Swing State Project

Following the San Francisco protests of Arnold Schwarzenegger live-blog, we posted on the protest in Berkeley that scared off the Governator. We also did this for the DNC Western Regional Caucus: #1, #2, and #3. And we've live-blogged conference calls with Simon Rosenber and Donnie Fowler. Tonight should be fun and I'm sure we'll have more to come.

Here is what MoveOn says about tonight (from an email):

MoveOn PAC Sponsors 150 Rallies in 48 States
to Oppose Nuclear Option

New TV Ad Features Rampaging Elephants in Slam of
Republican Move To Control Federal Courts

Vice President Gore Speech Will Headline DC Event

View Rallies at: http://moveonpac.org/event/events/index.html?action_id=4

Washington D.C. --- MoveOn PAC will kick off a week of campaign activities to oppose a Republican attempt to eliminate the filibuster of presidential nominations for the federal judiciary. A new TV ad and at least sixty rallies in over forty states will spearhead the effort. On Wednesday, Vice President Al Gore is scheduled to give a major address on the subject at a MoveOn PAC rally in Washington DC. The Senate may vote this week to eliminate the 200-year-old rule.

"Our government was founded on principles of checks and balances to ensure that no one party holds absolute power," said Ben Brandzel, MoveOn PAC Advocacy Director.

The ad, which begins airing tomorrow on CNN nationwide, features animated elephants, symbolizing radical Republicans, rampaging through the Capitol, only to be stopped on the steps of the Supreme Court.

"You would think it would be enough for Republican leaders that their party controls both houses of Congress, the White House, and has appointed most of the sitting Supreme Court Justices and appellate judges, but no, they want complete control of the federal government. To get it, they're willing to toss out a 200 year old rule that has balanced the rights of political majorities and minorities and served the American people well since the early days of the Republic, said Brandzel"

Wednesday, MoveOn members and allied organizations will participate in “Rallies to Stop the Judicial Takeover”. They will call on their senators to vote against the Republican effort to seize full control of the federal courts by packing them with right-wing judges. The events are organized by the 3.1 million-member grassroots organization, MoveOn PAC, and the Coalition for a Fair and Independent Judiciary, an alliance of the nation’s leading civil rights and public interest organizations opposed to a right wing judicial takeover.

To dramatize the impact of the attempted Republican judicial takeover, volunteers will symbolically cordon off court houses and declare them property of the Republican leadership. The rallies will occur on Wednesday, the day Senate Republican leaders are expected to call a vote to eliminate the filibuster.

This past weekend in 800 neighborhoods across the country, MoveOn PAC members went door-to-door handing out window signs and urging friends and neighbors to call their senators.

MoveOn PAC
TV :30

“Elephants”

MOP-05-401

VIDEO

WE OPEN ON THE WHITE HOUSE. THE LAWN STARTS SHAKING. SUDDENLY, ELEPHANTS COME LUMBERING INTO FRAME. AN ELEPHANT WRAPS ITS TRUNK AROUND SOME OF THE COLUMNS AND DEVOURS THE BUILDING.

AUDIO

ANNOUNCER (VO): Republicans control the White House.

VIDEO

CUT TO THE HOUSE SIDE OF THE CAPITOL (SOUTH). THE ELEPHANTS DEVOUR IT TOO. CUT TO THE SENATE SIDE (NORTH). IT IS DEVOURED.

AUDIO

ANNOUNCER (VO): And the House of Representatives. And the Senate.

VIDEO

WE THEN SEE FEDERAL COURT BUILDINGS BEING EATEN. THEN, FROM BEHIND, WE SEE THE ELEPHANTS FORMING A SINGLE FILE AND GOING DOWN THE STREET TOWARD THE U.S. SUPREME COURT BUILDING.

AUDIO

ANNOUNCER (VO): Republican Presidents appointed the majority of judges on most of our appeals courts. But radical Republicans want absolute control of the entire government. So they’re planning to break the rules, eliminating checks and balances to get more extremist judges approved.

VIDEO

WE THEN SEE THE ELEPHANTS COME INTO FRAME IN FRONT OF THE SUPREME COURT IN SINGLE FILE. WE SEE A SINGLE PERSON STANDING IN THEIR PATH. HE RAISES HIS HAND AND STOPS THEM, AS IN THE FAMOUS TIENNEMAN SQUARE PHOTO.

AUDIO

ANNOUNCER (VO): A few courageous Republicans have said “no” to the radicals. Will your Senators have the same courage? Call them.

VIDEO

SUPER “CALL YOUR SENATORS TODAY, 202-224-3121.” THEN SUPER “PAID FOR BY MOVEON PAC, www.moveonpac.org. THIS COMMUNICATION IS Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. Moveon PAC is responsible for the content of thIs ADVERTISEMENT”.

AUDIO

ANNOUNCER (VO): MoveOn PAC is responsible for the content of this advertisement.

View ad at: http://www.MoveOnPAC.org