This weekend is mostly about researching and preparing for the House. We're need to identify where the bankruptcy bill will begin - it appears it is the House Judiciary Committee or a subcommittee - and identify their members. There's already some work being done to that end in the comments. Please weigh in. Rep. Cannon appears to have a key role. From my limited impression of him, he's not devoid of reason. We also need to know the bill number, if it exists yet.
If anyone is willing to do some typesetting work or marketing writing, I'd love to host a pdf flyer that we can print out and drop off in public places. Cribbing the main statement from the original entry is fine. I don't care whether it is politology-branded or not, but it should have directions on where to go to participate. In that vein, if a graphic designer could come up with a badge, brand, or 150x200 box that other blogs could host on their weblog to express support, that would help as well.
I would like pointers to whatever tools there are these days that allow easy creation of Letters to Editor, to focus on local media.
Finally, I'd like more thoughts on exactly how to target a couple of media opinion leaders or PACs; ones that we have a good shot at affecting. I want instructions on how to call into Rush's show, when he's on, and whether he could be convinced to weigh in against this bill with enough prodding from conservative listeners. Any other such organization that could release a statement of opposition after some prodding would be good to target, but we shouldn't get spread out too thin.
This will take us through Sunday. In the meantime, use the comments and private notes to help come up with action items for the first few days of the week.
Posted by tunesmith at March 12, 2005 05:34 PM
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One more thing: the Thomas link to the bill above says that it's been referred to the full Judiciary Committtee and the Committee on Financial Services.
Click on the 'committees' link on that page and get further links to each. Those committees are where pressure should be concentrated.
Posted by: Nell L. at March 13, 2005 07:58 AM
we have prepared buttons to link directly to our "send your personal message" to Congress on the bankruptcy bill. we have already arranged to pipe all responses to the minority house judiciary committee.
better yet, contact us directly at dc@thepen.us and we will set up with an embedded action form for your own website.
peace,
The Pen
Posted by: ThePen at March 13, 2005 12:15 PM
we have prepared buttons to link directly to our "send your personal message" to Congress on the bankruptcy bill. we have already arranged to pipe all responses to the minority house judiciary committee.
<!-- BANKRUPTCY BILL ACTION BUTTON 160x65 -->
<a href="http://www.usalone.com/bankruptcy.htm">
<img src="http://www.usalone.com/quill_bank1.gif" width=160 height=65 border=0></a>
<!-- BANKRUPTCY BILL ACTION BUTTON 200x80 -->
<a href="http://www.usalone.com/bankruptcy.htm">
<img src="http://www.usalone.com/quill_bank2.gif" width=200 height=80 border=0></a>
better yet, contact us directly at dc@thepen.us and we will set up with an embedded action form for your own website.
peace,
The Pen
Posted by: ThePen at March 13, 2005 12:21 PM
Good article in today's Washington Post by David Broder (he's outraged!), and blogged here at Confined Space
Posted by: Jordan Barab at March 13, 2005 03:37 PM
is there a roll call of participating blogs?
Posted by: dingus at March 13, 2005 06:03 PM
Found the bill in Thomas: H.R. 685. Bad news: There are already 83 cosponsors. Click the link and look to see if your Rep. is one of them; it's going to require unusual effort to get cosponsors to drop off, doesn't happen usually.
Also of interest would be cosponsors who are also on the Judiciary Committee -- they'll be tough to move and you all (Republicans) should concentrate on the R's who are not cosponsors.
That's all from me for a while; you don't want to be led by the hand by Democrats, surely?
Posted by: Nell Lancaster at March 13, 2005 07:50 AM