Courage Campaign Asks Governor to Oppose Electoral College Initiative
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 4, 2007
Contact: Sibahn Epps, Courage Campaign Issues Committee – 310-860-1307
sepps ATcouragecampaign DOTorg
LOS ANGELES- Courage Campaign Issues Committee sent the following letter today to Governor Schwarzenegger asking him to oppose the so-called Presidential Reform Act, which would steal twenty electoral college votes from California. Joining in opposing this initiative are Sherry Lansing, Bradley Whitford, Sal Rosselli, Arianna Huffington, Assembly Majority Leader Karen Bass and Eric Garcetti.
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The Honorable Arnold Schwarzenegger
Governor
The Capitol
Sacramento, California 95184
VIA FAX— 916-445-4633
Dear Governor Schwarzenegger:
On Friday, Julia Rosen delivered to your office 2,148 copies of the so-called Presidential Election Reform Act. If this proposed initiative qualifies and passes, it would, as you said quite astutely, “change the rules in the middle of the game.” Courage Campaign members from across California sent you copies of the initiative to read, since you said you had not previously read it.
Nearly 10,000 Courage Campaign members have signed our pledge to oppose this destructive attempt to hijack our democracy by re-allocating Electoral College votes unilaterally. People all across the country see this as a simple right-wing power grab, not “post-partisan” in any way. And, as you may know, editorial boards from the Orange County Register to the Stockton Record have also come out strongly against this dangerous initiative.
Governor, we want to take you at your word that you want to lead the people and rise above partisan politics. Here is an ideal opportunity to demonstrate your leadership above the partisan fray. Now that you have plenty of copies of the initiative — a document that only takes about five minutes to read — we call on you to state clearly and directly that you oppose this initiative. We also call on you to ask leaders of the California Republican Party to oppose this partisan power-grab.
Please take a stand in advance of this weekend’s California Republican Party convention. By standing tall against what the New York Times calls an “elaborate dirty trick” designed by a “shadowy group” to do “serious damage to our democracy,” you will join dozens of leading national bloggers, and prominent Californians such as, Sherry Lansing, Sal Rosselli, Bradley Whitford, Arianna Huffington, Kathy Spillar, Assembly Majority Leader Karen Bass, LA City Council President Eric Garcetti and so many others who oppose this initiative.
Let’s not waste time and money on this folly. As you have said, California has too many important issues on which we have to focus. No more dirty tricks. No more partisan power-grabs. Not in California. Not in America. Governor, please just say no. We look forward to hearing from you.
Respectfully,
Richard Jacobs Chair, Courage Campaign