Chop Wood, Carry Water 9/23

We are in for the struggle of a generation. The hope and joy in the struggle is that we fight for the children we can’t see.

—Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas

Hi, all, and happy Friday!

We made it through another week! I’m really looking forward to sending out “Extra! Extra!” on Sunday, too, as there’s been a LOT of good news in the last few days. Lord knows we need to hear about it.

Because this week has also been a LOT. As has pretty much every week for the last six years.

Look, what we’re living through is exhausting. And as if living through it isn’t enough, we are also inundated with constant news about what we’re living through. Punditry, predictions, “think pieces,” historical reflections, explainers. It’s a lot to take in.

I’m going to echo something I heard this week—I believe from the inestimable Robert Hubbell: In times like these curating our news intake—especially by limiting cable news—is a critical component of mental health care. I hope you are employing this tactic. Even the “good” cable channels, after all, still have to use drama to keep us hooked. And the sad truth is that bad news gets more clicks and views, so dramatic bad news is what we get the most of.

This is why I compile “Extra! Extra!” It’s also why I keep myself on a stringent “news diet.” I work to get mine from places (like Hubbell’s column) that inform without making me panic. Panic, after all, leads to anxiety, or, even worse, to despair. And anxious and despairing people can’t help do the work.

Those of us doing the work, on the other hand, generally report much lower levels of anxiety and despair. Go figure!

So try it! Turn off MSNBC and go make some calls to voters! Write some postcards! Send some letters for Vote Riders!

Or simply hug your kid. Cuddle with your dog. Enjoy a beautiful autumn day.

The things we are fighting for, after all, are things we must embrace and appreciate while we still have them. Every day we live in a democracy is a great day. Every day our kids are healthy is a miracle. Every day nature expresses its glory is a marvel.

Every day we can fight is a day we can win.

And every action we take is a path to more victories.

Call Your Senators (find yours here)

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

Now that the House has passed their version of an Electoral Count reform act I want the Senate to quickly get to work passing S. 4573, the Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act. Please ask the Senator to work to make it as foolproof as possible—we must protect our Presidential elections from another Trump-like attack. Thanks. [Read more about this bill here.]

[If GOP add:] I also want to say that I’m very disappointed that Republicans blocked passage of the DISCLOSE Act yesterday. The fact that the GOP refuses to pass a bill keeping dark money out of our elections is shameful. We won’t forget it. Thanks.

Extra Credit ✅

It takes an average of nearly four years (and up to seven years in some regions) for a renewable energy project to get on the grid—but the climate crisis isn't going to wait.

Thankfully, FERC is considering a new rule that would break the logjam and speed up the queue. Please use this easy tool to sign an official public comment in favor of these essential reforms. The optional personalized comment is REALLY important so these comments aren’t treated like spam. Just tell FERC why you’re worried about slow action on climate.

Get Smart! 📚

Focus 4 Democracy, a group many of us love, wants to share a new and effective way that we can make an impact in the elections.

They’ll be presenting their latest donor recommendation - Accelerate Change - an innovative set of programs that turn out Black, Latino, and other voters by getting its millions of digital subscribers to contact their friends via social media at scale. Accelerate Change yields extremely cost-effective turnout by building ongoing trust to educate voters between elections. 

They'll present Working America’s incredible persuasion programs as well.

The event is on Thursday, September 29 at 5pm PT/8pm ET. They’ll be joined by leaders of Accelerate Change and Matt Morrison of Working America.

To register, click here.

Give 💰!

Y’all, there’s a bit of an emergency situation happening in Arizona, and I’m wondering if you can help. To quote from the States Project’s Melissa Walker’s outreach yesterday:

An urgent situation has come up in AZ. The unopposed Dem state senate candidate in LD 22, Rep. Diego Espinoza, dropped out of the race to take a lobbying job without giving notice to the party.

