There is a perplexing finding in the psychology of pro-social behavior. You would think that the worse things were, the more likely people would be to help. But actually, research suggests that people are more likely to help when the tragedy seems small, as compared to big. So, for example, people are more likely to donate money if you tell them about one child that needs $200 to survive, than if you tell them about 1,000 children who each need $200 to survive. In each case, their $200 is going to save one child. In each case, they can make the same difference. But something about that 1,000 children shuts people down.
There are a lot of possible reasons for that effect. But one explanation is that when the scope of a tragedy gets too big for us, something in us shuts down as a means of self protection. When we feel as if something bad is so far out of personal control, we choose to disengage rather than open ourselves up to heartache of losing.
I bring this up because I saw a lot of that this week. I saw more people posting about how “we are &%$#-ed” and “all hope is gone” and “we have lost” than I have seen since the early days of this presidency.
For whatever reason, Kennedy retiring seems to be the straw that broke many backs this week (more on this at the end of the diary). This seems to be the difficulty that made too many people say that they couldn’t fight anymore, that they couldn’t do their part, and that all hope is gone.
If you feel that way, I get it. If you feel that way, I understand. But more important, if you feel that way, YOU ARE WRONG.
Yes, things are bad. But hope is not gone. Our country is not beyond saving. Trump and his evil henchman have not won.
America is in danger, but we have not lost. There are more of us than there are of them. We are taking to the streets TODAY to show our power. We may have lost on the third iteration of the travel ban, but we made him go to the third iteration! We forced him to walk back his family separations. We stopped the repeal of ACA. We got Conor Lamb elected and many others in special elections. We got a democrat elected in ALABAMA. We are the majority and we have won and won and won. Yes, there have been losses, but we have also won. A lot.
You feel overwhelmed because you feel like there is too much for you to address. You feel like we have lost because you alone can’t fix this. You feel like hope is gone because we had a setback.
I ask you to do this: Think about the people who fought and bled and died for DECADES for the right to vote. Think about the people who hid for years in floorboards and attics (literally for **years**) to escape from Nazis. Think about the soldiers who walked into actual war with their friends, knowing many would die, to save the world from fascism.
Then ask yourself, am I really done? Do I not feel the fever of righteousness? Am I not lightened by the rays of hope? Have I not come here with the support of millions just like me? Is our democracy really not a battle worth fighting?
And remember the words of the Talmud:
Keep at it! You are not alone. This task is not too much for all of us together.
We will not let American democracy die at the hands of a reality TV show host. We just won’t.
Now on to the good news:
Russia Russia Russia and Other Legal Troubles for Trump
As Cohen is further distanced from the president, friends have been encouraging him to change his narrative. “Washington is actively pushing him away,” a person close to Cohen says. “At the same time, he has all these people telling him that he could change the course of the midterms, or 2020.”
Ever since April, when the F.B.I. came calling, Trump’s friends and advisers have fretted over whether Cohen—who has an intimate knowledge of the Trump Organization’s foreign dealings—will ultimately cooperate with federal prosecutors if charges are brought against him.
For the president, Cohen’s moves in recent days have been even more foreboding. Last week, I reported that Cohen will switch from his current attorneys, who have handled the document review, to a new lawyer, Guy Petrillo, who served as the head of the criminal division of the S.D.N.Y.—a signal that Cohen may be preparing to resolve his situation without going to trial. Days later, Cohen resigned from his leadership position at the Republican National Committee in a letter taking a lash at Trump’s immigration policies. Shortly thereafter, Cohen retweeted a photo taken by Arnold with the two smiling next to one another in the Regency lobby—a photo that Arnold told me he hoped would send a shock wave through the Oval Office.
Earlier this week, however, a woman chased him down the street, shouting at him that he could be a hero if he cooperates with the government and brings President Trump down. Last week, another person attempted to get a message to Cohen, saying, “Please let him know that he could go down in history as the man that saved this country. I think his family would be so proud of him. Even people like me that were disgusted with the things we heard on those audio recordings, would totally forgive him.”
