NKC Occasional Update
News, Views and To-Dos
July 8, 2022
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“We. Don't. Have. To. Live. Like. This.”
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What Nancy Kohn Has To Say |
Hot dogs at Stashs, jeans at the Fell Company, omelets at Country Kitchen and movies at the Highland Park theater with the very sticky floors. These are some of the memories that came flooding back on Monday as I sat glued to my television.
The tragedy unfolded on the same block where I took my grandchildren for pizza just 17 hours before gunshots reverberated through Uptown Highland Park. Highland Park was a bike ride away from my childhood home. It's now where a lot of my cousins and friends live so I am only one degree removed from friends, cousins, and colleagues who have suffered as a result of the rampage. My heart aches for them.
Gun violence has now reached our doorstep, just as it has reached neighborhoods across our country. No one is above or beyond this type of tragedy. How on earth did we get here? How did the United States of America come to be the land of mass shootings and the home of high-powered rifles that are easier for troubled young men to buy than cigarettes?
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A Pew study from 2017 found that less than a third of Americans own guns. They are overwhelmingly white, male, rural, and yes, Republican. They live in states that reflect those demographics: two-thirds of the residents of Wyoming, Montana, and Alaska own guns, as opposed to New Jersey and Massachusetts where gun ownership is under 15%.
The people who own guns are accumulating more and more guns; there are more guns in America than people. The guns they own are more and more powerful; guns designed to kill people in military conflicts, not hunting rifles or target pistols.
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This HP police officer represents us all
(Photo credit: Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/AP)
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Governor Pritzker's full news conference |
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Since this newsletter is about politics, I must point out the stark difference in the response to this horrific mass shooting between Governor JB Pritzker and his opponent, State Senator Darren Baily.
Governor Pritzker spoke solemnly at the firehouse, saying, “I’m here to tell you, be angry. I’m furious. I’m furious that yet more innocent lives were taken by gun violence…”
Meanwhile, Darren Baily thought this was a great moment to campaign. Appearing with sign-waving supporters, he said, “Let’s pray for justice to prevail and then let’s move on and celebrate…” [Emphasis mine; video here]. Could anyone be more tone-deaf?
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One more thing: the gun industry in America spends more than $15 million a year on lobbying. These organizations started as reasonable representatives of responsible gun owners, but over the last 20 years they have become radical agents of gun manufacturers. Mitt Romney, who has taken to writing avuncular, sane but slanted op-eds, has received more than $13.6 million from the NRA!
Congressman Eric Swalwell reminds us that the NRA, which he rightly calls an evil terrorist organization, doesn’t cast any votes in Congress. Senators and Representatives cast votes, and they can only do that if we elect them. In the end, our votes are the most powerful weapon we can yield. We have taken small, but important steps toward sensible
gun safety laws. It's time to elect people who will do much, much more.
If you want a list of the key Senate races that need your support, contact me.
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What Art Friedson Has On His Mind
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Yes, these are terrible times. We’re living in an era of outrageous gun violence, a curse that touches everyone. As Highland Park proved, it can happen anywhere and it will happen everywhere. We have seen in real time a violent insurrection intended to overturn the result of a free and fair election. The Supreme Court has suffered its own insurrection, going from a trusted, revered institution to an arm of the extremist elements of the Republican Party.
All of this, and we’re facing a midterm election where the odds are stacked against us. The President’s approval ratings are dismal. The economy is either in or about to be in a slump. Inflation is raging. Our friends and readers are asking, is there hope? We’re here to tell you that there is and we’ll tell you why.
Here are three good reasons why there is hope for the midterms, at least in the Senate.
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(Photo Credit: Katherine Frey/WaPo) |
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Dobbs vs Jackson. When SCOTUS overturned Roe v. Wade, the issue of women’s health and reproductive rights went from an abstraction to a very cruel reality. Issues around abortion have traditionally been far more motivating to Republican voters than to Democrats. But that was when it was just a concept. When voters hear about a doctor in Ohio who had to find an out-of-state provider to perform an abortion on a 10-year-old girl who had been raped, that’s an entirely different level of motivation. As Amber Phillips writes in WaPo, when 67% of women oppose the Dobbs decision, Dems gain a whole lot of advantage with suburban women who have been decisive swing votes in many elections.
