Chop Wood, Carry Water 7/29
Kamalamania continues!
Hi, all, and happy Monday!
I’m back in D.C. today—I came to attend a dinner, held last night, with a handful of political content creators and some folks at an unnamed campaign committee. (Sorry for the vagueness. I’m not exactly clear on what, if anything, I’m allowed to share about this particular meeting.) Today we’re meeting with Congressional candidates running in flippable seats. It’s been a blast and it’s not over yet, but fortunately I have a mid-day break so the newsletter can go out as usual!
My friends, after everything we’ve been through, isn’t it magical to feel like we’re no longer alone? You have been here through thick and thin; you’ve done the work when no one else was doing it, and when it seemed like a heavy lift, indeed.
But now, countless others have come to help carry the weight.
I never want you to forget that you are the ones who carried this movement when it was at its most cumbersome. The joy you are feeling now, the relief, the cautious hope? YOU HAVE EARNED IT. So don’t let anyone take it away from you. Of course this race will still be tough. Of course we don’t have it in the bag. Of course Trump is a formidable foe.
It doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy momentum when we have it.
And we do.
So let’s get back to work one more time.
Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
I’m calling in support of a bipartisan bill called the United States Postal Service Stop and Study Act (S. 4675), which was introduced by Senator Gary Peters and co-sponsored by Sens Jacky Rosen and Susan Collins. It would direct Louis DeJoy to stop the network changes he’s implementing and submit a proposal to the Postal Regulatory Commission for an opinion that he is required to respond to. Truthfully, I’d prefer DeJoy were simply fired, but in the meantime this will have to do. Thanks.
Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
I understand that Representative Joe Morelle has introduced a constitutional amendment in the House to reverse the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling granting presidents immunity from criminal prosecution. I support such an amendment. It will correct the grave error made by Conservatives on the Supreme Court and protect our democracy. I’d like the Congressmember to co-sponsor. Thanks.
Volunteers Needed for Blue Voter Guide! 🙋🏽♀️
From Blue Voter Guide’s founder Wayne Liebman:
We're recruiting and training internet election/endorser researchers, social media lovers, and website coders (PHP, etc)/load testers as we gear up for November. Here's a form where people can tell us about themselves--we respond to everyone. And here's background on BVG.
And by the way, if you haven't seen this video, it's a cute BVG ad.
Extra Credit ✅
At 8PM Eastern Time TONIGHT there will be a “White Dudes for Harris” online event with speakers that include Sec. Pete Buttigieg, David Hogg, labor leader Jimmy Williams and Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler. I have a feeling it’s going to be amazing—last I heard 75K men had signed up.
Here's the RSVP link. Can you share this information out?
Of course there’s also the huge Women For Kamala Harris call tonight at 7PM ET (preceded by the Elizabeth Warren Project 2025 Red Wine and Blue call, which will wrap up early so folks can hop from one to the other), and the Cat and Dog owners for Kamala Harris call tomorrow night! Please spread the word about all of them!
Get Smart! 📚
Blue Wave Postcard Movement is partnering with Volunteer Blue for a Zoom online discussion on how we can retain our Democratic US Senate. It’s called How to Hold the Senate.
It will feature Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown and Dawn Le, National Political and Government Affairs Director for the United Auto Workers and former national field director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
After their presentations, guests will go into breakout rooms where they’ll learn more about volunteering for key races this fall. We have the power to win these races if we put in the work together!
Wednesday, July 31st, 6 PM ET/3 PM PT
Spread the Word! 📣
Gutsy Media —the ones who made the viral kid-in-an-adoption-agency ad about abortion—are back with another absolutely stellar ad that has tested really well with undecided voters. Please share it!
Here's a one-page about the ad, and a link to download here
If you post it please use the hashtags: #OurFreedomsOurFutures and #NotGoingBack
Give 💰!
I met an amazing candidate today, a super nice, smart and qualified guy, who’s running in Alabama’s newly drawn 2nd Congressional district. His name is Shomari Figures—he’s a former Obama staffer and former Deputy Chief of Staff to Merrick Garland. He’s running in a blue district, but his Republican opponent is literally a billionaire and fundraising has been really hard for Shomari as there’s no Democratic party structure per se in Alabama.
I told him I’d see if I could help.
If anyone can donate to this exciting young candidate to help make sure we win this seat please do so here!
Win Races—canvass (expenses covered!)! 🗳
Seed the Vote is one of the best organizations in the country supporting volunteer canvassers traveling to swing states. STV provides excellent training and also pays for housing and transportation for those who need it. This year it will be sending canvassers to Phoenix, Reno, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Milwaukee, Detroit and its suburbs. You can sign up to canvass with STV here.
Win Races—Postcard into PA!
Blue Wave Postcards has a new campaign!
Pennsylvania voters need to sign up for absentee ballots every year. They’re encouraging those who haven’t signed up yet to sign up now.
Encouraging voters to sign up for absentee ballots is one of the most effective actions you can take at this stage of the election year. Voters are much more likely to cast their ballots if they can do so from the comfort of their homes.
Help them register and turn out voters - when we vote, we WIN!
Order Pennsylvania Postcards Here
Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻
[To: all 3 reps] [This letter comes more or less straight out of President Biden’s Op-Ed in WaPo today.] [Text SIGN PDPIZG to Resistbot at 50409 or via Apple Messages / WHATSAPP / MESSENGER]
In a Washington Post Op-Ed this week President Biden called for three reforms to restore trust and accountability to the Supreme Court and our democracy. I want you to support all of them, because I do. Strongly.
First, President Biden called for a constitutional amendment called the No One Is the Above the Law Amendment. It would make clear that there is no immunity for crimes a former president committed while in office. As President Biden said, we are a nation of laws — not of kings or dictators. Representative Joe Morelle has introduced just such a constitutional amendment in the House. Good! Every lawmaker should sign on.
Second, we have had term limits for presidents for nearly 75 years. We should have the same for Supreme Court justices. The United States is the only major constitutional democracy that gives lifetime seats to its high court. Term limits would help ensure that the court’s membership changes with some regularity. That would make timing for court nominations more predictable and less arbitrary. It would reduce the chance that any single presidency radically alters the makeup of the court for generations to come. President Biden suggested a system in which the president would appoint a justice every two years to spend 18 years in active service on the Supreme Court. I support this!
Third, President Biden called for a binding code of conduct for the Supreme Court. This is common sense and so overdue! The court’s current voluntary ethics code is weak and self-enforced. Justices should be required to disclose gifts, refrain from public political activity and recuse themselves from cases in which they or their spouses have financial or other conflicts of interest. Every other federal judge is bound by an enforceable code of conduct, and there is no reason for the Supreme Court to be exempt.
I will be watching closely to see if you come out in support of these three efforts. I hope you do. Court reform is a top issue for me and I will always vote for the lawmaker who supports and fights for it over one who doesn’t. Thanks.
OK, you did it again! You helped save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk soon.
Jess
Thank you, Jess, for telling us about Shomari Figures. I just read his bio and donated to his campaign. He has the kind of expertise and experience that is needed in Congress. And he learned about fighting for the public good early - his father, Michael Figures, was the lawyer who bankrupted the Klan.
Thank you, Jess. It's great to have so much enthusiasm, though a part of me is like, Where the hell have you been? I guess I'm tired (but not slowing down til Nov. 6th).