Now That Ryan's A Lame Duck...

Remember, it's your country... until they come for YOUR children

The few mainstream House Republicans are joining Democrats to force a DACA vote. It's thought that if it actually comes to a vote on the floor, the tremendous popularity nationally will leave dozens of Republican afraid to vote against it.80 and 90% of Americans back DACA and even Trump supporters want it passed. It makes it very tough for even racist Republicans to vote against it.

As Rachel Bade at Politico put it yesterday, the mainstream Republicans in the House are "trying to force a vote codifying Obama-era protections for young undocumented immigrants on the House floor... If every Democrat supports the idea, which sources said is likely, 20 Republicans would have to break ranks and join them to trigger the votes." Republicans leading the effort include Carlos Curbelo (FL), Will Hurd (TX), Jeff Denham (CA) and David Valadao (CA).

These are some of the Republicans with huge Latino populations in their districts who would be put in an untenable position if the bill comes to a vote (the percentage represents the Hispanic populations):

• FL-27- Ileana Ros-Lehtinen- 83.1%
• FL-25- Mario Diaz-Balart- 75.7%
• CA-21- David Valadao- 75.6%
• FL-26- Carlos Curbelo- 74.0%
• TX-23- Will Hurd- 72.2%
• TX-27- (Blake Farenthold)- 53.7%
• NM-02- Steve Pearce- 53.6%
• CA-22- Devin Nunes- 49.6%
• CA-10- Jeff Denham- 44.5%
• CA-23- Kevin McCarthy- 40.8%
• CA-42- Ken Calvert- 40.6%
• CA-08- Paul Cook- 40.5%
• TX-11- Mike Conaway- 39.9%
• CA-25- Steve Knight- 38.7%
• WA-04- Dan Newhouse- 38.5%
• TX-19- (Randy Neugebauer)- 36.7%
• CA-39- (Ed Royce)- 35.2%
• TX-07- John Culberson- 34.8%
• TX-21- (Lamar Smith)- 33.2%
• CA-50- Duncan Hunter- 33.1%

Those are all Republican members of Congress with at least 33% Hispanic populations. Some of them are very, very conservative and racist-- not mainstream at all, like Devin Nunes, Steve Pearce, Kevin McCarthy, Mike Conaway, Ken Calvert... Believe me, they do not want to be forced into voting on this.

Two sources intimately involved in the effort say at least 15 Republicans are ready to join. This week they picked up a significant GOP voice on immigration, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida, who had been working hand-in-hand with Ryan and the White House on immigration.

Diaz-Balart has wanted Congress to codify Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals but had been unwilling to go against the speaker until now. His support is likely to sway other centrist Republicans frustrated by the lack of action on Dreamers to sign the petition.

GOP leaders, meanwhile, are working behind the scenes to shut it down. Ryan has personally spoken with many of the centrist Republicans involved in the matter, according to one GOP leadership source. Staff have also made calls.

GOP leaders say now is not the time to get caught up in a controversial immigration fight that divides the party and the nation in the middle of an election year. They would prefer that the courts rule on DACA before Congress takes action.

The Supreme Court is expected to rule this fall on President Donald Trump’s decision to end the program earlier this year.

The discharge petition would trigger votes on Democratic, Republican and bipartisan fixes to DACA, with a “queen-of-the-Hill” approach. That means the proposal getting the highest number of votes over 218 would be adopted by the House. If there is a tie, the last legislation voted on would be adopted.

One of the proposals receiving a vote would be House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte’s (R-Va.) conservative DACA fix that would curb legal immigration and crack down on sanctuary cities and child migrants, in addition to building a border wall and beefing up enforcement. The plan, which would also require employers to verify the legal status of employees, is more restrictive than the White House plan, and some Republicans would oppose it.

Other bills that would receive a vote include the Democrats’ favored Dream Act, which would codify the program and provide a pathway to citizenship for young adults who migrated to the United States as children. In addition, two bipartisan bills that include additional border security in exchange for DACA protections would also be taken up.

Marge Doyle, the progressive Democrat running for the vast eastern California seat Paul Cook occupies, noticed this as well. Cook, as you can see, didn't sign on to the letter to Ryan and the House Rules Committee. Marge: "Instead of supporting our Dreamers, Paul Cook chooses to scapegoat them and other immigrants in order to promote himself politically. Dreamers deserve a path to citizenship and a clean DACA bill should be approved without delay. Our nation is built on the strength of our diversity. Small minded politicians seek to divide us on this issue. Do not be fooled! The immigrant communities contribute over 11 billion dollars a year to our economy in taxes. They are our neighbors, friends and family. Celebrate our shared immigrant heritage!"

