10/8/18
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********************************
Many newspapers, including New York Times and Washington
Post require subscriptions, but without one we can see a few articles
each month. We can also check with our
local libraries to find out how to get online access through them.
1. This
week in Congress: The Senate will start their week on Monday by
continuing forward with three (3) nominations (Source: Senate Executive
Calendar): 1) Jeffrey Bossert Clark,
of Virginia, to be an Assistant Attorney General; He is a climate-policy foe.
(Source: Inside Climate News).
2) Eric S. Dreiband, of Maryland, to be an Assistant Attorney General for the
Civil Rights Division; Lambda Legal and 60 other LGBTQ are opposed.
(Source: Lambda Legal)
and 3) James N. Stewart, of North Carolina, to be an Assistant Secretary of
Defense. (Bio at ProPublica.)
Additionally they will look at S3021:
America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018. (Source: govtrack) This
bill passed in the Senate and the House, but the House made changes and sent it
back to the Senate on September 13, 2018. McConnell thinks we're not
paying attention after Kavanaugh. Let's make sure our Senators know we are
opposed to the two Assistant Attorney General nominees. The House is out
of town until after the midterm elections, returning to Washington DC on
November 13.
2. We
cannot be sure why the New York Times dropped this bombshell,
took-a-year-to-investigate story in the middle of the Kavanaugh confirmation
process but it was easy for it to get lost in the vital noise:https://nyti.ms/2QwNWoM
It is a remarkable story of the lies that undergird Trump’s origin story
(like the ‘I only got a one-million-dollar loan from my father’ ones) and the
massive tax fraud that has marked his family’s financial path. Let’s get more familiar
with the details (summary available in this podcast episode of The Daily: https://nyti.ms/2Nt9IYo) and
then let our MoC know that the fraudulent past of our president warrants close
examination and is unacceptable.
3. "My
favorite three words in our Constitution is the first three words — 'We the
People.' 'We the People.' But recently it’s become 'me the president,' as
opposed to 'We the People.' And you see things that should not be
happening," the former U.S. Army general [Colin Powell] said. . .” https://thehill.com/homenews/news/410301-powell-its-now-me-the-president-instead-of-we-the-people
Let’s tell our MoCs know that now that
there are others within the GOP who speaking out against the current administration,
that they, too, need to step up.
4. The
Kavanaugh confirmation process did not go as we hoped it would (nor as we
fought for it to go):
https://www.apnews.com/78cd880123494650b08012fe28178e75/Kavanaugh-sworn-in-as-protesters-chant-outside-Supreme-Court .
Let’s make sure we are attending to our own self-care after this rough stretch
and then we can turn our attention to some follow-up actions. 1) Let’s be in
touch with our own Senators to say thanks or express our dismay depending on
their votes. 2) Let’s reach out and thank our favorite activists whether on the
national stage or in our own local circles. 3) Let’s pause and thank Senators
Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska for taking a
principled stand within their respective parties: https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/ and https://www.murkowski.senate.gov We
can also consider a contribution to Heitkamp’s reelection fight. She is facing
a tough (and awful) Republican challenger and he is ahead in the polls: https://heidifornorthdakota.com
5. Last
year, Vice President Mike Pence’s walkout in an NFL game after NFL players
kneeled during the national anthem cost taxpayers $325,000. https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/410328-pences-nfl-walkout-cost-taxpayers-325000-report.
Considering this walkout was
planned, and considering that this week’s events
have confirmed that the GOP is more concerned about kneeling during the
national anthem than they are about sexual assault, let’s publicly ask Vice
President Pence on Facebook
or Twitter (@VP) to personally pay back those funds and donate them to a rape
crisis center.
6. Rep.
Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) are introducing a
bipartisan bill that would allow undocumented immigrants stepping forward to
sponsor undocumented migrant children and prevent DHS from arresting and
deporting them. https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/01/politics/ice-arrests-immigrant-child-sponsors-legislation/index.html.
Let’s tell our MoCs that our first priority needs to be the welfare of this
growing number of children who should be with families, rather than in custody.
