How liberals are preparing for next week’s town halls – CNN
And mimic some of the tea party's tactics: Stay local and organize around the goal of thwarting President Donald Trump.
That's what Organizing for Action -- the group that evolved from President Barack Obama's political campaign structure -- is teaching 25,000 liberal activists in a series of six webinars and calls ahead of next week's congressional recess. Another webinar is set for Thursday night, where the organization plans to train thousands more.
Progressives see the recess as their best opportunity to capitalize on the surging energy in the Democratic base and convince Republicans to break from Trump and back away from their pledge to repeal Obama's health care law.
Some Republicans -- including Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz and White House press secretary Sean Spicer -- have cast the massive turnout at recent town halls one reliant on out-of-state, professional activists. But those activist organizations are telling their members to take just the opposite approach.
"If you're not a member of Congress's constituent, they don't actually care what you think," Matt Traldi, one of the five co-founders of Indivisible, said during a recent Organizing for Action webinar.
Traldi and Angel Padilla, a former congressional staffer and another Indivisible co-founder, urged those listening -- many of them newly engaged in politics and preparing to attend their first town halls -- to arrive with direct asks for their lawmakers.
"How to ask a solid question -- something like, can you guarantee that no one through your vote will lose coverage?" Padilla said.
The goal, Traldi said, is to show that members of Congress are "out of touch with the rest of our congressional district -- you can tell by the way they're acting."
"If there's no recording, if there's no pictures, if there's nothing in the press, then it's almost like it didn't happen from the perspective of everybody who wasn't there at the time," Traldi said.
As Congress heads into its week-long break, progressive groups are scrambling to push their members toward town halls and events in their districts.
MoveOn.org has launched a website -- ResistanceRecess.com -- that's serving as a hub for events, from congressional town halls (based on former Hillary Clinton field organizer Jimmy Dahman's TownHallProject.com) to events organized by local chapters of the Indivisible movement.
"The most important thing is for people to come equipped with a knowledge of how this stuff affects their lives," said Mike Wikler, MoveOn.org's Washington director.
"Telling your own story -- yourself, your family member, what it would mean for your mother, your grandmother, if Medicaid support for nursing homes were cut off -- giving people the confidence to go and be authentic about speaking the truth," he said.
And there's one more important component MoveOn is telling its members via emails and texts, he said: capture it all on Facebook Live.
Wikler said the idea is to send Republicans from an uncertain posture on how they'll repeal and replace Obamacare "into full-blown retreat."
The liberal blog DailyKos.com is directing members to the site, Wikler said. And MoveOn is working with Protect Our Care, a coalition of pro-Obamacare groups that is directing doctors, nurses, patients and others affected by the Affordable Care Act to events to speak to their personal experiences.
Other left-leaning groups are similarly trying to halt Republican actions.
Planned Parenthood is planning a major push across the country during the congressional recess -- aiming to mobilize the 139,000 people who have signed up as volunteers since the election.
After the election, it launched a "Planned Parenthood Defenders" digital tool to train its most committed volunteers, with more than 50,000 people signed up so far, 2,300 of whom have committed to hosting a meet-up for local activists and set a time and date. Already, 330 groups have met.
"A lot of folks that are really pissed off that this administration and Republican extremists are targeting Planned Parenthood," said Kelley Robinson, Planned Parenthood's deputy national organizing director.
Supporting the organization, she said, "also means standing with all the communities they serve -- that means standing with immigrants, standing with refugees, standing with LGBT people."
Planned Parenthood is also scheduling several of its own events targeting Republicans who did not schedule town halls during the break.
In Nevada, Planned Parenthood has organized an "empty chair" town hall where it invited Republican Sen. Dean Heller, a Democratic target in the 2018 midterms.
On February 25, Planned Parenthood is planning a rally in Milwaukee -- where patients from House Speaker Paul Ryan's district will be featured.
"What our task is to do over recess," Robinson said, "is to really give these folks a megaphone -- making clear that there is a price to pay for what they do to women's health care."
CNN's MJ Lee contributed to this report.
