The Power of Many - Minnesota

Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Wednesday 7/11 Call to Action

Wednesday
I have to go to work early today so this will be a quick CTA

1.Supreme Court Nominee
Update: It appears that Senator Lisa Murkowski is factoring in opinions about SCOTUS from outside of Alaska. As far as I am concerned, this means we can call her (202-224-6665) and Senator Susan Collins (202-224-2523) today and every day.

Here’s an overview of Brett Kavanaugh from yesterday:
Last night, Trump nominated Judge Brett Kavanaugh to replace Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court. Up on the stage with his cute kids and his wife, Kavanaugh appeared friendly and benign. He even made a pretty good speech. But don’t be fooled; if Kavanaugh is permitted to take this position he will make decisions that will negatively affect Americans for decades to come.
Here are some points to consider about Kavanaugh:
* He will jeopardize women’s access to legal abortion, birth control, and other basic health care needs. Last year, Kavanaugh ruled against a young, undocumented woman’s ability to access an abortion. His ruling delayed her procedure, pushing it into the second trimester. If he gains a seat on the Supreme Court, this will be the norm in America.

Kavanaugh opposes the ACA’s birth control benefit and believes employers should decide whether or not birth control should be covered by insurance.

If Kavanaugh is allowed a seat on the Supreme Court Roe v. Wade could be overturned.

* Kavanaugh’s past rulings have shown him to be anti-environmental and anti-climate change.

* His past rulings have also shown that he is willing to:
Dismantle Net Neutrality
Sabotage the ACA
Nix the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Strike down gun violence prevention laws
Put the rights and safety of the LBGTQ community in jeopardy

* Most disturbingly, (and possibly the reason he was nominated) is the fact that Kavanaugh does not believe that a sitting president can be indicted; he believes presidents should have wide latitude to hire and fire special counsels. His nomination could shield Trump from facing accountability for his crimes and corruption.

Today is the day that you make some good trouble about this nomination. Call all the people! Email all the people! Tweet all the things!
The only way to stop this nomination from going through is to get all the Democrats and at least two Republicans in the Senate to vote NO. (Senator John McCain may abstain from voting due to illness). I am fairly comfortable saying that Sens. Klobuchar and Smith are in the NO camp. We need to call and encourage them to make sure their colleagues vote no as well.
Don’t forget how handy Resitbot can be. Use it today to write some letters.https://resistbot.io/
Here is a contact list for all U.S. Senators: https://www.senate.gov/senators/contact

Learn more from Indivisible Guide: https://www.indivisible.org/…/2-step-strategy-win-supreme-…/

d2action.com/…/vote-no-on-h-r-200-overhaul-of-science-bas…/…

2. Brian Benczkowski
Today, the Senate is expected to vote to confirm Brian Benczkowski to lead the Department of Justice Criminal Division. He would be in the line of succession should Deputy AG Rosenstein get fired. The problem?
He worked for Kremlin-linked Alfa Bank that the FBI was investigating as part of Russia probe.
He has never tried a case.
He was a top aide to Jeff Sessions.
If confirmed, he would oversee the Manafort, Flynn, and Cohen cases.
Learn more about him from Rachel Maddow here: http://www.msnbc.com/…/trump-pushes-lawyer-who-repped-russi…
Or here: https://www.rollcall.com/…/senate-expected-to-confirm-trump…
Call our senators and see what they can do to push Sen Joe Manchin to vote no and a couple of Republicans too.

