Forwarded from Gerri Maslanka:
If you have 31 minutes (and you missed Simon Rosenberg’s talk on why Democrats can win in November) watch this. VERY encouraging, informative and exciting. Really.
Gerri 🇺🇸
Don’t miss this! David
Follow Simon Rosenberg on Twitter:
I typically ignore anyone who believes that the 2020 election was “stolen.” I write them off as either idiots or emotionally unwell.
But since we have “Big Lie” Republican Lee Zeldin running for governor in our state, I think it’s worth deconstructing this idea.
What Zeldin and other supporters and enablers of Donald Trump will have us believe is that a group of genius Democrats figured out a way to rig hundreds of thousands of voting machines so that votes that were cast for Donald Trump were changed to Joe Biden. They did this without anyone in charge of voting realizing that they had done it, or figuring out how they did it.
And when Trump’s supporters and enablers sued about this crime and cover-up, dozens of judges in dozens of states threw the cases out because they had no merit.
Furthermore, these Democratic geniuses were so good that they did this without affecting any other races. So all other Republicans’ losses that year were legitimate. Only Donald Trump was targeted.
And to this day this massive fraud and cover-up has never been proven — there are those who just “believe” and “feel” that it happened, without evidence. Those like Lee Zeldin are willing to jeopardize our democracy and Constitution based on these “beliefs” and “feelings.”
So I would conclude that if there were that many geniuses in the Democratic Party who could really pull this off, we need to elect more of them. We certainly would be better off letting these geniuses run the country then those gullible Republicans whose fantasyland story makes no sense at all.
Paula Angelone, Ph.D.
Southampton Village
I found this summary useful.
Source; https://www.cityandstateny.com/politics/2022/08/whos-running-congress-new-york/375135/
Eastern parts of Suffolk County
Current member: Lee Zeldin (R), who is not running for reelection
2020 presidential results: Biden +0.2%
Demographics: 72% white, 16% Hispanic, 5% Asian, 4% Black,
2020 Democratic primary results: Nancy Goroff: 36%, Perry Gershon: 35%, Bridget Fleming: 28%, Greg Fischer: 2%
2020 general election results: Zeldin (R, C, I): 55%, Goroff (D, WFP): 45%
2022 candidates: Bridget Fleming (D), Michelle Bond (R), Nick LaLota (R), Anthony Figliola (R)
What’s happening: Current Rep. Lee Zeldin is giving up the seat he’s held since 2015 to run for governor, and the general election race to succeed him will be close.
The initial Democrat-dominated redistricting process drew much of eastern Long Island into a new, Democratic-leaning district that seemed likely to flip from red to blue. But the New York Supreme Court overturned Democrats’ maps, and the new lines have returned the 1st District to its prior swing status.
Democrats have coalesced around Suffolk County legislator Bridget Fleming, a former Manhattan prosecutor who ran in 2020 and has picked up some key union endorsements. The Republican primary features Nick LaLota, a former Village of Amityville Trustee and Suffolk County Commissioner of Elections, who has been endorsed by Suffolk County Republicans, facing off against Anthony Figliola, a former deputy supervisor for the town of Brookhaven and Michelle Bond, a cryptocurrency industry CEO, who has nearly $1 million to spend on her run, including $600,000 of her own money.
Southern parts of Suffolk and Nassau County
Current member: Andrew Garbarino (R)
2020 presidential results: Trump +1.6%
Demographics: 56% white, 28% Hispanic, 10% Black, 3% Asian
2020 Republican primary results: Andrew Garbarino: 63%, Michael LiPetri: 36%
2020 Democratic primary results: Jackie Gordon: 72%, Patricia Maher: 27%
2020 general election results: Garbarino (R, C, L, SAM): 53%, Jackie Gordon (D, WFP, I): 46%, Harry Burger (G): 1%
2022 candidates: Garbarino (R), Robert Cornicelli (R), Mike Rakebrandt (R), Jackie Gordon (D, WFP)
What’s happening: The 2nd District is another race that fell victim to Democrats’ redistricting snafu. The maps first approved by state legislators had packed conservatives into this Long Island based seat, ensuring a liberal leaning map in the neighboring 1st District. But when those maps were overturned there was a chaotic candidate reshuffle. Jackie Gordon, an Army veteran, high school guidance counselor and Babylon Town Council member, lost to Rep. Andrew Garbarino in the 2nd District in 2020, and after initially running in the 1st District this cycle, she is once again taking on Garbarino – in a swing district that slightly favors a Republican. The incumbent faces a GOP primary challenge from Robert Cornicelli and Mike Rakebrandt. Cornicelli is a veteran of both the Army and the Navy and works as a supervisor in the Oyster Bay Department of Public Works. Rakebrandtis an NYPD officer and Navy veteran. Both Cornicelli and Rakebrandt are challenging Garbarino from the right, saying he hasn’t been loyal enough to Trump.
