Paul Spencer, director, Regnat Populus
Steve Copley, chair of the Arkansas Friendship Coalition, chair of the Arkansas Interfaith Alliance
ADDITIONAL: At 7 p.m. on Monday, May 18, off-Broadway actress Barbara Bates is giving a free performance of the play "Go Granny D!" The performance will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Church at 1818 Reservoir Road in Little Rock. It is based on the life of campaign finance reform activist Doris Haddock, who at the age of 90 marched across the country in the name of campaign finance reform. The play will be introduced by Bazzini, who led her own 400-mile march last year.
For more information, visit the Arkansas Democracy Coalition's page on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ARDCdotUS).
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