This is a procedural milestone, and it has flabbergasted such democracy roadblockers as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, the tea party's messianic screwball Ted Cruz, and the entire Koch brothers' web of plutocratic billionaires and corporate front groups. This democracy train is high-balling. A public hearing was held June 3. The judiciary committee is presently working out the language to be proposed (largely based on a version put forth by Sen. Tom Udall of Colorado and co-sponsored by 40 other senators-- see SJ Res. 19. The full Senate is expected to vote within the next 12 weeks.
Of course, John Boehner's corporatized house will kill anything the senate does this go-round, but that's going to be a revealing and very public embarrassment for those servants of plutocracy. Meanwhile, the senate vote is a momentous organizing moment, and the grassroots coalitions are all over it, scheduling rallies, thank-you parties for supporters, petition-drives, teach-ins, and whatever else they can imagine to capture this highly visible breakthrough, which will lift the campaign to an even higher level of awareness and support.
"This" is to overturn the Court's democracy-destroying absurdities. "Have to" is the moral imperative of seeing to it that the fertile soil of self-government is available for future generations of Americans. "We" are you and me. This will only work if the effort is actually of, by, and for the people. Yes, it has advocacy groups helping organize, train, and offer guidance on actions, but those groups have not (and indeed, could not have) created the massive, widespread, non-partisan and heartfelt energy and determination that just regular folks are pouring into this. Folks like those quoted on these pages.
From climate change to all the issues of economic inequality, people's lives and our nation's historic potential are being sacrificed on the altar of mammon. The Powers That Be won't fix this, for they are mammon. It's up to us. If you're not already doing it, do all you can -- join in, stand up, speak out, stand strong. History is calling us.
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