Chad Stanton on BlueSky covers this in depth beginning with his post:
'Literally every Black person who comes to DC visits the NMAAHC and it’s a big source of pride among a very broad swathe of people. Censoring the work there won’t be as frictionless as people imagine.'
“The order he signed behind closed doors puts Vice President JD Vance, who serves on the Smithsonian Institution’s Board of Regents, in charge of overseeing efforts to “remove improper ideology” from all areas of the institution, including its museums, education and research centers, and the National Zoo.
Sounds like the scene in Mao's Last Dancer where they are putting on a classic ballet and the party leaders want to see more revolutionary stuff about the class struggle.....
I think they are funded by trusts and other sources besides the federal government. I hope they are in a position to tell Trump/Vance they can have their federal money an go to hell.
The Smithsonian has two sources of funding—federal appropriations and income generated from gifts, revenue-generating activities, and investments (referred to as Smithsonian "trust funds")
Do you know how great a portion federal funding accounts for? Can the Smithsonian afford to say "No thanks" to federal funding and the strings Trump is attaching to it?
"the goal of those currently in power was never simply to change the policies or the personnel of the U.S. government. Their goal is to dismantle the central pillars of the United States of America—government, law, business, education, culture, and so on—because they believe the very shape of those institutions serves what they call 'the Left.'”
The quote Heather has from JD Vance is astonishing and downright terrifying:
"Conservatives…have lost every major powerful institution in the country, except for maybe churches and religious institutions, which of course are weaker now than they’ve ever been. We’ve lost big business. We’ve lost finance. We’ve lost the culture. We’ve lost the academy. And if we’re going to actually really effect real change in the country, it will require us completely replacing the existing ruling class with another ruling class…. I don’t think there’s sort of a compromise that we’re going to come with the people who currently actually control the country. Unless we overthrow them in some way, we’re going to keep losing. We really need to be really ruthless when it comes to the exercise of power.”
. – JD Vance, interview in 2021
The power grab Vice President Vance promotes here is central to Project 2025.
Her column today was grim but illuminating. It’s probably obvious to many but for me that column helped me see our moment is caught up in a destructive mix of Christian nationalism/Russia/tech bro Randian libertarianism. She helped me see the commonality there.
Mentioned, yes, by Heather Cox Richardson, Timothy Snyder, Simon and many others who pointed to Trump’s Project 2025. How widely this was heard, given the pervasive right-wing noise and disinformation, that I do not know.
As a white person, I specifically have chosen to support the National Museum of African-American History and Culture as well as the National Museum of the American Indian of the Smithsonians with annual donations/memberships. I have learned a tremendous amount of history that wasn't taught in my public elementary/high schools nor even in my undergrad public university. It is unsurprising this administration doesn't want people furthering their understanding of any history or culture other than a frequently embellished white one. I encourage everyone to reach out to their elected representatives and stop the erasure of important history and culture of those most often under-represented.
Per the New Republic: "But hidden in the [executive] order—and missing from most headlines—is one other big change:
Statues of treasonous Confederate generals like Robert E. Lee and Albert Pike will soon be returning. Their statues were removed nationwide after the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020.
I was at the National Museum of African American of History and Culture just a few weeks ago during Black History Month. The main thing I absorbed was that millions and millions of Black people were brought to other countries as slaves. I hadn't known how many. And the cruelty - black people were packed into cargo holds like you would stack boxes. They were shackled including tiny shackles for babies. And a lot of the ships sank with the 'cargo' going down with the ship. We need this museum. I think our current troubles have their roots in the US allowing slavery. I hope my visit there will make me a better person.
I also visited the Museum of Natural History and went to the ocean section. There is a lot that is being done to try to protect us all from climate change. We need our scientists - the situation is dire, but they have been making progress for us all.
Apparently there was some maga infighting about who would be Stefanik's replacement in Congress if she left for an appointment. NBCNews.com reported this. "County party leaders have the ability to select their nominees in special elections in New York and Republicans were facing a potentially divisive choice. GOP businessman Anthony Constantino, who is aligned with former Trump adviser Roger Stone, had threatened to run as a third-party candidate if party leaders instead selected state Sen. Dan Stec."
This is how we were able to get Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY 23) elected during a special election in 2009 to fill the seat of long time Republican Rep. John McHugh after Obama appointed him Secretary of the Army in 2008! There was a moderate R (Scozzafava), and a Tea Party wacko (Hoffman) who split the R vote against Owens. This seat had been Republican since the 1870's. He won reelection in 2010 and 2012. It is probably the most gerrymandered district in New York.
Trump has a "need to fail". That need is evidenced by our humiliating loss of $$ face in world markets not to mention the nauseating underpinnings of his cabinet/support staff choices. My problem with Trump's malignant narcissism and his lust for failure is that he is taking "The US Constitution" and the rest of us with him.
Thank you Simon, for your continuing and evolving strategies and so much work for us all!!!!!!
morning self-report: going to a Tesla Takedown this Saturday with a friend, donated to Crawford/Wil;er, donated to Ro Khanna (he's on fire!), will do calls in afternoon.