It's too late to get his name off the ballot, so there has to be a coordinated effort to educate Dem voters NOT to vote for him (votes for him will not count) but instead to WRITE IN the new candidate's name. That is Dr. Evangeline Diaz, who was vetted and chosen by the States Project’s on-the-ground partner in Arizona, the ADLCC. 

The States Project needs to raise an additional $50,000 for the program in Arizona by 9/27 to make sure that there are new resources for this unexpected district play — it’s crucial that this effort not siphon resources from the other campaigns we’re supporting. Those dollars will go to layered voter-contact tactics like write-in explainer mailers, digital communication, and a field team to educate voters in the district about what needs to be done in the ballot box. 

There are 51 Giving Circles focused on AZ, so if each one raises their goal by $1,000 we can provide $50,000 in new resources here. The time to act is now — 80% of Arizonans vote by mail and the ballots go out on October 12.

You can give to this emergency fund by giving to my Arizona Giving Circle here. And if you want to read about all of the amazing work the States Project is doing, they just got a huge writeup in the New York Times today! Check it out here!

Help Voters Vote!

A friendly reminder that one of the ways you can help overcome voter disenfranchisement is to sign up to join the VoteRiders Letter-Writing team!
You’ll help VoteRiders deliver voter ID information and assistance directly to the voters who need it most.

Thirty-six states have voter ID laws and the rules can sometimes be complicated. This targeted letter-writing campaign cuts through the confusion to reach voters who are likely to need help getting ID or have voting-related questions. [H/T the Union]

Win Races! 🗳

Y’all, if we are going to hold the House we MUST win big in CA. That’s why, despite being rather frayed around the edges, I am going to canvass this Sunday for Christy Smith. I am committed to canvassing at least twice a month—and hopefully much more—between now and the midterms.

But YOU can do something easier to help us win in CA:

Activate America has postcard lists for all nine of our priority CAHouse races, and they’re also offering Spanish language postcard lists in Rep. Josh Harder’s district. Sign up HERE. (You’ll need to provide your own postcards.)

They’re also hosting pro-chioce phonebanks for Rep. Katie Porter and four Democratic challengers in CA: Jay Chen, Adam Gray, Will Rollins, and Christy Smith. To join one of those, sign up HERE. You can also call on your own time by signing up HERE. While training and support is available at all of their phonebanks, you can also sign up for a slower-paced training session HERE.

Remember my pleadings from yesterday: we must talk to voters. It’s the only way we’ll win. Please sign up if you can.

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

[to all 3 reps] [H/T] [quick send: text SIGN PAOLTE to 50409]

I’m writing to urge Congress to move expeditiously to advance legislation prohibiting members of Congress from owning or trading individual stocks, bonds or other similar financial investments.

We are at a critical juncture in our nation’s history. The steady stream of revelations that members of Congress have repeatedly flouted basic inancial conflict of interest laws have contributed to a precipitous decline in public trust in our institutions, which is now at the lowest level since Gallup began polling the questions in 1979. I urge you to lead the way in passing these common sense, popular policies to ensure that members of Congress act in the interest of the people they serve, rather than their own financial interest.

I understand that, following months of negotiation, Congress has been making progress on compromise legislation to implement this overwhelmingly popular policy. I hope that this legislation will include the three principle policies reform groups have been calling for: first, that the legislation prohibits members of Congress from owning or trading any individual stocks or other similar financial assets, except widely held investment funds; second, that the legislation apply to members’ spouses and dependent children; and third, that the legislation include a clear enforcement mechanism that will serve as a functional deterrent.

The November elections loom. Each day that passes increases the chance that Congress will not have time to take up and pass this legislation. That must not happen.

The American people widely support these policies across partisan lines, and are calling on Congress to act. Your colleagues have developed multiple strong proposals, and it appears likely that both chambers can produce a strong, bipartisan bill. Pass it! This cannot wait any longer – the American people deserve to know that the needs of the public, not members of Congress’s stock portfolios, come first. Thanks.

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

Talk tomorrow.

Jess