The last men standing

I woke up this morning drenched in sweat and with a headache and heartburn. Was it some sort of advance knowledge of the announcement that came shortly after?

I am crushed that Elizabeth Warren has dropped out, but I am so proud of and thankful for and inspired by her, and I know she will make this country better for years to come. As have all the Dems who’ve suspended their presidential campaigns, Elizabeth did so with grace and class. That an incredibly exciting, diverse Democratic field has been thinned to two elderly white men is, however, utterly disheartening in so many ways.

Do you know how many countries have had female presidents? So many that to take this screenshot for you, I had to minimize my font/page size to 50% of standard.

See how long it took you to scroll through that? Women are NOT 50% of standard.

But we, Americans, have one primary job to do, and that is to literally save this country by beating the orange stain in November. As important is taking the Senate. Both Martha McSally and Susan Collins seem to be well within shot of losing, and I can think of little I’d enjoy seeing more than both being replaced. Well, I would enjoy seeing trump and mitch and lindsey replaced that much, but honestly, all 5 are terrifically horrible, so, let’s divide and conquer.

Back to Elizabeth. This evening, she had a conference call with volunteers. So many of us dialed in that we crashed the platform. I was lucky to get in and am glad for everyone that the call will be recorded and shared. Elizabeth was as warm and supportive as she was during the campaign- strong, unafraid, humble, and wonderful. Be disappointed, but don’t be blinded by it, she said. There is much work to be done.

If you didn’t see clips of her talking with press after formally suspending her campaign, I urge you to watch. If you can’t watch the whole thing, please tune in at 1:30 and at 5:15 (-6:15).

And here are some related articles and a video that I found valuable and thought-provoking and affirming.

What Elizabeth Warren’s Loss Says About Us

America Punished Elizabeth Warren for Her Competence

How Elizabeth Warren Hides Messages in Her Speeches

EW Dropped Out. Hard to Stay Hopeful About November

I’ll be supporting Biden now because I think he is much better positioned to beat trump, and I believe he will listen to and surround himself with the sorts of people that Warren would have (though perhaps less progressive). Fact of the matter is that NOTHING good will happen without ousting trump, and so that is and must remain our absolute priority. #VoteBlueNoMatterWho. I think Biden will choose a strong woman as his running mate, and despite my disappointment over again not being able to add the US flag to the list above, I can get with an interregnum of peace and calm and decency and progress. If Bernie is the nominee, I’ll vote for him, but it will be with almost no enthusiasm.

Let’s do this, y’all. Fire up, get active, build democracy activism into your daily schedules, donate to close and down-ballot races when you can, stay informed, and speak up. On dark days, tired ones, those in which the future seems bleak, read these words of Elizabeth’s, take care of yourself, and then get busy.

“So if you leave with only one thing, it must be this:
choose to fight only righteous fights, because then when things get tough – and they will – you will know that there is only option ahead of you: nevertheless, you must persist.”
-Elizabeth Warren

Rep Raskin, Dem debate, article and book to read, calendar updates

I’m not going to say much about Tuesday night’s Democratic debate except to aver that it was a dumpster fire of epic proportion, and FFS, the most important thing, Dems, is to beat trump. There is nothing more important. Stop yelling at each other, calmly and proudly discuss your platforms, and Katniss, remember who the real enemy is.

This past Sunday, two dear friends and I co-hosted a fundraiser for Congressman Jamie Raskin to benefit his financial and on-the-ground support of Dem candidates in swing and red districts in VA, MD, PA, and beyond as well as his youth activist program, Democracy Summer. Besides scoring a jar of his Honey Dill Mustard, I know I speak for all who attended when I say that we deeply appreciated his optimism and determination. As y’all might know, Raskin has endorsed Elizabeth Warren (I have too, FWIW) as he believes she would be a profoundly unifying force for the Party. I love her progressive spirit, her incredibly well-thought-out plans, her fire, and her sincere desire to truly care for all Americans.

For those who think her proposals are too far left, too progressive, too anything, consider this: most are unlikely to pass in proposed form due to who actually comprises Congress. Nonetheless, she is helping push the conversation towards an America of greater justice and equality, one in which more and too-often-voiceless voices are heard and valued, one in which more people will live and age better. That is an America I would love to live in. Plus, IT IS TIME FOR A WOMAN PRESIDENT. WAY.PAST.TIME.

During the Q&A with Mr. Raskin, guests offered up a number of organizations in which you can get involved and/or investigate. All are geared towards fair and unsuppressed voting and voter outreach.

NOPE! Neighbors : founded in a DC neighborhood in opposition to the Trump administration and its allies in Congress. DC residents are in the unique position of having no representation in Congress so NOPE focuses on the actions that they can take as unrepresented citizens. They welcome people from DC, Maryland, Virginia and across the country who share their goals.

