This week my rumination on the state of the union will either put you into a fetal crouch or make you want to work harder to turn Wisconsin BLUE in 2020. The New York Times had a story on Monday, February 10, about our own Waukesha County. Anecdotally (as usual), the piece asserted that Republicans in Waukesha are more fervent about IMPOTUS now than they were in 2016 when, according to this account, they voted for him, but somewhat reluctantly. You can either use this sort of story to give up, as Greg Sargent so cogently explains in today's Washington Post. Or you can use the NYTimes story to inspire you to engage in whatever actions you can — if not to make inroads into Waukesha County votes then to overwhelm those votes with ones from the North Shore and the northern part of Milwaukee. I hope you'll choose the latter course.

Grassroots North Shore needs your help to turn out every vote we can for the April 7 nonpartisan election. We have one more postcard party scheduled before the primary — Wednesday, February 12, from 12:30 to 2:30 at our office (5600 W Brown Deer Rd, Suite 116). We're sending cards to suburban women who do not always vote in spring primaries to encourage turnout. And we'll be sending more postcards ahead of the April 7 election. We consider the postcard effort a way to reach potential voters during the winter when it is too cold and sometimes too hazardous to knock on doors. We've sent out more than 1000 cards so far — far more than we could have reached by canvassing. Please join us.

Still, canvassing remains the single most effective way to turn a prospective voter into an actual one. Although we do not have RSVP pages set up for these events yet, please mark your calendars so that you reserve time to participate. I anticipate that we will stage canvassing on Saturday, March 21, with 3-hour shifts beginning at 9am, noon, and 3pm from our Brown Deer office. Phone shifts will be organized at the same times. On Sunday, March 22, the canvassing and phone banking will be staged at Shirley Horowitz's house. The shifts will also be about 3 hours and will probably begin at noon and 2pm. Note that we "spring forward" on March 8, so it will be light until after the March 21 & 22 shifts end! Basically, the same set-up will take place the following weekend, March 28th and 29th. And we will have canvass and phone shifts set up for the four days leading up to the April 7 general election. That's April 4, 5, 6, and 7. Plan to take a shift each weekend if you can.

If you are unable to canvass, there are other ways you can participate. 1) You can offer to be a driver for a canvasser. 2) You can offer to amuse a friend's children so he or she can canvass. 3) You can phone bank. (If we manage to get the technology to work, we're also going to send texts! You can try it with us on your smart phone!) 4) You can form your own telephone tree and/or email tree and/or social media campaign to urge people to vote early (from March 23 to April 3 at least) and/or to vote on April 7. The important part is pitching in, not cowering in fear, and not relying on others to do the work necessary to win Wisconsin. You see, every vote we turn out in the spring is a vote we can more easily turn out in November. As martyred labor organizer Joe Hill once said, "Don't waste any time mourning. Organize!"

We have a three other events on the horizon you might want to attend.

• The ninth presidential candidate debate, being held in Nevada ahead of the caucuses there, is on Wednesday, February 19th. Grassroots North Shore is hosting a Debate Watch Party at the home of Eric Taylor, 6330 N Lake Dr. Please RSVP and plan to attend. Eric has been a wonderful host for these events and it's a chance to meet and talk about the shape of the Democratic primary with fellow progressives after the Iowa disaster and the results we expect tonight from New Hampshire. It's also the first debate with rules that make it possible for former mayor Mike Bloomberg to participate. It's not clear yet whether he will. Is the suspense getting to you?
  
  
• Retired economics professor William Holahan will discuss the actual state of the US economy (as opposed to the mythic view of it touted by the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and his supporters. The event is the first of a Mythbusters series we expect to offer through the spring and summer. Professor Holahan will present The REAL US Economy on Thursday, February 20, at 7:30pm at our office (5600 W Brown Deer Rd, Suite 116). Seating is limited, so RSVP today.
  
  
• And on March 15, we will present a town hall on gun violence called Wisconsin — It's Time for Sensible Gun Laws. The featured speakers are Anneliese Dickman, Brady Campaign; Khary Pennebaker, Democratic National Committee; Deb Andraca, former volunteer with Moms Demand Action and current candidate for Assembly District 23; and Jeri Bonavia, WAVE. We're holding the town hall at the Brown Deer Methodist Church (5736 W Brown Deer Road, Brown Deer) from 4pm to 6pm (doors open at 3:30pm). There's plenty of parking and we will serve light refreshments. So RSVP and join us.

