Chop Wood, Carry Water 11/29

Angelic troublemakers

Hi, all, and happy Wednesday.

This morning, while doing “couch time” with Mj before school, I read a terrific article about Bayard Rustin in the New Yorker. Rustin, of course, was a civil rights activist, intellectual, and organizer extraordinaire — he was the genius behind the March on Washington, organized protests in England and studied Ghandian principles in India. I won’t attempt to summarize Rustin’s biography, his breathtaking accomplishments, or the impact he had—read the article if you can access it!—but I will say that he’s my kind of guy. I love his fearlessness. I love his vision for justice. But most of all I love his approach, which was one of consensus-building, incrementalism, and practicality.

He once said: “When you enter the arena of politics, you’ve entered the arena of compromise.”

So true, and I think we often forget it. President Biden doesn’t, though. It’s something for which he gets much criticism, but which I think largely explains why he’s been able to get so much done.

Anyway. In a moment of extreme division, of “choose a side,” of furious purity tests, it’s heartening not only to read about someone like Rustin, but to learn that he’s having a proverbial “moment.” There are new books out about him, including “Bayard Rustin: A Legacy of Protest and Politics,” a musical, and a movie.

Could it be that the world is ready to hear more about compromise? About patient organizing? About playing the long game? About non-violence? One can only hope.

I’ll leave you with two Rustin quotes I love. The first is:

“The proof that one truly believes is in action.”

I couldn’t agree more. Action is the magic word. What we say from our armchairs—or our social media platforms—matters little. It’s what we do that changes the world.

And finally, this one:

“We need, in every community, a group of angelic troublemakers.”

That’s what I’ve found in all of you. Angelic troublemakers, indeed. I’m so proud to walk in your midst.

Speaking of which, let’s get to work.

P.S. My 10K match campaign for Movement Voter Project (not Movement Voter FUND, which I accidentally wrote yesterday) is still going! We’ve got three more days! THANK YOU to all who have given! I believe we will make it!

Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲

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

I’m calling to demand that the Senator publicly speak out against the so-called fiscal commission Mike Johnson is pushing for. Social Security and Medicare are popular and critical programs to our nation’s economic security. Any changes to them should be handled through regular order, not behind closed doors. Voters want to see Social Security EXPANDED, not cut! I’ll be watching this issue closely. Thanks. [H/T and more info]

Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲

Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.

First, please ask the Congressmember to vote yes on George Santos’s expulsion.

Second, I’m calling to demand that the Congressmember publicly speak out against the so-called fiscal commission Mike Johnson is pushing for. Social Security and Medicare are popular and critical programs to our nation’s economic security. Any changes to them should be handled through regular order, not behind closed doors. Voters want to see Social Security EXPANDED, not cut! I’ll be watching this issue closely. Thanks. [H/T and more info]

Extra Credit ✅

Since we’re reaching out to news organizations I thought it would be good to send a letter to Univision. I was told by a live chat agent on the website that the best way to contact them is by messaging them on social media. Weird, but fine. You can DM them on Facebook here and Instagram here. I won’t go on X so that one’s out for me.

Donald Trump is a fascist who wants to be a dictator. He tells us so, over and over. His desire to persecute immigrant communities, including millions of Latinos, is also well-documented.

Yet your news organization did an interview with him where you essentially sugar-coated his poison. You didn’t push back on his lies. You asked him softball questions. You didn’t allow a response from the Biden team. You essentially gave a would be authoritarian free commercial time and allowed him to gaslight your audience, who trust you to give them the truth.

Univision needs to take a bold stand against Trumpian fascism before your soft-pedaling of the threat puts your viewers in danger and causes your outlet to lose credibility. Thanks.

[Again, the letter was largely cribbed from this article, although I did edit it fairly exptensively.]

Get Smart! 📚

If you like reading polls I can’t recommend highly enough getting on Navigator’s mailing list. They send out one or two high-quality polls a week and I find them not only fascinating but really helpful in my messaging work—whether I’m talking to one person or 100,000.

Yesterday’s email, for example, was the last in a series of releases from Navigator’s latest battleground survey on how constituents are assessing the job performance of their member of Congress within three types of battleground districts: Trump-won Republican districts, Biden-won Republican districts, and marginal Democratic districts. The report also looks at public perceptions of the economy and the effects of rising costs on the personal finances of Americans in these different types of battleground districts. It’s fascinating!