3. Local Candidate in Need
Last week, Tina Folch, House candidate for 54B was busy door knocking when she fell in a hole, landed hard, and broke both of her arms (!!!). Luckily, Tina is tough, (There is no quit in her!) but she needs our help to flip this seat to blue in November. Please commit to helping Tina door knock or march in a parade. If we each help once or twice, Tina will kick some butt!
Sign up for events here: https://www.facebook.com/pg/TinaFolch4House/events/

4. Vote Now From Home!
**Secretary of State Steve Simon is reporting a 60% increase in absentee voter applications from the last election cycle! This is awesome!!**

Minnesota is lucky. We have a great voting program that makes it easy for us to get out the vote. You are now able vote early for the Primaries that take place on August 14th. Check out this page from CD2Action that answers some FAQ’s about primary voting. https://cd2action.com/voting-in-the-primaries-101/
Don’t forget, you can vote from home in your jammies. Just sign up here (https://mnvotes.sos.state.mn.us/AB…/ABRegistrationStep1.aspx) for an absentee ballot and one will be mailed to you for free.

If Trump fires Mueller or Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, please be ready to take to the streets in protest.
https://act.moveon.org/…/mueller-firing-rapid-respon…/search

MN02 Congress Watch http://mn02congresswatch.org/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/572562169758984/

Klobuchar-202-224-3244
Smith (202) 224-5641
House of Representative switchboard: (202) 224-3121
MN Legislators: https://www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/legislators
Resistbot: https://resistbot.io/
Governor Dayton- https://mn.gov/governor/contact-us/

YOUTUBE.COM

Dessa - Good Grief [Official Music Video]

CHIME - the new album - out now http://smarturl.it/DessaChime Directed, photographed and edited by Mercies May (instagram:…

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Tuesday 7/10 Call to Action

Tuesday
1.Supreme Court Nominee
Last night, Trump nominated Judge Brett Kavanaugh to replace Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court. Up on the stage with his cute kids and his wife, Kavanaugh appeared friendly and benign. He even made a pretty good speech. But don’t be fooled; if Kavanaugh is permitted to take this position he will make decisions that will negatively affect Americans for decades to come.
Here are some points to consider about Kavanaugh:

* He will jeopardize women’s access to legal abortion, birth control, and other basic health care needs. Last year, Kavanaugh ruled against a young, undocumented woman’s ability to access an abortion. His ruling delayed her procedure, pushing it into the second trimester. If he gains a seat on the Supreme Court, this will be the norm in America.

Kavanaugh opposes the ACA’s birth control benefit and believes employers should decide whether or not birth control should be covered by insurance.

If Kavanaugh is allowed a seat on the Supreme Court Roe v. Wade could be overturned.

* Kavanaugh’s past rulings have shown him to be anti-environmental and anti-climate change.

Don’t forget how handy Resitbot can be. Use it today to write some letters.https://resistbot.io/

There is a rally today at Senator Tina Smith’s office starting at noon. This office has plenty of good parking, FYI. Learn more here: https://savescotus.indivisible.org/#lp-code-141
The general rule is to only contact your own elected officials by phone. I see no problem with emailing or sending post cards to other senators, however. Here is a contact list: https://www.senate.gov/senators/contact

Learn more from Indivisible Guide: https://www.indivisible.org/…/2-step-strategy-win-supreme-…/

2. All The Fish in The Sea
Tomorrow, the House will be voting on H.R. 200, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Ac (MSA). If this bill becomes law, safeguards that require fisheries and the fishing industry to remain environmentally sustainable would be rolled back. From rising ocean temps to islands of plastic debris, our friends in the ocean are already facing an uphill battle. This bill would only make things worse. From CD2Action, this bill would:

Roll back the law’s successful rebuilding requirements.
Increase the risk of overfishing.
Roll back science-based management.
Lessen accountability of recreational fisheries.
Undermine bedrock environmental laws:
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
The Endangered Species Act (ESA).
National Marine Sanctuaries Act.
The Antiquities Act.

