Americans United for Change
Americans United for Change (AUC) is a 501(c)(4) organization founded in 2005 "to fend off President Bush's top policy priority at the time: privatizing Social Security," its website states. "In 2006, Americans United For Change broadened its scope to build broad public and congressional support for action on a wide range of long-stalled policy issues." [1] AUC is a "liberal, labor-funded group" previously known as Americans United to Protect Social Security, according to FactCheck.org. [2]
AUC is a member of Health Care for America Now.
Brad Woodhouse former President of Americans United for Change, is now communications director for the Democratic National Committee under Barack Obama. He was once communications director for USAction and also helped run Americans Against Escalation in Iraq.
Contents
Consulting
Since 2005, Hildebrand Tewes Consulting has worked on issue campaigns for Americans United for Change. [3]
Staff[4]
- Brad Woodhouse, former President
- Suzanne Granville, Deputy Executive Director
- Jeremy J. Funk, Press Secretary
- Lucinda Guinn, Field Director
- Shannon Williams, Marketing Coordinator
Address
AUC's physical address—1825 K Street, N.W., Suite 210—also belongs to the following:
- Change America Now (CAN) (web)
- USAction (web) / USAction Education Fund (web)
Contact Information
1825 K Street, N.W., Suite 210
Washington, D.C. 20006
Phone: 202-470-6954
Website: http://www.americansunitedforchange.org/
Weblog: http://americansunitedforchange.org/blog/
Mission
AUC's "chief mission ... for the next two years is to amplify the progressive message - to contribute to a grass roots groundswell for progressive policies. Progressives need to redefine 'common sense' - by reasserting the primacy of the traditional progressive values that resonate with most Americans" and "define for the American people what Progressives stand for - both our policies and programs and our fundamental values."
- Increasing the minimum wage
- Allowing Medicare to directly negotiate lower prices for prescription drugs
- Preventing privatization of Social Security and preserving it for the future
- Improving access to affordable healthcare for all Americans
- Making college more affordable
- Creating a responsible energy policy
- Protecting our homeland
AUC Coalition
According to Eric Schmeltzer, spokesman for VoteVets.org, a political action committee which "has 20,000 members, including 1,000 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan," the PAC is "part of a coalition of left-leaning groups organized by Americans United for Change that includes labor unions and liberal groups such as MoveOn.org," Lyndsey Layton and Jonathan Weisman reported February 8, 2007, in the Washington Post.
Other Affiliates and Partners
- America Votes, partner [5]
- Change America Now (web) / Campaign for America's Future
Campaigns
- AUC is "running a new ad with a message for the George Bush: Sign the bill. Bring the troops home. Also, has one of the best lines in an recent ad: 'It's the will of one nation....versus the stubbornness of one man.' That's exactly what it is," John Aravosis of AMERICAblog commented April 27, 2007.
- AUC is "already targeting Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, up for re-election next year, with a television ad: 'Kentucky sees it. Why won’t he? Tell Mitch McConnell: Stop blocking change in Iraq'," MSNBC's Tom Curry reported March 29, 2007. The "more vulnerable Republican senators up for election" include the following. "All five tried unsuccessfully to delete the provision from the Iraq spending bill that sets a goal of troop exit by next March," Curry wrote. Woodhouse said "that his group might go after those GOP senators in future ads."
- John Sununu of New Hampshire
- John Warner of Virginia
- Pete Domenici of New Mexico
- Norm Coleman of Minnesota
- Susan Collins of Maine
- AUC "ran the first 'Stay the Course' ad of 2006 challenging Bush's approach on Iraq, college loans and gas prices." [6]
- AUC "ran the first national ad of 2006 on political corruption and the Jack Abramoff scandal calling for the lobbying and congressional reforms included in the Honest Leadership Act." [7]
- In the summer of 2008, AUC sent a "Bush Legacy Tour" bus throughout the U.S. carrying exhibits of negative events that occurred during Bush's eight year presidency: the Iraq war, Hurrican Katrina, the healthcare crisis, the spreading income gap, ignoring climate change, and the growing federal deficit. [1]
Related SourceWatch Resources
External links
- Table: Illustrative and Non-Comprehensive List of 501(c) Organizations Attempting to Influence 2006 Congressional Elections, Campaign Finance Institute.
- Brooks Jackson, "New Group, Old Habits. A liberal group re-names itself and launches a $1-million ad campaign making dubious claims," FactCheck.org, January 27, 2006.
- "Federal 527s raise $131 million, 32% more than in 2002 election. 501(c) Nonprofits and Private Firm Also Increasing Voter Mobilization Efforts," Campaign Finance Institute, November 1, 2006.
- Lyndsey Layton and Jonathan Weisman, "Veterans Group Speaks Out on War. Congressional Democrats Let VoteVets.org Talk for Them, Bluntly," Washington Post, February 8, 2007.
- Melanie Morgan, "Vietnam déjà vu," WorldNetDaily, February 9, 2007: "Calling themselves 'Vote Vets,' they are a front group for a collaboration of organizations, including MoveOn.org and Americans United for Change – two groups that were strong supporters of Sen. John Kerry in the 2004 election."
- Tom Curry, "Repeat Iraq votes put GOP senators at '08 risk. Republicans ponder: Why not vote for a bill that Bush will veto anyway?" MSNBC, March 29, 2007.
- Elana Schor, Liberal group targets GOP vulnerables, The Hill, April 4, 2007.
- Dan Morain, "Campaigns raise stakes on nonprofits: Untraditional donation channels are expected to gain ground in 2008. They assure anonymity and do not impose caps," Los Angeles Times, November 13, 2007.
