Good morning friends! Don’t worry, we’re not delving into Pelosi’s comments on Trump being obese today. That’s right! No obesitygate for us! Instead, we’ve got some news that actually matters:
Norma McCorvey, who was the anonymous “Jane Roe” in Roe Vs. Wade, says the whole thing was a sham: according to a documentary that was filmed in the months before her death back in 2017. She claimed she only did it because she was paid by antiabortion groups.
There’s plenty of drama when it comes to progressives who are running for Congress: from some Warren endorsements to establishment backings, we’ve got the details on some of the races that may interest you the most.
Far-right extremists have been energized by COVID-19 lockdowns: and for the first time since Charlottsville that it feels significant. It’s important to recognize these things for what they are.
Did you hear Joe Biden came up with a snappy nickname to combat Trump? “President Tweety.” Yeah, we’re all screwed. Let’s get to it.
ABORTION
The Woman Behind “Roe Vs. Wade” Didn’t Actually Change Her Mind
Norma McCorvey is likely a name you haven’t heard before—but you’ve probably heard of her by another name, “Jane Roe.” According to her own testimony for the FX documentary “AKA Jane Roe,” McCorvey was never anti-abortion. She was simply paid to pretend that she was.
The Details
McCorvey was the anonymous plaintiff in the landmark 1973 Supreme Court ruling that individual states could not constitutionally ban abortion. However, later in her life, McCorvey became involved in the pro-life movement, saying that she had been a pawn for abortion activists. She spent from 1995 to as late as 2013 visibly advocating for the pro-life movement.
The documentary features a “visibly ailing McCorvey” expressing her support for abortion rights pretty clearly, saying that “if a young woman wants to have an abortion, that’s no skin off my ass. That’s why they call it a choice.”
Why the multiple changes of heart? In her “deathbed confession,” she reveals she never really did—she was just paid by antiabortion groups including Operation Rescue. In truth, McCorvey was an actress, not an advocate.
The Implications
In an election year with concerns about reproductive rights on the table, this matters. The documentary even depicts McCorvey expressing support for Hillary Clinton in 2016, saying, “I wish I knew how many abortions Donald Trump was responsible for. I’m sure he’s lost count, if he can count that high.”
It seems that McCorvey’s confession and its release are timely as well: the Supreme Court is considering a high-profile abortion case that could undermine Roe vs. Wade. Several states have already put “heartbeat laws” in place, which basically ban the procedure.
Catch “AKA Jane Roe” on FX this Friday for a more in-depth dive into McCorvey’s life.
Bottom line: it’s as shocking as it is cynical which somehow makes it not at all shocking in the end. Anti-abortion advocates will leap through whatever hoops they have to do to limit a woman’s right to choose.
ELECTION 2020
A Brief Update on Some of the Most Important Congressional Runs This Year
Endorsements. They can make or break a campaign. When a challenger is going up against an incumbent, who endorses who—and who stays silent—can not only end up influencing a race, but it can also tell you quite a bit about people in positions of power. Today, we want to look at three races (and three endorsements) and take a quick glance at the facts.
The Campaigns
Ed Markey: incumbent Senator Ed Markey is up against Rep. Joseph Kennedy III this year. Kennedy is, well, a Kennedy—and while his heritage may draw him attention, he just doesn’t have the record that Markey does. Markey co-sponsored the Green New Deal with AOC and is an ardent progressive who has been endorsed by just about every big name progressive you can think of. Kennedy is running on political dynasty name recognition.
Kennedy did pick up some help recently, in that House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer is holding a virtual fundraiser for him. Hoyer has received millions from oil and gas PACs during his career, so given that, it feels like a bit of a slap in the face to Markey’s environmentally-concerned campaign. Hoyer also has a history of working against those who challenge incumbents, but that’s obviously not the case here.
Charles Booker: is managing to pick up some steam over his primary opponent, Amy McGrath. Amy McGrath was handpicked by Chuck Schumer to run against Mitch McConnell McGrath’s resume as a veteran and advocate is strong and at face value, it feels like it’d suit Kentucky well. She’s a moderate Democrat and has even called herself a fiscal conservative. She may be more of a Joe Manchin Democrat than anything, but at least she wouldn’t be Mitch McConnell.
