August Newsletter
The Resistance
by Alden Brown
Donald Trump canceled the GOP COVID convention on July 23. With over 4.5 million infected and more than 150,000 Americans dead, the president finally pulled the plug.
The decision marked a complete reversal after his insisting for months that an in-person acceptance speech must be delivered before a massive crowd. The polls showing Vice President Joe Biden in double digit leads did what the rising infections and deaths could not.
While his press secretary and Nazi-mask wearing Trump shoppers were unshaken in their faith by the Clorox cure or the demon-seed recommendations of his newest replacement for Dr. Fauci, the polls tell us something else.
Most of us are sick of seeing needless death and suffering. We don’t want to talk about masks. Just put the damn thing on and shut up.
Photos of refrigerated trailers parked in San Antonio, TX, to hold the stacks of COVID corpses isn’t our idea of success five months into a pandemic. The rest of the world has figured out. We’d like to be as smart in addressing this as … Italy … Germany … almost any country without a Trump wannabe claiming the virus is a hoax.
Even the UK is getting better after their Trump wannabe Boris Johnson came down with the virus and learned it was worse than the flu.
Note to autocrats and angry unbalanced haters: Physicians really do learn things attending school and treating patients.
When you do hold large public gatherings during a pandemic where attendees are encouraged by their leaders to ignore basic health measures, people get sick and die. Presidential candidate Herman Cain is a case in point. Cain attended Trump’s June 20 rally in Tulsa, a rally credited by city/county health department officials as the source for a spike in cases there.
Cain was photographed sitting close to other high-profile Trump supporters who were not wearing masks. Two weeks later, he had the virus. A month later, he was dead.
Trump closed July by saying Cain didn’t get sick at his rally.
No surprise there.
Trump said the pandemic and its response is not his responsibility.
That surprised two leaders who never shrug responsibility – Joe Biden and Barack Obama.
“Can you imagine standing up when you’re president saying it’s not my responsibility,” Biden asked Obama in their one-on-one virtual campaign event in July.
The two true leaders reacted like a skunk had entered the room.
“Those words didn’t come out of our mouths when we were in office,” Obama said.
Watching those two together was like the promise of Spring. It was a vision of what was in the not so distant past where:
Rule of law was the bedrock of our democracy not a demolition project for the attorney general
Reporters covered the news rather than their heads. Over 400 physical attacks on journalists have been reported since May 26 (Committee to Protect Journalists).
All Nazis were considered bad
The Commander in Chief opposed Russian dictator Vladimir Putin who paid terrorists to kill American soldiers
Doctors, scientists and professionals filled positions of authority rather than unschooled billionaires, political hacks, and internet sensations whose claim to fame are theories about demon seed and alien DNA
Trump could not do the damage to this country that he is doing with the greed and self-serving contempt for rule of law exhibited by those who empower him. When he leaves office, the vacuum of talent that will exist in Washington will be frightening.
Fortunately, Joe Biden is a consensus builder. He is bringing us together as a party and a nation to build back from this pandemic – to build back better. His friend and supporter Rep. John Lewis called us to lift up this country.
“Together, you can redeem the soul of our nation,” Rep. Lewis wrote in an editorial published on the day of his funeral. “Though I am gone, I urge you to answer the highest calling of your heart and stand up for what you truly believe.”
Rep. Lewis spoke of love and nonviolence while Trump and fascist, racist supporters defiantly defend the opposite. It is striking listening to today’s racist hate speech in viral internet videos day after day.
More important and lasting are the images of mothers lined up arm in arm to stand against hate and injustice.
The soul of the Democratic party – the soul of Democracy – lives on through the words of John Lewis and the promise of a Biden presidency.
Lewis wrote, “In my life I have done all I can to demonstrate that the way of peace, the way of love and nonviolence is the more excellent way. Now it is your turn to let freedom ring.
When historians pick up their pens to write the story of the 21st century, let them say that it was your generation who laid down the heavy burdens of hate at last and that peace finally triumphed over violence, aggression and war. So I say to you, walk with the wind, brothers and sisters, and let the spirit of peace and the power of everlasting love be your guide.”
No wonder Trump is, as Joe Biden predicted, suggested postponing the election. Cheating is the Trump way. He’s a president with plenty of bankruptcy experience in business and pandemics.
If he can’t win, don’t have an election. Fortunately, Republicans and Democrats reminded Trump that there remains a working Constitution that doesn’t give him the power to change the election date … not yet.
Trump will never give up trying to cheat his way to victory. He has no answers except to lie and cheat.
If you can’t come up with a plan to stop the pandemic, stop testing. Surely, people will stop dying at some point.
In Trump world, there is always an “alternate fact” to be found.
Until the morgue tells you Grandpa’s body is out back in the refrigerator truck because there is no more space inside. Not much wiggle room left in this pandemic.
And the polls show it.
A lot of grandparents have died while Trump has lied.
It’s time for the truth.
“We should be telling the American people the truth,” Joe Biden said. “They’re strong. They’ll get through it.”
It’s time for truth. It’s time for testing and masks and Dr. Fauci … not Dr. Doolittle.
It’s time for Joe.
Resist.
Vote Democracy.
Vote Democrat.
Vote Joe Biden.
SENATE DISTRICT 26 DFL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETS AUGUST 10
The meeting will be Monday, August 10 from 7 to 8:30 PM. It will be a virtual meeting. DFL meetings are public, so if you want to “attend”, contact the Chair at mark.liebow@gmail.com. We plan to hear updates for campaigns in the area, from the U.S. Senate campaign to the two Minnesota House of Representatives campaigns, among other business.
