This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
|
Fuse Washington is a progressive advocacy organization in Washington state. It is a member of the ProgressNow network. Fuse, a 501(c)(4) organization, along with its sister organization the Fuse Innovation Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization, claims to be the state's largest progressive organization because of its email list of more than 100,000 people.[2][3]
Formation | 2007 |
---|---|
Founder | Aaron Ostrom |
Type | 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization |
Headquarters | Seattle, Washington |
Region served | Washington (state), United States |
Aaron Ostrom | |
Staff | 14[1] |
Website | https://fusewashington.org/ |
History and mission
editFuse was launched in 2007 by executive director Aaron Ostrom.[4] Since then, the organization has grown to a staff of 14[4] with a ten-member board of directors.[5]
Like other ProgressNow organizations, Fuse uses e-mail campaigns and grassroots organizing to inform its subscribers about local politics and lobby elected officials.[6] Fuse focuses primarily on campaigns involving climate change, racial justice, tax reform, political accountability, and workers rights.[7]
Voters guide
editWashington
editFuse started their Progressive Voters Guide in 2008 as an online elections guide to races and initiatives in Washington state. The guide includes the endorsements and voting recommendations of many progressive organizations. Fuse's current partners include Washington Conservation Voters, Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, the Washington State Labor Council, The Stranger, UFCW Local 3000, and Unite Here.[8]
National expansion
editFuse worked with Progress Virginia to expand their guide to Virginia for the 2019 elections.[9] ProgressNow Colorado used Fuse's site to create a guide in 2020,[10] along with California, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin.[11] In 2022, Fuse added an eighth state, Arizona,[12] to their voters guide website.
Electoral edvocacy
edit2022 elections
editFuse Washington[13] and its affiliated federal Super PAC, Together for Progress,[14] and state PAC, Fuse Votes,[15] combined spent more than $1.5 million in the 2022 election. More than half of that spending was focused on the race in Washington's 3rd Congressional District and another 30% was focused on Washington's 8th Congressional District. Fuse ran ads in which they described Republicans Joe Kent and Matt Larkin as extreme and opposed to abortion.[16] Fuse's work in the 3rd district received more attention after Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez won her election by less than 1 percent. This was considered a significant upset in a district that had "relative absence of spending from national Democrats."[17]
2018 elections
editFuse attended a fundraiser for Cathy McMorris Rodgers and recorded comments by Republican Representative Devin Nunes that received widespread attention after being aired on The Rachel Maddow Show.[18] In his remarks, Nunes said that Republican leaders in the U.S. House had delayed impeaching then Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein because it would have delayed the Senate's confirmation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court.[19] Nunes also said that a Republican majority in Congress was necessary to protect President Donald Trump from investigations.[20]
2012 elections
edit1st Congressional District
editLess than a week before Election Day, Fuse released video footage in which Republican congressional candidate John Koster said he opposes abortion even in cases involving rape.[21] The video, taken by a Fuse activist at an Everett, Washington fundraiser for Koster,[citation needed] quickly attracted national and international attention.[22][23] Critics in the media likened Koster's comments to other controversial remarks on rape by Republican Senate candidates Todd Akin and Richard Mourdock.[23] Koster was defeated by Democratic opponent Suzan DelBene one week after the clip was posted. Koster conceded the comments may have affected the race's outcome in one of Washington's most competitive districts.[24]
2011 elections
editBellevue City Council
editFuse played a major role in an independent expenditure campaign to support pro-light rail candidates Claudia Balducci and John Stokes for City Council in Bellevue.[25] Fuse set up a political committee called Eastside Progress to coordinate a series of direct mail pieces with Washington Conservation Voters, the Cascade Bicycle Club, and the Bellevue firefighters, which spent approximately $30,000.[26] The independent expenditure campaign pit Fuse and its allies against Kemper Freeman and two other prominent Bellevue developers who contributed $69,000 to their political committee in support of Aaron Laing, Stokes' opponent.[27] Late in the campaign, Fuse organized a protest in Bellevue against what it called negative mail pieces against Balducci and Stokes.[28] The protest garnered a counter-protest by members of the group Build A Better Bellevue, which has opposed Sound Transit's light rail plans for Bellevue,[29] and the King County Republican Party.[30]