Cohen’s friends have been whispering encouragements, too, particularly after the president distanced himself from Cohen earlier this month by telling reporters that he “liked” Cohen, in the past tense. “He’s frustrated,” one person close to Cohen told me. “Washington is actively pushing him away as opposed to protecting him or welcoming him back in, when, at the same time, he has all these people telling him that he could change the course of the midterms, or 2020.”
Cohen, after a year of scrutiny and mounting legal bills, is not the same man who once offered to be a human shield for the Trumps. “I have no one watching my back,” he has told friends. “I just did what I was told.”
Flip! Flip! Flip!
And the safest bet around is that Roger Stone is going to be indicted → Another Ex-Aide to Roger Stone Is Subpoenaed in Russia Investigation
A former aide to Roger J. Stone Jr., the longtime Trump adviser and self-described “dirty trickster,” was subpoenaed to appear before the grand jury hearing evidence in the Russia investigation and to hand over documents
And Roger Stone will turn on Trump faster than Jeff Flake will turn on his principles. And that is FAST. Trump has to be hating this.
and someone who already flipped seems to have more to tell:
Michael Flynn not yet ready for sentencing hearing due to the status of the special counsel's investigation
In other words, there are men and critical pieces of intelligence Flynn is still in the process of supplying, and those people are (I believe) Manafort, Barrack, Trumps Jr. and Sr., Cohen, Prince, Sessions, and possibly Bannon. The intel is about Russia, UAE, and Saudi Arabia.
Another way of saying this: Flynn was a much bigger get than anyone in major-media realized, and his crimes and ability to give inculpatory evidence to Mueller went *well* beyond what he was actually charged with. Which means Mueller is much further along than anyone realizes.
And the good guys held their own against the crazy Rs this week:
Rod Rosenstein shuts down Jim Jordan over Fox News report
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) is Republicans' designated pit bull on the House Judiciary Committee. He's the guy pushing conspiracy theories about the FBI and President Trump. And he's the guy whose push for a second special counsel based on these theories earned a sharp rebuke from Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
On Thursday, Jordan again found himself getting shut down by one of the embattled leaders of the Justice Department — this time in somewhat embarrassing fashion.
things fell apart for Jordan, and he undermined his own case.
After Rosenstein rebuked Jordan's use of anonymous media reports, Jordan read from a quote that one anonymous House committee staffer gave to Fox.
“This is what they said: 'Having the nation's No. 1 law enforcement officer threaten to subpoena your calls and emails is downright chilling,' " Jordan said. “Did you threaten to subpoena their calls and emails?
“No, sir, and there's no way to subpoena phone calls,” Rosenstein said, clearly pleased with himself.
There were audible laughs in the room.
And the attempted undermining of the Russia investigation suffered another setback.
Remember, Mueller has a lot to work with and he is totally on this. For example:
Special counsel eyeing Russians granted unusual access to Trump inauguration parties
Several billionaires with deep ties to Russia attended exclusive, invitation-only receptions during Donald Trump’s inauguration festivities, guest lists obtained by ABC News show.
These powerful businessmen, who amassed their fortunes following the collapse of the Soviet Union -- including one who has since been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department -- were ushered into events typically reserved for top donors and close political allies and were given unprecedented access to Trump’s inner circle.
Their presence has attracted the interest of federal investigators probing Russian efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election, three sources with knowledge of the matter said.
Matthew Olsen, a former senior national security official who now serves as an ABC News consultant, said their presence at inaugural events is “very concerning.”
And remember, this isn’t just Russia, there is a lot of evidence (that Mueller is looking at) that these crooks tried to sell our country to many other places like the UAE → Trump confidant was ready to share inside information with UAE
Emails will be of interest to Mueller investigation, which is looking at whether the UAE and Saudi funnelled payments to Trump’s campaign
Donald Trump’s closest confidants were willing to exchange inside information about US government appointments with Yousef al-Otaiba, the Emirati ambassador to Washington, a new set of leaked emails has revealed.