Love Trump's step-back on Stefanik. Not gt that she stays in Congress and loses us a chance at her seat, but great that we're making Trump be reactive. Run with our offense!
What is the value of leaving voicemails for our representatives? I've been a bit dismayed that Sen. Schumer's staff have stopped answering their phones. I'd like to encourage Sen. Schumer to raise the temperature a bit. His recent media appearances have not met the moment. His credulous appeal to "bipartisanism" and his preoccupation with defending his fitness for leadership are not what this moment demands. I feel bad sending voicemails to his staff to this effect, since I know that everyone is working hard and trying to do her/his best...but I'd feel worse if these appeals aren't even being tabulated.
With the anticipated thousands [million+?] of heroic protestors on April 5th (actually any and all days, including Women's March) here's an updated partial list of those fighting back every day [as of 3-27=25). I'm also adding courageous law firms who haven't caved. Besides upstanding lawyers, and law-abiding honorable (present and former) judges (including James Boasberg, chief judge, D.C. District Ct.), here's a growing list of Profiles in Courage men, women, and advocacy groups who refuse to be cowed or kneel to the force of Trump/Musk/MAGA/Fox "News" intimidation:
I'll begin (again) with Missouri's own indomitable Jess[ica] (à la John Lewis's "get in good trouble") Piper/"The View from Rural Missouri," then, in no particular order, Heather Cox Richardson/"Letters from an American," Joyce Vance/"Civil Discourse," Bernie Sanders, AOC, Gov. Tim walz, Sarah Inama, Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, Jasmine Crockett, Ruth Ben-Ghait, Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell, Chris Hayes, Ali Velshi, Stephanie Miller, Gov. Janet Mills, Gov. Beshear, Gov. JB.Pritzker, Mayor Michelle Wu, J im Acosta, Jen Rubin And the Contrarians, Dan Rather, Robert Reich, Jay Kou, Steve Brodner, Rachel Cohen, Brian TylerCohen, Jessica Craven, Scott Dworkin, Anne Applebaum, Lucian Truscott IV, Chris Murphy, Jeff Merkley, Elizabeth Warren, Tammy Duckworth,Sheldon Whitehouse, Adam Schiff, Jon Ossoff, Elyssa Slotkin, Delia Ramirez,Tim Snyder, Robert B. Hubbell, Ben Meiseilas, Rich wilson, Ron Filpkowski, Jeremy Seahill, Thom Hartmann, Jonathan Bernstein, Simon Rosenberg, Marianne Williamson, Mark Fiore, Jamie Raskin, Rebecca Solnit, Steve Schmidt, Josh Marshall, Paul Krugman, Andy Borowitz, Jeff Danziger, Ann Telnaes,͏ ͏Will Bunch, Jim Hightower, Dan Pfeifer, Dean Obeidallah, Liz Cheney, Adam Kimzinger, Cassidy Hutchinson--
American Bar Association, 23 blue state Attorney Generals, Indivisible. FiftyFifty one, MoveOn, DemCast, Blue Missouri, Third Act, Democracy Forward, Public Citizen, Democracy Index, DemocracyLabs, Fred Wellman/On Democracy, Hands Off, Marc Elias/Democracy Docket, Public Citizen, League of Women Voters Lambda Legal, CREW, CODEPINK, ACLU, The 19th/Errin Haines, Working Families Party, American Oversight, et al.
And, as Joyce Vance says, "We're in this together"--or via Jess Piper, from rural Missouri: "Solidarity." FIGHT BACK! WE ARE NOT ALONE! (Latest addition h/t , Robert B. Hubbell: Law firms, see below). All suggestions are welcome.
* Perkins Coie and Covington & Burling have resisted Trump, fighting back with the help of other courageous firms like Williams & Connolly. Per The ABA Journal,
Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, representing fired inspectors general. (Law.com)
Hogan Lovells, seeking to block executive orders to end federal funding for gender-affirming medical care. (Law.com)
Jenner & Block, also seeking to block the orders on cuts to medical research funding. (Law.com, Reuters)
Ropes & Gray, also seeking to block cuts to medical research funding. (Law.com)
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, representing the Amica Center for Immigrants Rights and others seeking to block funding cuts for immigrant legal services. (Law.com)
Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer.
Wilmer Hale
Perhaps I should add our nation's motto--and on our Great Seal--the phrase "E pluribus unum" (out of many, One ). Ii's 13 letters makes its use symbolic of the original 13 Colonies which rebelled against the rule of the Kingdom of George III . . .And now we protest together against King Donald. As my rural MO. indomitable Jess Piper always says: "Solidarity"
I didn't see Adam Kinzinger and his newsletter and Country 1st website on your list. Adam is a Republican Never-Trumper who was on the Jan. 6 committee with Liz Cheney, and is a war veteran. He spoke just before Kamala Harris at the DNC. In spite of personal threats to him, his wife and 3 year old son, and the loss of family and friends, he is continuing to fight against Trump/Musk in many ways. Please add him to your list, and support him. Thanks!