In a surprising turn of events, though, McGrath’s primary opponent is picking up some steam. 18 of the 38 Democrats in Kentucky’s House of Representatives, including the Dem leader, the Dem Caucus Chair, and the Dem Whip, endorsed Charles Booker in the primary. Booker is much further left-leaning than McGrath and supports a Green New Deal, Medicare For All, and a Universal Basic Income, among other forward-thinking policies. Getting rid of McConnell is good no matter what but Booker would be a much more exciting option if you ask us.
Lindsay Boylan is running for Congress in New York against Jerry Nadler, who is one of the most prominent and powerful Democrats in Congress. As far as establishment Democrats with decades-long careers in politics go, Nadler’s record isn’t bad per se. However, there’s no denying that Boylan is more of an outspoken progressive who pushes for a Green New Deal, healthcare as a human right, and addressing income inequality.
With that in mind, it may come as a shock that Elizabeth Warren came out with an endorsement of Nadler. In terms of policy, Boylan seems like the kind of candidate who would be right in Warren’s camp. Defenders of this decision may point to the fact that Nadler has been effective as a leader in getting legislation passed and also combatting the Trump administration. Critics will point to Boylan’s progressive stances on the issues.
Shahid Buttar is a Stanford Law graduate who has a long history of grassroots organizing snd supporting democratic socialism. He’s also primarying Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House and a top Democrat who has a ton of money and name-recognition at her fingertips. However, don’t let that keep you from paying attention to Buttar’s campaign.
Buttar recently picked up an endorsement from the shockingly-cool Marianne Williamson. Williamson gained a lot of attention for being a surprisingly progressive contender for the Democratic nomination and she eventually endorsed Bernie Sanders after suspending her campaign. Whether Buttar has a chance in hell at taking Pelosi down or not, he’s likely to draw some attention to some of Pelosi’s flaws and positions.
Bottom line: here’s your regular reminder to look into campaigns and offer up support where you can. See who is running near you. Volunteer to phonebank. Throw a few bucks towards a candidate you think has a chance in hell at winning.
HATE WATCH
Far-Right Extremists Seizing on Coronavirus to Spread Hate
Conspiracy theories and racism go hand-in-hand and nothing has made the conspiracy theory world pop off quite like coronavirus. Let’s see how this is playing out stateside and elsewhere.
The Machine Churns...
You may have seen online conspiracies circulating about Bill Gates and his supposed involvement in creating the coronavirus. This isn’t just some ridiculous story that was forged out of misinformation, it’s based on centuries-old anti-Semitic tropes about global elites controlling everything. We like blaming rich people for problems, but it’s not enough for the far-right, who turn “rich people in control of an immense of capital” into “Jewish cabal that targets white people.”
Remember the Michigan protestors where all those tryhard dudes showed up with guns? You may even remember that a few of them were sporting Hawaiian shirts that seemed to heavily contrast with the otherwise-typical “I have an entire room for my guns” camo look. That’s a reference to “the big luau,” or the “boogaloo,” which celebrates the idea of an armed insurrection against the American government and a race war.
Of course, this is how the pipeline is intended to work. You watch that wacky Plandemic video or the huge Q-Anon conspiracy video on YouTube and start to think, “maybe there really is more to do this.” When you start to lose faith in institutions, you seek out new sources of knowledge to fill in the gaps. Some of these people legitimately are just totally nuts and believe in far-out ideas, but others use it as a basis for indoctrinating people into far-right views, including blaming minorities, or liberals, or “the global elites.”
Bottom line: don’t spread misinformation, don’t lose all faith in institutions and turn to dodgy sources, and be on the lookout for your loved ones.
Not to scaremonger here but: kids end up going down an algorithmic path on sites like YouTube and before you know it, they’ve started to believe in some awful reactionary crap. Likewise, your parents may end up doing the same thing on Facebook, where misinformation spreads like fire and the more dangerous aspects of ideology get amplified. Talk to folks before they’re too far gone.
END OF THE LINE...
That’s it for today.
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The Bread Line
we’re listening to:
Roe vs. Wade revelations, progressives running for Congress, and right-wing extremism.