Yay for the Donna Deegan win in Florida!!! And Heather Boyd won big in Pennsylvania yesterday too! PostcardsToVoters.org volunteers wrote a lot of postcards for them and two of The States Project PA Giving Circles raised funds for Heather. Yay!!!!!! Thanks so much to all who helped!!
On to Virginia!!! If anyone wants to join a TSP Giving Circle for Virginia, the Giving Circles are fantastic and we would welcome you to ours: https://www.grapevine.org/giving-circle/PdWhQ1q/The-Wednesday-Group. Any size donation is terrific and there is $1,500 in matching funds left through Friday. The Giving Circles played a huge part in flipping chambers in Michigan and Minnesota to give those states trifectas in the midterms. And also were major players in flipping the PA State House!
And Heather Boyd won a house seat in PA keeping the House blue by one seat. Huge grassroots effort. Great news for Dems! Recent events had the race as a toss up. .
The "non-partisan" news outlets are right wing disinformation operations. Where they aren't, they are objectively pro-Prepublican by "normalizing" these MAGAt Republicans.
The only way to stop the Republicans threat to our democracy is to win local elections one city and one state at a time and to send a message to the Republican Party. I live in North Carolina and yesterday’s override of Governor Cooper’s veto of the abortion bill has started a ground swell of momentum and energy that hopefully will be reflected in a grass root army taking back our state. We have had enough.
The Florida Democratic Party has a new party chair, Nikki Fried. I have made it no secret that I believe she is in the process of transforming our state party. She is young, successful and very politically astute. In just a few months she has shepherded the internal workings of the state party in a more democratic and forward-looking direction and has energized those of us who have been working in the doldrums of what formerly was a divided and insular party. Look for more Jacksonvilles.
Robert Hockett’s piece is totally convincing, and makes me realize that I have given in to overcomplicating the issue. (Cold comfort, but at least I’m not alone.). One Congress cannot bind a later one. So, when Congress sets a debt ceiling in year 1, then appropriates spending in year 2 that will force the limit to be exceeded, it has raised the limit, at least implicitly. End of story. (Hockett points out that it’s a little more complicated, but not much, and the added factors strengthen his case.) The debt ceiling is an emperor with no clothes. Time to point that out. Oh, and the 14th Amendment also makes the ceiling a nullity.
From the "entertainment" perspective, the Trump Show on CNN was a horror movie meant to frieghten the public; kind of like Frankenstein's monster showing up from the wild from time to time.
For all of us who spent too many days and nights terrorized by Trump, we were happy to have him in our rear view mirror. I, for one, do not see any positive public benefit from bringing the mad, frothing dog back into our living room or consciousness.
If CNN's ratings have tanked since Trump's performance, it's a good indicator that the public is really averse to his presence and his world view and a really bad indicator for his 3rd presidential campaign.
Today’s newsletter underscores my concern that, except for a handful of instances, commercial broadcasting basically has zeroed out journalism. The commercial pressure is so great that what little journalism remains increasingly is overshadowed by a fervent view that one can no longer do journalism—sifting the truth from propaganda—at the commercial networks.
Admittedly, people in power don’t like genuine journalism. They never have. I believe Thomas Jefferson was the first to criticize journalism when it went after him. But, he understood in principle one couldn’t have a free society without it, a precept that’s as true today as it was in 1791.
Call President Biden at (202) 456-1111. The switchboards are open until 3PM ET today, tomorrow, and Thursday.
I’m calling to ask the President NOT to cave to House Republican extortion on the debt limit! If he betrays the country by doing so Republicans will just do this every time. Please tell him not to give in! The debt limit is unconstitutional, and is in any case superseded by spending bills passed into law by Congress and signed by the President. Tell him not to cave to extortionists. We are counting on him. Thanks. [H/T]
I think we should stop speculating on what is going on “in the room where it happens,” notwithstanding our fervent wish to know how the debt ceiling drama is going to play out. I am in favor of Biden just taking unilateral action if need be, but I find it tiresome to hear people “guess” at what may be going on behind closed doors. We all want to know, but we have to wait for an actual answer. Scary for sure…..in a nail-biting way. Federal pensions, Social Security checks, and VA disability benefits all may be affected—whoever thought such “secure” sources of income would be in jeopardy?
As you point out, Dimon Rosenberg did a great job of promoting Donna to the grassroots groups and then those groups gathered their markers, postcards and stamps and helped Donna to victory. The power that we have when we work as a team
is awesome. And, ditto to everything Sarah O'Neill posted.
