Some quotes from our press release:

“During this campaign, we talked with countless Colorado voters who were fed up with the ...]]> Most of the attention about ballot measures in Colorado will be set on the legalization of marijuana, but there was even more widespread agreement among Colorado voters that our money in politics problems have to be fixed and their preferred tool is a federal constitutional amendment that would allow us to limit campaign contributions and spending. 73% of Colorado voters cast their ballot for Amendment 65.

Some quotes from our press release:

“During this campaign, we talked with countless Colorado voters who were fed up with the endless campaign ads funded by powerful wealthy interests,” commented Elena Nunez, executive director of Colorado Common Cause.  “With today’s vote, the people of Colorado have sent a strong message to our elected leaders to get to work on a constitutional amendment that restores a government of, by and for the people, not of, by, and for the corporations.”

“This election has proven that when wealthy people and big corporations are allowed to contribute as much as they want, they let the dollars flow,” said Danny Katz, Director of CoPIRG.  “91 individuals contributed at least $1 million each to Super PACs and that’s just what we know of. With a flick of the wrist, 629 megadonors matched the combined contributions of 1.9 million small donors. The public’s interest is drowned out and that’s why we need a constitutional amendment that will allow for campaign contribution limits.”

“The people of Colorado have just told their elected officials that we want them to get serious about reducing the influence of money and increasing the influence of people,” commented Ken Gordon, former Colorado State Senate Majority Leader and founder of CleanSlateNow.org. “Hopefully the legislators will accept that message. The next election is when we hold them accountable.”

“The results of this vote aren’t just about Colorado; they send a message to the entire country. Americans are sick and tired of a political system corrupted by corporate and special interest money—they’re ready to take democracy back,” noted Ellen Dumm with People For the American Way Colorado.  “Today’s vote sends an unambiguous message about where people stand on this issue. Now it’s up to our elected leaders to listen.”

“Voters in Colorado echo the sentiment of the nation in calling for a constitutional amendment to get big corporate money out of our elections. It’s time to get the money out of politics and the voters back in.” said Aquene Freechild, Senior Organizer with Public Citizen’s Democracy Is For People Campaign.

“Amendment 65 is step one in a long term movement,” concluded Nunez.  “Now the hard work of holding our elected leaders accountable to the voters’ instructions begins.”

“I think it’s been a disaster,” McCain said to reporters in answering a question on the decision, according to the Toledo Blade. “There ...]]>

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is a longtime critic of the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United, which removed corporate limits on political spending and led to the rise of super PACs. But on Tuesday, he criticized the decision at a “storm relief” event in Bowling Green, Ohio, with Republican U.S. Senate candidate Josh Mandel, who has been a huge beneficiary of the spending.

“I think it’s been a disaster,” McCain said to reporters in answering a question on the decision, according to the Toledo Blade. “There is money coming in from places we never knew where it came from. And I guarantee you there will be scandals … and corruption, and then there will be reform.”

Read the full article at the Huffington Post: John McCain Criticizes Citizens United In Josh Mandel Campaigning

Read full article: Sheldon Adelson Leads Super PAC Mega-Donors To Dominance In 2012

Watch the video here.

If you’ve ever played the game, then you know that everyone is connected within Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. While THAT Kevin Bacon lives in Los Angeles and can’t vote on Amendment 65, there are people in Colorado named Kevin Bacon who are within six degrees of all of us and if we can get enough people to forward this message ...]]> Join us in telling Kevin Bacon to Vote Yes on Amendment 65 – so we can stand together to get big money out of politics.

If you’ve ever played the game, then you know that everyone is connected within Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. While THAT Kevin Bacon lives in Los Angeles and can’t vote on Amendment 65, there are people in Colorado named Kevin Bacon who are within six degrees of all of us and if we can get enough people to forward this message along, eventually it will get to Colorado Kevin Bacon – reaching thousands of Coloradans along the way.

So join us in getting the word out to vote Yes on 65, by copying, pasting and sending this message to all the Coloradans you know.

Standing together we can get big money out of our elections. 

