By David Futrelle
Hey everyone, I’m still lost in headache-land (see my last post for details) but this is REALLY REALLY important for all WHTM readers in the US.
Senate Republicans have scheduled a vote after lunch TODAY on a “motion to proceed” that will pave the way for a final vote on their bill that will take away healthcare from tens of millions of Americans (including me, and probably a lot of you).
Tell them NO.
You can get the numbers of your Senators (and more info) at 5Calls.org Moveon.org, or on the Senate website or by calling the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121.
Here’s what MoveOn suggests you tell them (roughly):
Tell Republicans: “Please oppose any bill that takes away health care from tens of millions of Americans.”
If you’re one of those Americans, definitely tell them that.
Tell Democrats: “Thank you for doing everything you can to fight Trumpcare. Please use every tactic at your disposal to slow and stop this bill, including the filibuster-by-amendment (which means: slowing down the bill with a high number of amendments when the bill does come to a vote). Please DO NOT vote for ANY amendments that will make it easier for Republicans pass Trumpcare.”
If any of the Republicans listed below are your Senators it’s ESPECIALLY important to call; Collins is a “no” vote; the others are (as I write this post) on the fence.
https://twitter.com/rsegbers/status/889595637469245440
Thanx, David, we appreciate your efforts, hope you get well soon!
Get well soon, David!
And to all the American Mammotheers, best of luck!
Take care, David.
Good lucj, David, and all the US citizen.
I almost have to wonder if Mitch McConnell is going to be lined up and shot by some nefarious group if he doesn’t get this done, as adamant as he seems about this.
This explanation makes more sense to me than trying to believe that he actually thinks it’s a good idea for his constituents in the face of all the pushback.
Disgusting how determined they are to kill millions of Americans.
If your Republican senator or representative says that he or she supports disability rights, you need to call. Even if nobody’s mind is changed, they still tally the number of calls they get from their district opposing Trumpcare.
Good luck to all the citizens of the American Republic. The rest of us have your back.
One of my senators is on that list. I sent a fax yesterday and it looks like I’ll be sending another.
“All circuits are busy right now, please try later.” It’s a good thing alot more people are using their voice on this front.
Do feel better soon, David. You deserve a nice massage or something, if that is your sort of thing. If you haven’t tried it for dealing with stress, anxiety, or migraines, you may find it does the trick! (Some people find it anxiety-inducing, though, so it’s not a sure thing). Either way, do feel better, and treat yourself a little if you want.
Good luck, Americanos! Go get’em! Kick’em in the butt and remind’em that you’re the ones that are supposed to be calling the shots! Phone them, and then phone them again! Go go go!
I wonder how the Republicans rationalize the secrecy surrounding their bill. I mean, they’re clearly aware on some level that everyone hates their bill. Trying to hide it until the very last minute is the sort of maneuver that should give one an “Are we the baddies?” moment, or at the very least make one fear for a pretty fierce backlash in 2018. But I imagine they tell themselves something along the lines of: “Voters are too dumb to know what’s good for them. We must ignore their demands and keep doing our thing, for their own good. In the end, when the wealth trickles down to them, they’ll be thanking us.”
Or perhaps they’re genuinely planning some kind of “soft coup” via aggressive voter suppression and gerrymandering. A year ago I’d have dismissed the notion as utter tinfoil-hattery, but it’s increasingly clear that Republicans would end democracy if they thought they could get away with it.
I believe that in legal circles this is called “consciousness of guilt” and is an extremely damning phenomenon.
It’s a good question, though. I do honestly believe that most people (though certainly not all) enter politics to help the country. Many also have ambitions of leaving a legacy, having control, and earning a lot of money, but the desire to actually help people is there. If it were just about money, business is a faster and easier way, after all.
Those more noble goals get subverted along the way, though, I think. Lobbyists whispering in their ears offer a lot of power, and they usually have requests that sound reasonable – help this industry and create jobs, strike down that regulation because it won’t actually hurt anyone if you do, etc, etc. Those lobbyists become friends quickly – they go to the same parties, have dinner together, etc. They become trusted.
