Fund Susan Collins' Future Opponent

Last week, Susan Collins sold out women and people with pre-existing conditions when she voted to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. And now, she’s getting rewarded by right-wing dark money groups.

Kavanaugh may be sitting on the Supreme Court today, but evidently that’s not enough for his supporters. Conservative extremist group the Judicial Crisis Network – which has been pumping money into ads supporting Kavanaugh for months – is buying up TV and digital ads in Maine supporting Senator Collins. What's more, Senator Grassley has vowed to raise $3 million to support Senator Collins.

Let’s be clear about what this is: it’s retaliation. It’s conservative special interests seeing our momentum – and money – and feeling threatened. They have almost unlimited cash, and we have… us. Let's prove that our people power can outwork them.

With her vote for Kavanaugh, Collins ended her career. Now conservative groups are working to keep her in office. We cannot let their influence stifle the will of the people once again. We need to make sure that dark money groups like Judicial Crisis Network can’t override the voice of the people, who overwhelmingly reject Collins’ decision on Kavanaugh.

Every person who chips in to support Maine’s 2020 Democratic Senate nominee helps make sure they don’t have that power. 

Let’s hit $4 million today and end Senator Collins’ career for good. 

Will you chip in once more to help us hit our goal?

We've been watching the hearing today, and we're furious. 

Senator Chuck Grassley made his message loud and clear at Dr. Blasey Ford’s testimony: he does NOT believe women, he does NOT support survivors of sexual assault, and he will defend sexual predators, no matter what.

So we decided it was time to send our own message to Senator Chuck Grassley:

Hey Chuck -- we’re the people who worked with Mainers to raise over $1.5 million for Senator Collins’ future Democratic opponent, if she votes to confirm Kavanaugh. But after witnessing your disgusting misogyny and cruelty at Dr. Blasey Ford’s testimony, we decided to try a different approach with you:

We're not waiting for your vote. We are building a campaign to fund your future Democratic opponent.

Because Chuck has already raised $1,078,202 from lobbyists, we need to be prepared to spend big money to defeat him.

Will you fight back against rape culture in the Senate by contributing to fund Senator Chuck Grassley’s future Democratic opponent NOW, and help us match his $1,078,202 from lobbyists?

Your money will go directly to It Starts Today, where it will be held for the Democratic Nominee to run for Senate in 2022. 

Are you feeling infuriated? Channel that fury into action, and help us vote Grassley out in 2022:

http://bit.ly/defeatgrassley

This campaign has been about respectfully demanding that Senator Susan Collins stand up for her constituents and show her independence from Trump and the GOP in opposing Kavanaugh...and if not, we will fund your future opponent. Always with respect.

But last night, Sen. Collins said something beyond the pale that reveals the way she thinks and where she gets her information.

In an interview, Collins was asked about Brett Kavanaugh’s yearbook, where in coded messages he allegedly bragged about sexual conquests.

Here was her answer:

“I was just handed the yearbook page and I don’t know what to make of it,” Collins told HuffPost. “Frankly, at the risk of sounding very naive, I don’t know what many of the references mean, and so I just don’t know what to make of it. There are rumors — there are so many rumors — that there are issues with Christine Ford’s yearbook as well. I don’t know whether that’s accurate or not accurate. I don’t know what to make of someone’s high school yearbook.”

The rumor she’s talking about is a lie whose origin has been traced back to Alex Jones, the notorious right-wing conspiracy theorist who was kicked off of Twitter for his hate speech.

That Susan Collins would repeat this lie shows that her information diet has been shockingly penetrated by the far-right wing, far outside the mainstream of American thought -- the same cesspool that spawned the Donald Trump presidential campaign.

That she finds the lie compelling enough to mention in an interview shows that Collins fundamentally believes women are responsible for sexual violence perpetrated against them. Why else would Dr. Ford’s yearbook even be relevant to the conversation?

Collins’ shocking comments show that it is more urgent than ever to reach her NOW.

Please take a moment and pledge $20.20 once more to Susan Collins’ future opponent...IF she does the unthinkable and votes to seat Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court:

Our campaign to pressure Susan Collins on her vote is more important than ever: Members of the press are starting to realize what we already know: Susan Collins is the most important vote for Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court.

