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Chop Wood, Carry Water 2/6
Feb. 6th, 2026 08:27 pm![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
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Hi, all, and happy Friday.
We made it through another one! That’s about 54 weeks of Trump 2.0 through which we have not only survived, but thrived(ish). We’re getting there, folks.
And we’re notching more wins, too. In exciting news, Working Families Party-endorsed Analilia Mejia is on the precipice of a huge political upset in the New Jersey Democratic primary. This is Mikie Sherrill’s former seat, and, while votes are still being counted, it looks increasingly likely that progressive rising star Mejia will win. (She was helped, ironically, by AIPAC, who made the strange choice to run millions of dollars worth of attack ads against her more centrist Democratic opponent, Tom Malinowski.)
Mejia, who was endorsed by Bernie Sanders, AOC, and other progressive luminaries, is a supporter of Medicare for All and other progressive policies. I hope her lead holds! But even if it doesn’t, the earthquake in New Jersey represents a national trend—more working class, progressive candidates are winning elections by talking about issues voters care about: the cost of living, the healthcare crisis, the climate emergency, and more. The overton window, in other words, is moving left—because that’s where the actual solutions to this mess are.
As much as I hate what we’re going through, then, if it opens more Americans’ minds to things like single payer healthcare and abolishing and replacing ICE then at least it didn’t happen entirely in vain.
In more unpleasant news, Trump posted a racist video so vile this morning that I won’t link to it here—suffice it to say that it depicted the Obamas as apes. The response—from both Democrats and some Republicans—was an immediate and full-throated denunciation. So much so, in fact, that the White House, after first defending the post, finally took it down. Who cares—the damage is done. Trump should be impeached and removed at once. He is unfit to be president. Every Republican who didn’t immediately condemn the post, furthermore—meaning most of them—should apologize.
It’s a stark moment in our history, folks. There is no grey area anymore, no “in-between.” You are either with democracy, and tolerance, and humanity, and the rule of law, or you are with Trump, the white supremacists, the pedophiles, and ICE. There is no neutral.
If you’re new to this newsletter, then, welcome. Taking action can feel frightening or overwhelming at first, but once you’ve started you’ll find it easy. In fact, it’s self-powering. The more we do, in other words, the better we feel and the more we are capable of doing. Love, after all, is like renewable energy—it’s free, abundant, and immensely powerful. Once we start taking actions grounded in love—of country, community, and planet—the wind is always at our backs.
At least that’s what we’ve found here. That’s why we’re growing stronger every day.
And on that note let’s get to work. We’ve got a country to save.
Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I’m a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
First, no DHS spending bill should pass until Republicans have agreed to everything on Democrats’ list of demands. There is widespread popular support for everything on that list—especially no masks. We also want ICE out of Minnesota and both Kristi Noem and Stephen Miller gone. Nothing less will do.
Second, the UK’s Prime Minister is in danger of losing his position over what he knew about Peter Mandelson’s ties to Epstein. Yet Donald Trump and seemingly half of his cabinet is in the files and we’re hearing nothing about accountability for them or anyone else. It’s unacceptable. Congress needs to direct the DOJ to unredact the rest of the files—except for victim information— and call everyone named in them before Congress. We want consequences and we won’t stop until we get them.
[If GOP add:] One more thing: did the Senator make a statement condemning Trump’s vile racist post this morning? [If yes, thank. If no add:] That is shocking and unacceptable. I will have to assume that means the Senator supports blatant racism. I won’t forget it come election day.
Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I’m a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
The UK’s Prime Minister is in danger of losing his position over what he knew about Peter Mandelson’s ties to Epstein. Yet Donald Trump and seemingly half of his cabinet is in the files and we’re hearing nothing about accountability for them or anyone else. It’s unacceptable. Congress needs to direct the DOJ to unredact the rest of the files—except for victim information— and call everyone named in them before Congress. We want consequences and we won’t stop until we get them.
[If GOP add:] One more thing: did the Congressmember make a statement condemning Trump’s vile racist post this morning? [If yes, thank. If no add:] That is shocking and unacceptable. I will have to assume that means the Senator supports blatant racism. I won’t forget it come election day.