We are still looking for an Outreach and Inclusion Officer and a Communications Officer. There are four open Director positions, which must be filled by people who live in House District 26B. Three of them must not identify as male. Please contact the Chair at mark.liebow@gmail.com if you’re interested.
DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION GOES VIRTUAL
Minnesota’s delegates will not travel to Milwaukee to vote or debate. They have received an electronic ballot to vote on the platform, the Presidential nomination, and other business the Convention must do. Joe Biden is expected to announce his proposed vice-presidential candidate this week and the delegates will have a way to nominate this person, too. Joe Biden will accept the nomination from Delaware. Two hours of the convention, including Biden’s acceptance speech, will be televised from 8 PM- 10 PM each night from Monday, August 17 through Thursday, August 20. Barack and Michelle Obama will also speak. We don’t know yet if any Minnesotans will speak during the televised portion of the convention.
ELECTION AND CAMPAIGN NEWS
The Minnesota primary for all offices except President will be Tuesday, August 11.
Early voting has begun for the August primary. There may not be time to obtain a ballot to vote by mail if you have not already applied. If you have a ballot, you should complete it and return it soon. Ballots, if mailed, must be postmarked by August 11 and received by August 13 to be counted. Ballots can also be dropped off at Olmsted County Elections Office at 2122 Campus Dr. SE, Suite 300 in Rochester 8 AM-5 PM Monday through Friday until August 10
To apply electronically for a vote by mail ballot, go to https://sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/other-ways-to-vote/vote-early-by-mail/
To vote early in person, go to the Olmsted County Elections Office at 2122 Campus Dr. SE, Suite 300 in Rochester or -from August 4-10- at the Government Center at 151 4th St., SE in Rochester. You can vote 8 AM-5 PM Monday through Friday and from 10 AM-3 PM on Saturday, August 8.t the time this was written, you can only enter Campus Drive from the west because of road construction on 4th St. SE. There are bus routes that go to the building.
To find out where to vote in person on August 11, go to https://pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us/
Many polling place locations in Rochester have changed due to the pandemic.
The DFL and Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate will be determined by the primary, but Senator Tina Smith and Jason Lewis, an ex-Congressman, are the prohibitive favorites in the primary. Each was endorsed by their party, but has four little-known opponents.
There have been two polls recently that showed Dan Feehan up by one or two points over Jim Hagedorn. This race is likely to be very close and increasing turnout for Feehan in Senate District 26 will be important.
None of the other partisan races will appear on the primary ballot. The candidates are:
U.S. House of Representatives:
Dan Feehan (DFL)
Jim Hagedorn (Republican)
Bill Rood (Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis)
Minnesota Senate District 26:
Aleta Borrud (DFL)
Carla Nelson (Republican)
Minnesota House District 26A:
Tina Liebling (DFL)
Gary Melin (Republican)
Minnesota House District 26B:
Randy Brock (DFL)
Nels Pierson (Republican)
To help these candidates:
Dan Feehan:
Aleta Borrud:
Tina Liebling:
Randy Brock:
DONATE TO SENATE DISTRICT 26 DFL
We know this is a tough time economically for many people in Senate District 26 because of the economic effects from shutdowns due to the pandemic. Not everyone will be able to donate right now, but if you can, we need your help to make the DFL a bigger presence in Rochester in 2020. We have a year-round office, which is expensive, but is crucial in a battleground area like Rochester. While one-time donations are welcome, we especially need monthly donations. We don’t get money from the national Democratic Party. The state DFL only contributes $500 a month, less than 1/3 of our rent. We rely on our local supporters to keep going and to get the DFL message out. There are tremendous opportunities for the DFL, locally and statewide, this year, including replacing Carla Nelson with a DFL Senator and Jim Hagedorn with a DFL member of Congress. We need more money at the local level to take advantage of them. We need the money and you want an active DFL. If you give, there will be an office for DFL events and meetings when those are possible again, DFL participation in events and parades that require entry fees, technology that makes the DFL work better, and outreach into underrepresented communities. Donate to Senate District 26 DFL and you can get up to $50/person or $100 per married couple back from the state of Minnesota if you are eligible to vote in Minnesota. You can make a refundable donation in 2020 even if you made a contribution and got a refund in 2019. Do it now. Make your donation via ActBlue - click here. If you would rather write a check, please make it payable to DFL SD26 and send it to:
P.O. Box 9044
Rochester, MN 55903-9044
Send us a donation and we’ll send you a receipt. Send the receipt and a form
(https://www.revenue.state.mn.us/media/59866) needed to claim the reimbursement to
Minnesota Revenue Political Contribution Refund
St. Paul, MN 55146-1800.
Make a donation, file a claim, and you’ll get a check back soon. If you send a check, please include whether you are retired, self-employed or employed. If employed, include the name of your employer and your job title. The Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board requires us to collect that information. If you use Act Blue, the appropriate information is collected.
Connect with us!
This is a monthly newsletter. However, events often happen on short notice, so we may not be able to include them in the newsletter. Check our website and Facebook pages for the latest news on what is happening.
Twitter: @sd26dfl
Facebook Page: DFL in Olmsted County
Instagram: dflsenatedistrict26.
Our office is unstaffed for now because of the safer-at-home order but you can leave a message for us at 507-536-9785. We are monitoring the messages.