Quite a list, I did not see Tony Michaels or Cliff Schecter, so I want to give them a shout out as well. Elie Mystal also has a new book coming out; look for his book tour appearances, he's righteous.
The States Project, Field Team 6, The Union,AICN ( All In For North Carolina) The Lincoln Project,Blue Wave, Blue Future, The Civic Center, Olivia Troy,The Politics Girl
A fascinating read – and a complement to the great stuff in today’s Hopium! I especially liked this bit, with reference to Howard Dean’s 50-State Strategy:
Gene, so I am to take from this that you found everything on here today at Hopium not important and enlightening? Why engage in this way? It's annoying, and you just need to do better here if you are going to become a frequent poster.
Simon, I find most of what I read at Hopium important and enlightening. That's why I'm a subscriber. But as a rural Democrat, I found the article I linked to especially interesting. I hope you took the time to read it, because it points to ways that Democrats can become more competitive in rural areas-- a vital missing piece of Democratic strategy in recent years.
Gene, great read,,,thanks. I think you are "NOT OUT OF BOUNDS" at all. Open minded thinking and sharing is exactly what Dems have been unlikely and unwilling to do!. We need out of the box analysis. Hopium should be a forum for that too.
None of us have Rosenberg's experience, but we're here with equal passion. What we offered can be disagreed with in a logical argument. However, we should not be called out or told we are "wrong". Open sharing can lead to threads of refinement that make a real difference.
As Rosenberg wrote this AM, "Trump is now, clearly, a mad, early stage tyrant, and is doing extraordinary harm to the American people and our country every day." You can't quell a tyrant without FEROCIOUS OPPOSITION. Trump is the firehose, we can't just pee in the ocean and expect to raise its level.
Smithsonian, Iceland, Doge, Law firms capitulating, students DISAPPEARING, the Kennedy Center, USAID, and on and on ... the firehose of the madman has momentum it looks like to me.
We need not only to think out of the but ACT OUT OF THE BOX!!
Simon, I think you must've misread what Gene said. He said, "I find most of what I read at Hopium important and enlightening." Then you respond, "Gene, so I am to take from this that you found everything here today not important and enlightening?" That's the complete opposite of what he said. I know you call people out when it's deserved but I don't understand this one.
Frank, the comment you cite by Gene was a response to SImon – not the other way around, which is what you are implying. Simon was responding to Gene’s original comment.
I myself found the article to which Gene links very worthwhile, and I said as much. But his comment that preceded it could have been been phrased more respectfully. Just my two cents.
You were good. I didn't think anything of your phrasing. You said, "MOST important and enlightening", not "ONLY important and enlightening". Your phrasing does not imply in any way, shape, or form that Hopium's content is not ALSO important and enlightening. You just found that article to be more so from your perspective. Just MO, but you were fine.
Frank, I agree 100%, Open minded thinking is exactly what Dems have been unlikely and unwilling to do!. We need out of the box analysis. Hopium should be a forum for that too.
This is exactly what Anderson Clayton is doing in NC! She wants to ensure that every single county in NC (there are 100) has Democrats running for every office. And it's working! Please donate to the NC Dems in Simon's link above.
Janelle Bynum, one of the candidates we supported last year talked about being a big door knocker. I canvassed for her. The area I canvassed was not exactly rural, it was more 'formerly rural', but I think some parts of her district were definitely rural. She won the election. And Tom De Boer has been reporting on his door knocking in Wisconsin here on Hoipum, although I don't know if he is canvassing in rural areas.
I sincerely hope that the Women’s March is not tainted with antisemitism this time, as it sometimes has been in the past. That would be a distraction and an unfortunate way of playing right into Trump’s hands.
Every resistance movement in history has had internal squabbles and purity tests in their beginnings, but so far in 2025, the Womens March has been very focused and well organized according to the mesages we get by email every week. Their DC march in January 2025 had many diverse groups participating but was singular in its purpose.
MaryCFM, the information about the Women's March group and anti-semitism is easily found online and in ArcticStone's links, so you can make your own decision. But I'm Jewish and an activist, and this has definitely happened in other groups (e.g. the Senior Rabbi at my synagogue was jeered and spit on when marching for women's rights with another organization. They called her a Nazi and other names.) Anti-Semitism is skyrocketing, and it's beyond frightening. I hope the Women's March group HAS changed since then.
It pains me to hear of your experience and that of your rabbi. Sadly it echoes the experience of acquaintances and friends, and people who are very close to me.
My generation (I’m a baby boomer) thought that anti-Semitism was small and mostly a thing of the past. Trump and his white antisemitic friends helped it roar back. My synagogue, like all others, has massive security now. Actual police. 2 billboards close by were hacked recently and said Fuck Israel and Zionists=Nazis for hours before they could be taken down. And so on. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge, experience, and passion, it is SO needed (and appreciated by this proud Jewish retired librarian!)
