Gee, I wonder why Republicans hate expanding voting rights

View in browser   March 3, 2021 How's your posture right now? Is your back slouched? Shoulders tight? Take a moment to stretch and sit up straight. You'll feel better, I swear. Today, the House is set to pass HR 1, a huge democracy reform bill that would expand mail-in voting, restrict voter-ID laws, establish nationwide automatic and Election Day voter registration, and set up two weeks of early voting in every state. Unfortunately, former Vice President Mike Pence—the guy insurrectionists wanted to kill on January 6 for fulfilling his constitutional duty of certifying the election results—has decided to stoke unfounded fears of election fraud by publishing an opinion piece against HR 1 in the Daily Signal. In case there was any doubt about Republicans' intentions in restricting access to the polls, check out this GOP lawyer's defense of Arizona's voting rights restrictions at a Supreme Court hearing yesterday. Hint: Voting restrictions aren't about reducing fraud. They're about taking votes away from Democrats. —Abigail Weinberg Advertisement   The House Is Poised to Pass a Major Voting Rights Bill—and Create a Helluva Battle in the Senate A key front in this political war: the filibuster. BY ARI BERMAN   Two weeks after the winter storms, thousands of Black Mississippians still don't have running water BY ANDREA GUZMAN Biden and Senate Dems dial back eligibility for stimulus checks BY HANNAH LEVINTOVA It took more than three hours for National Guard to get approval to respond to Jan. 6 insurrection BY MATT COHEN Can Joe Biden fulfill his promise to diversify the State Department? BY DAN SPINELLI Advertisement   "Eliminate the Barriers": How the Vaccine Rollout Is Failing Communities of Color A new Mother Jones Podcast episode grapples with the complicated world of vaccines—from efficacy to hesitancy. MOLLY SCHWARTZ   Support from readers allows Mother Jones to do journalism that doesn't just follow the pack. Donate SOME GOOD NEWS, FOR ONCE Tomorrow Is National Grammar Day. Here Is George W. Bush's 2008 Letter Inaugurating It. Tomorrow, as you know, is National Grammar Day, which makes today a good time to brush up on history.  President George W. Bush wrote a letter commemorating the day's founding, in 2008, on White House stationery, replete with two spaces after periods.  I've contacted the George W. Bush Presidential Center to authenticate the letter: The White House Washington February 29, 2008 I send greetings to those celebrating National Grammar Day 2008. Effective communication is critical to understanding the needs of others and building a prosperous future for our country.  By encouraging proper grammar in speech and literature, the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar helps educate people about the importance of mastering the English language.  National Grammar Day is an opportunity to recognize how communication skills can help more Americans prepare for the challenges ahead and compete for the jobs of the 21st century. I appreciate the members of SPOGG and all those dedicated to inspiring a love of learning in their fellow citizens.  Your efforts help strengthen the character of our Nation. Laura and I send our best wishes. George W. Bush I’ve also attempted to contact the Office of George W. Bush to seek comment, but his Media Inquiries contact page is broken.  Clicking "Submit" yields an error. I tried on multiple browsers: Dear Office of George W. Bush, I'm writing about National Grammar Day, which is this Thursday, and want to confirm with you that President George W. Bush did in fact write the landmark February 29, 2008, letter on White House stationery commemorating the day's inauguration as I've seen at www.quickanddirtytips.com/images/ngd/bush-letter.jpg. Could you please authenticate the letter? Does President Bush stand by the day? Daniel King dking@motherjones.com It was a leap year, so February 29 checks out. The day was founded by Martha Brockenbrough, the author of Things That Make Us [Sic], and although pedantry and prescriptiveness are actually the things that should make us [sic], there's something recharging about a commemorative day, as long as grammar is viewed expansively and pluralistically, and free of piety and sanctimony, including the right we all have to write run-on sentences.  Tomorrow is World Grammar Day; today we run sentences on.  And yes, you noticed that I just promoted National Grammar Day to World Grammar Day.  It contains multitudes.  Bush, known for this uniquely Bushian style, can join (or not). If you observe the day, immediately donate $5 or $50,000 and nothing in between to Mother Jones.  I will thank you.  I am not suggesting quid pro quos, whose plural I have unpacked.  But I am suggesting a moral imperative to safeguard democracy and the independent reporting on which it depends by donating $900 million to Mother Jones today—act fast—and not a penny shy.  (You can donate any amount.)  Unless you dislike democracy.  Send strongly worded letters to styleguide@motherjones.com.  Never use two spaces after a period. —Daniel King Did you enjoy this newsletter? Help us out by forwarding it to a friend or sharing it on Facebook and Twitter. Donate Subscribe This message was sent to franchmaverickk.secretwords123@blogger.com. To change the messages you receive from us, you can edit your email preferences or unsubscribe from all mailings. For advertising opportunities see our online media kit. Were you forwarded this email? 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