This is the next of a new series of missives on our unfinished work to restore the promise of our country and its government. Each will focus on a single element of the many opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. Each will provide three steps we can all take to build upon our huge victories winning back the House in 2018 and the Presidency in 2020.
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As divided as we are, most Americans don’t like attempted coups or hate filled speech. The idea that we are heading toward civil war is ridiculous. That’s not what the druggist in Peoria and the insurance agent in Indianapolis want at all. The rejection of the coup showed our strength more than our weakness.
But, if anything that is happening should fill one with rage and worry, it’s the obeisance paid to autocracy by Fox News, Donald Trump and too many Republicans. Wags say “As long as we are freezing Russian assets, why not Mar-A-Lago?” It’s too bad for our country that it isn’t just a joke.
It didn’t start ten days ago with Donald Trump calling Vladimir Putin smart and savvy, saying his invasion of Ukraine was an act of “genius.” In 2017, Trump said “Do you think we’re so innocent?” when asked about Putin’s attempt to poison a political opponent. Trump missed the fact that, unlike Russia, we do not haul our citizens off to jail when they dispute the government’s actions. We have tens of thousands of local governments who take direction from their voters. We have been accomplishing peaceful transitions of presidential power for over 230 years, every year except when Trump visited himself upon us. We could always use a little help, and every year is not a good one, but our arc bends toward justice. Putin’s does not.
Tucker Carlson’s rooting for Russia has become a staple of Russian state television. Donald Trump’s dismissal of claims against Putin were an embarrassing staple of his “presidency”. By last summer, over two thirds of Republicans were noting their admiration of Putin. Though that number has diminished as Russian tanks advance on Kyiv, it is not hard to see that that autocracy has found a new foothold in a party that once prided itself in its rejection of the Soviet state. In his attacks on NATO and his bromance with the “genius” Putin, Trump might as well have been saying “Mr. Putin, Rebuild This Wall!”. That is the net effect of his admiration of this dictator. At one point in our history, Trump’s affinity for autocrats would have disqualified him from any further public exploits.
Over 70% of those watching the State of the Union liked Joe Biden’s sanctioning of Putin over his invasion of Ukraine. Even these positive numbers (including a nice boost with independent voters) are lower than they should be. So far, voters have little sense of the indispensable role this President played in convincing Europe to make the sanctions much more severe than the Europeans wanted.
The failure to give Biden credit for his achievements has become chronic. Under Biden, the economy created 6.5 million jobs last year and the Gross Domestic Product grew by 5.7%, highest in four decades. We have received over 550 million vaccinations and COVID is receding. Biden engineered the largest investment in roads, bridges, public transit, and water supply systems in our history, and got significant bi-partisan support for it, over Trump’s objections.
With the midterm elections looming, and the natural advantage they afford the party not in power, we can’t afford this under-recognition of the President. Hopefully the polling uptick he has received from the State of the Union and his firmness on Ukraine will be sustained. We will either give ourselves definition or it will be done for us.
Mitch McConnell’s efforts to retake the Senate for the Republicans in November are built around negative campaigning against Biden, making up positions for him on countless issues, McConnell is trying to make certain his party’s candidates don’t get defeated by being Putin apologists or by showing their true beliefs on tax policy or governmental programs that help people. Luckily, Senator Rick Scott has precipitated a blow up with McConnell by freelancing his agenda to “rescue America”, which includes a plan to build the wall on the Mexican border and name it after Donald Trump! How is that for toadying? Scott’s plan would increase taxes for tens of millions of low-income taxpayers so they would have “skin in the game.” Neither is McConnell’s least favorite Rick Scott idea. Scott proposes to subject each federal program to a “sunset” every five years, meaning it would have to be reauthorized to continue. Scott neglected to exempt Medicare and Social Security from this treatment, thus meaning he would put these ever-popular programs in great jeopardy.
This position will be a gift that keeps on giving all summer long. Hopefully Trump, Rick Scott, and others will think of other helpful ways to decrease Republican turnout and drive away independents. We need to help that along.
Even though our outlook for the fall remains a huge concern, there are positive signs beyond America’s support of Joe Biden’s international leadership. Joe Manchin has just outlined what a scaled back “Build Back Better” budget package would look like. It would require wealthy companies to pay a minimum corporate income tax, and use the money to reduce the deficit and provide incentives for carbon reduction. Leaders of the progressive wing have welcomed discussions. The special Congressional committee investigating the January 6 insurrection has indicated in a court filing that Trump was a part of a “criminal conspiracy”,
There’s no denying that the movement that got Joe Biden more than 81 million votes in November 2020 needs to generate more energy than it has mustered to date. Let’s build upon Biden’s international leadership and do these three things to help accelerate our mutual project to protect America:
| 1) Target Sedition Caucus Members | |
 | The Progress Action Fund has established its Sedition Caucus PAC to defeat Members of Congress who voted to overturn the election on January 6, 2021. Recently, they have singled out five Sedition Caucus members whose past results demonstrate they are especially vulnerable in November. They are already running ads in their districts. An outstanding way to respond to Donald Trump’s position on Ukraine is to defeat five of his favorite Members of Congress. Their first choice of the PAC is overturning Mike Garcia in California’s 25th District. He defeated former California Assemblywoman Christy Smith by only 333 votes in 2020. She is a very capable candidate, boosted further by redistricting, which removed part of the conservative Simi Valley from the district. Help her out today if you can. |
2) Have a Heart to Heart with Rashida Tlaib | |
| Democratic U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib appointed herself to give a “progressive response” to President Biden’s State of the Union. Her timing was surprising, since Joe Biden has devoted enormous attention to keeping progressives and liberals on the same page since he was elected. One of her colleagues noted that she was “keying her own car” in calling out Biden. The predicted virulent public schisms between the party’s wings have not emerged. Leaders like Representative Pramilla Jayapal (chair of the 97 member House Progressive Caucus) have been unflinching in the advancement of progressive proposals, and trust Biden. Why would Tlaib interject herself on the one day Democrats most need to stand together? How could she possibly believe taking the microphone at that moment would advantage any idea she raised, or help Biden get things done that she insists need to be done? Call Rashida Tlaib’s office at 202-225-5126, thank her for working hard, and ask her to stand with Biden. | |
3) Get Some Guidance from Swing Left | |
 | Even though we took back the Senate in 2020, there are lessons from those times. One is that we need to invest in campaigns with the greatest of care. We poured money in, and it was a critical factor in our getting to 50 seats. But in the case of Amy McGrath in Kentucky, our antipathy to Mitch McConnell caused us to spend money where we had no chance to winning. Swing Left has been touted in these missives previously. From the beginning, they were shrewd about targeting the races where we have the best chance. They were innovative in setting up “district funds” to provide resources for candidates on the first day they became the nominee. Now, they have improved their educational and organizing efforts to have even more impact. On the Senate side, they are starting with defense of our incumbents in Nevada, Arizona and Georgia, and our excellent chance to flip seats in Wisconsin, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Most importantly, their new Blueprint tool will help discerning donors sort out where to put their dollars. |
From now to November, it is all about getting better one week at a time. Our country is opening up again. Heartsick over Ukraine and worried about the future, we can do something now to shape it.
David Harrison
Bainbridge Island, Washington
