Chop Wood, Carry Water 10/21

You are not alone.

Someone spotted this at their local march. I thought we could all use the laugh.

Hi, all, and happy Tuesday!

Sigh. Yesterday was tough. Like many of you, I was heartbroken and furious to see what Trump’s construction crew did to the White House. Some of you may remember that I had the honor of attending President Biden’s final holiday party there last November. If I’m not mistaken I was inside the very part of the building that is now shorn of a wall. It’s sickening; I suspect that nearly all Americans agree.

We are watching our Chief Executive violate so much of what we hold dear. I’m not sure why I’m surprised that his destruction has reached to physical property—the People’s House, no less—but I must confess that the pictures of the construction caught me off guard. They felt like a gut punch.

Friends, it does us no good to pretend this is all OK. It’s not. It’s healthy to acknowledge that. What we can also do, however, is remind ourselves of the vast numbers of beautiful, feisty, patriotic Americans who showed up for No Kings this weekend—plus the many millions who wished they could be there but had other obligations—and imagine them standing on either side of us, literally propping us up. We are not alone. We are fighting a formidable opponent, but it is he and his cronies who are outnumbered—not us. It is they who will eventually be routed—not us. It is they who should worry about losing this battle—not us. In fact, our victory is inevitable. Not because tyrants always fall, but because we will make sure this one does so.

Trump will be brought to justice. So will his enablers. There will be an end to this.

How can I be so sure? Because I know who you are. More importantly, I know what we, together, are capable of.

So let us pick up our grief, our anger, our horror and anxiety, and shoulder them as we continue our trudge down the road of resistance. Remember, it isn’t our feelings that will determine the outcome of this fight. It’s our actions. So let’s make sure to take them.

Sending love, all. We are going to rebuild everything Trump destroys and make it more beautiful than it was before. From the ashes of his destruction we will cultivate something just and good. We have to.

So let’s get to it one more time.

Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲 and Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲

Hi, I’m a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.

First, I’m calling to urge the Senator/Congressmember to pressure Speaker Johnson to swear in duly elected Adelita Grijalva of Arizona to the House of Representatives. Johnson has sworn in other new members during pro forma sessions; his excuses are blatant lies to protect Trump from the release of the Epstein files. Americans are fed up. She needs to be sworn in now. [H/T]

I also want to express how sickened I am by Trump’s destruction of part of the White House. Once again, he’s violating norms—and maybe the law—and Congress isn’t stopping him. He shouldn’t be allowed to demolish part of this beautiful, beloved, historic building. He promised not to, then he did it anyway. When will it be enough for Congress to actually impeach and remove this guy?

Extra Credit ✅

From NPR on the ballroom:

Trump also said at last week’s event that the head of Carrier Global Corp., a leading manufacturer of heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, had offered to donate the air conditioning system for the ballroom.

Carrier confirmed to The Associated Press on Monday that it had done so. A cost estimate was not immediately available.

“Carrier is honored to provide the new iconic ballroom at the White House with a world-class, energy-efficient HVAC system, bringing comfort to distinguished guests and dignitaries in this historic setting for years to come,” the company said in an emailed statement.

Let’s contact CARRIER and tell them what we think of this partnership. I will also inform them that I will boycott all of their HVAC products until they rescind their offer to donate equipment to this horrific destruction of the White House.

Contact them here or at Carrier Corporate, 13995 Pasteur Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418

Customer Support 1-800-Carrier

[H/T subscriber Rebecca R.]

Get Smart! 📚

On Wednesday, October 22 at 7pm ET, join Kerry Kennedy, President of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, and Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) for a timely and powerful conversation moderated by Sam Stein of The Bulwark. The event is called Justice over ICE.

Together, they’ll tackle some of the most pressing issues facing our democracy today — from the urgent need to reform America’s immigration system and rein in ICE’s illegal overreach, to the human toll of detention abuses and unjust deportations.

The discussion will also expand beyond immigration to address the real-world fallout of the ongoing government shutdown and Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights ongoing advocacy and human rights work, as well as how advocates, lawmakers, and the courts can push back against Trump’s growing authoritarianism through legal and civic action.

Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from three leading voices on human rights, democracy, and accountability about how we can work together to protect vulnerable communities and defend our shared values.

RSVP here.

Give 💰!

Democrats must win back the U.S. House of Representatives in 2026!

Join SWING LEFT INLAND VALLEY for an in-person fundraiser on Sunday, October 26, 2:00 - 5:00 pm at The dA Center for the Arts in Pomona (40 miles east of LA).

100% of the ticket price of $40 per person will go to Swing Left’s 2026 HOUSE DEMOCRATIC DEFENSE FUND. They will also be selling raffle tickets, for fun prizes, to support the Pomona Economic Opportunity Center, working to advocate, assist, and protect the immigrant community.

