Chop Wood, Carry Water 1/13 ✅

Hi, all, and happy Friday!

Two things happened this morning to change my mood.

First, I opened the Washington Post to this headline:

FUROR OVER DOCUMENTS CREATES UNEXPECTED POLITICAL PERIL FOR BIDEN

Agh! I immediately felt myself become angry, frustrated, and anxious. The exaggeration of Biden’s “wrongdoings” —especially when compared to the relative downplaying of Trump’s —is enough to make any sane person despair.

But then, upon opening my email, I stumbled upon some new Navigator polling. And my mood quickly swung in the opposite direction.

Here are the takeaways:

·   Views of Kevin McCarthy have declined since November among both independents and Republicans. Most Americans also disapprove of how Republicans in Congress are handling their jobs and are hearing more negative information on them this week than previously recorded in Navigator tracking.

·   After a prolonged Speaker election, sizable majorities believe Republicans are focused on consolidating their power and fighting amongst themselves rather than serving the public.

·   The least popular tested potential Republican actions are ending the guarantee of Social Security/Medicare, banning books, preventing Medicare from negotiating drug prices, and making it easier to overturn election results.

·   Investigating the Biden administration and family is not a priority for most Americans, who are more likely to describe Republican investigations as “political stunts” than serious efforts to uncover wrongdoing.

The second report is about the economy, the IRS and wealthy tax cheats. Here are the takeaways from that report:

Key takeaways

·   Support for the Inflation Reduction Act remains strong, with overwhelming and bipartisan majorities supporting the insulin price cap for seniors on Medicare.

·   Public support jumps significantly for recent IRS funding when framed as “cracking down on wealthy tax cheats.”

·   Republican elected officials who oppose raising the debt ceiling are best described as putting Americans’ livelihoods at risk and only seeking political gains.

Ah! What a sigh of relief! Americans aren’t as benighted as we feared! Despite Republicans’ (and the media’s) attempts to focus our attention on ginned-up scandals, voters can clearly see what their game is. And they don’t like it one bit.

What do they like? Especially when explained in ways they can understand? Democrats’ policies! And the bills Biden has signed into law!

Our job, then? To relentlessly remind voters of a) Republicans’ disarray, venality, and determination to make life harder for average Americans, and b) Biden’s stunning accomplishments. We must harp on these two themes everywhere, all the time. Every one of us must be a walking Fox News of Democratic achievements.

The “Spread the Word” section of this newsletter, in short, may turn out to be the one most critical to our success in the next two years. Use it, please!

Look. It’s easy get distracted by the blaring GOP/media machine, but it’s a habit we must break. Stick to the facts. Stay in the day. Remember what’s important.

This “scandal” will pass.

The public’s desire for real leadership will not.

Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲

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

I read today that the Treasury Department will begin taking “extraordinary measures” next week to prevent the U.S. government from breaching the debt ceiling and triggering a default. I am very, very worried that Republicans’ will try to use this crisis to force cuts to Social Security and Medicare. This would be disastrous. Defaulting on our debt would be equally bad, causing irreparable harm to the U.S. economy, the livelihoods of all Americans, and global financial stability. Congress needs to raise the debt ceiling. Period. No high-stakes shenanigans, no taking our economy hostage, and no cuts to Social Security and Medicare.

[If GOP add:] If Republicans try any of that we will vote every one of them out in 2024.

[If Dem add:] Democrats need to hold strong. Don’t negotiate with Republican terrorists. We need a clean debt ceiling increase and we need it soon. Thanks.

Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲

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

I read today that the Treasury Department will begin taking “extraordinary measures” next week to prevent the U.S. government from breaching the debt ceiling and triggering a default. I am very, very worried that Republicans’ will try to use this crisis to force cuts to Social Security and Medicare. This would be disastrous. Defaulting on our debt would be equally bad, causing irreparable harm to the U.S. economy, the livelihoods of all Americans, and global financial stability. Congress needs to raise the debt ceiling. Period. No high-stakes shenanigans, no taking our economy hostage, and no cuts to Social Security and Medicare.

[If GOP add:] If Republicans try any of that we will vote every one of them out in 2024.

[If Dem add:] Democrats need to hold strong. Don’t negotiate with Republican terrorists. We need a clean debt ceiling increase and we need it soon. Thanks.

