Chop Wood, Carry Water 8/17

Image from Amplifier Art

Hi, all, and happy Wednesday.

Welp. Liz Cheney, one of the last honorable politicians in the Republican Party, was roundly defeated in her primary last night. We knew she would be, yet it still hurts.

It hurts.

We think of politics as being intellectual in nature, but if I’ve learned anything in the last few years it’s that politics—especially these days—affect us in deeply personal ways.

When bad things happen to “good politicians”(I say this with caveats in Liz Cheney’s case, as I disagree with her on nearly everything) I feel fear, sadness, and anxiety.

When I see the wild-eyed, semi-crazed expression of the extremist replacing her my stomach tightens.

When I read that Republicans are rallying behind Trump more vehemently in the wake of the FBI’s search I feel something close to grief.

There’s no way around it. These things do feel personal. They do affect us personally. I find trying to pretend otherwise only makes it worse.

And yet. As they say in 12-step circles, feelings aren’t facts.

What does this mean? Simply this: We can feel like we’re doomed. We can feel like it’s hopeless. We can feel like we’ll never see a day of sanity in this country again.

That doesn’t make it true.

Remember, fear will tell us to give up. If we do, then we are indeed doomed.

Faith, on the other hand, is nothing more than actions taken despite fear. Despite the feeling that we’re too small, the problems are too big, the scale of change needed is too overwhelming.

Faith is an action. And in taking action we find over and over again that our fears were wrong all along.

In fact, we made them wrong, by acting.

And so we will again.

Let’s get to work.

Call Your Senators (find yours here)

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

I’m calling to demand that the Senator do all s/he can to block Senator Manchin’s “permitting” proposal—the one he’s supposed to get in exchange for passing the Inflation Reduction Act. Protecting our communities and climate is more important than giving another gift to the fossil fuel industry. This deal has to be stopped. Thanks. [H/T]

Call Your House Rep (find yours here)

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

I’m calling to demand that the Congressmember do all s/he can to block Senator Manchin’s “permitting” proposal—the one he’s supposed to get in exchange for passing the Inflation Reduction Act. Protecting our communities and climate is more important than giving another gift to the fossil fuel industry. This deal has to be stopped. Thanks. [H/T]

Extra Credit ✅

This Cuffari situation is getting ridiculous. Please send this letter to Joe Biden either through his web portal or via Resistbot [quick send: text SIGN PEZFSI to 50409].

I’m writing because I’ve just learned that the DHS’s IG Joseph Cuffari has rejected calls from leading Democratic legislators to recuse himself from the investigation into the erasure of text messages that Secret Service agents exchanged during the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. In so doing, he is delaying their inquiry into one of the most grievous attacks in U.S. history. It’s totally unacceptable.

It’s already deeply concerning that Cuffari and his staff knew about the missing messages for months, failed to notify Congress or the Homeland Security secretary and canceled steps to retrieve them. He absolutely cannot be a part of the investigation when he is clearly part of the cover-up.

Cuffari’s refusal is part of a pattern of resistance to these committees’ efforts to delve into complaints about his office. They said they have written to him three times since May to request documents about allegations that his office “censored findings of domestic abuse and sexual harassment” by DHS workers, his failure to promptly notify Congress about the Secret Service missing texts, and new reports that documented his “repeated failures” to recover the messages. Yet they have received no response.

Cuffari is also under an investigation being overseen by the CIGIE. There he has also reportedly refused to release records and blocked interviews with staff, delaying that inquiry, which has now lasted more than 15 months.

President Biden, Cuffari must be fired immediately. It’s abundantly clear that this Trump appointee can’t be trusted, and worse, may be a danger to you and your administration. Fire him now! Thanks.

Get Smart! 📚

I don’t usually recommend news sources, but I did want to put in a special plug for Mother Jones’s daily news email. Their reporting is so good—they’ve gotten SO MANY huge scoops and won so many awards over the last few years—and if you need explainers for the important things happening in this country you can’t do better.

Independent news sources are more valuable than they’ve ever been. Consider signing up here—I think you’ll be glad you did. It’s free, of course.

Give 💰!

Y’all, I’m going to make a special ask today. Grassroots Dems HQ, the org that runs my Thursday phonebank (and tons of other ones), is very special in a particular way: they enlist and train a TON of young people to do organizing and electoral outreach work. One of them, an 18-year-old volunteer named Graham, assists me at my phonebank every week. He’s great. They’re all great. These are kids who need to study for finals, apply to college, do chores for their parents, and still take the time every week to phonebank, canvass, or bundle postcards. Some are as young as 15. They TOTALLY inspire me.

So when Graham texted me that he was co-hosting a fundraiser specifically for the GDHQ’s Paid Youth Organizing and Paid Youth Canvassing programs I told him I’d gladly help. Because I know these kids and I so badly want to support them.

Y’all, the fundraiser is in person on August 21st, but donations can come from anywhere. If you can give any amount please do. These kids are the real deal and I SO want to support this amazing program. These are our future leaders!

Give here.

Win Races! 🗳

WEDNESDAYS, JOIN FIELD TEAM 6 AND REGISTER VOTERS IN WI:

This is a perennial favorite virtual event. You’ll be reaching out to get people in Wisconsin registered as Democrats, or signed up to vote from home (vote by mail) if they’re already registered.

Making sure people are registered to vote, and that they can vote safely from home, is a super-effective way to make a difference. Field Team 6 will provide all training. The event takes place from 6-8p CT/4-6p PT Wednesdays 

Register here.

[H/T Small Deeds Done]

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

[to all 3 reps] [H/T and more info] [quick send text SIGN PLTDDP to 50409]

As your constituent, I am writing to relay my opposition to the so-called “permitting reform” legislation drafted by the fossil fuel industry and pushed by Senator Manchin. I urge you to do all you can to oppose and block this legislation.

Further handouts to the fossil fuel industry are unacceptable I understand that the final legislation has not been released, but the draft text and one-page summary of the deal is a disaster – it guts bedrock environmental protections, endangers public health, fast-tracks harmful fossil fuel projects, and would push toward completion the Mountain Valley Pipeline along with other dangerous projects.

I am calling on you to pledge right now to oppose all further fossil fuel handouts. Protecting our communities and climate is more important than giving another gift to the fossil fuel industry. Stand with the communities impacted by fossil fuels and the climate crisis and stop the dirty deal!

Thank you for your consideration.

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

Talk tomorrow.

Jess