Reddit's TestPAC is campaigning to defeat Lamar Smith, SOPA's daddy

TestPAC, the PAC founded on Reddit to carry on the momentum from the SOPA fight earlier this year, is in the midst of its inaugural campaign: seeking to oust long-term Texas congressman Lamar Smith, who authored the bill and attempted to ram it through his committee without any substantive debate, after taking large campaign contributions from the entertainment industry through several election cycles. Now, TestPAC has "boots on the ground" in Smith's home district and the campaign is in full swing, and seeking your support:

As some of you are aware, for the last 3 months, TestPAC has been working tirelessly to put together a comprehensive campaign to increase awareness about Lamar Smith’s legislative irresponsibility with the ultimate goal of defeating him in the May 29th primary.

It’s amazing to see what we have accomplished in the last 3 months. We went from a handful of Redditors passionate in their opposition of SOPA to a membership base of over 1,200 subscribers, we have over 500 followers on Facebook, and almost 600 on Twitter. We have funded a billboard in Lamar’s backyard, produced a professionally done advertisement, and have been featured in some major media outlets like Mashable, Mother Jones, BoingBoing and TheNextWeb.

In addition to all of this, today we are proud to announce the launch of our field campaign.

Boots are on the ground, led by Andy Posterick, TestPAC’s Treasurer who drove 12 hours from Phoenix, AZ to Kerrville, TX to lead a group of 10 volunteers to assist with handing out fliers, putting up signs and interacting with the voters in Lamar’s district. We are stepping out from behind our keyboards and monitors and getting out into the streets. We are making it happen, and we are here in TX-21 every weekend for the next 3 weeks.

Lamar Smith knows TestPAC is knocking. Several reporters who wrote about us have contacted him and his staff for comment. They know we are out there working to send him home from Washington. Now it’s time that he sees us in his district, connecting with voters and working to send him packing.

We need Reddit's Help

We're holding a 5k moneybomb today, in order to double our TV exposure and help fund the ground campaign. Reddit, every day there are posts about SOPA, PCIP, or CISPA. TestPAC is turning those words into actions. Can you help us?

If you can donate, here is the link to do so. If not, please spread the word on Facebook & Twitter.

If Canadians were allowed to donate, I would donate. As it is, all I can do is ask you to kick in to support the campaign.

TestPAC has boots on the ground in Lamar Smith's district. Our field campaign has started. Our TV ad is ready to go. Reddit, let's do this thing. (self.politics)

• [EH]

  I wish I had $1000 to give you.

• [Crazdmadman]

  I hope they arent just some partisan  shills, that they also go after the democrats that supported it…

  But I doubt it.

  • [pocoTOTO]

    I’d rather someone go after the author of the bill, given the limits of time and resources and the way bills are debated in Congress.

  • [Boris Bartlog]

    Well, they’re taking him on in the primary, not the general election, so if you’re specifically worried that they’re Democrat partisans you’re barking up the wrong tree. I do find it curious that the article here doesn’t even mention the guy running *against* Lamar Smith: Sheriff Mack. Certainly anti-SOPA as all get out (and I think you can count on him to vote against CISPA as well, or any similar nonsense), and I find his states’ rights right-libertarianism appealing… but not everyone will.

• [imag]

  $50 chipped in.  Unfortunately, we have to pay for our freedom to be upheld.

  • [Guest]

    Cheaper than prior generations, and we’re not nearly started.

• [PJDK]

  Could BoingBoing, being a person, not donate? 

  • [Incipient Madness]

     Not sure. but I think Happy Mutants is a corporation, so it’s a person with full constitutional rights.

• [Pope Ratzo]

  Canadians can’t donate, but Canadian corporations don’t have any such problem.

  And I’ll bet Conrad Black managed to donate a boatload, too, but maybe not to the right people.

• [Guest]

  “And can you imagine fifty people a day? I said FIFTY people a day . . .
  walkin’ in, singin’ a bar of “Alice’s Restaurant” and walkin’ out? Friends, they may think it’s a MOVEMENT”

• [anharmyenone]

  $30 donated.

• [David Smith]

   Thank you for posting this, Cory.   I hadn’t read of it anywhere else.  Just donated…  Maybe I’m naive, but I hope this PAC has an impact way beyond the immediate Lamar race.  Ideally this will send a message to makes politicians stop and think, “You know, those little people we’ve been ignoring, they can actually organize and cause us some grief.” 

• [hughstimson]

  These guys have the right tactical ideas, now they just need to get some volunteer and funding traction.

  I’m also too Canadian to donate, but I hope they start picking up supporters in a big way this week, and have resources in place to make a difference 2 weeks from now.

  • [Conor Bronsdon]

    Thanks for the sentiment, we can always use more volunteers online over at reddit.com/r/testpac or on the ground in Texas. 

• [Kimmo]

  I wholeheartedly endorse this effort to kick some corrupt scumbag arse.

  Wishing TestPAC the very best of luck.

• [Bass]

  Would TestPAC be allowed to form before the Citizen’s United decision?

• [Teller]

  Love Reddit. Today it’s calling for a boycott of Papa John pizza because owner supports Romney. Awesome.