Northern parts of Nassau County and Queens
Current member: Tom Suozzi (D), who unsuccessfully challenged Gov. Kathy Hochul earlier this summer and is not running for reelection
2020 presidential results: Biden +8.1%
Demographics: 56% white, 23% Asian, 14% Hispanic, 3% Black
2020 Democratic primary results: Tom Suozzi: 66%, Melanie D’Arrigo: 26%, Michael Weinstock: 8%
2020 general election results: Suozzi (D, WFP, I): 56%, George Santos (R, C): 43%, Howard Rabin (L): 1%
2022 candidates: Jon Kaiman (D), Josh Lafazan (D), Robert Zimmerman (D), Melanie D’Arrigo (D), Reema Rasool (D), George Santos (R)
What’s happening: Rep. Tom Suozzi abandoned this Long Island based congressional seat to run a losing campaign for governor. The newly reconfigured district now takes in much of Nassau County’s North Shore and a slice of suburban Queens. Several Democrats have thrown their hat into the ring to serve succeeding Suozzi, including former North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jon Kaiman, current Nassau County Legislator Josh Lafazan, public relations maven Robert Zimmerman, wellness professional Melanie D’Arrigo and businesswoman Reema Rasool. Lafazan has Suozzi’s support and leads in fundraising, while Zimmerman, who is involved with the Democratic National Committee, has support from other party insiders including Rep. Grace Meng. D’Arrigo is the progressive choice with the Working Families Party’s backing. Republican George Santos, an investment banker who had a stint at a firm accused of operating a Ponzi scheme, is unopposed in the Republican primary and thinks he can flip the seat in a red wave year after failing to do so in 2020.
Joshua SolomonJuly 14, 2022 in the TIMES UNION. Submitted by Gerri Maslanka (Sag Harbor)
ALBANY — U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin, the Republican nominee for governor, is unlikely to run on the Independence Party line after the state Board of Elections invalidated nearly 13,000 signatures that were included in his petitions.
Zeldin’s campaign operation had submitted about 52,000 signatures, well above the 45,000 needed to get his name on the third party line, but the disqualified signatures left him well short following the board’s ruling. The filing period ended May 31.
Zeldin’s petitions were challenged by officials with the New York Libertarian Party, who not only contested the signatures were invalid but also noted that about 11,000 of them were photocopied duplicates.
“Republicans talk a lot about election integrity, but the Zeldin campaign attempted to fly under the radar and submit over 11,000 fraudulent signatures in an attempt to get a third line on the ballot,” Andrew Kolstee, secretary of the Libertarian Party, said in a news release Thursday.
Kolstee, who was the objector to the signatures, claimed that the Libertarian Party officials and the campaign of Diane Sare for U.S. Senate found 900 sheets with 11,000 signatures that were photocopies of the original sheets filed by the campaign.
The Board of Elections does not make determinations on fraud related to petition signatures. The issue is pending in court. A spokeswoman for the board said it does not comment on pending litigation.
A judge could potentially overrule the board’s decision, which would leave Zeldin with an outside shot of still appearing on the Independence Party line.
The board ruled Tuesday that 12,868 signatures were invalid, leaving Zeldin with 39,228.
Prior to changes pushed by then-Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in 2019 that made it more difficult to get onto a statewide ballot for a third party, it was 5,000 signatures needed every four years.
Zeldin’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
On Zeldin’s campaign website, it requests people join “Team Zeldin’s Election Integrity Task Force.”
“Our team will be working around the clock now and into November to ensure we have fair elections, but we can’t do it alone,” the campaign’s website states.
In December 2020, Zeldin tweeted that “ballot integrity always matters regardless of the circumstances and regardless of whether the issue impacts one vote or thousands.” He recommended a series of changes, including “signature verification with campaigns able to participate.” His comments came as then-President Donald J. Trump was contesting the results of the election. Zeldin subsequently voted against certifying the results of the presidential election.
Following a recent decision out of a lower court in New York on whether to allow non-citizens the ability to vote in New York City elections, Zeldin issued a statement through his campaign stating that “one person, one vote belongs to U.S. citizens, and no one else!”
“I’m honored to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the leaders across our state who stood up for election integrity and the rule of law to put an end to it,” Zeldin said last month.
