Chop Wood, Carry Water 3/27

Hi, all, and happy Thursday.

There’s a lot going on—much of it appalling. We’ve had another abduction of a student protestor, the release of an insane and vile Kirsti Noem video, and, amazingly, no firings yet over Signalgate. There’s more, of course, but we don’t just recap the news, here—we DO something about it. So I’ll stop with that.

In one bit of truly delightful and encouraging news, however, Punchbowl just broke that Republicans are pulling Elise Stefanik’s nomination to be the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Why?

According to them:

The Trump administration has grown concerned about the tight GOP margin in the House. A special election in Florida next week for former Rep. Michael Waltz's (R-Fla.) seat is closer than expected, adding urgency to the matter.

WOW! They think we may win in Florida, folks! Do you realize how crazy that is? Our surprise flip in Pennsylvania on Tuesday—and Trump’s plunging approval numbers—are scaring them. AMAZING!

Let’s make sure we prove them right. The Florida “what-can-I-do?” doc is here! And don’t forget to come to the big Florida Dems call tonight. The speaker list is amazing! Let’s pull out all the stops and see if we can pull off a miracle there, while not, of course, neglecting the vitally important Wisconsin race (more on that below).

On another note, I had a good question from a subscriber yesterday and I want to address it here in case others have the same one.

She wrote:

I just called the office of Mike Rogers and talked to his staffer who cut me off saying "I think I have the script you are reading from" and she said she'd include me in the responses associated with that script. So, my question for you is, is that usual or should I start using my own words to make more impact?

Great question!

First, as I told this subscriber, she wasn’t the only one to get a salty response from that particular staffer. I did, too, and so did lots of other folks. It’s fine—the message still got through. As to the larger question, about sticking to a script and whether or not that takes away from the impact of our calls? Let’s dig in!

I give you scripts so you have something to follow if you need it when you call. Lots of people find calling their reps so intimidating that they need exact words to say when someone picks up or they’ll freeze. It’s the telephone version of stagefright, and it’s really common. For folks like that, reading directly from the script is great! For everyone else, I absolutely encourage you to make the script yours. Shorten it, lengthen it, riff off of it, or ignore it completely except as a general framework for which points to cover.

I almost always take scripts out for a “practice run” before I send them to you. That way I can be sure they’re actually easy to say. But sometimes —heck, maybe often—my words won’t feel organic to you. If that’s the case by all means don’t use them! And always consider adding something personal. Staffers are going to record your opinion either way, but if you include something like “my child will be directly affected by this policy because ____'“ or “I will be directly affected by cuts to ____ because ____” they may record those details, too, to pass along to their boss.

The short answer, then, is by all means use your own words if you can. It’s always ideal. But if you can’t, don’t feel guilty about just reading from the script. Even if they’ve heard it before they’ll still record the fact that you called about that issue and where you stand on it—provided, of course, that you give them your full name and address (or zip code for U.S. senators’ offices).

Remember, if you’re not a constituent they likely won’t record the call at all. We called Mike Rogers in his capacity as chair of a relevant committee, so hopefully in that case they listened. But typically if we can’t vote for a lawmaker they won’t care what we think. Sad, but true.

OK, all. Hope that was helpful for you. Don’t forget, there’s a link to my Chop Wood, Carry Water FAQs document pinned to the bottom of every newsletter. You’ll find answers there to many of your most common questions.

Now let’s get to work. After all, this country won’t save itself.

P.S. — There are two issues I consider pressing enough today that I’ve given you two sets of scripts. Each issue should be raised with all 3 lawmakers. If you have time to call each rep’s DC office with one script and their district office with the second one that would be ideal. If six calls is too many for you today then just pick the one script that feels more salient to you and call all 3 reps about it.

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

#1

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

I’m calling about the abduction by federal agents of Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish PHD student at Tufts University. DHS is saying that they picked her up because she "engaged in activities in support of Hamas." What activities? As far as anyone knows all she did is co-author an editorial. Is that no longer allowed? University campuses should be a place for the free and open exchange of ideas. The fact that someone can just be disappeared for voicing an idea the Trump administration disagrees with is absolutely horrifying. What is the Senator doing to help free her and to stop these assaults on free speech?

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

#2

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

I’m calling to ask the Senator to demand investigations into the Signal breach. Putting national defense information on Signal qualifies as gross negligence, which is a felony. This investigation can’t be done by the F.B.I. and D.O.J., since they have been politicized. We need an Independent Counsel. Crimes were committed; those who committed them need to be charged. Also has the Senator called for Hegseth and Waltz to resign? [If so say thanks. If not ask why and demand the answer in writing.]

Extra Credit ✅

In a letter obtained by Axios, Senate Democrats urged the Republican chairmen of the Senate's Armed Services, Foreign Relations and Intelligence committees to hold joint or separate hearings about Signalgate. Let’s back them up.

