What have you done today to resist Trump?
If the answer to that question is “I’ve commented on blogs” that isn’t enough. You also need to Call Chris Coons and tell him to vote no on Tillerson for Sec of State.
WILMINGTON
Phone: (302) 573-6345
DOVER
Phone: (302)736-5601
Toll-Free (877) 668-3368
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Phone:(202) 224-5042
We need to keep constant pressure on Coons and Carper to resist Trump. They will fold and support Trump as soon as they think the coast is clear. This call script is from thesixtyfive.org, but you know how this works.
I’m <______> , a constituent. I want Senator Coons, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, to stop Tillerson’s confirmation. Tillerson has no true diplomatic experience. His experience negotiating with foreign powers for energy deals has not prepared him for serving as Secretary of State. In fact, Tillerson’s ties with Russia and ExxonMobil are instead conflicts of interest that will make it impossible for him to oversee foreign policy ethically and effectively. I expect Senator Coons to protect the integrity of the State Department by stopping Tillerson from becoming Secretary of State.
I called. One down.
Two down.
I asked the staffer who picked up if Coons has a position on Tillerson yet.
The response was, “Not a public one.” Which is bullshit in and of itself.
called all 3. Thanked me for my call, but gave no information.
I don’t know if you saw it, but Coons was among the handful of Democrats who said they will re-introduce the Equal Rights Amendment.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/bal-cardin-equal-rights-amendment-20170121-story.html
Tom Carper turned 70 today. How about a primary opponent for a birthday gift??
@chris: You up for it? I can’t do it for the obvious reason that nobody would vote for a nasty asshole.
It was announced earlier today that Trump will be in Philly Thursday night for a speech to address a retreat for Congressional Republicans. I have not heard of any organized protests yet but will post here when I do.
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/capitolinq/Trump-to-visit-Philadelphia-Thursday.html
There is a pro-ACA demonstration planned for 11am Thursday at Philly City Hall. Loews Hotel, where the Republican conference will be held, is only 2 blocks away. Hopefully these folks can march over and do double duty.
If it looks like it’ll get good number I’ll take the day off and go. Just need to pick my spots for weekday protests, but this one could be good since the top clown himself will be in town.
@anonymous ” I can’t do it for the obvious reason that nobody would vote for a nasty asshole.” The current Czar of the American Reich would disagree.
@REV: Got a link for that? I want to sign up.
They haven’t released his schedule yet, and by then they’ll probably have stopped doing so. So I’ll go to the ACA event, but I might just picket at the hotel. My anti-Trump signs from Friday/Saturday are printed on strong vinyl stock and ready to go.
@Ben: But he was already famous, and besides, most of the people on the left aren’t nasty, no matter how many “nasty woman” shirts I saw Saturday.
If you can make it to Philly Thursday, I guarantee you’ll hear me. I’m not just obnoxious, I’m also loud.
ERA might be a good perpetual issue for Dems to start taking back statehouses.
http://www.putpeoplefirstpa.org
https://m.facebook.com/events/259985517764268/?notif_t=plan_user_associated¬if_id=1485122012101395
Just called Sen. Coons.
If you only call one of their offices, which one is better?
Is it helpful to call all of their offices?
I rang Wilmington because I got no answer in DC. I think that office may be closed on Mondays.
I yanked a few chains on C-span. So gratifying teasing the animals. I guess has limited value though.
Coons voted NO on Tillerson with all ten Dems on Foreign Relations Committee. All eleven Repubs including Rubio voted Yes. So Tillerson will get a floor vote and be confirmed, but Coons didn’t cave. It’s a start.
Tomorrow everyone has to call Coons and thank him for his vote.
In my view, we’re still owed one from the Big Pharma fiasco to be even. Politically this had zero cost. But credit where it’s due, fair enough. He’s on record. Hooray.
Who knows whether phone calls made a jot of difference, but I appreciate everyone who cared enough. Big up to Jason who posted it.
