If Rudy Giuliani refused to obey court orders that required him to produce electronic evidence from his phone and computers, I suspect there's something on those devices that's far more incriminating than just his defamation of Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss
Aug 31, 2023·edited Aug 31, 2023Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
Yep -- I think it's obvious. And so did the judge.
Judge Howell wrote: “Giuliani’s preference may be due to the fact, about which he has made no secret, that he faces liability, both civil and criminal, in other investigations and civil lawsuits.... [and] perhaps … made the calculation that his overall litigation risks are minimized by not complying with his discovery obligations in this case.”
No, he's just a tired old man who is fighting to stay relevant in public life. He should serve as a warning that the only person who wins in an association with Donald Trump, is Donald Trump.
Those bankruptcies were wins. The quote from J. Paul Getty comes to mind, “If you owe the bank $100, that's your problem. If you owe the bank $100 million, that's the bank's problem.”
Ruby Freeman, Shaye Moss, Fani Willis, et al are victims of "misogynoir" a comprehensive term for hatred of Black women. What a terrible thing for them and others to experience..two precursors to viciousness by Republicans and other white supremacists.
Thank you, Robert, for providing us a summation of “a week of good developments for Democrats!” You do give me hope and thanks, in great part to you, I am not being complacent.
I just spent some time this past month canvassing for the Democratic candidate, best qualified, to succeed David Cicilline’s seat as our representative for CD 1 here in RI.
I admit I had to muster up all my courage, and then some, to do this.
I had a number of meaningful and encouraging conversations, what Joyce Vance would call Civil Discourse. The unexpected bonus… my actions helped me to feel less helpless… more empowered to make meaningful contributions in our battle to save our democracy!
Susan, I just wanted to thank you for mustering up your courage” and canvassing. I get it. It isn’t easy, but it is really rewarding work. Thanks so much for being in this fight!
Susan, canvassing is some the the most angst ridden work I have ever done - and it doesn’t seem to get easier. Thank you for reaching deeply and doing it anyway. It truly does feel empowering to engage in Civil Discourse and I appreciate your efforts on behalf of the democratic process.
Canvassing is one of the hardest things to do, but it's extraordinarily fruitful. Not only does it help the candidate and empower the canvasser, it helps build bonds of community. And strong communities are the foundation of self-government, where democracy thrives.
However special primaries are cursed with low turnout. And my candidate has had targeted hate mailers filled with “disinformation”, aka, lies.
There are 12 candidates on the ballot. Most of the people I spoke with were unfamiliar with some if not all of the candidates. TV ads were their most frequent source and mailers (some hate as I mentioned).
Well yes, my candidate -- perhaps yours -- was targeted, not surprisingly -- and, given the (disappointing for me) results, I suspect that perhaps our fair state/district is not quite as "progressive" as I had hoped. Ah well....
Aug 31, 2023·edited Aug 31, 2023Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss share one important trait with many of the brave souls who had the courage to speak when so many white men cowered. Shucks, did I give the answer away?
BTW, these white males who think "rules are for suckers" are learning now from women who know better (and the enlightened men who care about them) that they delude only themselves. Think "me, too" and pro-choice. Throughout our country's history, women have saved us. Despite oppression.
The searing anger in this column -- at Republicans who believe the law does not apply to them, particularly to Rudy Giuliani and to the former guy -- is exactly appropriate. They have done the country and individuals genuine harm. Now we get an opportunity to see them reap what they have sown.
Aug 31, 2023·edited Aug 31, 2023Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
I totally agree with you. Heather Cox Richardson, in her Facebook live discussion of August 29, threw out this to listeners-Why are Kevin McCarthy and MAGA legislators so determined to use the apparatus of the US government to protect a former president? Why indeed.
Because if they don't, they'll face the vitriol of Fox and MAGA voters, and lose their next election. And nothing (rules, morals, etc.) is more important than clinging onto power.
Not just that. Trump holds secrets about them, about their character, about their lives. He has them by their “balls”, so-to-speak. His words to the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers wasn’t coincidental. They were very deliberate and look what they unleashed! We now know that members of the GOP in Congress helped fuel J6. Guess what? So does Jack Smith and now he is investigating them! I imagine there are quite a number of them doling out Depends.