She alone can stop his nomination dead, and she alone could put him on the bench.

Alexander Bolton, a reporter at The Hill, a news organization that covers Congress, just published a story with the headline “Kavanaugh’s fate rests with Sen. Collins”. Here is an excerpt:

"Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), a prominent moderate voice and one of the Senate’s most conscientious members, is poised to make or break Brett Kavanaugh’s chance at becoming a Supreme Court justice.

"A big reason for that is several Senate colleagues are waiting to see what Collins will do before announcing their positions."

Survivors are speaking out all week as we wait to hear Dr. Ford’s testimony. And Susan Collins is her most important audience.

Will you pledge $20.20 one more time now, at this crucial moment, to help us meet our goal of $2,000,000 pledged to go to Collins’ future opponent if she votes for Kavanaugh?

Thanks for your support.

We want to thank you for showing up for our movement and fighting to save our democracy, and update you on where things stand.

The vote on Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination has been postponed, after Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s bravely came forward with disturbing allegations of sexual assault. Dr. Ford has since requested that the FBI investigate her accusation.

instead of supporting this courageous woman, Susan Collins is putting pressure on her to testify before the Judiciary committee in a matter of days. Here’s what Collins said on Twitter:

How is this hard? What happened to believing women?

What is the rush, other than political expediency for the GOP?

There is none.

If Susan Collins wants to be the champion for women she claims to be, she needs to support Dr. Ford’s request for an investigation, and ultimately, reject this nominee.

It’s clear that Kavanaugh is not fit for our nation’s highest court and if Susan Collins doesn’t see that, we will replace her with someone who does.

There's a great article in Slate explaining that in a country governed by big money Super PACs allowed by Citizens United (Kavanaugh would make it worse!), this type of campaign is one of few options that ordinary Americans have to make their voices heard. Here's an excerpt:

You can read the full article here: 

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/09/susan-collins-complains-of-bribery-after-nonbillionaires-try-to-influence-her-kavanaugh-vote.html

Our plutocratic enemies are running scared. Let's make them feel the pain.

September 12th, 2018

Contact:

Mike Tipping, Mike@mainepeoplesalliance.org

Marie Follayttar Smith, mfalpac@gmail.com

Mainers Defend Their Right to the First Amendment and Fight Back Against Bogus Attacks from Senator Susan Collins

In a heated atmosphere around the Supreme Court nominations, an online fundraising pledge campaign supported by Mainers for Accountable Leadership, the Maine People's Alliance, and Be A Hero, founded by national health care advocate and ALS patient Ady Barkan has now raised over $1 million online from almost 40,000 small dollar donors to unseat Senator Collins, IF she decides to support the nomination of Kavanagh to the Supreme Court. See the campaign's metrics in real time by clicking here.

Instead of paying attention to the messages from her constituents, Senator Susan Collins ran to a notorious right wing news outlet to call the campaign “bribery.”

Jonathan Berkon, a partner in Perkins Coie’s Political Law Group, defended the legality of the program. “Through this grassroots effort, Mainers are making clear to Senator Collins that they will defeat her for reelection if she defies the will of the people and votes to confirm Judge Kavanaugh. The First Amendment guarantees their right to do so. And federal law protects their right to pool their funds together now, when enthusiasm is at its peak, so that their campaign against a well-funded, four-term incumbent is viable two years from now. It is shameful that Republicans are using bogus legal threats to stifle this grassroots enthusiasm.”

"The idea of Susan Collins attacking an effort by 35,000 small dollar donors as bribery is politics at its worst,” said Marie Follayttar, the co-director of Mainers for Accountable Leadership.

“Thousands of Mainers are trying desperately to tell her that she needs to protect abortion access and critical healthcare coverage across the country by voting ‘no’ on Kavanaugh.”

“Sen. Collins owes it to her constituents to hear them out, and explain why Judge Kavanaugh's demonstrated hostility to Roe v. Wade, opposition to covering pre-existing conditions and repeated lies is not disqualifying. If she doesn't, we absolutely have the right to prepare to unseat her. Unlike Supreme Court judges, Senators do not enjoy a lifetime guarantee of their seat; they are accountable to the people.”