If you like it SUBSCRIBE for Navigator updates HERE

Spread the Word! 📣

The White House is asking us to amplify the fact that Trump is now promising to come after the ACA. Here’s one of many articles about it. Please consider posting it with some or all of the below talking points.

• Donald Trump’s latest campaign promise is ripping away affordable health care access from millions of Americans.

• If reelected, he’ll go back to trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act and gut health care for the more than 40 million Americans that rely on the program.

• Trump was one vote away from gutting the ACA in his first term - and we should take him at his word that he’ll try to do it again.

• Trump is openly campaigning on a promise to: 

  • Raise premiums and health care costs;

  • Threaten health care for Americans with preexisting health conditions;

  • Slash protections from catastrophic medical bills;

  • And balloon waitlists for quality care for seniors and people with disabilities.

• Meanwhile, President Biden has used his time in office to lower costs and expand access to health care:

  • Bolstered the ACA to lower premiums, 

  • Made affordable health care more accessible, 

  • Capped the price of insulin at $35 for seniors. 

• The contrast is clear: while President Biden and Vice President Harris work to lower health care costs for families, Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans are hellbent on siding with insurance companies and making health care costs for hardworking Americans and seniors more expensive.

Give 💰!

On December 5th at 7:30 PM ET please join me and a bunch of my other amazing co-hosts at a fundraiser with Senator Raphael Warnock on behalf of GOTV in Mecklenburg County (Charlotte-Metro), NC and the North Carolina Democratic Party (NCDP).

This is a way to make a targeted investment in North Carolina that can have a BIG reward in 2024 and beyond. Rev. Warnock will be joined by Anderson Clayton, chair of the NCDP, and Drew Kromer, chair of the Mecklenburg Dems. It’s going to be an amazing event!! Can’t recommend highly enough.

If you can't come, any investment is meaningful. Really. We’re trying to raise 150K! Ack! Please give if you can! Thank you! And if you want to share this event with others the flyer is here.

Win Races! 🗳

NEAZ Native Democrats are changing the political landscape in Arizona with national implications:

* In 2020, Indigenous communities in Arizona had record-breaking turnout and helped elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and Mark Kelly.

* In 2022, voters in sovereign lands saw the only voter turnout increase in Arizona over 2018 and helped elect Senator Mark Kelly, Governor Katie Hobbs, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and Attorney General Kris Mayes.

The stakes are just as high in 2024. Indigenous voters in Arizona are critical to retaining the White House and growing the Senate majority, plus county-wide elections will impact who gets to vote and how they vote in their communities.

Here are two events where you can learn more: 

* Tuesday, December 5 at 5:00 PM: Learn about the incredible successes NEAZ Native Democrats have had and meet some of the Native Democrats field organizers who are on the ground every day at this virtual event. Register here.

* Wednesday, December 6 at 6:00 PM: Attend a virtual joint postcarding event with members of SL SGV and SL Maricopa County. Register here. 

Chop Wood, Save the Planet 🔥

Feel guilty because you don’t have an EV? Don’t worry! Even with an ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) car you can take action to improve efficiency [H/T the Cool Down]:

• Don’t idle: Think it’s better to keep your car idling than to turn it off when you’re not moving? That’s actually not true. It costs you gas, damages your engine, and pollutes the air around you.

• Use AC wisely: When it’s hot outside, use the air circulation button to keep your car from pulling in polluted outdoor air that the AC needs to cool. It’ll save you money on gas, too.

• Plan ahead: Google Maps now offers the option of selecting the most fuel-efficient route to your destination. Take it — it’s free money!

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

[to all 3 reps] [Text SIGN POUBSW to Resistbot at 50409 or via Apple Messages / WHATSAPP / MESSENGER] [H/T and more info]

[Yes, we did this as a call, but it’s so important that I’m doing it as a Resistbot letter too.]

I’m a constituent, and I’m writing to demand that you publicly speak out against the so-called fiscal commission. The White House has rightly called such a commission a “death panel for Medicare and Social Security.”

Social Security and Medicare are popular and vital programs to our nation’s economic security. Any changes to those programs should be handled through regular order, not behind closed doors. Voters want to see Social Security EXPANDED, not cut! I’ll be watching your actions closely on this. Thanks.

---

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

Talk soon.

Jess