Focused Read in 4-6 minutes
"The Tragedy of
Susan Collins"
By Dan Cluchey
(Author, lawyer, and former Obama Administration speechwriter and advisor from the state of Maine.)
Highlights, edited for reading at a glance follow below:
It is a national feeling of
fear and frustration that could result in national suicide and the
end of everything that we Americans hold dear. It is a condition that
comes from the lack of effective leadership either in the legislative
branch or the executive branch of our government… Mr. President, I
speak as a Republican. I speak as a woman. I speak as a United States
senator. I speak as an American.
Few
citizens today will recall the name of Margaret Chase Smith, though
she was as indispensable a lion of American politics as the post-war
era had to offer.
The first woman elected to both houses of
Congress — and the first to have her name placed in nomination
for the presidency by a major party —
she ascended to civic
stardom in the darkest days of the Red Scare when, on the first of
June, 1950, she rose from her desk on the Senate floor to deliver
what would come to be known as the Declaration of Conscience.
In
terms of scruples-per-minute, few pieces of rhetoric rate higher in
American history;
Smith’s speech pricked the veil of Republican
complicity in McCarthyism and helped stir the nation to turn away a
fascist tide.
A
moderate Mainer, Margaret Chase Smith was swept from the GOP Olympus
long ago. The party’s dead sprint rightward over the years has done
as much as time to flush her memory from the modern Republican genome
...
In the decades since,
Collins has spoken frequently about Smith’s impact on her life.
From time to time, you can even spot her wearing the golden elephant
pin — one of her “most treasured possessions” — bequeathed
to her by Smith’s family after her death in 1995. Indeed,
it is
impossible to understand either the purpose of Senator Collins’s
career, or the depths of its failure, without considering her
relationship to Margaret Chase Smith.
… As Maine voters turn
on her — and it has already begun — Collins will come to
regret her swan dive into the depths of partisan depravity. Presented
with a fresh McCarthy, she cowered where Smith stood tall. … “
You can read more of this insightful piece about Sen. Collins and, I would add, Republican political behavior in the 21st Century here
Focused Thought in 30 seconds
Focused Action in 30 seconds
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( Check out the brief video before you retweet it though, it's a must see making of
THIS ⬇ great political cartoon )
by Darrin Bell
You can see more of his work on his website here!
Focused Point of Interest in 3-4 minutes
National Democratic Redistricting Committee
"NDRC 2017 Wrap-up and 2018 Preview
MEMORANDUM
To: Interested Parties
From: Kelly Ward, NDRC Executive Director
Date: December 22, 2017
Re: National Democratic Redistricting Committee Update
One year ago, we launched the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC) to develop the first-ever comprehensive redistricting plan that can unrig Republican control over the redistricting process, undo gerrymandering and restore fairness to our democracy. I am proud to report that NDRC has had a very successful first year, with big plans for 2018 and beyond.
2017 Accomplishments
With no precedent for a comprehensive redistricting strategy, we set out to create a plan and start building the foundation for this work. Since no two states are the same, our model allows us to adapt and customize how we can be most effective in each state. The four pillars of our strategy include:
➤ A robust litigation strategy in states with unconstitutional maps
➤ Reforming the redistricting process where possible, including supporting ballot initiatives to create fairer redistricting processes in the states
➤ Building the infrastructure needed for successful advocacy during the redistricting process in 2021, including raising public awareness, building a grassroots network, and developing state-of-the-art mapping software
➤ Electing Democrats in key state and local races that will play a role in the next round of redistricting
With our model in place, we immediately and aggressively began executing on our work. We effectively established NDRC as the leading redistricting organization, created a strong financial foundation, launched initial programmatic activity in key strategy areas, and began building a strong grassroots network around the country.
In 2017, we worked to advance our goals around the country by:
➤ Raising more than $11 million for NDRC and our affiliated-organizations, the National Redistricting Action Fund (501c4) and the National Redistricting Foundation (501c3),
➤ Helping to elect Ralph Northam and Democratic legislators down the ballot in Virginia by investing $1.2 million. For the first time since 1991, Virginia will have a Democratic governor with veto power over the redistricting process,
➤ Investing $50,000 in a local campaign to protect three state Senators from a brazen partisan recall attempt in Nevada. These recalls are an attempt by Republicans to flip the majority in the Nevada state Senate,
➤ Generating extensive local and national press coverage about the damaging effects of gerrymandering and NDRC’s plan to achieve fair maps,
➤ Pursuing active lawsuits in 5 states, including Pennsylvania, Texas, North Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia,
Launching a partnership with Organizing For Action (OFA), which included NDRC Chairman Eric Holder digitally joining more than 60 grassroots house parties around the country, and
Building a robust and extensive grassroots email network that both supports us financially and engages on redistricting issues nationally and in the states. ... "
You can read more about plans for 2018 and Beyond here
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→ Direct sources for Democrats:
* ( Personal favored and most informative follows are shared here with the understanding that readers will always apply their own critical thinking to any information provided anywhere by anyone. #StrongerTogether does not share sources of information lightly but -- no one is perfect! -- so always #DistrustAndVerify I am using a star rating that is strictly based on my situational experience with the work of the media personality specifically in relation to issues of interest to me. )
The Democratic Party Website
Also
C-SPAN (a good place for speeches & hearings direct source (s))
→ Fact checking organizations courtesy of the Society of Professional Journalists
in alphabetical order...
→ Some of my favorite, most informative
follows on Twitter include:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ US Intelligence | Author | Navy Senior Chief | NBC/MSNBC
⭐⭐⭐ Federal Government Operations | Vanity Fair | Newsweek | MSNBC Contributor | Author
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Voting Rights/Voter Suppression | Author | Mother Jones
→ Some of the most credible media -- at the moment:
📰📰📰 Mother Jones
📰📰📰 The Washington Post
📰📰📰 The New York Times
💻💻💻 News And Guts on Facebook
→ Some of the most credible Talking Heads -- at the moment -- and their Twitter handles:
📺📺📺 Rachel Maddow on MSNBC
📺📺📺 The Beat With Ari on MSNBC
( ⬆⬆⬆ Wallace is new to the job but for right now
her work on Trump GOP has been credible, IMO)
...for Networking for Democrats today!
.
.
.
(Linked) "...is our 2016 platform...a declaration of how we plan to move America forward. Democrats believe that cooperation is better than conflict, unity is better than division, empowerment is better than resentment, and bridges are better than walls.
It’s a simple but powerful idea: We are stronger together."
(Remember 2018...)
*
Curated by Gail Mountain, with occasional personal commentary, Network For #StrongerTogether ! is not affiliated with The Democratic Party in any capacity. This is an independent blog and the hope is you will, at a glance, learn more about the Party and you will, with a click or two, also take action on its behalf as it is provided!
( You can also find me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/GKMTNtwits )
*
See the League of Women Voters website:
Vote411 here
Thank you for focusing!
g., aka Focused Democrat
✊ Resisting "Fake News"
