Biden – R&R – Reachout and Rebuild

Attacking the Heart of Our Democracy

David Posnett — Mon, 18 Jan 2021 22:48:39 +0000

The Capitol building symbolizes the heart of our democracy; it is the place where the people’s will — the certification of the next duly elected president of the United States — is carried out.

After hours of chaos and sickening violence erupted on Wednesday — the horrors perpetrated by the lawless mob that laid siege to the Capitol, lawmakers barricaded in offices fearing for their lives, countless attacks, and five dead — the desecration of the symbols of our democracy ended, but the legislative assaults were just beginning.

As Congress reconvened to do their sworn duty, our congressman, Lee Zeldin, in direct violation of the oath of office he took to uphold the Constitution, voted to reject the state-certified election results of Arizona and Pennsylvania. Think about that. He sought to throw out millions of lawfully cast ballots, all the while knowing full well that the results had been legally challenged multiple times and were irrefutably legitimate.

The mob may have physically trashed the People’s House, but it was Zeldin and 146 fellow Republicans who drove a rhetorical stake through the heart of our democracy, attempting a legislative coup. He should never be allowed to walk the hallowed halls of the Capitol again.

Sincerely,

CAROL DEISTLER

Letter to the Editor printed in The East Hampton Star, January 14

Flood of Lies

David Posnett — Thu, 07 Jan 2021 20:39:12 +0000

Facts still matter. That’s why Donald Trump and his minions try so hard to obscure them in a flood of lies and conspiracy theories. But the facts remain — Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election by more than seven million votes, and two months later Donald Trump still can’t face losing. After weeks of relentless, baseless attacks on the legitimacy of the election, Trump called the Georgia secretary of state, demanding that the election official “recalculate” and “find” him votes, and threatened criminal charges when his demand was rebuffed.

There are no two sides to this story; there is no middle ground. You are either on the side of democracy, or you’re on the side of a desperate mob boss president who is willing to do whatever it takes to stay in power. Lee Zeldin has made very clear which side he is on. It is shameful that he represents C.D. 1.

Sincerely,

CAROL DEISTLER

Published in The East Hampton Star, January 7, Letter to the Editor

Assault on America

David Posnett — Thu, 17 Dec 2020 19:33:38 +0000

Democracy has taken a beating during the past four years. From the day Trump was sworn in, the moral yardstick we use to measure presidents by morphed into a moral slide rule, constantly adjusted by obsequious Republicans anxious to cover for the lies Trump spewed nearly every time he opened his mouth. We’ve been inching our way toward this crisis ever since.

And now, when Americans handed Donald Trump a resounding seven-million-vote defeat, Trump is doing what he has done his entire life — threatening friends and enemies alike to do his bidding and flooding the courts with frivolous cases. The lawsuit filed by Texas, a mixed salad of lies, debunked claims, and crackpot conspiracy theories that had already been rejected by state and local courts, was a frightening attempt to have the Supreme Court throw out the legal votes of 20 million people in four states.

Lee Zeldin joined in on the assault on America, signing a brief backing the lawsuit, along with 125 of his fellow House Republicans. That so many in the Republican Party have revealed themselves to be willing to steal a presidential election is a warning to us all: American democracy may still be standing, but it is on very shaky ground.

Sincerely,

CAROL DEISTLER

Printed as Letter to the Editor, The East Hampton Star, December 17

President Biden can’t be effective unless we do this NOW

David Posnett — Tue, 01 Dec 2020 15:49:33 +0000

Heidi Fiske <heidifiske@hfiske.com>
Date: Tue, Dec 1, 2020 at 7:07 AM
Subject: Heidi endgame alert #3: President Biden can’t be effective unless we do this NOW
To:

