Charles and David Koch, billionaire industrialists, were two of the most prominent one percenters trying to buy the 2012 election. Their company, Koch Industries, gave over $5 million in disclosed contributions to candidates and PACs, along with who knows how much in undisclosed cash.

It has also spent a fortune in lobbying and issue advocacy, supporting such things as climate change denial, union busting, conservative curriculum in education and capture of the US Supreme Court. The Koch brothers are huge supporters of ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council, which gives corporations and wealthy individuals a way to develop laws and channel them directly into our legislatures.

The Big Apple Coffee Party, our local affiliate in New York City, has been handing out flyers in front of local supermarkets allowing shoppers to choose alternatives to Koch brothers products, and telling them why this is a vital choice. They've learned that shoppers really appreciate the information, and it’s a great way to start conversations that spread the word locally about what is happening to our democracy.

Now Big Apple Coffee Party has created this great downloadable toolkit with flyers and instructions for anyone to use and inviting us to help make this action spread across the country. Join the action here. The more people participate, the more impact it will have.

During the month of April, we hope to see volunteers across the country passing out flyers to let consumers act to take their democracy back. 

To participate,

1. Facebook event page and “like” and “share” the event.
   
   
2. Check the locations already listed on the Facebook event page. To join a listed event, email the contact address for that location.  Be sure to mark yourself as “going” and invite your friends.
    
3. If you don't see one near you, click here and register your own new location. It will soon show up on the location list on the Facebook event page.
   
   
4. Check out this great toolkit for organizing the event. 
   
   
5. Here is a recording of our training call which took place on March 26 at 8pm ET. Listening to this is recommended but it is entirely optional since the toolkit contains instructions.

If you have any questions or want to follow up with your registered event, email bigapplecoffeeparty@gmail.com or call 212-252-2619.  

Alarming emails have been hitting our inboxes, claiming the 2012 Farm Bill as “The Monsanto Protection Act.”  But was it really?

Yes.  And No.

Recently on LUNCH WITH LOUDEN, we took a look at the rocky road the 2012 Farm Bill has traveled and how it came to be known as the Monsanto Protection Act, which guarantees immunity to biotech companies that produce genetically modified organisms (GMO) that are routinely used in our food production industry.

According to legal experts, this provision “would create a precedent-setting limitation on judicial review” and is a “dangerous assault on fundamental federal and judicial safeguards”. (Food Democracy NOW!)

And what was in the rest of the Farm Bill?  

LUNCH WITH LOUDEN
Thursdays 12 Noon Pacific (3PM ET)
Listen to PODCAST

Coffee Party ON!
Jeanene & Debilyn

P.S.  Citizens United did NOT benefit Coffee Party USA.  Our average contribution is $30-35.  Please support this grassroots organization in our mission to Connect Communities to Reclaim our Government for the People by becoming a Member or making a donation.  Thank you.  

Photo credit:  Cristian Baitg / Getty Images

I recently wrote that "Rebranding the Republican party" and voter suppression are incompatible. Last year, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) seemed to agree. But this week he changed his mind about that to the surprise of many, including me.

In 2012, McDonnell was hounded by members of his party to sign a bill restricting the right to vote in a crucial election year. He did, but he also issued an executive order to protect citizens' right to vote by allowing other forms of identification, such as a utility bill, to be accepted. An estimated 870,000 Virginians do not have, and may not be able to afford the time and expense to acquire, a government-issued ID. McDonnell also ordered voter registration cards, which were also accepted at polling places in 2012, sent to every registered voter.

Republican lawmakers cried foul, and when the 2012 election produced zero cases of voter impersonation (success), but, a Barack Obama victory in the commonwealth (failure?), they passed a new bill to do away with the Governor's voter-protection measures.

Many expected McDonnell to veto the bill in order to uphold his authority and his legacy as governor, and, to position himself as a mainstream candidate, viable for higher office. Unfortunately, McDonnell has backed down, and on the last day he could have done so, signed the more restrictive voter ID bill into law.

Reagan George, a Tea Party Republican and active proponent of voter ID laws in Virginia, acknowledged when we interviewed him that no actual cases of voter impersonation have been documented in Virginia. (If lawmakers asked for $2,000,000 of taxpayer money to address a problem, wouldn't you want to see at least one documented case of that problem before that money was spent? And that's just the price tag for the 2012 version of this law). But Mr. George said that voter-impersonation fraud might occur if we don't pass laws to prevent it: "My bank has never been robbed... does that mean the bank shouldn't have a vault?"

