Ideas
Elizabeth Warren

MoveOn ... Elizabeth Warren under attack ... URGENT: The head of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce just came out swinging against Senator Elizabeth Warren.

Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

Elizabeth Warren under attack

Victoria Kaplan, MoveOn.org Political Action 3:59 PM (4 hours ago)

to me

Dear MoveOn member,

URGENT: The head of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce just came out swinging against Senator Elizabeth Warren.

Why does this matter? Because the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is a front group for mega-corporations like Walmart. It tried to kill health care reform. It spent $33 million campaigning against Democrats in the last election.1 And it's doing everything it can to give corporations even more control over our government.

And why have they set their sights on Sen. Warren? Because Big Business sees that she's an effective leader who's calling for a different kind of economy.

Warren just led a successful effort to prevent a Wall Street insider from taking an important spot at the U.S. Treasury.2 And political commentators—from John Nichols to David Frum—are talking about the impact she is already having, and how that impact could increase with a presidential campaign.3

Big Business sees Sen. Warren as a huge threat—which means her message is winning! Now it's time to double down.

We'll debunk the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's misleading attacks and spread Warren's message far and wide.

The Chamber's head, Tom Donahue, claimed Warren's fight for working families and the middle class amounts to supporting 'unbridled growth of the central government and a state-run economy.' He also condescendingly (and with thinly-veiled sexism) referred to Sen. Warren as 'a very pleasant woman' and went on to attack the possibility of her running for president, saying, 'I don't think the American people will share her views either.'4

With your help, we'll fight back—by standing with Warren in the fights coming up in the Senate, elevating her message and leadership even more through our effort to encourage her to run for president, and with polling that demonstrates Warren's ideas are exactly what this country hungers for.

It's not just political insiders who are taking notice of Warren—which is one big reason that Big Business is terrified.

In a huge shock to the political establishment, half of the participants in a recent focus group of independent voters 'said they would like to have Warren over to their house to talk, more than any other possible 2016 presidential contender they were asked about.'5

They also said that 'she was 'down to earth' and 'knowledgeable.' When asked a separate question about which politician they would like to have live next door, they picked Warren over every other contender as well.'6

No wonder the Chamber is lashing out! This is our moment to fight back, debunk these attacks, defend Warren, and spread her message. Will you pitch in $3?

Yes, I'll chip in to fight these vicious attacks, amplify Warren's message, and urge her to run for president.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has a vision of this country that's 180 degrees different from our own—one with no regulations, where corporations are people, where the rich get to make the rules, where everyone else is left to fend for themselves, and where independent voters vote for the Tea Party instead of their own economic self-interest. The Chamber is lashing out because Warren threatens that vision.

But we have something the Chamber doesn't: people power. Let's use it. Let's call out these outrageous attacks. Let's join Elizabeth Warren's fights in the Senate with millions of voices. Let's continue the drumbeat calling for her to run for president, so that her bold vision and message are brought to the broadest possible audience. And let's invest in the polling that demonstrates to everyone that it's Warren's vision—not Tom Donahue's—that voters are hungry for.

Big Business is sending its attack dogs after Elizabeth Warren because she's an effective, progressive, and compelling leader. And that's the same reason that we need to fight back.

Thanks for all you do.

–Victoria, Jo, Ben O., Justin K., and the rest of the team

P.S. We'll send Tom Donahue an email letting him know every time his comments have inspired a donation to this campaign.

Sources:

1. 'US Chamber of Commerce Outside Spending Summary 2014,' OpenSecrets.org, accessed January 15, 2014 http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=302331&id=107289-20152613-ZetDltx&t=1

2. 'Elizabeth Warren wins on Antonio Weiss nomination,' Politico, January 12, 2015 http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=302317&id=107289-20152613-ZetDltx&t=2

3. 'Elizabeth Warren Says She Won't Run, but 'Draft Warren' Activists Plan to 'Change Her Mind',' The Nation, January 13, 2015 http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=302326&id=107289-20152613-ZetDltx&t=3

'Run, Warren, Run,' The Atlantic, January 13, 2015 http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=302327&id=107289-20152613-ZetDltx&t=4

4. 'U.S. Chamber head criticizes 'economic populist' Elizabeth Warren,' Reuters, January 14, 2015 http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=302325&id=107289-20152613-ZetDltx&t=5

5. 'The Warren Commission,' Slate, January 9, 2015 http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2015/01/elizabeth_warren_does_well_in_peter_hart_focus_group_voters_not_excited.html

6. Ibid Want to support our work? We're entirely funded by our 8 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Start a monthly donation here or chip in a one-time donation here.

PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. This email was sent to Peter Burgess on January 18, 2015. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.