OMG! I hope he is investigating the treasonous like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley. They should pay a price for the harm they have done to this country. I wish there was a way to hold Rupert Murdoch, Charles Koch, Harlan Crow, Leonard Leo accountable for the harm they have done. Evil never goes away, it just hides for a while.
Yes, and don't forget the disgusting Gym Jordan who is my House rep-Ugh! It kind of blows my mind that all of these treasonous MAGAts are still representing constituents. How can this be when they don't believe Biden is the legitimate POTUS?
Is there any way, non-threatening of course, to obtain an address or and email contact that we could use to write a letter thanking Ms Moss and Ms Freeman? I think after all they have been through with this mess they might really appreciate hearing from those of us Americans who congratulate and admire them for being such courageous Americans.
You might try https://protectdemocracy.org/work/ruby-freeman-wandrea-moss-v-gateway-pundit-et-al/. Protect Democracy writes: In this litigation Law for Truth, a project of Protect Democracy, represents Ms. Freeman and Ms. Moss, in partnership with the law firms DuBose Miller LLC, Dowd Bennett LLP, Kastorf Law, LLC, and the Yale Law School’s Media Freedom and Information Access Clinic. One additional suggestion -- not for reaching Freeman and Moss, but for information about candidates we should elect. Consider my newsletter Len's Political Notes: https://lenspoliticalnotes.com
Thanks, Len. I checked out your site. Great work! It's so inspiring to see all the ways ordinary people find to make our democracy work. I'm now a subscriber.
Good morning, Before selling our FL home and leaving, we enjoyed learning about FL history and socializing with multigenerational Floridians. However, with a rare exception, there was always an underlying fear among those Floridians like DeSantis who grew up in the racially segregated south that they were witnessing the disappearance of their historic feelings of betterment and superiority. They did whatever they could to maintain their political power, but they knew that society was slowly and painfully leveling the playing field. They would no longer feel superior to their black and brown skinned neighbors because their skin was a different shade by the luck of their birth parents. And, as we see with DeSantis, they hate this change and will do anything to preserve the dying feeling of superiority.
I grew up with folks like Rubin Askew, Lawton Chiles and Bob Graham leading and representing FL., and lived in FL fifty of my 70 years on the planet. We left the state (for family reasons) in October of 2022 and I feel so disappointed with what has happened there. Take a look at the governors from 2000 to present and you will see it's been a steady descent into what exists today.
Thank you for everything. I think maybe it would be good for you to mention Trump’s disturbing comments. I doubt you have readers who are on the Trump Train, but we have friends who are, and we talk to them. It’s hard to keep up, and I try my best by starting my day with a morning cup of coffee and you and Heather and Joyce.
He has threatened to "lock up" his opponents if he is reelected, in a discussion referencing Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden. Said that he "went easy" on Biden last time, and that it was a mistake to do so.
He is, in effect, threatening to jail his opponents.
Yes! tfg’s tactics are, when facing exposure, to accuse his accusers of the same or something worse (though it’s getting more difficult for tfg to find something worse!).
Robert, I've never thanked you sufficiently for adding links to primary sources. In this case, reading Beryl Howell's systematic flaying all of the skin from the carcass that once was Rudolph Giuliani is a simply intoxicating experience!
Well, after you mentioned the comments by Asswipe that you wouldn't repeat I went and found them, and once again I find that "If my thought dreams could be seen, they'd probably put my head in a guillotine." Too bad the traditional punishment for treason is no longer used.
More justice reporting in this article below (free to all) where a 65 year old Iowa man is sentenced by a Trump appointee for 30 months (more than the DOJ asked for) in federal prison after threatening election workers and AZ AG over election lies. Justice indeed.
It still amazes me the absolute arrogance of the majority with few exceptions in this country of the GOP. We are in a state of war and the weapons are the ballot.
When we are scared and worried about what comes next, we need to remember the courage of these two ladies. May we all have one ounce of their courage and take meaningful action and that includes poll watching and election work.
