The backed down

Jason --

On Thursday, the Senate passed historic Wall Street reform. This movement proved again that the strongest special interests, who for so long have called the shots in Washington, can be beat.

When opponents in Congress tried to block the legislation altogether, you stood up -- and they backed down. When the lobbyists pushed for loopholes and exemptions just before a final vote, you did not relent -- and we fought them off.

Your support brought us to this day -- and, because of that, we're poised to implement sensible reforms that will provide a stronger foundation for economic growth.

Now, the House and Senate must iron out their differences before I can sign it into law. But the financial industry will not give up. They have already spent more than $1 million per member of Congress, lobbying on this issue. And in the coming days, they will go all in. This is their last shot to stall, weaken, or kill reform, and they are not accustomed to losing.

But this movement has you -- and together, we have beaten the special interests before.

Please donate $5 or more today to help Organizing for America continue to mobilize thousands -- to counter the special interests' attacks and get strong Wall Street reform to my desk.

Every American has a stake in this bill.

If you have ever been treated unfairly by a credit card company, this reform works for you -- never again will Americans be duped by fine print or hidden fees.

If you ever try to take out a home loan or student loan, this reform works for you -- putting an end to predatory and deceptive lending practices.

And, if you or your small business relies on credit from community banks that are being punished for playing by the rules while their competitors do not, this reform works for you -- reining in the big banks and making sure all our lenders are subject to tough oversight.

These reforms would put in place the strongest consumer financial protections in history. And, by helping safeguard our economy from recklessness on Wall Street, it would ensure that a crisis like the one that caused this recession never happens again.

This is not a zero-sum game where Wall Street loses and Main Street wins. As we have learned, in today's economy, we are all connected. When the economy prospers, we all win. Senators of both parties recognize that fact, and that is why lawmakers stood up to the lobbyists and worked across the aisle to ensure that Wall Street reform passed.

But this fight is not yet over. And it is up to us to overcome this final test and pass reform into law. When we do, the power of this movement to make change in Washington -- despite the best efforts of the special interests -- will no longer be up for debate.

Please donate $5 or more today:

https://donate.barackobama.com/WSRSenateVictory

Thank you,

President Barack Obama

Call the Senate

Jason --

The Senate is ready to cast a critical vote on Wall Street reform today. And reports from Capitol Hill indicate that things could go either way.

Earlier this month, your senator -- Richard Burr -- voted repeatedly with each and every other Republican to block Wall Street reform from even coming to debate.

But our grassroots pressure paid off -- and the Republicans caved. If there's a lesson to learn from that, it's that we simply can't let up now -- not until the bill is passed.

Let's make sure Sen. Burr hears the message loud and clear: Rein in Wall Street.

Take two minutes to make a call -- and then don't forget to let us know how it went. Please call Sen. Burr at (202) 224-3154.

The House has already passed reform. And today's Senate vote is one of the last hurdles to landing a bill on President Obama's desk.

But over the last two weeks we've seen the big banks' lobbyists aren't ready to give in yet. They've been working hard to slip loopholes and exemptions into the final bill.

So far, with your help, we've been able to keep Wall Street reform strong -- with powerful protections for consumers and tough provisions that would rein in the big banks.

But, with the vote today, the lobbyists are going into overdrive. They know if we can get senators like Richard Burr to vote for strong reform, they have no chance of stopping this legislation from becoming law.

Help us put the pressure on Sen. Burr today by calling in your support for the bill at (202) 224-3154.

Then make sure you let us know how it went:

http://my.barackobama.com/WallStreetSenateCalls

Thanks,

Mitch

Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America

Elena Kagan

Jason --

Today, it is my great honor to nominate our Solicitor General, and my friend, Elena Kagan, to be the next justice of the United States Supreme Court.

As I send my nomination to the Senate, I wanted to record a special message for you that I hope will help us launch a national discussion.

Take a minute to watch this video, and then help me to introduce Elena to your friends and family by passing it on.

Elena is widely regarded as one of the best legal minds of her generation -- earning praise from across the ideological spectrum throughout her career. Above all, she is a trailblazer. She wasn't just the first woman to serve as dean of Harvard Law School -- she was one of its most beloved and successful leaders, building a reputation for openness to other viewpoints and skill in working with others to build consensus. These were some of the many reasons why I selected her to be my Solicitor General, the nation's chief advocate -- the first woman to hold that post as well.

Her work as Solicitor General has allowed me to see firsthand just why Elena is particularly well-suited to the Court: She has not only a keen understanding of the law, but also one that is rooted in a deep awareness of its impact on people's lives. Last year, she made that clear -- choosing the Citizens United case as her first to argue before the Supreme Court, defending bipartisan campaign finance reform against special interests seeking to spend unlimited money to influence our elections.

