Big Oil's & Corporations' Blank Check

Dear Mr. & Mrs. Damien: In January, Big Oil was handed a gift that will help them try to fill Congress with their cronies.   The Supreme Court has handed Big Oil a blank check to spend unlimited amounts on elections. We must fight back. Send an urgent message to your members of Congress today to demand action. A disastrous Supreme Court ruling has removed any restrictions on how much money big corporations like ExxonMobil can spend to elect their friends and defeat our allies in Congress. This means that profit-driven Big Polluters can now spend unlimited amounts on elections, drowning out the voices of the majority of Americans who support clean energy and a healthy environment. Congress must rectify this issue right away. Will you contact your members of Congress to insist they pass legislation reinstating corporate spending limits on elections? Click here to demand that Congress take swift action. We know that Big Oil has deep pockets. Now, this ruling has allowed them to dig even deeper to influence elections, and destroy our clean energy future in the process. Consider what kind of damage this ruling could cause: In the 2007-2008 election cycle, before this catastrophic Supreme Court ruling, ExxonMobil spent just $800,000 on election activities due to existing restrictions.  With these limits no longer in place, Exxon's record-breaking profits could be tapped without restraint. If Exxon diverted just two percent of their $45 billion in 2008 profits to electoral activities, they could outspend the Obama and McCain campaigns combined. We can't let this stand. Send an urgent message to your members of Congress right away. This Supreme Court decision is part of the disastrous legacy of one of Big Oil's best friends – George W. Bush. It was Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Alito, Bush-appointed justices, who were the key swing votes in this outrageous decision. President Obama criticized this ruling in his State of the Union address, saying it would "open the floodgates for special interests" to spend without limits in our elections, and called on Congress to pass a bill that fixes this wrong-headed decision. Please, take a minute to contact your members of Congress now. After you take action, please spread the word. Thank you.   Sincerely, Gene Karpinski President League of Conservation Voters   To Unsubscribe Click Here nonprofit software No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.436 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2730 - Release Date: 03/09/10 07:33:00