PAY 2 PLAY Blog

Karl Rove was served with a subpoena Sunday, Oct. 24th, 2010, as he arrived at CBS studios to appear on “Face the Nation.” The subpoena was to compel Rove to provide a deposition in a lawsuit that stems from the 2004 election in Ohio. Despite the fact that news crews from CBS and CNN taped Rove being served, neither have reported it or aired the footage. 

I sat down with the attorneys who issued the subpoena, Clifford Arnebeck and Bob Fitrakis, who explained how their suit reached this point and what Mr. Rove’s legal obligations are, considering his aversion to appearing under oath.

Read more »

Just a few minutes down the 5 and YOU can get the jump on the biggest craze that will be sweeping the country in November, but available only to a select few right NOW!

That’s one way to appeal to Angelenos–make something exclusive. But voting early in person is easy, fun, and a great peace of mind. And this year in California, there are a few important measures on the ballot that are worth knowing you’ve already voted on, with your bare hands.

I went down to the Los Angeles Country Clerk Register Recorder in Norwalk on Imperial Highway to vote on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

This slide show on Huffington Post of my adventure is a cautionary tale for those who might miss out on the awesomeness that is early voting.

by John Wellington Ennis

PAY 2 PLAY Blog

In the wake of recent revelations about foreign spending on U.S. elections, President Obama has called out the Chamber of Commerce for its anonymous donors toward campaign ads in a series of speeches over the weekend. Karl Rove has at once made uncharacteristically desperate efforts to deflect this from becoming an issue in the home stretch of the midterm elections. As Shakespeare observed in Hamlet, “Methinks the lady doth protest too much.”

When Obama took to the campaign trail for the long weekend last Thursday, the news had spread from Think Progress’ report on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce receiving money from foreign donors. Obama intoned to a crowd in Chicago“Right here in Illinois, in this Senate race, two groups funded and advised by Karl Rove have outspent the Democratic Party two-to-one in an attempt to beat Alexi — two-to-one. Funded and advised by Karl Rove.”

Karl Rove went to the last refuge of the scoundrel, Politico, and was quick to change the subject with a non-denial bringing up talking points about the stimulus and healthcare reform. Read more »

PAY 2 PLAY Blog

Ron Howard took to The Huffington Post to advocate that campaign ads be refined into simple clips of the candidates posing in front of a flag talking about the issues. This is a terribly reckless idea--for one, we may be exposed to what many candidates really think.

Read more »

We are throwing a party to help raise money for our Kickstarter campaign to complete our documentary PAY 2 PLAY. Will you join us?

It will be a great night for $25 a person, featuring delicious food from Earl’s Gourmet Grub with drinks, live comedy and excerpts from our film.  Read more »

In a Rockwell-ian retrospective softening Rahm Emmanuel today in in The New York Times, David Brooks relates his personal experiences of a kinder, gentler Rahm, one that does not cuss or bully others into submission, as Rahm is regularly described as, even by President Obama. That the only fond thoughts on Rahm’s departure are coming from a conservative Beltway columnist belies the inefficacy of Rahm as Chief of Staff under the first two years of Obama.

It is tempting to oversimplify Rahm’s impact on the Obama Administration as a short-sighted bully who may well have screwed what could have been a great presidency with his belligerence to cover up his lack of political acumen. So let me dispense with the platitudes and give in to temptation.

Where Karl Rove was “The Architect,” Rahm was more like the shady Chicago contractor you can’t get on the phone. I admonish Rahm because I am sick of bullies, especially ones that stand in the way of work getting done while they flail about abrasively. He chose to intimidate those around him and the base he could take for granted, avoided fights with those provoking a fight, and cut favorable deals for the ones he should have been fighting. Read more »

P2P Benefit Event!
Sat. Oct. 9th at 7:30pm
Yogis Anonymous 1221 2nd St.
3rd Street Promenade, Santa Monica
Tickets: $25 donation on Kickstarter
Donate in advance or at the door

Rick Overton & Brad Friedman headline night of comedy and documentary shorts!

Click here for more info: http://bit.ly/9kE5Kf

We are throwing a party to help raise money for our Kickstarter campaign to complete our documentary PAY 2 PLAY. Will you join us?

It will be a great night for $25 a person, featuring delicious food from Earl’s Gourmet Grub with drinks, live comedy and excerpts from our film.

With comedy great / firebrand RICK OVERTON! (The Informant!, LOST, Six Feet Under, Groundhogs Day)

JUST ADDED! An appearance and talk with BRAD FRIEDMAN, award-winning journalist of the invaluable election justice site The Brad Blog, to answer your questions about Citizens United, the plight of elections in 2010, and bedbugs.

“One of the squeakiest wheels on the subject of voting is Brad Friedman, of The Brad Blog”
- CNN Sr. National Editor David Schecter

Also, a special appearance by an Ohio legend, Rep. Richard Martin (R)! (Meet Rep. Martin below.)

We will also be screening clips from our film, explaining our P2P game, and rocking out.

Please join us this Saturday, October 9th at 7:30 pm for this casual, fun evening, which will be going toward getting our film done.

PLEASE share this invite with your friends!  Click here for more info: http://bit.ly/9kE5Kf

Thanks for all you do!

John Wellington Ennis
Director, PAY 2 PLAY Democracy’s High Stakes

This is a Voter Education PSA message from Rep. Richard Martin (R) of Ohio’s 19th District* about being prepared for Election Day, and what it has to do with the religious meaning of the Easter Bunny.

Rep. Martin (played by Paul Gilmartin of TBS’ Dinner and a Movie) will be making a special appearance at our PAY 2 PLAY benefit to set the record straight on the whole unlimited-anonymous-corporate-donations-Citizens United-thing that some people seem to still be complaining about for some reason.

PAY 2 PLAY Benefit!

Featuring Rick Overton, Paul Gilmartin, Film Clips, Food & Wine, More!

Saturday October 9 at 7:30 pm, Yogis Anonymous on 1221 2nd St off the Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica

See more of Rep. Martin’s “common-sense conservatism” at: www.AskARepublican.com

*While the 19th District was technically gerrymandered out of existence in Ohio’s last redistricting a decade or so ago, Rep. Martin has not stopped serving his constituents, as long as they keep donating to him.

This is the latest short from the campaign trail for my film PAY 2 PLAY.  You can read about this candidate Surya Yalamanchili (or “Chili”) and his Clean Money pledge here.  Please HELP US make this important film NOW on Kickstarter!

As the venerable Hip Hop DJ source Fat Beats LA closes its doors at the end of the week, a pageant of emcees have come through the store to perform and share their gratitude. While the Fat Beats label and site will live on, there is no “there” there in L.A. Hip Hop the same way. To commemorate this transitional era, I’ve tried to document as much of the festivities as I’m able and post them, check back for more. This week, the store’s last, the upcoming lineup looks to be extraordinary, a testament to the communal vibrancy Fat Beats has bred through its stores in New York, LA, Amsterdam, and round the world.

Chali 2na