Thank you for pointing this out, Arctic Stones. I was heartbroken to learn of the anti-Semitism. It had nothing to do with "purity test." It was flat out anti-Semitism, horrifyingly on the rise. However, I think Indivisible and others are also sponsoring rallies on April 5. Those are the ones in which I intend to participate.
Thank you. Self reporting: sent chain email to people I know in a number of states requesting they call their Senators and Representative asking them to call for Hegseth, Waltz and Gabbard to resign. If they don’t resign call for impeachment. I am surprised that Canada’s divorce from the US has not gotten more attention: https://substack.com/@deanblundell/note/c-103923554?r=5907j&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action
WHOA! THanks for sharing that article and video of Canada divorcing the US. It is very powerful. It's disconcerting to feel both a celebratory "YES!" for Prime Minister Carney's courageous stand against bully-Trump, and at the same time to feel deeply disturbed and bereft at the loss of a long-time, trusted ally!
I'd like to share this account of how Senator Tammy Duckworth (IL) has been standing up to the Trump administration. She is a model for how the rest of the Democratic Party needs to be communicating and acting. Thank you, Tammy Duckworth!! https://contrarian.substack.com/p/undaunted-tammy-duckworth-fights
I have been imagining who might be a good choice to read (aloud, in a video to be distributed widely) the joint Letter to America that we Hopium people are pushing for. Tammy Duckworth seems ideal.
I'm SO proud of our Illinois Senator! And Kwame Raoul, our Attorney General, who has joined multi-states in multiple lawsuits. And Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker. I have contacted all of them, including Senator Duckworth, with my thanks. This week I'm going to early vote, then hand out sample ballots on Election Day. Also posting on Facebook about the elections, and will march on April 5.
Just watched the DNC National Update and Call to Action recorded earlier this week with the host of a Sirius FM show. Chair Martin and Leader Jeffries are surely following Hopium! Jeffries said they will shortly begin a daily briefing to push back on Trump’s lawless administration. You can find the recording on YouTube.
Yes. I expect the low approval comes from two sources: Republicans (obvs) and Dems who think the party isn’t fighting hard enough. Different strategies are needed.
When I saw today's news items about Trump's upcoming "tariffs on imported cars," I also noted that almost every one repeated his lie about how this will "raise money for the US." [See, for example, NBC News' write-up.]
How does he get away with this crap? Every "report" should say that tariffs are a tax on the CONSUMER; the "tariff money" doesn't go into the US Treasury.
I'm not buying ANY car this year -- new or used. I guess I'll just put all my "saved" money into the campaigns of our various candidates listed here.
See Paul Krugman's blog today, which includes a great Larkin Poe cover at the end.
Please highlight the work Senator Kaine is doing. He wrote an opinion article for the Washington Post telling Americans how he and other Senators are making the Senate go on the record about Trump’s tariffs. He is using the law and the loopholes to hold everyone accountable! https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/03/27/trump-kaine-tariffs-canada/
This is highly disturbing, but not unexpected. The assault on the Smithsonian has begun:
https://apnews.com/article/trump-smithsonian-executive-order-improper-ideology-558ebfab722f603e94e02a1a4b06ed4d
Chad Stanton on BlueSky covers this in depth beginning with his post:
'Literally every Black person who comes to DC visits the NMAAHC and it’s a big source of pride among a very broad swathe of people. Censoring the work there won’t be as frictionless as people imagine.'
https://bsky.app/profile/chadstanton.bsky.social/post/3llfkcrj7ik2p
The Smithsonian is a national treasure.
#HELLNO #HandsOffSmithsonian
#FallGuy #HatchetMan
“The order he signed behind closed doors puts Vice President JD Vance, who serves on the Smithsonian Institution’s Board of Regents, in charge of overseeing efforts to “remove improper ideology” from all areas of the institution, including its museums, education and research centers, and the National Zoo.
Like women, black, native? How about white and male?
How about 'black rhinos' from the National Zoo? Fish and other wildlife that change sex depending on life situations?
Sounds like the scene in Mao's Last Dancer where they are putting on a classic ballet and the party leaders want to see more revolutionary stuff about the class struggle.....
I think they are funded by trusts and other sources besides the federal government. I hope they are in a position to tell Trump/Vance they can have their federal money an go to hell.
The Smithsonian has two sources of funding—federal appropriations and income generated from gifts, revenue-generating activities, and investments (referred to as Smithsonian "trust funds")
Do you know how great a portion federal funding accounts for? Can the Smithsonian afford to say "No thanks" to federal funding and the strings Trump is attaching to it?
Yes! I am seeing a lot of pushback on this especially from Black Americans. It will continue to get a lot of attention.
Heather Cox Richardson today reminded us:
"the goal of those currently in power was never simply to change the policies or the personnel of the U.S. government. Their goal is to dismantle the central pillars of the United States of America—government, law, business, education, culture, and so on—because they believe the very shape of those institutions serves what they call 'the Left.'”
