Busy week. Great week.
I enjoyed discussing the latest political and democracy news with Rick Wilson and Joe Trippi on “The Strategy Session.” We dive into gerrymandering, the failure to protect the rule of law, the State of the Union, and the opportunity presented by the Trump takeover of the RNC.
Take a listen (I enter 9 minutes in):
MONDAY, I had a great visit to Dayton.
I first spent an hour with the Sisters of the Precious Blood—and we had such a wonderful time. The two Sisters to my right in the photo below both hail originally from Cincinnati, and are now 98 and 92 years old.
In addition to a great and spirited conversation, talking with the Sisters and some other recent experiences and visits have provided such an important reminder to me of the wisdom and lived experience of our seniors. When the political conversation about age spills into disrespect and mocking, it’s not only offensive, but blinds us as to how much we can learn from those who’ve been in these battles for far longer than we have.
Next, I visited the Dayton Metro Library for a conversation on the State of Democracy, hosted by the League of Women Voters of Dayton, and the Sisters of the Precious Blood. Another fulsome and invigorating discussion, where I urged folks to think through all the ways we can lift democracy in our own lives:
Speaking of the League: one thing I hope you’ll consider—the League of Women Voters of Ohio is shouldering a huge part of the signature-gathering effort to end gerrymandering in Ohio. While LWV volunteers collect the signatures (it will take more than 400,000 valid signatures to get the reform measure on the ballot), there is a substantial cost the League bears to coordinate it all, and I’ve been working to help them raise funds to do this critical work.
Our fundraiser TUESDAY to support this important work was a success. If you also want to give to this critical cause for Ohio’s democracy, link HERE to help the League.
WEDNESDAY, our kickoff of Blue Tennessee was a home run — lots of people on the call, lots of people signing up as monthly members. Thanks to all who helped.
If you want to join the effort to support candidates running across Tennessee—holding extremists accountable in every corner—link HERE. We are excited to now be doing this work in Ohio, Texas, Missouri and Tennessee.
Finally, as the week ends, let me share one article I highly recommend. It’s from Judge Michael Luttig and Larry Tribe, and they lay out the deep flaws in the Supreme Court’s recent destruction of the disqualification clause:
“In a stunning disfigurement of the Fourteenth Amendment, the Court impressed upon it an ahistorical misinterpretation that defies both its plain text and its original meaning…
“Our highest court dramatically and dangerously betrayed its obligation to enforce what once was the Constitution’s safety net for America’s democracy. The Supreme Court has now rendered that safety net a dead letter, effectively rescinding it as if it had never been enacted.”
“Desperate to assuage the growing sense that it is but a political instrument, the Court instead cemented that image into history. It did so at what could be the most perilous constitutional and political moment in our country’s history, when the nation and the Constitution needed the Court most—to adjudicate not the politics of law, but the law of the politics that is poisoning the lifeblood of America.”
Wow.
(Here’s a summary of what they wrote for those who don’t subscribe to The Atlantic.)
Bottom line: the Court let democracy and the rule of law down.
No one is going to save us, and our democracy, but us.
And as I said this week when I expressed my support and admiration for my former opponent Phil Heimlich, who has spent seven years standing strong for democracy within his own party, “us” should be across party lines whenever possible.
This year more than ever, that broad coalition and unity are key, which is one reason I so admire the coming together of Judge Luttig (perhaps the best known conservative judge when I was in law school) and Lawrence Tribe (perhaps the best known professor when I was in law school, and a progressive) to protect democracy.
That’s the kind of united front we need.
Keep going!
Great recap of the week David! It’s good that you went to Dayton at the beginning of the week. FPOTUS had his weekly grievance rally there and he was spouting his immigration policy etc etc. we should all be terrified if he should get elected. Everyone needs to vote! Thanks for all you do to bring democracy back to Ohio and the country.