Extra Credit ✅

From George Takei via

The Status Kuo

:

George Santos said yesterday “If 142 people ask me to resign, I’ll resign.” (He later clarified that he meant 142,000.) Let’s hit him with tens of thousands of requests demanding he do just that. Add your name here.

Extra Credit for New York State Residents! 🗽

This is so important I had to add it. Even if you don’t live in NY, please forward this to folks you know who do.

New York is about to get a new Chief Judge. For the next 14 years, this judge will lead the Court of Appeals—New York’s highest court—and the entire state court system. 

Infuriatingly, Gov. Hochul has nominated Justice Hector LaSalle, a justice with a deeply conservative judicial record, which includes decisions that are anti-abortion, anti-union, and anti-due process. These decisions make clear that his judicial philosophy is wrong for New York, and that, if confirmed as Chief Judge, he would continue former Chief Judge DiFiore’s right-wing Court of Appeals.

Please use this easy tool to first email, then call your senator and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins to reject Justice LaSalle’s nomination and demand a new nominee who will protect the rights of workers, tenants, women, incarcerated people, and all New Yorkers.

Get Smart! 📚

NDN and Future Majority are holding a live discussion with the leaders of 4 important recent entrants in the pro-democracy, center-left media landscape on Wednesday, January 18th at noon ET.  Simon Rosenberg of NDN will moderate the discussion, and Mark Riddle of Future Majority will provide closing remarks. The leaders and their groups are:

• Ben Meiselas, The MeidasTouch

• Tara McGowan, Courier Newsroom

• Joe Trippi, Resolute Square

• David Rothkopf, DSR Network

These four digital entrepreneurs will talk about their projects and vision and offer their insights about the vital work ahead.

You can watch the event live on the MeidasTouch YouTube channel or the Resolute Square website. 

Spread the Word! 📣

Want to help amplify the DNC’s message online every day? Join the DNC’s Greenfly to start receiving daily content updates and access to social media resources. Click here to download the app and use code: DEMSTALKERS at signup.

The DNC will provide almost daily posts that you can easily share to your social media platform of choice, as well as “anytime” graphics. It’s easy and fun to participate, and I’ve found I get quite a lot of engagement on the things I post for them.

Win Races! 🗳

With a critically important Supreme Court election coming down the pike, WisDems is launching their 2023 Voter Protection program on Thursday January 19th, at 6pm CT on Zoom. They’ll be joined by WisDems Chair Ben Wikler to talk through their plan to flip the court and explain why Voter Protection work is once again at the forefront of our fight for democracy in Wisconsin. 

Join them (and invite your friends!): sign up here for their virtual Kickoff on January 19!

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

[to all 3 reps and POTUS] [Full polling roundup here] [Quick send: text SIGN PWZOXI to 50409]

I wanted to share some polling I just read from the Environmental Polling Consortium. It says:

Polls released this week confirm that voters want more congressional action to help combat climate change. Data for Progress finds that more than three in five voters say it’s important for Congress to address the issue, while CBS News and YouGov find that just over seven in ten Americans want their own representative in Congress to support efforts to fight climate change.

Here’s more relevant new data:

• 71% of Americans want their representative in Congress to support efforts to fight climate change [CBS News + YouGov]

• 67% of Americans who report that their area has experienced more extreme weather in recent years say that the experience has made them more concerned about climate change [CBS News + YouGov]

• 62% of voters agree that climate change presents a threat to Americans’ health [Data for Progress]

• 60% of voters agree that climate change is a “crisis” [Data for Progress]

• 60% of voters recognize that the frequency of natural disasters has increased in recent years [Data for Progress]

• 57% of voters say that a commitment to tackling climate change is “very” or “somewhat” important in determining their support for a presidential candidate [Data for Progress]

• More Americans name climate change and the environment as the single “most important issue” to them than any other issue aside from inflation/prices, health care, and the economy/jobs [The Economist + YouGov]

I hope you will read these statistics and act accordingly. Climate change is an existential threat, and most Americans know it. We want our representatives to do more, do it faster, and make NO more concessions to the oil and gas industry! Our children’s futures depend on it. Thanks.

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

Talk soon.

Jess