Argh! Thanks for the correction. I have edited the online version. A good friend of Max Boot's recommended the article to me, and I had it in my head that Boot was the author. Ugh! I am pinning your comment to the top for others to see.
For all you fellow introverts and lovers of democracy:
Before becoming one of the aforementioned Giving Circle leaders, I had NO experience with fund raising for anything. The seeds to start a GC were sown during Robert’s podcast this spring with Melissa Walker, founder of the States Project. It seemed the most daunting task I could attempt and didn’t have a clue how to get started. The day Dobb’s came down, my angst was so extreme that I could hardly breathe. It took the horror of what Dobb’s meant, for me to launch my circle even if it meant bumbling my way forward. Fortunately, The States Project has many resources and supports to draw on including last night’s meeting with Robert and Melissa. Not only did I raise more than 5 times my original modest goal, but I keep extending it because I know how valuable our donations are. Getting to hear from TSP endorsed candidates and the local political support teams is INSPIRING! I am captivated by each state’s fight and want to support each and every one. Instead of being paralyzed by fear that could easily harden into depression, I’m learning new skills and developing as a leader. As my sense of community and interconnection across our great country grows, the Isolation and fear that feed the illusion of separation diminishes. TSP is an antidote! Check it out!
Thank you Robert, for your leadership, clarity, and warmth, and for each and every Today’s Edition you write. Your embodiment of servant leadership is a beacon for us all.
As a fellow introvert and someone who is desperate to save democracy from the MAGA infiltration, I salute you, Melissa. I'm so glad you rose to the occasion and discovered a skill set you didn't know you had. This newsletter is keeping the faith alive for me.
Thank you, Robert. Your commentaries help me start my day over here in Wiesbaden. I look forward to waking up one day and reading that we residents of Munschken Land are joyously putting this wicked witch to bed.
No time for procrastination on this. The States Project has assigned October 3 as the Giving Circles' fundraising deadline for this election cycle. This way the funds can be distributed to the campaigns in time for the candidates to focus their attention on meeting voters in person--the most effective way of getting votes on November 8 Election Day.
Speaking of effective, The States Project does the research for where our precious donor dollars will be most effective to shift or keep state legislative power safe in the hands of Democrats. If you haven't yet, do check it out!
Inspiring. Inspiring because Robert renews our courage by reminding us that "all we have to fear is fear itself."
Inspiring because it tells us that grass roots citizens are joining hands to do the real work to defend all that is good in this country.
I need "inspiring" these days. I avoid the news because it's so disturbing. If the "news" was as inspiring as Robert's column (and the Tweets I follow) I could quit watching old movies and cooking shows and dare to watch MSNBC again.
I have been co-heading a Giving Circle for the last few years and I am a huge believer in The States Project (statesproject.org) and the Giving Circles. Worth mentioning that all the funds we raise go straight to the statehouse races of our chosen TSP state, which then gets the candidates off the phones looking for funds, and out canvassing, which helps with the races at the top of the ticket too.
TSP does meticulous research to choose which states to be in. They are in 10 this cycle and each one with very good reason. Melissa Walker is a real hero. If you haven't seen her 2-minute video about Giving Circles, it's great: https://statesproject.org/get-involved/giving-circles/
Robert, it's fantastic that your newsletter got all those Giving Circles going!! And FYI everyone, it's ok to join more than one Giving Circle. Each one is a great little community. Once you join, you can then invite your friends to join. People are looking for ways to help! Robert, I am going to join a couple of these GCs! Thank you!
For those who don't know Sarah, she is a multi-talented dynamo who is rallying thousands to participate in efforts to defend our democracy. Sarah, thanks for all you do. Can you please publish the link to your Giving Circle?
Thank you Sarah; I never saw this video. I'm so moved by Melissa's message. It also makes me aware yet again that we have no local voice in DC and we are completely ruled by congress. So are giving circles assigned states or do you select?
I just gave to a GC. I also asked for money put into my Florida’s legislative races. We must emasculate DeSantis by taking away his lap dog legislators. Etc, etc ;etc.
Graham loves a strong leader he can follow. When McCain was alive, he was following a true patriot (with whom I disagreed frequently); but with McCain gone, Graham cast about for another leader he could follow and ended up with a corrupt narcissist. It says something about Graham that he doesn't appear to care about morality to distinguish who his next leader will be.
Graham and Biden were colleagues and friends who enjoyed dinners together. Quote from Graham: “He’ll maybe be the best person to have. I mean, how mad can you get at Joe Biden?”
I have long suspected that. It would explain his abrupt turnaround. Although he does seem to have a tendency to lean on more dominant politicians and has said he wanted to be "relevant" when he cast his lot with trump.