Dear savvy liberal,
You hoped your political work would be done November 3rd but
the most game-changing actions you take this election cycle may be what you do NOW.See how, where to help below.
If Biden is to be effective we need to control the Senate, and that won’t happen unless Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock win their runoff Senate races in Georgia January 5th. If they lose, Republicans control the Senate 52-48. If they win, it is 50-50 and VP Harris can break any tie.
Don’t send money to the campaigns now ...
One of the wisest political activists I know states: “My advice is to wait. There is so much money pouring into GA that it is almost impossible to know who can use the funds effectively.” And a few very large donations are expected within a week.
It may be a somewhat different story for groups seeking to register voters (ends December 7) and to get out the vote, especially in particular communities, — actions that both Republicans and Democrats agree are key to winning these races (as opposed to persuading people to change their vote). If you give to any such group, be sure it is one with an ongoing presence, so that if the money isn’t used in these races, it will work in 2021-22.
… but do volunteer. A few caveats
Georgians can be downright rude about out-of-staters “parachuting in, telling us what to do as if they know more than we do,” says SE Georgia organizer Amanda Hollowell. And their frankness is a good thing, because they’re telling you how to be effective. Here’s some of what they say:

while the election is of national importance to you, the issues that are going to get Georgians fired up and to the polls – especially in rural communities of color – are entirely local: notably health care access; COVID; environmental justice; criminal justice reform; and treatment of immigrants. “Take back the Senate” cuts no ice here. Says Black Voters Matter’s Wanda Moseley, “it’s not about what the nation needs. It’s about what black voters need. If it isn’t about that they won’t come out. Period.”
two important groups to get on board are Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI), who cast 91.3% more ballots in 2020 than 2016, and Hispanics: who cast 72.2% more. But each group is varied, and the differences are important, so let the locals teach you how to approach them.
Georgia has many ways to suppress the vote. You will need to understand them, because your major value may be helping people navigate the system.
Don’t come to work on the ground. First, there’s COVID. Second, plenty of people already do it. Finally, obvious out-of-staters trying to exert influence may raise hackles. One exception: poll watching if you are a lawyer
There are places where digital outreach does not work “because lack of broadband aligns exactly with Black and brown communities.”
However you are interacting with Georgians, take it slow and be a friend, not an official. “Georgia voters are tired, overwhelmed,” says Fair Fight’s Hillary Holley. “They want to hear from people they trust, so come at them with grace.”

Groups to work with
Well over 40 highly credible progressive organizations are fighting this fight in Georgia. The few listed below match one or all of the following criteria: They use out of state volunteers; were recommended by several reliable sources; and/or reach special cohorts. Shown in alphabetical order.
America Votes americavotes.orgAV assembles national and state-based coalitions to advance progressive policies and increase voter turnout for Democratic candidates. In Georgia it coordinates the activities of a dozen or more local and national groups so that all bases are covered and none are duplicated.volunteer page https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdfKPID0RoAGR2KUsg1sWHioMFVKfk0lTSUzQ-xVWElv1pjOg/viewform?gxids=7757volunteer opportunities You can check off any of 13 organizations for which to volunteer (including several listed separately here), or choose among these activities: phone banking, texting, canvassing, writing postcards.
Asian American Advocacy Fund AAAF advocates for national, state and local policies that will improve the lives of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders and all immigrant populations in Georgia. Though this cohort is small, in a race that may well be won at the margins these energized voters could play an important role. (As noted, they increased their votes more than 91% between 2016 and 2020.).volunteer pagehttps://www.asianamericanadvocacyfund.org/volunteervolunteer opportunities phone banking, text banking, postcards
Black Voters Matterhttps://blackvotersmatterfund.org/“At BVM, we … are NOT an electoral organization. We are, first and foremost, a power building organization.” BVM works year-round in many communities to make sure that the issues that matter to black communities have political heft.volunteer page https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/d448cd331da240798d118262a8b2f824volunteer opportunities texting, phone banking, postcard writing, social media campaigning, Fair Fight https://fairfight.com/Fair Fight is a national voting rights organization founded in Georgia by Stacey Abrams. It is the leading voting rights groups in Georgia. Count on them to know the landscape everywhere and to offer fine training.volunteer page https://fairfight.com/join-our-fight/volunteer opportunities poll worker, “line warming,” calling voters, texting voters. Can always use lawyers
Flip the West https://www.flipthewest.com/“Harnessing grassroots power to take back the Senate. Current target: Georgia.”volunteer pages (phone banking) https://www.mobilize.us/flipthewest/event/362350/(post card writing) https://www.mobilize.us/flipthewest/event/362341/volunteer opportunities phone banking and postcard writing
MomsRising https://www.momsrising.orgMillion-member organization targeting voting blocs that turned significantly more progressive between 2016 and 2020: suburban white mothers; unmarried white mothers; and low propensity voters of color. Helping to get out the vote in Georgia now.volunteer page:https://action.momsrising.org/survey/MRAdvocacy_2020/?source=actionvolunteer opportunities: call leaders, write postcards, text, share MomsRising social media with your networksPoder Latinx https://poderlatinx.org/“Votar es poder.” Presently seeking bilingual volunteers for Georgiavolunteer pagehttps://poderlatinx.org/contactvolunteer opportunities register voters and get out the vote
Postcards to Votershttps://postcardstovoters.org/This is the original postcard program, founded, in Georgia, by “TonytheDemocrat.”volunteer pagehttps://postcardstovoters.org/volunteer/
Voto Latino https://votolatino.org/national organization devoted to uniting and empowering the Latinx community. Now very active in Georgiavolunteer page https://votolatino.org/article/volunteer-with-voto-latino/volunteer opportunities text banking, trainings and webinars, general advocacy and call to action alerts
Volunteer with each campaignthe Ossoff campaign http://tinyurl.com/OssoffVolunteerthe Warnock campaign https://secure.warnockforgeorgia.com/page/s/website_vol
And
inspire everyone you know in Georgia …… to vote for these two candidates, and to get all their friends out to do so. Check your contact list for “GA” “Georgia” and zip codes beginning “300.” Revel in your old yearbooks as you look for forgotten classmates. After the wearying fights in 2020, it will be difficult to get people to the polls December 14 to January 5, so every vote will matter!
Talking points

