For Immediate Release:
February 21, 2012

Contact: Naomi Seligman, 310.617.4577
CJ Frogozo, 310.570.2622
Rafael Noboa y Rivera, 202.455.4673

Unemployed Veterans Find New Champion – America Wants You Enlists Corporate America to Find Jobs for 800,000 Veterans Now Out of Work
Actor Chris O’Donnell Stars in New Video Asking Corporate America to Do Its Part
AWY Running Full Page Ad in Wall Street Journal

Los Angeles, CA - Military veterans looking for work in a tough economy have a new champion in America Wants You (AWY), a unique private sector initiative that is teaming up with corporate America to find job opportunities for those men and women who have served in our Country’s military. Together, industry and America’s veterans can team to build the America of tomorrow.

The non-partisan organization, led by three retired private-sector executives from Los Angeles, is establishing contacts across the corporate spectrum to carve out opportunities for some of the more than 800,000 veterans currently out of work.

CareerBuilder is building a dedicated job site on AmericaWantsYou.net and corporations including Southwestern Energy and Careerbuilder have pledged their support. The effort is also supported by a number of veterans organizations including: The Vet Voice Foundation (Foundation arm of VoteVets.org), Bob Woodruff Foundation, Hire Heroes USA, Institute for Veterans and Military Families.

“America Wants You and its supporters are calling out to the corner offices to stand up and do their duty,” said the group's chairman and CEO, John S. Pike, a veteran and former president at Paramount Network Television.

Pike's principals are Dallas Marvil and Cliff Allman, who were both top publishing industry leaders.

“With over 800,000 veterans out of work, it is imperative that companies step up and help those who have been helping us," Pike said. "It’s a corporate call to arms. There is no employer too big or too small to aid in this American effort.”

Actor Chris O’Donnell is starring in a new video asking corporate America to jump in and help veterans in this job market. The video can be viewed here: http://d.pr/8q5P.

“America Wants You is coming at the right time. Right now, the unemployment rate among the youngest veterans, ages 18-24, is upwards of 30 percent. Efforts like these are desperately needed, and we’re proud to support their efforts,” said Jon Soltz, Iraq War Veteran, and Chairman of the Vet Voice Foundation.

AWY cannot achieve its goal without strong support from “Cornerstone Partners” who believe in this initiative and embrace the objective. Southwestern Energy, a leading company in the natural gas industry, was one of the first to join up. “History has shown time and again that no challenge is too great for the collective resolve and determination of the American people,” said Mark Boling, Executive Vice President for Southwestern Energy.

“We are behind this initiative 100% and have been and are committed to providing jobs to those that have served our nation.”

AWY is also running a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal today, which can be viewed here: http://d.pr/WN5u.

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For more information please visit AmericaWantsYou.net.

For Immediate Release:
February 21, 2012

Contact: Blair FitzGibbon
202-503-6141

Watchdog to Sheldon Adelson:
Stand Up For Reform

Washington, D.C.--In response to Sheldon Adelson's comment in Forbes magazine that he was "against very wealthy people attempting to or influencing elections," Public Campaign Action Fund sent the casino mogul a letter urging him to donate to organizations working to address the problem of big money in politics.

The letter, signed by Public Campaign Action Fund Executive Director David Donnelly, states:

We read with attentiveness your statement to Forbes Magazine that you are “against very wealthy people attempting to or influencing elections” and that you will continue to make gifts totaling as much as $100 million, saying “as long as it's doable I'm going to do it.”

We think there’s a better way. If you are truly opposed to wealthy people attempting to influence elections, we would welcome your support behind a number of different proposals to address the problem of big money in politics. Specifically, the congressional Fair Elections Now Act, which matches small donations from home-state voters with limited public funds, and legislation providing moredisclosure on outside money so that, in your words, donors don’t “go through ten different corporations to hide [their] name.”

Other efforts – including a constitutional amendment that would prohibit wealthy individuals or corporations from dominating elections – are also important.

We encourage you to support the growing efforts to reform the political fundraising system so that it reflects the time-honored American values of being “of, by, and for the people.” Attached to this letter is a list of 11 national organizations that have robust programs in addressing the problems of money-in-politics.

Your contributions to these organizations, instead of your generous campaign donations, could be your most important political legacy. You would be joining a number of leading political donors who have already taken a stand for such change.

We would welcome the opportunity to sit down with you to discuss your options if you are interested. Please feel free to contact me if you’d like to schedule a meeting.

Visit http://bit.ly/wfwgb3 to view this release and download the complete letter that includes a list of suggested organizations.

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Public Campaign Action Fund works to hold politicians who are against comprehensive campaign finance reform accountable for where they get their political donations. Learn more at www.campaignmoney.org.

Media Advisory For:
February 23, 2012

Contact: Blair FitzGibbon
202-503-6141

Major Rally Outside Supreme Court Supporting Justices' Suggestion to Revisit Citizens United
Court Should Reverse Citizens United in Review of Montana Case

Washington, DC - In the wake of the US Supreme Court’s decision on Friday at least temporarily setting aside Montana’s ban on corporate political spending, Common Cause and other organizations are rallying a public show of support for the high court to reverse the 2010 Citizens United decision. The rally comes after two justices – Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer – made an extraordinary statement in connection with the Montana case, calling for the court to reconsider Citizens United.

Who: Common Cause, Free Speech for People, Coffee Party and Other Groups

What: Rally

When: 12 noon ET on Thursday, Feb. 23

Where: Sidewalk in front of US Supreme Court

Late Friday, the US Supreme Court blocked a Montana Supreme Court decision to uphold a state ban on corporate spending on campaigns. Ingranting a temporary stay of the Montana law, two justices, Ginsburg and Breyer, urged their colleagues to reconsider Citizens United.

“Montana’s experience, and experience elsewhere since this Court’s decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission make it exceedingly difficult to maintain that independent expenditures by corporations ‘do not give rise to corruption or the appearance of corruption," Ginsburg wrote. A petition for certiorari will give the Court an opportunity to consider whether, in light of the huge sums currently deployed to buy candidates’ allegiance, Citizens United should continue to hold sway.”