Simon, that was a fantastic interview with Alison Gill. Really it was one of your best. Particularly the last 15 minutes beginning at 22:30... Just outstanding! TY TY TY !!!
If satan is so disliked by the world and has ruined america, why should anyone listen to his bloviating lies at SOTU? why? if the govt is partially shut down and the repubs & satan have not budged one inch on dem demands to make ice a normal law enforcement agency, then why should elected dems, house & senate, attend? why be a prop for his global lie fest. rather be the news by either not attending or walking out. dont sit there and endure his stupidity like a puppet. these are not normal times. there is no decorum anymore. no need to act like there is. dont normalize him. everyone is asking for dem leadership to be bold. so be bold. boycott!
Boycott the state of the union. DO NOT WATCH IT!!! I believe Meidas Touch is having an alternative program to view at the same time as the presidents speech. I think Adam Schiff will be speaking at it. You can always view Trump’s speech at another time.
I think it was during the 2nd Trump inauguration, Meidas provided alternative programming -- a Puppy Bowl, with fundraising -- they ended up donating a lot of money to animal shelters.
I'm definitely not watching. Later today, I'll be making calls on behalf of James Talarico. According to what I heard in Parkrose Permaculture's video from last night, voting is THROUGH THE ROOF in some of Texas's most-populated counties: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkqNSjQnltw.
That is great, and Talarico (as well as Jasmine Crockett) is the antidote to the thing.
Simon, thank you, as always, for the good information on polls. Encouraging!
I called Congressman Raskin and Senators Alsobrooks and Van Hollen to discuss your point about there now being no money for ICE and Epstein Class tax cuts. I also asked them to make Trump's mental decline a regular point of discussion. I'm working on postcards to NC voters today.
Only eleven (11) Red-to-Blue from the DCCC seems overly cautious and conservative. Especially considering that the average Democratic over-performance (relative to the 2024 Presidential Election) has been a massive 13.0 percent in special elections in the 2025–2026 cycle!
That’s across 88 races, so that is a lot of data points. Democrats have flipped eight seats, Republican zero. That’s right: 8–0!
Democratic candidates have overperformed by as much as 90 %. By comparison, all Republican overperformances except for two have been single digit.
Here is The Downballot’s Special Elections Tracker for 2025:
I would expect that number to grow as we get closer to November and pass the primaries… They’re gonna need to see that plenty of money is being raised, and they’re also gonna need to weigh candidate quality after the primaries… They’re not gonna announce a major investment from the DCCC if they don’t have any faith in the candidate that emerges from the primary elections in a particular district. I think this is an opening Salvo that could grow as high as 25 by the time we get to the fall campaign… but, I’m not an insider or an expert… So I could be completely off my rocker in that assumption
Hello friends! You know, I don’t know how many of you have read the Harry Potter books, but I feel like we have successfully destroyed at least four or five of Trump‘s seven horcruxes at this point. Just a few ago… Remember, Voldemort gets more aggressive And dangerous as he becomes more threatened… But, he’s also always becoming more vulnerable as he dials the heat up. I believe we have the sort of Gryffindor with us, and I’m ready to go take out the last couple of horcruxes. If none of this made any sense, sorry/not sorry 😂…. I am incapable of separating myself from my nerd universes, which have surprisingly prepared me for fighting off an authoritarian ruler!
Don’t worry, PianoManSteve, I believe there are a lot of us at Hopium who have imagined tRumpy naked and pathetic, curled in a fetal position beneath a train station bench and seen —at last— as the soulless creature he truly is.
My husband retrieved this morning's NYT from the snow, and pretended to read the main headline: "Trump Resigns, Signs Up for Intensive Psychotherapy". So that's my fantasy world. But Harry Potter imaging could work, too! 😉
I see patterns over time. trump goons go to Hungary to stroke Orban and huge battle buildup near Iran. What does it really mean? It's not for a nuke treaty! Using the proposition of 4 Super Power spheres of influence-US gets all of our hemisphere and Greenland, Iceland, Russia gets Europe, Turkey, Scandinavia, parts of lands extending down to HUNGARY perhaps and to assure Orban where he will fit with other autocratic ambitions. Saudi's, Qatar, Abu Dhabi will get northern Africa, Mid-East and IRAN, China will get all the rest and Southern Africa-some changes by agreements of 4 people and money deals. So Hungary and Iran are already chips on the game table of autocratic, ambitious, rich, ruthless world leaders with military, money, power.
I am going to meet Roy Cooper this Wed as part of the Agenda4Democracy group. https://www.agenda4democracy.com/. This included a $1500 donation. Very much looking forward to hearing him speak.
Oversight Dems are holding a hearing today re. ICE. streaming live today at 3:00 PM EST.
Watching now, with more chilling testimony from those who have been assaulted, searched, seized. There's also disturbing whistleblower testimony from members of the ICE Academy (teaching cadets to violate the Constitution and lie about it).