The president-elect's advisers also pledged to Otaiba that they would keep his government’s interests at the heart of the new administration’s Middle East policy. The emails reveal that the relationship between the Emiratis and the president’s inner circle was cemented earlier than previously thought.
And it isn’t just Mueller. This one is great because of the timing → The Inconvenient Legal Troubles That Lie Ahead for the Trump Foundation
Barring an unexpected change, the Donald J. Trump Foundation will be defending itself in a New York courtroom shortly before this fall’s midterm elections. The proceedings seem unlikely to go well for the institution and its leadership; President Trump and his elder children, Ivanka, Donald, Jr., and Eric, are being sued by New York’s attorney general, Barbara Underwood, for using the charity to enrich and benefit the Trump family. On Tuesday, the judge in the case, Saliann Scarpulla, made a series of comments and rulings from the bench that hinted—well, all but screamed—that she believes the Trump family has done some very bad things.
Great Election News
Battleground state polls find more voters prefer Congress as a check on Trump
Voters in three key Senate battleground states prefer the next Congress to be a check on President Donald Trump rather than a booster for his policy priorities.
In Arizona, 52 percent of registered voters say they’ll use their vote to send a message that the country needs more Democrats to serve as a check on Trump, while 36 percent said the nation needs more Republicans to pass his agenda.
Why Tuesday was a great night for Democrats
As a Democratic Party insider, I’m supposed to be “quaking” or in “crisis” today after Tuesday night’s primary results. But while I am sad to see a friend (Rep. Joseph Crowley of New York) lose, you’ll find me – like most Democrats – smiling . Why? Four reasons:
1. Talent, talent, talent
2. Liberal – but mainstream
3. Part of an overall picture
4. Better inside the tent than outside
Will Rogers famously said, “I am a member of no political organization. I’m a Democrat.” But what people forget is that he made that statement not at a time of great despair for our party, but leading up to a streak where we won five presidential elections in a row and consolidated generational control of Congress. The Democratic tent got bigger and more inclusive last night, and that’s a great thing.
Poll: Trump sees low support for reelection in key states
Only about a third of voters in Arizona, Florida and Ohio say President Trump deserves to be reelected, according to an NBC News and Marist College poll published Wednesday.
Oklahoma teachers went on strike. Nearly 100 of them are now running for office to unseat Republican lawmakers.
First they went on strike, now they’re running for office. Nearly 100 public school teachers and administrators are on the ballot in Oklahoma’s primary elections on Tuesday, trying to unseat Republican lawmakers who fought their demands to spend more money on public education.
Energized Democrats Are Voting in Competitive Primaries in Droves
In more than 20 of the most competitive House races of 2018, the share of Democrats voting in primaries notably increased, compared with 2014, the last midterm election cycle.
Our Movement is Working
Seeking a split from ICE, some agents say Trump’s immigration crackdown hurts investigations and morale
The political backlash against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has turned so intense that leaders of the agency’s criminal investigative division sent a letter last week to Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen urging an organizational split.
The letter, signed by the majority of special agents in charge of ICE’s Homeland Security Investigative Division (HSI), offered a window into growing internal tension at the agency as an “Abolish ICE” protest movement has targeted its offices and won support from left-wing Democrats.
The letter signed by 19 special agents in charge urges Nielsen to split HSI from ICE, because anger at ERO immigration practices is harming the entire agency’s reputation and undermining other law enforcement agencies’ willingness to cooperate, the agents told Nielsen.
The Abolish ICE movement has gained new momentum in recent weeks amid public outcry over the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” crackdown that separated more than 2,500 migrant children from their parents along the Mexico border. A federal judge this week ordered the government to reunite them with their parents — many of whom are currently held in ICE custody — within 30 days.
In New York City this week, Democratic congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez won an upset primary victory Tuesday after taking up the Abolish ICE cause as one of her campaign promises, while in Portland, Ore., protesters have set up a sprawling tent camp outside ICE’s local office.
Parkland Teenagers Taking on the World—and Winning
We haven’t heard the last from survivors of the deadly February school shooting in Parkland, Florida. Dozens of the high school students who were thrust into a mortality crisis before they could order a beer at a bar have graduated from teenage angst to social justice, and they’re continuing to sing truth to power while pulling together to help one another to heal.