I'm disappointed that Biden seems to be at least accommodating the unrepentant extortionists in the GOP. The fact that he's cutting short his Asia tour is, in my view, lending credence to the GOP tactics.
He should continue to hold firm in decoupling the debt and budget discussions, while continuing to offer to do them in parallel. That's absolutely appropriate and responsible.
He should assure the American people that he will not allow us to default, and when we hit the ceiling, he should cite his responsibilities under the Constitution, which Congress is abrogating, and follow Robert Hockett's guide. He should announce his action with something like:
"The Republican Congress has brought the global economy to a fiscal cliff to exact concessions that they could not achieve through legislation. They have abrogated their Constitutional responsibility to fund the government. As the Chief Executive, it is my Constitutional responsibility to run the government and operate within the budget. As such, I will ignore the unnecessary and inappropriate debt limit for the following reasons: [recite Hockett's argument here]. To my Republican friends, who would drive us and the rest of the world off the cliff, I say, 'SUE ME!' "
Regarding the debt ceiling, I am clear that the aim of the GOP is to have a lousy economy as the 2024 election approaches so they can blame Biden.
However he does it, Biden need to have a good economy with cheap eggs, affordable gas, low unemployment, and a stock market that isn’t on a downward trajectory.
If it means negotiating with the terrorists to make that happen, so be it. Being principled and 100% right will not matter to the majority of the voters. They only want things to look good when they go to the store. It really is “the economy, stupid,” and the only thing that matters in the long term for democracy is the Democratic Party winning.
It’s the same with drilling for oil and being tough at the border and funding the police. The GOP platform is to say Biden has all these problems, so the answer to take them away.
I’m very progressive, but winning is the only option so I’ll support some policies I’m not happy with if it will take the wind out of the GOP’s sails.
I am one of those people for whom the tRump infomercial was the last straw. I tend not to watch the news on television, preferring to consume stories by choice on my devices. I have used the CNN app on my phone for years for breaking news alerts; it is gone. I am now trying the AP app. I have deleted the bookmark for CNN from my laptop. There have to be metrices for these losses somewhere, and it will be interesting to see how the numbers shake out.
Yay for the Donna Deegan win in Florida!!! And Heather Boyd won big in Pennsylvania yesterday too! PostcardsToVoters.org volunteers wrote a lot of postcards for them and two of The States Project PA Giving Circles raised funds for Heather. Yay!!!!!! Thanks so much to all who helped!!
On to Virginia!!! If anyone wants to join a TSP Giving Circle for Virginia, the Giving Circles are fantastic and we would welcome you to ours: https://www.grapevine.org/giving-circle/PdWhQ1q/The-Wednesday-Group. Any size donation is terrific and there is $1,500 in matching funds left through Friday. The Giving Circles played a huge part in flipping chambers in Michigan and Minnesota to give those states trifectas in the midterms. And also were major players in flipping the PA State House!
And Heather Boyd won a house seat in PA keeping the House blue by one seat. Huge grassroots effort. Great news for Dems! Recent events had the race as a toss up. .
The "non-partisan" news outlets are right wing disinformation operations. Where they aren't, they are objectively pro-Prepublican by "normalizing" these MAGAt Republicans.
The only way to stop the Republicans threat to our democracy is to win local elections one city and one state at a time and to send a message to the Republican Party. I live in North Carolina and yesterday’s override of Governor Cooper’s veto of the abortion bill has started a ground swell of momentum and energy that hopefully will be reflected in a grass root army taking back our state. We have had enough.
The Florida Democratic Party has a new party chair, Nikki Fried. I have made it no secret that I believe she is in the process of transforming our state party. She is young, successful and very politically astute. In just a few months she has shepherded the internal workings of the state party in a more democratic and forward-looking direction and has energized those of us who have been working in the doldrums of what formerly was a divided and insular party. Look for more Jacksonvilles.
Robert Hockett’s piece is totally convincing, and makes me realize that I have given in to overcomplicating the issue. (Cold comfort, but at least I’m not alone.). One Congress cannot bind a later one. So, when Congress sets a debt ceiling in year 1, then appropriates spending in year 2 that will force the limit to be exceeded, it has raised the limit, at least implicitly. End of story. (Hockett points out that it’s a little more complicated, but not much, and the added factors strengthen his case.) The debt ceiling is an emperor with no clothes. Time to point that out. Oh, and the 14th Amendment also makes the ceiling a nullity.
From the "entertainment" perspective, the Trump Show on CNN was a horror movie meant to frieghten the public; kind of like Frankenstein's monster showing up from the wild from time to time.
For all of us who spent too many days and nights terrorized by Trump, we were happy to have him in our rear view mirror. I, for one, do not see any positive public benefit from bringing the mad, frothing dog back into our living room or consciousness.
