"I ask you to judge me by the enemies I have made." --Franklin D. Roosevelt
Lucas,
We count ourselves lucky at Public Citizen to have many friends and supporters who stand with us to confront corporate power and its assault on our democracy. But some people don't share the fond feelings for our organization.
Here are five men who don't want you to support Public Citizen.
Please make a tax-deductible leadership contribution of $10, $20, $35 or whatever you can today and help us raise the $150,000 we need to keep making enemies like these in 2011.
KARL ROVE
This year, in the wake of the Supreme Court's horrendous Citizens United v. FEC decision, Rove co-founded American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS, twin organizations that funneled more than $37 million in corporate and zillionaire money into 2010 election campaigns. Focusing their spending on close and strategically important races, and running vicious attack ads, Rove and his front groups can take some significant credit (blame) for how the election turned out.
Public Citizen has, of course, been at the forefront of opposition to the Citizens United v. FEC ruling. But we also took it to Rove directly. We filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission contending that Crossroads GPS failed to follow key election rules--including rules requiring disclosure of its funders.
Let Karl Rove know that you stand with Public Citizen. Contribute today.
TOM DONOHUE
Donohue has turned the U.S. Chamber of Commerce--the trade association for giant corporations--into a third force in U.S. politics, with operations on the scale of the Republican and Democratic parties. He championed the Citizens United v. FEC decision, and positioned the Chamber of Commerce as the largest outside spender in the 2010 election campaign.
The Chamber is now ramping up a campaign to undo public interest protections. Donohue and the Chamber want to roll back regulations, so that banks will have free rein to rip off consumers, so that polluters can poison the air and water without fear of sanction, so that health insurers can deny coverage to the sick, and so that employers can cut corners on safety, even if it means endangering their workers.
Public Citizen is gearing up for a major defense of public interest protections and to insist on the need for tighter regulation of Big Oil, Wall Street, Big Pharma and other corporate predators.
Let Tom Donohue know that you stand with Public Citizen. Contribute today.
TONY HAYWARD
The deposed BP CEO made a name for himself by whining that "I'd like my life back" while BP's well in the Gulf of Mexico gushed millions of gallons of oil into the sea.
At Public Citizen, we spearheaded a national boycott of BP, shined a light on BP's long record of lawbreaking, obtained and issued a devastating analysis of BP's settlement fund proposal for victims of the disaster, and continue to press for tougher rules for offshore oil drillers and tough sanctions on BP.
Let Tony Hayward know that you stand with Public Citizen. Contribute today.
LLOYD BLANKFEIN
For Blankfein, the CEO of Goldman Sachs, it's almost as if the financial crash never occurred. He's planning to scoop up $24.3 million in bonus pay delayed from 2007 and 2009.
For all of Goldman's enormous political influence, it was not able to block all reform efforts after the crash. The Wall Street reform bill is highly imperfect, but thanks in no small part to the work done by Public Citizen, it will restrict certain kinds of profitable but highly risky investments ("proprietary trading") by operations like Goldman. And it will require more disclosure of the trading in exotic derivatives. While making the financial system more stable--and therefore less likely to crash again--both of these provisions are likely to cut into Goldman's profits.
Public Citizen is working hard to ensure that the new Wall Street reform rules are as tough as possible, and to push for additional controls on Wall Street--including restrictions on the outrageous pay to CEOs like Blankfein.
Let Lloyd Blankfein know that you stand with Public Citizen. Contribute today.
DON BLANKENSHIP
Recently removed from his perch atop Massey Energy, Blankenship was unrepentant for the preventable disaster at the Upper Big Branch coal mine that killed 29 miners. He also made a name for himself through his vociferous opposition to climate change science, and for spending $3 million to defeat a West Virginia Supreme Court judge likely to rule against him in a pending case.
We led a petition campaign to ask Massey's board to fire Blankenship--an important part of the public pressure that did, ultimately, force him out. We called attention to the underfunding of administrative judges to handle mine safety citations (a massive case backlog has enabled mine companies like Massey to escape serious sanctions). And we continue to fight hard for stronger workplace health and safety rules, so that even the most heartless executives--like Blankenship--will finally act to protect their employees from avoidable hazards.
Let Don Blankenship know that you stand with Public Citizen. Contribute today.
Thank you so much.
We know we can count on our friends.
Robert Weissman, President
P.S. If you've already contributed to our year-end campaign, thank you for your support. If you can, please consider an additional contribution to help Public Citizen stand up to corporate power from day one of the New Year.