7. Apparently,
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos will miss next month's deadline to repeal and
replace two rules intended to prevent predatory practices at for-profit
colleges; whether because of understaffing, as some for-profits claim, or
something else, the “borrower defense” rule, which outlines debt forgiveness
for defrauded students, and the “gainful employment” rule, which sanctions
colleges whose students are unable to find work, will stay on the books for the
moment:
https://www.npr.org/2018/10/06/654462687/devos-misses-rulemaking-deadline-teachers-sue-loan-servicer-detroit-students-str
DeVos has, however, found time and staffing to draft changes to Title IX policy
that would stiffen legal protections for those accused of sexual misconduct on
campus and reduce liability for institutions: https://thehill.com/opinion/civil-rights/406585-reforms-to-campus-sexual-abuse-policy-rattle-congress In
this new Age of Kavanaugh, let’s insist colleges are made to appropriately
address sexual misconduct: 800-872-5327 or U.S. Department of Education, 400
Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20202
8. From
one of our own: Scheduled to be published on 10/10/18, when the 60-day comment
period will open: DHS announces rule blocking visas and green cards to
immigrants on Medicaid, public housing, food stamps. Comment period will open
when it is published in Federal Register, so write to Senators and
Congressional Reps: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/trump-admin-rule-would-deny-visas-green-
cards-immigrants-who-n910791 Announcement: https://www.dhs.gov/news/2018/09/22/dhs-announces-new-proposed-immigration-rule-enforce-long-standing-law-promotes-self
Proposed rule: https://www.dhs.gov/publication/proposed-rule-inadmissibility-public-charge-grounds
For more public comment links and
deadlines, we can check here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yJ10YWsyglVhcRj0A1amJ7J73LPXoeq4/view
9. From
one of our own: National Park Service proposal to limit protests on the
National Mall. “The National Parks Service is proposing a restrictive,
expensive, and unjustified expansion limits on free speech on land in
Washington, DC. For the first time, the U.S. government wants demonstrators to
pay to use our parks, sidewalks and streets to engage in free speech in the
nation’s capital. This should be called what it is: a protest tax. And it’s not
just that. They are also proposing changes that would allow them to: A) End a
protest at any time for a perceived violation of a permit, B) Limit protests at the Martin Luther King
Memorial, C) Add uncertainty in the
permitting process that would make it difficult or even impossible to plan for
buses, sound, stages, interpretation or other key elements, and D) Close the
White House sidewalk.” More info here: http://www.dcjwj.org/5230-2
and here: http://www.justiceonline.org/ Comment period closes October 15. Comment
here: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/08/15/2018-17386/special-regulations-areas-of-the-national-park-system-national-capital-region-special-events-and
For more public comment links and
deadlines, we can check here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yJ10YWsyglVhcRj0A1amJ7J73LPXoeq4/view
Election
2018 – General
1.
Kavanaugh will be the first justice nominated by
a president who lost the popular vote, confirmed by senators representing less
than half of the country, and opposed by a majority of the country; his
elevation to the Supreme Court, the pundits say, will either provoke a blue
“tsunami” in November or re-energize the GOP. Let’s use our energy and
rage to ensure it’s the former. The ACLU is looking for people to host
phone banks nationwide: https://go.peoplepower.org/event/action/search/?akid=60895.2531084.sbsfYC&rd=1&t=1&type=phonebanks
--Indivisible wants phone bankers-- https://www.indivisible.org/phonebank, and,
of course, Postcards to Voters—https://postcardstovoters.org –always
wants writers, or let’s contact local campaigns and ask what they need.
2.
As appalling as it may be to acknowledge, Brett
Kavanaugh has joined the Supreme Court. His confirmation is a tragedy, but
it is really only one sign of a larger problem. The trouble is that our
government, from the White House through the Congress and (increasingly) the
Judiciary, doesn't represent us. So let's use our rage and disappointment as fuel
to fix that problem! As usual, Indivisible makes it easy to
get started: https://act.indivisible.org/signup/gotv-volunteer/
3.