For more info and to sign up to attend the event, click here.

If you are unable to attend this fundraising event, please consider making a contribution, whatever the amount. Here’s the link to donate.

Swing Left Inland Valley works to boost Democratic turnout by registering voters, canvassing in their local CA swing districts, phone/textbanking, and writing letters and postcards. They welcome volunteers from throughout the area and the country at large!

Grab Your Wallet!

T-Mobile is partnering with Elon Musk’s satellite company Starlink, funneling profits into Musk’s pockets through its T-Satellite program. Not only is T-Mobile siding with a billionaire CEO who supports far-right authoritarian governments around the world, they’ve also:

Ended their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) program to appease the Trump regime so the admin would fast track approval of two major acquisitions.

Lobbied for Trump’s disastrous budget bill that will strip 13 million Americans of healthcare to pay for tax cuts for the millionaire and billionaire class.

Engaged in vicious union busting to stop workers from forming a union.

As Trump sends the military into our cities and disappears people off the streets, T-Mobile’s capitulation is unacceptable. Corporate America must stand up against authoritarianism and far right extremists like Elon Musk and the Trump regime. If T-Mobile doesn’t commit to break up with Musk’s Starlink, drop Trump Mobile from their network, reinstate their DEI program, and stop union busting, I will cancel my contract on November 15, 2025 and move all of our phones to CREDO.

If you want to join me sign up here.

Win Races! 🗳

We’re officially two weeks away from Election Day, here’s what you can do right now to help turn out voters [H/T the Union]:

⚖️ PENNSYLVANIA — Keep the State Supreme Court Fair. Vote YES!

- Call Voters with Swing Blue Alliance & MA Flip PA: Mondays & Tuesdays, various shifts

- Text voters in PA and remind them to VOTE YES: Wednesday, October 22; 5:30pm - 7:30pm EDT

🌊 NEW JERSEY — Defend Mikie Sherrill & the 80 Assembly Seats + other Local Races up and down the ballot!

- Make calls to NJ voters: Weekends, multiple times available

- DIY Phone Bank on Your Own: Call voters between the hours of 11:00am - 8:00pm EDT, how convenient!

🗳️ VIRGINIA — Let’s Win the Trifecta! Elect Abigail Spanberger, Ghazala Hashmi, and flip the House of Delegates. MAGA is targeting the Lt. Governor’s race — a MAGA Lt. Gov would stall progress. And, keep an eye on these districts: HD-41, HD-59, HD-83, HD-98, HD-99, HD-100.

- Help Text Voters to Keep an Eye on the Attorney’s General Race: Mondays and Tuesdays, 7-8pm PDT

- Commit to Democracy for VA w/ Swing Blue Alliance! - Mondays & Wednesdays, various times

☀️CALIFORNIA — This is our opportunity to respond to MAGA’s cave-in in Texas and Missouri by voting YES!

You can join Activate America every Tuesday and Wednesday for their Yes on Prop 50 phone banks with Team Newsom.

- Zoom phone banks with our Partner Call 4 Change: Sundays, various times

--Vote Forward can use some help in writing letters to voters in California about Proposition 50. It’s easy and fun to do and it’s important to get out the vote! Go here to get started!

Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻

[To: your state legislators and Governor] [H/T

Coleman Rogers

] [Text SIGN PKFEPT to 50409, or to @Resistbot on Apple Messages, Messenger, Instagram, or Telegram]

(Note that for the most effective RESISTBOT it’s best to personalize this text. More about how to do this here. But if you’re short on time just send it as is using the above code.)

It’s time for our state to reclaim control over our democracy. In 2010, the Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. FEC decision opened the floodgates for unlimited corporate spending in elections. That ruling stripped ordinary citizens of equal voice in our political process — but it did not take away the state’s authority to define what powers corporations may have.

Montana’s “Transparent Elections Initiative,” known as the Montana Plan, offers a model worth following. By amending its state constitution and corporate charter laws, Montana is asserting that corporations — as artificial entities created by the state — should not have the power to spend money or anything of value to influence elections or ballot measures. This approach doesn’t depend on federal action or Supreme Court reversal; it uses state sovereignty to restore integrity to elections from the ground up.

Our legislature can do the same. States have always held the power to define the privileges and limits of corporate charters. We can—and must—use that authority to protect citizens’ voices from being drowned out by moneyed interests.

Please take steps to draft and introduce legislation modeled on Montana’s plan. Hold public hearings, invite expert testimony, and show that our state stands for fair elections and the principle that democracy is not for sale.

Thank you for your service and for defending the people’s voice in government.

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OK, you did it again! You’re helping to save democracy! You’re amazing.

Talk soon.

Jess