Check out this post on CD2Action for more information and take some time to contact your members of Congress. We need to act today so the next generation has a world worth living in.
https://cd2action.com/…/vote-no-on-h-r-200-overhaul-of-sc…/…

4. Vote Now From Home!
**Secretary of State Steve Simon is reporting a 60% increase in absentee voter applications from the last election cycle! This is awesome!!**

If Trump fires Mueller or Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, please be ready to take to the streets in protest.
https://act.moveon.org/…/mueller-firing-rapid-respon…/search

MN02 Congress Watch http://mn02congresswatch.org/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/572562169758984/

YOUTUBE.COM

Green Day - American Idiot [OFFICIAL VIDEO]

Watch Green Day's official video for "American Idiot" Get the new album ¡Tre! at http://smarturl.it/tream…

Monday, July 9, 2018

Monday 7/9 Call to Action

Trump discussed war with Venezuela. He mocked Elizabeth Warren over her heritage. A trade war is getting going with China.

1. Let's call, especially if we have Republican Congresspeople, and ask them about the impact China's response to Trump's tariffs will have on Minnesota soybean exports.

http://www.mankatofreepress.com/news/local_news/as-tariffs-go-into-effect-farmers-fear-worst/article_8fd863c0-1b37-5262-9f1e-57a1c68bab03.html

2. Let's ask senators and representatives to push back against the 2020 Census question on the citizenship. If you haven't already, fill out the feedback here:

http://cqrcengage.com/censuscounts2020/app/act-on-a-regulation?0&engagementId=484734

3. Vote Now From Home!
Secretary of State Steve Simon is reporting a 60% increase in absentee voter applications from the last election cycle! This is awesome!!**
Minnesota is lucky. We have a great voting program that makes it easy for us to get out the vote. You are now able vote early for the Primaries that take place on August 14th. Check out this page from CD2Action that answers some FAQ’s about primary voting. https://cd2action.com/voting-in-the-primaries-101/
Don’t forget, you can vote from home in your jammies. Just sign up here (https://mnvotes.sos.state.mn.us/AB…/ABRegistrationStep1.aspx) for an absentee ballot and one will be mailed to you for free.
5. Volunteer for a local campaign.
Gubernatorial and U.S. Congressional races are important and it’s fun to help with a big campaign, but please don’t forget the local candidates that are out there every day fighting to make Minnesota better. Pledge today to help a local candidate at least twice a month. There are so many different ways to contribute so everyone can help regardless of time and physical ability.
Here are some comprehensive lists of local candidates that need your help. There are opportunities every single day. Pledge to do something.
https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?src=ac5omvigbundbjhj2dbdna88hg%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=America%2FChicago
https://cd2action.com/calendar/

You have 4 MONTHS to make a difference. The actions we take now will have consequences for generations to come. Commit to being part of the solution.

https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-am-df273a33-3bb7-493d-bc2a-786c6c81d820.html?chunk=1&utm_term=emshare#story1

Sites to Check:
If Trump fires Mueller or Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, please be ready to take to the streets in protest.
https://www.trumpisnotabovethelaw.org/
MN02 Congress Watch http://mn02congresswatch.org/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/572562169758984/
Klobuchar-202-224-3244
Smith (202) 224-5641
House of Representative switchboard: (202) 224-3121
MN Legislators: https://www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/legislators
Resistbot: https://resistbot.io/
Governor Dayton- https://mn.gov/governor/contact-us/

Friday, July 6, 2018

Friday 7/6 Call to Action

Friday

1. Pruitt is Out!
The scandal ridden, ethically anemic head of the Environmental Protection Agency resigned yesterday. Take a moment to pat yourself on the back because there is no doubt that the pressure of resistance had a big part in his departure. Now get back to work because Pruitt’s replacement at the EPA is just as bad or worse. Andrew Wheeler, a former coal lobbyist, is reported to be a savvier version of Pruitt with plenty of connections in Washington. Consider resisting Pruitt your warm-up; now comes the real workout.
https://www.cnn.com/…/p…/scott-pruitt-epa-resigns/index.html
https://www.politico.com/…/scott-pruitt-epa-andrew-wheeler-…
https://www.nrdc.org/…/who-andrew-wheeler-and-why-you-shoul…

2. The Bots Are at It Again
The “WalkAway” movement is starting to trend on social media, pushing the narrative that people are leaving the Democratic party in droves to support Trump and his policies.
This false narrative mirrors games that were played during the 2016 election season. The primary functional goal of an astroturfed campaign like this one is to manipulate public opinion by gaming online algorithms to amplify certain content and push it onto people’s social media feeds and to the top of search engine results. Astroturfed social media campaigns like the “WalkAway Movement” aim to create manufactured consensus, or the illusion of popularity, so that an idea or position without much public support appears more popular and mainstream than it actually is.