Recently, Sawyer Garrity and Andrea Pena, the teenage songsters who wrote “Shine,” the anthem of their movement #MSDstrong, performed in Washington, D.C., at the Fords Theater annual gala. They sang directly to Vice President Pence and FLOTUS, demanding change in gun laws. Then they joined a chorus of classmates from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School to sing at the New York Public Theater’s annual gala, following the chorus’ surprise appearance at the Tony Awards that won them a rousing standing ovation.
Liberal Group Looks to ‘Out’ James O’Keefe’s Project Veritas Operatives
Lauren Windsor, then an associate at the firm, had a front-row seat to the deception—and the fallout. She then decided to try and stop O’Keefe and his group, Project Veritas, from doing it again.
Windsor began cataloguing everything she knew about Project Veritas and the O’Keefe operative that had infiltrated Democracy Partners. The project began as prep work for potential litigation, but Windsor eventually circulated it privately among other liberal activists. Now the dossiers Windsor created on operatives associated with O’Keefe and Project Veritas have grown into “Project Veritas Exposed,” a collection of online profiles and—more importantly for O’Keefe’s targets—pictures of people known to work with O’Keefe.
Five justices cannot break the solidarity of America’s unions
The 1.6 million members of AFSCME keep American communities safe and strong through their selfless service. We are social workers, EMTs, corrections officers, school custodians and more. We plow the roads, drive the school buses and pick up the trash.
we are unbowed by this decision. We will continue to do what we have always done, but now with greater energy and passion.
We will organize in our workplaces and our communities — more than 18,000 people have joined AFSCME through new organizing campaigns just since 2016. We will educate about issues affecting working people. We will fight for racial and economic justice. We will mobilize people to take collective action — and that includes encouraging them to vote for pro-worker candidates in the November elections.
One court case will not determine the fate of AFSCME or the labor movement. We will remain a vibrant force that lifts up all working people, whether they belong to unions or not. The grassroots momentum is on our side. Public support for unions is at 61 percent, its highest level in 15 years, according to Gallup. The Janus decision will not slow us down; it will fire us up. It will strengthen the bonds of solidarity and embolden working people to stick together in strong unions.
Jon Stewart Delivers Fiery Address to President Trump: ‘We Will Prevail’
The Lincoln quote concerned the one thing that Southern slaveholders wanted: “This and only this: cease to call slavery wrong, and join them in calling it right.”
“It was on this point that Lincoln said the Union could not bend,” Stewart said. “And what Donald Trump wants is for us to stop calling his cruelty and fear and divisiveness wrong, but to join him in calling it right. And this we cannot do. And I say, by not yielding, we will prevail!”
Electric vehicles are gaining momentum, despite Trump
The transportation sector today emits more carbon than any other sector of the US economy. And it is shaping up to be the next big battle in the long fight to decarbonize.
On one side of that battle: the Trump administration, a few US automakers, and Koch Industries, who would like to stymie or at least delay the electrification of vehicles and continue the use of fossil fuels.
On the other side: California, a coalition of like-minded states, most automakers, a growing roster of utilities, and climate hawks. All of them are eager to accelerate the shift to electric vehicles (EVs), so that the sector can be run on increasingly clean grid power.
underneath the surface, there is a frenzy of activity on the other side. It’s not just that states are pushing back and beginning to set their own stringent goals (like California’s, to put 5 million EVs on the street by 2030). It’s also that a broader coalition is taking on the real nuts and bolts of electrifying the US fleet, working out the details and best practices that will be necessary to put ambitious plans into motion.
The System Is Still Working
Judge blocks Kentucky Medicaid work requirements
A federal judge has blocked a controversial Medicaid waiver in Kentucky that was set to go into effect Sunday and would have imposed work requirements on beneficiaries.
U.S. District Judge James Boasberg ruled that the administration never adequately considered whether the work requirements and other restrictions would violate the program's central purpose of providing medical assistance to vulnerable citizens.