Balducci won re-election with more than 65% of the vote,[31] but the race between Stokes and Laing was very close. Stokes led after the initial count by only 51 votes out of 35,000 cast, which was a narrow enough margin to trigger a manual recount.[32] The hand recount confirmed Stokes' victory and increased his margin to 54 votes.[33]
Spokane Mayor
editShortly before the 2011 general election, Fuse's Spokane Organizer Tanya Rioridan[34] filed a complaint against Spokane mayoral challenger David Condon with the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission.[35] The complaint accused Condon of skirting campaign finance laws by funneling money through the Washington State Republican Party.[35] As reported by The Pacific Northwest Inlander, "Five donors to Condon's campaign — who had already given the maximum donation to him — gave an accumulated $25,000 to the state party over the course of three days in October, which the state GOP, in turn, handed right back to Condon, the citizens group says."[36] Despite the allegations, Condon went on to defeat incumbent Mary Verner win the Mayor's race by nearly 3,000 votes.[37]
2010 elections
edit34th District Legislative Election
editFuse was one of the first organizations to endorse Joe Fitzgibbon for the Washington House of Representatives in the 34th Legislative District.[38] It quickly became a contentious primary between four candidates in the Democratic-leaning district[39] and continued into the general election. Two labor unions and Fuse accused Fitzgibbon's general election opponent, Mike Heavey, of giving conflicting answers on candidate questionnaires.[40] These accusations devolved into a back-and-forth about Heavey's credibility and economic credentials several days before ballots were mailed.[41] Fitzgibbon went on to win the election with 56.5% of the vote.[42]
State Supreme Court
editFuse was an early opponent of State Supreme Court justices Richard B. Sanders and Jim Johnson[43] The organization was particularly active in trying to defeat Johnson,[44] who Fuse Executive Director Aaron Ostrom called an "ultraconservative legislator who is legislating from the bench."[45] Sanders was narrowly defeated by Bainbridge Island attorney and legal ethics specialist Charlie Wiggins,[43] while Johnson won his primary election and was unopposed in the general election.[46]
Campaign finance research
editLess than two weeks before Election Day, Fuse broke the news that Republican candidate for United States Senate Dino Rossi received $4.5 million in support from outside groups that did not disclose their donors, the most of any candidate in the country.[47][48][49] In the final days of the campaign, Rossi's total support from groups with undisclosed donors increased to nearly $7 million.[50] In addition, Fuse reported that Jaime Herrera Beutler received $934,599[51] in her successful race for Congress in Washington's 3rd congressional district.
Other activities
editSupport of the Affordable Care Act
editIn 2017, Fuse was active in [Protests against Donald Trump] in Washington state, with a focus on defending the Affordable Care Act. In February, They helped organize a protest outside the office of Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers[52] and a march with hundreds of attendees outside the office of Rep. Dave Reichert.[53] In addition, Fuse hosted a town hall with 800 attendees for Rep. McMorris Rodgers that she did not attend.[54] Over the summer, Fuse organized protest outside a fundraiser she held in Bellevue, Washington and outside a town hall event she hosted with limited seating.[55]
Opposing coal mining in King County
editIn 2014, Fuse obtained a letter from the Pacific Coast Coal Company to Black Diamond residents detailing plans to reopen the John Henry No. 1 Mine, which had been closed since the mid-1990s.[56] The organization claimed that more than 1,400 people had submitted comments through them in opposition to the mine. Fuse continued working against the project in 2017 when the federal regulator overseeing the mine found that it would have no significant impact on the environment, a finding which Fuse disagreed with [57]
Amazon and ALEC
editOn May 24, 2012, Fuse and fellow progressive organizations Color of Change, CREDO Mobile, People for the American Way, Progressive Change Campaign Committee, and SumofUs, delivered a petition with more than 500,000 signatures asking online-retailer Amazon.com to cut ties with the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).[58] At an Amazon shareholder meeting the same day, Amazon General Council Michelle Wilson announced Amazon would not renew its membership in ALEC[59] citing “public concerns.”[60] Fuse spokesperson Collin Jergens commended Amazon's decision saying, “We are happy Amazon.com has decided to sever ties with the shadowy corporate front that is ALEC: Legislators' job is to represent voters, not be guided by the interests of giant corporations."[61]
Opposition to Rodney Tom
