Chop Wood, Carry Water 6/21

Hi, all, and happy Tuesday!

I’m glued to the hearings, so pardon any typos in advance. My GOD are they wild, by the way. Damning, damning stuff. Rusty Bowers—whose politics I abhor, mind you— is a truly spectacular, credible, and compelling witness.

If you’re not watching, please do when you can. This may be the best, most convincing, most devastating hearing yet.

In short, it’s a big day in an already momentous week. The hearings continue to expose rot at the heart of the Trump GOP. Threats of extremist MAGA violence are increasing by the day. And—as if all of that isn’t enough—the Supreme Court will likely hand down devastating rulings on abortion, climate and guns any minute now. This morning they handed down a ruling weakening the separation of church and state.

These are truly the times that try men’s (and women’s, and everyone else’s) souls.

How do we stay upbeat at such a time? How do we not despair? How do we not succumb to paralysis, cynicism, and inertia?

There’s no quick answer to this question—but the main answer, for me, at least, is the one I’ve given a million times before: it’s staying in action.

The more I do the less I get mired in fear.

The more I do the less I succumb to despair.

The more I do the more power flows into me.

The more I do the more calm replaces anxiety.

The answer to living in times that try the soul—for me, at least— is in doing.

In action we express hope in a tangible way, and, in so doing, start to feel that hope in earnest.

In action we rise.

In action we win.

So let’s take action together one more time.

Call Your Senators (find yours here)

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

First, I want the Senator to vote yes on the bipartisan gun bill the Senate is currently working on. I know some Republicans are arguing against the Red Flag Law provisions—please don’t let them take them out. We need Extreme Risk Protection laws nationwide! While school security and mental health funding is great, those things alone—as we’re seeing in the Uvalde investigation—cannot prevent shootings or stop them once they’ve begun. Red Flag laws can. This matters. Thanks.

Also? I’d like the Senator to co-sponsor and pass the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act of 2022 (S. 4188) to require a code of ethics for Supreme Court justices. Thanks. [H/T]

Call Your House Rep (find yours here)

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

I’m really, really concerned about the corruption we’re seeing in the Supreme Court. Please ask the Representative to co-sponsor the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act of 2022 (H.R. 7647) to require a code of ethics for Supreme Court justices, and also HR 2584 the Judiciary Act, to rebalance the Supreme Court. Thanks.

Extra Credit ✅

Judd Legum is out with a new piece describing how Pepsi sponsored the recent, awful Texas GOP convention (if you don’t know what happened there read this.) Let’s send them an email through their contact form. I said (feel free to write your own, or copy this but personalize):

I'm incredibly disappointed that PepsiCo sponsored the Texas GOP's convention this weekend. Is your leadership aware that at that event the Texas GOP delegates voted to approve a platform that declares that homosexuality is an "abnormal lifestyle choice?" And that the Voting Rights Act should be repealed? And that Joe Biden didn't actually win the election?

You can claim you didn't know they would do this, but you did know that they've already backed bills to ban abortion in Texas, and to bully and harass trans kids. By sponsoring their convention you tacitly express support for these positions. Shame on you. I'll be drinking Coke from now on.

Get Smart AND Win Races! 📚

I’ve got an opportunity for you to both hear from our incredible North Carolina Senate candidate AND learn more about the NC postcarding campaign so many of you just signed up for!

Join Postcards to Swing States’s midterm update to get fired up by a special message from Cheri Beasley, the Democratic Senate nominee in North Carolina. PtSS is sending 1.5 million postcards to voters in North Carolina to make sure Beasley and Democrats statewide win elections on Nov. 8th.

The midterm update is Wednesday, June 22 at 8pm ET (via Zoom). They'll discuss how they know postcards work and how they use data to refine what messages are most effective at increasing Democratic turnout. They'll also highlight their other innovative voter contact programs at Progressive Turnout Project.

You should come! I’ll be there! Sign up here.

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

[to all 3 reps] [H/T] [Quick send: text SIGN POESST to 50409]

I’m writing to ask you to support the American Innovation and Choice Online Act, to stop dominant tech companies from abusing their gatekeeper status.

I’d also like you to support the Open Apps Market Act, which would end Google and Apple’s chokehold on mobile applications, giving people more control over their own devices.

These bills would give Internet users more control over the products and services they use and create a better Internet that preserves our democracy. Thank you.

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

Talk tomorrow.

Jess