Occupy DC Plans To Target High-Dollar Democratic Fundraiser
WASHINGTON -- The Washington arm of the Occupy Wall Street movement plans to target a high-dollar Democratic fundraiser near the group's McPherson Square encampment Thursday night. The cost of attending the dinner for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is a pricey $5,000 to $75,000 a plate.
"This elitist event is indicative of how the Democrats represent a major part of our government's failure to represent 99% of its citizenry," reads an Occupy DC action alert.
By marching on the Frontline Member Holiday Reception, the protesters seek to send a message to the Democratic Party that its reliance on corporate contributions makes it part of the problem -- or all the problems.
"Between 2009 and 2011, Democrats controlled both houses of Congress and the White House. In that time, unemployment reached its highest level since the Great Depression," the alert states. "The big banks that crashed the global economy were not broken up, and are still 'too big to fail.' Taxes on the extremely wealthy stayed low. Health care and financial reform were deeply flawed, handicapped by lobbyist influence. Promises to take action on climate change, immigration reform, and anti-worker labor laws were forgotten. Wars expanded and dragged on. Banks got bailed out, while crushing debt burdens on American households have still not been relieved. Now, 15 Senate Democrats have voted against the Udall Amendment to the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act -- essentially voting to dissolve habeas corpus in this country."
A Democratic operative, responding to the action alert, noted that there may be a political upside: Republicans will have a harder time accusing Washington Democrats of orchestrating the Occupy movement.
Read the entire alert:
ACTION Alert - Occupy DCCC: Let no party remain unaccountable to the peoplePosted on November 30th, 2011
What - Occupy DCCC
When - 5 PM, Thursday, December 1
Where - Gathering at McPherson Square, marching to 727 15th St NW
On the two-month anniversary of Occupy DC representing the voices and interests of the 99%, we will march on a Democratic Party fundraiser charging $5,000-$75,000 per dinner. This elitist event is indicative of how the Democrats represent a major part of our government's failure to represent 99% of its citizenry. The party is part and parcel of a government in which about half of congressional members and most major presidential candidates are 1%ers -- a government of the 1%, by the 1% and for the 1%. Because no party is representing the 99%, and because money should never equal speech, we are marching on a fundraiser for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
Between 2009 and 2011, Democrats controlled both houses of Congress and the White House. In that time, unemployment reached its highest level since the Great Depression. The big banks that crashed the global economy were not broken up, and are still "too big to fail." Taxes on the extremely wealthy stayed low. Health care and financial reform were deeply flawed, handicapped by lobbyist influence. Promises to take action on climate change, immigration reform, and anti-worker labor laws were forgotten. Wars expanded and dragged on. Banks got bailed out, while crushing debt burdens on American households have still not been relieved. Now, 15 Senate Democrats have voted against the Udall Amendment to the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act -- essentially voting to dissolve habeas corpus in this country. It has become increasingly clear that the Democratic Party is fundamentally compromised by its reliance on corporate funding.
The DCCC is a vehicle for the 1 percent's influence in the Democratic Party and in America as a whole. It has received nearly $4 million in donations from the financial industry already this election cycle. Rep. Steve Israel, the chair of the committee and its top fundraiser, has received more support from the financial sector than from any other source, and his top donor is the war-machine producing defense contractor Northrop Grumman. The minimum donation for the event on Thursday is $5,000 and the maximum is $75,000 -- when candidates are getting such lavish donations from wealthy individuals and corporate-sponsored political action committees, how can we expect them to attend to the needs of the 99 percent?
We will only attain true democracy in this country when our government represents not the American dollar, but the American people. We will always stand against pay-to-play politics and legalized bribery in government.
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Posted: 11/30/11 05:56 PM ET