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Good guys vs bad guys. Say what you will about Democratic Party leadership, they have done a fabulous job of recruiting top candidates for Senate this cycle. Plus, we have strong incumbents running in tough races. Blake Hounshell, editor of the NYTimes On Politics newsletter [subscription only], lists some of the matchups. In Arizona, center-left astronaut and all-around good guy Senator Mark Kelly is facing Blake Masters who has said -out loud, mind you- that Black people are responsible for gun violence. In Georgia, the good Reverend Senator Raphael Warnock is facing the very unstable Hershel Walker who, it turns out, has at least three previously undisclosed children. In Pennsylvania, Mehmet Oz, who can’t even spell his supposed PA address, is facing John Fetterman who just may have strong crossover appeal. In Nevada, Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, an affable supporter of abortion rights in a state where 63% of the voters support reproductive rights, is facing Adam Laxalt who has said that the Roe decision was always a joke. In Wisconsin, the Dem will be running against the insurrection co-conspirator Ron Johnson, who tried to put a fake slate of electors into the hands of VP Mike Pence. Hell, even Ohio is in play!
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Sanity vs. batsh*t crazy. While voters may be frustrated about the slow and incremental pace of change they feel the Democratic Congress has delivered, the alternative is downright terrifying. SCOTUS clawing back rights on abortion and heading to do the same to same-sex marriage, contraception, consensual sex, and mixed-race marriage.
While Dems support love, R's spread hateful messages. Look at Senator Rick Scott’s cruel platform that will lead to the end of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, the plan that Salon calls a roadmap to theocracy. R’s side with gun manufacturers over the health and safety of our children. In a WaPo op-ed, Perry Bacon, Jr. sums it up well:
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Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, center
(Photo Credit: John Losher/AP)
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“Democrats don’t have to convince these voters that Biden is doing a great job — they only need to convince them that the party overall has done enough and that putting Republicans in charge will make things worse. That’s not a hard case to make.”
All is not lost. Not by a long shot. So here’s what we suggest you do: (1) Put down your device then reach out to the people you care about and let them know you love them; (2) When you’re done, finish reading the NKC Update and send it to your friends and urge them to subscribe; and finally, (3) Work like hell to keep Democrats in charge, especially in the U.S. Senate and state governorships.
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Inflation Is Everywhere. For all of those who want to blame President Biden for inflation, look at what is going on in the world.
In fact, the US is in the middle of the pack when you look at worldwide inflation. The top drivers are not uniquely American issues: gas prices that are being kept artificially high as evidenced by the record profits of oil companies; the hot job market that is raising wages; pandemic relief across the world that pumped money into the economy; and the war in Ukraine that is reducing both grain and oil supplies worldwide.
So let's give Biden a break and concentrate on the real root causes of increasing prices.
Note: IDCCA is offering a virtual training on how to talk to your voters about the economy.
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Cubs owner Laura Ricketts
(Photo Credit: John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
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Title IX at 50. In 1972, Title IX was signed into law by Richard Nixon. In less than 40 words it changed the course of many women's lives through its requirement that programs receiving federal assistance could not discriminate on the basis of sex.
Last month, to celebrate its 50th anniversary, the Chicago Tribune published an interactive piece featuring 50 women whose lives had been changed as a result. See the full piece here, or turn right to our favorite, the story of how it impacted Cubs owner and gay marriage shero Laura Ricketts.
And before we leave, you might also enjoy this piece on Maybelle Blair who inspired A League Of Her Own and who just came out at 95!
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Click on the map for an interactive view of 2022 primary Senate races. States in purple have (or have had) women running, the dark grey states do not, and the light grey states do not have Senate races this year.
Republicans have been slow to figure it out, but they are getting closer to Dems in terms of the number of women who are running. Together, women still only represent 27.7% of all primary candidates.
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(Graphic Credit: Center for American Women and Politics |
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On The Calendar
Join the fun and attend an in-person event!
If you feel safer at a distance, check out the hybrid and zoom options.
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In-Person: Summer Brews with Alexi Giannoulias & Delia Ramirez
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The primary is over! Let's get ready for November! Join two outstanding leaders, Rep. Delia Ramirez (Democratic Nominee for Congress, IL 3rd) and Alexi Giannoulias (Democratic Nominee for Secretary of State) for the 4th Annual IDCCA Summer Brews!
Co-chairs Corrynn Bradley, Arielle Maffei, Greg Bales, and Zach Koutsky, and a HUGE host committee will also be there!
The event will take place on Monday, July 11th, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
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Virtual: How to Talk about the Economy to Voters
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The Illinois Democratic County Chairs' Association (IDCCA) Virtual Training Series continues with a one-hour online seminar on economic messaging during a time of high inflation and economic uncertainty.
It will feature Becky Carroll, of C-Strategies, and Chasse Rehwinkel, Director of Banking for the State of Illinois.