See the original post:
How liberals are preparing for next week's town halls - CNN
- Theres A New Law Firm In Washington. It Wants To Take All The Cases Liberals Hate - dailycaller.com - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- The Liberals aren't tabling a budget. How does that affect the economy and your wallet? - CBC - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- Liberals will table a budget this fall, Prime Minister Mark Carney says - CBC - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- Ted OBrien says Liberals need to reflect modern Australia with more women in party - The Guardian - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- Sussan Ley needs bold thinking to modernise the Liberals. She should look to David Camerons Tories | Tom McIlroy - The Guardian - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- Political parties can recover after a devastating election loss. But the Liberals will need to think differently - The Conversation - May 14th, 2025 [May 14th, 2025]
- Donald Trump Jr. Helped Fund a MAGA Marketplace. Liberals Are Using It as a Tooland a Warning - Vanity Fair - May 14th, 2025 [May 14th, 2025]
- University Admissions and Liberals Should Focus on Class, Not Race - Bloomberg.com - May 14th, 2025 [May 14th, 2025]
- After the Australian election, what the crisis of the Liberals reveals - World Socialist Web Site - May 14th, 2025 [May 14th, 2025]
- Liberals pick up another seat by a single vote after results of judicial recount in Montreal-area riding - The Globe and Mail - May 14th, 2025 [May 14th, 2025]
- The Liberals have a long road to relevance and Sussan Leys slim victory means she begins on shaky foundations - The Guardian - May 14th, 2025 [May 14th, 2025]
- The Liberals are about to select Peter Duttons replacement. Heres who is in the running - The Guardian - May 14th, 2025 [May 14th, 2025]
- View from The Hill: Ley says Liberals must meet the people where they are, but how can a divided party do that? - The Conversation - May 14th, 2025 [May 14th, 2025]
- David Souter, former GOP Supreme Court justice who often sided with liberals, dies - Yahoo News - May 14th, 2025 [May 14th, 2025]
- Poilievre asks Liberals to steal his ideas on carbon tax, housing and more - MSN - May 14th, 2025 [May 14th, 2025]
- Conservative fundraising email suggests Liberals trying to 'tip the scales' in recounts - CBC - May 14th, 2025 [May 14th, 2025]
- Four charts that show why Liberals are struggling to win elections - AFR - May 14th, 2025 [May 14th, 2025]
- The Impossible Plight of the Pro-Tariff Liberals - The Atlantic - May 8th, 2025 [May 8th, 2025]
- SANDOVAL: Liberals Ruin Iconic Site With Yet Another Massive Eyesore - dailycaller.com - May 8th, 2025 [May 8th, 2025]
- Joe Rogan mocks Canada for re-electing Liberals, claims Pierre Poilievre turned down podcast offer - Yahoo News Canada - May 8th, 2025 [May 8th, 2025]
- The final Canada election result has a twist in the tail, Liberals on the receiving end - The Economic Times - May 8th, 2025 [May 8th, 2025]
- Liberals on brink of near-total wipe-out in Australia's suburbs - Australian Broadcasting Corporation - May 8th, 2025 [May 8th, 2025]
- Gender quotas are the only way for the Liberals to go: Simon Birmingham - The Conversation - May 8th, 2025 [May 8th, 2025]
- Gina Rinehart urges Liberals to stick with Trump-like policies in the wake of election loss - The Guardian - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- Analysis | Trump is making foreign liberals, free trade and immigrants great again - The Washington Post - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- When Liberals Were on "The Wrong Side of History" - Catholic Answers - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- Second-term Albanese will face policy pressure, devastated Liberals have only bad options - The Conversation - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- CNNs Donie OSullivan pushes back on annoying liberals who criticize humanizing Trump supporters - New York Post - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- The Liberals women problem may seem intractable, but heres what they could learn from the Teals - The Conversation - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- What the Liberals election win could mean for Canadas economy - The Real Economy Blog - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- Mark Carneys Liberals win Canadian election upended by Trump, Conservative challenger loses his seat - PBS - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- Canada's Liberals win minority government; Carney says old relationship with US 'is over' - Reuters - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- Why Carney's Liberals won election - and the Conservatives lost - BBC - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- Trump wanted to break us, says Carney as Liberals triumph in Canadian election - The Guardian - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- Mark Carneys Liberals Win Canadas Election. Here Are 4 Takeaways. - The New York Times - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- Sweeping policy reset needed to reconnect with voters, senior Liberals say as others call for lurch further right - The Guardian - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- Canadas Liberals fall short of a majority in Parliament, and Conservative leader loses his own seat - WOWT - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- Conservatives less trusting of science compared to liberals in the United States - PsyPost - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- Trump Inserts Himself Into Canadas Election and Liberals Cant Stop Saying Merci - Rolling Stone - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- Afternoon Update: Liberals start soul-searching; husbands denial in mushroom