Chop Wood, Carry Water 5/30
"We're all going to die" is NOT a governing strategy
Hi, all, and happy Friday!
We did it again! Another week under our belts! You should all feel really proud of yourselves. This work is not easy—quite the contrary—but you haven’t given up. Instead you’re organizing, fighting, and inviting others into the fight with you. That’s amazing! In the face of Trump’s Taco’s out and out fascism it’s a big deal. So give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back.
I went and got my Covid booster yesterday—yes, we can still do that, thank God— so I’m feeling pretty woozy today. Because of that I’m going to keep this intro short and ask for your patience with any typos. I’m finding it a bit difficult to focus, to be honest.
Shortly after I sent this email yesterday an appeals court temporarily stayed the reversal of some of Trump’s tariffs. This was faster than we expected, but not terribly surprising. Robert Hubbell explains why quite well here. There will be much more back and forth with this; the uncertainty, sadly, will wreak havoc on our already suffering economy. This is bad for all of us, but it will, perhaps, wake more voters up to the ineptitude with with Taco is approaching our trade policy. Remember, the lower his approval ratings go, the better it is for us.
Finally, a few housekeeping bits:
Someone in the comments yesterday asked me to repost the Indivisible-branded doc on “Breaking the Fourth Wall,” or initiating political conversations with strangers. It’s here. It really is good.
Someone else in the comments complained about the tone of some of my Resistbot letters, saying that yesterday’s, in particular, was too “mean” to send to Democratic lawmakers. She made a fair point, but I would also like to remind you that I include instructions below for personalizing your Resistbot letters—and I really encourage you to do so! If you do so you will not be able to use the quick-send code, true, but you will be able to tailor the language to make it feel more like you. Remember, whether we’re calling or writing, it’s ALWAYS better to personalize a script when possible. This email goes out to almost 150,000 people every day. I simply can’t write language that will feel organic to everyone, although I do try. Having said that, this reader was right that threats to “vote you all out” are best left out of my Resistbot letters; I will do so going forward.
A couple of events, etc., to promote: I’ve got a TikTok Live at 4PM PT /7PM ET today and a Substack Live coming up on Monday at 4PM PT / 7PM ET (You can add it to your calendar by clicking here). And for anyone who likes podcasts I offer you this week’s episode of the Practivist Pod—on YouTube or Apple podcasts. In it, Steve and I talk about Trump’s pardons, his attacks on education, and how we can help protect the judiciary. Steve also interviews Laura Packard, the founder of Health Care Voices and the host of “Care Talk.” It’s a great conversation!
OK, all. I hope you’ve planned some R & R for this weekend, but if you attend a Tesla Takedown or other protest please send me pictures!
Thanks for all you’re doing, and don’t forget that, as Albert Einstein said, “in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity." This is really, really tough, but from all of this suffering can come—if we work for it and don’t give up—a more just America, a better government, and a new way forward that lifts us all up, instead of grinding us all down.
It’s important to have a vision, and that is mine. I hope it’s yours, too.
If so, let’s get to work!
Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
I understand that the GENIUS Act is coming up for another vote in the next week or so. I want to make sure the Senator votes no. This bill will enable Trump’s continuing and horrific corruption and self-dealing; until it is rewritten to prevent that the Senator must not support it.
Also, I absolutely and completely oppose Republicans’ deficit exploding, healthcare-killing, court defanging bill. The Senator should vote no and push his/her colleagues to as well.
[If GOP add:] Shame on House Republicans for passing this bill. Any Republican Senator who supports it will be voted out. We will make a point of it. Thanks.
Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
I’m calling because I’m horrified by Trump’s corruption, including his meme coin dinner, his accepting of the Qatari jet, his multiple pardons of convicted criminals who are also donors, and so much more. How is any of this OK? We can all see that Trump is abusing his power to punish critics and reward allies. He is also profiting personally from government decisions. He’s literally abusing his office every day while simultaneously destroying the economy and cutting services Americans desperately need. It’s immoral and unconscionable. I expect the Congressmember to make fighting Trump’s corruption—and government corruption in general—a top priority. Thanks.
Extra Credit ✅
Let’s use Indivisible’s letter-writing tool to tell our senators to take a stand against the “No Contempt Clause” in the “Big BS Bill.” It takes two seconds and they really need to hear from EVERYONE about this.