But that is assuming that stopping voter impersonation is the real intention. A more cynical intention might have to do with the fact that hundreds of thousands of American citizens and legal voters in Virginia, and millions across the United States, will have their voting rights systematically abridged by such restrictions, and, they are just the types of voters that Republicans would prefer to see discouraged enough that they might stay home. Consider this video about Augustine Carter, an 85-year-old woman who went through hell and high water in order to get a photo ID despite the fact that she had been voting in the United States for 60 years. 

Selma, Alabama is, triumphantly, associated with voting rights. Newtown, Connecticut is, tragically, associated with gun violence. Tonight we connect the issues and the towns on The Middle Ground.

The Middle Ground
with Michael Charney & Eric Byler
Tuesdays at 8 pm ET
CLICK HERE to listen to archived recording

From Newtown, CT, Darren Wagner will make his second appearance on The Middle Ground, and his first since he launched the Newton Action Alliance. He is a former Deputy Sheriff who has become a leading voice on the issue of gun violence after he and his family were shaken by the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre.

From the Selma, AL, Chellette Henderson is a retired aerospace executive who has returned to her childhood home after her husband and her mother passed away. Having participated in the famous voting rights marches in Selma 48 years ago, she is getting reacquainted with Alabama after raising a family, making her career, and helping to establish MLK Day, in Mesa, Arizona. We'll ask the two of them share their views on issues such as gun safety, voting rights, and how to overcome cultural division.

We'll also ask Darren and Chellette to comment on each other's work, and give us their advice on how to be an effective and active citizen. Speaking of which, we're starting an hour early and ending the show promptly at 8 pm so our listeners can participate with Annabel Park and the Big Apple Coffee Party in a strategy call for the "Don't Do Koch" initiative which kicks off April 1st, helping consumers identify which products in their supermarkets enrich partisan-extremist oil barons Charles and David Koch. 

Partner Spotlight: Public Citizen’s Sharehoder Actions
This Monday at 10 p.m. Eastern
Call (646) 929-2495 to listen & hit [1] to speak
Or listen online live or later 

The first in our series of Coffee Party Partner Spotlights, we’ll be joined by Kelly Ngo -- Legislative Assistant with Public Citizen's Congress Watch.  While many are attacking the problem of Big Money in politics by working to overcome the Citizen’s United decision, Kelly is helping to lead a series of actions by Public Citizen -- one of the Coffee Party’s affiliated organizations on the Grass Roots Task Force.  Public Citizen is calling for Starbucks and other corporations to adopt shareholder resolutions calling on these companies to refrain from all election-related spending.  Starbucks already has excellent disclosure policy, but investors and good governance groups want the company to go one step further and take a real stance against corporate money in elections.     

You’ll not only learn about the actions themselves, but how you too can get involved in this crusade against special interest money, the shareholders they hurt, and how you could be a victim of this abuse and not even realize it.  Join political activist and Coffee Party board member host Dan Aronson listen in here, or better yet, call (646) 929-2495.  And when you do, remember to Press [1] for Democracy.

Join me on Coffee Party Radio today at 3:30 pm ET for a Virtual Townhall with Coffee Party local organizers about the lessons we've learned from 3 years of organizing.

Coffee Party Radio Virtual Townhall with Annabel Park
Sunday March 24, 2013 at 3:30 pm ET

Listen live or as a podcast: http://bit.ly/coffeepartyradio

Add your voice by calling (646) 929-2495. 

Press "1" to raise your hand to speak.

Three years ago, the Coffee Party leaped from a popular Facebook page to a national phenomenon with people getting together in coffee shops and community centers to engage in civil dialogue as fellow Americans, and work together to form a more perfect union. It made national news.

What are the lessons from three years of calling for caffeinated civic engagement? I will talk to local organizers from Coffee Party USA - Western Kentucky Group - Owensboro, KY, Lehigh Valley Coffee Party Movement, Big Apple Coffee Pa rty and other local groups to share their experiences.

What does it take to create a truly inclusive and civil dialogue? The Owensboro, KY Coffee Party has been meeting every week for three years and their core team includes a Tea Party leader. We have a lot to learn from their experience. They will be calling in as a group at 3:30pm ET.

The Big Apple Coffee Party has been focused almost exclusively on the problem of money in politics. Their model of local organizing is effective and inspiring. Chuck Zlatkin will join us at 4:30pm ET to discuss their work including their new action, Don't Do Koch on April 1st.

Gun Violence (Recorded January 13th)

Economic Recovery (Recorded January 27th)

Immigration Reform (Recorded February 10th)

Election Reform (Recorded March 10th)

The Keystone XL Pipeline approval process is a charade.

Our show on today will focus on the Keystone XL Pipeline as evidence of the corruption in our political system: campaign contributions are once again trumping the will of the people. Credo Action has gone to the mat on this one. (My post on their official comment page follows.) I hope YOU will call in on Thursday and tell us what you know about this project, the science and the politics in play as you see it.