California Democratic Party Welcomes Señor Trumpanzee To The Golden State

Yesterday, when Señor Trumpanzee arrived in California for the first time since Putin installed him in the White House, he was greeted by an open letter from the state Democratic Party. Some say it's over the top-- but, then again, so is Señor T. The Party, of course, is eager to tie congressional Trump enablers to him in the minds of independent voters, especially vulnerable incumbents like Jeff Denham, Devin Nunes, Duncan Hunter, David Valadao, Mimi Walters, Steve Knight and Paul Cook.

We heard from Katie Porter, the progressive Democrat running for Mimi Walter's seat in central Orange County. She reminded us that Trump came to California "bringing with him his hateful and harmful agenda. And while Donald Trump is the big focus of the day, let's not forget that in our own backyard Rep. Mimi Walters continues to support Donald Tump, voting for his agenda 98% of the time. Mimi continues to side with the powerful special interests in Washington and forgets about her constituents here in Orange County. Just last year, Mimi voted to raise taxes on middle-class families in California. She has consistently fought to take away a woman's right to choose and voted for the AHCA where 33,700 people in CA-45 would have lost their health insurance. Mimi even sided with big oil and signed a letter to Secretary Zinke urging him to allow drilling off our beaches. Not to mention after the most recent tragedy in Parkland, Florida, all Mimi could do was offer her thoughts and prayers while she continued to hold on to the nearly $20,000 she has received from the NRA... I am running to stand up to Donald Trump and Mimi Walters, and to be the congresswoman that fights for middle-class Orange County families, not powerful special interests."

Marge Doyle is running for the gigantic, sparsely-populated seat the starts in the San Bernardino suburbs and runs along the Nevada border almost as far north as Sacramento. Like Katie she is running a strong campaign tying her opponent to Trump and his policies. "We know that Paul Cook marches to the drumbeat of this administration and is nothing more than a rubber stamp for its policies that threaten our neighbors' health, jobs, and economy.  We need someone with better discernment to represent our district."

Dear Mr. Trump,

We know it’s been a while since you visited California. Is it because we’re the reason you lost the popular vote?

Or  the fact that the world looks to us as the leader on climate change?

Are you intimidated by our Governor who speaks Latin better than you speak, period?

Well, regardless of why you stayed away your first year in office, you’re coming here today.

And since it’s your first trip in a couple of years, we thought you might appreciate some tips on how to have a productive and successful visit. Following these simple, easy-to-understand rules will help you navigate your way around a state that proudly lives in the 21st Century:

Tip #1 – DON’T PRAISE NAZIS. Seriously. Nazis are not popular anywhere, but they’re incredibly unpopular in California. We know this has been an issue for you in the past, so to be absolutely clear: DO NOT PRAISE NAZIS, WHITE SUPREMACISTS OR MEMBERS OF THE KKK WHILE YOU ARE IN CALIFORNIA.

Tip #2 – Take a moment and enjoy our beautiful coastline. It’s breathtaking, and we’re very proud of it. In particular, please notice that we have (more than) enough oil rigs on our coast. WE DON’T NEED MORE OIL RIGS ON OUR COAST.

Tip #3 – Don’t try and divide people while you’re here. We’re incredibly diverse. We’re one of the most diverse and inclusive places in the world. We’re also a pretty chill group, but when you start attacking any of us, all of us react negatively. (Full disclosure: this isn’t so much a tip on visiting California as it is a tip on being a decent human being).

Tip #4 - Do Not Come For Maxine Waters Unless She Sends For You. We know you have some issues with your fiercest critic in Congress. Resist the temptation, bite your tongue, hand your list of racist dog whistles back to Jeff Sessions, and do not insult Maxine Waters. She's a California Icon and you're not in her league. And while we're on the subject...

Tip #5 - Treat women like human beings. We know this has *also* been an issue for you over the years. California is the epicenter of the #MeToo and #TimesUp movement for a reason, and we are doing the hard work of building a society where women have equal rights, equal opportunity and equal treatment. You should take this chance to learn from us.

Tip #6 – Don’t brag about those jobs you “created” this year. First off, if someone gets the credit, it's President Obama since you inherited his robust economy. Second, we don’t need to hear about all those jobs since most of them were created in California, and-- GASP!-- they aren’t in the coal industry. Green energy, sustainable manufacturing, biotechnology, telecommunications, software development... those are the jobs we’re creating (that you’re taking credit for). You’re welcome.