But Graham's complete flip flop on Trump must strike some besides me as false. I bet even Trump suspects he's only today's flavor of the month. I am surprised that strong minded South Carolinians, of whatever political stripe, can stand him.
Sad because I believe that TFG will become yesterday's news before too long. He's pretty boring and the peat and repeat business, chest-thumping, and Mafia boss bs have got to turn a lot of people off.
I attended the Zoom presentation you recommended by Focus for Democracy and was so glad I did. I was very impressed by the carefully researched work Working America is doing and felt good about sending them money. I had previously written to the DCCC about not giving them any more money because of the large donation they made to a right wing Republican to help him beat a republican who had voted to impeach Trump. And I was impressed with their targeting extremely important positions at the state level. Most ofy money will go to groups like Working America from now on. Thank you for the suggestion!
I have heard rave reviews from dozens of readers who attended the Focus for Democracy zoom presentation. The link for the organization is here: https://www.focus4democracy.org/
I didn't attend the event but I went to their site and signed up for notices about upcoming events. I included the link to your newsletter and told them that's how I learned about them. Thank you!
Tony Ornato was not the only Secret Service Agent who was part of Trump's attempted coup. I predict Biden has been careful to keep those insurrectionist Secret Service agents off his protection detail.
I have subscribed to Joyce Vance’s Substack for several weeks now and I, too, find it worthwhile. If you also haven’t listened to her podcast Sisters in Law (with Jill Winebanks, Kimberly Adkins Storr and Barbara McQuade) it is also worth looking into. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sistersinlaw/id1551206847
Thanks for the list of giving circles. This comment may seem irreverent at the moment but here it is: politics matters in our investments (stock market) too. I sold all my stocks & mutual funds as I hate that greedy corporations own our government. Instead I bought only corporations that are good for the earth. (Surprisingly that has worked out rather well). So now I am a less guilty capitalist.
I will make this short and sweet. Please stop questioning whether Merrick Garland will do the right thing. I have said from the outset that he is the right person for the job. After his amazing career in public service, at 70 years of age, he will do his job as AG to insure that the DOJ, an institution for which he cares greatly, will stay committed to the RULE OF LAW. No panty waist from South Carolina or blow-hard from Florida will deter him from his task. If the case for an indictment of Trump or anyone else is there , then it will happen. The long and the short of it is that Trumpsters are cowards, they proved that on January 6.
Agree 100%!!! A.G. Merrick Garland was and is the perfect person for the job! And the DoJ's ground up, thorough process, flipping J6 insurrectionist traitors means that tRump's and gRaham's militia leaders, and many of their armed minions, have been disarmed and locked up. Doing it right.
Again, excellent post. Robert, the best of your posts always offer great resources so readers can take action; in this case the The States Project Giving Circles. I will check the links out and certainly give to one or more. Thank you!!
….”Trump’s motion is so weak, the DOJ could perhaps defeat it with a simple two page filing. The DOJ’s request for a forty page court filing makes clear that it wants to put a significant amount of information out there about its Trump probe – presumably so that it can publicly correct every piece of misinformation that Trump and his allies have tried to put out there. In other words, the DOJ basically gets to file a lengthy press release about its Trump probe, while doing it within the proper scope of this kind of criminal probe.There’s a good chance Donald Trump is going to end up regretting having filed for a special master to begin with. Not only is it too late for a special master to really delay anything, it’s now also prompted the judge to let the DOJ submit a forty page thesis about just how guilty Trump is…” Palmer
One has to wonder if this judge is just one more among the unqualified TFG appointees, if she is seeking her fifteen minutes of fame, or if she's a MAGAt at heart. The response by DOJ is brilliant and from where I sit, Cannon looks like a loose cannon and foolish to boot.
You post a link to an excellent Washington Post article about the perniciousness of Graham’s threats. But its author is Greg Sargent, not Max Boot.
Argh! Thanks for the correction. I have edited the online version. A good friend of Max Boot's recommended the article to me, and I had it in my head that Boot was the author. Ugh! I am pinning your comment to the top for others to see.
There are still a couple of references to Boot in the online edition.
For all you fellow introverts and lovers of democracy:
Before becoming one of the aforementioned Giving Circle leaders, I had NO experience with fund raising for anything. The seeds to start a GC were sown during Robert’s podcast this spring with Melissa Walker, founder of the States Project. It seemed the most daunting task I could attempt and didn’t have a clue how to get started. The day Dobb’s came down, my angst was so extreme that I could hardly breathe. It took the horror of what Dobb’s meant, for me to launch my circle even if it meant bumbling my way forward. Fortunately, The States Project has many resources and supports to draw on including last night’s meeting with Robert and Melissa. Not only did I raise more than 5 times my original modest goal, but I keep extending it because I know how valuable our donations are. Getting to hear from TSP endorsed candidates and the local political support teams is INSPIRING! I am captivated by each state’s fight and want to support each and every one. Instead of being paralyzed by fear that could easily harden into depression, I’m learning new skills and developing as a leader. As my sense of community and interconnection across our great country grows, the Isolation and fear that feed the illusion of separation diminishes. TSP is an antidote! Check it out!