So, first of all, I am in Pasco County, Florida, but somewhat inland so we were spared the brunt of the storm. My daughter and her family are in an evacuation zone in Pinellas County so they evacuated to our house (with their two big dogs). They left this morning and we won’t know what damage their house sustained until they get there, but pictures from their neighbors who stayed show high water marks on their storage area doors. This is the third year in a row that they had to evacuate to my house and it’s only the beginning of the hurricane season.
Ok, now for my political commentary. As the indictments gain traction the Republicans get more insane and desperate. What they are trying to do to Fani Willis and trying to “defund” Jack Smith is just nuts. And when I see the lies continuing to be broadcast on FOX I wonder what it will take for them to stop. Apparently the big dollar fine they incurred from the defamation lawsuit wasn’t enough. What else can be done to go after them for their lies?
“Democrats should be confident that they will one day rule Texas at the statewide level.”
This was the sentence I needed this morning. I am by nature a realistic optimist, but I have to say yesterday was a low day for me. I read too many articles about even Biden-Trump polling and about concerns about Biden’s age, not to mention conversations with anti-Trump friends for whom that age is a huge, huge concern.
I was left really questioning how to spend my next 15 months. I’m spending many hours a week on voter registration work--naturalizations events but more recently work on college and high school campuses.
Now I’m second guessing myself. Maybe Texas is a lost cause for now? Should I sign up with Michigan or PA or Arizona?
I told my kids last evening that their dad and I (former Republicans!) sincerely believe the country is at stake in 2024.
Any suggestions to help us focus our counterattack?
Cathy, I follow Simon Rosenberg’s Hopium Chronicles Simon’s substack can be found below. He is much more positive than most and is data based. For $5 a month you can be a supporter and join live q & a’s and ask this question and others.
I know that he would say that registering young people is the number one priority-period. And it sounds like you are doing that. It sounds like your question is the where? Sometimes I split my work among states. Can you devote time to your home state and to other battlegrounds?
Also, your anti-Trump friends aren’t thrilled with Biden’s age, but does that mean that when push comes to shove in November they won’t vote for him to stop Trump from returning to the White House? They likely will. We would all love for Biden to be 5-10 years younger, but he isn’t. But he is a good President flying all over the world and amassing a great team managing crises we haven’t seen since WWII. We need to push back on the ageism and point to the accomplishments and his steady hand. Also, maybe remind them they do not wake up terrified of what horrible thing he might do today as we used to.
I hope all this helps. It must be so hard in Texas right now with a press that doesn’t tout Biden’s accomplishments.
This is so helpful, Theresa. Thank you! I do subscribe to Simon’s HOPIUM, and you have inspired me to read his postings more regularly.
(I’m finding my Twitter feed to be increasingly yucky.)
Yes, it’s the “where,” and I like your idea of allocating time and resources to both.
I believe in my heart of hearts that the country, big picture, moves forward, but Lordy, we can go backwards at times (as Heather Cox Richardson writes), but Texas right now is downright stifling.
Cathy, I'm so glad you replied. I do think that this allocating our resources is an important idea. I live in Vermont and I spend no time in my own state (other than writing my Senators asking them what the heck they are doing in the Senate because I see zero being done when they should be issuing subpoenas left and right investigating wrong doing) because it is badly needed other places. I go where the fires are. Right now it is Virginia and Ohio for November, but many people are also focusing on the KY and MS Governor races. But most of all I think we have to follow our hearts. Working in your own state make help you feel like you are moving it forward inch by inch , but solely staying mired in what is likely a long road might be too much for you. I would make one suggestion that I find helps - find campaigns (such as the WI Supreme Court race, the Ohio Referendum, the Kansas vote, etc) to work on- I wrote some letters and did some text banking for the Ohio constitutional issue in August. I didn't do a ton (didn't have much time), but I did what I could. When that 14 point win came in when MAGA overreached, I felt like I was part of that win - among 1000s. IT keeps me going! You might try that. Any win is a win. You can also sign up on jointheunion.us which is a pro-democracy coalition which includes a lot of Ex-Republicans who are focused on pro-democracy. Nationwide issues are easy to find there in 2023. They focus on what is not necessarily in the news, but you learn about races that need volunteers. Again, an hour or two can make a difference.