The quote Heather has from JD Vance is astonishing and downright terrifying:
"Conservatives…have lost every major powerful institution in the country, except for maybe churches and religious institutions, which of course are weaker now than they’ve ever been. We’ve lost big business. We’ve lost finance. We’ve lost the culture. We’ve lost the academy. And if we’re going to actually really effect real change in the country, it will require us completely replacing the existing ruling class with another ruling class…. I don’t think there’s sort of a compromise that we’re going to come with the people who currently actually control the country. Unless we overthrow them in some way, we’re going to keep losing. We really need to be really ruthless when it comes to the exercise of power.”
. – JD Vance, interview in 2021
The power grab Vice President Vance promotes here is central to Project 2025.
Her column today was grim but illuminating. It’s probably obvious to many but for me that column helped me see our moment is caught up in a destructive mix of Christian nationalism/Russia/tech bro Randian libertarianism. She helped me see the commonality there.
Well said!
Yes, I'm glad you added that one to this comment community. Horrifying. Was that widely mentioned during the race last year?
Mentioned, yes, by Heather Cox Richardson, Timothy Snyder, Simon and many others who pointed to Trump’s Project 2025. How widely this was heard, given the pervasive right-wing noise and disinformation, that I do not know.
As a white person, I specifically have chosen to support the National Museum of African-American History and Culture as well as the National Museum of the American Indian of the Smithsonians with annual donations/memberships. I have learned a tremendous amount of history that wasn't taught in my public elementary/high schools nor even in my undergrad public university. It is unsurprising this administration doesn't want people furthering their understanding of any history or culture other than a frequently embellished white one. I encourage everyone to reach out to their elected representatives and stop the erasure of important history and culture of those most often under-represented.
Per the New Republic: "But hidden in the [executive] order—and missing from most headlines—is one other big change:
Statues of treasonous Confederate generals like Robert E. Lee and Albert Pike will soon be returning. Their statues were removed nationwide after the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020.
I was at the National Museum of African American of History and Culture just a few weeks ago during Black History Month. The main thing I absorbed was that millions and millions of Black people were brought to other countries as slaves. I hadn't known how many. And the cruelty - black people were packed into cargo holds like you would stack boxes. They were shackled including tiny shackles for babies. And a lot of the ships sank with the 'cargo' going down with the ship. We need this museum. I think our current troubles have their roots in the US allowing slavery. I hope my visit there will make me a better person.
I also visited the Museum of Natural History and went to the ocean section. There is a lot that is being done to try to protect us all from climate change. We need our scientists - the situation is dire, but they have been making progress for us all.
How will Rep. Elise Stefanik respond to the latest GOP #doublecross?
She won't. She'll suck it up like a good Trumpist.
I amuse myself with the fantasy that she will switch parties to punish Trump.
Was. Not is.
Apparently there was some maga infighting about who would be Stefanik's replacement in Congress if she left for an appointment. NBCNews.com reported this. "County party leaders have the ability to select their nominees in special elections in New York and Republicans were facing a potentially divisive choice. GOP businessman Anthony Constantino, who is aligned with former Trump adviser Roger Stone, had threatened to run as a third-party candidate if party leaders instead selected state Sen. Dan Stec."
This is how we were able to get Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY 23) elected during a special election in 2009 to fill the seat of long time Republican Rep. John McHugh after Obama appointed him Secretary of the Army in 2008! There was a moderate R (Scozzafava), and a Tea Party wacko (Hoffman) who split the R vote against Owens. This seat had been Republican since the 1870's. He won reelection in 2010 and 2012. It is probably the most gerrymandered district in New York.
https://www.mynbc5.com/article/former-ny-21-rep-bill-owens-discusses-expected-special-election/64290431
Thank you for the reply. I'm feeling some Hopium!
We can beat her. NY borders Canada and we are angry
https://www.mynbc5.com/article/former-ny-21-rep-bill-owens-discusses-expected-special-election/64290431
the fascist and treasonous gQp must be destroyed
Trump has a "need to fail". That need is evidenced by our humiliating loss of $$ face in world markets not to mention the nauseating underpinnings of his cabinet/support staff choices. My problem with Trump's malignant narcissism and his lust for failure is that he is taking "The US Constitution" and the rest of us with him.
Thanks Bruce. Comforting to know others are on board making attempts to get "Mafia Don" out of the oval office. Grrr!
Why are you putting the Constitution in quotes?
Thank you Simon, for your continuing and evolving strategies and so much work for us all!!!!!!
morning self-report: going to a Tesla Takedown this Saturday with a friend, donated to Crawford/Wil;er, donated to Ro Khanna (he's on fire!), will do calls in afternoon.
Love Trump's step-back on Stefanik. Not gt that she stays in Congress and loses us a chance at her seat, but great that we're making Trump be reactive. Run with our offense!
So, uh, Susan Collins has decided to grow a spine?? In the past her spine has been gelatinous in its makeup.
