Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) is jumping on the controversies surrounding Rand Paul’s statements against parts of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, sending out a new fundraising e-mail from his Midwest Values PAC asking for cash to help Kentucky Senate Democratic nominee Jack Conway.
“On Wednesday, Rand Paul couldn’t answer a simple question of whether or not he supported desegregating lunch counters - a viewpoint so unbelievably dated it doesn’t belong in this century, much less a 2010 campaign,” writes Franken.
Franken appeals to his grassroots donor base to help out both Conway and Pennsylvania Senate nominee Joe Sestak — with the former comedian also offering up a Borscht Belt-style side remark: “I can’t count on brunches with lobbyists and special interest types to fund MVP to help Jack and Joe, though brunch (especially on the weekend) is delicious and may be my favorite meal, so I’m counting on you.”
(Via the Star Tribune.)
Dear ________,
Midwest Values PAC is committed to supporting candidates in 2010 that will help continue the progress we’re making for families and small businesses around the country. Democrats passed a historic health insurance reform law, reined in credit card companies to protect consumers, and just yesterday we passed the most sweeping reform of Wall St. in a generation.
One thing we definitely CANNOT do is move backwards. In Kentucky and Pennsylvania we’ve got two great candidates for the Senate - Jack Conway and Joe Sestak. MVP can contribute $5,000 each to them asap, but (as always) I need your help.
I can’t count on brunches with lobbyists and special interest types to fund MVP to help Jack and Joe, though brunch (especially on the weekend) is delicious and may be my favorite meal, so I’m counting on you. Will you chip in today to help me help Joe and Jack hit the ground running in their respective general election campaigns?
When I say that we need to help these great candidates because they’ll move our country forward, I mean it literally. Their Republican opponents are Pat Toomey and Rand Paul — a former derivatives trader from Wall St., and a Tea Partier.
On Wednesday, Rand Paul couldn’t answer a simple question of whether or not he supported desegregating lunch counters - a viewpoint so unbelievably dated it doesn’t belong in this century, much less a 2010 campaign.
Click here to help me raise $10,000 today to support Jack Conway and Joe Sestak! I’m revving up Midwest Values PAC now because progressives have got to get organized, and get to work, to make sure we’re working together to elect candidates like Jack and Joe this November.
You have played a huge part in helping me help elect Democrats through MVP in the past, and it’s paid off. Senators and Representatives we’ve supported made significant improvements to both health insurance reform and Wall St. reform — bills that would not have been possible without the progressives we’ve worked together to help elect.
Please click here to toss in a few bucks to help Jack and Joe get a leg up for the fall. Thank you so very much for all you’ve done, and all you’ll do. I’ll be in touch soon with updates.
All the best,
-Al
Eric Kleefeld
Eric Kleefeld joined TPM as an intern for the final months of the 2006 midterm elections, and then kept showing up for work. His other interests include guitars, old comic books and the politics of various English-speaking countries.
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