Chop Wood, Carry Water 7/1
Easy does it. But do it.
Hi, all, and happy Monday.
It’s also July 1, which means Steve Bannon goes to prison today. It’s not much, but it brings a bit of a lift in a moment when everything else feels...less than ideal.
The Supreme Court’s ruling this morning was, of course, catastrophic. Trump has, more or less, been given the powers of a king. All presidents have, really, but Trump is the only candidate I know of who would abuse that power horribly given the chance. If we needed the stakes of this election clarified any more—which I doubt any of us did—this decision should make things really, really clear. As I said on TikTok just now, it’s a five-alarm fire. Break the glass. SOS.
We’re not, of course, powerless to do anything about it. The road to court reform is steep, poorly paved, and long, but it’s a road that would, should we take it, lead to an accountable, term-limited, rebalanced court as surely as I’m sitting here typing.
We’re also fully capable of electing a Democratic trifecta so that whatever harm Trump would do with this ruling in a second term is prevented. It is absolutely possible, and imperative that we do so.
Again: We. Can. Solve. This.
But not in one day.
It’s been a tough week, my friends. It’s certainly getting to me— I woke up under the weather this morning—although fortunately, I’m COVID negative. The stress of this situation is real, its impact absolutely undeniable.
So today, please, remember to breathe. Remember to eat. Remember to take time off. We can’t and won’t solve all of our problems right this second.
There are, of course, small things we can do, though.
When your friends and family send you panicked texts tell them to sign up with United For Democracy and the Brennan Center so that they can participate directly in helping to fix our courts. Ask them to donate to Joe Biden’s campaign. If they have spare cash ask them to also give to some of the other great organizations working to get the vote out and help Americans—especially young ones—understand the stakes of this election.
When people try to talk to you about Joe Biden’s poor debate performance, try to redirect their focus to the wannabe dictator who now has the ability to BE a dictator should he win. We need to focus. We need to unite. In my video I asked even Trump supporters to re-examine their loyalties given the Supreme Court’s ruling. Do they not call themselves patriots? Were we not founded on overthrowing monarchical power? Will they really just lay down for it now?
We have months of work ahead, my friends, and more will be revealed over time. But please try not to worry too much. We’re in the fight, and we have every reason to believe we can win it. We need simply to coalesce behind our candidate, keep pointing out the villain—MAGAs, right wing billionaires, the corrupt SCOTUS justices those billionaires bought, and Trump—and keep reminding ALL Americans of the values we share—top among them being our desire for personal liberty, democracy, and freedom.
We can do this. It’s tough. But we’re tougher.
No Congressional calls today—I’m simply not up to it. But I hope the rest of the newsletter keeps you busy!
Extra Credit ✅
Please consider sharing the below list of Biden accomplishments:
Joe Biden is extremely good at being president. Let's not forget that the guy up on that debate stage:
Expanded health care to millions of families
Lowered the price of insulin to $35 for seniors
Created more jobs than any president in history
Vaccinated the country and reopened our schools
Took the largest climate action in the history of the world
Canceled student loans for nearly 5 million people
Rallied the world in support of Ukraine, and expanded NATO while doing it
Passed the largest national funding for passenger rail since the founding of Amtrak
Banned chokeholds and no-knock entries by federal law enforcement, and restricted the transfer of military equipment to police departments
Passed the largest investment in bridges and roads in our history
Pardoned thousands of Americans federally convicted of marijuana possession
Expanded benefits to veterans who have been exposed to toxic chemicals
Officially protected same-sex marriage federally
Passed the first gun violence prevention bill in 30 years
Saved the pensions of more than 1 million union workers
Averted a banking crisis (remember that?)
Expanded paid overtime to working families
Made birth control pills available over the counter
Made renewable energy the #2 source of electricity in America
Moved to reschedule marijuana
Shifted the microchip supply chain back to the United States
Put the first Black woman on the Supreme Court
The list is from this week’s Dose of Joe newsletter BUT AN IMPORTANT CAVEAT: Some of you will be offended by the tone of the newsletter, which is critical of those questioning Biden’s ability to run. If you think you will be offended by such a tone please do NOT read the post. I have copied and pasted the list above so you can skip it. I would really like to avoid displeased emails, since I’m not feeling well. Thanks!
Get Smart! 📚
Read this new Mike Lux post, Democrats: Joe Biden Is Our Candidate, and He Is Going to Win, about why Lux thinks we’d be crazy to ditch Biden now. Mike is a political strategist who’s been around for decades and worked with several presidential campaigns. He’s smart, astute, and knows his s—t.
Spread the Word! 📣
Today, Biden-Harris 2024 is launching a new ad titled “I Know,” featuring President Biden’s forceful remarks in North Carolina on Friday on the key difference in this election: between Donald Trump’s failed leadership and relentless lying and President Biden’s trademark honesty, character, and resilience. The ad closes with President Biden’s closing remarks from his North Carolina rally last Friday: “Like millions of Americans, I know when you get knocked down, you get back up.”
It’s a good ad. Like, really, really good. Please share it.
Give 💰!
Galvanize Action is the only national organization focusing on messaging to moderate women in the swing states. They develop messages based on deep listening sessions with these women. The top priority in 2024 is reaching the 3.1 million moveable white women in the key battleground states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, where this audience holds an outsized share of the electorate and is essential to victory.
Galvanize Action has been selected by Focus for Democracy to be featured at the webinar on Tuesday, July 2 at 5pm PT/8pm ET. Focus for Democracy is an amazing organization that rigorously evaluates Democratic vote-generating programs, with the goal of discerning which ones are the most effective. It then raises funds to support them.
You can register at the link here: bit.ly/F4D2July
Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻
[To: all 3 reps and POTUS] [H/T] [Text SIGN PJJODT to Resistbot at 50409 or via Apple Messages / WHATSAPP / MESSENGER]
I’m writing as your constituent to ask that you publicly call on the USPS Board of Governors to fire Postmaster General Louis DeJoy.
His 10-year plan has been a disaster for rural and tribal communities, and communities of color nationwide who have been long forgotten or under-served by the private carriers. They count on the USPS for timely delivery of things like paychecks, medicines, or laboratory results, but the USPS is failing them.
The Postal Service can never be run like a private corporation; it’s a PUBLIC service charged with providing reliable delivery to EVERY community in America - not just the profitable ones.
The obvious answer for reforming the USPS is to allow it to generate new revenue by providing a wider suite of services, that could include everything from postal banking and bus & subway passes, to verification for social security and EBT cards, and even wifi access points and electric vehicle charging stations.
But that will never happen under the failed leadership of Louis DeJoy. It’s time for him to go.
Whether you’ve called for this before or not, now is the time to publicly call for immediate action. There is a growing bipartisan demand that the USPS Board of Governors fire Louis DeJoy now—please join it!
I look forward to your response to my letter with your views on this topic.
OK, you did it again! You helped save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk soon.
Jess
I hope that today’s SCOTUS ruling granting Trump immunity is such a BFD that it will take the wind out of the “Biden. Old. Needs to quit.” sails. Charlotte Clymer wrote a great piece today recommending that Biden comes out strong for expanding the court. I can’t wait for NYT’s take on this, and then—I’m cancelling our subscription. So long, Wordle stats! 🥺
Thank you , Jessica. All advice I will follow. and...after I read the decision, I sent out a query for writers to write GOTV postcards to my neighborhood list serve. Within an hour, I had requests for 575 cards. Please care for yourself. Gratitude to you.