As the world, the nation and Nebraska continue to reel from the impact of the coronavirus, President Trump persists in flailing about in a clumsy clog of incompetence.
On Wednesday, as the United States barreled toward having the most cases of Covid-19 in the world, Trump took to his electric Twitter machine to attack and ridicule Joe Biden, Adam Schiff, Robert S. Mueller III, Michael Avenatti, Mitt Romney, the “LameStream media,” “CORRUPT & FAKE NEWS,” “Trump Derangement Syndrome” and liberal “snowflakes.”
As the Washington Post’s Dana Milbank penned:
“Meanwhile, as Trump pits states against each other and announces a reckless plan to reopen American workplaces by Easter with the virus still raging, Democratic and Republican governors, filling the leadership vacuum, have united in rejecting his ludicrous plan.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican and head of the National Governors Association, dismissed “this imaginary clock,” while Republican governors in Texas, Arizona, Ohio and South Dakota joined Democratic governors coast to coast in insisting that public health come first.
A better president could unify us in common purpose. But while Trump declares himself a “wartime president,” he seems most skilled at civil warfare. He contributes false assurances, disinformation and attacks on Democratic governors.
…While Trump used the power of the presidency for self-aggrandizement and petty grievances, the governors governed.”
Glad somebody is.
Just 221 days until the election, folks.
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The NDP has called on Secretary of State Bob Evnen and Governor Pete Ricketts to consider moving entirely to Vote-by-Mail ballots for the May 12 Primary Election in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
They announced Thursday that Nebraska will have in-person voting on May 12, but that ALL Nebraska counties will be sending Vote-by-Mail applications to all voters soon.
The NDP is circulating a petition to demand that Nebraska go to an all Vote-by-Mail Primary Election for the safety of all.
The NDP has launched an online portal for Nebraskans to request that a Vote-By-Mail application be sent to them.
Simply fill out this form.
Simplemente llene la forma.
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In the meantime, Sen. Ben Sasse displayed his own finely honed skills of inept governance this week by failing to stand up for hard-working Nebraskans who are suffering income loss due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Sasse (and three GOP colleagues) held up the $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus and relief package because — wait for it — it might give unemployed Nebraskans who lost their jobs due to the coronavirus $600 extra a week. That, Sasse hypothesized, might convince some workers to quit their jobs or not go back to work when offered their old job back.
The New York Times blasted the move, calling it “not just meanspirited but misguided.”
“The proposed unemployment benefits, they said, were much too generous. Yes, that’s right: They worried the federal government was in danger of doing too much to help low-income workers whose jobs are being sacrificed to save lives,” The Times’ editorial board said.
NDP Chair Jane Kleeb told the Omaha World-Herald: “I think it’s disgusting that Sen. Sasse thinks that workers would rather sit at home than have the dignity of their job.”
It’s time to put Ben Sasse on the unemployment rolls.
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Our friends over at the Nebraska State AFL-CIO wanted all to see the following message about declaring food distribution, grocery stores, and food manufacturing as essential businesses — and the need to ensure that those workers who are risking their health to have the same protections as other emergency service providers.
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In a seemingly rare bit of good news, this week marked the 10th anniversary of President Barack’s Obama’s signature legislation — the Affordable Care Act.
The ACA immediately gave tax breaks to small companies to help them cover the cost of employee health care, protected people with pre-existing conditions and enabled young people to remain on their parents’ health insurance until age 26. It banned lifetime limits for how much care someone can receive. It required free preventive care.
And to this day, the Trump Administration and the GOP continue their efforts to get the law struck down.
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Due to the coronavirus, the NDP’s March SCC Meeting was held online and on the phone last Saturday. There were a few minor, first-time glitches, but the NDP’s business got done.
We are working on using the Zoom app for future meetings, which will smooth things.
Also, we will keep you all apprised of any developments impacting our county and state conventions this May and June and the Democratic National Convention in July in Milwaukee.
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The Nebraska Democratic Party is focused on making sure our elections are accessible and that the public is safe. We are shifting the majority of our resources to assist candidates to campaign in a new virtual world and to assist voters to Vote By Mail.
Click here to sign up to make calls and send texts for candidates.
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We have an update for NDP Block Captains — published today — for contacting voters now that door-knocking is out.
TONS of great information.
Plus, we will be doing a Facebook Live Block Captain training this Monday.
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For candidates, the NDP has compiled a guide for Campaigning During Coronavirus, which you can read here.
Thank you to our friends at The Management Institute, Tuesday Company, M&R Lab, Power Labs, Progressphiles listserv, epolitics.com, ASDC, DNC, Missouri Democratic Party and other Democratic state parties and committees for providing some of the content that we repurposed for this guide.
In light of the coronavirus epidemic and the Nebraska Democratic Party’s recommendations to cancel in-person gatherings, postpone all in-person campaigning, and adopt remote/virtual environments, we want to provide our candidates, local Democratic parties and allied activist organizations with recommendations on how to continue campaigning and staying in touch with supporters during the coronavirus.
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We leave you this week with a rendering by Clay Jones on Trump’s wild, off-script wanderings during televised news conferences of his coronavirus task force.
–By Kevin O’Hanlon, NDP Communications Director
NOTE: If you’d like to receive #NebDems News via email, just let us know by sending a note to: info@nebraskademocrats.org
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IMPORTANT DATES
NOTE: All of the NDP’s in-person events have been postponed until further notice. Check our Facebook page and website for updates. If you had planned to attend any non-NDP events, we urge you to check with the organizers on the status.
March 30: Block Captain Training (via FB Live)
April 8: NDP County Chairs meeting (via Zoom) Details forthcoming.
