Fight lame duck regression & an Obama-Merkley visibility op

Chris Lowe

Looking for something to do beyond watching the convention? MoveOn.org national offers an opportunity to fight back against the Bush admin's lame-duck, back-door effort to impose by rule a regressive policy enabling individual healthcare workers to impose their own moral views on patients, and an unscientific definition of pregnancy that would redefine the most widely used forms of hormonal contraception as abortion, both of which amount to illegitimate usurpation of the power of legislation by the executive branch.

For information on a collaboration between MoveOn.org and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund to oppose the new rulemaking by HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt, see reports by ABC News, RH Reality Check and Women's Health News. The two organizations recently delivered 325,000 signatures on a petition opposing the change to Leavitt.

As a next step, MoveOn.org is asking us to call HHS to oppose the rule change.

Bush's Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) just kicked off a 30-day period to consider public input on this issue before making a final decision.

Can you contact the HHS today and tell them not to change the abortion "rules"? Tell them that the American people oppose any proposal that jeopardizes access to basic women's health, including birth control.

Here's where to call:
HHS main phone: 202-619-0257

Please help us track our progress by reporting your call:
here

---------

On the Portland metro local front, the MoveOn PDX Council, the on-the-ground, face-to-face manifestation of MoveOn.org's internet based network, is sponsoring a pro-Obama, pro-Merkley visibility event on the afternoon of Labor Day, Monday Sept 1 over I-84, aiming to catch the eye of folks returning from holiday travel.

It's time to harness as much of our energy and enthusiasm as we can to make the case for a new direction for America. Come join us this Labor Day to get the word out. We will be holding up large banners and signs over the I-84 freeway to get our Labor Day-themed messages to fellow Oregonians: Barack Obama for President and Jeff Merkley for U.S. Senate!

WHEN: Labor Day, Monday, September 1, 1-4 PM

WHERE: I-84 overpass @ NE 47th Ave.

BRING: Large signs with your election message to Oregon voters!

RSVP: to banner-info [at] moveon-pdx.org if you think you can attend.

Participants in our previous freeway bannering events raved about how much they enjoyed them, and about how effective they were in getting our messages out to thousands of people! We want to encourage as many people to come as we can, so please forward this invitation to anyone you know who might be interested.

Printable handouts and fliers for posting are available at:

flyer

handout

Once we have started, we will be spreading out to cover the I-84 overpass at NE 53rd Ave. as well. We will need a minimum of 40 people to handle our extra large banners and to help with organizing on the day of the event; if you can help with this, please RSVP for the event by email to [email protected] so that we can contact you with additional information.

This information was sent out over the signatures of co-coordinators Mark Williams and Ruth Fredine.

The MoveOn PDX Council did a similar though non-electoral event during an evening rush hour back in March near the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, with messages calling for an end to the U.S. war and occupation and redirection of the money being spent on them to healthcare, education and other domestic needs. We got a lot of positive response from motorists, and it also was an enjoyable chance to meet

Directions to the event

Map of I-84 overpass @ NE 47th Ave.

Public transit:

From NW Portland:
take the #12 bus to NE Sandy Blvd. and NE 47th Ave.
or, take the #77 bus to the Hollywood Transit Center
or, take the #15 bus to SE Belmont St. and SE 39th Ave., transfer to #75 bus, take to the Hollywood Transit Center

From SW Portland:
take the #12 bus to the Hollywood Transit Center
or, take the #8 bus to the Rose Quarter Transit Center, transfer to the MAX Red Line, take to the Hollywood/NE 42nd. Ave TC MAX Station

From SE Portland:
take the #75 bus to the Hollywood Transit Center

From NE/N Portland:
take the #75 bus to the Hollywood Transit Center

From Gresham:
take the MAX Blue line to the Hollywood/NE 42nd. Ave TC MAX Station

Driving directions:

From NW Portland:
Take I-405 N/US-30 E across the Fremont bridge
Take exit on the left to I-5 S
Take exit 301 onto I-84 E/US-30 E
Take exit 2 for 39th Ave.
Go left on 39th Ave.
Go right at NE Halsey St.
Go right at NE 47th Ave.
Follow NE 47th Ave. just past NE Multnomah St. to the overpass

From SE Portland:
Take I-5 N
Take exit 300 to merge onto I-84 E/US-30 E toward The Dalles/Portland Airport
Take exit 2 for 39th Ave., follow directions as for NW Portland above

From E Portland / Gresham:
Take I-84 W
Take exit 2 towards 43rd Ave.
Go right at NE Halsey St., follow directions as for NW Portland above

(Claimer: I a member of the MoveOn PDX Council and of MoveOn.org. This post is based on information received from those organizations.)

(Disclaimer: The I-84 Overpass event is organized solely and independently by MoveOn PDX Council, without coordination with any campaign, party or other other organization.)

By Chris Lowe Aug. 28, 2008