Indivisibles,

We’re at a pivotal and, frankly, pretty scary moment right now. On
Thursday, the Trump administration assassinated Major General Qassim
Suleimani, the second most powerful figure in Iran. Here's a good article
about [ [link removed] ]how serious it is and what it could mean for Iran, the region,
and the U.S. 

And, a lot has happened in the few days following the assassination:

* Protests have erupted in both [ [link removed] ]Iran and [ [link removed] ]in the U.S.
* Iran has said it will avenge Suleimani's death, and experts believe
they will retaliate in some way.
* Trump has sent an additional 3,500 troops to the region.
* Trump tweeted additional threats that, if carried out, would [ [link removed] ]amount
to war crimes.
* Iran has announced it will no longer stick to the plutonium enrichment
limits agreed to under the 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal (though they haven't
fully left the deal yet).
* [ [link removed] ]Rockets have been fired into the Green Zone in Baghdad for two
nights in a row.
* Iranian-Americans have been [ [link removed] ]detained trying to enter the U.S.

This is all incredibly serious. We're in a situation where things are
escalating quickly and this could turn into a full blown war with Iran.
And that's what Trump's war cabinet has wanted all along. Much of what's
happening right now resembles the build up to the Iraq War. Trump and his
war cabinet are trying to build consensus around the narrative that Iran
is a dangerous threat to the U.S. and that the only way to protect
Americans is through the use of military force. Right now, the American
public is opposed to war with Iran. But if there is retaliation from Iran,
that could change. And, as we saw after 9/11, members of Congress,
including Democrats, are quickly overtaken by the jingoism that pulled us
into Iraq and Afghanistan. 

We've been working with partners, including Win Without War, Arms Control
Association, MoveOn, National Iranian American Council (NIAC), About Face:
Veterans Against the War, and others, to make sure we're able to give
Indivisibles what they need in order to help prevent a war with Iran. Keep
in mind that this is all changing pretty quickly, but we'll make every
effort to keep everyone updated. 

Here's what you need to know:

* This is another Trump-created crisis. He did this and it was
unnecessary and avoidable. It's his recklessness and warmongering that
has brought us to the brink of another war.  
* [ [link removed] ]We've updated our Iran resource to reflect the most important
actions you can take right now. It contains the latest information,
and our Policy Team will work to keep it up to date as things develop.
As you'll see, our asks for members of Congress are:

* Every member should speak out publicly right now against war.
There needs to be a clear message to all members that Americans
don't want a war. The Republican and Trump message will be about
how dangerous Iran is. They're going to try to scare the public.
We need to push back. 
* Congress needs to pass a resolution this week prohibiting war
with Iran. The most important thing is for Congress to act
quickly to stop this war from happening. Democrats in the House
are planning to pass a resolution this week that would do that.
We don't have a number or an official title yet, but we will
share when we do. 
* For reference, here is [ [link removed] ]a link to a call script, which is also
in the resource.

* We'll share any updates that we or our partners are working on as soon
as we have those details. For now, check your weekly to-dos for all
the Iran-related actions we have (listed below).

What about impeachment? It’s true that Trump’s reckless assassination is
taking up a lot of space in the news cycle right now, but we haven’t
forgotten that less than a month ago, Trump was impeached by the House. 

Speaker Nancy Pelosi is holding the articles of impeachment in the House
in an effort to ensure a fair trial in the Senate, something that Majority
Leader Mitch McConnell is determined to avoid. Our ask remains the same:
the Senate must commit to a fair impeachment trial. We will let everyone
know if things change.

With that, here are your weekly to-dos (fair warning, there are a lot!): 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Your 5 weekly to-dos 