What is the value of leaving voicemails for our representatives? I've been a bit dismayed that Sen. Schumer's staff have stopped answering their phones. I'd like to encourage Sen. Schumer to raise the temperature a bit. His recent media appearances have not met the moment. His credulous appeal to "bipartisanism" and his preoccupation with defending his fitness for leadership are not what this moment demands. I feel bad sending voicemails to his staff to this effect, since I know that everyone is working hard and trying to do her/his best...but I'd feel worse if these appeals aren't even being tabulated.
Send hard copy letters through the mail. AND emails. AND leave vm! I do it regularly.
Simon tells us calls are being tabulated and that it is important. Why do you assume they aren't?
Per Indivisible, they are tallied and are the second best option if you are unable to get through. Using webform is third best option.
Why feel badly? Schumer works for you. Your suggestions that he step up his game are intended to help him do his job effectively.
Keep calling. I am too. Important that he knows his constituents care enough to call.
With the anticipated thousands [million+?] of heroic protestors on April 5th (actually any and all days, including Women's March) here's an updated partial list of those fighting back every day [as of 3-27=25). I'm also adding courageous law firms who haven't caved. Besides upstanding lawyers, and law-abiding honorable (present and former) judges (including James Boasberg, chief judge, D.C. District Ct.), here's a growing list of Profiles in Courage men, women, and advocacy groups who refuse to be cowed or kneel to the force of Trump/Musk/MAGA/Fox "News" intimidation:
I'll begin (again) with Missouri's own indomitable Jess[ica] (à la John Lewis's "get in good trouble") Piper/"The View from Rural Missouri," then, in no particular order, Heather Cox Richardson/"Letters from an American," Joyce Vance/"Civil Discourse," Bernie Sanders, AOC, Gov. Tim walz, Sarah Inama, Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, Jasmine Crockett, Ruth Ben-Ghait, Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell, Chris Hayes, Ali Velshi, Stephanie Miller, Gov. Janet Mills, Gov. Beshear, Gov. JB.Pritzker, Mayor Michelle Wu, J im Acosta, Jen Rubin And the Contrarians, Dan Rather, Robert Reich, Jay Kou, Steve Brodner, Rachel Cohen, Brian TylerCohen, Jessica Craven, Scott Dworkin, Anne Applebaum, Lucian Truscott IV, Chris Murphy, Jeff Merkley, Elizabeth Warren, Tammy Duckworth,Sheldon Whitehouse, Adam Schiff, Jon Ossoff, Elyssa Slotkin, Delia Ramirez,Tim Snyder, Robert B. Hubbell, Ben Meiseilas, Rich wilson, Ron Filpkowski, Jeremy Seahill, Thom Hartmann, Jonathan Bernstein, Simon Rosenberg, Marianne Williamson, Mark Fiore, Jamie Raskin, Rebecca Solnit, Steve Schmidt, Josh Marshall, Paul Krugman, Andy Borowitz, Jeff Danziger, Ann Telnaes,͏ ͏Will Bunch, Jim Hightower, Dan Pfeifer, Dean Obeidallah, Liz Cheney, Adam Kimzinger, Cassidy Hutchinson--
American Bar Association, 23 blue state Attorney Generals, Indivisible. FiftyFifty one, MoveOn, DemCast, Blue Missouri, Third Act, Democracy Forward, Public Citizen, Democracy Index, DemocracyLabs, Fred Wellman/On Democracy, Hands Off, Marc Elias/Democracy Docket, Public Citizen, League of Women Voters Lambda Legal, CREW, CODEPINK, ACLU, The 19th/Errin Haines, Working Families Party, American Oversight, et al.
And, as Joyce Vance says, "We're in this together"--or via Jess Piper, from rural Missouri: "Solidarity." FIGHT BACK! WE ARE NOT ALONE! (Latest addition h/t , Robert B. Hubbell: Law firms, see below). All suggestions are welcome.
* Perkins Coie and Covington & Burling have resisted Trump, fighting back with the help of other courageous firms like Williams & Connolly. Per The ABA Journal,
Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, representing fired inspectors general. (Law.com)
Hogan Lovells, seeking to block executive orders to end federal funding for gender-affirming medical care. (Law.com)
Jenner & Block, also seeking to block the orders on cuts to medical research funding. (Law.com, Reuters)
Ropes & Gray, also seeking to block cuts to medical research funding. (Law.com)
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, representing the Amica Center for Immigrants Rights and others seeking to block funding cuts for immigrant legal services. (Law.com)
Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer.
Wilmer Hale
Perhaps I should add our nation's motto--and on our Great Seal--the phrase "E pluribus unum" (out of many, One ). Ii's 13 letters makes its use symbolic of the original 13 Colonies which rebelled against the rule of the Kingdom of George III . . .And now we protest together against King Donald. As my rural MO. indomitable Jess Piper always says: "Solidarity"
So great. Thanks for the research and the uplift!