Biden cannot be effective, hence this country cannot move forward, unless Democrats control the Senate. McConnell has proved this again and again since 2009.
Here we have two fine Democratic candidates vs. two appalling (and, in the case of Perdue, corrupt) Trumpers

Organizations that can train you to leverage your Georgia contacts:

Galvanize your Republican friends
Use the take-no-prisoners arguments and ads of the Lincoln Project, founded by Republican strategists determined to defeat Trump. One might have expected them to support a Republican-controlled Senate to offset a Democratic President. But to their great credit, they also are fighting as hard as we are to have a Democrat-controlled Senate, because they want to defeat Trumpism. https://lincolnproject.us/
Resource
Excellent, non-partisan guides to all the candidates’ positions. These are also available in Spanish from campuselect.org :

Thanks to …

Especially helpful in compiling this memo were the following, whose work you might value on a continuing basis. With their permission here are their contacts: Evan Kost, (AV coordinates GOTV groups nationwide and in select states) https://americavotes.org; Jane Whitney (wise readable commentary): www.conversationsonthegreen.com; Deepak Puri, founder of the DemLabs (free/affordable apps for political work): https://thedemlabs.org/

Thanks also to Richard O, Craig K, Ellen BN, Victor K, Trey B, Chris B, Daniel S, Sally M, Larry H, Paul LHeidiHeidi Fiskeheidifiske@hfiske.com

The Days After Election Day

David Posnett — Sat, 31 Oct 2020 15:30:32 +0000

As our democracy hangs by a rapidly fraying thread, it is critical that each of us do everything we can to ensure that Donald Trump is voted out of office, and once voted out of office, that he actually LEAVES office.

“The Day After Election Day,” https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/30/opinion/trump-election-officials.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage an article in The New York Times, is an account of officials and aides who are worried the president will use the power of the government to keep himself in office. Following are highlights (lowlights is probably a more accurate term) from the article for those who can’t access it:

“Even though they can’t predict exactly what will happen, their concerns range from the president welcoming, then leveraging, foreign interference in the election, to encouraging havoc that grows into conflagrations that would merit his calling upon U.S. forces.

“I think the biggest shock he had — ’cause his assumption was the generals, ‘my generals,’ as he used to say and it used to make us cringe — was he …just assumed that generals would be completely loyal to the kaiser….And when we weren’t, that was a huge shock to him….