editAfter Democratic State Senators Tim Sheldon and Rodney Tom announced in December 2012 that they would caucus with Senate Republicans in the upcoming legislative session,[62] Fuse launched King Tom Watch – a satirical website intended to lampoon Tom for his role in creating a Republican-led majority in the Washington Senate.[63] On January 31, 2013, Fuse members gathered outside the Washington State Capitol and presented Tom with a portrait depicting the majority leader as a monarch.[64]
Fuse publicly criticized Tom for supporting legislation to repeal the state's Family and Medical Leave Act [65] and co-sponsoring a bill to undercut the minimum wage by instituting a temporary "training wage" for new workers.[66] In an effort to attract attention to the “training wage,” Fuse organized a press conference during which House Democrats Mike Sells, Timm Ormsby, Sherry Appleton, and Laurie Jinkins introduced legislation to establish a “training wage” for freshmen legislators.[67][68]
Opposition to Rob McKenna
editFuse was an early opponent of Washington State Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Rob McKenna. Shortly after McKenna announced that he was participating in a lawsuit to overturn the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Fuse collected and delivered petitions from 36,000 people urging McKenna to drop the lawsuit.[69] Since then, Fuse has continued to criticize McKenna's participation in the lawsuit[70][71] because they believe his efforts would "allow big insurance companies to deny coverage to sick patients, increase the cost of prescriptions for seniors, and make it harder for small businesses to provide health care coverage for their workers.”[72] In an effort to stop McKenna's challenge, Fuse supported a lawsuit filed by Seattle lawyer Knoll Lowney that alleged McKenna's challenge to the Affordable Care Act was an unethical attack on women's health care options.[73][74]
In addition, Fuse prominently criticized McKenna's refusal to represent Commissioner of Public Lands Peter J. Goldmark in a lawsuit against the Okanogan County Public Utility District.[75][76] Fuse has also been cited as a source for opposition research about McKenna's campaign finance disclosures and fact-checking McKenna's public statements.[77][78]
Sizzle Fizzle Awards
editFuse's Sizzle and Fizzle awards are a humorous way to recognize the political figures that they think have done the best and worst job in the previous year.
2012 Awards
editIn 2012, Fuse awarded Attorney General and Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob McKenna a Fizzle award for his on-going effort to overturn the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Additional Fizzle awards were given to State Representative Mark Hargrove for comparing same-sex marriage to a person marrying bacon and Senator Don Benton “for putting the interests of Wall Street ahead of his constituents.” [79]
Fuse's 2012 Sizzle awards were given to State Representatives Hans Dunshee, Phyllis Gutierrez Kenney, Jamie Pedersen, and Luis Moscoso, State Senators Derek Kilmer, Frank Chopp, and Lisa Brown, and the Washington State Budget and Policy Center.[79][80]
2011 Awards
editIn 2011, Fuse gave a Fizzle award to Governor Christine Gregoire for "conceding the political landscape to Tim Eyman and conservative business interests", along with State Senator Jim Kastama and Bellevue City Councilmember Kevin Wallace.[81] Winners of its 2011 Sizzle awards included state Representative Laurie Jinkins of Tacoma for being a "vocal champion for legislation to fund K-3 education by finally ending tax breaks for Wall Street Banks," as well as Chris Reykdal of Tumwater.[82]
References
edit- ^ "[1]," Retrieved April 4, 2023.
- ^ Fuse. "About Fuse". Fusewashington.org. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ "Fuse Innovation". Fuse Innovation. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ a b "About Fuse". Fusewashington.org. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
- ^ Board of Directors. "About Fuse". Fusewashington.org. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
- ^ Evans, Will (2008-08-04). "Profile: Progress Now Action". NPR. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ "Campaigns | Fuse Washington".
- ^ "A Progressive Voters Guide " CBS Seattle". Seattle.cbslocal.com. 2011-11-07. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ "Comeback victories across Washington | Fuse Washington".
- ^ "ProgressNow Colorado rolls out extensive online voters guide as ballots go out | 2020-election | coloradopolitics.com". 9 October 2020.
- ^ "Colorado's most mysterious political donor surfaces, and who tops the list for campaign donations in 2020 | 2020-election | coloradopolitics.com".
- ^ "Arizona Progressive Voters Guide".
- ^ "Fuse Washington Outside Spending", OpenSecrets.org, Retrieved 2023-4-4
- ^ "Together For Progress Outside Spending", OpenSecrets.org, Retrieved 2023-4-4
- ^ "Fuse Votes - 2022", Public Disclosure Commissioner, Retrieved 2023-4-4
- ^ "Together for Progress - Protecting our Freedoms from MAGA Republicans".
- ^ David Gutman, (2022-11-15), "How did Marie Gluesenkamp Perez pull off the upset of the year in Southwest WA?", The Seattle Times, Retrieved 2023-4-4
- ^ "Secret tape exposes different GOP talking points with donors". MSNBC.
- ^ "Secret recording shows GOP's Nunes saying Rosenstein impeachment would delay Supreme Court pick". NBC News. 9 August 2018.