I didn't see Adam Kinzinger and his newsletter and Country 1st website on your list. Adam is a Republican Never-Trumper who was on the Jan. 6 committee with Liz Cheney, and is a war veteran. He spoke just before Kamala Harris at the DNC. In spite of personal threats to him, his wife and 3 year old son, and the loss of family and friends, he is continuing to fight against Trump/Musk in many ways. Please add him to your list, and support him. Thanks!
I believe he is on the list. At the end.
Yes, together with Liz Cheney and Cassidy Hutchinson
He's already on the list, together with LLiz Cheney and Cassidy Hutchinson (just before the advocacy orgs)
Oh, I missed it! Thank you for this list, Larry!
Quite a list, I did not see Tony Michaels or Cliff Schecter, so I want to give them a shout out as well. Elie Mystal also has a new book coming out; look for his book tour appearances, he's righteous.
Michael Steele. Michael Cohen, Jessica Tarlov, Harry Litman,Blue Future, NEAZ Native Democrats
The States Project, Field Team 6, The Union,AICN ( All In For North Carolina) The Lincoln Project,Blue Wave, Blue Future, The Civic Center, Olivia Troy,The Politics Girl
This is the most important and enlightening thing you'll read today-- even (especially!) if you live in an urban area.
https://www.liberalpatriot.com/p/how-to-win-friends-and-votes-in-rural
A fascinating read – and a complement to the great stuff in today’s Hopium! I especially liked this bit, with reference to Howard Dean’s 50-State Strategy:
"Democrats need a 3,244-county strategy."
Gene, so I am to take from this that you found everything on here today at Hopium not important and enlightening? Why engage in this way? It's annoying, and you just need to do better here if you are going to become a frequent poster.
Simon, I find most of what I read at Hopium important and enlightening. That's why I'm a subscriber. But as a rural Democrat, I found the article I linked to especially interesting. I hope you took the time to read it, because it points to ways that Democrats can become more competitive in rural areas-- a vital missing piece of Democratic strategy in recent years.
Gene, great read,,,thanks. I think you are "NOT OUT OF BOUNDS" at all. Open minded thinking and sharing is exactly what Dems have been unlikely and unwilling to do!. We need out of the box analysis. Hopium should be a forum for that too.
None of us have Rosenberg's experience, but we're here with equal passion. What we offered can be disagreed with in a logical argument. However, we should not be called out or told we are "wrong". Open sharing can lead to threads of refinement that make a real difference.
As Rosenberg wrote this AM, "Trump is now, clearly, a mad, early stage tyrant, and is doing extraordinary harm to the American people and our country every day." You can't quell a tyrant without FEROCIOUS OPPOSITION. Trump is the firehose, we can't just pee in the ocean and expect to raise its level.
Smithsonian, Iceland, Doge, Law firms capitulating, students DISAPPEARING, the Kennedy Center, USAID, and on and on ... the firehose of the madman has momentum it looks like to me.
We need not only to think out of the but ACT OUT OF THE BOX!!
Simon, I think you must've misread what Gene said. He said, "I find most of what I read at Hopium important and enlightening." Then you respond, "Gene, so I am to take from this that you found everything here today not important and enlightening?" That's the complete opposite of what he said. I know you call people out when it's deserved but I don't understand this one.
Frank, the comment you cite by Gene was a response to SImon – not the other way around, which is what you are implying. Simon was responding to Gene’s original comment.
I myself found the article to which Gene links very worthwhile, and I said as much. But his comment that preceded it could have been been phrased more respectfully. Just my two cents.
Thanks for clarifying. And yes, I should have phrased my comment better.
You were good. I didn't think anything of your phrasing. You said, "MOST important and enlightening", not "ONLY important and enlightening". Your phrasing does not imply in any way, shape, or form that Hopium's content is not ALSO important and enlightening. You just found that article to be more so from your perspective. Just MO, but you were fine.
"Just my two cents." Hey, that's my trademark! :)
Frank, I agree 100%, Open minded thinking is exactly what Dems have been unlikely and unwilling to do!. We need out of the box analysis. Hopium should be a forum for that too.
This is exactly what Anderson Clayton is doing in NC! She wants to ensure that every single county in NC (there are 100) has Democrats running for every office. And it's working! Please donate to the NC Dems in Simon's link above.
Yes, we could use more like Anderson.
Janelle Bynum, one of the candidates we supported last year talked about being a big door knocker. I canvassed for her. The area I canvassed was not exactly rural, it was more 'formerly rural', but I think some parts of her district were definitely rural. She won the election. And Tom De Boer has been reporting on his door knocking in Wisconsin here on Hoipum, although I don't know if he is canvassing in rural areas.
Looking forward to traveling to Washington DC for the April 5th Rally and March hosted by Women's March: https://www.womensmarch.com/
Also in many State Capitols around the country: https://action.womensmarch.com/local
On the next day Sunday, April 6th, several of the Ukrainian National groups are hosting a rally at the Lincoln Memorial: https://unwla.org/event/rally-stand-for-american-values-support-ukraine/
or https://unitedhelpukraine.org/events/rally-stand-for-american-values-support-ukraine/
I believe it is absolutely essential that people engage in street visibility as part of the Second Front!