EVENTS

Tue Feb 11, 2020

Blue Wave Shorewood Leadership Meeting, 6pm - 8pm
The Oaks of Shorewood, 3900 Estabrook Pkwy, Shorewood
We will be discussing the March 21st First Spring Weekend of Action and March 28th Second Spring Weekend of Action. Also, we will be developing plans to canvas the 60 apartments with 8+ units, and the 3 apartments with 100+ units in Shorewood for the 2020 election. Contact Paul Geenen with questions.

Jason Auerbach Campaign Event, 6pm - 8pm
2866 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., Milwaukee
Jason Auerbach, aldermanic candidate in District 14, will have a grand opening party for his campaign headquarters. Bring a friend, and enjoy refreshments and light snacks while mingling with other community leaders. There is NO FEE for this event. RSVP.

Drinking Liberally Grafton/Mequon, 6:30pm - 8pm
Water Street Brewery, 1251 Gateway Dr. Grafton, WI 53024
Drinking Liberally Grafton takes an optimistic look at what unites us with a presentation and discussion led by Susan B. Vergeront. Susan is the Wisconsin Red Coordinator for Better Angles, an organization working to bridge the Red/Blue divide. In a previous life Susan represented Ozaukee/Sheboygan Counties in the Wisconsin State Assembly. More recently she retired as a pastor from First Presbyterian Church Waunakee, Wisconsin. Here's the program. (The location is just off I-43 and Highway 60). Agenda: 6:30 Social Hour: We are grateful for the support of our friends at Water Street Brewery. Come early and enjoy a craft beer or something to eat with your Drinking Liberally friends. 7:00 Presentation and Discussion: The Better Angles of Our Nature with Susan B. Vergeront from Better Angels. Drinking Liberally Grafton is a destination to meet friends, stay up-to-date on local progressive politics and get inspired to action.

Drinking Liberally MKE, 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Art Bar, 722 E. Burleigh St., Milwaukee
Now, more than ever, Drinking Liberally is a space to gather, support each other, and form the progressive community we need. Come share a pint with your fellow progressives! Drinking Liberally MKE meets on the second Tuesday of every month, hosted by Matt Filipowicz.

350 Milwaukee Meeting, 7pm - 8:30pm
Urban Ecology Center, 1500 E. Park Pl., Milwaukee
350.ORG is the global organization building a grassroots movement in 188 countries to address global warming and solve the climate crisis. 350 Milwaukee meets every month on the second Tuesday. More information.

Wed Feb 12, 2020

Postcard Party, 12:30pm - 2:30pm
GRNS office, 5600 W. Brown Deer Rd., Suite 116, Brown Deer
Grassroots North Shore will have a postcard-writing party to remind people to vote in the February 18 spring primary. They'll have the cards, stamps, names and addresses, and some sample scripts. It's a fun activity to help increase votes for the lowest turnout election of this cycle. RSVP.

Sanders Phonebank, 5pm - 7:30pm
Brewery Workers Local 9, 9618 W. Greenfield Ave., Milwaukee
Come together with friends, family, and neighbors to call voters in support of Bernie! In addition to a cell phone, please bring a laptop or tablet to make calls on the Bernie Dialer and headphones or a headset. More info.

Grass Roots South Shore, 6pm - 8pm
Cudahy Library, 3500 Library Dr., Cudahy
Grass Roots South Shore meets on the second Wednesday of each month. For more information call James Balk, 414-218-5944.

Refuel the Resistance, 6pm - 8pm
Bounce Milwaukee, 2801 S. 5th Ct., Milwaukee
Weekly gathering at Bounce Milwaukee's mezzanine bar for networking, inspiration or just to vent. Bring along any evidence of your civic resistance from the last week to get a beverage (up to $7) on the house, and compare notes with other individuals and groups working to make things better. More information.

MKE Westside Dems Meeting, 7pm - 9pm
Mykonos Family Restaurant, 8501 W. Capitol Dr., Milwaukee
MKE Westside Democrats will have a planning meeting. Join grassroots volunteers working together to build and expand Democratic voting strength in Milwaukee’s westside voting neighborhoods. Discussions will include the April 7 Supreme Court Election, VOTE BLUE Yard Sign Campaign, and March Statewide Days of Action. More information.

Tim Cullen Author Event: Disassembled, 7pm - 7pm
Boswell Book Co., 2559 N. Downer Ave., Milwaukee
Tim Cullen will talk about his new book, Disassembled: A Native Son on Janesville and General Motors--A Story of Grit, Race, Gender and Wishful Thinking and What It Means for America. The former Wisconsin state senator, a Janesville native, tells the inside story of what happened after General Motors closed its plant in Wisconsin and what it means for the future not only of Janesville, but cities across America.