- ^ Isaac Stanley-Becker (2021-10-25) [2018-08-09]. "Devin Nunes, in secretly recorded tape, tells donors GOP majority is necessary to protect Trump: 'We're the only ones'". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. ISSN 0190-8286. OCLC 1330888409.[please check these dates]
- ^ Jonathan Kaminsky, "Republican candidate calls aborting rapist's child "more violence on woman's body"", Reuters, November 1, 2012
- ^ Kerry Howley, "You're Pro-Life, I'm Pro-Life, We're All Pro-Life", Slate, November 1, 2012
- ^ a b Jonathan Kaminsky, "John Koster, GOP House Candidate Who Spoke Of 'The Rape Thing', Conceding House Race", The Huffington Post, November 8, 2012
- ^ Emily Heffter, "DelBene beats Koster in race for U.S. HouseDems hold state's most competitive district" Archived 2014-01-10 at the Wayback Machine, The Seattle Times, November 6, 2012
- ^ Ervin, Keith. "Local News | Light-rail views drive Bellevue council races | Seattle Times Newspaper". Seattletimes.nwsource.com. Archived from the original on 2012-02-06. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ "Politics Northwest | Independent-expenditure battle in Bellevue council races | Seattle Times Newspaper". Seattletimes.nwsource.com. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ "Politics Northwest | Big money flows into Bellevue council race | Seattle Times Newspaper". Seattletimes.nwsource.com. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ "Protest groups face off over Bellevue campaigns". Bellevue Reporter. 2011-11-03. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ "Local News | Bellevue group trying to keep Sound Transit light-rail away from homes | Seattle Times Newspaper". Seattletimes.nwsource.com. 2010-07-09. Archived from the original on 2011-10-10. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ "New pol target: Interlopers from across the lake | Strange Bedfellows — Politics News - seattlepi.com". Blog.seattlepi.com. 2011-11-02. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ "2011 General Election Results - November 8, 2011 - King County Elections". Your.kingcounty.gov. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ Ervin, Keith. "Local News | Recount due in Bellevue's Stokes-Laing race | Seattle Times Newspaper". Seattletimes.nwsource.com. Archived from the original on 2012-07-27. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ "Recount: Stokes wins Bellevue City Council seat | Seattle Times Newspaper". Today.seattletimes.com. 2011-12-09. Archived from the original on 2012-01-12. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ "Staff". Fusewashington.org. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ a b Times. "Condon campaign donation scrutinized - Spokesman.com - Nov. 4, 2011". Spokesman.com. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ "Blogs - Condon alleged to have laundered money through state GOP". Inlander.com. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ "Spokane County Elections Results By Contest". Spokanecounty.org. Archived from the original on 2011-11-15. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ Josh Feit (2010-06-16). "Liberal Group Endorses Joe Fitzgibbon". PubliCola. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ Slodysko, Brian (2010-07-11). "Crowded 34th Dist. race has Democrats fighting each other". seattlepi.com. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ Sanders, Eli (2010-10-12). "Labor Leaders Accuse Heavey of "Pandering" on the Economy | Slog". Slog.thestranger.com. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ Chris Kissel (2010-10-13). "The Unions Strike Back: "We Would Have Enjoyed Meeting You During Our Endorsement Process."". PubliCola. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ "Results - King County Elections". Your.kingcounty.gov. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ a b "Progressive group: Dump Judges Johnson, Sanders | Strange Bedfellows — Politics News - seattlepi.com". Blog.seattlepi.com. 2010-06-16. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ Tiffany Vu (2010-07-28). "Video Paints Johnson as a Corporate Crony". PubliCola. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ Martin, Jonathan. "Local News | Sharp ideological contrasts in state Supreme Court race | Seattle Times Newspaper". Seattletimes.nwsource.com. Archived from the original on 2010-11-15. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ "November 2, 2010 General - Judicial". Vote.wa.gov. Archived from the original on 2011-06-16. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ Cartier, Curtis (2010-10-22). "Dino Rossi Leads the Nation in Secret Donations with $4.5M - Seattle News - The Daily Weekly". Blogs.seattleweekly.com. Archived from the original on 2010-10-26. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ "Group: Rossi getting most anonymous outside $ | Strange Bedfellows — Politics News - seattlepi.com". Blog.seattlepi.com. 2010-10-22. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ Josh Feit (2010-10-22). "Another $2 Million in Secret Cash Spent Against Murray". PubliCola. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ ""Rossi's No. 1 in "secret money," says progressive group" by Political Beat". The Columbian. 2010-10-29. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ 3rd District: Big spending by outsiders Tweet Share (2010-11-01). "3rd District: Big spending by outsiders | Strange Bedfellows — Politics News - seattlepi.com". Blog.seattlepi.com. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Demonstrators target Trump and defend health care law outside McMorris Rodgers' office | The Spokesman-Review".