Thank you Robert, for your leadership, clarity, and warmth, and for each and every Today’s Edition you write. Your embodiment of servant leadership is a beacon for us all.
You are a true patriot and hero of the resistance! Thanks for all you do!
As a fellow introvert and someone who is desperate to save democracy from the MAGA infiltration, I salute you, Melissa. I'm so glad you rose to the occasion and discovered a skill set you didn't know you had. This newsletter is keeping the faith alive for me.
That is very inspiring!
💙💙💙💙💙💙💙
Thank you, Robert. Your commentaries help me start my day over here in Wiesbaden. I look forward to waking up one day and reading that we residents of Munschken Land are joyously putting this wicked witch to bed.
Toggling between there and Wonderland and the Queen.
Yes to The States Project Giving Circles! A few weeks ago, Robert mentioned another one not on tonight's list: Tending to Democracy
https://www.grapevine.org/giving-circle/1XQhnyD/Tending-to-Democracy
($10,175 raised of $15,000 goal)
No time for procrastination on this. The States Project has assigned October 3 as the Giving Circles' fundraising deadline for this election cycle. This way the funds can be distributed to the campaigns in time for the candidates to focus their attention on meeting voters in person--the most effective way of getting votes on November 8 Election Day.
Speaking of effective, The States Project does the research for where our precious donor dollars will be most effective to shift or keep state legislative power safe in the hands of Democrats. If you haven't yet, do check it out!
I just donated to Tending to Democracy Giving Circle! Keep up the good work!
Robert, you just made our work for democracy a little easier. Thank you for your generosity!
Ellie Kona, on behalf of the Tending to Democracy Giving Circle leaders
🙏
Inspiring. Inspiring because Robert renews our courage by reminding us that "all we have to fear is fear itself."
Inspiring because it tells us that grass roots citizens are joining hands to do the real work to defend all that is good in this country.
I need "inspiring" these days. I avoid the news because it's so disturbing. If the "news" was as inspiring as Robert's column (and the Tweets I follow) I could quit watching old movies and cooking shows and dare to watch MSNBC again.
I have been co-heading a Giving Circle for the last few years and I am a huge believer in The States Project (statesproject.org) and the Giving Circles. Worth mentioning that all the funds we raise go straight to the statehouse races of our chosen TSP state, which then gets the candidates off the phones looking for funds, and out canvassing, which helps with the races at the top of the ticket too.
TSP does meticulous research to choose which states to be in. They are in 10 this cycle and each one with very good reason. Melissa Walker is a real hero. If you haven't seen her 2-minute video about Giving Circles, it's great: https://statesproject.org/get-involved/giving-circles/
Robert, it's fantastic that your newsletter got all those Giving Circles going!! And FYI everyone, it's ok to join more than one Giving Circle. Each one is a great little community. Once you join, you can then invite your friends to join. People are looking for ways to help! Robert, I am going to join a couple of these GCs! Thank you!
For those who don't know Sarah, she is a multi-talented dynamo who is rallying thousands to participate in efforts to defend our democracy. Sarah, thanks for all you do. Can you please publish the link to your Giving Circle?
Thank you Sarah; I never saw this video. I'm so moved by Melissa's message. It also makes me aware yet again that we have no local voice in DC and we are completely ruled by congress. So are giving circles assigned states or do you select?
Like Rosalind, we here near Frankfurt are holding our breath for our family and friends and actually to save democracy for the whole world. Thank you.
I just gave to a GC. I also asked for money put into my Florida’s legislative races. We must emasculate DeSantis by taking away his lap dog legislators. Etc, etc ;etc.
Graham loves a strong leader he can follow. When McCain was alive, he was following a true patriot (with whom I disagreed frequently); but with McCain gone, Graham cast about for another leader he could follow and ended up with a corrupt narcissist. It says something about Graham that he doesn't appear to care about morality to distinguish who his next leader will be.
Graham and Biden were colleagues and friends who enjoyed dinners together. Quote from Graham: “He’ll maybe be the best person to have. I mean, how mad can you get at Joe Biden?”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/may/11/lindsey-graham-joe-biden-donald-trump
I think TFG has a "file" on Graham.
Thank you for reminding me of this. Which, unfortunately, just confirms that he has no backbone or convictions.
I have long suspected that. It would explain his abrupt turnaround. Although he does seem to have a tendency to lean on more dominant politicians and has said he wanted to be "relevant" when he cast his lot with trump.