I really really hope everyone will listen both to Judge Luttig's speech but even more so the comments by him and others in the panel that follows. In short there is no action at this time that is too extreme for us to take in the face of the emergency we are in (my paraphrasing of his remarks)
I am fighting for America in a new and different way, via an online “third path” to a better societal problem solving future at EthicalGovtNow.org. I urge all liberal thinkers to visit today, evaluate our path and join our patriotic movement.
The title of the last image, by CRFB.org, seems like it must have been cut off by editors because it was too long.
Instead of “Court Ruling Could Increase Debt by $2.4 Trillion,” I assume it previously read something like “Court Ruling Will Stop Regressive Taxes in the Form of Unconstitutional Tariffs from Covering $2.4 Trillion Massive Debt Increase Caused by Trump’s Billionaire Tax Cut, Since Trump Donor and Hatchet Man Elon Musk Didn’t Move the Needle in any Meaningful Way by Wantonly Destroying a Bunch of Federal Agencies.”
As posted previously, The People's State of the Union is being held in Washington, D.C. Tuesday, February 24 from 8 – 11pm EST. Many members of Congress will be there instead, as suggested by Speaker Jeffries (or to attend dt’s address with "silent defiance"). It will be livestreamed by MidasTouch and MoveOn.
Got a wonderful flyer from Nebraska Dem Party yesterday. Chair Kleeb and her team are doing magnificent work. Her information helps me answer the question of “why should we support a state party“. Link to the flyer:
Simon's interview with MeidasTouch Network about tariffs, 2026 elections is terrific! I'm sending the link to tons of people.
Simon, that was a fantastic interview with Alison Gill. Really it was one of your best. Particularly the last 15 minutes beginning at 22:30... Just outstanding! TY TY TY !!!
May he lie in the ground and bake bagels.
Robert Reich endorses boycotting SOTU. I'm going to request it of my MoCs in my calls today.
https://substack.com/home/post/p-188295438
If satan is so disliked by the world and has ruined america, why should anyone listen to his bloviating lies at SOTU? why? if the govt is partially shut down and the repubs & satan have not budged one inch on dem demands to make ice a normal law enforcement agency, then why should elected dems, house & senate, attend? why be a prop for his global lie fest. rather be the news by either not attending or walking out. dont sit there and endure his stupidity like a puppet. these are not normal times. there is no decorum anymore. no need to act like there is. dont normalize him. everyone is asking for dem leadership to be bold. so be bold. boycott!
That's a nice script for the calls. Thanks k.
Boycott the state of the union. DO NOT WATCH IT!!! I believe Meidas Touch is having an alternative program to view at the same time as the presidents speech. I think Adam Schiff will be speaking at it. You can always view Trump’s speech at another time.
I think it was during the 2nd Trump inauguration, Meidas provided alternative programming -- a Puppy Bowl, with fundraising -- they ended up donating a lot of money to animal shelters.
number of dems planning an alternative event.
Got it. As long as we don’t watch Trump.
I'm definitely not watching. Later today, I'll be making calls on behalf of James Talarico. According to what I heard in Parkrose Permaculture's video from last night, voting is THROUGH THE ROOF in some of Texas's most-populated counties: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkqNSjQnltw.
That is great, and Talarico (as well as Jasmine Crockett) is the antidote to the thing.
Easiest boycott ever, I wasn’t planing to watch! lol
Simon, thank you, as always, for the good information on polls. Encouraging!
I called Congressman Raskin and Senators Alsobrooks and Van Hollen to discuss your point about there now being no money for ICE and Epstein Class tax cuts. I also asked them to make Trump's mental decline a regular point of discussion. I'm working on postcards to NC voters today.
WE CAN FLIP FAR MORE THAN 11 RACES!
Only eleven (11) Red-to-Blue from the DCCC seems overly cautious and conservative. Especially considering that the average Democratic over-performance (relative to the 2024 Presidential Election) has been a massive 13.0 percent in special elections in the 2025–2026 cycle!
That’s across 88 races, so that is a lot of data points. Democrats have flipped eight seats, Republican zero. That’s right: 8–0!
Democratic candidates have overperformed by as much as 90 %. By comparison, all Republican overperformances except for two have been single digit.
Here is The Downballot’s Special Elections Tracker for 2025:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JGk1r1VXnxBrAIVHz1C5HTB5jxCO6Zw4QNPivdhyWHw/edit?gid=415249345#gid=415249345
And their Tracker for 2026:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JGk1r1VXnxBrAIVHz1C5HTB5jxCO6Zw4QNPivdhyWHw/edit?gid=1173601967#gid=1173601967
It's first wave. Will be updating our list to include the 7 new ones later today. More will come soon.
Great! Thank you.