The Inspector General of DHS released a report showing ICE fails to meet basic detention standards, with little to no accountability.
This comes on the heels of DHS's plans to jail tens of thousands of immigrants, including children and their parents, on military bases.
The independent DHS Inspector General has exposed how ineffectual ICE inspections are, and how delinquent the agency is in addressing serious violations. In some cases, inspectors outright lied — and were caught by the Inspector General during the course of its investigation.
Decency wins — and Trump gets smacked down
On the same day that the Supreme Court upheld President Trump’s travel ban in a tortured ruling, a district court judge hearing a suit on behalf of a class of migrants separated from their children struck a blow for common decency and family reunification
Consider, if you will, the Justice Department lawyer arguing in effect, “No, really, we can treat these kids worse than property.” Justice Department attorneys need to seriously consider their professional and own moral code of conduct in continuing to defend the administration’s inhumane practices. One hopes that every Justice Department lawyer will read the opinion, reflect on the judge’s admonitions and in the future refuse to sign on to briefs or undertake oral arguments in defense of barbarism. In the meantime, a significant victory for real family values and constitutional government has been won
Democrats are Awesome
Obama offers Democrats tough love ahead of midterms: 'Enough moping'
Former President Barack Obama, re-emerging into the political fray for a Democratic National Committee fundraiser here on Thursday, had a message for troubled Democrats: Do more than just mope.
Obama peppered his 45-minute appearance with subtle knocks for despondent Democrats, warning that it is not enough to lament Donald Trump's presidency or complain about the impact he is having on the country. Instead, a tie-less and visibly relaxed Obama urged Democrats to back up those concerns with action and avoid the belief that the party is bound to defeat Republicans in November.
"If what you are doing requires no sacrifice at all, then you can do more," Obama told the tony crowd at a sweeping multi-million-dollar Beverly Hills home. "If you are one of these folks who is watching cable news at your cocktail parties with your friends and you are saying 'civilization is collapsing' and you are nervous and worried, but that is not where you are putting all your time, energy and money, then either you don't actually think civilization is collapsing ... or you are not pushing yourself hard enough and I would push harder."
At one point, he turned to the crowd and declared, "Enough moping, this is a mope-free zone."
Congressional Democrats mobilized Thursday to combat a Supreme Court decision that restricts unions from collecting fees from public-sector workers who don’t want to join the union. The lawmakers proposed a measure to make it easier for union members in states with weak labor laws to fund labor organizations.
On Thursday, Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Rep. Matthew Cartwright (D-Pa.) introduced a bill, dubbed the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act, to protect the ability of public employees to form, join or assist labor organizations without fear of reprisal.
Ranking Democrats on 5 committees have written to the DOJ, DHS, and HHS inspectors general calling for a broad review of Trump's family separation and 'zero tolerance' policies, "including legal, logistical, coordination, and public information issues."
California has passed a digital privacy law granting consumers more control over and insight into the spread of their personal information online, creating one of the most significant regulations overseeing the data-collection practices of technology companies in the United States.
The bill raced through the State Legislature without opposition on Thursday and was signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown, just hours before a deadline to pull from the November ballot an initiative seeking even tougher oversight over technology companies.
Want more of this? Elect more Democrats. It is what we do.
We Are The Majority
Trump is losing the country on immigration
While Democrats have become more enthusiastic about legal immigration, so have Republicans, albeit to a smaller extent. “The share of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents who say legal immigration into the U.S. should be increased has doubled since 2006, from 20% to 40%. . . . The share of Republicans and Republican leaners who say legal immigration should be decreased has fallen 10 percentage points since 2006, from 43% to 33%.”
This is remarkable, given the stunning ignorance about the relative number of illegal and legal immigrants.
Despite Trump’s persistent lying, most Americans “know documented immigrants living in the U.S. are not more likely than U.S. citizens to commit serious crimes (65% say this) and that undocumented immigrants mostly fill jobs citizens don’t want (71% say this).” That’s somewhat reassuring after two years of nonstop anti-immigrant harangues.
