Move To Amend

[form of email sent to local MTA organizers]

From: Robert Shattuck <rdshattuck@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Jun 18, 2012 at ___AM
Subject: Mitch McConnell's "free speech" speech last Friday
To:__________

Dear Local MTA organizer,

Mitch McConnell gave a speech to the American Enterprise Institute on Friday that received publicity over the weekend and will probably receive more publicity this week. You can find the Washington Post's Saturday story here.

I consider the speech as an opportunity for significantly raising the public debate level on campaign finance. The particular message I have been disseminating by means o f posting comments on newspaper stories and blogs and the like is this:

On the matter of campaign finance, there are probably millions of voters who now agree with Harvard Law Professor Lawrence Lessig that “Practically every important issue in American politics today is tied to this ‘one issue [campaign finance],’" and the overriding agenda (invoking Thoreau) should be to attack “the root, the thing that feeds the other ills, and the thing that we must kill first.”
It can be well hoped that Senator McConnell's speech will help instigate a national and Congressional debate on the issue of campaign finance, including whether and to what extent the right of free speech should include the right to speak anonymously, the extent to which corporations (and other organizations) need to have a constitutionally protected right of free speech, and whether and the extent to which more rigorous truthfulness standards should be applicable to political speech (e.g. to political speech of corporations).

I hope local MTA organizers will find their own ways to utilize McConnell's speech as an opportunity for significantly raise public awareness of MTA's cause.

Sincerely,
Rob Shattuck
Birmingham, AL

From: Robert Shattuck <rdshattuck@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, May 19, 2012 at 5:18 AM
Subject: Re: Urging Congressional challengers to raise issue
To: Move to Amend <info@movetoamend.org>

Dear Alex,

Thank you for your below reply email.

I am undertaking to solicit that members and supporters of like minded organizations, such as GOOOH, the Reform Party, and Move To Amend, together with independents, disaffected Democrats and Republicans, and candidates who are challenging incumbents, to endeavor to speak and act in a unified way in 2012, with the goal of  forcing Congress, before November, to conduct a national debate about whether there is a broken and corrupt campaign finance system that is badly in need of fixing and forcing Congress to make a proposal to the American people about what should be done to make the system better, which proposal would be the subject of a national referendum in the November elections.

For more information, please see my blog Amend By November.

I appreciate that MTA, as a 501c3, is subject to certain political activity limitations.  I hope MTA can nonetheless find ways to contribute to advancing the stated goal.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Rob Shattuck

On Thu, Apr 26, 2012 at 1:17 PM, Move to Amend <info@movetoamend.org> wrote:

Robert,

We do not have a problem with you trying to organize a Move to Amend group in Alabama. As a 501c3 MTA cannot participate in electioneering so our groups cannot support or oppose candidates.

All the best

Alex

--
Move to Amend Coalition
http://www.MoveToAmend.org
(707) 269-0984

Start a Move to Amend group in your local community! Click here to get started - http://movetoamend.org/start-group

End Corporate Rule. Legalize Democracy. Move to Amend.

We're on Facebook & Twitter!

On Thu, Apr 19, 2012 at 6:06 AM, Robert Shattuck <rdshattuck@gmail.com> wrote:

Alex,

Do you have any problem if I contact other local MTA organizers, tell them what I am doing in the Alabama 6th Congressional District to try to get the challenger to raise the issue, suggest the other organizers should do similarly, and solicit trying to create synergy concerning the matter?

Thanks.

Rob Shattuck

On Wed, Apr 18, 2012 at 3:15 AM, Move to Amend <info@movetoamend.org> wrote:

Robert,

In the future, once we have built a strong infrastructure and organizational capacity, we plan to have congressional representatives take a position regarding MTA and corporate personhood.

We appreciate your support.

All the best,
Alex
--
Move to Amend Coalition
http://www.MoveToAmend.org
(707) 269-0984

Start a Move to Amend group in your local community! Click here to get started - http://movetoamend.org/start-group

End Corporate Rule. Legalize Democracy. Move to Amend.

We're on Facebook & Twitter!

On Sat, Apr 14, 2012 at 9:31 AM, Robert Shattuck <rdshattuck@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear Kaitlin,

Has Move To Amend given consideration to a nationwide campaign to urge Congressional challengers to raise the amendment issue against their incumbent opposition?  Below is an email I sent today to the Democratic challenger in my 6th Congressional District.  If Move To Amend was to undertake a national campaign, I would like to help on the same.

Sincerely,

Rob Shattuck

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Robert Shattuck <rdshattuck@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, Apr 14, 2012 at 10:07 AM
Subject: Fwd: Amending First Amendment
To: Penny Bailey <penny4al@gmail.com>


Dear Penny,

I hope you will consider making amending the First Amendment an issue in your 6th Congressional District campaign.  If you are prepared to do that, I would like to campaign on your behalf.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss the matter, please contact me.

Sincerely,

Rob Shattuck

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Robert Shattuck <rdshattuck@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Feb 6, 2012 at 1:27 PM
Subject: Amending First Amendment
To: penny4al@gmail.com

Dear Penny, 

I am trying to get on the November ballot as an independent candidate for the United States House of Representatives from the 6th Congressional district. 

My platform is to end corruption and gridlock in Washington DC so that Congress can do a better job for the American people.  The main plank in my platform is to amend the First Amendment to be applicable to human beings only.    You may find more information about my candidacy on the web at http://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com

I am sending you this email because I would like to find out how you feel about making amending the First Amendment an issue in your campaign.  Please email me or call me (967-5586) if we can have a discussion about this.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Rob Shattuck