You deserve equal time.
After the President's State of the Union address in January, CNN not only gave time for the official Republican response, but also put Michelle Bachmann on the air with the "Tea Party Response" to the speech. Now the President is preparing to give a major jobs speech on Thursday, and we need to ensure that the response comes from more than one side of the political spectrum.
The American Dream Movement includes scores of groups representing millions of regular Americans who've been out in force for months demanding jobs, not cuts, an end to attacks on the middle class, and fair taxes on corporations and the rich. In July, when we got together to write the Contract for the American Dream, we had twice as many gatherings as the tea party had when they launched.
Immediately following the president's speech, we will broadcast an official American Dream Movement response from some of the grassroots leaders who've been championing the fight for jobs. But getting air time is key to changing the discussion around jobs. So we need to send a message to CNN.
This isn't just about fairness. Responses and commentary on major presidential speeches set the tone for the debate in Congress and around the country. When the response comes only from the right, the president's position gets cast as the left pole of the debate, even when it's already a compromise position, or worse, one made primarily of right-wing ideas.
No group of Americans has fought harder for immediate, common sense measures to create jobs. As a movement, we have an important perspective to share on this debate. So send CNN this message.
The American Dream Movement was sparked by the brave teachers and students of Wisconsin, who took over their state Capitol to protest the attacks on the middle class. And it's gathering steam:
- In July, over 130,000 Americans came together to create the Contract for the American Dream, a shared blueprint for an economy that works for all Americans, not just the rich.
- During the debt ceiling fight, with 36 hours' notice, members of the American Dream movement organized actions at over 1,000 congressional offices to protest Republican hostage-taking and Democratic capitulation.
- In August, American Dreamers swarmed town halls to ask members of Congress about jobs, and organized hundreds of actions targeting those who tried to avoid facing the public.
We're just getting started.
Thanks for asking CNN to make sure all of our voices are part of the debate on Thursday!
Thanks for all you do.
–Daniel, Mark, Wes, Marika, and the rest of the team
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