Zeldin is set to face Gov. Kathy Hochul, the Democratic nominee, in the general election on Nov. 8. Zeldin is to appear on the lines of the Republican and Conservative parties while Hochul is set to appear on the Democratic and Working Families Party lines.
“Zeldin submitting 11,000 fake signatures just emphasizes his hypocrisy and proves he is willing to sell New Yorkers another ‘big lie’ to benefit his failing campaign,” state Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs said in a statement. He noted to Zeldin’s backing of Trump’s election fraud concerns in the 2020 presidential election.
Other candidates who were also invalidated that sought to run on the Independence Party line by the board were Zeldin’s running mate, Republican nominee for lieutenant governor Alison Esposito, as well as the Republican candidates for comptroller, Paul Rodriguez, attorney general, Michael Henry, and U.S. Senate, Joe Pinon.
Comments on Twitter (please retweet and “like”):
And then there is this regarding the victims within the Capitol Police force:
For Zeldin to claim he is a military man is worse than shameless. It is shmegegge. (Yiddish) baloney; hot air; nonsense.
We would all like to help fund political candidates that have a chance of winning. Right?
Force Multiplier (FM) selects candidates that have a chance of winning. In addition to presenting the slate of candidates they follow, Force Multiplier brings the candidates to us via Zoom meetings.
All $$$ donations go directly to the campaigns. Force Multiplier is a volunteer group of smart and politically savvy professionals.
For Example
From: Amy Siegel <masiegel@comcast.net>
Subject: FM: Meet John Fetterman and make a 50/50 Senate a Stronger Shade of Blue
Date: July 14, 2022 at 8:43:52 AM EDT
Reply-To: Amy Siegel <masiegel@comcast.net>
Dear Friends,
We simply cannot stand by and let Trump-supported Mehmet Oz become the next Senator from the battleground state of Pennsylvania. Democrat John Fetterman may not look or act like your typical politician, but he’s smart and importantly has years of political experience as the Lt. Governor of PA. He can and will win this race if we dig deep and give him all the support we can muster.
I hope you will join FM for a discussion with John Fetterman on Wednesday July 27th from 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm EST and support his candidacy as we fight to make sure Democrats hold onto the Senate and increase their majority to help pass much needed legislation on crucial issues like voting rights, reproductive rights and the environment.
Fondly,Amy
These Unconventional Times Require a Most Unconventional Candidate.John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, is that Candidate. WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 7:00-8:00pm ET REGISTER + DONATEThe suggested donation is $100 but please be as generous as possible! John Fetterman = tattoos + straight talk + passion + experience + smart john Fetterman is a pull-no-punches Democrat for Pennsylvania’s open Senate seat.He has a lot to say about how the Dems can kick things up a notch. It’s clear that John’s unconventional style is also backed up by a lifetime of service + leadership experience. Fetterman served as mayor of Braddock, PA from 2006 to 2019 + as Pennsylvania’s Lieutenant Governor since 2019. Fetterman’s current opponent is yet another Republican, multi-millionaire TV personality hoping to exploit celebrity into political power. A 50-50 Senate is NOT ENOUGH! We MUST EXPAND THE MAJORITY so that Democrats have enough votes to get things done. This Pennsylvania race is one of our best opportunities to pick up a seat. An expanded Democratic Majority in the Senate will give us the power to move America forward.You won’t want to miss this event.Please pass this invite on to others in your world who might be interested.  For further information go to www.forcemultiplierus.orgFollow us + help spread the word! Retweet us + Repost us! |
Submitted by Stephen based on LTE of Lance Corey in the Southampton Press:
Exactly 100 years ago, Adolf Hitler and his “Proud Boys” were preparing their putsches to overthrow the Bavarian State Government in Munich, to be followed with a march on Berlin, similar to Benito Mussolini’s march on Rome, to establish his Fascist government.
Hitler and his “Oath Keepers” were going to save Germany from the Communists, the Socialists, the Leftists, the Democrats and all the various “foreign elements” infecting the body politic.
Sounds familiar, very familiar, doesn’t it?
While their initial putsches failed, and Hitler himself was sentenced to prison (thus affording him the opportunity to dictate his book “Mein Kampf,” “My Struggle” — something we need not fear Trump doing, we know of Hitler’s eventual ascension to power, and the rest is history.
Why are we discussing another run at the presidency when Donald Trump should be barred from ever running again or holding office? To allow him and the other seditionists to run is a violation of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. Nowhere does it call for a conviction in a court of law. The Act of Insurrection it addressed, the Civil War, was obvious to all; such is the case right now.