Thu Feb 13, 2020

"Meeting in Middle America'' Podcast Launch Party, 5pm - 7pm
Lubar Entrepreneurship Center & UWM Welcome Center - 2100 East Kenwood Boulevard - Milwaukee
See details.

Drinking Liberally West Allis, 6:30pm - 9pm
Studz Pub Sports Bar & Grill, 6833 W. National Ave., West Allis
Drinking Liberally West Allis meets on the second Thursday of the month. Free discussions and fellowship. Good food and specials available.

Fri Feb 14, 2020

Training for Publicizing Census, 8:30am - 10am
United Way Volunteer Center, 200 E. Pleasant St., Milwaukee
The Greater Milwaukee Correct Count Committee invites you to attend an important training session for organizations that volunteer to spread the word about the 2020 census. (This is not a jobs event.) Reaching all Milwaukee residents, especially those of marginalized communities, is important to ensure that Milwaukee receives its correct share of federal funds in the coming decade. RSVP and more information: 414-286-8702 or [email protected].

Stand for Livable Climate, 12pm - 1pm
Wisconsin Avenue & Water Street, Milwaukee
Stand for a livable climate near the Chase and Wells Fargo Banks, the world's largest funders of fossil fuel industries. More information.

Sat Feb 15, 2020

Dennis McBride Tosa Lit Drop, 9am - 5pm
8007 Portland Ave., Wauwatosa
Lit drop for Dennis McBride, candidate for mayor of Wauwatosa.Volunteers are needed to bring his literature to the fraction of the city that Dennis has not yet visited. Shifts start at 9:00am, 11:00am,1:00 pm, and 3:00pm. Sign up. (If you’d like to volunteer for a different date/time, contact [email protected].)

Organizing Workshop for Buttigieg, 9am
Mor Bakery and Cafe, 2018 S 1st St, Unit 102, Milwaukee
Please join us for an informational session to learn how to talk to your friends and family about Pete Buttigieg! We will be teaching you some important skills and providing the proper materials for you to be a successful relational organizer here in Wisconsin. Come brainstorm with us for more local Pete-Ups and volunteer opportunities. Please sign up.

Pete Buttigieg Fundraiser,
Address provided with RSVP
Pete's husband, Chasten Buttigieg, is coming to Milwaukee for a fundraiser. Join him! Tickets. For questions, please email [email protected].

NAACP Monthly Meeting, 11:30am - 1pm
2745 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Dr., Milwaukee
Monthly membership meeting of NAACP Milwaukee Branch. The meeting is held in the basement conference room.

Stand for Peace, 12pm - 1pm
Capitol Drive & Teutonia Avenue
Stand for peace in the streets of Milwaukee, every Saturday at noon. Organized by Peace Action Wisconsin.

Phone Bank, 3pm - 6pm
TBA
Join members of your neighborhood team in calling voters in Harambee, Riverwest, the East Side, and the Near Downtown, reminding them to vote in the non-partisan primary on February 18 and helping them check to make sure they're still registered to vote. Organized by MKE Democratic Action. RSVP.

Laughing Liberally Milwaukee, 8pm - 10pm
Comedy Sportz Theater, 420 S. 1st St., Milwaukee
Laughing Liberally Milwaukee celebrates 3 years of progressive political comedy with a hysterical lineup of comedians. In addition, the show will feature a special interview with guests Mike Crute and Dominic Salvia from Devil’s Advocates Radio. Advance tickets ($8).

Sun Feb 16, 2020

Phone Bank, 3pm - 6pm
2717 E Park Pl, Milwaukee
Join members of your neighborhood team in calling voters in Harambee, Riverwest, the East Side, and the Near Downtown, reminding them to vote in the non-partisan primary on February 18 and helping them check to make sure they're still registered to vote. Organized by MKE Democratic Action. RSVP.

Yang Supporters Meeting, 6pm – 9pm
205 W. Highland Ave. Suite 509, Milwaukee
Meeting for supporters of Andrew Yang for President. Get together to discuss the campaign and plan for activities leading up to the primary. Sign up.

Mon Feb 17, 2020

Milwaukee Dems Meeting, 6pm - 6pm
Amalgamated Transit Union, 734 N. 26th St., Milwaukee
Milwaukee County Democrats meet monthly to discuss party business, hear speakers on current topics, pass resolutions, and network with other progressives. All interested Democrats are invited.