Twitter is way too negative. Frankly, all the doomsaying was wrong about the midterms and everyone has underestimated Biden over and over again. I have to live in hope or I just can't function! I'm so glad you replied! Keep the faith!
Cathy and Theressa, I just couldn't resist jumping in here. Yes, it's frustrating to figure out where/how to expend energy and re$our¢e$, especially living on the proverbial fixed income. I'm taking the gamble on texting (free) and writing a few dozen letters/postcards to a variety of places (postage ain't cheap) instead of responding to emails from campaigns asking for donations, even my own representatives running for reelection. Methinks it's better to communicate with a variety of people without a platform - hoping one/two will bite and tell their friends and their friends and and and - than $upport folks who already have a huge platform.
Beth. Thanks for jumping in! You are so right. Postage isn't cheap! Neither are donations. Our time and work is worth a lot. Text banking and phone banking are. I do mostly do higher level organization, text banking and postcardIng right now to GOTV. Right now there is a PA election coming up if you are interested where they are training for the PA special election. This election decides the balance of the PA House. You can find some info here if you are interested. I love the comradery when I see the zoom open and there are lots of people there working along with me! https://www.mobilize.us/theunion/event/577151/
I am in PA and committed to moving the needle in this battleground state. But until the 2024 election heats up, I am writing letters and postcards where they are needed. You can write to voters in any state. Right now, I am working with Civics.org writing postcards to young voters in Ohio reminding them to vote and providing a link so that they can get their friends to register. Postage is an expense but you can get 50 postcards from them for $20. Vote Forward has issues oriented letter writing campaigns to voters in VA, letters are free.
Ann love that you are in PA - such an important state. See my answer to Beth - important Special election going on right now. There are current opportunities to support the person running to hold the House as Democratic. Here is some text banking training if you are interested. https://www.mobilize.us/theunion/event/577151/Thanks for all your hard work!
Do Republican voters in Florida believe that DeSantis can direct hurricane damage away from their homes and properly inflict it on their less conservative next door neighbor?
What’s it like to live in an intact home next to one that’s been destroyed with no funds to even have it demolished so as not to bring down the surviving property values?
Does the mold stay within the deeded property lines?
This is a small point, but one that matters. Before I get to it, though, I want to emphasize how very much I appreciate you daily write-ups, how hopeful they make me, and what a wonderful way to begin each day they are. You wrote "Democrats should be confident that they will one day rule Texas at the statewide level." I want to suggest that "rule," which implies a kind of authoritarian power isn't the word we want. Govern, maybe? Direct? Lead? I'm not sure, but talk of ruling sounds pretty Republican to me. Thank you for all you do every single day to protect our democracy and the values it's built on.
As I think we all know, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss are true heroes. And like all true heroes, they did not seek the role. As JFK said when a young man asked how he became a war hero. “I had no choice. They sank my boat.” I fear that we shall need more heroes before the threats to democracy are turned back decisively, but I have no doubt that we’ll find them. That’s what happens when you are in the majority and citizens are awake.
If Rudy Giuliani refused to obey court orders that required him to produce electronic evidence from his phone and computers, I suspect there's something on those devices that's far more incriminating than just his defamation of Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss
.
Yep -- I think it's obvious. And so did the judge.
Judge Howell wrote: “Giuliani’s preference may be due to the fact, about which he has made no secret, that he faces liability, both civil and criminal, in other investigations and civil lawsuits.... [and] perhaps … made the calculation that his overall litigation risks are minimized by not complying with his discovery obligations in this case.”
(Great quotes in this WaPo article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/08/30/giulianis-first-big-legal-loss-is-blistering-one/)
No, he's just a tired old man who is fighting to stay relevant in public life. He should serve as a warning that the only person who wins in an association with Donald Trump, is Donald Trump.
And even he doesn't always win, as witness the multiple bankruptcies over the years and the impending major losses in court.
Those bankruptcies were wins. The quote from J. Paul Getty comes to mind, “If you owe the bank $100, that's your problem. If you owe the bank $100 million, that's the bank's problem.”
Regrettably true, I remember how fast the banks moved to refinance when he broke the first casino.