LUNCH WITH LOUDEN
Thursdays 12 Noon Pacific (3PM ET)
Listen LIVE or LATER online
Call 646-929-2495 to listen or participate

***Just announced*** Author and former Exxon VP, J.D. Messinger will join the conversation today and share his insights from working within the energy industry and how he has changed his life since leaving Exxon.

Jeanene’s Public Comment for Review on the Keystone XL  (You can make yours here.)

The Keystone XL Pipeline approval process is a charade.

It is the current best example of how our elected are beholden to their campaign funders to the detriment of their voters.

Lobbyists and contractors are having more to say about what is and is not considered in this decision than is respectable or responsible. Just the appearance of impropriety should cause a government of the people to change course. I am sorry to say this does not appear to be happening.

From Credo Action “The president delivered inspiring rhetoric on climate action during his inaugural speech. But it is his decision on Keystone XL which will determine his legacy on climate. If approved, Keystone XL will be the Obama Tar Sands Pipeline and it will, as our own government's top climate scientist James Hansen has explained, mean "game over" for our fight to stop global warming.”  

There is too much information that raises questions about how prudent this endeavor would be for the environment or the economy. This much doubt should result in a NO vote, rather than a hopeful and optimistic yes. We cannot afford for you to be wrong about this.

Credo went to the unusual step of emailing this to Debilyn two weeks ago:

Friend — This is not the usual CREDO email. With the release last Friday of the State Department's favorable environmental assessment of the Keystone XL pipeline, we thought long and hard about the right way to respond; to get President Obama's attention, and to convince him to change course and reject this catastrophic project.

Here's what we think is necessary to meet the moment: a pledge to resist Keystone XL and commit civil disobedience if necessary. It's a big ask. We hope you will read below and carefully consider what we are asking. We hope you will join us in signing the pledge to resist, and most of all we hope President Obama will reject Keystone XL, so that it will not be necessary to fulfill our pledge at all.

Thanks for your great passion and commitment in the face of this important fight. It is what has gotten us this far, and it is our greatest source of hope that we can win.

— Michael Kieschnick, Becky Bond, and the CREDO team

Coffee Party ON!
Jeanene & Debilyn

P.S.  Citizens United did NOT benefit Coffee Party USA.  Our average contribution is $30-35.  Please support this grassroots organization in our mission to Connect Communities to Reclaim our Government for the People by becoming a Member or making a donation.  Thank you.  

On the 10-year anniversary of our ill-fated invasion of Iraq, The Middle Ground opened with some technical difficulties, and then this eye-opening clip from my interview with Col. Larry Wilkerson, in which the former Chief of Staff under Secretary of State Colin Powell compares the Iraq War to the Vietnam War, having fought in one, and helped to bring about the other. 

THE MIDDLE GROUND
with Michael Charney & Eric Byler
Tuesdays at 8 pm ET
CLICK HERE to listen to archived recording

Our guest was author and peace activist David Swanson, whom Annabel and I filmed giving a speech last night, reflecting on the Iraq War and its place in history. I asked Swanson's take on "The Surge," which was and is clearly meant to make us feel like something of worth was salvaged in Iraq. This is a crucial piece of the puzzle for Iraq War apologists, and more important than I realized until I heard Swanson's admonition that lies about past wars make future wars more likely (Iran).  

Press [1] For Democracy tonight at 7 pm Pacific
Civics Bowl:  So You Think You Know How Government Works?
This Monday at 10 p.m. Eastern
Call (646) 929-2495 to listen & hit [1] to speak
Listen online Listen live now! live, or archived

So you think you know how the government works, eh?  How many times are you having a civil, fact-based, political discussion when someone says something that sets off the “I don’t think that’s right” buzzer in your head?  Tonight we’ll give you the chance to prove it!  Come test your knowledge of our system of government and the inner workings of Washington.  Guest, Steve Bhaerman (a.k.a. Swami Beyondananda) is an internationally known author, humorist and workshop leader who was a social studies teacher a while back and will be helping out.

Whether calling in live or in the chat room, we’ll throw out questions covering everything from powers of each branch of government, how they are allowed to apply them, and what are their restrictions.  Questions will range from simple to simply mind-bending.  

Steve Bhaerman will also share his own journey into transpartisanship, his role as humorist and his political uncommentary, Notes From the Trail, where he offers a free e-book, Reuniting America.  

Listen in here, or better yet, call in to challenge yourself at (646) 929-2495.  And when you do, remember to Press [1] for Democracy.

Thanks,   
Dan Aronson

PS. Please support citizen engagement and become a Coffee Party member.  Thanks!