The event will be on Monday, July 18th, at 6:00 p.m. Click here for more information and to RSVP.
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In- Person: Reception to Support Underwood, Foster and Budzinski
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Join the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee at a special DCCC Frontline and Red to Blue Reception benefitting Congressman Bill Foster, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood, and Congressional Candidate Nikki Budzinski.
All three have been targeted by the R's and need your support.
The event is on Saturday, July 30th, at 4:00 p.m. in Chicago. Click here for more information, to RSVP and to donate.
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August 17th, 2022 - Annual County Chairs Brunch!
Be the first to know about this year's guest speaker! Sign up to receive a text notice here. Details about sponsorship and tickets here.
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Tackling Big-Ag Consolidation. There is one more big cause of inflation that we left off our list: consolidation and market dominance by Big Agriculture conglomerates.
Senator John Tester, a farmer himself, and Senator Cory Booker, a really good guy, are busy tackling Big Ag consolidation when they aren't tackling each other. Enjoy this brief but hysterical video that makes an important policy point.
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Slip 'n' Slide on Steroids. What happens when
New York Yankees superstars Aaron Judge and (former Cub) Anthony Rizzo get stuck in a rain delay in Cleveland? They use the infield tarp as the World's Greatest Slip 'n' Slide!
Watch this fun video and remember, it's the Slip 'n' Slide on steroids, not the Yankees!
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In Closing
Our favorite cabaret act, HERstory: Trailblazing Female Firsts, starring Anita Kallen and Catherine Thomson, is coming to the Skokie Theater on Sunday, July 31st, at 7:00 p.m. We promise you'll love it!
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Thanks for reading.
We appreciate each of our readers.
to your address book!
Thanks for all that you do!
Stay safe and healthy,
Nancy
Nancy Kohn
Nancy Kohn Consulting, LLC
101 W. Grand - Suite 200
Chicago, IL 60654
nkohn@kohnconsulting.com
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Jobs/Internships/Fellowships |
Send your listings with the words "jobs" or "internships" in the subject line to us. Please include a brief description, no longer than 70 words, with either a link to a position description and/or a description of how to apply. A contact person is also helpful.
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Daybook is the number one resource for political, policy, and government jobs around the country. Check it out daily for the latest job openings or sign up to receive daily updates!
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Reminder: We try to update our list of job banks regularly. Don't skip over the opening paragraphs to this section. Now, on to the specific jobs...
NEW! The Midwest Action Project (MAP) works to improve access to comprehensive reproductive health care by training providers in abortion, miscarriage care, contraception, and pregnancy options counseling. They are seeking a Provider and Community Education Manager to implement MAP’s workshops, conference presentations, and didactic sessions to increase knowledge and skills within MAP’s four concentration areas of comprehensive reproductive health and provide occasional administrative and operational support. Get more information and apply here.
NEW! Organize Illinois 2022, the coordinated campaign effort dedicated to making sure Illinois stays blue in November, is hiring for a variety of positions. Learn more here.
NEW! The Josselyn Center is a non-profit community mental health provider with locations in Northfield and Waukegan. They are seeking a Director of Development to manage major gifts programs -both institutional and individual- while supervising and motivating a high-performing development team. Get more information and apply here.
NEW! Mary Beth Canty for IL54 is seeking a Campaign Organizer to manage a wide variety of demands including voter contact in the field through door knocking, coordinating a volunteer network to support the campaign efforts, scheduling, engaging with local and state leadership and political networks, and coordinating with the Campaign Manager the various day-to-day operations and engagement with campaign staff. Get more information and apply here.
Circle of Service Foundation makes grants in the areas of Community Services, Education, Jewish Community, Medical Research, Violence Reduction, and Climate. They are currently seeking a Senior Program Officer - Medical Research to drive the Foundation’s Medical Research Program in Chicago, the US, and internationally. Key attributes include the commitment and desire to bring new approaches to research, community, and university collaboration and to accelerate the translation of medical knowledge from research into practice. Get more information and instructions to apply here.
Planned Parenthood of Illinois’ mission is to be the leader in providing and promoting compassionate, comprehensive reproductive and sexual healthcare, education, and rights. They are seeking a Chief External Affairs Officer (CEAO) to be responsible for developing and leading the comprehensive external affairs vision and strategy that creates, evaluates, and advances partnerships, laws, policies, and communications to help PPIL to pursue and protect its goals, critical services, and programs. Get more information and instructions to apply here.
Join a Democratic Senate Campaign! Learn more and submit your resume to the DSCC job bank here. Sign-up to receive regular job postings here.
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