Pastors, Reverends, Rabbis, Priests, Theologians, and Sisters have signed a letter calling out the dangers of unchecked money in our elections ...]]> Diverse Faith Leaders Call for Change in Flood of Special Interest Money into Politics, Demand Leaders Pursue Bold Solutions to this Crisis of our Democracy

Denver, Colorado – A multifaith, multiracial group of 40 faith leaders from across the state of Colorado are speaking out in support of critical campaign finance reform at the same time that Coloradans are considering how to vote on Amendment 65.

Pastors, Reverends, Rabbis, Priests, Theologians, and Sisters have signed a letter calling out the dangers of unchecked money in our elections and advocating for large-scale reform. They represent a unique and diverse coalition within the State of Colorado [developing list is attached below]. Coalition members include Evangelicals, Roman Catholics (including a Monsignor), various denominations of Judaism, mainline Protestants, a Chaplain, and seminary professors that hail from all corners of the state of Colorado, including Denver, Lafayette, Pueblo, Aurora, Niwot, Littleton, Boulder, and Salida.

“As religious and moral leaders, we believe it is our calling to sound the alarm on significant, systemic threats to the foundations of our society. The unchecked power of special interest money dominating our politics, right here in our state, threatens the Common Good and the very foundation of our democracy,” stated Rev. Daniel Klawitter, a coalition organizer and the Religious Outreach Organizer of FRESC: Good Jobs/Strong Communities.

Just as the Biblical prophets railed against abuses of economic wealth and power that sowed injustice for the people, these faith leaders are crying out against a system that tears at the fabric of our democracy and endangers the promise of a government of, by, and for the people.

“We are inspired to see Coloradan faith leaders come together on this important issue,” stated the Rev. Dr. Katharine Henderson, Auburn Theological Seminary President and convener of a national faith-based coalition on money in politics. “The lack of appropriate limits on money in our politics is hurting our democracy and undermining our citizens’ faith in the democratic process. Auburn is proud to support efforts around the country rallying faith leaders to speak out on this crisis of democracy.”

Auburn Seminary is officially endorsing Amendment 65.

“We cannot achieve political equality by allowing those with wealth and power to drown out the voices of the rest of us in our elections,” said Elena Nunez, Executive Director of Colorado Common Cause. “Bad Supreme Court decisions, including Citizens United, have made it crystal clear that constitutional level reform is needed. By decreeing that spending money on elections is constitutionally protected, they have gone too far.”

The text of the national sign on letter that faith leaders around the country are rallying around is available online here [http://www.groundswell-movement.org/faith-leaders-sounding-alarm/]. This effort has been organized in coalition with Colorado Common Cause, Colorado FRESC, Auburn Theological Seminary, Groundswell (Auburn’s social action initiative), and Free Speech for People.

LIST OF SIGNERS IN COLORADO (IN FORMATION)

