Beware: Trumpers' "deep state" putsch. AIPAC's venal toxicity. "Pro-life" grifters. Support: state legislators. Pro-choice adoptees. Kibbutz for "neurodiverse" residents.
NEWSLETTER # 115 August 3, 2022
Today’s Newsletter is a mix of misery, hope, bad behavior, admirable initiatives, and a couple of great cartoons.
POLITICS
When asked what sort of government the Constitutional Convention had created, Benjamin Franklin said, “A republic, if you can keep it." But can we keep it?
* Chilling report reveals Trumpers’ plan to eviscerate the “deep state” (i.e America’s nonpartisan civil service).
* The states are where it’s at. Now that most Democratic policy initiatives get squelched by the stalemate in Congress, state legislatures are driving every issue that impacts our daily lives. In 2020, the party that ended up in the majority in 13 state legislatures was determined by only 46,000 votes! For years Conservatives invested millions to build governing majorities in the states. Now it’s our turn. We have to stop thesel legislators from overturning election results and passing abortion bans.
The States Project recruits and trains candidates and their staffs, buys ads, and provides operational resources. Their aim: to flip at least one chamber from red to blue in three states: Arizona, Michigan and Pennsylvania. Here’s “Why States Matter.”
* Let’s quit diddling about whether Biden is too old to run and start raising the profile of fresh faces like those listed in The Hill and WashPost.
*Glad to see Dems demanding investigation of missing Secret Service text messages. Malfeasance by the (supposedly) apolitical Service is shocking & unacceptable.
*Good news for a change. Despite the GOP’s midterm momentum, contributions to Democratic Senate candidates are far outpacing Republicans in many key races.
ABORTION & CHOICE
*“The first thing you need to know about so-called ‘Crisis Pregnancy Centers’ is that they are largely fraudulent, often dangerous, universally misogynist enterprises,” writes Jill Filipovic. “The second thing you need to know about Crisis Pregnancy Centers is that you might be paying for their grift.” Read more here.
* Pro-choice adoptees are pushing back againstRepublicans and Conservatives claims that adoption is the solution to unwanted pregnancies.
* Here’s how Adoptees for Choice punctures idealized adoption narratives:
* Didja know? “Shaming women who’ve had abortions is not a Jewish ethic”
ISRAEL-PALESTINE
* Admirable: Kishorit, an Israeli kibbutz for “neurodiverse” people, is a model for special needs communities, writes Matti Friedman in Tablet.
*Shameful: AIPAC, the Israel lobby, has been a shanda for years.
AIPAC funds hardline Conservatives like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Josh Hawley. It spent millions to unseat America’s most progressive Congress member, Andy Levin, in yesterday’s Michigan primary. Is this a bellwether of our future? Hard to believe AIPAC represents “the Jews” or Jewish values. Not only does the lobby fund nut jobs who embrace Jan 6 thugs & the Big Lie, it methodically distorts the definition of antisemitism. Forget AIPAC. Give to J Street
Dear Letty, I value your newsletter so! Thanks for writing about state legislatures, attys general and how important all that is. I've shared the piece widely.
Happy summer! Much love, Catherine Wyler