Check out this article by Caroline O. It is a fascinating (and terrifying) look at how social media can be manipulated to change the course of the narrative. https://arcdigital.media/pro-trump-russian-linked-twitter-a…

What’s the takeaway? Someone is trying to divide us. If we are busy fighting with each other, we have less time to devote to getting rid of Trump and other elected officials who have no intention of working for the good of the people. Resist infighting! Keep your head clear and your messages positive and constructive. Always be wary that the “person” you are interacting with may not be who or what they say they are (BOT!)

3. Representative Jim Jordan
The whole time Representative Jim Jordan was giving Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein the riot act (check it out here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/…/rod-j-rosenstein-shuts-d…/…), he was sitting on a dirty little secret. Jordan, a former wrestling coach for the Ohio State University, has been accused of turning a blind eye to years of sexual abuse at the hand of the team’s physician. Rep. Jordan has denied these claims, but past OSU wrestlers are coming out of the woodwork to assert that Jordan knew that abuse was happening and did nothing to stop it. https://www.nbcnews.com/…/fourth-ohio-state-wrestler-says-r…

I am old enough to remember when Democrats vociferously demanded the departure of our own senator, Al Franken. Where is that outrage now I wonder? Today would be a good day to ask our senators Klobuchar and Smith. Rep. Jordan needs to answer for his behavior. Be sure to give Senator Kirsten Gillibrand a call too. It seems she only likes to hold members of her own party accountable.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
478 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 205100001
ph: (202) 224-4451
fax: (202) 228-0282

4. . Vote Now From Home!
**Yesterday, I hear on NPR that Secretary of State Steve Simon is reporting a 60% increase in absentee voter applications from the last election cycle! This is awesome!!**

5. Volunteer for a local campaign.
Gubernatorial and U.S. Congressional races are important and it’s fun to help with a big campaign, but please don’t forget the local candidates that are out there every day fighting to make Minnesota better. Pledge today to help a local candidate at least twice a month. There are so many different ways to contribute so everyone can help regardless of time and physical ability.
Here are some comprehensive lists of local candidates that need your help. There are opportunities every single day. Pledge to do something.
https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed…
https://cd2action.com/calendar/

You have 4 MONTHS to make a difference. The actions we take now will have consequences for generations to come. Commit to being part of the solution.
Why voting matters https://www.axios.com/…/axios-am-df273a33-3bb7-493d-bc2a-78…

Sites to Check:
If Trump fires Mueller or Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, please be ready to take to the streets in protest.
https://act.moveon.org/…/mueller-firing-rapid-respon…/search

MN02 Congress Watch http://mn02congresswatch.org/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/572562169758984/

YOUTUBE.COM

The Record Company - Life To Fix

Life To Fix - the first single from The Record Company's 2018 studio album All Of This Life. Instagram - http://found.ee/TRC_Instagram-r…

Thursday, July 5, 2018

Thursday 7/5 Call to Action

It's a simple, short and sweet call to action today. Many of these action items involve making Republicans uncomfortable. Today, let's call or email Democrats in Congress and thank then for all the work they've been doing amplifying the voices of resistance.

Enjoy the rest of your holiday week.

"Good citizenship and defending democracy means living up to the ideals and values that make this country great."

