Chicagoland Pro-Israel Political Update

Calling balls and strikes for the pro-Israel community since 2006



January 12, 2021

If you remember nothing else, remember this:

  • Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL) became the third Democrat to test positive for COVID, along with Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), since being trapped with maskless Republicans during last week's violence.
  • If Republicans want unity, they need to start acting like responsible adults, take their oaths of office seriously, and behave decently.
  • Read to the end for important upcoming events.

You're welcome to read for free, but you can chip in for the cost of the newsletter by clicking here and filling in the amount of your choice. You don't need a PayPal account; the link lets you use a credit card. If you have trouble, let me know. Or you can Venmo @Steven-Sheffey (if it asks, last four phone digits are 9479).

Friends,

For your sanity and mine, I generally limit myself to one newsletter per week, bright and early on Sunday morning and sometimes a reminder for those who missed Sunday's newsletter on Wednesday morning (if you ever get an ICYMI for Sunday's newsletter on Wednesday when in fact you opened Sunday's newsletter, please let me know).

But I had to send this. I'll keep it short.

Moments ago, I learned that Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL) became the third Democrat to test positive for COVID after being confined during the insurrection in a room with Republicans who refused to wear masks. Fortunately, so far, he is asymptomatic. Read Brad's press release.

You want unity? As Anne Applebaum said, "how about the right 'brings down the temperature' by unanimously congratulating Joe Biden and pledging to support him? How about unifying the country against the deadly threat from the violent, anti-democratic MAGA/Qanon cult?" And how about listening to science and wearing a mask--not to protect ourselves, but to protect others.

If Republicans want unity, they can start by impeaching and convicting Donald Trump. The longer they stand in the way of holding Trump accountable, the more they show they are not fit to govern. And the longer we let others play the "both sides" game and pretend that both parties are to blame, the longer we will continue to get what we deserve. We cannot fight evil without calling it out.

I'll be back on Sunday with the regular newsletter.



Tweet of the Week. Paul Rosenzweig.

Video Clip of the Week. Governor Schwarzenegger's Message Following this Week's Attack on the Capitol. If you haven't seen it yet, take seven minutes to watch all of it. It's worth it.

Upcoming Events. Dana Gordon and I, with Jill Zipin and Democratic Jewish Outreach of Pennsylvania, are hosting "What Trump has done to America: It's worse than you think," featuring renowned author and political commentator David Cay Johnston, this Friday, January 15, at 2:00 CT. It's free, but you need to register here.

Jewish Democratic Council of America is hosting its special inauguration event, Democracy Wins, on Sunday, January 17 at 4:00 CT, featuring voting rights attorney Marc Elias, comedian Sarah Silverman, Rabbi Sharon Brous, and other very special guests. It's free, but you need to register here.

The Decalogue Society of Lawyers is presenting a CLE taught by yours truly on BDS and Free Speech on Thursday, February 18, from 12:15 to 1:15. Register here by scrolling down to my CLE.

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The Fine Print: This newsletter usually runs on Sunday mornings. Unless stated otherwise, my views do not necessarily reflect the views of any candidates or organizations that I support or am associated with. I reserve the right to change my mind as I learn more. Intelligent, well-informed people may disagree with me; read opposing views and decide for yourself. A link to an article doesn't mean that I agree with everything its author has ever said or that I even agree with everything in the article; it means that the article supports or elaborates on the point I was making. I take pride in accurately reporting the facts on which I base my opinions. Tell me if you spot any inaccuracies, typos, or other mistakes so that I can correct them in the next newsletter (and give you credit if you want it). Advertisements reflect the views of the advertisers, not necessarily of me, and advertisers are solely responsible for the content of their advertisements. I read, value, and encourage replies to my newsletters, but I don't always have time to acknowledge replies or to engage in one-on-one discussion. Don't expect a reply if your message is uncivil or if it's clear from your message that you haven't read the newsletter or clicked on the relevant links. © 2021 Steve Sheffey. All rights reserved.