I would expect that number to grow as we get closer to November and pass the primaries… They’re gonna need to see that plenty of money is being raised, and they’re also gonna need to weigh candidate quality after the primaries… They’re not gonna announce a major investment from the DCCC if they don’t have any faith in the candidate that emerges from the primary elections in a particular district. I think this is an opening Salvo that could grow as high as 25 by the time we get to the fall campaign… but, I’m not an insider or an expert… So I could be completely off my rocker in that assumption
Hello friends! You know, I don’t know how many of you have read the Harry Potter books, but I feel like we have successfully destroyed at least four or five of Trump‘s seven horcruxes at this point. Just a few ago… Remember, Voldemort gets more aggressive And dangerous as he becomes more threatened… But, he’s also always becoming more vulnerable as he dials the heat up. I believe we have the sort of Gryffindor with us, and I’m ready to go take out the last couple of horcruxes. If none of this made any sense, sorry/not sorry 😂…. I am incapable of separating myself from my nerd universes, which have surprisingly prepared me for fighting off an authoritarian ruler!
Don’t worry, PianoManSteve, I believe there are a lot of us at Hopium who have imagined tRumpy naked and pathetic, curled in a fetal position beneath a train station bench and seen —at last— as the soulless creature he truly is.
Hahahaha…. Well, I’m certainly glad you understand my references… Although that is not an image that I want to conjure too often! 😂😂😂
I try not to imagine him naked under any circumstances. My mind usually clothes him in an orange jumpsuit to preserve my sanity.
My husband retrieved this morning's NYT from the snow, and pretended to read the main headline: "Trump Resigns, Signs Up for Intensive Psychotherapy". So that's my fantasy world. But Harry Potter imaging could work, too! 😉
My wife would love your metaphor…
I see patterns over time. trump goons go to Hungary to stroke Orban and huge battle buildup near Iran. What does it really mean? It's not for a nuke treaty! Using the proposition of 4 Super Power spheres of influence-US gets all of our hemisphere and Greenland, Iceland, Russia gets Europe, Turkey, Scandinavia, parts of lands extending down to HUNGARY perhaps and to assure Orban where he will fit with other autocratic ambitions. Saudi's, Qatar, Abu Dhabi will get northern Africa, Mid-East and IRAN, China will get all the rest and Southern Africa-some changes by agreements of 4 people and money deals. So Hungary and Iran are already chips on the game table of autocratic, ambitious, rich, ruthless world leaders with military, money, power.
I am going to meet Roy Cooper this Wed as part of the Agenda4Democracy group. https://www.agenda4democracy.com/. This included a $1500 donation. Very much looking forward to hearing him speak.
Wondering how much of his SOTU speech will be dedicated to screaming at SCOTUS. Will SCOTUS sit this one out?
Oversight Dems are holding a hearing today re. ICE. streaming live today at 3:00 PM EST.
Watching now, with more chilling testimony from those who have been assaulted, searched, seized. There's also disturbing whistleblower testimony from members of the ICE Academy (teaching cadets to violate the Constitution and lie about it).
UPDATE link available live and afterwards https://www.youtube.com/live/SdAnKUdmYmA
I really really hope everyone will listen both to Judge Luttig's speech but even more so the comments by him and others in the panel that follows. In short there is no action at this time that is too extreme for us to take in the face of the emergency we are in (my paraphrasing of his remarks)
https://youtu.be/KFDKlT5zHok?si=XQNMbRQQQ_S-UVS7
I am fighting for America in a new and different way, via an online “third path” to a better societal problem solving future at EthicalGovtNow.org. I urge all liberal thinkers to visit today, evaluate our path and join our patriotic movement.
The title of the last image, by CRFB.org, seems like it must have been cut off by editors because it was too long.
Instead of “Court Ruling Could Increase Debt by $2.4 Trillion,” I assume it previously read something like “Court Ruling Will Stop Regressive Taxes in the Form of Unconstitutional Tariffs from Covering $2.4 Trillion Massive Debt Increase Caused by Trump’s Billionaire Tax Cut, Since Trump Donor and Hatchet Man Elon Musk Didn’t Move the Needle in any Meaningful Way by Wantonly Destroying a Bunch of Federal Agencies.”
Good one, Jenny!!!!!
Is there anywhere we could tune in to boycott the State of the Union? Ahhh - I see the link per Robert Reich below-- pass the word!
As posted previously, The People's State of the Union is being held in Washington, D.C. Tuesday, February 24 from 8 – 11pm EST. Many members of Congress will be there instead, as suggested by Speaker Jeffries (or to attend dt’s address with "silent defiance"). It will be livestreamed by MidasTouch and MoveOn.
If interested, you can register here to get the URL. https://mobilize.us/s/sUi68G
Got a wonderful flyer from Nebraska Dem Party yesterday. Chair Kleeb and her team are doing magnificent work. Her information helps me answer the question of “why should we support a state party“. Link to the flyer:
https://nebraskademocrats.org/progress/
Will spend today, while we’re having a blizzard in New York, writing postcards for Wisconsin.