10/8/20
Hate never goes away. It only hides.
And when it’s given oxygen – when it’s given an opportunity to spread, when
it’s treated as normal and acceptable behavior, we’ve opened a door in this
country that we must move quickly to close.
– Joe Biden
NATIONAL ISSUES
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NEED FOR COVID STIMULUS BILL: Trump has waffled over the last few day about wanting and not wanting a COVID stimulus package. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-kills-stimulus-talks-tweets-no-deal-until-after-i-n1242312 While his needs may be for self-aggrandizement, 74% of voters feel a stimulus package is needed now, before a Supreme Court confirmation hearing. https://thehill.com/hilltv/what-americas-thinking/519650-poll-74-percent-of-voters-want-senate-to-take-on-covid-relief The House passed such a bill in May and a revision last week. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/01/coronavirus-stimulus-update-house-passes-democratic-relief-bill.html Let’s tell our senators that we are in that 74% and want them to take action on COVID relief ASAP.
DEMAND SAFETY MEASURES FOR WHITE HOUSE STAFF AND DEMAND EQUITY IN MEDICAL TREATMENT FOR SERIOUS COVID CASES: While COVID cases of several higher-ups in the administration and Congress due to Trump’s superspreader behavior have been publicized, the people most at risk are the white house butlers and housekeeping staff, who are mostly African Americans. https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2020-10-06/white-house-butlers-who-serve-first-family-face-infection-risk-from-trumps. Considering Trump ripped his mask off the minute he got to the White House, and was willing to expose secret-service agents and limo drivers in an unnecessary motorcade, we know that he is unlikely to take any precautions to minimize the risk of these hidden helpers, several of whom have already also tested positive. And these folks, along with the many low-wage black and brown workers who are contracting and dying from COVID in disproportionate numbers, will not be privy to the experimental drugs and VIP experimental treatment that seems to have mitigated Trump’s serious breathing episodes. Let’s tell our MoCs that instead of confirming a Supreme Court Justice that they have no business nominating at this late date, they should be passing a COVID relief package that assures that these drugs be available to anyone with a serious COVID case regardless of status or income.
WHITE HOUSE REJECTS VACCINE SAFETY GUIDELINES: With its usual disregard for the public’s health, the White House has blocked new Food and Drug Administration safety guidelines for marketing potential COVID-19 vaccines; the guidelines would almost surely prevent introducing a vaccine before the election. A senior spokesperson said the White House believed there was “no clinical or medical reason” for the requirements, though nine pharmaceutical companies pledged in September not to approve any vaccine without confidence in both its safety and efficacy, their trade group has protested the administration’s rejection of these guidelines—and the number of Americans willing to be vaccinated has dropped precipitously recently: https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-archive-efdb363953cc5e2d64028b60baabdc90 or https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/519742-white-house-blocks-new-fda-coronavirus-guidelines-that-may-have Let’s demand that the FDA publish the new guidelines and demand that our MoCs insist on seeing and publicizing them: FDA 888-463-6332 or 10903 New Hampshire Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20993.
TRUMP’S TAXPAYER-FUNDED HEALTHCARE: Even as the Trump
administration attempts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act next month before
the Supreme Court, Trump’s illness gives us a window into the first-class (and
expensive) healthcare we subsidize for government officials while letting
ordinary Americans die: https://www.statnews.com/2020/10/06/covid-is-all-about-privilege-trumps-treatment-underscores-vast-inequalities- or https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/10/06/trump-emerges-walter-reed-claiming-more-empathy-playing-down-reason-be-fearful-boasting-his-superior-treatment/
Let’s point out these dramatic differentials in care when we urge our MoCs
to bring our healthcare into line with that provided universally in the vast
majority of wealthy countries.
SPOT THE TROLL: We can all easily fall victim to misinformation. Here's a clever interactive quiz, developed by Clemson University Media Forensics Hub, where "where YOU examine images of real social media content and decide whether it's from a legitimate account or an internet troll." Let's polish up our critical reading skills and take their quiz, here: https://spotthetroll.org
A PATIENT TELLS US ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF THE DRUG TRUMP IS TAKING: I was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2013, immediately following a summer tour with my band. It was a nightmare. I’m a full-time songwriter, and my specific type of tumor — an “acoustic neuroma,” which sits on one’s hearing nerve, causing terrible damage to the surrounding real estate — had already wiped out much of my hearing. Hoping to restore some of that hearing before I underwent brain surgery, my doctors prescribed me a daily dose of dexamethasone — the same steroid that is now being administered to President Trump as part of his kitchen-sink treatment of Covid-19. And just like Trump, it made me feel invincible. Medically speaking, it was a miracle drug. Dex restored nearly half of the hearing I’d already lost. But it also made me high as a kite, like I’d just mainlined a potent mixture of espresso beans and psychotropics. I could feel my heartbeat in my eyeballs. I was euphoric. I made elaborate plans for the months following my surgery — including another tour with my band, Andrew Leahey & the Homestead — despite my doctor’s warning that I wouldn’t be well enough to hit the road until the following summer. Not even the anxiety of my upcoming operation could dampen my buzz. To borrow a phrase I heard somewhere recently, I felt better than I did 20 years ago. https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-commentary/trump-dexemethasone-steroid-covid-andrew-leahey-1071822 Let’s remember this while we are watching the White House.