Get Smart! 📚
Women Forward invites you to join their national letters to the editor project to raise your voice against the Trump administration.
Register for their LTE webinar on June 11 from 4:30 - 5:30 PM ET / 1:30 - 2:30 PM PT.
Agenda Highlights:
Review the Women Forward Letters to the Editor toolkit.
Strategize what topics you want to write about and are most passionate about.
Think about taking your efforts to the next level; form or join a local writing group and, if you’re a writing pro, mentor other letter writers.
Writing and sharing content and opinions is connected to our fundamental right to free speech. Women Forward hopes you’ll exercise this right and kick off your letter-writing efforts. If you know others who might be interested, forward this email to them and share the registration link on social media.
Messaging! Messaging! Messaging! 📣
This week, across social platforms, thousands of Americans are jumping online to shine a spotlight on Republican attempts to defund public schools and push for privatization.
If you’re able, please hop on social media and post from DemCast’s #HandsOffPublicSchools toolkit! It’s so easy, and this is so important!
Get in the Streets! 🪧
By now you’ve heard the news: Elon Musk quit DOGE. This is a major win. Everyone who’s joined a #TeslaTakedown protest helped make this happen.
But this is just the first round of a long fight.
Elon is still deeply tied to the Trump regime, still fueling conspiracies and fascist rhetoric, and still using his immense wealth to warp government policy and buy elections around the globe.
We must shut down the money machine enabling him—and that means keeping the pressure on Tesla.
Let’s make June 28 an unforgettable show of our collective strength and a recommitment to the long fight still ahead.
Win Races! 🗳
Write Postcards to voters for the Nov. 4 Elections with Postcards to Swing States!
Sign up to write postcards to rally Democrats to vote in the November 4 elections in Virginia, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Here's how it works:
1) They mail you the postcards for free, along with voter lists and instructions with proven message options. Allow up to 3-4 weeks for orders of 100-300; orders of 500 or or more usually take 1-2 weeks.
2) You handwrite one of their short message options—YOU HAVE TO USE THEIR MESSAGES EXACTLY—and hand address the voter's address.
3) You provide postcard stamps (currently $0.56) and mail the postcards on the October date indicated on your instructions.
Their postcards are proven to boost Democratic turnout by up to 1.3%! Please note: minimum order is 100 postcards.
Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻
[To: all 3 reps] [H/T Coleman Rogers] [Text SIGN PQKXLU 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.)
Climate change and extreme weather events pose grave threats to human lives, property, and the economy. Cutting funding for weather and climate research cripples our ability to predict severe storms, heatwaves, droughts, and other dangerous conditions. This reckless decision jeopardizes public safety and hampers efforts to understand and mitigate the disastrous impacts of global warming.
The United States has been a pioneer in meteorology and climate science, developing sophisticated computer models and an extensive observational network that provides vital data. This "quiet revolution" has saved countless lives through accurate forecasting, giving ample warning to communities in the path of hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards and other hazards. It has also deepened scientific knowledge of atmospheric physics and the consequences of rising greenhouse gas emissions.
The Trump regime's slashing of budgets for the National Weather Service, NASA, NOAA, NSF, EPA, USGS and Department of Energy undermines this hard-won expertise at a time when it's needed most. The accelerating climate crisis is fueling more frequent and intense heatwaves, wildfires, floods and storms that put millions at risk. Improved predictive capabilities are essential to enhancing preparedness and resilience.
Climate denial is not an excuse for willful ignorance and jeopardizing public welfare. I demand Congress immediately restore full funding for vital weather and climate research programs. Investing in science protects American lives, livelihoods and national security interests imperiled by global warming's mounting toll. Neglecting this obligation is dereliction of duty. The stakes are too high to compromise on this issue.
OK, you did it again! You’re helping to save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk soon.
Jess
I’ve recently begun personalizing the resistbot letters you share. It helps me to read those letters entirely so I understand what I want to stress to my senators and representative, and I make them a little bit more concise. And resistbot is very forgiving when I mess up the directions. But the originals are very useful for my own knowledge. Thank you.
“a more just America, a better government, and a new way forward that lifts us all up, instead of grinding us all down” 💖