trial; and a 478-hour slow TV stream ends - The Guardian - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- Game change Canadian election: Mark Carney leads Liberals to their fourth consecutive win - The Conversation - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- The game change Canadian election: Mark Carney leads Liberals to their fourth consecutive win - The Conversation - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- The Liberals need a few floor-crossers to form a majority. That might not be so easy - CBC - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- Trump campaign chief claims he visited Australia to advise Liberals at start of election campaign - The Guardian - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- How the Liberals came up short in Ontario and lost their majority bid - CBC - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- The Liberals Who Cant Stop Winning - The Atlantic - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- Morning Mail: Israels intensified plan to seize Gaza, the voters that swung to Labor, Liberals in crisis - The Guardian - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- Mark Carneys Liberals win Canadas crucial election and set to form minority government - The Independent - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- Conservatives signal they are willing to back Carney's Liberals on some legislation - CBC - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- The Conservatives and Liberals refuse to stand on guard - The Globe and Mail - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Candidates make final pitch in Canada election with Liberals holding lead - Yahoo - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Polls tighten as Canadians head to the polls. Will Liberals pull off the ultimate comeback? - GZERO Media - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- When equal does not mean the same: Liberals still do not understand their women problem - The Conversation - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Federal Election Poll: Liberals poised to win slim majority or minority government - Vancouver Sun - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Stories That Show How Modern Liberals Have Lost Their Way - The New York Times - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Yes, Kashmir Faces Settler-Colonialism But Not The Kind That Left-Liberals Want You To Believe - Swarajyamag - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Liberals on course to take majority of N.S. seats, polls and experts agree - CBC - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Red ripple in blue Calgary? Liberals eye record gains in Conservative stronghold - CBC - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- POLLS: Liberals hold a steady lead, and other poll insights - SooToday.com - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Liberals vs. Conservatives: comparing proposed immigration policies ahead of the 2025 election - CIC News - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Candidates make final pitch in Canada election with Liberals holding lead By Reuters - Investing.com - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Mandryk: Liberals will need more than a few NDP votes to win in Saskatchewan - Regina Leader Post - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Mark Carneys Liberals will stand up for British Columbia against President Trump - Liberal Party of Canada - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- 'Slugging it out': Liberals up by four points ahead of election, poll finds - National Post - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Carney tells Assembly of First Nations Liberals are committed to implementing UNDRIP - CBC - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- The phantom menaces of the Liberals and Conservatives - The Globe and Mail - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- Mark Carneys Liberals will protect B.C. workers and build Canada Strong - Liberal Party of Canada - April 27th, 2025 [April 27th, 2025]
- First YouGov MRP of 2025 Canadian federal election shows Liberals on track to win a modest majority - YouGov /Research - April 23rd, 2025 [April 23rd, 2025]
- Liberals Vs Conservatives: Where Things Stand In Canada Polls 2025 - NDTV - April 23rd, 2025 [April 23rd, 2025]
- As Canadas Elections Loom, Liberals, Not Trump, Are the Real Danger to the Dominions Sovereignty - The New York Sun - April 23rd, 2025 [April 23rd, 2025]
- Election Writ 4/22: Liberals still favoured after flurry of new polling - The Writ - April 23rd, 2025 [April 23rd, 2025]
- Meet the Conservative populist looking to unseat Canadas Liberals - The Washington Post - April 23rd, 2025 [April 23rd, 2025]
- Liberals and Conservatives fighting for support from centrist voters, poll shows - National Post - April 23rd, 2025 [April 23rd, 2025]
- Letters, April 23: Liberals should thank Trump if they win - Edmonton Sun - April 23rd, 2025 [April 23rd, 2025]
- The fascist moment is here: Have mainstream liberals heard the alarm go off? - Salon.com - April 23rd, 2025 [April 23rd, 2025]
- Mark Carneys Liberals Stand Up to President Trump for Qubec Identity and Economy - Liberal Party of Canada - April 23rd, 2025 [April 23rd, 2025]
- Liberals promise $130B in new spending and no timeline to balance the budget - Yahoo News Canada - April 23rd, 2025 [April 23rd, 2025]
- Bill Maher taunts liberals with 1-word description of himself after Trump dinner - SILive.com - April 23rd, 2025 [April 23rd, 2025]
- What went wrong with the Liberals verification system and what does it mean for the future? - The Globe and Mail - April 23rd, 2025 [April 23rd, 2025]
- Liberals try and recapture Toronto-St. Pauls after byelection loss - CityNews Toronto - April 23rd, 2025 [April 23rd, 2025]