Those members of the GOP who refuse to acknowledge the legitimacy of the 2020 election are still committing sedition, and that is an insurrection, and it must have consequences. The GOP must be put on notice: The right to run in November will require a reaffirmation of their Oath to the Constitution, and affirming the legitimacy of the Biden presidency. Failure to do so will disqualify any candidate and, thus, they better prepare for that eventuality should they wish to field any candidates in the upcoming election. Time is running out.
Don’t be weaker than the Weimar Republic, or we’re doomed. The fate of our Democratic Republic is in your hands.
Lance Corey
Westhampton
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For me, since January I’ve taken 1,149 actions, earned 117,233 points and planted 43 trees, all neatly calculated on my profile page. And, I advocated for an executive order on heat pumps, which President Biden signed! (See below WE/HE DID IT!)
500,000 Actions. Two Game-Changing Executive Orders. New Million Messages Campaign
Every week I receive a news update on CAN’s climate impact, success stories, action parties and a campaign of the week. Newsletter: Sign up here. Get the app here. I’m excited about the new Million Message Campaign. It’s all outlined below in the latest newsletter. Read on…..
WELCOME
This week we blow past 500,000 actions, we celebrate two game-changing executive orders by President Biden for which we advocated, update our impact, celebrate successes, and more. Next week we’ll update you on Climate Action Now’s debut at Al Gore’s Las Vegas training. (Spoiler alert: it was GREAT!)
ACTION PARTY
The Problem with Plastic
Join our Plastic Action Party in July and we’ll have Q&A with a featured guest expert, plus scores of great actions in the app that will increase your knowledge of the plastic problem and what to do about it. Learn more on our registration page.
Date: July 12, 2022
Time: 4:00 pm PT / 7:00 pm ET
Location: Zoom, pre-registration required
OUR CLIMATE IMPACT
ACTIONS: 511,907
Planet-saving actions taken by our community with the Climate Action Now app — up 22,066 from last week – a new weekly record!
TREES: 16,443
Trees earned by the Climate Action Now community by taking action with the app – up 689 from last week — a new weekly record!
35,085 TREES. 548.0 METRIC TONS CO2 REDUCED. 1871,191 SQ. FT. ECOSYSTEMS.
…purchased by our Planet-Saving Subscribers and Gift Givers.
MILLION MESSAGES CAMPAIGN
As of today, CAN app users have sent 511,907 messages to political, business, and other influencers —half way towards our goal of 1,000,000 messages sent by the end of this year.
WE CAN DO IT! Please tell your friends about the Climate Action Now App and our Million Messages Campaign!
WE/HE DID IT!
We Advocated. Biden Delivered.
We all know firsthand how much of an uphill battle advocacy can be. We get behind a worthy cause, shout our message from the rooftops…and hope that our words helped move people with real power one step closer to action.
What we don’t usually see is the President of the United States take bold, immediate action on not one but two major issues we campaigned for—in the same week.
Last week, President Biden signed a pair of game-changing executive orders on climate. The first invokes the Defense Production Act to accelerate the deployment of heat pumps, solar panels, and other clean energy technologies. The other pauses tariffs on imported solar panel components for two years, bailing out the solar industry after a rogue Department of Commerce investigation sent it into a tailspin.
As Robinson Meyer of The Atlantic writes, these actions aren’t merely “federal-paper shuffling.” Indeed, he says, they are “one of the most aggressive executive actions that the administration has yet taken on climate change.” Together, they will help ensure the continued rapid growth of renewables and, hopefully, significantly reduce our dependence on gas to heat buildings.
They are no accident, either. Both of these specific interventions was pushed relentlessly over the past few months by climate and energy activists across the country, including Bill McKibben—and Climate Action Now users.
You’ve probably guessed the bottom line by now, but we’ll say it anyway: Advocacy matters. It gets results. Each and every time you raise your voice, on the Climate Action Now App or anywhere else, you are making a difference!
CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK
Climate Leadership NOW!
This week, we’ll charge toward our goal of 1 MILLION MESSAGES in two main ways: thanking the White House for this pair of game-changing executive actions, and advocating for MORE of this kind of bold climate leadership at all levels!
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Check the Action of the Day each day this week for a new opportunity to help keep the momentum from Biden’s executive actions going!
SUCCESS STORIES
Another CAN VICTORY! Our users, supporting activists on the ground, helped get Vermont to pass its first-ever Environmental Justice law! Celebrate this win with actor Geraldine Hughes of Rocky Balboa and Gran Torino!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“The fossil fuel industry is the past. And if you can find a way out, then please walk away while there’s still time. Do it now.”
– Shell consultant Caroline Dennett in a farewell resignation addressed to Shell employees
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