FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, September 5, 2008

CONTACT: Matt Wing

Change To Win Continues Nationwide Truth Campaign on John McCain

Online Video Series “Real McCain of Genius” Showcases Out-of-Touch McCain through Bud Light Parody

Truth Squad to Hit Six New Battleground States in One Month

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new campaign by the seven unions and six million members of Change to Win is challenging the anti-worker agenda championed by John McCain at the Republican National Convention.

Part of a multifaceted, multimedia effort launched in August, Change to Win is continuing the McCain Truth Squad tour, updating its new website, www.worsethanbush.org, and premiering “Real McCain of Genius,” the first in a two-part online video series. The videos highlight ways John McCain is out of touch with working Americans using a parody of the Bud Light ad, “Real Men of Genius.”

The Truth Squad of nine workers also continues its journey this week, launching its second leg in St. Paul, Minnesota with a response to the GOP Convention. The Squad is traveling through three states using direct action and creative events to educate union members on controversial McCain policies including his Bush inspired voting record, negligence on national flood disasters, and lack of support for America’s firefighters.

"The real McCain would be a real disaster for America's workers," said Anna Burger, Chair of Change to Win. "What we saw in St. Paul was not the change Americans need, but the nomination of a candidate who has voted with George W. Bush 90 percent of the time. After seven years of failed economic policies resulting in millions of lost jobs, lost homes and lost access to health care, working families have had enough. The Change to Win Truth Squad is traveling the country so America’s workers see that behind John McCain’s self-proclaimed maverick style lies a Washington insider running on an agenda for a third Bush term.”

The Change to Win Truth Squad is comprised of workers from Nevada, Illinois, and Tennessee, including waitresses, cashiers, dishwashers, homecare workers and government employees. The Squad will highlight McCain’s agenda through dramatic demonstrations such as:

• Revealing John McCain’s Biggest Secret: After extensively gathering intelligence at the Republican National Convention, the Truth Squad has discovered that despite aggressive efforts to disguise himself as a maverick, John McCain is a staple Bush Republican with a comprehensive anti-worker agenda. Truth Squad members dressed as spies are revealing this “Top Secret” information at a rally for St. Paul workers. The event features a union member who worked inside the convention and is reporting what he saw.
• Truth Squad Supports Al Franken: Truth Squad members have volunteered their own time to support the Al Franken campaign for Senate. Truth Squad workers will join a canvass for Franken in southern Minnesota and participate in a rally for Franken supporters. The event features speeches by Al Franken and a Change to Win worker highlighting the similarities between John McCain and Minnesota Republican Senator Norm Coleman.

The Squad’s mission is also spread online through www.worsethanbush.org. A main feature of the site is “Ask McCain” – videos of workers across the country telling their stories of what life has been like over the last seven years and asking John McCain questions about his record and agenda. In addition, www.worsethanbush.org is a hub for videos featuring candid and entertaining McCain moments, up-to-date news on McCain gaffes, and “Who Said It?,” an interactive game featuring prominent, and comic, McCain quotes.

The website hosts the online comedy video series “Real McCain of Genius.” The first video satirically highlights McCain’s “genius” for admitting he doesn’t know the number of houses he owns while millions of Americans are facing foreclosure on their only home. The videos are produced by Olde English, a New York-based comedy group formerly of Turner’s SuperDeluxe.com and featured monthly at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater.

The following is the schedule for the Truth Squad’s three tours:

On February 21, 2008, Change to Win endorsed Senator Barack Obama for president of the United States of America. The Change to Win political program is conducting a comprehensive mail, phone, and canvass effort in 13 battleground states: Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nevada, Colorado, Michigan, Indiana, North Carolina, and Virginia. Change to Win plans to send 10 million pieces of direct mail, make 20 million phone calls, and run a full-time, coordinated member-to-member canvass with 1,500 member organizers. Change to Win unions also plan to recruit over 50,000 volunteers for Election Day.