“This shock, and his first two-plus years of struggle with seasoned, expert advisers, led to an insight for Mr. Trump. It all came back to loyalty. He needed to get rid of any advisers or senior officials who vowed loyalty to the Constitution over personal loyalty to him. Which is pretty much what he proceeded to do.

“….Having loyalists at both the Department of Justice and D.N.I….allows him, potentially, to coordinate two key agencies of the government — secret intelligence and prosecution — toward his own political ends.

“Key officials in several parts of the government told me how they thought the progression from the 3rd to the 4th might go down.

“…Disruption would most likely begin on Election Day morning somewhere on the East Coast, where polls open first….A group could just directly attack a polling place, injuring poll workers of both parties, and creating a powerful visual — an American polling place in flames, like the ballot box in Massachusetts that was burned earlier this week — that would immediately circle the globe.

“Violence and conflict throughout that day at the polls would surely affect turnout, allowing Mr. Trump to claim that the in-person vote had been corrupted….There are many scenarios that might unfold from here, nearly all of them entailing weeks or even months of conflict, and giving an advantage to the person who already runs the U.S. government. There will likely be some reckoning of the in-person vote drawn from vote tallies and exit polls. If Joe Biden is way ahead in these projections…Mr. Trump may find himself having to claim fraud or suppression that amounts to too large a share of votes to seem reasonable. Inside the Biden campaign they are calling this “too big to rig.

“No matter how the votes split, there’s an expectation among officials that Mr. Trump will claim some kind of victory on Nov. 4, even if it’s a victory he claims was hijacked by fraud….If the streets then fill with outraged people, he can easily summon, or prompt, or encourage troublemakers among his loyalists to turn a peaceful crowd into a sea of mayhem.

“…But across the government, another official argues that citizens may yet manage to rise to the challenge of this difficult election, in a time of division.

“The last line of defense in elections is the American voter,” he told me. “This is the most vulnerable phase,” now and the days immediately after Election Day, “where we’re so eager to have an outcome, that actors both foreign and domestic are going to exploit that interest, that thirst, that need for resolution to the drama.”

And there you have it. The days and weeks after the election are likely to be a referendum – not on Donald Trump, but on each and every one of us. When everything is on the line, it’s time to do everything you can. Stay tuned.

Are we Ready?

David Posnett — Mon, 26 Oct 2020 14:52:55 +0000

The Love – Black Eyed Peas and Jennifer Hudson

“the choice could not be more clear”

Pennsylvania: the Key Battleground

David Posnett — Sun, 18 Oct 2020 00:10:33 +0000

Pennsylvania (PA) is the tipping point: I read that if Biden wins PA, he has 90+% chance of winning the presidency. If he loses PA he has a less than 50% chance.

“Both sides now see Pennsylvania, with 20 electoral college votes, as a must-win prize on the path to the 270 needed to win the White House, according to Democratic and Republican strategists. They also increasingly view the battle for those votes as one that could well continue beyond Election Day — with a growing list of balloting disputes and lawsuits setting the stage…”

There are about 9000 polling precincts in PA. The PA Poll Observer team plans to put 2 poll observers in each polling station: one inside the station and one outside. NY residents are allowed to be outside, but not inside, poll observers.

Together with 790 other volunteers I attended a 2.5 h training session earlier today. It was excellent. If you don’t mind the grueling Nov. 3rd hours (6:30 AM to 8:30 PM) and being exposed outside for the day, I think this is probably the most productive volunteer work you can possibly do for this election.

“Trump can continue making a fool of himself, and Biden could win all of the swing states on Election Day; but we still can’t rest easy until January 20. Yet the bigger the win, the less likely it is to be overturned. I sure wish this were all safely in the history books instead of unfolding insanely day by day.” ROBERT KUTTNER Follow Robert Kuttner on Twitter Robert Kuttner’s latest book is The Stakes: 2020 and the Survival of American Democracy.

