Friends of democracy ~ Long time, no update. The first and most time-sensitive issue, is that I, along with Moira Brennan, from the California Clean Money Campaign, will on be on Pirate Cat Radio tonight, 87.9FM, which has a strong signal on the east side of San Francisco. Tune in from 6-7 pm to hear about the latest in publicly financed campaigns -- the federal bill, soon to be introduced by Senator Durbin, the state initiative to be on the June 2010 ballot, and local stuff. We'll talk about the past, present and future of this amazing reform that could finally fulfill the promise of a truly democratic society. As a brief update to our other efforts, several of you have been very helpful in getting me on agendas of Democratic clubs around town. I've had a great response everywhere I've been, and have gotten several letters from local organizations into Speaker Pelosi's office, encouraging her to prioritize this important reform. I will be continuing this work over the next couple of months, so please, if you're connected to a local group or Democratic Club, help me get on the agenda. It will truly make a difference! The latest groups to endorse the Fair Elections Now Act, the federal bill that would give congresspeople the option of public financing are: Democracy Action, Potrero Hill Democratic Club & Bernal Heights Democratic Club! Thanks, Rob Arnow -- Common Cause Fair Elections Now Act, Advocate 415-552-2229 More information on the Fair Elections Now Act: www.commoncause.org/fairelectionsnow <http://www.commoncause.org/fairelectionsnow> "I also believe that if we're serious about change, we need to have a real discussion about public financing for congressional elections. Because even if we can stop lobbyists from buying us lunch or taking us out on junkets, they'll still be able to attend our fundraisers -- and that's access the average American doesn't have." --- Barack Obama, August 2, 2007