Keeping you connected to what’s happening at The Union and sharing news about our ongoing work to oppose anti-democratic forces in American elections.

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The Soapbox - The Union's newsletter for our 60,000+ volunteers
We have resolved to join forces to help preserve our Union,
our Republic, and our democracy.

February 8, 2023
John,

THE SOAPBOX seeks to keep you connected to what’s happening at The Union and share news about our work to oppose anti-democratic forces in America.
BIDEN STANDS UP FOR DEMOCRACY: During his State of the Union speech last night President Biden called on all Americans to defend democracy saying, “We are not bystanders to history. We are not powerless before the forces that confront us. It is within our power, of We the People. We are facing the test of our time and the time for choosing is at hand.” And in a challenge to political extremism, he said we must be, “A nation that embraces, light over darkness, hope over fear, unity over division. Stability over chaos.”

“This is our moment” ([link removed])
STATE OF THE UNION: During the 2022 midterms, we established The Union as the hub of a broad, pro-democracy coalition with an unmatched boots-on-the-ground defense of American democracy. Building on our success, we’ll grow even stronger as volunteers step up to defend democracy this year. The work will prepare us for the 2024 election cycle. Highlights of what’s being planned include:

Local events: The Union is going on the road. Together with The Lincoln Project we’ll host Democracy Tours in battleground states to meet with state teams and partners to recruit, organize, and prepare for the 2023 and 2024 elections.

Training: The science and art of campaigning is changing constantly. We’ll offer virtual training sessions in communications, organizing, social media, and field work. You’ll have the chance to learn from the campaign veterans who founded The Lincoln Project and others.

Toolkits for local use: Through our Action Center we’ll provide volunteers organizing tools and resources to use locally. We will also help connect these volunteers with each other and partner groups.

Affinity Groups: We will grow our network of partner groups to mobilize even more volunteers to protect democracy.

This will take all of us, and more: Invite a friend to Join the Union today ([link removed]) .

THE 2023 PLAYBOOK: Our work this year to protect American democracy from Donald Trump and his MAGA acolytes has begun with the battle over raising the federal government’s debt ceiling. It will extend to key elections in Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Our state teams and researchers are busy assembling intelligence. We’ll publish Action Alerts to mobilize volunteers as this work evolves.

Check on current alerts at the Action Center ([link removed])

THE PULSE: As volunteers defending democracy, we face the headwind of a deeply divided, pessimistic electorate. Respected political analyst Charlie Cook notes that voters are very unhappy. But as we’ve seen time and again, significant victories are found in the small margins of election wins. Every single vote counts. The hard work we do now will build political capital and make a difference this year and in 2024.

Charlie Cook on voter unrest ([link removed])

Biden confronts Republican extremism: During his State of the Union speech last night President Biden talked about the importance of raising the nation’s debt ceiling. He also told Republicans, “Fighting for the sake of fighting, power for the sake of power, conflict for the sake of conflict, gets us nowhere.” Yet all we hear from the MAGA extremists is just that. Their scheme to hold the nation’s economy hostage over the debt ceiling fight is just the latest awful example. It means economic catastrophe that will cause tens of millions of Americans to suffer.

Biden confronts extremism ([link removed])

Eighteen Republicans can make a difference: There are 18 members of Congress elected from districts that Joe Biden won in 2020. Union volunteers in these swing districts will contact their representatives soon to urge them to resist MAGA extremists who are plotting to ransom raising the debt ceiling for draconian cuts to the federal budget. These 18 representatives need to feel pressure from home to do the right thing and save the country from an economic catastrophe.
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Financial chaos and the debt ceiling ([link removed])

Vanquishing Donald Trump: Last year, retired jurist Michael Luttig gave compelling testimony about the 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. He helped define how dangerous Trump is to America. In a new profile Luttig states, “What Nixon did was just an ordinary crime. What Trump has done is quite arguably the worst crime against the United States that a president could commit.” He believes the mission of vanquishing Trump — and thus saving American democracy — is not complete.

More work remains to vanquish Donald Trump ([link removed])

McCarthy surrenders the keys to MAGA: Buckle up, it’s going to be a bumpy ride. With each passing day it’s clear that Kevin McCarthy gave away the store to MAGA extremists to become Speaker. These crazies pushed moderate Republicans aside to get slots for themselves on key committees and now have an outsized influence on the battle over the debt ceiling. They have already begun investigations targeting Biden and other Democrats and will no doubt obstruct any attempt to work with the President and congressional Democrats to move the country forward.

The Freedom Caucus controls the Republican agenda ([link removed])

And it isn’t even Halloween: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene presided over the U.S. House of Representatives.
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Marjorie Taylor Greene as speaker pro tempore leaves viewers 'Physically Ill' ([link removed])

Conspiracies go mainstream with Republicans: Kowtowing to election deniers, the Republican National Committee is likely to form a massive new organization masquerading as “election integrity” based on debunked stolen election lies. The goal is to intimidate tens of millions of voters. Election conspiracies and grievances over lost elections are now deeply embedded in mainstream Republican strategies for 2023 and beyond.

RNC plots to intimidate voters ([link removed])

A big nail in Trump’s political coffin: In a move that will further splinter the MAGA-dominated Republican Party, a network of conservative activists said it is opposing Trump’s 2024 presidential bid. It is the most significant example to date of mainstream conservative frustration with the defeated former president.

Conservative groups to oppose Trump ([link removed])

Ohio enacts onerous voting restrictions: Fueled by false election-denying conspiracy claims, Ohio has enacted one of the most restrictive voter-ID laws in the country. Already one county office has realized that the 5,000 veteran ID cards it issued won’t be an allowable form of identification under the new regulations.

Ohio wrecks the right to vote ([link removed])

Democracy wins in Pennsylvania: Following wins in three special elections Tuesday for the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, Democrats have a majority for the first time in a dozen years. Volunteers for The Union were active in get-out-the-vote efforts. It means sweeping change in Harrisburg and will provide much needed political strength to Gov. Josh Shapiro who was elected last November.

Democrats win control of PA State House ([link removed])

America could use more Schoolhouse Rock: Who remembers Schoolhouse Rock? The iconic series of short children’s cartoons debuted 50 years ago. Michael Eisner, then the head of children’s programming at ABC, greenlit Schoolhouse Rock including No More Kings ([link removed]) .

School House Rocks turns 50 ([link removed])

Invite a friend: Remember to invite a friend to Join the Union today ([link removed]) . It will take all of us.

Thank you for your ongoing work to protect our democracy.

Together,

The Union


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The Union is a single issue, pro-democracy coalition. While the Union is supported in its launch by The Lincoln Project and the reach of their 7 million followers, we are an independent, volunteer-driven, self-organizing force of people, partners, and actions aligned in defense of our democracy.

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