To be a PA election observer use this link: https://www.mobilize.us/pavotepro/event/319170/

Also sign-up here: https://go.joebiden.com/page/s/voter-protection

Trump Is Killing Us

David Posnett — Fri, 09 Oct 2020 13:40:05 +0000

Letter to the Editor published in The East Hampton Star, October 8

Corrosive Effects

To the Editor:

The deadliest threat facing the American public isn’t the coronavirus, it’s the toxic brew of arrogance and ignorance that Trump and his loyalists have force-fed the country: the relentless denial of the risks of Covid (it’s like the flu, it only affects the elderly, it will disappear), the mocking of wearing a mask (not a good look), the touting of quack remedies (bleach, anyone?), the lack of testing (more positive tests make us look bad), and the raucous indoor rallies.

This lethal cocktail resulted in untold suffering and tens of thousands of unnecessary deaths, and yet Trump barely seemed to notice, stating that the death toll “is what it is.”

But recent events have finally succeeded in focusing Trump’s mind. After egregiously flouting C.D.C. guidelines (as well as common sense) by introducing his Supreme Court nominee in a jam-packed Rose Garden with no social distancing and few masks, there is now a growing list of high-profile, Covid-infected attendees. And then there was the debate in Cleveland, where part of the agreed-upon rules was that all audience members wear masks. Apparently believing they are part of an elite brethren for whom rules don’t apply, Trump’s entourage shooed away those offering masks as if they were annoying gnats. But reality finally pierced the Trump bubble, and now the president and others in his inner circle are infected.

The corrosive effects of this administration will be felt long after they have gone on to their respective cell blocks (what can I say, I’m an optimist who still believes in law and order). To reclaim our collective sanity, and our democracy, we must vote this reprehensible con man and his Republican enablers out. Only then can we start rebuilding our place in the world with a president who understands the gravity of the situation, and who has sound plans for dealing with the most serious health crisis in our lifetimes.

Sincerely,

CAROL DEISTLER

Amy Klobuchar: the Cruz Hypocrisy regarding SCOTUS

David Posnett — Sun, 27 Sep 2020 12:58:06 +0000

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtyrrtM7iME&feature=youtu.be

People are already voting and they don’t buy in to phony Republican arguments for replacing Justice Ginsburg as soon as possible to insure enough Trump support on SCOTUS to overturn the election results if needed. Trump is not hiding his intent. This would be the death of democracy and the birth of tyranny.

We need an uprising from the majority of American voters. A revolution against tyranny. Yes, when the minority uses their ill begotten power to suppress the will of the people, that is tyranny and wide spread protests will ultimately happen.

If you are still hesitating about whether we are heading to a dictatorship, read this from Dana Milbank about the parallels between the present day Trump regime and the burning of the Reichstag on February 27, 1933!

Now lets go do our part: Phonebank! Text! Letters! Postcards!

200,000 Deaths….and Counting

David Posnett — Wed, 23 Sep 2020 14:19:14 +0000

Letter to the Editor, The East Hampton Press, September 23

Grounded In Science

More than 200,000 Americans are dead from the coronavirus — a staggering number, with no end in sight — and, yet, for Donald Trump, this is little more than an inconvenient footnote to the “amazing” job he’s done fighting an “invisible enemy.”

How is it that the United States, with less than 5 percent of the world’s population, accounts for more than 20 percent of coronavirus deaths? That other countries have managed to subdue this invisible enemy, and are returning to some semblance of normalcy?

It’s because those countries have leaders who relied on the medical experts, were honest with their citizens, and helmed comprehensive national responses — while our president “took no responsibility at all” and left it to the states to employ a whack-a-mole strategy, resulting in an ongoing wave of infections and death.

If you’ve had enough of Donald Trump, then you’ve had enough of his ardent cheerleader, Lee Zeldin, as well.

Nancy Goroff, the Democratic candidate running against Zeldin, has spent more than 20 years at Stony Brook University in teaching and leadership positions (most recently as chairperson of the Chemistry Department). Electing Ms. Goroff to Congress will ensure that we have a representative who supports policies that are grounded in science and fact, not in the wishful thinking that got us here to begin with — because, no, Mr. President, the virus is not just going to disappear “like a miracle.”

Carol Deistler

East Hampton