November 14, 2008

Joe the Increasingly Desperate for Attention

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Joe the Plumber has a website. Here’s the link. There’s not a whole lot you can do on it yet. You can get a free “We Are Joe” membership or, for committed JTP fans, a $14.95 “Freedom” membership. You can advance order a copy of Joe’s book, which is titled “Fighting for the American Dream.” Soon you’ll be able to read Joe’s blog and use Joe’s discussion forum to talk directly to Joe. You can look at pictures of Joe.

I’ve never been so convinced in my life that someone is planning on running for office. Any Republican who has been building his or her resume over the course of several years with the hopes of someday representing Ohio’s 9th district, just put away your power tie or pantsuit now. You’re going to get steamrolled in the primary by Joe the Media Darling. See you in 2010, Joe, you living manifestation of the Republican Party’s crippling anti-intellectualism!

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From the desk of Mother Jones CEO, Monika Bauerlein...

Newsrooms can be funded in many ways. One of the most controversial (and volatile) ways is by a for-profit corporation or a billionaire owner. We see it across the headlines on a weekly basis: the claw backs in public media, the gutting of The Washington Post, the bending over backwards to appeal to Trump and his allies.

But not here.

When Mother Jones first started publishing 50 years ago, our founders made a critical decision: to be a reader-supported nonprofit. They knew that no corporate owner would be interested in a muckraking newsroom; they also knew that no muckraking newsroom would be interested in following the agenda of a corporate owner.

And so, we’ve been reader-funded for half a century. We rely on contributions from our readers—readers like you—whether it’s $50, or $15 a month, or whatever fits your budget. People give what they can, and every donation makes a difference for our newsroom, which has grown tremendously—in size and reach and renown—since its inception in 1976.

You may be wondering: What does it take to publish an investigation? And what does my donation actually fund? The answers are one and the same: It takes people, resources, and time. And that’s what your donation funds directly.

Every donation Mother Jones receives from readers fortifies our newsroom, whether we’re covering underreported scandals out of Washington, DC, or the most important news of the day. And right now, each donation will be doubled because of our $50,000 match. So when you make a donation—$5, $50, any amount—it’ll go twice as far.

Your support keeps us going. If you’re able, donate today.

Thanks for reading.

—Monika

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