So for those who still want to work for common good, it becomes a tightrope walk of compromise in which one side has all the money and face-time and the other side is abstract and distant. I think Hillary is in this camp, though she does her best to at least listen to normal people when she can, and will pay attention to science when evidence becomes overwhelming.
For those who don’t have the energy, time, willpower or desire to stay connected, they quickly start seeing the common person as someone distant and, most importantly, stupid. The politician has access to information they don’t after all – nevermind that the source is from the goddamn lobbies. They think this information makes them smarter, and makes their decisions better qualified than the opinions of the people. Which leads to the situation you described, @#Ravenclaw. They’re just too dumb, they’ll thank me when it all works out.
I also do think that there are some people int he parties that are legitimately trying to wrest power from the people as a soft coup. For the same reasons as above, actually. They think the people are just too stupid to govern themselves, and naturally they’re smart enough to do it for them. All unfolds from the same ragged cloth.
That’s my impression at least, please do correct me, everyone! I’m an optimist at heart. It’s also a good example of why my hackles raise whenever I encounter someone saying that such-and-such-group is just stupid. It’s the same thinking as a tyrant, and it’s just not right. It doesn’t lead you to make good decisions, it leads you to make mistakes. Often, mistakes that hurt people.
I used Resistbot to send letters to my representative and senators
@ Scildfreja Unnyðnes;
I used to be…. Any more, though, I believe any higher motives ascribed to our “leaders” is just naive….
Perhaps when “Mr. Smith goes to Washington”… but once Mr Smith gets to Washington, all bets are off.
@Violet
I used FaxZero to send a free fax. The phone lines are probably pretty tied up (especially since my senator is on that list of undecided votes), so I figured that would be an easier way to get in contact. I also have to go to work, so I don’t have time to sit on the phone all day trying to get through.
I’m from Kansas… my senators can’t read….
Text “resist” to 50409 to get started using resistbot. It’s fairly simple to use, and explains what it’s doing. As you use it, it opens up more features. I can now send letters to my local newspapers’ editors via fax, too. If you like to write longer letters, you’re not limited to just one SMS per fax.
I used that, and 5calls.org. There are others that are more Republican/conservative oriented, but nothing says you have to use the sites suggested script, and maybe they’ll listen to people they think might be Republicans more?
Also tweeted at the Boy Scouts, as an Eagle Scout I’m very disappointed in them. They were doing so well with finally allowing gay scouts and leaders (like the rest of the world has for at least 20 years). Once Trump started talking politics he should have been encouraged to leave the stage. Every day the man proves even more that he’s not fit to lead ducks, much less a country.
@ Scildfreja Unnyðnes: Very good analysis. I think you nailed it.
I imagine the lobbyists themselves (and their corporate employers) have to do a lot of rationalizing, too. Nobody purposefully sets out to do things they know are evil. Still, some people’s moral compass is broken beyond repair, and they can rightly be called bad people… regardless of their intentions and self-justifications.
The banality of evil, in a nutshell.
My friend says there’s an anti-circumcision protest downtown. The men are wearing white pants with fake blood on the crotch.
Intactivists really aren’t great at communicating any kind of coherent and reasonable message are they? No wonder there is so much crossover between the anticirc movement and the MRM.
@WWTH
Does that stuff reek of “divorce rape” and similar talking points to you ? I mean, that pattern in looking for some perceived oppression against men and systematically equating it with a different (and very real) oppression against women.
Incidentally, I remember Mick “Foreskin-mourner” Dash said it basically was rape.
Thanks, everyone, for the support, and for contacting your Reps!
I’m hoping to be back to the blog for real pretty soon; the headaches seem to be easing up a bit, knock on wood.
Watching this live, and I feel sick to my stomach.
I thought it was “Walk a mile in her pants” event.
The vote is stating.
Protesters delayed it a moment, chanting “kill the bill” and “shame”