Ruby Freeman, Shaye Moss, Fani Willis, et al are victims of "misogynoir" a comprehensive term for hatred of Black women. What a terrible thing for them and others to experience..two precursors to viciousness by Republicans and other white supremacists.
If that term didn't exist previously, it does now. Perfect coinage.
Actually, it does exist. Just found it: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misogynoir
Oh yes, that was my thought: what is he hiding?
Well done Jerry.
And he is likely protecting trump. Who has his ways for silencing people.
Thank you, Robert, for providing us a summation of “a week of good developments for Democrats!” You do give me hope and thanks, in great part to you, I am not being complacent.
I just spent some time this past month canvassing for the Democratic candidate, best qualified, to succeed David Cicilline’s seat as our representative for CD 1 here in RI.
I admit I had to muster up all my courage, and then some, to do this.
I had a number of meaningful and encouraging conversations, what Joyce Vance would call Civil Discourse. The unexpected bonus… my actions helped me to feel less helpless… more empowered to make meaningful contributions in our battle to save our democracy!
Susan, thanks so much for your dedication and courage!
Susan, I just wanted to thank you for mustering up your courage” and canvassing. I get it. It isn’t easy, but it is really rewarding work. Thanks so much for being in this fight!
Susan, canvassing is some the the most angst ridden work I have ever done - and it doesn’t seem to get easier. Thank you for reaching deeply and doing it anyway. It truly does feel empowering to engage in Civil Discourse and I appreciate your efforts on behalf of the democratic process.
Good for you, Susan ! Canvassing is not easy. If I was still in my beloved home state would hope to be out there with you..🏃🏻♀️🏃🏻♀️
Thank you, Susan !!
Canvassing is one of the hardest things to do, but it's extraordinarily fruitful. Not only does it help the candidate and empower the canvasser, it helps build bonds of community. And strong communities are the foundation of self-government, where democracy thrives.
Thank you again !
.
CD-1! Susan we have an exciting race here. Of course “best qualified” is in the eye of the voter?
Yes,the eye of the voter.
However special primaries are cursed with low turnout. And my candidate has had targeted hate mailers filled with “disinformation”, aka, lies.
There are 12 candidates on the ballot. Most of the people I spoke with were unfamiliar with some if not all of the candidates. TV ads were their most frequent source and mailers (some hate as I mentioned).
At least one candidate has resigned his candidacy after mail in & early ballots were cast! https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/2023/08/30/carlson-exit-from-cd1-race-reignites-debate-over-r-i-early-voting-provisions/
Bottom line canvassing, Civil Discourse, something in decline since tfg came on the scene, is a vital ingredient in the process of educating voters.
Thanks for link.👍Ocean State Ranked Choice Voting.🌊
Well yes, my candidate -- perhaps yours -- was targeted, not surprisingly -- and, given the (disappointing for me) results, I suspect that perhaps our fair state/district is not quite as "progressive" as I had hoped. Ah well....
Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss share one important trait with many of the brave souls who had the courage to speak when so many white men cowered. Shucks, did I give the answer away?
BTW, these white males who think "rules are for suckers" are learning now from women who know better (and the enlightened men who care about them) that they delude only themselves. Think "me, too" and pro-choice. Throughout our country's history, women have saved us. Despite oppression.
The searing anger in this column -- at Republicans who believe the law does not apply to them, particularly to Rudy Giuliani and to the former guy -- is exactly appropriate. They have done the country and individuals genuine harm. Now we get an opportunity to see them reap what they have sown.
I totally agree with you. Heather Cox Richardson, in her Facebook live discussion of August 29, threw out this to listeners-Why are Kevin McCarthy and MAGA legislators so determined to use the apparatus of the US government to protect a former president? Why indeed.
Because if they don't, they'll face the vitriol of Fox and MAGA voters, and lose their next election. And nothing (rules, morals, etc.) is more important than clinging onto power.
Not just that. Trump holds secrets about them, about their character, about their lives. He has them by their “balls”, so-to-speak. His words to the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers wasn’t coincidental. They were very deliberate and look what they unleashed! We now know that members of the GOP in Congress helped fuel J6. Guess what? So does Jack Smith and now he is investigating them! I imagine there are quite a number of them doling out Depends.