Tue Feb 18, 2020

Spring Primary Election, 7am - 8pm
Various polling places
Primary election for Supreme Court justice, County Circuit Court judges, county executive, county comptroller, county supervisors, Milwaukee mayor, city attorney, city comptroller, city treasurer, alderpersons, and municipal officials in other municipalities.

Wed Feb 19, 2020

Rebecca Kiefer Campaign Fundraiser, 5pm - 7pm
Taylor’s Milwaukee, 795 N. Jefferson St., Milwaukee
Enjoy complimentary catering from Ouzo’s! Join Rebecca Kiefer, candidate for Milwaukee Circuit Judge in Branch 29, for this special event. Campaign fundraiser levels: Host $500, Sponsor $250, Friend $100. Suggested contribution $50. All contributions gratefully accepted. RSVP.

Refuel the Resistance, 6pm - 8pm
Bounce Milwaukee, 2801 S. 5th Ct., Milwaukee
Weekly gathering at Bounce Milwaukee's mezzanine bar for networking, inspiration or just to vent. Bring along any evidence of your civic resistance from the last week to get a beverage (up to $7) on the house, and compare notes with other individuals and groups working to make things better. More information.

Drinking Liberally Wauwatosa, 6:30pm - 9pm
Camp Bar, 6600 W. North Ave., Wauwatosa
NOTE CHANGE OF LOCATION. Come join fellow Wauwatosa progressives for good conversation. More info.

Presidential Debate, 7pm - 10pm
NBC and MSNBC
The Democratic presidential candidate debate in Las Vegas, Nevada will be carried on NBC and MSNBC.

Debate Watch Party in WFB, 7pm - 10pm
6330 N Lake Dr, Whitefish Bay
We're gathering together to watch the Democratic Presidential Debate at the home of Eric Taylor in Whitefish Bay. As of February 10, five candidates have qualified with a 6th (former Mayor Michael Bloomberg a possibility).

• former Vice President Joe Biden
• former Mayor Pete Buttigieg
• Senator Amy Klobuchar
• Senator Bernie Sanders
• Senator Elizabeth Warren

Eric Taylor is hosting for Grassroots North Shore. So please RSVP.

Southwest Region Dems Meeting, 7pm - 7pm
Studz Pub Sports Bar & Grill, 6833 W. National Ave., West Allis
Southwest Dems will hold their monthly meeting. Region 5 covers Franklin, Greendale, Greenfield, Hales Corners, Milwaukee (Southwest), West Allis, West Milwaukee. For more information contact [email protected].

Thu Feb 20, 2020

Black History Celebration, 6pm - 7pm
St. Sebastians Church, 1725 N. 54th St., Milwaukee
Join MICAH to celebrate Black History with Dr. Shon S. Lewis and Ms. Shauntay Nelson. Dr. Lewis will share her experience in standing up to discrimination and the importance of using your voice. Ms. Nelson will talk about the history of voting for Blacks and why voting remains crucial to changing our current systems. Doors open at 6 p.m., with dinner at 6.30 p.m. Tickets or contact Lead Organizer Lisa Jones at 414-614-3675.

Mythbuster: The Real US Economy, 7pm - 8:30pm
GRNS office, 5600 W. Brown Deer Rd., Suite 116, Brown Deer
Retired professor of economics Bill Holahan will bust the myth of the "great" Trump economy. Seating is limited. RSVP.

Fri Feb 21, 2020

Stand for Livable Climate, 12pm - 1pm
Wisconsin Avenue & Water Street, Milwaukee
Stand for a livable climate near the Chase and Wells Fargo Banks, the world's largest funders of fossil fuel industries. More information.

Sat Feb 22, 2020

Community Brainstorming, 8am - 11am
St. Matthew CME Church, 2944 N. 9th St., Milwaukee
Community Brainstorming Conference Breakfast Forum Breakfast: 8 am, Program: 9 am. All Are Invited, Come and Participate.

Stand for Peace, 12pm - 1pm
Swan Boulevard (92nd) & North Avenue
Stand for peace in the streets of Milwaukee, every Saturday at noon. Organized by Peace Action Wisconsin.

Sun Feb 23, 2020

Emily Siegrist Kick-off Event, 4pm - 6pm
Libby Montana, 5616 W. Donges Bay Rd., Mequon
You are invited to celebrate the kick-off of Emily Siegrist's 2020 Assembly campaign in District 24 (against Rep. Dan Knodl). State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski will be a special guest speaker. More information about the campaign. To RSVP or join the host committee, please email [email protected] or call (612) 590-9112.