Freedomworks is at it again -- now with a clever online petition campaign. The site, Angry Renter, unveiled today, is a space for concerned renters to sign on to protest government bailouts on foreclosed mortgages.

This time, the folks at Freedomworks include a clever video that outlines the organization's argument.

Perhaps Freedomworks can encourage renters to submit their own videos.

You can also show your support at the facebook page.

The folks at FreedomWorks.org have launched a micro-site to help drive its campaign to reform earmarks -- www.earmarkpledge.com.

From their About section:

FreedomWorks is continuing its fight to stop the irresponsible and wasteful process known as “earmarking” by creating a simple, personal pledge for federal lawmakers. The pledge gives signers an opportunity to go on the record against the broken earmark process.

All current Members of Congress as well as all serious contenders running for the U.S. House, Senate, as well as the Presidency will be asked to sign the following statement:

“Earmarking,” the practice by which members of Congress divert taxpayer funding to special projects outside of the normal competitive and merit-based review process, has grown out of control and is open to waste and abuse.

THEREFORE, I, __________________________, in my capacity as ________________________ (congressman/senator/president), do hereby pledge that I will personally support spending reform in Congress by refusing to seek, support, or enact earmarks during the appropriations process for fiscal year 2009.”

I asked the folks at FreedomWorks about the micro-site and got two responses worth sharing in this space.

* Dick Armey, Chairman, FreedomWorks: "We plan to use the internet to make it public who has signed our pledge and who refuses to do so. Our members will be able to focus their energy on calling those that haven't signed the pledge. Our website will allow us to put much-needed pressure on some of these folks, and we will have a record if they decide to drink backsliders wine on the issue in the future."

* Brendan Steinhauser, Director of Campaigns, FreedomWorks.org: "FreedomWorks seeks to empower grassroots citizens in the states to download our pledge, take it to district offices and ask their Congressmen to sign it. We are pursuing an inside and outside the beltway campaign to make it clear that the American people are tired of out-of-control spending. The Internet will allow us to efficiently coordinate this campaign across the country."

Nicely done FreedomWorks. Keep fighting the good fight.

Rep. Jeff Flake wasn't appointed to the Appropriations Committee, but Freedomworks came out on top in the organization's bid to appoint him.

Brendan Steinhauser and Rob Jordan spoke this morning during a candidate training session about how Freedomworks was able to maximize results and identify support using online petitions during the campaign. Brendan's Bottom Line: Online petitions, when combined with offline activism, have the potential to identify supporters, motivate leaders and spread a conservative message virally.

For any campaign one of two outcomes is ideal: Win your campaign or build your membership.

To me, building organizational membership early is crucial for grassroots activists who wish to run for office in the future. Petition signers, in the long run, become a candidate's voters, donors and most treasured volunteers.

Kudos to Brendan and Rob for innovative thinking and an excellent presentation this morning. Up next is Patrick Ruffini's take on how candidates can use all aspects of new media to advance a cause or message.

I look forward to continuing this discussion at the Leadership Institute's Internet Activist Schools in March. Training of this magnitude is helping conservatives learn how to get ahead online and the movement is in debt to the speakers who volunteer their time to make this training possible.