Tip # 7 – Talk about your pals in Congress! Jeff Denham, Devin Nunes, David Valadao, Kevin McCarthy, Mimi Walters, Steve Knight, Tom McClintock-- they’re all your friends! They’ve all been loyal foot soldiers for you! Not a single one of them would ever dream of defying you, even if it hurt the people who elected them. Thank them loudly and publicly for their support! When a group of folks (particularly Members of Congress) abandon their morals, principles, honor and integrity to debase themselves for you, it’s just good manners to show them you appreciate it.

Tip #8 – Brush up on the First Amendment (and the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Federalist Papers, etc). Look, we know you don’t like protests. Heck, it seems like Saudi Arabia is your favorite country because they literally imprisoned anyone who dared to criticize you. But we’re very fond of the First Amendment, and we plan on using it vigorously while you’re here. We are deeply appalled by your ICE Round-Ups, your assault on women’s rights, your willful ignorance on climate change, your race baiting and LGBT bashing, your cowardly refusal to stand up to the NRA and your pathological inability to accept responsibility for anything. We love our First Amendment, and we’ll take every opportunity we can to voice our outrage at your policies.

Bonus Tip! – Don’t miss Alcatraz while you’re here. You could also visit Folsom Prison, where Johnny Cash recorded one of his most iconic songs. Bottom line: We have some famous jails in California, and with the way the Mueller investigation is going, this might be a good time for you to start acquainting yourself with what prisons are like on the inside. (Take plenty of notes for Kushner).

We hope you have a safe trip, Mr. Trump. And we certainly hope you see California is thriving, and proud to be leading the National Resistance against you.

Democratically Yours,
--The CDP Team

Meet Marge Doyle-- Can She Help Save California's Pristine Wilderness From Trump And The Developers?

California's 8th congressional district is the state's newest and most remote district-- and it's largest. It begins down in the suburbs east of San Bernardino and Redlands-- Yucaipa and Highland, heads east into the desert and mountains to the Nevada border through the Yucca Valley and Twentynine Palms and north through Hisperia, Apple Valley, Victorville, Adelanto and Barstow, through Death Valley to Bishop and Mammoth Lakes, almost as far north as Sacramento. It's humongous and filled with national parks, national monuments and national preserves. Obama lost the district twice with 42% and Hillary did slightly worse. The PVI is R+8. Republican Paul Cook has been the congressman for the district since 2012, right after it was created. He's a little known backbencher who the DCCC has ignored entirely. This cycle he has a serious candidate, Marge Doyle, who has already shocked everyone by out-raising him with a grassroots campaign.

Marge is a registered nurse, a long-time desert resident and community leader, She is an elected official on the Board of the Morongo Basin Health Care District who her neighbors describe as having dedicated her life and career to public service in her community. "As the current Director of Operations and Clinical Services for Pamorris Healthcare Solutions, I’m responsible for opening HIV clinics across the United States. For the past 12 years, I have lived in the beautiful community of Joshua Tree and understand the importance and diversity of our desert ecosystem." One thing she's not is a career politician.

I was moved to run for office when our local hospital was under threat of closing in 2013 and I knew the closure of our hospital would be catastrophic, resulting in deaths, severe job losses to our community, and economic disaster. As a problem solver, I ran and was elected to the Board of the Morongo Basin Healthcare District in 2014. Working together with a very diverse team, we were able to save our hospital, along with 600 jobs, and we brought the MBHD back from near-bankruptcy to financial stability, with a reserve of $15 million, while expanding outpatient healthcare in our two federally qualified health clinics-- all of this in just 3 years!

After the November 2016 election I was shocked, horrified, and fearful of what would become of our country. This, along with my long career in healthcare, led me to author a plan to fix the problems with the ACA as well as a prudent way to pay for those fixes. After 3 months of attempting to meet with my congressional representative, I finally was able to sit down with him and discuss the plan. He listened yet took no action. I was disappointed but not surprised.

On the night before the most recent healthcare bill was to be voted on in Congress, Mr. Cook’s staff asked me to analyze the House healthcare bill. I provided a point-by-point analysis and clearly stressed that the bill covered fewer people and did not save money. I advised him to vote against the bill, but he caved to partisan politics and voted for the bill. When I confronted him a few weeks later to ask why, he replied, “It doesn't matter!”