Activist and actor Alyssa Milano sent out a
Twitter thread with contribution information for the six Democrats running
against the six incumbent Republican Senate candidates in this election who
voted for Kavanaugh:
https://twitter.com/Alyssa_Milano/status/1048744069533392898 Let’s
contribute if we can.
4.
If we are in a blue state and want to help a red
state, the Democratic Party of Georgia and superstar gubernatorial candidate
Stacey Abrams are in a very tight race here and they are set up to take out of
state help. When elected -- and they are all working 24/7 to make it happen --
Stacey will be the first black female governor ever, which will have a
tremendous ripple effect throughout the South and the entire country. The DGP is managing the largest commitment to
grassroots voter contact by a campaign or party in Georgia in a generation. Out
of state friends and family members who'd like to help, either remotely or by
traveling here, can sign up here for the Georgia Blue Wave program:
5.
Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) took a brave, principled stand by voting No on Kavanaugh ‘s confirmation, an unpopular move in her red state in North Dakota where her opponent leads 53% to 41 numbers, according to CNN. . We need brave fighters like Heidi in the Senate and we can keep her there by calling voters in her behalf. We can find out more and sign up to phone bank for her here: https://heidifornorthdakota.com/volunteer/
Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) took a brave, principled stand by voting No on Kavanaugh ‘s confirmation, an unpopular move in her red state in North Dakota where her opponent leads 53% to 41 numbers, according to CNN. . We need brave fighters like Heidi in the Senate and we can keep her there by calling voters in her behalf. We can find out more and sign up to phone bank for her here: https://heidifornorthdakota.com/volunteer/
6.
Want to encourage your friends to vote? There's
an app for that. "VoteWithMe relies on a database of publicly
available voting records and compares it to your contact list, with permission.
The app then shows which friends are registered as a Democrat or Republican, or
are unaffiliated, and which ones live in tight districts where their vote is
especially impactful. Armed with that information, users can send messages to
their friends reminding them to vote. VoteWithMe suggests messages but
ultimately leaves the final word up to the user." https://www.geekwire.com/2018/app-shows-friends-voting-history-makes-easy-nudge-get-polls/ Download
this nifty app right here and let's nudge our friends to vote! https://votewithme.us
7.
Here’s a fun GIFt we can use in our social media
in posts about voter registration deadlines:
https://politicalcharge.org/2018/10/05/a-gift-for-my-political%E2%9A%A1charge-readers/
8.
From one of our own: (link correction) If you
know any volunteers in blue states who want to help a red state (we do often
get calls and emails from other states, which is so sweet), the Democratic
Party of Georgia (DGP) and superstar gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams are
in a very tight race here and they are set up to take out of state help if you
know anyone who wants to give it. When elected -- and we're all working 24/7 to
make it happen -- Stacey will be the first black female governor ever, which
will have a tremendous ripple effect throughout the South and the entire
country. The DGP is managing the largest commitment to grassroots voter contact
by a campaign or party in Georgia in a generation. Out of state friends and
family members who'd like to help, either remotely or by traveling here, can
sign up here for the Georgia Blue Wave program:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdEWWWtrcLvdYSduwj2Goi_1a0yc2WIki-JYmJvdnTBs-CqIw/viewform
9.
While concentrating on sending postcards to
voters in CA, this resource also includes instructions for other programs at
well. Let’s check it out and write some postcards! https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vRr9fX-3pgiuz6n8T7wrkKu958fO2wn9qU60dk8YOc812MNzgM_Ge-yRc7aTMEhpo7fCo9h75AjjpaA/pub
10. The
48th Congressional District in California is among the highest profile and
intriguing races in the country. The seat is held by 15-term Republican
incumbent Dana Rohrabacher who Politico calls “Putin’s favorite
congressman.” Now we have an opportunity to help flip this seat with
Postcards To Voters' Campaign 116: Harley Rouda for
Congress. If we are looking for action we can take after the Kavanaugh confirmation,
writing postcards to get-out-the-vote is easy, effective and empowering. Let's
write 5 cards today and encourage our friends to sign up as new
volunteers here or
by emailing JOIN@TonyTheDemocrat.org. Georgia Campaign 115: Stacey Abrams is
still open as well.
