Change Congress!

Where we stand, and what you can do:

FUNDRAISING: Through your hard work, ActBlue shows that the Lessig would-be campaign has 450+ contributions and $38,000+ in total funds, well more than the two other candidates (who have declared) combined. This is an exceptional performance over a few days. It also doesn’t include additional funds pledged (from $10 to $2,300) by those who say they’ll give if and when he gets in the race, nor does it include all those ActBlue contributions before he created his committee ($2500+). The single most important thing that anyone can do, though, is to keep this fundraising effort going. If you haven’t contributed, please do; if you can contribute again, please do; and most of all, please email at least 10 friends and point them to ActBlue, and urge them to give between now and Monday.

We’ve also got at least 6 fundraisers planned: SF, Boston, NY, DC, Austin, and Chicago. If you are willing to co-host or give at an event, please let us know at info@draftlessig.org or track down finance chair Betsy Masiello. Or put it on the wiki.

VOLUNTEERS: Amazing responses! The Facebook group is more than 4000 strong. The email has been too heavy to answer all of — apologies to anyone who has not gotten a reply email; we’ve got you down and are so delighted to hear the feedback from the committees that are organizing many creative efforts — from Hackfest to video creation to Second Life to Meetups in person and on and on. Keep it coming. We have hundreds of volunteers engaged and ready to rock if the campaign goes into full swing.

WHAT MORE YOU CAN DO: Please join the doubled-down, 1000 Strong to DRAFT LESSIG Facebook group to commit to more, and join the “I
Donated $23 to DRAFT LESSIG” group if you gave $23 or more.

We’ll have another call over the weekend, on Sunday mid-day, to gear up for the week. Stay tuned for call-in info. And keep up the netroots efforts — they’re working! Many thanks, all.

• 4,000+ members of Draft Lessig on Facebook
• $35,000+ raised on ActBlue
• nearly 450 donors on ActBlue

Keep it up!

- the ActBlue contributions are up to 430+ and $35,000+ (more than the other two candidates combined);

- the Facebook group is screaming toward 4,000 members;

- a few hundred more have pledged their cash and volunteer support in the event of a Lessig run (sorry to those whose emails to <info@draftlessig.org> have gone unanswered; keep ‘em coming; we’re catching up to the backlog!!!).  Many people are saying they’ll give at all levels: $10, $500, $2300 in emails today; and,

- another hundred have joined the new, doubled-down, super-duper Lessig Facebook group to commit to get 10 friends to contribute, to contribute themselves, to recruit new members, and to volunteer time. Join us there!

Keep those emails and invites going out. We will meet the DRAFT LESSIG Challenge of 1,000 in a week, but keeping pushing forward to get there. Thanks, all.

If you didn’t see it, a great & extensive interview with our would-be candidate at Ars Technica about his possible two-pronged campaign.

Hey, DRAFT LESSIG! The not-yet-announced candidate is beating the DRAFT movement. Let’s catch up, and keep the momentum going.

And the Wall Street Journal, twice in one day.

As of tonight, nearly 350 people have made contributions via ActBlue or pledged to give and hundreds more have pledged to volunteer their time and effort. The groundswell — from the Netroots, in no small part — is testimony to the power of Lawrence Lessig’s message.

Tomorrow: let’s pass the other candidates in total amount raised on ActBlue (we’re way ahead in terms of total number of contributions already, after basically a day).

We are more than on track to make the DRAFT LESSIG Challenge. Keep up the constant efforts. Each original DRAFT LESSIG supporter: get 10 more people to contribute on ActBlue and sign up for the doubled-down, 1000 Strong to Draft Lessig in Facebook (the original DRAFT LESSIG group is great, and still growing, at about 3,500) to show that this race matters to you, to the people of the 12th cd in California, to America.

We will be devoting our regular “Odd Ball” dance parties to Lessig awareness, education, organizing and (gosh) even fundraising for the next few weeks.

If you are already in Second Life, join the Lessig08 group for notices, and just come to our stage at 9pm SLT/Pacific on Mondays to join like-minded folks to talk politics, law, emerging/online/free culture, fair use, and the Joy of Lessig while we throw it down to tunes in a 3D immersive psychedelic light show.

IM Shava Suntzu or Tuna Oddfellow in Second Life for more information on how to get involved.

If you are not yet in Second Life, throw yourself into the deep end, and we’ll help teach you to swim. Go to the Second Life site, download the free client (warning: not digital divide friendly — check the recommended platform requirements!), and give yourself a few hours to a few days to get your virtual land legs. The Lessig Odd Balls are probably the most intense introduction anyone could get to the culture of Second Life!

Thank you. Thank you for your enthusiasm. We can change Congress.

Help us meet the Draft Lessig Challenge: 1,000 donors or volunteers this week. Donate now via ActBlue.

On Tuesday night, Lessig’s own announcement encouraged us to show our support.

By Wednesday afternoon, that resounding support is plainly visible: In two days, we’ve had more donors via ActBlue than any other Democrat in the race — by more than double.

Incredible. Keep it up!

www.lessig08.org

The account we’ve set up at ActBlue to accept contributions works like this: if Lessig decides to run, then the money is turned over to his campaign in full. If he does not decide to run, the contributions are sent in full to Creative Commons. Obviously, it’s a win-win for free culture. Donate now!

UPDATE: You can also befriend our recently established Lessig 4Congress myspace page, at http://www.myspace.com/lawrencelessig .

What would Speier v. Lessig look like? OpenLeft speculation.

… and oh, yeah, the DRAFT LESSIG Facebook group just passed 2000 members.

- San Francisco & Silicon Valley, of course

- Washington, DC

- Boston & Cambridge, MA

- Chicago

- New York

- Austin

Let us know (<info@draftlessig.org>) if you would be willing to co-host in one of these places, or another place, and/or willing to pledge a contribution if he were to run. As many have noted in the chatter about this possibility, how he raises money would be crucial, especially given the corruption theme. But no doubt he’d have to raise a lot, in a hurry, to make the campaign fly-wheel spin.