Extra Credit ✅
From Red, Wine and Blue:
We were all heartbroken by the sight of 5-year-old Liam Ramos, the little boy in the bunny-eared hat and Spiderman backpack who was detained by ICE to use as bait to lure his parents into custody. Sadly, Liam is not alone.
Two children from his school were detained last week. The number of kids detained nationwide by ICE has grown six times what it was before Trump took office. No child should have to experience school like this. And the Senate has the opportunity to stop it – but we have only a few days to make a difference.
The Senate and House are negotiating this weekend for new commonsense guardrails around ICE in the Department of Homeland Security budget bill. However, the current language does nothing to protect us and our children in places that have been considered “safe spaces:” schools, hospitals, and places of worship.
Get Smart! 📚
On Monday, February 9 at 12pm ET, join Lauren Groh-Wargo, Founder and CEO of Fair Fight Action, and Wendy Weiser, VP for Democracy at the Brennan Center for Justice, for an important discussion on the rapidly evolving challenges facing election administration. In the wake of a federal raid on Georgia’s Fulton County Department of Registration and Elections and a controversial request tied to Minnesota’s voter rolls, alarm is growing about the integrity of our electoral systems ahead of the midterms. Together, they will break down these fast-moving developments, assess the potential consequences of the anticipated Supreme Court Louisiana v. Calais decision, and explain what’s at stake for voters nationwide, while sharing how Fair Fight Action is mobilizing to protect voter access and energize turnout.
Get informed, get prepared, and don’t miss this timely conversation.
Please use this link to register.
Get in the Streets! 🪧
From May Day Strong:
Here’s the thing: stopping the Trump regime and the billionaire takeover of our world will take all of us. We all have a role to play. Now. That’s why we’re honored to be cosponsoring a call alongside ICE Out Now MN, FREE MN and the Sunrise Movement - and inviting you to learn alongside thousands across the globe about the call for solidarity with Minnesota, to take on the corporate backers of ICE and the corporate backers of the Trump regime directly in our communities, with our power.
Join to get inspired, to learn how you can plug in, and to build with us as we take on a regime intent on lawlessness, executions, and terror. Minnesota has showed us the way: we will win. But it will take all of us.
Join the call: Tuesday 2/10 at 8pm ET.
Win Races! 🗳
From the DNC (this actually sounds really cool):
We are having listening-first conversations with voters in important districts. These are NOT persuasion calls, we are asking voters what they want politicians to know about their communities.
Last week, we heard from voters in California, Colorado, and Florida about their concerns over ICE actions in Minnesota and the Trump administration’s attacks on our democracy. The feedback we receive from these calls is read by our team and shared with DNC leadership and other Democratic partners.
Sign up for a shift here. Full training provided.
Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻
[To: all 3 reps] [H/T] [Text SIGN PPCGVZ to 50409, or to @Resistbot on Apple Messages, Messenger, Instagram, or Telegram]
(Note that for the most effective RESISTBOT it’s best to personalize this text. More about how to do this here. But if you’re short on time just send it as is using the above code.)
I urge you to oppose and block any crypto industry legislation that weakens oversight, deregulates protections, or codifies corruption.
New reporting has revealed that Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a member of the UAE royal family and the nation’s foreign national security advisor, secretly acquired a nearly 50 percent stake in a Trump-linked crypto venture through a $500 million investment. Significant funds flowed directly to Trump-connected entities, and executives tied to that foreign power now sit on the company’s board. This deal occurred shortly before U.S. policy decisions that benefited the investor’s government.
These revelations raise serious concerns about corruption, conflicts of interest, and national security. Advancing crypto legislation that weakens guardrails in this context would reward precisely the behavior Congress should be investigating.
The Senate has a responsibility to protect financial stability, consumers, and the integrity of democratic governance. Crypto bills that serve industry interests while enabling political profiteering fail that test.
I urge you to stand firm, reject these bills, and make clear that corruption will not be written into federal law.
OK, you did it again! You’re helping to save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk soon.
Jess
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