Movement Voter Project (MVP): serves to funnel donations to small, grassroots organizations working year-round in underrepresented communities.  These organizations generally don’t have access to national fundraising access, but they work year-round on issues important to low-income workers, African-Americans, Latinx people, LGBTQ people, and young people, including registering them to vote and building their political power.

FairVote : Founded in 1992, FairVote is a nonpartisan champion of electoral reforms that give voters greater choice, a stronger voice, and a representative democracy that works for all Americans. Today they are the driving force behind advancing ranked choice voting and fair representation in multi-winner legislative districts that will open up our elections to better choices, fairer representation and more civil campaigns.

Anyway, the news continue to be hideously depressing, and so I am thankful for friends and family, my garden, exercise, acupuncture, drinks, my cats, that Harvey Weinstein was found guilty on two counts (if you haven’t read both She Said and Catch and Kill, you MUST!), and for good reading. Right now, I’m ensconced in the very gorgeous, fairly mesmerizing Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips, and earlier today, I read this article about and excerpt from the soon-to-be-released memoir by Greta Thunberg’s mother. As soon as I finished, I pre-ordered the book. What an amazing young woman and family.

Lastly, do remember to check the events calendar for a variety of ways to learn and get involved! Your country needs you, desperately.

Sara Gideon, #Swarming, Weekly Reading Roundup, Take Action

Sara Gideon for Maine

Last night, I had the pleasure of attending a meet-and-greet with Maine candidate for the US Senate, Sara Gideon. I have a special place in my heart for the great state of Maine, and I also have an enormous amount of disdain for its senior senator, Susan Collins. Mainers deserve infinitely more than her spineless and yet-too-often smug fealty to trump, a fact they know and are acting on. For example, they voted out their own trump, governor Paul LePage, in 2018 and turned their state legislature quite blue. Maine has a variety of economic, climate, and opioid-related struggles, and Collins hasn’t supported her citizens nearly as much as she could have (or sentient Americans who pleaded with her to vote against Kavanaugh and are dismayed that she voted against 10 Dem impeachment trial amendments simply seeking access to witnesses and evidence). Sara Gideon will, and I hope that come November, we see her donning the mantle of Maine’s newest senator.

Sara Gideon

#SwarmTheSenate #RemoveTrump

Earlier today, my dearest Thursday walking friend and I got our steps off our regular trail and at the Senate instead. We #Swarmed! And it was deeply moving in so many ways. (If you would like to join the #SwarmTheSenate protests, please do. You may sign up by clicking this link: Swarm The Senate sign up.)

Today, I was asked to participate more directly than last week by wearing the "T" t-shirt as part of REMOVE TRUMP (see attached photo; dearest Thursday friend is U!). We protested silently in the Hart Building atrium before walking loudly to the Capitol (banging pots and pans and yelling Hey, Hey, Ho, Ho, Donald Trump Has GOT TO GO" and then returning to the Russell building to deliver constituent letters to the offices of Senators Graham, McSally, Burr, and others.

Senator McSally's (AZ) staff closed the door in our faces for attempting to photograph from in the hallway. This was against our rights, and we politely said so.

Senator Burr's (NC) staff told us they wouldn't be able to take the letters because they were trying to be "environmentally conscious" and avoid using paper. Horseshit!

Senator Graham's (SC) office offered no such silliness, but meanwhile, we later learned, Lindsey was out of his seat again, refusing to listen to the case being presented. That's against the rules.
(Jonathan Swan, Australian journalist with a hunky voice, did think we were doing a fine job, and I've shared his tweet below.)

More hopeful were the couple we met who'd driven overnight from Alabama to talk with Senator Jones and demand better from Senator Shelby. And, the "M" in trump was a man who'd flown in from Spokane, WA, to lend his presence and voice to the resistance. He and “P” got to talking, and P offered M the guest room in his house so he didn’t have to stay in a hotel.

Excellent Reading/Viewing

Some terrific pieces this week, including a most delightful video of a cool grandmother. If you didn’t get a chance to read last week’s compilation, you can find it here.

Grandkids and the coolest grandmother. This will make you smile!

What role is gender playing in presidential politics? https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/01/elizabeth-warren-woman-president/604942/

The other, overlooked swing voter.

Truth and inspiration. Courage. Adam Schiff and democratic guardians.

Take Action

Please call Chief Justice Roberts and demand he hold a FAIR heading. This is more likely to happen if Senators are forced to adhere to the rules, such as staying in their seats and listening during the trial rather than leaving the chamber (21 GOP Senators on Wednesday) or reading books (Marsha Blackburn).

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