Black Independent Party (ARK) Archives

Robert -- I'm sharing some exciting news next week about the campaign and our big ideas for Arkansas, and I want you to be the first to know. Follow me on Facebook to make sure you hear the news straight away. Our team is working hard on the issues that Arkansans care about, but without a strong network of folks like you behind us to help spread the word, we'll only get so far. You all -- our grassroots supporters -- are going to determine the outcome of this race. So, as often as possible, I want you to be in the loop right away when there's news or an important announcement about the campaign, and one of the best ways to do that is also one of the simplest. Stay in touch here: https://secure.billhalter.com/Like-Bill-on-Facebook Thanks, stay tuned, Bill P.S. -- Not on Facebook? Let me know you're with me by  adding your name here.

Dear Robert L., You might have January 1 circled on your fresh new 2013 calendar -- but before we close the book on 2012, we have a little more work to do.  Out of state special interests spent more than $40 million against me last year, and I want to raise $10,000 grassroots dollars to close out this historic year.  That's 1,000 supporters at $10 each. Can you help right now? A new year means a new start for our  grassroots network . I know what you're thinking -- New Year’s Eve is 2 days from now. I know $10,000 seems like an ambitious goal. But I know my grassroots supporters, too -- and we can get this done. We've never missed a deadline before. So before the ball drops 2 days from now, help me keep our grassroots network going strong. Give $10 or more today. Thank you for all of your support. And have a safe New Year. Sherrod

Robert L., We've reached an important milestone this year: there are now 20 women in the U.S. Senate, more women than ever before. But even as we celebrate our accomplishment, we have to look forward. The first step is to protect three Democratic women senators up for re-election in 2014:  Jeanne Shaheen , Kay Hagan and  Mary Landrieu . We're less than two months past Election Day and Karl Rove’s Crossroads GPS is already airing ads attacking Kay and Mary. These women are counting on us to be able to respond right now because the attacks will only pick up in 2013. Donate $5 or more directly to these three women today, before the December 31 FEC deadline, and help them hold onto their seats. Click here to make your donation right now, before the December 31 FEC deadline. Jeanne, Kay and Mary need your help to fend off the attacks and prepare for the tough races ahead. Jeanne, Kay and Mary are all from key swing states, making their races all the more critical...

robert, Member since:  Pending Member ID:  Pending It still takes my breath away when I think of all we accomplished this year -- and I know I'll never get tired of hearing the words "Senator Elizabeth Warren" or "Senator Tammy Baldwin" or "Governor Maggie Hassan." The EMILY's List community made these historic victories -- and so many others -- possible, and I could not be more proud. There's only one thing this community can't do, and that's rest for a single minute . Our stunning achievements in 2012 depended on early, strong support from all of you. That's why there's no time to waste in getting ready for the next cycle. Become an EMILY's List member right now for the special rate of just $10. We need your strong and early support if we're going to succeed in 2013 and 2014. We've got a lot of work ahead of us. We must re-elect senators Jeanne Shaheen from New Hampshire and Kay Hagan from North Carolina...

Robert L., We made history. In January, we will have 20 women in the Senate and 78 serving in the House. Not only that, but one-quarter of all new members of Congress are women. You helped us raise more than $1 million for progressive women candidates in 2012, giving them the resources they needed to run winning campaigns. But we can’t rest now. My Off the Sidelines PAC is preparing for 2014, so our Democratic women are ready for the far-right attacks we know are coming. We have to start this year strong to not only defend, but also to build upon our gains. Help us raise $25,000 before the FEC deadline of December 31, so we can increase our numbers and keep control of the Senate. Click here to donate $3 or more to Off the Sidelines before the FEC filing deadline on December 31, just three days away. We need to raise $25,000 before the end of 2012, so we can hit the ground running in 2013. I once said that if Congress were made up of 51 percent women, we wouldn’t be d...

Dear robert l.,  With the year-end fast approaching, we’re reviewing our year and our online donation records for 21st Century Democrats. This year, we did everything we could to get progressives elected up and down the ticket -- and we did! In doing so, we have depleted our budget and now need to rebuild our financial resources.  That’s why I’m turning to you, to see if you could make your 2012 online contribution today.  Please Make Your 2012 Contribution Today Currently, we are working with Senator Tom Harkin and his newly proposed bill on the filibuster, which is critical in getting Washington working again.  And we are always out recruiting progressive candidates to run for office. So we continue to need funding.  Please Make Your 2012 Contribution Today So please be as generous as you can today and make your 2012 online contribution. Even a gift of $5 will go a long way.  Please make your 2012 contribution today, so we can hit the ground running...