Even Republicans have not been entirely won over by Trump’s nonstop slurs against immigrants — 48 percent feel sympathetic toward illegal immigrants, while 49 percent do not. Even with their supposedly tried-and-true mantra of “No amnesty!,” anti-immigrant voices haven’t won over a majority of Republicans (46 percent think legalization is a reward, while 47 percent do not).
Action — Take The Senate
if we take back the senate, we can stop Trump from filling any more SC seats.
And we can do this.
According to Cook, there are 8 Senate races that are toss ups right now (and Dems are actually ahead in 4, while the other 4 are dead heats).
If we can take 7 of those, we win control of the senate.
That doesn’t even include the Texas race between Cruz and Rourke, which Cook has as Likely R. I think we have a better chance at that then they are giving us.
Let’s get to work:
In Florida, Nelson is in a dead heat race. Donate or get involved here.
In Indiana, Donnelly is in a dead heat race. Donate or get involved here.
In Missouri, McCaskill is just a couple of points ahead. Donate or get involved here
In North Dakota, Heitkamp is in a dead heat race. Donate or get involved here
In West Virginia, Manchin is just a few points ahead. Donate or get involved here
In Arizona, Sinama is just a few points ahead. Donate or get involved here
In Nevada, Rosen is in a dead heat race. Donate or get involved here
In Tennessee, Bresden is just a few points ahead. Donate or get involved here
In Texas, O’Rourke is losing by just a few points. Donate or get involved here
Or make just one contribution to The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. It is solely dedicated to electing a Democratic Senate.
I gave. Will you? Even just $5 helps ❤️
Final Thoughts
Before I sign off, let me say one more thing: Fuck Anthony Kennedy.
Seriously. Fuck him.
Lots of hand wringing this week about losing him as an ally, but he has been a pretty shitty ally.
Every single close opinion we won this term, we won without him. He voted against us on digital privacy (we won due to Roberts joining us). He voted against us on the ability of the government to deport any alien (we won due to Gorsuch joining us).
In addition to being the fifth vote for every evil act the supreme court gave us this entire term, he has a history of lots of other evil. He wrote the majority opinion in Citizens United. That alone should doom him to hell.
His vote struck down the heart of the Voting Rights Act in Shelby County. And in McCutcheon, he allowed special interests to blow the lids off of federal contribution limits.
He sucks.
Seriously, fuck that guy.
Yah, he stood up for reproductive freedom (sometimes). But not always. Just like with LGBTQ rights.
The republicans think this will motivate their base to vote in the midterms. But that is a sign of their desperation (none of their other strategies have worked) and their stupidity. Yes, data suggests that the SC brought out their base in 2016. But the far right is now getting what it wanted from Trump. This isn’t motivation, it is the end zone for them. They are getting the seat they voted for him for. That would be like if your kid worked super hard to get enough money for a bike and then he bought the bike and you thought, “boy, Johnny is going to work hard now!” HE ALREADY HAS THE BIKE, YOU IDIOT. Johnny got what he needed from you. Why should he be motivated? The far right have the seats now to destroy Roe V Wade. Why would they still be motivated by this?
You know who this will motivate? the VAST majority of Americans who support reproductive freedom. Two-thirds of Americans oppose rolling back Roe v. Wade. 81% of Democrats feel strongly about this as do 73% of Independents. Heck, even 43% of Republicans want to keep Roe V Wade!
What about gay marriage, which was Kennedy’s only real high point? The people are on our side with that one too. Two-thirds of Americas also support gay marriage. 83% of Democrats and 71% of independents support gay marriage. Heck, almost half of REPUBLICANS (44%) support it!
THIS WILL GET US TO THE POLLS, NOT THEM.
We have every reason to work hard. We have every reason to be motivated. And we have millions of us fighting for our beautiful democracy, together.
Do not be discouraged. This is not on you and you alone. But we do need you. You must stiffen your spine and gladden your heart and do whatever part you can. We all must.
As always, I am super proud and super lucky to be in this with all of you ✊ ❤️ ✊