Chop Wood, Carry Water 9/17

Light wins in the end.

Hi, all, and happy Tuesday!

There’s a lot of dismal stuff coming out of the MAGA camp right now—there always is. But I’m going to choose to focus not on the ongoing cruelty, mendacity, and stupidity that is their movement, but rather on the ongoing genius, integrity, inclusiveness, and kindness that is ours.

Because I believe that what we focus on grows.

On that note, I’m going to ask for your help. I want to do something for the Haitian community in Springfield, OH. Someone pointed me towards the Haitian Community Help and Support Center there and I have both given to them and reached out to see what more they need, but I’d love other ideas as well.

So I’m going to crowdsource this. Does anyone know anyone who lives in the area? Or do any of you have any other thoughts? How can we just shower them with love?

Please, let’s come up with something creative.

Friends, I don’t know how to counteract the vast darkness of the MAGA movement any other way than to simply try to bring a bigger light to places it’s visited. If we each do so in our small ways, maybe together we can make a positive difference. I certainly want to try.

One more thing: Mike Johnson is apparently going to bring up the SAVE Act for a vote tomorrow. It seems unlikely that he has the votes, but just in case I’m going to ask those of you with Republican House representatives to really call and make some noise today. We need them to know that we know exactly what the SAVE Act is: a reaffirmation that MAGA refuses to accept the truth about the 2020 election and will stoop at nothing to further their anti-democratic agenda.

So let’s go do some work! We’ve got this!

Remember, light wins every time.

Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲

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

I’m calling in support of S. 1568, the Universal Schools Meals Program Act. This legislation would provide free breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack for all students, regardless of income. It would also eliminate school lunch debt. Healthy meals are vital for children throughout the school day, but many cannot afford to buy food. This is something we can fix and we must. Thanks. [More info]

Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲

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

[If your rep is Dem:]

I’m calling in support of HR 3204, the Universal Schools Meals Program Act. This legislation would provide free breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack for all students, regardless of income. It would also eliminate school lunch debt. Healthy meals are vital for children throughout the school day, but many cannot afford to buy food. This is something we can fix and we must. Thanks. [More info]

[If your rep is GOP:]

I oppose the SAVE Act and the six-month Continuing Resolution attached to it. I expect the Congressmember to vote no on both tomorrow. We don’t have a problem with non-citizen voting. We have a problem with voter suppression bills pushed by Republicans. The SAVE Act confirms that the GOP refuses to accept the truth about the 2020 election and will stoop at nothing to further their anti-democratic agenda. We have 14 days until a government shutdown. Please ask the Congressmember to do his/her job and pass a clean Continuing Resolution—with no SAVE Act attached. Thanks.

Extra Credit ✅

Donald Trump, Fox News, and other MAGA people are amping up their attacks on Penzey’s, a spice shop with a liberal bent and a large online presence. (Kamala Harris visited the brick and mortar shop a week or so ago and had the above now-viral interaction with a customer there.)

Bill Penzey has been an ongoing target of Republicans since he unapologetically posted "About Republicans" on his business’s website (read it—it’s amazing). Undaunted, he continues to write about the hateful and harmful actions that Republicans have taken against women, the LGBTQ+ community, people of color, and more.

Donald Trump calls Penzey’s a "Terrible Over-Priced Product.” Fox News labeled them the “meanest spice shop in America.” And Laura Loomer is demanding a boycott. Please consider supporting them. Bill Penzey stands for the best that is America; he asks us simply to "love people, cook them tasty food."

[H/T my subscriber Mike, who helped compose this entry.]

Get Smart! 📚

Please join MoveOn and Working Families Party for a strategy discussion on the threat of presidential third party candidates on Wednesday, September 18 at 12PM PT/2PM CT/3PM ET. 

They’re hosting this briefing because we know that the margin of victory could be incredibly small in several swing states where third party candidates have qualified to run for President. In 2016, Jill Stein’s vote total alone was enough to flip Michigan and Wisconsin to Donald Trump. In 2020, the Biden-Harris ticket won Arizona, Georgia, and Wisconsin by less than 20,000 votes. Despite the public narrative, this is still a threat to our shared goal of protecting our democracy from authoritarianism. A vote for any third-party presidential candidate in the 2024 election is a threat that will help reelect Trump and usher in his right-wing, MAGA-designed Project 2025 plan, which will ban abortion nationwide and roll back reproductive rights. 

During this briefing, WFP will share research on which sections of the multi-racial working-class are leaning towards voting for these third party candidates and away from the two major parties. They will also share their assessment of why voters should support Kamala Harris and their strategy to engage them to be part of the broad front to defeat the authoritarian Right in this country. 

RSVP and register here.

Spread the Word! 📣

Please post the below on your social media! You can download a great graphic to go with it here—there are so many great options to choose from!

So cool! The DNC just announced the launch of the National Voter Assistance Text-Line to provide clear, easily accessible information in English and Spanish.

With this text-line, voters can access all the information they need to register and cast their vote for Democrats up and down the ballot. Voters can access the text-line by texting VOTE to 70888 or VOTO to 70888. Or online at IWillVote.com or VoyAVotar.com. Spread the word! 📣📣

Give 💰!