Dear Robert, If there is one message I’m taking away from the 2012 elections, it’s this: Get ready early. 2012 showed us that we must expect a deluge of outside spending from exactly the same right-wing special interests that are trying to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid right now in Washington. But it also showed us that, if we start early and get organized, their deep pockets are no match for our grassroots strength. That’s why today I’m laying the groundwork for 2014 by launching a $25,000 New Year’s fundraising goal -- and I need your support. Will you contribute $3 to help us reach our fundraising goal before the midnight deadline on Monday? In Washington, House Republicans continue to offer proposals that would protect the wealthiest Americans at the expense of the middle class. I’m fighting back -- every day, as hard as I can -- because I believe our country does best when it puts the middle class first.  I’ll never stop, because it’s the right ...

Robert, We saw more corporate meddling in this year's election than any election in recent memory. But don't expect it to let up any time soon. Corporate interests and a handful of eccentric billionaires aren't just out to buy an election. They're out to buy what happens  after  elections: the policies that affect how all of us live our lives every single day. That's why, together, we're fighting back right now against a right-wing lobbyist-backed deal to slash essential benefits for America's elderly, disabled, and poor. That's why we speak out when corporate and wealthy interests try to rig the game by slanting the playing field in their favor -- both in and out of election seasons. And that's why we must hit our year-end $100,000 goal.  We have to be organized to take back the field. Help ensure we're strong before we enter the New Year. Contribute $5 today, and help reach our year-end goal. Progressives United never took o...

Robert L., Since last Friday's tragedy in Newtown, Conn., many of you have reached out to me with your concern that we must do something about gun violence in America. I share your resolve, as this has become very personal to me. My own two boys are ages nine and four, the same ages as the children attending Sandy Hook Elementary School when those precious lives were taken. We have an obligation to do better for all of our children. I hope you will read this op-ed that I wrote in the Daily News earlier this week, and make your own voice heard, by demanding common-sense gun safety laws: We have an obligation to act and prevent tomorrow’s senseless deaths! There are no words to express my sadness and outrage over the loss of so many young innocent lives.  Politicians have rushed to offer words of sympathy for the victims, but Americans expect more from us.    And they deserve more from this Congress.  Congress has ducked a serious national debate over common...

robert, Hey, what's on your calendar for  Sunday, January 20 ? How about a fabulous brunch with amazing Democratic women --  where you and a friend are the VIP guests and sharing a table with newly-sworn-in Senator Elizabeth Warren? That's right, you and a guest could be discussing hot topics with some of the country's top women leaders.  All you have to do is enter our Strength in Numbers Contest -- the winner gets  2 VIP tickets to our EMILY's List 2013 Inauguration Brunch. We'll take care of everything -- your flight, hotel, the works. Contribute to EMILY's List right now and you'll be automatically entered. The contest closes in just 18 days, so don't delay. Your hard work and dedication made this historic election possible -- and this is our chance to show our appreciation. Our event is already the talk of Washington, and I want you there. Don't miss this chance to join this once-in-a-lifetime event. Contribute to EMILY's List and au...

Robert, News is breaking: Social Security benefits were put on the chopping block in the latest round of deficit talks in Congress. But Social Security has nothing to do with the deficit. Even Ronald Reagan said so. So why are the Republicans who claim they want to close the deficit today demanding Social Security benefit cuts? And why are reports surfacing that these cuts are likely to be in the final deal? Right now, our best chance to stop it will be in the Senate. We have to be ready. Watch this video clip of Ronald Reagan defending Social Security, then sign Progressives United's petition telling senators to reject cuts to Social Security, or to other crucial benefits: Social Security is not the cause of our deficit problem. Any adjustments to social security must be done as a separate matter, without cutting benefits, not as a snake-oil solution to an unrelated deficit problem -- and never in exchange for allowing corporate interests and the wealthiest Am...

