Build a Boehner Billboard

This week a bunch of K Street lobbyists told John Boehner their clients don't want regulations and Boehner couldn't wait to run off to the microphones while the thought was still fresh in his mind-- in other words, before he repaired to the 19th hole. But, as this NBC/Wall Street Journal poll shows, Boehner is, once again, completely out of step with American working families. Perhaps his allies in corporate boardrooms feel rules to protect consumers and workers from the excesses of Big Business aren't needed, but most Americans are far smarter than that.

65% said they wanted more regulation for the oil industry (versus 16% who want less); 57% want more regulation for Wall Street firms (compared with 15% who want less); 53% want more regulation for big corporations (versus 21% who want less); and 52% want more regulation for the health-care industry (compared with 27% who want less).

Boehner represents a disease that has infected American conservatism. The Republican Party-- and the Blue Dogs who vote with them-- don't recognize the legitimate role government plays in balancing the enormous power over us that wealthy corporations hold. That refusal to help ordinary families is the essence of today's GOP. And the idea of the Republicans gaining control of Congress and a man of John Boehner's miniscule stature becoming Speaker is just unthinkable. Yesterday he was pushing a moratorium on all new regulations for Big Business. Thursday he was one of only 90 conservative extremists to vote against a bill-- which passed with a huge bipartisan majority-- to reform flood insurance regulations.

As I explained yesterday, but want to re-emphasize today, Blue America was inspired by Boehner's golfing obsession-- as well as by suggestions by Congressmen Tim Ryan (D-OH) and Alan Grayson (D-FL) to get a golfing billboard up in southwest Ohio to remind voters there what Boehner does with his time. So, this weekend we're starting a little "contest" that we hope you'll be part of.

True, Boehner would probably be more likely to see one of these billboards if we put it up around Florida where he spends most of his time golfing, but, of course, the billboard campaign is more for his constituents than for him. We decided to place one just outside Boehner's Wetherington gated community of McMansions in West Chester on I-75, a couple miles from Touchdown Jesus. If you prefer one particular billboard design, please donate to our fund to get it up where voters can see it by clicking on the image you like best. We'll choose the billboard design that gets the most "votes"-- a vote being defined as a contribution, regardless of amount. (In other words, whether you give $1.00 or $100, it's one vote.)

Now the good news: our friends at the AFL-CIO and People For the American Way Voters Alliance are big fans of Justin Coussoule, the progressive Democrat running against Boehner, and each is offering to match whatever you donate on this page. So... give $10 and the billboard fund winds up with $30. How's that for a deal? If you want to read more about Justin, we did a live blogging session with him at Crooks and Liars back in April.

Here are all six billboards. Each graphic is a live link to its respective fundraising page. So just click on the one you like best and... vote.