Chop Wood, Carry Water 4/9
Save the Forest Service! / Learn how to stop mass detention centers! / STOP FISA CLEAN REAUTHORIZATION! / No more money for war / Impeach and remove / Drill down on Virginia please! / And more!
Hi, all, and happy Thursday.
Hope you’re hanging in there. What a week. Good grief.
Let’s start with the good news. Tuesday was a terrible day in lots of ways, but it also happened to be a remarkable election day for us. We not only won the Wisconsin Supreme Court race by twenty points (!!) and guaranteed a liberal majority there for at least the next ten years, but we over-performed in the GA-14 Congressional race by 25 points! Wow! Even though we didn’t flip Marjorie Taylor Green’s seat—something that was always more or less an impossibility—our efforts to get out the vote for Shawn Harris still mattered; that massive swing is making headlines and likely terrifying Republicans everywhere!
We had a bunch more wins on Tuesday—I’ll have them all in Extra! Extra! on Sunday—and as far as I know Republicans had absolutely no victories to crow about at all, aside from, yes, winning a seat in the reddest district in Georgia that they were basically guaranteed to win. We are clearly the ones with the electoral winds at our backs, and those winds are only picking up speed and gaining strength; by November, at this rate, they’ll be gale force. That’s good news. I know things are excruciating right now, but let’s try to hold on to the fact that the midterms are coming, and when they do they’re going to be a rout.
So congratulations and thanks to everyone who wrote postcards, sent texts, knocked doors, or made phone calls for any of these races. Your efforts mattered so very much, and it’s important to keep them up. The next big election is in Virginia on the 21st, and after phonebanking for it yesterday I’m frankly a little concerned. There is a ton of confusion out there, due to an huge amount of misleading campaign advertising (I made a video about it here.) It’s critical that we all join the GOTV efforts for Vote Yes if we can—this ballot measure could be the difference between our flipping the House in November or dealing with two more years of unmitigated hell!
And please, if you have friends or family in VA, let them know they need to vote yes and get everyone they know to do the same. Polling is way too close on this one. We need to ramp up our actions!
Now let’s talk about the ceasefire agreement Trump supposedly reached with Iran on Tuesday (Jay Kuo has a great piece here about why that’s likely not the way it actually played out). It’s good that Trump used the pretense of a new agreement to opt out of genocide, of course, but the agreement itself, such as it is, is a disaster. The absolutely brutal, murderous Iranian regime is still in power, Iran still has its nuclear material, it retains thousands of missiles and drones, along with its proxy network, and it remains in control of the Strait of Hormuz—which, by the way, is still closed.
As National Security Action posted this morning:
If the Iranian regime survives, maintains a dangerous arsenal of missiles and drones, keeps its highly enriched uranium, and now effectively operates a multibillion-dollar toll booth in the Strait of Hormuz – how can we view this war as anything but a complete and utter failure?
Iran’s autocratic regime is intact and emboldened – now likely dominated by even more hardline elements. Rather than toppling the regime or pushing for democratic change, Trump has proven to its leaders that they can withstand a war with the United States.
A nuclear Iran is more likely than ever. The war has likely strengthened the argument among Iranian hardliners that nuclear weapons are necessary to ensure the regime’s survival.
Trump’s claim that Iran’s military capabilities have been “destroyed” is wishful thinking at best. Iran retains thousands of dangerous missiles and drones and, over time, there is little doubt that the regime will seek to fully rebuild its military capabilities.
It’s a mess. Meanwhile, Israel spent yesterday massacring civilians in Lebanon—especially disturbing when you consider that we helped pay for it. And House Republicans just blocked another War Powers Resolution this morning.
It’s a very, very bad situation. While we should see all of this for the grim reality that it is, however, we mustn’t let ourselves succumb to despair. That, after all, is exactly what Trump, Stephen Miller, and Pete Hegseth want.
We must keep fighting. The stakes are too high, the victims too numerous, and the rule of law too important. While everything seems rotten—and it is—Trump is growing weaker by the day. In fact new polling released yesterday by Free Speech for People shows that 84% of Democratic Voters, 55% of Independents, and 20% of Republicans now support impeaching Trump for violating Americans’ constitutional rights. Wild!
So have hope. We’re in the worst part, folks. It may stay bad for a while, but we are going to prevail.
Now enough talk. Let’s get to work. The below scripts are a little long but there is SO MUCH important to call about. Do what you can, thanks!
P.S. — Hope to see some of you at the First In Line webinar later today! It’s going to be great!
Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I’m a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
First of all, I want the Senator to Vote NO on FISA reauthorization unless Congress closes the data broker loophole and bans no-warrant surveillance. This is really important to me; I’m watching this vote closely.