Election 2018 – By State
1.
ALL: Upcoming voting dates and deadlines: by date:
https://goo.gl/gjFv2u by
state: https://goo.gl/7gTzvE
2.
ALL: If we are not sure where to start looking for
information about candidates, issues, etc., we can check out the League of
Women Voters’ website: https://www.vote411.org/
Other Actions
1.
“When
we’re in bad shape, our power is diminished — we’re less creative, more
reactive, and less able to plan strategically. If we intend to stay active and
effective in the world, we have a responsibility to tend to our spirits. Here
are 7 behaviors we can use right away to strengthen ourselves, so we can keep taking
more and more powerful and strategic actions”:
http://www.findingsteadyground.com/#.W7K0y2ipg7k.twitter
2.
Dr. Christine Blasey Ford was clear about her
concerns that coming forward to speak against Kavanaugh would be useless and
she may feel at this time that it was. Let’s take the time to send bright
colorful postcards (that do not require opening and are clearly not hate mail)
to let her know that her courage will fuel our own determination and commitment
and that we will not let her risk be in vain: Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, Palo
Alto University, 1791 Arastradero Rd, Palo Alto, CA, 94304
3.
The Michigan Support Circle is working on fundraising to help support
immigrants who are unable to work during their asylum proceedings. Let’s help if we can: https://www.gofundme.com/8yha2-we-can-help and let’s share this message as well.
4.
We now have a Supreme Court majority that is
hostile to progressive law reform, with no apparent swing justice. Therefore, until
the Court changes, the high-impact litigation strategy of the ACLU and other
groups may not always be the best approach. Why litigate all the way to the
Supreme Court just to lose the case and get bad precedent on the books? Let’s
urge the ACLU to develop other strategies for pursing the civil rights, civil
liberties, and equal justice agenda—including state and local court strategies,
state legislation, election reforms, partnerships with grassroots
organizations, community organizing, and pro-worker, pro-environmental
partnerships with the business community: https://www.aclu.org/general-feedback,
or Anthony D. Romero, ACLU Executive Director, 125 Broad St, 18th Fl,
New York, NY 10004. Bonus points for joining (or rejoining) the ACLU: https://www.aclu.org/
Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to
attend/organize
1. Beginning
Monday, October 15, and running for
four consecutive weeks, Jen Hofmann, creator of the weekly Americans
of Conscience Checklist is
offering a tele-class called The Art of Perseverance to help keep us
going. We can find more details, and how
to sign up, here: https://jenniferhofmann.com/the-art-of-perseverance/
2. In
a national effort coordinated by author Glennon Doyle, every Friday “through
Consumer Black Friday (Nov 23), WE ARE GOING TO TURN OUR RAGE INTO
CHANGE. We are going to: Represent, Act, Gather & Exit.” https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10156714102374710&id=178909129709 When
we sign up, we will get each week’s call-to-action. “Please share this post,
tag your people, and consider signing on to support this Rage-to-Change
Movement: http://bit.ly/blackfridays2018
3.
January
19, 2019 is the date of the third Women’s March with the main event to be
held in Washington, D.C. with sister marches all over the country. Let’s find more information here: https://www.womensmarch.com/2019
States
Reading/Watching
1.
A Letter
to White Women Who Support Brett Kavanaugh by Eve Ensler: http://time.com/5415254/white-women-brett-kavanaugh-donald-trump/
2.
Don't
despair about the Supreme Court by Howard Zinn: https://progressive.org/op-eds/howard-zinn-despair-supreme-court/
3.
Kavanaugh’s appointment isn’t a step
backward. It’s a head-first plunge into an ugly past, by Sarah
Kendzior: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-kavanaughs-appointment-isnt-a-step-backward-its-a-head-first/