But Graham's complete flip flop on Trump must strike some besides me as false. I bet even Trump suspects he's only today's flavor of the month. I am surprised that strong minded South Carolinians, of whatever political stripe, can stand him.
Me too.
Sad because I believe that TFG will become yesterday's news before too long. He's pretty boring and the peat and repeat business, chest-thumping, and Mafia boss bs have got to turn a lot of people off.
And the lack of class evinced by Don Jr and Eric is really shocking. They grew up in privilege and are well educated.
And Putin has a file on Trump!
Something for sure because Linsey Graham used to seem like a reasonable person, but not now. Why go for TFG? He smashes everything he touches.
I'm now waiting for him to sign onto the DeSantis bandwagon.
That's a pretty nauseating thought, isn't it?
Yes, but not unlikely either. If past is prologue...
UGH. Where did all these creeps come from anyway? Someone surely forgot to latch the cage.
I attended the Zoom presentation you recommended by Focus for Democracy and was so glad I did. I was very impressed by the carefully researched work Working America is doing and felt good about sending them money. I had previously written to the DCCC about not giving them any more money because of the large donation they made to a right wing Republican to help him beat a republican who had voted to impeach Trump. And I was impressed with their targeting extremely important positions at the state level. Most ofy money will go to groups like Working America from now on. Thank you for the suggestion!
I have heard rave reviews from dozens of readers who attended the Focus for Democracy zoom presentation. The link for the organization is here: https://www.focus4democracy.org/
I didn't attend the event but I went to their site and signed up for notices about upcoming events. I included the link to your newsletter and told them that's how I learned about them. Thank you!
Tony Ornato was not the only Secret Service Agent who was part of Trump's attempted coup. I predict Biden has been careful to keep those insurrectionist Secret Service agents off his protection detail.
I have subscribed to Joyce Vance’s Substack for several weeks now and I, too, find it worthwhile. If you also haven’t listened to her podcast Sisters in Law (with Jill Winebanks, Kimberly Adkins Storr and Barbara McQuade) it is also worth looking into. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sistersinlaw/id1551206847
Thanks for the list of giving circles. This comment may seem irreverent at the moment but here it is: politics matters in our investments (stock market) too. I sold all my stocks & mutual funds as I hate that greedy corporations own our government. Instead I bought only corporations that are good for the earth. (Surprisingly that has worked out rather well). So now I am a less guilty capitalist.
Pat, I’m sure the financial experts agree with your strategy :) I wish DeSantis would keep his anti-WOKE campaign out of my pension !
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-25/esg-pros-say-republican-anti-woke-bashing-hurts-regular-savers
I will make this short and sweet. Please stop questioning whether Merrick Garland will do the right thing. I have said from the outset that he is the right person for the job. After his amazing career in public service, at 70 years of age, he will do his job as AG to insure that the DOJ, an institution for which he cares greatly, will stay committed to the RULE OF LAW. No panty waist from South Carolina or blow-hard from Florida will deter him from his task. If the case for an indictment of Trump or anyone else is there , then it will happen. The long and the short of it is that Trumpsters are cowards, they proved that on January 6.
Agree 100%!!! A.G. Merrick Garland was and is the perfect person for the job! And the DoJ's ground up, thorough process, flipping J6 insurrectionist traitors means that tRump's and gRaham's militia leaders, and many of their armed minions, have been disarmed and locked up. Doing it right.
Again, excellent post. Robert, the best of your posts always offer great resources so readers can take action; in this case the The States Project Giving Circles. I will check the links out and certainly give to one or more. Thank you!!
….”Trump’s motion is so weak, the DOJ could perhaps defeat it with a simple two page filing. The DOJ’s request for a forty page court filing makes clear that it wants to put a significant amount of information out there about its Trump probe – presumably so that it can publicly correct every piece of misinformation that Trump and his allies have tried to put out there. In other words, the DOJ basically gets to file a lengthy press release about its Trump probe, while doing it within the proper scope of this kind of criminal probe.There’s a good chance Donald Trump is going to end up regretting having filed for a special master to begin with. Not only is it too late for a special master to really delay anything, it’s now also prompted the judge to let the DOJ submit a forty page thesis about just how guilty Trump is…” Palmer
Thanks for the quote. I was unaware that the DOJ had requested 40 pages of briefing.
Here is the link to the Palmer Report: https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/judge-hands-the-doj-a-big-win-over-donald-trump/46878/
One has to wonder if this judge is just one more among the unqualified TFG appointees, if she is seeking her fifteen minutes of fame, or if she's a MAGAt at heart. The response by DOJ is brilliant and from where I sit, Cannon looks like a loose cannon and foolish to boot.