Old Capitulation Carper going’ be more stubborn when his time come, I reckon. He’s softer than the finest cashmere and able to squirm out of tough positions in a single slither. In a street fight he’s the guy we used to call the magician. When it kicked off he’d make himself disappear.
The time for introspection is over and the time for action is overdue. Please stay focused on this.
https://www.congress.gov/115/bills/hr5/BILLS-115hr5rfs.pdf
If we’re actually going to start harassing our Senators for things, than this bill that passed the house is A number 1 on that list. It essentially allows the president to roll back existing regulations at will, and makes it nearly impossible to create new regulations. It’s like a return to the 1890s in one single bill
I think Trump said that the impact of that is going to be monstrous.
“ERA might be a good perpetual issue for Dems to start taking back statehouses.”
Agreed. Don’t want to say it’s a no-brainer, because if it were I would have thought of it. But it’s the broadest possible way to address all women no matter what their other differences. Good for Coons on this one.
@DelawareLeft
So, what would be so bad about rolling back the endless array of inane regulations that currently plague our government?
Why doesn’t it make sense to evaluate the effect of new regulation before enacting it and to have guidelines that define when a new regulation does more harm than good?
REV I agree with your golf clap on Coons’ NO vote on Tillerson. But part of grassroots tactics are to offer praise when the official votes with us. For Coons to vote in the people’s interest on a corporatist issue is remarkable and needs to be encouraged.
The idea is to build up some action muscles and get Coons and Carper to build up some backbone. Every “no” vote against Trump counts, and every “yes” vote that Coons and Carper vote to enable trump must be meat with outrage.
The next large DC demonstration will be Saturday 15 April. The theme loosely stated is Trump’s corruption, financial conflicts and tax returns (hence the date). For more info use the same internet you are presently using.
@puck/Jason Agreed. Proper votes and the showing of intestinal fortitude should be recognized. I will phone Coons’ office today.
@urwrong You hit on something very important. The idea you’ve been sold, namely that there exists an “endless array of inane regulations that currently plague our government” is false. It’s a fantasy. I know you believe it, but your belief in it, like religious belief, still doesn’t make it true. And the idea that it isn’t vetted and that its effects are not evaluated and tested based on multiple assumptions and model simulation is silly. You must understand this deep down.
Pick a sector or business or agency that’s heavily regulated. Then turn the clock back say 100 years and study the economic and social impact of that activity when it was unregulated. Catalogue the negative economic and environmental and health impacts of this unchecked enterprise.
I understand people believe what you stated. I’m sure some small business owner will give us some useless anecdotal story. That’s OK.
I just called Senator Coons’ Wash. office and spoke to aide David. I asked him to thank Chris for voting against Tillerson as Secy. of State and said I wanted a No vote on Betsy DeVos as Secy. of Educ. I was half-way hoping the message machine would be full as it was yesterday and then I would resort to email. It’s super easy to fit in a quick phone call. Thanks to Jason for including the contact info at the top.
Michael Moore’s March speech is available on youtube and as powerful as it is, watching without doing effects nothing. But I’m preaching to the choir, right?
E –
One of our action items has to be texting Carper and Coons’ Wilmington number to two friends. I’ll add that in today’s “What have you done today ?” post
thanks for the inspiration!
@urwrong: “Why doesn’t it make sense to evaluate the effect of new regulation before enacting it and to have guidelines that define when a new regulation does more harm than good?”
Because “harm” and “good” are defined in economic terms of impact on the regulated industry, which is flat-out false. If an oil refinery must install a scrubber on its emissions stack, it cuts into refining jobs but increases jobs at the scrubber manufacturer. This bill doesn’t let you count the gained jobs in your favor, and there’s virtually no regulation, no matter how small, that can’t be spun as costing someone somewhere a job.
The problem, in short, is in the details, which you don’t seem to appreciate.
These phone-call prompts are working. I have two almost entirely non-political friends who have been motivated to make calls for the first time ever because of these posts and comments. Keep it up! It works!