Msgr. Robert L. Amundsen, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Lafayette
Rev. Jeffrey R. Babb, Grace United Methodist Church, Denver
Rabbi Birdie Becker, Temple Emanuel-Pueblo
Rev. Bonita Bock, ELCA, Wartburg College
Rabbi Eliav Bock, Ramah Outdoor Adventure
Rabbi Deborah Bronstein, Congregation Har HaShem, Boulder
Rev. Rusty Butler, Arvada United Methodist Church
Rev. Bert Chilson, St. Therese Parish, Aurora
Rev. Hal Chorpenning, Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ
Rev. Glenn Duggin, Redemption Fellowship
Rev. Anne Dunlap, Comunidad Liberación/Liberation Community
Rev. George E. Dunn, Chaplain at Sky Ridge Medical Center
Rev. Gail Erisman-Valeta, Prince of Peace Church of the Brethren, Littleton
Rev. Pam Everhart, Niwot United Methodist Church in Longmont
Dr. Gregory G. Fell, Superintendent, Rocky Mountain District, Evangelical Free Church of America
Rabbi Brian Field, Judaism Your Way
Rev. Gregory Garland, United Church of Broomfield
Rabbi Bernard Gerson, Congregation Rodef Shalom, Denver
Rev. Linda Gertenbach, Interfaith Worker Justice-Colorado
Rev. Margaret E. Gillikin, First United Methodist Church, Salida
Pastor Valerie L. Jackson, First United Methodist Church of Aurora
Rev. Kim James, Wesley United Methodist Church, Pueblo
Rev. Dr. Patricia M.B. Kitchen, Wellshire Presbyterian Church in Denver
Rev. Daniel Klawitter, FRESC, co-Chair of the Order of Deacons of the Rocky Mountain Conference of the UMC
Sister Anna Koop, Loretto Community
Rev. Paul Kottke, University Park United Methodist Church, Denver, CO
Rev. Dr. James Laurie, President, Interfaith Alliance of Colorado
The Rev. Dr. Kristina Lizardy-Hajbi, United Church of Christ, Denver
Prof. Jeffrey H. Mahan, Ralph E. and Norma E. Peck Chair in Religion and Public Communication, Iliff School of Theology
Rev. Mark Meeks, Capitol Heights Presbyterian Church, Denver
Rev. José F. Morales, Jr., Executive Regional Minister, Central Rocky Mountain Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Rabbi Adam Morris, Temple Micah, Denver
Rev. William Morris, Burns Memorial United Methodist Church, Aurora
Rev. Wes Mullins, Pikes Peak Metropolitan Community Church
Rev. Stephanie Price, Hope United Methodist Church in Greenwood Village
Rev. Nancy Rosas, Washington Park United Church of Christ
Rev. Dr. Jim Ryan, Colorado Council of Churches
Rabbi Joel R. Schwartzman, Rabbi Emeritus, Congregation B’nai Chaim, Morrison
Jeremy Shaver, Executive Director, Interfaith Alliance of Colorado
Rev. Miriam H. Slejko, Trinity United Methodist Church, Denver
Rev. Dr. Peter A. Terpenning, Pastor, Community United Church of Christ in Boulder
Dr. Dana Wilbanks, Professor Emeritus of Christian Ethics, Iliff School of Theology, Denver

Signatures do not necessarily constitute organizational endorsement.

In-State vs. Out-Of-State Individual Contributions

Indivividual vs. PAC contributions

Top 20 Financial Contributors

Rep. Mike Coffman

Joe Miklosi

*Colorado Based Company

Total: $19,000

From PAC: $8,500

From Individuals: 10,500

Spent $16.5 Million on Lobbying between 2008-2012 International Brotherhood ...]]> Here are some charts that might be helpful as you break down the contributors to the two major party candidates running in Colorado congressional district number six. These contributions were pulled from FEC.gov in September.

In-State vs. Out-Of-State Individual Contributions

Indivividual vs. PAC contributions

Top 20 Financial Contributors

Indeed, many of the commercials at this late stage are aimed at those voters who have not yet locked in on their selection. The target audience includes people such as Felicity Rusnak, a stay-at-home mom from Orlando. But Rusnak, 40, says she pays no attention to the ads and will rely on other sources of information to make up her mind.

Read full article: Political ads blitz viewers, risk voter turn off

Amendment 65 was debated at the Colorado Social Legislation Committee ballot forum this week. Facing off was Elena Nunez, Executive Director at Colorado Common Cause on the pro side and Ari Armstrong, contributor with the Objective Standard, representing the con arguments.

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The Koch brothers have also bankrolled the controversial conservative group True the Vote, which has been accused of challenging eligible voters at the polls and disrupting elections.

Link to People ...]]>

The “Stop the Greed” bus tour rolled into Denver, Colorado today and helped boost support for an important state ballot question on corporate political donations. PFAW’s Colorado Coordinator Ellen Dumm joined Elena Nunez of Colorado Common Cause (pictured above) and Luis Toro of Ethics Watch in support of the bus tour and a ballot initiative to overturn Citizens United.

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The Koch brothers have also bankrolled the controversial conservative group True the Vote, which has been accused of challenging eligible voters at the polls and disrupting elections.

Link to People for the American Way post.