November 21, 2011

Please Give Me a Chance to Laugh at You

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Just a quick note: Every pundit who laments the fact that President Obama didn’t “do more” to get some kind of budget agreement through the supercommittee should be required to:

  • Explain exactly what Obama should have done.
  • Explain whether they think Republicans would ever, under any circumstances, have accepted a deal with a net tax increase.
  • If yes, provide details.
  • If no, explain why their hypothetical deal is any better, or more politically feasible, than the default trigger deal.

That’s not so much to ask, is it? I should warn everyone ahead of time, though, that I mainly want answers to these questions so that I can laugh at you.

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4 DAYS LEFT—AND EVERYTHING RIDING ON IT

A full one-third of our annual fundraising comes in this month alone. That’s risky, because a strong December means our newsroom is on the beat and reporting at full strength—but a weak one means budget cuts and hard choices ahead.

With just 4 days left, we need a huge surge in reader support to get to our $400,000 year-end goal. Whether you've given before or this is your first time, your contribution right now matters. All gifts are 3X matched and tax-deductible.

Managing an independent, nonprofit newsroom is staggeringly hard. There’s no cushion in our budget—no backup revenue, no corporate safety net. We can’t afford to fall short, and we can’t rely on corporations or deep-pocketed interests to fund the fierce, investigative journalism Mother Jones exists to do. That’s why we need you right now. Please chip in to help close the gap.

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