ELECTION/VOTING
ELECTION - GET OUT THE VOTE (GOTV)
SISTER DISTRICT: Sister District CA03 and Indivisible Yolo are still distributing addresses and scripts for elections across the country. Let's request addresses for a current campaign here.
VIRUAL TEXT OUT THE VOTE: Let’s join “Democracy for America and She the People on Sunday, October 11th - we'll hear from Yvette Simpson, CEO of DFA, and Aimee Allison, founder and President of She the People, about the political lay of the land; we'll get trained in our textbanking tools and tips; and then, with music and special guests - connect with thousands of women of color voters in swing states to make sure they have everything they need to vote in 2020 - helping them get their mail-in ballots, find their polling location, vote at early vote centers where possible, and more.” We can sign up here: http://act.democracyforamerica.com/survey/Text2PAV201011/
WRITE POSTCARDS TO NATIVE AMERICAN VOTERS: The Navajo Hopi Organizing Campaign needs help getting out the vote on sovereign lands in Arizona. We can sign up at https://www.mobilize.us/navajohopiorganizingcampaign/event/320491/?fbclid=IwAR31SSiM0GlyoOKaBQc3Kh_I-mbVwi0eAM3yjaqCCk03DLfKTtWXb3x-zWg
TEXT YOUNG, BLACK BIPOC AND LATINX SWING STATE VOTERS TO GOTV: Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin are key states in this election and every voter matters and every vote counts. So much is at stake and voter suppression efforts to discourage people from even trying to vote is increasing. https://www.michigan.gov/ag/0,4534,7-359--541052--,00.html To fight back, Open Progress is partnering with vote.org to make sure that young, BIPOC, and Latinx voters get their ballots mailed in time. We can help out by signing up here to send texts with them and help get out the young, BIPOC, and Latinx vote! https://www.textout.app/Account/InviteJoin
ELECTION – SUPPORT CANDIDATES
TEXT FOR JAIME HARRISON TO DEFEAT LINDSAY GRAHAM IN A TOSS UP RACE IN SC: We have good news from South Carolina, it’s now a “toss up state.” Jaime Harrison https://jaimeharrison.com/ won his debate against Lindsay Graham, and an increasing number of voters now recognize that Graham is dishonest and untrustworthy. Let’s take advantage of this, help push Jaime Harrison over the top and send Lindsay Graham packing. https://cookpolitical.com/analysis/senate/south-carolina-senate/south-carolina-senate-moves-toss? Let’s take advantage of this, help push Jaime Harrison over the top and send Lindsay Graham packing. We can click here to text for Jaime Harrison Thursdays at 5pm Eastern Time: https://www.mobilize.us/scdp2020cc/event/332403/ (If we are new to texting, they will help us out. Let’s get the Senate back and send Lindsay Graham home!
POSTCARDS FOR VA: Postcards4VA still has addresses for Irina Khanin for Delegate (HD29). If we want to write for a Virginia candidate, let's write for Irina and mail those postcards ASAP. Let's request Irina for Delegate addresses today.
POSTCARDS FOR NC: Addresses for mailing by Oct. 10 are still available for a few NC state house and state senate campaigns via Postcards for NC partner site Postcards for VA. Let's request addresses to NC voters today.
POSTCARDS FOR OHIO JUDGES: “"Thank you for letting me share the news of this important #PostcardsToVoters campaign in Ohio. Remember, while the handwritten messages will name these two Democrats running to flip the Ohio Supreme Court to a Democratic majority, any Democratic voter we encourage to vote will also vote for the top of the ticket for Biden/Harris. Request your addresses right here on Facebook if you're already approved by clicking: http://m.me/AbbyTheAddressBot Get approved easily by texting JOIN to (484) 275-2229 or email us at Join@TonyTheDemocrat.org".
ELECTION - REGISTERING VOTERS
ELECTION - OTHER
PROTECT THE RESULTS: MoveOn is building a coalition of voters ready to mobilize nonviolently if Donald Trump refuses, as he's threatened, to accept the results of the 2020 presidential election. We can join them here: https://protecttheresults.com/moveonrecruit/
DEFEND THE VOTE: Every eligible voter deserves to have their vote counted; democracy suffers when eligible, registered voters are turned away from the polls, unable to find their polling place, or otherwise blocked from exercising their rights. Common Cause is mobilizing thousands of Election Protection volunteers across the country to help at the polls or at home by advising voters by phone, assisting voters in person, or by tracking online disinformation. We can—and should—volunteer to do anything we can to protect the vote in November: https://protectthevote.net/
PUBLICIZE WEBSITE THAT ENABLES PEOPLE TO CHECK VOTER REGISTRATION, REGISTER TO VOTE, AND VOTE BY MAIL: Iwillvote.com enables people to check their voter registration, register to vote, and vote by mail, if possible. Let’s make sure that our friends, particularly those who are not regular voters, have this information and have checked their status and made a plan to vote. Let’s also remind them that in many states they can drop off mail-in ballots to a designated location, if they’re concerned about USPS, or take advantage of less crowded conditions during early voting times.
