Just Say Nano

By Seth Stern, Congressional Quarterly Weekly
December 30, 2005

It’s a tall order to make Supreme Court confirmation protests rock. But a student group opposed to the nomination of Samuel A. Alito Jr. has hit upon a promotion for one lucky protester to enhance his individual rocking capabilities. Campus Progress, an offshoot of the liberal advocacy group the Center for American Progress, will reward the most creative anti-Alito protest slogan with a free iPod Nano.

Contestants must submit uploaded photos of themselves holding up a brief written message explaining their opposition to the nominee. The group posts the photos on the Web site it operates jointly with the American Progress Action Fund, www.alitosamerica.org.

The promotion is meant to lend an aura of rebellious glamour to grass-roots advocacy, says Campus Progress staffer Pedro de la Torre III. “Students can get involved a little more than what they’ve done for ages, protesting and signing petitions,” he says. “This adds a little sense of fun and puts a little bit of a face on students trying to express their opinions.”

De la Torre says an early favorite among Web surfers is Ohio Democratic Senate candidate Paul Hackett, whose picture features him holding a hand-written sign reading, “ADVISE + Consent” and, below it, “Privacy Rights Matter.” Campus Progress will make the final decision. But the group also wants everyone to be a winner. The first 500 submitters will receive a beverage cooler emblazoned with the “Alito’s America” logo. The kids call them “koozies.”

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