 1. [ [link removed] ]Call your representative and tell them to stop Trump’s march to war
with Iran. The assassination of Major General Suleimani has brought us
to the brink of war with Iran and puts the lives of Americans and our
allies in jeopardy. Call your Representative and tell them to support
a resolution to prevent a new war, and issue a public statement
opposing war with Iran. 
 2. [ [link removed] ]Then, call your senator and tell them no to war with Iran. We need
all members of Congress to know that Americans do not want war with
Iran. Call your senators and tell them to publicly come out against
going to war. Then call again and give that same message to your
second senator.
 3. [ [link removed] ]RSVP now for a mass call on Wednesday, January 8, at 8 p.m. ET to
discuss plans to stop Trump's escalation to war with Iran. We’ve
joined our partner organizations, MoveOn and Win Without War, to hold
a mass call for the grassroots to update our movement on what’s been
going on. Tune in to hear about our National Day of Action on the very
next day (see below).
 4. [ [link removed] ]Join our #NoWarWithIran National Day of Action on Thursday,
January 9. The public energy to oppose Trump’s war with Iran is
palpable and angry. The most powerful mechanism to funnel public
outrage is a national day of action to make the anti-war majority
visible and oppose war with Iran. Grab your “No War” signs and
banners, hang them over bridges and intersections, and rally to the
public squares to make sure that Congress knows that Americans are
against war with Iran.
 5. [ [link removed] ]Call your senators to demand a fair and open impeachment trial.
Despite the overwhelming evidence that Trump abused his authority,
violated the law, and repeatedly tried to obstruct justice,
Republicans are guaranteeing a rigged impeachment trial in the Senate.
In December, the House impeached Trump and now, Speaker Pelosi is
holding the articles of impeachment until Senators McConnell and
Schumer negotiate the rules of the trial. Call your senators and
demand they uphold their oath to defend the Constitution and hold a
fair and open impeachment trial and allow first-hand witnesses to
testify. The foundation of American democracy is at stake. 
 6. [ [link removed] ]Join an impeachment visibility event near you at impeachnow.org.
After the “Nobody is Above the Law” rallying calls heard around the
country, our movement is ready to see this impeachment process
through. Join a visibility event near you to keep this fight going.
Check out this [ [link removed] ]toolkit to help you promote and share your events!
 7. [ [link removed] ]Register for the National Activist Call on January 9 at 9 p.m. ET.
Make sure to join us for an exclusive debrief of the impeachment
fight, as well as an update about Iran and what we can do to stop
Trump from taking us to war. (Note that we have moved this call back
an hour to allow everyone to participate in the  #NoWarWithIran
National Day of Action that evening)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

 2020 Update 

2020 is here! We know: FINALLY! We’re over a year into this primary now,
and we still have about 6 months to go. In this final month before the
Iowa caucus, we’re going to see some big shifts. Candidates are starting
to drop out at an increasing rate, debates are going to happen more
frequently, and money is going to become increasingly important as
campaigns try to stay relevant until summer:

* [ [link removed] ]Julián Castro drops out, endorses Warren: Secretary Castro ran a
historic campaign for the Democratic nomination, inspired by activists
and driven by a clear moral vision. Although he faced challenges in a
field dominated by older and wealthier candidates, Sec. Castro
motivated a passionate group of supporters and earned high marks on
the [ [link removed] ]Indivisible Candidate Scorecard. After formally suspending his
campaign last week, he endorsed Senator Warren today, signaling that
he will commit his passion and moral leadership to building the big
structural change the Warren campaign is fighting for. 

* [ [link removed] ]The next debate is January 14 in Iowa: Next week, the top
candidates will meet once again in Iowa -- the last debate before the
primary proper begins with the Iowa Caucus on Feb. 3. So far, only 5
candidates have met the qualifications for the debate stage: Vice
President Biden, Senator Warren, Senator Sanders, Senator Klobuchar,
and Mayor Buttigieg. Both Tom Steyer and Andrew Yang are on the cusp
of qualifying -- we’ll find out if they make it when we hit the
qualifying deadline tomorrow.

* [ [link removed] ]Fourth quarter fundraising brings in big money for Democrats: With
the previous year at a close, we can now look back and see that
Democratic candidates are continuing to energize voters and collect
donations. Senator Sanders set the bar with a whopping $34.5 million
raised without the support of a PAC or exclusive, high-dollar
fundraisers. Ends of quarter are always a good reminder: if you like a
candidate, vote early with your wallet or your time by donating or
volunteering -- or both!





--------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Helping to hit the ground running in 2020 

We’ve been talking and dreaming about it for years, and it’s finally here
-- 2020. This year is a huge opportunity for our movement, and we’ve got a
ton of plans to put into motion. Between primary and general elections,
impeachment, and everything else that comes up along the way, we’re going
to be hard at work this year making our vision of a progressive future
into a reality.

But we can’t make it happen without you. We have to hit the ground running
right now if we want to accomplish everything we’re planning. Since we
don’t take corporate or party money, that means it’s up to you -- our
movement -- to make it all possible. [ [link removed] ]So please, make a $15 donation
right now to help us start off on the right foot and get all our work
moving immediately.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------

 IndivisiWin of the Week 

 

[ [link removed] ][IMG]
Indivisibles in New York made their voices heard in
huge numbers this weekend. They made sure Senator
Schumer heard loud and clear that the American people
do not want a war with Iran. Help amplify their work
and keep calling your own Members of Congress and
demand #NoWarWithIran.

We know there's a lot happening right now, but we have to ride this wave
and do more than we’ve ever done. We have an impeached president driving
us closer and closer to war, so we need to work on all fronts. We’ve got
to get on the phones, take to the squares, crossroads and parks. There’s
no time to waste. Are you with us?

In solidarity,
Indivisible Team

[ [link removed] ][IMG]

[ [link removed] ][IMG]

[ [link removed] ][IMG]



You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time:
[link removed]