OMG! I hope he is investigating the treasonous like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley. They should pay a price for the harm they have done to this country. I wish there was a way to hold Rupert Murdoch, Charles Koch, Harlan Crow, Leonard Leo accountable for the harm they have done. Evil never goes away, it just hides for a while.
Yes, and don't forget the disgusting Gym Jordan who is my House rep-Ugh! It kind of blows my mind that all of these treasonous MAGAts are still representing constituents. How can this be when they don't believe Biden is the legitimate POTUS?
I am certain they are all being investigated. Jordan is a stupid hateful dolt. Wonder if his kids despise him as much as we do.
This is an important question Robert.
Is there any way, non-threatening of course, to obtain an address or and email contact that we could use to write a letter thanking Ms Moss and Ms Freeman? I think after all they have been through with this mess they might really appreciate hearing from those of us Americans who congratulate and admire them for being such courageous Americans.
You might try https://protectdemocracy.org/work/ruby-freeman-wandrea-moss-v-gateway-pundit-et-al/. Protect Democracy writes: In this litigation Law for Truth, a project of Protect Democracy, represents Ms. Freeman and Ms. Moss, in partnership with the law firms DuBose Miller LLC, Dowd Bennett LLP, Kastorf Law, LLC, and the Yale Law School’s Media Freedom and Information Access Clinic. One additional suggestion -- not for reaching Freeman and Moss, but for information about candidates we should elect. Consider my newsletter Len's Political Notes: https://lenspoliticalnotes.com
Thanks, Len. I checked out your site. Great work! It's so inspiring to see all the ways ordinary people find to make our democracy work. I'm now a subscriber.
.
Thanks.
Good morning, Before selling our FL home and leaving, we enjoyed learning about FL history and socializing with multigenerational Floridians. However, with a rare exception, there was always an underlying fear among those Floridians like DeSantis who grew up in the racially segregated south that they were witnessing the disappearance of their historic feelings of betterment and superiority. They did whatever they could to maintain their political power, but they knew that society was slowly and painfully leveling the playing field. They would no longer feel superior to their black and brown skinned neighbors because their skin was a different shade by the luck of their birth parents. And, as we see with DeSantis, they hate this change and will do anything to preserve the dying feeling of superiority.
I grew up with folks like Rubin Askew, Lawton Chiles and Bob Graham leading and representing FL., and lived in FL fifty of my 70 years on the planet. We left the state (for family reasons) in October of 2022 and I feel so disappointed with what has happened there. Take a look at the governors from 2000 to present and you will see it's been a steady descent into what exists today.
My husband calls them ‘the lucky sperm club’.
Thank you for everything. I think maybe it would be good for you to mention Trump’s disturbing comments. I doubt you have readers who are on the Trump Train, but we have friends who are, and we talk to them. It’s hard to keep up, and I try my best by starting my day with a morning cup of coffee and you and Heather and Joyce.
He has threatened to "lock up" his opponents if he is reelected, in a discussion referencing Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden. Said that he "went easy" on Biden last time, and that it was a mistake to do so.
He is, in effect, threatening to jail his opponents.
Yes! tfg’s tactics are, when facing exposure, to accuse his accusers of the same or something worse (though it’s getting more difficult for tfg to find something worse!).
Just: WOW
I think he means the orange idiots threat to -'jail every one of his political enemies'
Yes; exactly.
Robert, I've never thanked you sufficiently for adding links to primary sources. In this case, reading Beryl Howell's systematic flaying all of the skin from the carcass that once was Rudolph Giuliani is a simply intoxicating experience!
Thanks for the note. I feel it is important to cite primary sources, both as a resource for readers, but also to help keep my commentary accurate.
Well, after you mentioned the comments by Asswipe that you wouldn't repeat I went and found them, and once again I find that "If my thought dreams could be seen, they'd probably put my head in a guillotine." Too bad the traditional punishment for treason is no longer used.
Where can I find those comments,?