If CNN's ratings have tanked since Trump's performance, it's a good indicator that the public is really averse to his presence and his world view and a really bad indicator for his 3rd presidential campaign.
TFG...RIP.
Today’s newsletter underscores my concern that, except for a handful of instances, commercial broadcasting basically has zeroed out journalism. The commercial pressure is so great that what little journalism remains increasingly is overshadowed by a fervent view that one can no longer do journalism—sifting the truth from propaganda—at the commercial networks.
Admittedly, people in power don’t like genuine journalism. They never have. I believe Thomas Jefferson was the first to criticize journalism when it went after him. But, he understood in principle one couldn’t have a free society without it, a precept that’s as true today as it was in 1791.
Different topic but I have to give a shout out to Senator Whitehouse for trying to hold SCOTUS' feet to the ethics fire.
Sooo excited about Donna Deegan win !!!💙💙
From Jess Craven yesterday: ⬇️⬇️
Extra Credit ✅
Call President Biden at (202) 456-1111. The switchboards are open until 3PM ET today, tomorrow, and Thursday.
I’m calling to ask the President NOT to cave to House Republican extortion on the debt limit! If he betrays the country by doing so Republicans will just do this every time. Please tell him not to give in! The debt limit is unconstitutional, and is in any case superseded by spending bills passed into law by Congress and signed by the President. Tell him not to cave to extortionists. We are counting on him. Thanks. [H/T]
https://open.substack.com/pub/chopwoodcarrywaterdailyactions/p/chop-wood-carry-water-516-0c3?r=fqsxl&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
Old business, but why is the CNN pep rally for trump not a campaign contribution in kind? It was just free advertising.
I think we should stop speculating on what is going on “in the room where it happens,” notwithstanding our fervent wish to know how the debt ceiling drama is going to play out. I am in favor of Biden just taking unilateral action if need be, but I find it tiresome to hear people “guess” at what may be going on behind closed doors. We all want to know, but we have to wait for an actual answer. Scary for sure…..in a nail-biting way. Federal pensions, Social Security checks, and VA disability benefits all may be affected—whoever thought such “secure” sources of income would be in jeopardy?
As you point out, Dimon Rosenberg did a great job of promoting Donna to the grassroots groups and then those groups gathered their markers, postcards and stamps and helped Donna to victory. The power that we have when we work as a team
is awesome. And, ditto to everything Sarah O'Neill posted.
I'm disappointed that Biden seems to be at least accommodating the unrepentant extortionists in the GOP. The fact that he's cutting short his Asia tour is, in my view, lending credence to the GOP tactics.
He should continue to hold firm in decoupling the debt and budget discussions, while continuing to offer to do them in parallel. That's absolutely appropriate and responsible.
He should assure the American people that he will not allow us to default, and when we hit the ceiling, he should cite his responsibilities under the Constitution, which Congress is abrogating, and follow Robert Hockett's guide. He should announce his action with something like:
"The Republican Congress has brought the global economy to a fiscal cliff to exact concessions that they could not achieve through legislation. They have abrogated their Constitutional responsibility to fund the government. As the Chief Executive, it is my Constitutional responsibility to run the government and operate within the budget. As such, I will ignore the unnecessary and inappropriate debt limit for the following reasons: [recite Hockett's argument here]. To my Republican friends, who would drive us and the rest of the world off the cliff, I say, 'SUE ME!' "
Regarding the debt ceiling, I am clear that the aim of the GOP is to have a lousy economy as the 2024 election approaches so they can blame Biden.
However he does it, Biden need to have a good economy with cheap eggs, affordable gas, low unemployment, and a stock market that isn’t on a downward trajectory.
If it means negotiating with the terrorists to make that happen, so be it. Being principled and 100% right will not matter to the majority of the voters. They only want things to look good when they go to the store. It really is “the economy, stupid,” and the only thing that matters in the long term for democracy is the Democratic Party winning.
It’s the same with drilling for oil and being tough at the border and funding the police. The GOP platform is to say Biden has all these problems, so the answer to take them away.
I’m very progressive, but winning is the only option so I’ll support some policies I’m not happy with if it will take the wind out of the GOP’s sails.
I am one of those people for whom the tRump infomercial was the last straw. I tend not to watch the news on television, preferring to consume stories by choice on my devices. I have used the CNN app on my phone for years for breaking news alerts; it is gone. I am now trying the AP app. I have deleted the bookmark for CNN from my laptop. There have to be metrices for these losses somewhere, and it will be interesting to see how the numbers shake out.