- ^ "Hundreds protest at U.S. Rep. Reichert's office, demand town-hall meeting". 23 February 2017.
- ^ "800 pack Spokane town hall to address Cathy McMorris Rodgers' staff | The Spokesman-Review".
- ^ "Protesters voice concerns outside Cathy McMorris Rodgers' town hall". 11 August 2017.
- ^ "Activists oppose restart of coal mine in Black Diamond". 8 May 2014.
- ^ "Reviving Black Diamond's Coal Mine in Seattle's Green Shadow". 17 October 2017.
- ^ Joan McCarter, "Amazon Quits ALEC Citing 'Public Concerns'", The Daily Kos, May 24, 2012
- ^ Rebekah Wilce, "Amazon.com 16th Corporation to Dump ALEC", PR Watch, May 24, 2012
- ^ Joel Connelly, "Amazon cites 'public concerns,' quits right-wing legislative group", Seattle PI, May 24, 2012
- ^ The KPBJ, "Amazon.com decides to withdraw from ALEC", Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal, May 25, 2012
- ^ Rosenthal, Brian M. (December 10, 2012). "Democratic duo joins with GOP to shake up state Senate". The Seattle Times.
- ^ "King Tom Watch: About King Tom Watch". Archived from the original on 2013-04-11. Retrieved 2013-03-27.
- ^ Rosenthal, Brian M. (January 31, 2013). "Rodney Tom meets 'King Rodney Tom' portrait outside Capitol". The Seattle Times.
- ^ Joel Connelly, "Will state's Family Leave Act get axed?", Seattle PI, January 23, 2013
- ^ Joel Connelly, "High support for higher minimum wage: Even Republicans favor", Seattle PI, February 22, 2013
- ^ Chris West, "House Democrats offer up symbolic bill that creates ‘training wage’ for legislators" Archived 2013-03-07 at the Wayback Machine, The Capitol Record, March 5, 2013
- ^ Brad Shannon, "(Smirking) House Democrats to offer ‘training wage’ for new lawmakers" Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine, The Olympian, February 27, 2013
- ^ "Exit suit, McKenna urged - Old Top Story section - The Olympian - Olympia, Washington news, weather and sports". The Olympian. 2010-03-27. Archived from the original on 2012-09-12. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ "Justices hear challenges to McKenna's authority | Government / Politics". The News Tribune. Archived from the original on 2012-09-13. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ Brad Shannon: The Politics Blog (2011-03-10). "AG McKenna strikes back at critics on Obamacare - The Politics Blog - The Olympian - Olympia, Washington news, weather and sports". The Olympian. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ "Judge rules, McKenna applauds, Gregoire scolds | Strange Bedfellows — Politics News - seattlepi.com". Blog.seattlepi.com. 2011-01-31. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ Erik Smith, "Progressive Coalition Going All Out to Beat McKenna – Raises Nearly $1 Million for Independent Campaign in Governor's Race", Washington State Wire, May 15, 2012
- ^ Bryan Myrick, "McKenna Targeted in Legal Challenge of His Legal Challenge to Obamacare", NW Daily Marker, May 3, 2012
- ^ Sanders, Eli (2010-11-17). "Tomorrow at the State Supreme Court: Everyone vs. Rob McKenna | Slog". Slog.thestranger.com. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ Afternoon Jolt (2011-09-01). "Another Morning Jolt: McKenna Loses This One". PubliCola. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ "McKenna: Another $2 million man in gov race | Strange Bedfellows — Politics News - seattlepi.com". Blog.seattlepi.com. 2011-10-07. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ Morning Fizz (2012-01-06). "In David Letterman Order". PubliCola. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ a b "The 2012 Sizzle-Fizzle Awards - Fuse Washington". Archived from the original on 2012-10-06. Retrieved 2013-03-27.
- ^ Staff writer,"Monday Jolt: Renters and The Real Job Creators", Seattle Met, October 1, 2012
- ^ "Gov. Gregoire is a 'fizzle' – progressive group | Strange Bedfellows — Politics News - seattlepi.com". Blog.seattlepi.com. 2011-07-21. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- ^ Brad Shannon: The Politics Blog (2011-07-27). "Freshmen Reps. Jinkins, Reykdal cited for 2011 work - The Politics Blog - The Olympian - Olympia, Washington news, weather and sports". The Olympian. Retrieved 2012-01-22. [permanent dead link]