20,057 newly registered voters are receiving welcome postcards in the mail! Rural Americans United did not stop, because you did not stop. Together there is nothing we can’t do!
'Nothing Worth Having Was Ever Achieved Without Effort.'
Theodore Roosevelt
A thunderous roar is rising from the people, even as we face historically low confidence in the national Democratic leadership (CNN). Why? Because we are strong, we are rural America.
Nobody works harder or cares more about our family, neighbors, and country than we do. We have less, give more, and ask for little. We are the first in line to offer help and the last in line to receive it. We are strong. From Okanogan to Klickitat and from Chelan to Spokane counties, we are on the streets, writing letters, making phone calls, holding workshops, and working with our local elected leaders to do more.
Every day, I felt the waning hope of Democrats in Central and Eastern Washington, it was palpable. But in just a few short weeks of 47’s term, I hear and see an uprising like never before. People who once would not have lifted their sad butts off the couch are now lining the streets with placards, demonstrating their power. Where twenty attendees once constituted a great showing at a political event, we are now seeing hundreds.
Recently, in the small community of the Methow, several hundred showed up for a missing Dan Newhouse town hall. In the Tri Cities, an Indivisible group so new that their Facebook page had only four posts organized a town hall that grew so large they needed two sessions. In Spokane, a newly elected, extremely naive and arrogant MAGA, Mike Baumgartner, was crucified by a massive turnout of well prepared and angry constituents.
Here in Yakima, where local Democrats have long struggled to get enough people to form a quorum, a new group is emerging. At its first meeting, eighty nine people showed up, and more are signing up for the next. Wonderful organizations like Ella and YIRN are holding workshops to educate us and our neighbors on how best to defend ourselves against the very real and personal threats being made against us by 47. One in ten people in Yakima County are at risk to ICE actions.
Immigration, Social Security, Medicaid, federal worker firings, farm programs, and SNAP are all under attack by 47. These programs are essential to keeping our communities safe and economically stable. Yet we have representatives who neither know us nor care, CD 4’s Do Nothing Dan Newhouse and now Mike Baumgartner in Congressional District 5.
Patty Murray is a strong senator, and we are fortunate to have her, but her focus remains on Hanford, where the big money rolls in. She has never given sufficient attention to the vast majority in this district who make their living from agriculture or lower paying manufacturing jobs. Now is the time for our elected officials to hear all of us!
You can face the future in two ways. You can internalize your fear and hope it passes with minimal pain, or you can find pride in yourself and your country and rise up. This is NOT the time to be a Schumer, now is the time to be an AOC or a Bernie. There will not be a better time or another opportunity.
As Rep. Celeste Maloy (R Utah) warned, “I am concerned about the country careening toward authoritarianism if we don’t get the executive branch under control.”
The future of Democratic candidates in Central and Eastern Washington is promising. In the last election cycle, opportunities were few, but with the pain in these communities being very real and clearly tied back to the Republican Party and 47, we now have a clearer path to victory.
Despite Biden’s many great accomplishments, the public perception was overwhelmingly negative. With the benefits largely intangible or too removed to be sufficiently felt, it was easy for far right rhetoric to dominate. But shutting down Medicaid portals, threatening to stop Social Security checks, and waging tariff wars with our most important trading partner, those are real, and they cut deep.
This is the time for Democrats to shout their truth and be heard.
Stop Thanking Dan Newhouse
Dan Newhouse voted to impeach 47, yes. But since then, he has done everything he can to get back into the good graces of the far right. Any infinitesimal amount of moral fortitude he may have once shown was eclipsed by his egregious actions both before and after. Recently, Dan took the lead in bringing censure against a colleague who was outspoken against 47. Newhouse is not now, and never was, worthy of any praise or gratitude.
Court Victories
Judge smacks down Brian Heywood’s initiatives as “unconstitutional” (Northwest Progressive)
Yakima community group wins victory over MAGA majority City Council
As shared by Spencer Hatton, “Yes, we had a great day in court. The citizen committees on climate change and integration will be restored. Now let’s see what the City Council will do. Thanks for showing support for our cause. Long Live Democracy! Leslie & Spencer”
Thanks to the Save My Country Action Fund and Central Washington Families we are seeing social media posts and youtube advertisements calling on do-nothing Dan Newhouse to stand up for constituent rights particularly on the issues of Medicaid and Medicare.
Thank you and much success,
Doug
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