Ady Barkan, one of the founders of the Campaign said “Senator Collins took over $5 million from PACs and large donors like the Koch brothers. In exchange, she voted to cut their taxes and take healthcare away from people like me. Senator Collins may not really know what small dollar donations are, because during her last election campaign less than 3% of her money came from small dollar donors, while 44% came from PACs, but that still doesn't excuse smearing a grassroots effort from regular people pleading with someone in a position of power to do the right thing.”

Barkan, father dying of ALS, filmed the initial video begging Senator Collins to “be a hero” and vote “No” on Kavanaugh. Barkan originally gained national fame when he confronted Sen. Jeff Flake mid-flight with a plea to vote no on the tax bill.

Other support has been flooding in to the campaign that is well beyond $1 million now and gathered another $50k within the hour of Collins complaining that small donations could be seen as bribery.

Just a handful of responses can be seen here:

• Ady Barkan’s reponse to Washington Post https://twitter.com/AdyBarkan/status/1039721178422636545
• Michael Linden, Policy & Research Director at the Hub Project https://twitter.com/MichaelSLinden/status/1039636010173378561
• Chelsea Handler https://twitter.com/chelseahandler/status/1039580413134422016
• Andy Slavitt, Healthcare policy activist https://twitter.com/ASlavitt/status/1039336108738445313
• Amy Fried, Professor of Political Sci, U of Maine - https://twitter.com/ASFried/status/1039480611415764992
• Maine Democratic Party - https://twitter.com/MaineDems/status/1039684170300239872
• Congressman Ted Lieu https://twitter.com/tedlieu/status/1039696174062567426
• Tommy Vietor - https://twitter.com/TVietor08/status/1039638988233965568
• Soledad O’Brien - https://twitter.com/soledadobrien/status/1039699927704711169
• People for the American Way - https://twitter.com/peoplefor/status/1039635446060515328
• Debra Messing - https://twitter.com/DebraMessing/status/1039725586653093888

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 11, 2018

Contact: Marie Follayttar, mfalpac@gmail.com

Fundraising Campaign Pledging to Fund a Future Opponent to Sen. Collins Crosses $1 Million Threshold

SCARBOROUGH, ME  -- A small-dollar grassroots effort collecting pledges of $20.20 from concerned Mainers and activists has smashed its initial goal of $250,000 to  secure more than $1 million in pledged support of a potential challenger to Sen. Susan Collins in the 2020 election. The funds will only be made available to her future general election challenger in Maine's 2020 Senate race if Collins votes to confirm President Trump's nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, to the Supreme Court. The new milestone represents a major victory for activists. Senator Collins must listen to the outpouring of Mainers demanding she protect them and publicly pledge to vote against Judge Kavanaugh, who has indicated willingness to overturn Roe v. Wade and gut health care protections for America's most vulnerable.

Over 35,000 donors have pledged to this campaign with a median pledge of $20.20.

"For too long, politicians like Susan Collins have made the calculation that they can vote with corporations and entrenched right-wing interests, as long as the next election is too far away for constituents to remember," said Marie Follayttar, the co-director of Mainers for Accountable Leadership, "That ends here. We're channeling the outrage and frustration of so many Mainers and activists who desperately want Sen. Collins to do the right thing and vote against Kavanaugh, but who also want her to know that we won't forget if she betrays us. There's already a very clear moral imperative to vote against Kavanaugh, and now Susan Collins has a political one too. We’ve called, we’ve emailed, we’ve visited her office - she won’t listen to us and we are going to stand together to make sure our voices are heard."

The online fundraising pledge effort is supported by Mainers for Accountable Leadership, the Maine People's Alliance, and Be A Hero, founded by national health care advocate and ALS patient Ady Barkan.

“When I speak together with the people of Maine, we can really make a difference for the entire country. Kavanaugh is a threat to my healthcare as well as thousands of others in the state of Maine and millions across America. The future of Americans’ healthcare for generations is once again coming down to the vote of Susan Collins,” said Ady Barkan. Barkan is the Father Dying of ALS made famous when he confronted Senator Jeff Flake on a plane in December 2017 begging him to vote against the tax bill and “Be A Hero”.