Robert -- Who will decide if your taxes increase in just 22 days? A few dozen members of the House of Representatives, that's who. Cutting taxes for the middle class shouldn't be difficult, especially when Republicans claim they agree with the President on the issue. But some Republicans are still holding middle-class tax cuts hostage simply because they want to cut taxes for millionaires and billionaires. Here's what's going on right now: President Obama is asking Congress to move forward on a plan that would prevent 98 percent of American families from paying higher taxes next year. The Senate has passed that bill, and the President is ready to sign it -- but the Republican leadership in the House of Representatives won't even bring the bill to the floor for a vote. House Democrats have filed a petition that would force a vote if it attracts 218 signatures. If a bill has enough votes to pass, Congress should vote on it and pass it. It's a pretty simple propos...

Dear robert l.,  The American public made it clear: Their top priorities are good jobs and a demand-driven, full recovery from the worst economic crisis to hit the country since the Great Depression.  With the so-called "fiscal cliff" looming, we have to ensure that any grand bargain rejects damaging cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid beneficiaries. It must ensure that the most affluent among us pay their fair share and reduce income inequality. It must put Americans back to work and shore up the middle class. And we must be prepared to accept no deal at all in the short term to get the best deal in the long term. Now we need your voice to help keep the pressure on as negotiations begin.  I, along with like-minded senators, communicated last month to Leader Reid and President Obama to urge that any deal on the so-called cliff reflects these core principles. Will you join us by adding your name to my petition at DontCaveOnTheCliff.com -- before we deliver it ...

Robert, These lame duck negotiations are a dangerous minefield for progressives. Senate Democrats' commitment to letting the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy expire seems to be strengthening -- thanks to the work over 53,000 of your fellow progressives did to pressure wavering members of Congress. But rumors are swirling in D.C. that Republicans might be willing to deal on tax rates for the wealthy -- if Democrats agree to  benefit  cuts from Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. That isn't a compromise; It's a complete surrender of the middle class. We need to act now to stop any deal that cuts these crucial  benefits. The first step is finding out where each senator stands. So members of Progressives United are joining with our friends at MoveOn.org and other progressive partners to get senators on the record: Will they stand against cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security  benefits ? Use our easy, one-step tool to call and ask if your...

Robert L., Today, in what I hope will be one more step toward true marriage equality for all, the Supreme Court has announced its decision to hear two same sex marriage cases, including a constitutional challenge to the so-called "Defense of Marriage Act" ( DOMA ) in the case  U.S.A. vs Windsor . This is truly historic. Over the last 6 months, both the first and second federal appeals courts have declared DOMA unconstitutional, and now, for the first time since DOMA was signed into law in 1996, the nation's highest court will make its voice heard. Momentum across the country is clearly growing towards recognizing the marriages of all loving and committed couples and finally putting the discriminatory DOMA policy into the dustbin of history. But even as DOMA heads to the Supreme Court, it is still incumbent upon Congress to pass the Respect For Marriage Act, which would not only repeal DOMA, but would also put in place much-needed protections for legally married ...

Dear Robert L., This week, the U.S. Senate came together to pass the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2013. In an age when it's difficult to get things done across party lines, I'm heartened by the spirit of cooperation that went into the passage of this bill, including many amendments from both parties. I'm extremely proud of an amendment I introduced that is included in the final legislation, which mandates that our military health insurance program cover treatments for the disabled children of our military and veteran families. This coverage will be funded for one year while we study the long-term cost of this essential care. As a result, our military and veteran families will no longer have to pay out-of-pocket to treat their children for autism and other disabilities. I was particularly pleased that this amendment won the support of all 17 women in the Senate – both Democrats and Republicans – overcoming opposition from some Senate Republica...

Dear robert l. , You and I fought long and hard to get Elizabeth Warren elected Senator in Massachusetts.  But before she is even sworn in as Senator, Wall Street lobbyists and Far-Right Conservatives are fighting tooth-and-nail to keep her off the Senate Banking Committee!  And while she is just coming off a campaign where the Republican Party and their Far-Right Allies attacked her daily for over a year, now Wall Street Bankers are doing the same thing!  It’s because they are scared she is going to be fair -- simple as that. Please sign our Petition to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, telling him to stand his ground and make sure Elizabeth Warren is appointed to the Banking Committee where we need her to be. Sign Our Petition to Harry Reid Today As an American bankruptcy law expert, she is perfect to serve on this committee. She helped to establish the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which made her an enemy of Wall Street – and that’s ...