MoveOn is organizing a protest downtown tomorrow:
Washington is caught up in corruption scandals, but many lobbyists and Republican leaders think they can just go on as if nothing has happened. Little has changed since the scandals became public. We need to expose the corruption and press for reform — or a change in leaders. Can you help?
This Wednesday, tomorrow, a gathering of lobbyists, conservative activists and Republicans leaders from Congress and the White House meet to discuss their next moves. We’re joining with other reform groups to bring the public outcry to their doorstep. Will you attend?
What: “Stop Corruption First” Protest Outside K Street Project meeting
When: 9:45 AM Start Time, Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Where: Sidewalk outside offices of Americans for Tax Reform, 1920 L Street, NW (20th & L Streets) (Red Line/Farragut North, Blue-Orange Line/Farragut West)
Signs: We’ll provide signs.
Please RSVP at http://political.moveon.org/protest_rsvp/
Google Map it:
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=1362
The plan is to show up, peacefully conduct a protest with signs and disperse after a half hour or so. We’re inviting the media and expect the protest to be widely reported on by the press. We’re co-sponsoring the protest with the Campaign for America’s Future and Public Campaign Action Fund.
The group hosting the meeting — Grover Norquist’s Americans for Tax Reform — is at the center of the Republican power machine in Washington and has been implicated in the corruption scandals from lobbyist Jack Abramoff. But they still meet even after Abramoff took a guilty plea.
This meeting illustrates how nothing has changed — the Republicans in Congress work closely with business lobbyists who are funding their operations. We need to expose it and this protest will help do that. Please RSVP and attend.
Thanks for all you do.
—Tom, Eli, Marika, Micayla and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team
Tuesday, January 17th, 2006
P.S. Here is some background on Grover Norquist and his connections to lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=1363
Color me there.
Sometimes it’s nice being a contractor, yes? ^.^
—StealthBadger • 10:13 pm
*realizes this means he has to get to sleep at a “reasonable hour”*
Ugh.
—StealthBadger • 10:16 pm
Guess that means you can report on it for us, SB — assuming the rain didn’t conspire with the early hour to keep you away.
—Keith • 10:09 am, January 18
There were about 45-50 people there, with about 10-15 members of the media.
The person carrying the megaphone and leading the chants needs more practice, but I suspect he’ll get it. :D
The whistles they passed out for “whistleblowing” were INCREDIBLY piercing… x.@;
But all in all it was a good event. At the start of it, there was one MPD officer (motorcycle) present, by the end there were three… no idea why.
Pokin’ around with the pictures now. It was a good event, though, brought together quickly at the appropriate place, a single message, and no annoying the police.
—StealthBadger • 1:12 pm, January 18
Hm., that’s not supposed to be a mail link up there…
Sort of a grimace with one eye closed and the other bugged out.
—StealthBadger • 1:14 pm, January 18
This is good. Liberals need to start focusing on groups like Norquist’s. Politicians come and go, but Norquist et al. have always been there.
—Jason Bradfield • 5:12 pm, January 19
What made it comical for me was Grover’s attempt to wave the “end corruption” banner in the wake of Abrahamoffkah.
That made the protest even more interesting for me.
Even if an NBC cameraman got a depressingly good shot of me with my face all screwed up because of the final chorus of whistles.
—StealthBadger • 2:36 am, January 20