Once again, Pennsylvania is the must-win state for races up and down the ballot. In 2020 it was the tipping point state for Biden/Harris, and it will almost certainly be the “keystone state" for Harris/Walz. It also has pivotal Senate and House races, along with a battle to retain control of the Pennsylvania House. Join NOPE Neighbors and lots of other great groups on September 18 at 7:00 pm EDT to hear from some amazing speakers running up and down the ballot:

• Senator Bob Casey, running in a closely contested Senate race against a self-funded challenger.

• Janelle Stelson, running in one of four highly competitive US House races that could determine whether Hakeem Jeffries becomes the next Speaker. She’s also challenging election denier Rep. Scott Perry in CD-10.

• Jordan Harris, Chair of the PA House Appropriations Committee and a member of the Democratic leadership team working to keep control of the state House, held now by only a single seat. If Dems retain control, they – along with Governor Shapiro – can pass fair election laws, sensible gun safety measures, and more.

At the meeting, NOPE leaders will share with you ways to help win Pennsylvania. They include volunteering and donating to a slate of candidates and groups that will be key to victory in November.

All are welcome; there is no obligation to give. Sign up today and then invite a friend.

You can also just donate right here! Or both!

Win Races—Vote Early! 🐓

Please join the Grassroots Collaboration Project on Wednesday, September 18 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific / 8:00 p.m. Eastern for a special event “Jumpstarting Early Democratic Voting.” 

Featured speakers are Tom Bonier, senior advisor, Targetsmart and Sonja Murray, co-founder, VoPro Pros. A panel of grassroots group leaders will also offer sharable resources and strategies to promote early voting. Among the resources to be discussed are downloadable “Vote Day 1” sheets of stickers, showing each state's first day of early voting from the Forward Together Hub, a centralized site for activists’ resources.

The Grassroots Collaboration Project is an all-volunteer, unincorporated advocacy organization representing the shared interests of leaders of pro-democracy grassroots groups, especially volunteer leaders. The Grassroots Connector gives in-depth information about early voting and other opportunities to get active When we vote early, we win, Part 1 and When we vote early, we win, Part 2.

RSVP for Wednesday's Free Event Here

Organizing Call for Young People! 🧒

HEY YOUNG PEOPLE!

Join Vice President Kamala Harris and special guests tomorrow for a National Youth Organizing Call Wednesday, September 18 at 3:15pm ET to learn about the importance of voting, how you can make a difference, and the ongoing youth engagement efforts across the nation. Sign up here!

This call is part of the Harris-Walz campaign Youth Vote Week of Action, aimed at inspiring and mobilizing young voters in key battleground states and across the nation. Throughout the week, the campaign is hosting over 130 events aimed at registering young voters on college campuses.

Win Races—Knock Doors! 🗳

There is a super easy new tool for people who want to canvass out of town called the Canvassing Connector.  It can connect anyone who wants to canvass with high quality vetted canvassing operations in battleground states and districts, including every swing state, Montana and Ohio. Many studies have found that canvassing is the most effective method of influencing people to vote, so we want to get as many people in the field as possible. For more details, read this article from The Grassroots Connector.

Win Races—Make Calls with 800 Other People? 📲

I heard a rumor on Threads that this Sunday phonebank—which is supposed to be phenomenal—had 800 people on it last weekend. Can someone please go and tell me if this is true?

Apparently you can either:

• Help make voter registration calls

• Make calls into the battleground states OH, PA, NV, AZ, WI, MI or MT to get DEMOCRATIC voters engaged. Help DEFEND the Senate AND HELP KAMALA HARRIS WIN!

• Call voters in California CA 13, 22, 27, & 41 and help FLIP the House!

No experience necessary. They have trainers and coaches available to get you set up and to help along the way!

Sign up here. Then please report back! And remember, if this phonebank doesn’t work for your schedule I have a google doc full of other ones here!

Chop Wood, Save the Planet 🔥

Come to Calls For Climate!

Join Climate Hawks Vote and special guest Representative Katie Porter today, September 17, at 6pm ET / 3pm PT to make calls for Sue Altman in NJ-07, and/or at 8pm ET / 5pm PT to make calls for David Min in CA-47!

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

[To: President Biden] [H/T Michael Meerpol] [Text SIGN PMYOFV to Resistbot at 50409 or via Apple Messages / WHATSAPP / MESSENGER]

Please, Mr. President, go to Springfield, Ohio and stand firm against the hate.  The Proud Boys are marching, there are bomb threats—but worse, J.D. Vance is doubling down on the lies; whenever someone from Springfield refutes his lie, he changes the subject.

This is no longer something to joke about; you as the President of the United States, together with the Governor of Ohio, can make this a non-political issue. Truth is important; Springfield, Ohio (despite strains on social services) is a success story of immigrants coming in and taking jobs that need to be filled.  Gather the clergy and local office holders and speak the truth. Shame Trump and Vance with the truth!

Call out the lies. Call out the hate. Call out the disinformation. Call out the threats of violence. Maybe even release some federal money to help Springfield.

BUT please, go to Springfield and stand with the immigrants and the local office holders. Thank you.

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

Talk soon.

Jess