Bernie can win in Virginia, steering election, and more

MoCo DSA members:

Bernie Sanders is doing amazingly well in polls in Nevada, Virginia and nationwide. But oligarch Michael Bloomberg is spending of hundreds of millions of dollars on ads and it's working - he's now tied for the lead with Bernie in Virginia.

But one thing Bloomberg doesn't have is a movement. That's why in-person canvassing in states like Virginia is so important. Please join local DSA members for canvassing in Virginia on Saturdays if you can - this Saturday we're meeting up at 12:30 pm - details here.

(In addition, calling and texting voters are all extremely important - as is donating to the campaign.)

Speaking of elections, all MoCo DSA members should have received an "OpaVote" email on Monday. Please open the email from the OpaVote software so you can vote on the amendments to our branch bylaws and for our new steering committee! It is crucial that enough members vote this ballot to make the results official. (Sometimes the OpaVote email ends up in your "Updates" or "junk" folders.) Any questions? Reply to this email and we'll answer them!

Upcoming events:

Saturday, Feb. 22 at 12:30 pm: Canvass for Bernie in Alexandria, VA
Virginia is a Super Tuesday state, so canvassing there is high priority right now. Last weekend, 80 DSA members came out to canvass! This week we will meet at the Huntington metro station. Details and RSVP here.

Every Saturday in February: Bernie events in Virginia
Every Saturday in February, DSA will be canvassing for Bernie in Northern VA - the full calendar with details is here.

Sunday, March 1: MoCo DSA branch meeting in Silver Spring
Our next monthly meeting is Sunday, March 1 at the Silver Spring library at 2 pm. We'll discuss plans for supporting the Bernie campaign in Maryland, and more. Details and RSVP here.

Saturday, March 7: DSA House Party for Mckayla Wilkes in Lanham
Mckayla Wilkes - endorsed by DSA - is an incredible woman running against corporate Dem. Steny Hoyer in Maryland's District 5. Our comrades in Prince George's County are holding a house party for her next month - stay tuned for more details!

Good Reads

In Waging Nonviolence: "Minnesota activists ask local leaders to invest in communities, not cops" by Isabella Garcia. "Reclaim the Block looks to a future where Minneapolis divests from the police department and invests in community-based solutions and safety."

In Common Dreams: "Sanders applauds new Medicare for All study" - "Medicare for All will save Americans $450 billion and prevent 68,000 unnecessary deaths each year. In other words, guaranteeing health care as a human right by creating a Medicare for All system will cost substantially less than our current dysfunctional health care system."

In In These Times: "The longest strike in America needs a political savior" by Hamilton Nolan. "The longest ongoing strike in America is happening in the media capital of the world. But after three long years, the Spectrum workers of New York City are beginning to feel as though everyone has forgotten about them. It is a fight that can only be won with a wholesale reimagining of public control over corporate power."

In solidarity,