A Democratic show of unity

March 29, 2024

On Thursday, President Biden demonstrated his strength as a candidate and his compassion as a leader. The Biden-Harris campaign hosted a New York fundraiser featuring former presidents Clinton and Obama—a showing of unity that is a welcome relief after a winter of discontent in the Democratic Party. The Biden-Harris fundraising for a single evening surpassed $25 million—an amount greater than Trump’s fundraising total for last month ($20 million). Of course, a substantial portion of the Trump campaign haul for February will be diverted to paying his bottomless legal bills.

Talking about money feels crass. But after months of a whisper campaign by Democratic party operatives and consultants, the showing of unity deserves to be touted. Comparing it to Trump's lackluster fundraising is a helpful data point for nervous Democrats who feel that Trump is getting a free pass in the media. While that may be true, his hateful rhetoric and legal troubles are hurting him in small-dollar fundraising—a better indicator of support than weaponized polls.

Earlier in the day, President Biden announced his intention to seek full federal funding to repair the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland. The bridge suffered a catastrophic failure after being struck by a disabled cargo ship. The accident closes the sole channel that connects the Port of Baltimore to the Atlantic Ocean. The Port of Baltimore services a substantial portion of the East Coast and is the ninth largest port in the US (measured by value of cargo). The port ships and receives autos (700,000), coal, steel, and major machinery—items that affect the lives, jobs, and economic health of tens of millions of Americans—Democrats and Republicans alike.

And yet, Republicans were quick to condemn President Biden’s pledge of federal aid to rebuild the bridge. See The Hill, Battle heats up over proposed federal funding for Baltimore bridge. The arguments against the federal government stepping in to rebuild the bridge essentially come down to “It’s Baltimore’s problem; let Baltimore repair the bridge.” As GOP representative Ralph Norman of South Carolina posted,

“The very thought of having the Federal Government pay for the Baltimore bridge is TOTALLY ABSURD!!” Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) told The Hill by text message. “This exemplifies the old slogan ‘ROBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL!!’”

Gosh! Rep. Norman didn’t object when President Biden’s Infrastructure Act delivered $4.9 billion to his home state of South Carolina to help rebuild aging bridges! See WhiteHouse.gov, President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is Delivering in South Carolina. According to the White House fact sheet,

In South Carolina, there are 477 bridges and over 1,036 miles of highway in poor condition. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will rebuild our roads and includes the single largest dedicated bridge investment since the construction of the interstate highway system. Based on formula funding alone, South Carolina is expected to receive approximately $4.9 billion over five years in federal funding for highways and bridges

I wonder if Rep. Norman will recommend that South Carolina return the money the federal government is directing to South Carolina because it was “stolen from Peter to pay Paul”?

Of course, I am being sarcastic. Regional disasters deserve a coordinated response from the federal government, and President Biden was right to say that he would work to achieve that result. But for the Party of No, their only option is to criticize those who get things done for the American people. It is a bad look for the GOP.

And speaking of the Party of No, a group of states controlled by GOP governors and attorneys general have sued the Biden Administration to stop his plan to forgive hundreds of billions in student loan debt. See Washington Post, Republican states file lawsuit to halt Save, Biden’s student loan repayment plan. It’s almost as if Republicans are trying to emphasize Joe Biden’s accomplishments as we head into the heart of campaign season. What are they thinking? Oh, wait! They aren’t. They are simply opposing accomplishments by a leader who gets things done.

What are House Republicans doing instead of working to help Baltimore—and the East Coast—recover from the catastrophe? They are sending pointless articles of impeachment of the Secretary of Homeland Security to the Senate. See NPR, House will send Mayorkas impeachment articles to the Senate on Apr. 10.

As President Biden continues the momentum that was kickstarted with his State of the Union address, Republicans continue to be hampered by a flawed candidate and a poorly run campaign. The Republican National Committee has come up with the brilliant idea of denying NBC access ot the Republican convention to “punish” the network for firing Ronna McDaniel. See Politico, RNC weighs limiting NBC’s access at this summer’s convention.

Good! The less Americans see of Trump at the Republican convention, the better! Maybe the RNC should exclude all networks except Fox and OAN from the convention? That should expand the Trump base!

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RFK Jr.’s candidacy bumps into reality

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s candidacy has benefitted from his connection to a storied family and gauzy past that many Americans (wrongly) believe was a better time for America. Kennedy made his first major decision as a candidate by selecting Nicole Shanahan as his vice presidential candidate. Shanahan is the ex-wife of Sergei Brin, the co-founder of Google. She comes from Silicon Valley and has developed a reputation as a philanthropist.

Shanahan paid $7 million to a PAC to help run a 30-second ad for Kennedy during the Super Bowl. (The same PAC received major contributions from Trump megadonors.) Shanahan’s largesse in support of Kennedy might have played a role in her selection.

Shanahan has immediately created controversy for Kennedy. On Thursday, various outlets reported comments by Shanahan in which she criticized IVF. Politico reported as follows:

Nicole Shanahan has for years denounced IVF — calling it “one of the biggest lies that’s being told about women’s health today.”

At the same time, she has also been a vocal proponent of and financial backer for unconventional research into the possibility of helping women having children into their 50s and exploring no-cost interventions to help women conceive, such as exposure to sunlight.

“I’m not sure that there has been a . . . study on the effects of two hours of morning sunlight on reproductive health. I would love to fund something like that.”