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-says-he-d-have-no-choice-but-to-lock-up-political-opponents-if-he-wins-in-2024/ar-AA1g0D3H
Trump Says He’d Have ‘No Choice’ But to Lock Up Political Opponents if He Wins in 2024
More justice reporting in this article below (free to all) where a 65 year old Iowa man is sentenced by a Trump appointee for 30 months (more than the DOJ asked for) in federal prison after threatening election workers and AZ AG over election lies. Justice indeed.
https://wapo.st/45nLXtD
Thanks!
It still amazes me the absolute arrogance of the majority with few exceptions in this country of the GOP. We are in a state of war and the weapons are the ballot.
Thanks Robert.
When we are scared and worried about what comes next, we need to remember the courage of these two ladies. May we all have one ounce of their courage and take meaningful action and that includes poll watching and election work.
So, first of all, I am in Pasco County, Florida, but somewhat inland so we were spared the brunt of the storm. My daughter and her family are in an evacuation zone in Pinellas County so they evacuated to our house (with their two big dogs). They left this morning and we won’t know what damage their house sustained until they get there, but pictures from their neighbors who stayed show high water marks on their storage area doors. This is the third year in a row that they had to evacuate to my house and it’s only the beginning of the hurricane season.
Ok, now for my political commentary. As the indictments gain traction the Republicans get more insane and desperate. What they are trying to do to Fani Willis and trying to “defund” Jack Smith is just nuts. And when I see the lies continuing to be broadcast on FOX I wonder what it will take for them to stop. Apparently the big dollar fine they incurred from the defamation lawsuit wasn’t enough. What else can be done to go after them for their lies?
“Democrats should be confident that they will one day rule Texas at the statewide level.”
This was the sentence I needed this morning. I am by nature a realistic optimist, but I have to say yesterday was a low day for me. I read too many articles about even Biden-Trump polling and about concerns about Biden’s age, not to mention conversations with anti-Trump friends for whom that age is a huge, huge concern.
I was left really questioning how to spend my next 15 months. I’m spending many hours a week on voter registration work--naturalizations events but more recently work on college and high school campuses.
Now I’m second guessing myself. Maybe Texas is a lost cause for now? Should I sign up with Michigan or PA or Arizona?
I told my kids last evening that their dad and I (former Republicans!) sincerely believe the country is at stake in 2024.
Any suggestions to help us focus our counterattack?
Cathy, I follow Simon Rosenberg’s Hopium Chronicles Simon’s substack can be found below. He is much more positive than most and is data based. For $5 a month you can be a supporter and join live q & a’s and ask this question and others.
I know that he would say that registering young people is the number one priority-period. And it sounds like you are doing that. It sounds like your question is the where? Sometimes I split my work among states. Can you devote time to your home state and to other battlegrounds?
Also, your anti-Trump friends aren’t thrilled with Biden’s age, but does that mean that when push comes to shove in November they won’t vote for him to stop Trump from returning to the White House? They likely will. We would all love for Biden to be 5-10 years younger, but he isn’t. But he is a good President flying all over the world and amassing a great team managing crises we haven’t seen since WWII. We need to push back on the ageism and point to the accomplishments and his steady hand. Also, maybe remind them they do not wake up terrified of what horrible thing he might do today as we used to.
I hope all this helps. It must be so hard in Texas right now with a press that doesn’t tout Biden’s accomplishments.
https://simonwdc.substack.com/?sort=community.
This is so helpful, Theresa. Thank you! I do subscribe to Simon’s HOPIUM, and you have inspired me to read his postings more regularly.
(I’m finding my Twitter feed to be increasingly yucky.)
Yes, it’s the “where,” and I like your idea of allocating time and resources to both.
I believe in my heart of hearts that the country, big picture, moves forward, but Lordy, we can go backwards at times (as Heather Cox Richardson writes), but Texas right now is downright stifling.
