TRUMP LEAVES 2020 ELECTION VULNERABLE. THAT’S IMPEACHABLE.
ACTION ONE: CALL YOUR SENATORS
SAMPLE SCRIPT FOR WYDEN AND MERKLEY:
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code]. I am calling because…
I am grateful for the Intelligence Committee’s report on Russian attacks on our elections. But we are still vulnerable and even bipartisan proposals have been blocked. I ask that you continue to speak out on election security and support the impeachment process or we will repeat 2016 and suffer the consequences.
CALL SENATOR MERKLEY
CALL SENATOR WYDEN
ACTION TWO: CALL YOUR HOUSE REPS
Not sure who your U.S. Representative is? Find out here.
SAMPLE SCRIPTS FOR REPRESENTATIVES:
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code]. I am calling because…
For all but Walden:
The Senate Intelligence Committee’s report on Russia’s attacks on our elections warns that we are still vulnerable, yet even bipartisan proposals have been blocked. I ask that you continue to speak out on election security and support the impeachment process or we will repeat 2016 and suffer the consequences.
For Walden:
The Senate Intelligence Committee warns that we are still vulnerable to Russian attacks on our elections. But your loyalty to your party exposes your position of leaving us vulnerable to a repeat of 2016. Please put country over party and demand defenses to protect our elections.
CALL SUZANNE BONAMICI (OR-01)
CALL GREG WALDEN (OR-02)
CALL BLUMENAUER (OR-03)
CALL PETER DEFAZIO (OR-04)
CALL KURT SCHRADER (OR-05)
ACTION THREE: HELP REGISTER VOTERS
Indivisible Oregon is organizing letter-writing parties using Swing Left tools to contact voters whose voter registration data may need updating. Find a letter writing party near you or organize one yourself at SwingLeft.org/events.
BACKGROUND:
By most objective measures, and the growing likelihood of his impeachment, Donald Trump will not be reelected in 2020. But . . . it may happen.
That’s because Russia is still pumping out disinformation, according to a chilling report from the Senate Intelligence Committee.
The report meticulously documents Russia’s massive “disinformation” campaign behind Trump’s 2016 victory.
Russians mass-produced nearly 200,000 Facebook and Instagram posts, and 10.4 million tweets. Their goal was to help Trump and hurt Hillary Clinton.
They succeeded. And they are doing it right now. According to the Senate report, the Russian information warfare campaign is “ongoing.” Their goal is to exacerbate social divisions and to erode public confidence in government.
Coincidently, that’s Trump’s strategy too.
The bipartisan Senate report recommends social media companies, Congress and the president work together to block and expose the real fake news.
How likely is that? Moscow Mitch has blocked everything in Congress, and Trump can’t bring himself to even ask Russia to stop the attacks. And a Facebook spokesperson said foreign interference “violates our values.” Wow.
If our democratic system is to survive, it must be defended. Call your Members of Congress and demand it. So much is riding on the 2020 election.
SOURCES:
Wired, Oct. 8, 2019: “Russia’s Disinformation War Is Just Getting Started” https://www.wired.com/story/russias-disinformation-war-is-just-getting-started/
Washington Post, Oct. 8, 2019: “Bipartisan Senate report calls for sweeping effort to prevent Russian interference in 2020 election” https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/10/08/bipartisan-senate-report-calls-sweeping-effort-prevent-russian-interference-election/
CNBC, Oct. 9, 2019: “Russian trolls tried to convince African Americans not to vote in 2016, US Senate says” https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/09/senate-intel-report-russian-trolls-targeted-african-americans-in-2016.html
Bloomberg, Oct. 8, 2019: “Russian Operative Said ‘We Made America Great’ After Trump’s Win” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-10-08/senate-intelligence-panel-warns-russian-meddling-continues
MIT’s Technology Review, Oct. 9,2019: “A Senate report has ideas for fighting disinformation. Don’t hold your breath” https://www.technologyreview.com/f/614516/disinformation-russia-election-interference-senate-intelligence-report/