-Ronald Reagan

Sites to Check:
If Trump fires Mueller or Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, please be ready to take to the streets in protest.
https://act.moveon.org/event/mueller-firing-rapid-response-events/search/

MN02 Congress Watch http://mn02congresswatch.org/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/572562169758984/

Klobuchar-202-224-3244
Smith (202) 224-5641
House of Representative switchboard: (202) 224-3121
MN Legislators: https://www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/legislators
Resistbot: https://resistbot.io/
Governor Dayton- https://mn.gov/governor/contact-us/

Tuesday, July 3, 2018

Tuesday 7/3 Call to Action

Tuesday
Your members of the House and Senate will be home in Minnesota this week. Why not take some time to visit their offices? I am sure they will be marching at plenty of parades as well. Some well placed protest signs may be in order. Make a plan to connect with your members of Congress. What can you talk about? Unfortunately, there are plenty of topics from which to choose.

**Families Belong Together!
The Trump administration has made zero attempts to reunite families torn apart at our border, despite a court order to do so.
Trump Administration: Migrant Families Can Be Detained For More Than 20 Days
https://www.npr.org/…/trump-administration-migrant-families…

Last night on The Rachel Maddow Show, an immigration lawyer from Texas reported that ICE is denying parents bond in order to find their missing children. This is alarming news. Again, it appears that the Trump administration is blatantly disregarding a court order to return these children to their parents. Watch it here: https://www.msnbc.com/…/immigration-lawyer-ice-not-offering… via @msnbc

Trump’s government never had specific plan to reunify families, court testimony shows- https://www.cnn.com/…/family-separations-reunifi…/index.html

*Opportunities to Act*
Stand up St. Paul will be holding a rally today for Families Belong Together at 4 pm in St. Paul. Find out more here: http://act.indivisible.org/eve…/local-actions/14428/signup/…

On Saturday July 7th, Free First Saturday will be collecting items to be donated to the Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande. The event starts at 10 am at the Walker Art Center. http://act.indivisible.org/eve…/local-actions/14533/signup/…

**Supreme Court
While this theory is still unproven, it does seem pretty fishy. Justice Anthony Kennedy’s son, Justin Kennedy, worked at Deutsche Bank when it loaned Trump more than $1 billion. Deutsche Bank loaned money to Trump when no other banks would, and it plays a still-mysterious role in Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation. Is this why Justice Kennedy retired earlier than expected? https://www.nytimes.com/…/trump-anthony-kennedy-retirement.…

If Trump successfully installs an extreme justice to fill that seat, the Court will rubber stamp the Trump agenda for a generation to come. Trump wants to put a hard-right conservative in this seat: he’s already put out a “short list” of 25 possible picks, and every single one is an extremist. This puts settled rights like abortion, marriage equality, and health care back under threat.
Both Senators Klobuchar and Smith have opposed filling the Supreme Court seat until next year. They need to do more than oppose. Now is the time for them to get busy and fight this appointment any way they can. Here’s a calling script when you can the senators.

Caller: Hello! My name is ___ and I’m calling from [part of state]. Can you please tell me what Senator ___ plans to do about the Supreme Court vacancy?
Staffer: Hello, nice to talk with you! The Senator plans to vote against Trump’s Supreme Court nominee. The stakes are too high.
Caller: Thank you! I’m very glad to hear that. Too much hangs in the balance to let Trump fill this seat with someone from his list of totally unqualified, extreme judges. That includes a woman’s right to choose, the Affordable Care Act, and marriage equality. I want Senator ___ to use every tool at his/her disposal to stop Trump from filling this vacancy with anyone on this list.
Staffer: Thank you, the Senator agrees with you. I’ll make sure they get your message.

This article discusses the importance of a balanced Supreme Court https://talkingpointsmemo.com/…/please-read-this-through-he…

2. Why this political scientist thinks the Democrats have to fight dirty
“The Republicans are behaving like a party that believes it will never be held accountable.”

