Chop Wood, Carry Water 5/23
The hits just keep on coming.
Hi, all, and happy Thursday,
This newsletter is late today—sorry. I’m behind, because I felt it necessary to make a video about the newest Alito scandal before I started writing this morning, and it took longer than I would have wished. (I’ve got actions on that below as well, by the way.)
On the subject of video content, Substack is really pushing to be the next TikTok, and while I very much doubt that that will happen, I do wonder if there’s an appetite for a “video channel” here—one on which I post the same content I’m putting up on TikTok and other platforms. I would create a separate list, because I know lots of you would definitely NOT want that (and I don’t blame you!) Let me know in the comments or by responding to this email if video content is of interest to any of you.
One more thing: I made two factual errors in yesterday’s post: first, I stated that Joe Biden had just been sworn in to office when his wife and daughter died. In fact, he had not yet been sworn in. That happened after the accident, in his son Beau’s hospital room.
Second, I said that only one of Trump’s sons had come to court to sit behind him, and only one time. Apparently I was wrong: both of his eldest sons have come, and more than once, but only after the press began highlighting the family’s absence.
I apologize for not fact-checking my words more carefully. Thanks to those of you who did!
OK, let’s get to work!
Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
I’m horrified by the newest revelations about Justice Alito. He can no longer pretend the pro-insurrection flag he was flying at his house was a fluke, because there was a second flag—one that represents Christian Nationalism and the January 6 insurrection—and it was flying at his New Jersey home as recently as 2023. It was flying precisely when the Supreme Court was weighing whether or not to take Trump’s immunity case. The whole thing stinks. Alito needs to resign. If he refuses then he needs to be impeached. And we need to pass S 359, the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act of 2023. Americans have had it with this rogue court and so have I. Thanks.
Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
I’m horrified by the newest revelations about Justice Alito. He can no longer pretend the pro-insurrection flag he was flying at his house was a fluke, because there was a second flag—one that represents Christian Nationalism and the January 6 insurrection—and it was flying at his New Jersey home as recently as 2023. It was flying precisely when the Supreme Court was weighing whether or not to take Trump’s immunity case. The whole thing stinks. Alito needs to resign. If he refuses then he needs to be impeached. And we need to pass H.R 926, the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act of 2023. Americans have had it with this rogue court and so have I. Thanks.
Extra Credit ✅
Let’s call Dick Durbin again. I know he’s useless, but we have to try. Use any of these numbers: (202) 224-2152 or (312) 353-4952 or (618) 351-1122 or (217) 492-4062 or (309) 786-5173.
Say something like:
I’m calling Senator Durbin in his capacity as chair of the Senate Judiciary Comittee. I’m fed up with the corrupt Supreme Court and frankly I’m also fed up by the Senate’s unwillingness to do anything about it. I want Senator Durbin to take action. Justice Alito is thumbing his nose at us because he assumes nothing will be done about the latest revelations of his clear bias and extremism. Senator Durbin, it is up to you to show him he’s wrong.
Please open an investigation into Justice Alito and his ability, or lack thereof, to be impartial in all cases arising from the 2020 election. Also, call for him to resign. Doing nothing is not an option. Thanks.
Get Smart! 📚
What is the most important issue to you when deciding who to vote for in the 2024 election?
Join Galvanize US for a special behind-the-scenes conversation between Executive Director Jackie Payne and Chief Strategy Officer Kristin Wheeler as they analyze findings from their latest research—including moderate white women’s response to the above question—and share their strategy for moving this audience.
Behind the Scenes: The Strategy Conversation with Galvanize Executive Director Jackie Payne and Chief Strategy Officer Kristin Wheeler
May 30, 10:00 a.m. PT / 1:00 p.m. ET (1-hour webinar)
Spread the Word! 📣
The folks at
have put out a new video about the Biden Administration’s antitrust work. I’m glad they did, because this work is really, really popular when people hear about it, but they rarely do. I’m working on the White House comms folks to get them to focus on it more, but in the meantime please take the time to watch and share this video!Give 💰!
On Tuesday, May 28, 7:30 pm ET All in For North Carolina is having a fundraiser you won’t want to miss…because the keynote speaker is Heather Cox Richardson!
Additional Speakers are:
Rep. Robert Reives (Democratic Leader, North Carolina House of Representatives) and Daniel Squadron (Co-Founder & Executive Director, The States Project). It’s going to be excellent.
A donation of any amount will enable you to attend this event.
Upon donating, you will be directed to Mobilize, where you must register in order to attend.
Win Races! 🗳
SwipeBlue is announcing a paid opportunity for young people to encourage their friends and family to check their voter registrations. By using the SwipeBlue app, a new relational organizing app that allows you to contact your social network, young people everywhere can get paid to encourage their friends and family to check their voter registration.
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Young people can sign up today: www.swipeblue.org/train
Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻
[To: all 3 reps] [H/T] [Text SIGN POCTUM to Resistbot at 50409 or via Apple Messages / WHATSAPP / MESSENGER]
Thanks to the infusion of funding provided by the Inflation Reduction Act, the IRS was able to collect $160 million from millionaire tax cheats, notify Microsoft that it owes $29 billion in taxes, and announce the audits of 60 giant corporations that together make more than $500 billion in profits each year.
Research shows that for every $1 spent on making sure that wealthy tax cheats pay what they owe, we see, on average, a $22 return.
Yet some Republicans are trying to cut the IRS’s new funding. I find this outrageous. With our debt being what it is, why would we take away one of the best ways we’ve got of reducing it?
Also, paying taxes is a civic duty and ensures a healthy democracy. Most ordinary Americans pay the taxes we owe every year. Why should the ultra-wealthy be any different?
I urge you to reject funding cuts to the IRS. Thanks.
OK, you did it again! You helped save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk soon.
Jess
Made my three calls and noticed my Representative (Katherine Clark) had posted the following statement on her website today. "Justice Alito has displayed flags at his homes that support insurrection against our government, promote religious nationalism, and attack free and fair elections. This is not just another example of extremism that has overtaken conservatism. This is a threat to the rule of law and a serious breach of ethics, integrity, and Justice Alito’s oath of office. At minimum, he must recuse himself from any cases involving January 6th, Donald Trump, and the security of our elections. Anything less will tarnish our judicial system and democracy." I couldn't find comparable statements from my senators.
Regarding Biden’s fuller life story - I’d encourage anyone who can listen to the full interview Biden did with Howard Stern to do so, there’s all of the stories he shared in the Morehouse speech and so much more (details about how he met his first wife are like straight out of a rom com and SO sweet). I think (and hope) the full interview will be posted eventually for people who don’t have a Sirius subscription - and waiting 'til closer to the election is probably a good thing b/c look at what a difference it made for this undecided voter who called in (and he is not alone):
“I was really torn about who I was going to vote for - to the point I was gonna vote for [someone random] - but this completely changed [my mind] … like he’s a true American … it was really something … like I was torn and I think a lot of people are just going to sway in [Biden's] direction [after hearing this interview] b/c the media is nothing but people tearing him down and making him out to be some feeble minded old man who doesn’t know what he’s doing and that kinda was my opinion prior, but to get to see and hear how coherent he was, it was just like a couple guys sitting around a grill, having a couple beers ... I just think it was f-ing awesome”
– Steve (a Howard Stern Caller after listening to the Biden interview)