Cathy, I'm so glad you replied. I do think that this allocating our resources is an important idea. I live in Vermont and I spend no time in my own state (other than writing my Senators asking them what the heck they are doing in the Senate because I see zero being done when they should be issuing subpoenas left and right investigating wrong doing) because it is badly needed other places. I go where the fires are. Right now it is Virginia and Ohio for November, but many people are also focusing on the KY and MS Governor races. But most of all I think we have to follow our hearts. Working in your own state make help you feel like you are moving it forward inch by inch , but solely staying mired in what is likely a long road might be too much for you. I would make one suggestion that I find helps - find campaigns (such as the WI Supreme Court race, the Ohio Referendum, the Kansas vote, etc) to work on- I wrote some letters and did some text banking for the Ohio constitutional issue in August. I didn't do a ton (didn't have much time), but I did what I could. When that 14 point win came in when MAGA overreached, I felt like I was part of that win - among 1000s. IT keeps me going! You might try that. Any win is a win. You can also sign up on jointheunion.us which is a pro-democracy coalition which includes a lot of Ex-Republicans who are focused on pro-democracy. Nationwide issues are easy to find there in 2023. They focus on what is not necessarily in the news, but you learn about races that need volunteers. Again, an hour or two can make a difference.
Twitter is way too negative. Frankly, all the doomsaying was wrong about the midterms and everyone has underestimated Biden over and over again. I have to live in hope or I just can't function! I'm so glad you replied! Keep the faith!
Cathy and Theressa, I just couldn't resist jumping in here. Yes, it's frustrating to figure out where/how to expend energy and re$our¢e$, especially living on the proverbial fixed income. I'm taking the gamble on texting (free) and writing a few dozen letters/postcards to a variety of places (postage ain't cheap) instead of responding to emails from campaigns asking for donations, even my own representatives running for reelection. Methinks it's better to communicate with a variety of people without a platform - hoping one/two will bite and tell their friends and their friends and and and - than $upport folks who already have a huge platform.
Beth. Thanks for jumping in! You are so right. Postage isn't cheap! Neither are donations. Our time and work is worth a lot. Text banking and phone banking are. I do mostly do higher level organization, text banking and postcardIng right now to GOTV. Right now there is a PA election coming up if you are interested where they are training for the PA special election. This election decides the balance of the PA House. You can find some info here if you are interested. I love the comradery when I see the zoom open and there are lots of people there working along with me! https://www.mobilize.us/theunion/event/577151/
I am in PA and committed to moving the needle in this battleground state. But until the 2024 election heats up, I am writing letters and postcards where they are needed. You can write to voters in any state. Right now, I am working with Civics.org writing postcards to young voters in Ohio reminding them to vote and providing a link so that they can get their friends to register. Postage is an expense but you can get 50 postcards from them for $20. Vote Forward has issues oriented letter writing campaigns to voters in VA, letters are free.
Ann love that you are in PA - such an important state. See my answer to Beth - important Special election going on right now. There are current opportunities to support the person running to hold the House as Democratic. Here is some text banking training if you are interested. https://www.mobilize.us/theunion/event/577151/Thanks for all your hard work!
Follow 0livia Juliana on the socials...it will renew your faith.
Do Republican voters in Florida believe that DeSantis can direct hurricane damage away from their homes and properly inflict it on their less conservative next door neighbor?
What’s it like to live in an intact home next to one that’s been destroyed with no funds to even have it demolished so as not to bring down the surviving property values?
Does the mold stay within the deeded property lines?
Just heard a tree fell on Mansion DeSantis
Is Karma Poetic?
Does he have insurance? 😈
Full coverage. No questions asked
And the people he's harmed are paying for the damage.
This is a small point, but one that matters. Before I get to it, though, I want to emphasize how very much I appreciate you daily write-ups, how hopeful they make me, and what a wonderful way to begin each day they are. You wrote "Democrats should be confident that they will one day rule Texas at the statewide level." I want to suggest that "rule," which implies a kind of authoritarian power isn't the word we want. Govern, maybe? Direct? Lead? I'm not sure, but talk of ruling sounds pretty Republican to me. Thank you for all you do every single day to protect our democracy and the values it's built on.
good point. Govern.
As I think we all know, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss are true heroes. And like all true heroes, they did not seek the role. As JFK said when a young man asked how he became a war hero. “I had no choice. They sank my boat.” I fear that we shall need more heroes before the threats to democracy are turned back decisively, but I have no doubt that we’ll find them. That’s what happens when you are in the majority and citizens are awake.
And Ruby and Shaye were not going to let our boat sink 🤗