Faris, a political scientist at Roosevelt University, argues that the Democratic Party must recognize that Republicans aren’t engaged in a policy fight; instead, they’re waging a “procedural war.”
What he means is that Republicans have spent the past two decades exploiting the vagueness of the Constitution to create structural advantages for their side — passing discriminatory voter ID laws, using the census to gerrymander districts, blocking Democratic Supreme Court nominees, and so on.
Faris writes Democrats have to recognize this reality and act accordingly, especially now that the Republicans are poised to conquer the Supreme Court for a generation. https://www.vox.com/…/democratic-party-republicans-trump-el…

2. Vote Now From Home!
Minnesota is lucky. We have a great voting program that makes it easy for us to get out the vote. You are now able vote early for the Primaries that take place on August 14th. Check out this page from CD2Action that answers some FAQ’s about primary voting. https://cd2action.com/voting-in-the-primaries-101/
Don’t forget, you can vote from home in your jammies. Just sign up here (https://mnvotes.sos.state.mn.us/AB…/ABRegistrationStep1.aspx) for an absentee ballot and one will be mailed to you for free.

3. Volunteer for a local campaign.
Gubernatorial and U.S. Congressional races are important and it’s fun to help with a big campaign, but please don’t forget the local candidates that are out there every day fighting to make Minnesota better. Pledge today to help a local candidate at least twice a month. There are so many different ways to contribute so everyone can help regardless of time and physical ability.
Here are some comprehensive lists of local candidates that need your help. There are opportunities every single day. Pledge to do something.
https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed…

https://cd2action.com/calendar/

Sites to Check:
If Trump fires Mueller or Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, please be ready to take to the streets in protest.
https://act.moveon.org/…/mueller-firing-rapid-respon…/search

MN02 Congress Watch http://mn02congresswatch.org/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/572562169758984/

YOUTUBE.COM

Muse - Uprising [Official Video]

Watch the music video for "Uprising" now! "Uprising" was released as the lead single from Muse's fifth studio album, The Resistance, on September 7,…

Monday, July 2, 2018

7/2 Call to Action

We marched and rallied. I saw Richard Painter and Andy Slavitt at the Tax March. Thousands were at the march to Keep Families Together in Minneapolis.

https://www.twincities.com/2018/06/30/thousands-march-in-minneapolis-to-keep-immigrant-families-together/

1. If you haven't already, let's call to tell senators that the integrity of the Supreme Court must be maintained for the Mueller investigation. "Never before has the selection of a Supreme Court nominee been so thoroughly compromised by the President’s profound personal interest in appointing a judge the President can count on to protect the President. This is DEFCON 1 for the rule of law in this country."

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/please-read-this-through-hes-right

2. I'm going to call today and tell Senators and Representatives that I think NATO and the WTO are important, and they aren't the root of our economic problems. Trump has been threatening to withdraw from both of them, threatening to upend the Western World Order. It's especially suggesting of Putin's influence.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/29/politics/trump-world-trade-organization/index.html

3. Keep watching family separations. Trump ran a program testing zero tolerance starting July, 2017. Tell your representatives: No Camps!

https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/immigration-border-crisis/trump-admin-ran-pilot-program-separating-migrant-families-2017-n887616

On top of that, Trump is talking about limiting the US asylum policy.

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/6/29/17514590/asylum-illegal-central-american-immigration-trump

A pep talk from Dan Rather. He’s seen some things. https://www.facebook.com/theDanRather/posts/10160569764755716

Why voting matters https://www.axios.com/hillary-clinton-2016-election-votes-supreme-court-liberal-justice-1b4bc4fc-9fad-44b4-ab54-9ef86aa9c1f1.html
Sites to Check:
If Trump fires Mueller or Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, please be ready to take to the streets in protest.
https://act.moveon.org/event/mueller-firing-rapid-response-events/search/

MN02 Congress Watch http://mn02congresswatch.org/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/572562169758984/

Klobuchar-202-224-3244
Smith (202) 224-5641
House of Representative switchboard: (202) 224-3121
MN Legislators: https://www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/legislators
Resistbot: https://resistbot.io/
Governor Dayton- https://mn.gov/governor/contact-us/