Now, I look forward to the prospect of Elena taking her seat alongside Justice Ginsberg and Justice Sotomayor. For the first time, our nation's highest court would include three women, ensuring a Court that would be more inclusive, more representative, more reflective of us as a people than ever before.

When Justice Stevens wrote me to announce his retirement, I knew that the Court would be losing a standard bearer. And I felt a responsibility to nominate an individual capable of being that same guiding force, a consistent voice of reason on the Court.

I am certain I have made the right choice. As you learn more about Elena, I am confident you'll see what I do -- that she is a voice we need on the Supreme Court.

Please watch the message -- and share it with others:

http://my.barackobama.com/ElenaKagan

Thank you,

In case you missed it: Here's the plan

Jason --

If you didn't catch Monday's strategy session, here are the video highlights and an in-depth look at what you missed:

http://my.barackobama.com/2010StrategyHighlights

First, we're going to continue to support the President on critical issues. Success in the 2010 election depends upon highlighting the choice voters have in front of them, so we'll be working hard to build support for Wall Street reform, a clean-energy economy, immigration reform, the confirmation of a new Supreme Court justice, and other key priorities.

A key piece of this is to continue to tell the story of President Obama's leadership and what we've already accomplished together. On health insurance reform, 3 million of you took action to voice your support for a law that reduces costs, increases access, and puts an end to some of the worst insurance company abuses. While there's still a long way to go on the economy, we're on the path to recovery. With your support, we passed the Recovery Act, which has created or saved more than 2 million jobs, and the President continues to fight to create jobs, protect consumers, and hold Wall Street accountable.

Second, we're going to work to elect candidates who support the President's agenda -- and we've got a plan to do it. After months of feedback from volunteers on the ground and nearly 1,000 local strategy sessions held across the country, your top priority for 2010 was crystal clear: getting out the 15 million voters who cast a ballot for the first time in 2008. These voters put President Obama over the top then, and they're going to make the difference again in close races across the country in November.

The best way to get a 2008 first-time voter to vote in 2010? Have a person like you reach out to them and share why you support the President and your local and statewide candidates who support his agenda. Just like we did in 2008, we're going to put a premium on people talking to people -- in their communities, at their doors, on the phones, and online.

As the President noted when he announced our 2010 electoral strategy last week, this year the stakes are even higher. Since he was inaugurated, President Obama has put us on the right path on many critical issues. But we need to help elect candidates who will stand up to the lobbyists and the special interests who are fighting to block and reverse the President's agenda. By turning out 2008 first-time voters, together we can keep our nation moving forward, keep working to fix Washington, keep growing our economy, and keep building a fairer, stronger, and more just America.

Third, we're going to continue to build organizationally. In 2008 we had one of the strongest organizations in the history of American politics. Remarkably, in many ways, our organization is even stronger now -- as volunteers have stepped up to take on even more responsibility with the support of our experienced, nationwide staff. And we're poised to grow: Organizing for America supporters have pledged more than 10 million volunteer hours to candidates who fought for health reform. We're going to hold you to that.

Our 2010 organization-building starts with house meetings in neighborhoods across the country in May, where you and other volunteers will devise a customized program that focuses on turning out 2008 first-time voters in your community. Then, on the weekend of June 5th, we'll be canvassing door-to-door and kicking off our 2010 grassroots campaign.

Watch the highlights -- then help us spread the word about the plan for 2010.

For our opponents, the path to victory relies on historical patterns that show the President's party will have trouble turning out supporters in midterm elections. But, with your help, we can once again defy the cynics and the pundits, turn out 2008 first-time voters, and keep our country on the right path.

Thanks,

Mitch

Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America

Strategy Session today at 4:30 Eastern Time

Jason --

Don't forget: David Plouffe and I are holding a live, Vote 2010 Strategy Session online today at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time to outline OFA's plan to win in 2010.

One of the people in the room for the Strategy Session will be Aswani, a student at the University of Maryland and a first-time voter in 2008. Early in 2007, he was inspired and driven to volunteer by then-Senator Obama's vision. Aswani has already committed to vote again in 2010. But there are millions of voters just like him -- and we need to make sure they're just as motivated.

Today's session will be a special insider briefing you won't want to miss -- you'll get details on what OFA's planning for the midterm elections and how you can help candidates fighting for change.

RSVP now -- or tune in here today at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time:

http://my.barackobama.com/2010StrategySession

Talk to you soon,

Mitch

Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America