INCREASE THE NUMBER OF BLUE VOTES REPORTED ON ELECTION NIGHT: Trump has refused to commit to a peaceful transition of power, and his plan for election night is clear. If early ballots counted on election night trend Republican, Trump will declare victory. He will then discount mail-in votes as they come in after election night as illegitimate. These mail-in ballots may well be overwhelmingly Democratic. We must ensure that all ballots are counted by being strategic in how we vote depending on when our state counts mail-in ballots. Use this tool to find out if you state is an early-counting state or a late-counting state. (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1f73Q33qek37TjD9J8-yNf-gWkrYVHby6dr_z6UzYgAc/edit) If you are in a late counting state, consider voting in person if you can do so safely.
BE A POLL OBSERVER: Beyond voting and being a poll worker, one of the ways that we can get involved and protect the integrity of the vote this November is by being a poll observer (https://bit.ly/2GLkJXg). Organizations like We the Action and the Election Protection Coalition are training volunteers to navigate the voting process, look out for disinformation, and ensure that voters know their rights. For the lawyers among us, let's sign up to help staff the Election Protection voter hotline on election day. For everyone else, we can volunteer to protect the vote here.
SPINAL TAP FUNDRAISER FOR PA DEMS: For a donation to PA Democrats we can listen in on a Spinal Tap cast reunion and rereading of the original script. Click here for more info: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/spinaltap
STATE/LOCAL ISSUES
ALL - NO GUNS AT POLLS: Amnesty International is urging us all to contact our governors to ask them to ban all guns at or near polling places: https://www.amnestyusa.org/press-releases/pre-election-advisory-ban-guns-at-and-near-polling-places/ One would think this unnecessary were it not for recent history where guns turn up not merely to threaten BLM protesters but store clerks requesting that customers wear masks. Here’s an easy way to reach our governors: https://act.amnestyusa.org/page/68657/action/1
ALL - ACCESSIBLE VOTING: One of the many ways that voter disenfranchisement occurs in the U.S. is via inaccessible ballots and voting applications for the millions of citizens with disabilities, including those with visual impairments and those who use assistive technology (https://bit.ly/2GHgNqP). We should not have to rely on private companies and advocacy organizations to repeatedly request that millions of potential voters be given equal access in elections. If our state is among those with accessibility issues, let's contact our Secretary of State and demand that they implement the changes necessary to truly make voting accessible. We can find our Secretary of State's contact information: here.
ALL - (EXCEPT CA): ENACT LEGISLATION THAT ALLOWS DETAINED IMMIGRANTS TO SUE PRIVATE PRISONS: The California legislature recently passed Assembly Bill 3228, which allows detained immigrants to sue private prisons for failing to meet minimum standards of care. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-09-28/detainees-at-californias-for-profit-ice-detention-centers-will-soon-be-able-to-sue-over-abuse-harm. As stories of human rights abuses in detention centers throughout the country continue to rise, we need similar legislation in every state. Let’s ask our state legislators to enact a similar bill.
MOST - URGE STATE GOVERNORS TO SIGN ON TO ELECTION PROTECTION STATEMENT: Eleven governors have signed on to a written statement promising to abide by the election results and declaring that ““Any efforts to throw out ballots or refuse a peaceful transfer of power are nothing less than an assault on American democracy.” Let’s ask our governor to sign on (or thank them if they already have). At the moment, all the signers are Democrats, and we should remind our Republican governors that not signing on shows complicity with Trump’s abuses of power and calls into question the integrity of the Republican party. Let’s also take the personal pledge at choosedemocracy.us that we won’t let this election be stolen.
CA - USE OUTREACH CIRCLE APP TO HELP PASS SCHOOL FUNDING PROP 15: We have a chance to increase school funding by passing Prop 15 which would raise revenue by taxing commercial and industrial real estate at their current market values and not the purchase price. https://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_15,_Tax_on_Commercial_and_Industrial_Properties_for_Education_and_Local_Government_Funding_Initiative_(2020) This race is close and we can help our schools win big by downloading the Outreach Circle app, then messaging our CA friends, families and neighbors to make sure they'll be voting YES on Prop 15. All we need to do are these simple steps: 1) Download the Outreach Circle app on our phones 2) Sign up for the Yes on 15 campaign using the code: EMT599 3) Follow the instructions to send messages or emails to our friends. We can also use Outreach Circle to send emails from our computers. Go to outreachcircle.com, and use the same code EMT599.
RALLIES/GATHERINGS/TRAININGS/GROUP ACTIONS/TWEETSTORMS
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