 ###

Thanks for your support and for reading our release. We've caught Susan Collins' attention -- time to drive the point home.

This week has been huge for the Be A Hero movement, and it’s all thanks to you. We showed up in force to Brett Kavanaugh’s hearings with Women’s March and CPDA– and over 200 protesters were arrested.

We worked hard to reach our $500k fundraising goal, and then blew it out of the water. Now, our goal is to raise $1.3 million – the same amount as Senator Susan Collins has in her campaign bank account.

If you share our campaign with just three friends, we will reach that new goal. I know, it sounds like a lot of money. That’s because it is. But we’ve already raised over $670,000 and our movement has turned heads around the country doing it. With every arrest, every fist raised in protest and every voice raised in objection to the actions of this corrupt Republican judicial agenda, we send waves across the country.

Can you share our campaign with three friends right now?  We need your help to keep up the drumbeat against Kavanaugh and for our healthcare.

If there’s one thing this week has proven, it’s that when Trump and Republicans in Congress jeopardize our healthcare and our lives, the people – thousands of us – are ready to stand up, fight back and stop them.

We’ve raised nearly $500,000 in pledges in just a few shorts weeks -- but Senator Susan Collins STILL won’t commit to rejecting  Kavanaugh. So we’re taking things up a notch, and setting a NEW goal:

According to the latest fundraising reports, Senator Collins has $1,302,388 in her campaign bank account. So we’re going to match that, and raise $1,302,388 in pledges to support her future Democratic opponent if she votes to confirm Kavanaugh.

This is going to be an enormous undertaking, but with so much at stake, it’s absolutely necessary. Senator Collins needs to know that Mainers will be able to unseat her if she votes to confirm Kavanaugh, and the only way to do that is to match her funding, dollar for dollar, so that it’s clear that her eventual opponent has the support to win.

This is our opportunity to show strength to Collins ahead of the vote -- we hope we can count on you to step up and help us make this happen by pledging and sharing this campaign. Thank you for all of your support so far.

-- Ady, Amy, and Marie

Be A Hero PAC

Maine People’s Alliance

Mainers for Accountable Leadership

It's hearing week in DC - and America is turning it's eyes towards one of the most pivotal votes the Senate will make in this decade....

Last week a Huffington Post article announced that Senator Collins is leaning towards a vote for Brett Kavanaugh. We have one week. 

We are almost to our goal of $250,000 so we have upped it one last time to be ready for this week. $500,000

If everyone on the campaign invited 2 other friends to pledge $20.20 we would be over half a million. 

On Friday Mainers got together from Portland, Lewiston, Hallowell, Cornish, Augusta, Camden, South Portland, and Fort Fairfield  and made a special video for Collins.

Vote NO on Brett Kavanaugh - or we will replace you. 

You can watch it here. 

We have one shot for her to hear her constituents. 

Please share their video and ask your friends to support the Mainers. 

We must #STOPKAVANAUGH

We have wonderful news,

Mainers for Accountable Leadership are joining our campaign! 

I met with them a few weeks ago when the Be A Hero team went to visit Senator Collins in her home state to plead with her not to vote for Kavanaugh. 

She has to understand that her constituents want her to vote NO. 

This isn't about outside influence. The people of Maine are running this campaign.  Starting Monday Mainers for Accountable Leadership will be holding phone banks to call through voters in Maine to ensure that IF Collins votes for Kavanaugh they will be ready to take her on!! The pledges you've made so far are helping them send a strong message to Senator Collins that they mean business.

"Maine people are speaking out and saying a vote for Kavanaugh is intolerable. We're building momentum every day, and Susan Collins needs to respect the fact that Maine lives are at stake, and we will hold her accountable,” said Marie Follayttar, Co-Director of MFAL. “We're excited to once again join with Ady to promote and amplify Maine voices."

Please lets keep up this momentum and pledge to this campaign, share this campaign and support the good people of Maine. 

- In solidarity - Ady