FTP-MD: Immunity ruling; election prospects
Charlie Cooper
September 30, 2024
Dear Colleagues, This issue features the election action menu that we developed together. - Charlie
The Immunity ruling in Trump v. United States cannot stand
The U.S. Senate held a hearing last Tuesday on the Supreme Court’s profoundly misguided ruling in Donald Trump’s immunity case. Here is how Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin, summed up the ruling: “Most of the conduct at the heart of [the] Watergate scandal — the obstruction of justice, wiretapping, cover-up, and the misuse of government agencies — could be described as official actions that would be presumptively immune under this court decision.”
In other words, Richard Nixon would be immune today. Public Citizen, GMOM's national ally has called for a constitutional amendment to overturn the ruling, saying: "So the American people have a choice to make — a choice that could not be more critical. Do we consent to be subjects of a de facto king, or do we fight to overturn the Supreme Court’s absurd immunity ruling and to restore the foundational principle that no one — including any U.S. president — is above the law? We have signed this letter, along with about 75 other organizations.
The Republican members of the Judiciary Committee completely disagree about the scope and impact of the ruling and about whether there is a crisis of confidence in the Court. They brush off the charges of corruption regarding gifts from wealthy donors to justices and assert that the Court did not grant immunity for unofficial acts and that the Democrats have engaged in a campaign to de-legitimize the Roberts Court for partisan reasons.
The New York Times has published a long article partially based on leaked internal memos alleging that Chief Justice Roberts steered the Trump v. United States case and other decisions to favor the former Republican president. "In his writings on the immunity case, the chief justice seemed confident that his arguments would soar above politics, persuade the public, and stand the test of time. His opinion cited 'enduring principles,' quoted Alexander Hamilton's endorsement of a vigorous presidency, and asserted it would be a mistake to dwell too much on Mr. Trump's actions." In one instance, the Times charges, Roberts signed an opinion after Alito wrote most of it during the period when negative publicity about Alito's actions (displaying partisan flags and failing to report large gifts from billionaires) was circulating.
C. Thomas with his free RV.
How Harris and Trump would protect elections
Trump’s platform:
“Republicans Will Ensure Election Integrity. We will implement measures to secure our Elections, including Voter ID, highly sophisticated paper ballots, proof of citizenship, and same day Voting. We will not allow the Democrats to give Voting Rights to illegal Aliens.” See here for his full platform.
Harris’s Issues Page:
"Vice President Harris and Governor Walz . . . . will fight to ensure that Americans have the opportunity to participate in our democracy by passing the John Lewis Voting Rights and the Freedom to Vote Acts — laws that will enshrine voting rights protections, expand vote-by-mail and early voting, and more. See here for her full platform.
I am asking key people to suggest to the Harris campaign adding "banning partisan gerrymandering and dark money" to the description. These are two hugely popular provisions of the Freedom to Vote Act.
Election action
We seek to pass the Freedom to Vote and John R. Lewis Acts to reduce vote suppression, gerrymandering and dark money and reduce the influence of big money. We also work for Supreme Court reform. This agenda of political equality legislation requires a Democratic trifecta
PLEASE TAKE ACTION AND SHARE THESE VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Maryland Poor People’s Campaign works on voter registration in Maryland. It’s part of the nationwide effort (We Are the Swing Vote!) to reach 15 million low wage neighbors nationwide. Sign up HERE
- PPC Nationally-Coordinated GOTV Canvassing Weekend
with UU and Third Act
350.org (Oct 5-6, 2024)
- Saturday, Oct 5,9 am, Baltimore.
- Sunday, Oct 612pm (meet 1130am), College Park
- Additional GOTV Canvassing with UU (Oct 13, 2024)
- Sunday, Oct 13 - Time TBA, Hagerstown (Washington County)
Allies for Democracy< canvasses in PA and Baltimore County - Together, we can STOP PROJECT 2025, help Angela Alsobrooks, and mobilize swing voters in PA-10 to flip a House seat, and deprive Trump of 19 electoral votes. WHERE: Carpools depart from Graul's Market parking lot, 220 Mt Carmel Road, Parkton, MD 21120. WHEN: >Every Saturday at 10:00 AM.
Do the Most Good offers opportunities for
- Door knocking on behalf of Alsobrooks and candidates in PA
- Voter registration postcarding
- GOTV letter writing>/li>
- Texting in swing states
- Door knocking on behalf of Alsobrooks and candidates in PA
- Letter writing
- Phone banking
- donate (see below)
NOPE is an organization based in Washington, DC, that works in swing states with grassroots organizations and also advises where to donate money. Their home page has a diverse menu of actions that volunteers can choose, including voter registration.
Silver Spring Progressive Action (SSPA) offers a similar menu of opportunities to Be the Change BMORE and Do the Most good
Working America (affiliated with AFL-CIO) does some of the best work anywhere in building up solidarity among working-class people, helping them register to vote, and providing them with good information. You can write letters to swing states via Working America.
If you want to donate, Focus for Democracy vets organizations in swing states are shown to be the most cost-effective, evidence-based programs based on randomized control studies. Click the link to be invited to a meeting or email to: Cha...@GetMoneyOutMD.org.
C-Span: September 16 news conference on fair elections legislation featuring John Sarbanes.
NPR: “The rule approved Friday [by the Georgia State Election Board] mandates the poll manager and two poll officers in each precinct each count the number of paper ballots in each ballot box to compare with the total generated by the ballot scanner. . . . 'These proposed rules are not tethered to any statute — and are, therefore, likely the precise type of impermissible legislation that agencies cannot do,' Elizabeth Young, senior assistant attorney general, wrote in the letter to the board." There was major opposition from election officials around the state who said the rule cannot be properly implemented with the available resources. Voting rights groups also objected. The rule could be used to scuttle Georgia's certification of the election entirely. If Georgia's votes were needed to decide the electoral college majority, the election could be thrown into the House of Representatives where Republicans have an insurmountable advantage.
Common Dreams: Huge capital gains tax breaks for the rich will expire in 2025, and Republicans will probably need a Trifecta to renew them. Their expiration will present a rare opportunity to increase equity.
Meeting Monday, TBD
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Onward together,
Charlie Cooper
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Get Money Out - Maryland · Baltimore, MD 21209, United States
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