First let’s call Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), the top Republican on the Armed Services Committee, who has called for an expedited Defense Department inspector general probe into the matter, and thank him for this. (202) 224-6253 or (601) 965-4644 or (228) 871-7017.

We can simply say something like:

My name is ____ and I’m calling the Senator in his capacity as chair of the Armed Services Committee. I want to thank him for calling for an expedited inspector general probe into the Signal security breach. Please ask him to keep pushing for an independent investigation. Our men and women in uniform were and still are in grave danger. Laws were broken. Incompetence costs lives. It cannot stand. Thanks.

Let’s then call Senator Risch (R-Idaho), chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, at 202-224-2752 or 208-342-7985 and Senator Cotton (R-Arkansas) chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, at (202) 224-2353 or (501) 223-9081, and tell them we want them to call for the same.

We can simply say something like:

My name is ____ and I’m calling the Senator in his capacity as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee [Risch]/Senate Intelligence Committee [Cotton]. I’m calling to ask him to please follow Senator Wicker’s lead and call for an expedited inspector general probe into the Signal security breach. Gross incompetence and callous disregard for security protocols can not be ignored. Especially when these things endanger our men and women in uniform, about whom I know the Senator claims to care deeply. Please ask the Senator to call for an independent investigation now. Thanks.

Extra Credit for members of the legal community! 🧑🏽‍⚖️👨🏼‍⚖️

Democracy Forward and the Society for the Rule of Law Institute have joined a cross-ideological coalition of lawyers and legal organizations to write a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi urging her to reject political attacks on attorneys and law firms.

They plan to send this letter as soon as TOMORROW, Friday, March 28. If you’re a member of the legal community, they invite you to join the more than 2,200 professionals and organizations who are standing up for the rule of law and those sworn to protect it. Please consider sharing the letter with your networks and on social media so we can demonstrate the groundswell of support for the legal community.

Get Smart! 📚

The Media and Democracy Project invites you to a zoom screening of the documentary Stripped for Parts: American Journalism on the Brink on Saturday March 29, 8pm ET. It’s about local journalism and the vulture capital hedge fund Alden Capital. The film is not available for streaming elsewhere.

The showing will include an engaging conversation with director Rick Goldsmith, a Peabody award winner and Academy Award nominee. He’ll talk about actions you can take in support of local journalism and about the importance of local journalism in democracy.

Link to sign up is here.

Trailer:

Messaging! Messaging! Messaging! 📣

ASO and Fair Fight Action have pulled together some messaging guidance on Trump's terrible Executive Order on elections. Please check it out!

Here is DemCast’s social media toolkit on the same subject. Please jump in across ALL platforms!

BTW this is a fairly grounded take on the EO by some serious leaders in the election space. It’s bad, but a LOT of it will get stopped in the courts. Also remember EOs don’t have the force of law.

Give 💰!

American Oversight, a “nonpartisan, nonprofit watchdog that advances truth, accountability, and democracy by enforcing the public’s right to government records,” has filed a temporary restraining order against the Trump administration to prevent further deletion of crucial national security communications exchanged on Signal by senior officials. GOOD!

If you want to support their work you can do so here. Orgs like this are doing heavy lifting right now. They deserve our backing if we can give it.

Win Races! 🗳

Musk is throwing money everywhere in Wisconsin. He’s desperate, and he CANNOT succeed.

We need to help elect Susan Crawford to be Wisconsin's next Supreme Court Justice. The court currently has a 4-3 pro-democracy, pro-civil rights majority and electing Judge Susan Crawford will maintain that majority. Judge Crawford’s opposition is MAGA candidate, Brad Schimel. He supported the January 6th pardons, supports the 1849 complete abortion ban, and as Wisconsin's Attorney General, he spent millions of taxpayer dollars trying to take away health care by suing to overturn the Affordable Care Act. Elon Musk has invested over 10 Million dollars into this election, airing false, defamatory advertisements and attempting to sway the election. We must step up to help!

Here's what you can do:

Click this link to sign up for phone banking, door knocking and other events on Crawford’s website.

Indivisible events and phone banks for Susan Crawford are here

Grassroots Dems HQ phonebanks (including the one I’ll be at tomorrow) are here.

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

[To: all 3 reps] [H/T

Rogan's List

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

The clean energy tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act are being targeted in the current budget negotiations to cover the costs of the Trump-Musk tax scam. Your office needs to do what they can to protect them. What’s being proposed is a tax hike that would raise family energy bills. NERA Consulting has estimated that abandoning these tax cuts will force electricity prices almost 10% higher over the next four years. Energy Innovation predicts getting rid of them will kill 800,000 jobs. That’s a price I am not willing to pay for more giveaways to billionaires. Getting rid of the IRA tax credits is good for fossil fuel industry donors and takes money from the pockets of regular people. I am expecting you to oppose it.

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

Talk soon.

Jess