Chop Wood, Carry Water 9/22

Forgive this silly GIF. I couldn’t help myself.

Hi, all, and happy Friday.

Hot dog! This weekend’s “Extra! Extra!” newsletter is going to be jam packed, because there’s a LOT of great news breaking this week! The American Climate Corps! An Office of Gun Violence Prevention! Special elections wins! There’s a lot more, but I don’t want to spoil the list for you. Suffice it to say it’s been a pretty astonishing few days.

That’s not to say that things aren’t still incredibly scary; they are. But in the midst of it many people—most of them Democrats—are doing prodigious work to help regular Americans, to mitigate climate collapse, and to hold corrupt powers accountable. It’s truly heartening. Have I mentioned that elections matter?

On that note, Republicans are doing their best imitation of a dumpster fire, and it’s not a good look for them. At all. They’ve given up entirely on passing a budget for the moment—so much so, in fact, that they’ve gone home to their districts for a long weekend. Can you imagine if Democrats did that? There would be Congressional hearings!

We wouldn’t do it, of course, because Democrats know how to govern, and actually enjoy doing so.

It’s chaos on one side, statesmanship on the other. Distraction on one side, solid policy on the other. Division on one side, unity on the other. Self-dealing on one side, consideration of the common good on the other. The two parties are not the same. Let’s make sure we’re broadcasting that fact EVERYWHERE. Never forget that many Americans pay so little attention to politics that they don’t even know a shutdown is looming. It’s our job to notify them of what’s happening and who’s responsible.

Speaking of taking responsibility, a reader wrote to remonstrate with me for referring to MAGA Republicans as an “infestation.” He said, in part:

This is a slippery slope. We need to keep talking about issues, not talking about MAGA as rats or things that need to get cleansed. If you want me to explain further why (Happy Rosh Hashanah…) I can.

He’s right, of course, and I apologize to anyone I may have offended. As much as I do despise MAGA Republicanism, any comparison between its individual adherents and rodents was unintentional but still ill-advised. Dehumanization is a slippery slope indeed. I’ll be more careful with my language next time.

Alright, you wonderful humans. I have some great calls to action for you today. 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 in light of Pro Publica’s newest appalling story about Clarence Thomas. It seems there are an endless number of scandals involving not just him, but several of our Supreme Court justices. What will it take for the Senate to actually do something about corruption on our highest court? When will they pass Supreme Court ethics legislation? Or court expansion? When will the Senator call for rigorous investigations? When will they call for Thomas to resign? Every time a story like this breaks America loses a bit more faith in its highest court, and every time the Senate meets these stories with silence we lose a bit more faith in them. Thanks.

Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲

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

I understand that Rep. Angie Craig has introduced a new bill to temporarily strip away the paychecks of members of Congress during a government shutdown. It’s called the "My Constituents Cannot Afford Rebellious Tantrums, Handle Your Shutdown Act," also known as the "MCCARTHY Shutdown Act." I support this bill and expect the representative to as well. It's ridiculous that Congressmembers still get paid during a shutdown while folks like TSA workers, military servicemembers, and law enforcement are asked to work with no pay.

[If GOP add:] Also, I am extremely annoyed to hear that House Republicans just left for a long weekend without passing a budget. This is unacceptable. We’re days away from a government shutdown. Please tell the Congressmember to get back to DC and do his/her job. Thanks.

Extra Credit ✅

I just signed Grassroots Law’s petition demanding that Seattle PD fire the officer who was caught on camera laughing and mocking a young woman killed by a speeding police car. 😡 Want to join me? Petitions to politicians have limited effectiveness, but sometimes they can have an impact when going to an entity like the SPD. Worth a try.

Sign here.

Get Smart! 📚

On Tuesday, Sept. 26th at 12:00pm ET, Andrea Miller, founder of the Center for Common Ground—an organization I talk about often—is stopping by Big Tent. CFCG educates and empowers under-represented BIPOC voters in voter suppression states to engage in elections and advocate for their right to vote. In partnership with local, on-the-ground organizations, they build advocacy and voting campaigns that educate and mobilize Black voters across the South. Andrea is amazing—I highly recommend attending.

RSVP HERE

Spread the Word! 📣

Polling is unreliable! Tell a friend! And share this Michael Podhorzer piece!

A Cure for Mad Poll Disease

Give 💰!

Did you know that in 2021 Dems lost the Virginia House by 3 seats, a difference of 733 votes in total? UGH! This can’t happen again!

Fortunately, Swing Blue Alliance is working with Virginia fundraising powerhouse 31st Street Swing Left to raise money for a critical slate of VA candidates. They have identified the races that are pivotal to keeping Youngkin at bay.

Please come to their ZOOM FUNDRAISER for these races on Tuesday, September 26th, from 7:00 to 8:00 pm ET.  

Political expert Jim Shelton will provide a rundown on the state of the races. Plus, you'll hear directly from two of the candidates – Kim Adams and Josh Thomas.

Click here to register for the event.

Click here to contribute before, during, or after the fundraiser.

Win Schoolboard Races! 🗳

The amazing folks at Markers For Democracy have asked me to amplify this important postcarding campaign for the Pennridge School Board:

If you have been following the concerted effort by extremist and well-funded right-wing groups like Moms for Liberty to take over school boards around the country, you may have heard of the Pennridge school district in Bucks County, PA. Judd Legum has been writing about it since earlier this summer. As the Southern Poverty Law Center wrote recently, Pennridge is what happens when Moms for Liberty “Flips” a School Board.  In addition to banning books like Toni Morrison’s “Beloved” and Stephen Chbosky’s young adult classic, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” the right-wing majority on the Pennridge School Board hired an inexperienced ideologue trained by and allied with conservative Hillsdale Curriculum to rewrite the curriculum. Parents, students, and teachers are appalled at the results, including his omission of the 19th Century from U.S. history. Markers For Democracy has been asked by Pennridge parents to write postcards to help them flip their school board back to a majority that wants to teach history and won’t ban books. This campaign is up on Postcards For Democracy, Markers For Democracy's online address distribution system. You’ll need to supply your own cards.

Win in Ohio (and NY, and VA) 🗳

PostcardsToVoters.org needs help with postcards for Ohio! PLEASE NOTE that Abby the Address Bot is temporarily unable to text. However PTV volunteers can request addresses several other easy ways at the new PTV Linktree! The script and addresses for Ohio were supplied by the OH Democratic Party. GO OHIO!! They will be adding an important New York campaign and some Virginia frontline campaigns very soon. So lots of help wanted! 

Chop Wood, Save the Earth! 🔥

I thought this short piece, Climate communication: 10 research-backed tips, was super interesting and helpful. It basically tells you how best to talk about the climate crisis to get people to actually listen. And it came to me via a funny advice column about rebranding climate change. Read them both and let me know your thoughts!

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

Talk soon.

Jess