Since when does the health insurance of 115,000 people not matter? Or when does a congressional vote not matter? And now we have witnessed how the Senate bill was even more damaging to healthcare coverage for our constituents.

It was at this point that I realized that the people in our district had to be protected from harmful policies that would certainly hurt the people of our district and that we needed a voice in Congress. Clearly, Cook has no interest in the needs of his district or arriving at a solution for the good of his constituents. He has no interest in even listening to his people’s concerns. It was then that I realized that Paul Cook’s only interest was with his rich donors and making their bank accounts fatter! And that is when I decided to run.

I am committed to finding solutions for universal healthcare, living wage jobs, social justice, and, as one pillar of our economy is dependent on tourism, maintaining and protecting our environment for future generations will ensure that our local small business are protected as well. We also must take active steps to address institutionalized racism in all its forms.

We asked Marge to give us an inside perspective on the environmental issues that impact a community so dependent on tourism and a pristine environment. She's been raising campaign funds from individual donors, completely eschewing corporate PAC money and developers eager to dig up the lands that make the 8th district one of the most beautiful areas of America. Please consider clicking on the thermometer on the right and donating to Marge's campaign if you back her ideas and would like to see her be able to keep fighting to replace Paul Cook. Much of her campaign is based on the awareness "of the natural wonders that bring people from around the world to experience and enjoy our desert. We have five remarkable national park units (Joshua Tree, Mojave, Death Valley, Castle Mountains, and Manzanar), three National Monuments managed by the Bureau of Land Management-- Mojave Trails, Sand to Snow, and the San Jacinto/Santa Rosa, and we have millions of acres of wilderness and state park lands. This landscape is a gift, a renewable resource that will produce benefit for our communities and our quality of life for as long as we don’t despoil it. As such, and consistent with my core values and my promises to communities, I want to share my perspective on a few environmental issues."

The environment, our public lands and our economy: California’s 8th district has vast, ancient, pristine lands that draw people to our area for recreation and tourism from across the globe. This is one of the four major pillars of the economy in this district. To destroy, deteriorate or otherwise harm the lands we love is to destroy, deteriorate and harm our basic economy. The survival of our district is inextricably tied to the destiny of our environment.

National Park Funding and fee increases: Our national parks bring hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue into our desert each year and create nearly two thousand jobs. I strongly support adequate funding for our national parks and for the management of all of our public lands. Funding ensures that visitors have safe and meaningful experiences, enjoy ranger programs, enjoy education, and that precious resources are protected. I strongly oppose the significant fee increases proposed by the Trump Administration for Joshua Tree National Park as they would price many out of the opportunity to enjoy this treasure that belongs to all of us, and it could harm the tourism economy that has flourished in the Morongo Basin and Coachella Valley. I stand in solidarity with our park rangers and our land managers. Our beautiful desert and its communities are our strength and our greatest resource.

Cadiz Water Mining Project: I vigorously oppose the Cadiz water mining project due to the impact that it would cause to Mojave Trails National Monument and particularly to desert springs and wildlife in the region. I stand with desert communities and Tribes against this harmful project. Scientists from the National Park Service and the United States Geological Survey have expressed significant concerns about the veracity of the Cadiz company’s “science” and about the impacts this project would cause to our beautiful desert. Desert communities worked for decades to finally protect Mojave Trails National Monument, and to drain the sacred water beneath it would irrevocably harm that place. I stand with Governor Brown, Senator Feinstein, Assemblywoman Friedman, and the hundreds of thousands of others who have opposed this project for decades. Water is life, and we mustn’t sell our livelihood to the highest bidder. I am particularly disappointed in Paul Cook for shifting his position on this project for political gain. Cook was a fierce opponent of Cadiz in his first term and cowardly shifted during his re-election bid. As a Morongo Basin resident, he had long been an opponent of Cadiz, and he knows better.

Protect National Monuments: I oppose all efforts to reduce or rescind our National Monuments. This is a local issue in the California desert, as Mojave Trails and Castle Mountains are still being considered for reductions or management changes. In addition to my strong position in support of our monuments, I oppose changes to any of our nation’s monuments through Trump’s administrative review process. This process is illegal, and seeks to open up our natural and cultural treasures to extractive industries. In the California desert, we witnessed and participated in the process to create our national monuments, and we know that the process represented the voice of our communities. An attack on one monument is an attack on them all, and we stand in solidarity with tribes and communities fighting to protect their spectacular national monuments.