Second, I understand that Trump has ordered the dismantling of the US Forest Service and I’m furious about it. Congress needs to stop this. I am tired of this administration destroying natural resources and gutting funding meant to protect wild spaces.
Finally, I want a war powers resolution passed NOW, and am really angry that House Republicans just blocked another one. I also 100% oppose one penny more being spent on this war. I am furious about the bombardment of Lebanon yesterday, furious about how badly Trump has botched this whole illegal enterprise, and furious that our money is going to slaughtering innocent people. It has to stop. Thanks.
Last question: How much damage does one man have to do before Congress impeaches and removes him? For God’s sake get him out!
Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I’m a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
First of all, I want the Senator to Vote NO on FISA reauthorization unless Congress closes the data broker loophole and bans no-warrant surveillance. This is really important to me; I’m watching this vote closely.
Second, I understand that Trump has ordered the dismantling of the US Forest Service and I’m furious about it. Congress needs to stop this. I am tired of this administration destroying natural resources and gutting funding meant to protect wild spaces.
Finally, I want a war powers resolution passed NOW, and am really angry that House Republicans just blocked another one. I also 100% oppose one penny more being spent on this war. I am furious about the bombardment of Lebanon yesterday, furious about how badly Trump has botched this whole illegal enterprise, and furious that our money is going to slaughtering innocent people. It has to stop. Thanks.
Last question: How much damage does one man have to do before Congress impeaches and removes him? For God’s sake get him out!
Extra Credit ✅
Trump just ordered the most devastating dismantling of the US Forest Service in 121 years. Many outdoor brands that built their entire business on public lands haven't said a word. It's time to change that.
This SaveUSFS.org website is INCREDIBLE and makes it super easy to reach out to the brands who haven’t yet spoken up. Please check it out!
Get Smart! 📚
The Trump administration is converting warehouses across the country into mass detention facilities — and communities are already fighting back. Join Indivisible, Detention Watch Network, Disappeared in America, and other partners on April 14th for a one-hour national training call where you will learn the tactics and strategies to host actions in defense of immigrants in your community.
This call is for everyone, including if you live near an existing or proposed site. On this call, you will:
-Hear directly from organizers at a frontline site fight about what they’re planning.
-Get an overview and resources so you can host a safe, effective event in your community.
-Register your actions live on Mobilize, with step-by-step support.
There’s a role for everyone, whether you’re in a community with a proposed warehouse facility or not.
Win Races! 🗳
From Network NOVA:
Now through April 21 - Vote YES VA Phone Banks Galore! Celebrity Phone Banks. Every night someone new! Each Zoom phone bank starts with a special guest host to get us inspired and energized to make calls a half hour later. Training for newcomers and ongoing support will be available during every phone bank. If you’ve never used a dialer before, consider watching this video ahead of time.
List of guest hosts and sign up at this link. You may even see me there! (:
Chop Wood, Save the Planet 🔥
Red, Wine, and Blue presents: What You Need to Know: AI Data Centers in Your Community
Thursday, April 9, 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM ET
AI data centers are expanding rapidly across the country. While promising jobs and innovation, these data centers often move into cities with little public input. What do these massive facilities actually mean for your community?
Join RWB to hear from the experts at AI Now to learn what AI data centers are, why they’re spreading so quickly, and the real environmental and financial impacts they can have locally. We’ll also share proven strategies communities are using to demand transparency, hold decision-makers accountable, and push back effectively. Whether a proposal is already on the table or still flying under the radar, you’ll leave ready to protect your community and take action before decisions are made for you.
Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻
[To: all 3 reps] [H/T Coleman Rogers ] [Text SIGN PJWTYC 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.)
Donald Trump’s Easter Sunday threats against Iran should alarm every member of Congress, regardless of party.
In public statements and social media posts, he threatened to destroy Iranian power plants and bridges, used profane and taunting language, and then suggested that if no deal were reached, very little would be off limits. This is not a question of style, and it is not about whether one agrees with his broader foreign policy. It is about whether a president who speaks this way about war, civilian infrastructure, and mass destruction can be trusted with the powers of the office.
A president must show judgment, restraint, and the ability to distinguish between lawful military objectives and reckless threats against civilians. Trump’s words showed the opposite. Publicly threatening civilian infrastructure is not strength. It is evidence of dangerous instability and a profound disregard for the obligations of the office.
OK, you did it again! You’re helping to save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk soon.
Jess
Good work, Jess!🗽🗽🗽👏👏👏
YOU are the amazing one, Jess. I don't know how you can work up the energy for this every single day.