Something Recent... 'Hillary Clinton Faces a More Liberal Democratic Fund-Raising Landscape' - NYT

[freshwest]

18. She was invited to speak at EMILY's list in March of this year:

"When I look at this room, I see leaders," Clinton said, adding that it was time for Emily's list supporters to redouble their efforts to get more women elected to political leadership roles...

Clinton also used the speech to highlight the careers of other Democratic women, including retiring Maryland Senator Barbara Mikluski and former Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords.

EMILY's Listis an American political action committee (PAC) that aims to help elect pro-choice Democratic female candidates to office. It was founded by Ellen Malcolm in 1985.[4] According to the Washington Examiner, EMILY's List is "the nation's most influential pro-choice political action committee."[5]

The name EMILY's List is an acronym for "Early Money Is Like Yeast" (i.e., it raises dough).[4] The saying is a reference to a convention of political fundraising: that receiving lots of donations early in a race is helpful in attracting subsequent donors.

EMILY’s List bundles contributions to the campaigns of pro-choice Democratic women running in targeted races.[6][7]

From 1985 through the 2008 election, EMILY's List had raised and spent $240 million for political candidates.[1] EMILY's List spent $27.4 million in 2010, $34 million in 2012, and $44.9 million in 2014.[3]

EMILY's List was founded in 1985, when 25 women met in the home of Ellen Malcolm. Founding members included Barbara Boxer, Ann Richards, Anne Wexler, and Donna Shalala.[7] In 1986, early financial support from EMILY's List helped elect Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, the first female Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate in her own right.[1][8]

The group's mission is to cultivate a donor network to raise money for pro-choice female Democratic candidates. To become an official EMILY's List member, an individual must pay $100 to join EMILY's List, and agree to donate a minimum of $100 each to two U.S. Senate, U.S. House, or gubernatorial candidates. Members make their donations directly to EMILY's List, which bundles the checks together and forwards them to candidates.[9]

For the 2006 election cycle, EMILY's List raised about $46 million for candidates in the 2006 contests and the group was listed as the biggest PAC in the nation by Political Money Line.[10] EMILY's List endorsed 31 candidates in 2006, eight of whom were victorious.[7]

In 2008, EMILY's List endorsed 22 U.S. House candidates, two U.S. Senate candidates, and three gubernatorial contenders.[7] The PAC helped elect two new female senators, Kay Hagan of North Carolina and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, and supported the gubernatorial election of Bev Perdue of North Carolina, the re-election of Gov. Christine Gregoire of Washington, and the successful elections of twelve new women to the United States House of Representatives...[8]

During the 2008 Democratic presidential primaries, when NARAL endorsed Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton, EMILY's List was strongly critical. EMILY's List President Ellen Malcolm said, “I think it is tremendously disrespectful to Sen. Clinton - who held up the nomination of a FDA commissioner in order to force approval of Plan B and who spoke so eloquently during the Supreme Court nomination about the importance of protecting Roe vs. Wade - to not give her the courtesy to finish the final three weeks of the primary process. It certainly must be disconcerting for elected leaders who stand up for reproductive rights and expect the choice community will stand with them.”[15]

After the conclusion of the Democratic presidential primary, EMILY's List moved their support to Barack Obama and was vocal in their opposition to the McCain/Palin ticket.[16]

In 2012, 80% of the candidates endorsed by EMILY's List in the general election were victorious.[17]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMILY%27s_List

Main criticism of the group appears to be that their narrow focus on reproductive rights.

Since having agency over one's own body is tantamount to implementing the other interests quoted at the link some think are more, or as important, as abortion rights, they are wrong.

Obama has proven to be the most women friendly POTUS in my lifetime and this is a big focus for me as a pragmatic position.

If you are being denied choice over such a basic thing as family planning, everything in one's economic life may fall apart. If you are not going to be able to plan your personal life, your financial and and social situation is in jeopardy.

No amount of money, except the kind of money that the very wealthy possess, that most poor and middle class do not possess, in order to escape Orwellian laws dictating their most intimate and life changing choice, will make a difference.

Equality under the law in this area is something half the people in the world are not impacted by as women are. To claim otherwise is disingenuous and to lecture women on this is obnoxious.

EMILY's List is dedicated to getting Democrats into office and will give a worker for the rest of the issues.

Go to the official EMILY's list site for a rousing explanation of their vision and mission. I found it impressive and inspirational:

http://www.emilyslist.org/pages/entry/our-mission