Appropriate exposure to sunlight has many health benefits. (Too much exposure can be harmful.) But Shanahan is suggesting that exposure to sunlight is a substitute for IVF—betraying a profound misunderstanding of biology, science, and the hope and anxieties of millions of women and men trying to conceive. The backlash against the Alabama decision on IVF illustrates how out-of-touch Shanahan is with the strong desire of Americans to maintain their reproductive choices.

Add this bizarre controversy to the long list of reasons to oppose Kennedy’s misguided and dangerous candidacy.

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The Supreme Court continues to fail the American people

The Roberts Court continues to advance its reactionary agenda by manipulating the Court’s calendar. Its most recent outrage is to permit the continued use of congressional district lines found to be the product of racial gerrymandering. See The Guardian, South Carolina Republicans can use discriminatory map for 2024, court rules. What led to this result? The Court’s inability to act with urgency when the voting rights of Black citizens are being denied by a racist legislature.

The Supreme Court heard argument on a challenge to the district lines last October—but has failed to issue an opinion. As a result, a three-judge panel has ruled that South Carolina can use the illegal districts for the 2024 congressional elections. The federal panel said the following in allowing the districts to remain in place:

Having found that Congressional District No 1 constitutes an unconstitutional racial gerrymander . . . the appeal before the Supreme Court [is] still pending, and no remedial plan in place, the ideal must bend to the practical.

Similarly, the Supreme Court has intentionally slow-walked Trump's baseless appeal of his presidential immunity defense. See Andrew Weissman in The Atlantic, The Supreme Court Is Shaming Itself. Per Weissman,

Trump has no legal ground whatsoever to delay a ruling in his plea for presidential immunity.

The reason Trump has nevertheless sought to slow down the immunity appeals process is obvious: to postpone the trial date, hopefully pushing it into a time when, as president, he would control the Department of Justice and thus could quash the prosecution altogether.

The Supreme Court has shamed itself by being a party to this, when the sole issue before the Court is presidential immunity.

Moreover, the public has a profound interest in a fair and speedy trial. As Justice Samuel Alito wrote for a unanimous Supreme Court, the Speedy Trial Act “was designed not just to benefit defendants but also to serve the public interest.”

The Court’s languid pace when dealing with the urgent issues of voting rights and a coup-plotting presidential candidate contrast sharply with its lighting pace when then President Trump sought emergency relief in the Court. See Washington Post (8/26/21), The Supreme Court’s ‘shadow docket’ helped Trump 28 times. Biden is 0 for 1.

The current Supreme Court is not a neutral player in a hyper-partisan environment. That failure goes to the core of the third branch of our government. The Court lacks the will to fix itself. So we must fix the Court over its objection.

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Opportunities for reader engagement

Reader Deepak Puri of The Democracy Labs posted a Comment in response to yesterday’s newsletter that links to a helpful resource. Here is Deepak’s comment:

Why is it so hard to find out who your elected officials are and give them a call? Use this free app on your phone or laptop to find out who your elected officials are: Use GPS to find and call your elected official (arcgis.com).

The app uses your GPS location to find your representatives and lets you call them with just one click. Time to hold them accountable!

I tested the app and found it easy to use and informative. I noted a few mistakes and typos, so if you find the same, let Deepak know at democracylabs@substack.com.

The app includes information on 100 Senators, 50 State Attorneys General, 50 Governors, 426 Congressional reps by state. And 1,964 State Senators and 5,443 State House Reps.

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In response to yesterday’s comment about strategies for giving to candidates, several readers reminded me that Jessica Craven gave a presentation on strategic giving at a Swing Left San Gabriel Valley event. Here is a comment from a reader:

Please encourage your readers to watch the Jessica Craven video or read the summary about giving strategically politically! She’s always inspiring to watch, and, as you know, she provides a ton of valuable information. She has so much experience and research to share about how Dems can win now and build organizations and a bench for the future. The video link is here: Swing Left San Gabriel Valley | Jessica Craven.

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Concluding Thoughts

A reader posted a comment in response to yesterday’s newsletter that included a link to LoneStarLeft’s Newsletter on Substack. The reader directed me to an article entitled, Will Texas Ever Turn Blue? Here's What The Data Tells Us. The article makes a convincing case that with work and discipline it is only a question of “when” not “if” Texas will turn blue.

It is a mistake to say, “Demographics determine destiny,” but it is foolish to pretend that demographics don’t matter. The point of the Lone Star Left’s article is that demographic changes in Texas give Democrats a relative advantage that can be converted into victory. Per the newsletter,

Even though Texas is trending toward a bluer and more equitable state, we can’t just sit on our hands waiting for it to happen. Everyone needs to be putting in the work, and they need to be putting in overtime work in the areas which are already blue (Houston, Dallas, Austin, etc).

After reading the article, I was more hopeful about the prospects for a blue Texas. We should not underestimate the corrosive power of gerrymandering, but gerrymandering inevitably runs into the mathematical limits imposed by demographic shifts.

What is happening in Texas is being replicated across America. Yesterday, I wrote about Marilyn Lands's win in an Alabama legislative seat near Huntsville. Several readers sent notes saying, “Don’t get too excited. Huntsville is an area in Alabama that is attracting younger, more educated workers.” What!? That is a reason to get excited—because that trend is inevitable, everywhere.

While we can’t sit back and wait for demographic changes to flip red states to blue, we should take hope that our hard work today will allow us to convert the demographic advantages into future victories. Hold on to that thought as we do the hard work that will turn our hopes into realities.

Talk to you tomorrow!