I sincerely hope that the Women’s March is not tainted with antisemitism this time, as it sometimes has been in the past. That would be a distraction and an unfortunate way of playing right into Trump’s hands.
https://www.vox.com/identities/2018/12/21/18145176/feminism-womens-march-2018-2019-farrakhan-intersectionality
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/03/womens-march/555122/
https://time.com/5505787/womens-march-washington-controversy/
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/national-women-s-march-was-rocked-claims-anti-semitism-now-n955816
Every resistance movement in history has had internal squabbles and purity tests in their beginnings, but so far in 2025, the Womens March has been very focused and well organized according to the mesages we get by email every week. Their DC march in January 2025 had many diverse groups participating but was singular in its purpose.
I never noticed that….
MaryCFM, the information about the Women's March group and anti-semitism is easily found online and in ArcticStone's links, so you can make your own decision. But I'm Jewish and an activist, and this has definitely happened in other groups (e.g. the Senior Rabbi at my synagogue was jeered and spit on when marching for women's rights with another organization. They called her a Nazi and other names.) Anti-Semitism is skyrocketing, and it's beyond frightening. I hope the Women's March group HAS changed since then.
It pains me to hear of your experience and that of your rabbi. Sadly it echoes the experience of acquaintances and friends, and people who are very close to me.
My generation (I’m a baby boomer) thought that anti-Semitism was small and mostly a thing of the past. Trump and his white antisemitic friends helped it roar back. My synagogue, like all others, has massive security now. Actual police. 2 billboards close by were hacked recently and said Fuck Israel and Zionists=Nazis for hours before they could be taken down. And so on. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge, experience, and passion, it is SO needed (and appreciated by this proud Jewish retired librarian!)
I have the same reservations, but I believe the April 5 Hands Off marches have numerous hosts, including Indivisible (I think) and 50501.
Indivisible, 50501, Third Act, and even the Sierra Club! https://act.sierraclub.org/events/details?formcampaignid=701Po00000lgnsVIAQ
Thank you for pointing this out, Arctic Stones. I was heartbroken to learn of the anti-Semitism. It had nothing to do with "purity test." It was flat out anti-Semitism, horrifyingly on the rise. However, I think Indivisible and others are also sponsoring rallies on April 5. Those are the ones in which I intend to participate.
Thank you. Self reporting: sent chain email to people I know in a number of states requesting they call their Senators and Representative asking them to call for Hegseth, Waltz and Gabbard to resign. If they don’t resign call for impeachment. I am surprised that Canada’s divorce from the US has not gotten more attention: https://substack.com/@deanblundell/note/c-103923554?r=5907j&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action
Also please see this piece: https://substack.com/@krassenstein/note/c-103567123 Her husband’s life was put at risk by the Signal texts. She is awesome!
Posted your list of Say NO on Facebook.
WHOA! THanks for sharing that article and video of Canada divorcing the US. It is very powerful. It's disconcerting to feel both a celebratory "YES!" for Prime Minister Carney's courageous stand against bully-Trump, and at the same time to feel deeply disturbed and bereft at the loss of a long-time, trusted ally!
I'd like to share this account of how Senator Tammy Duckworth (IL) has been standing up to the Trump administration. She is a model for how the rest of the Democratic Party needs to be communicating and acting. Thank you, Tammy Duckworth!! https://contrarian.substack.com/p/undaunted-tammy-duckworth-fights
She is a total bada$$ - love her!
I have been imagining who might be a good choice to read (aloud, in a video to be distributed widely) the joint Letter to America that we Hopium people are pushing for. Tammy Duckworth seems ideal.
I'm SO proud of our Illinois Senator! And Kwame Raoul, our Attorney General, who has joined multi-states in multiple lawsuits. And Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker. I have contacted all of them, including Senator Duckworth, with my thanks. This week I'm going to early vote, then hand out sample ballots on Election Day. Also posting on Facebook about the elections, and will march on April 5.
Donated to Gay Valimont and Josh Weil in Florida. I don’t want to be sorry I didn’t!
Just watched the DNC National Update and Call to Action recorded earlier this week with the host of a Sirius FM show. Chair Martin and Leader Jeffries are surely following Hopium! Jeffries said they will shortly begin a daily briefing to push back on Trump’s lawless administration. You can find the recording on YouTube.
This and more is urgent! It’s painful to see that the Democratic Party has a far lower approval then the Mad King!
Yes. I expect the low approval comes from two sources: Republicans (obvs) and Dems who think the party isn’t fighting hard enough. Different strategies are needed.
The Rs had low approval ratings compared to Obama but they still stormed the House in 2010.
Thanks, Simon. So much to read.
When I saw today's news items about Trump's upcoming "tariffs on imported cars," I also noted that almost every one repeated his lie about how this will "raise money for the US." [See, for example, NBC News' write-up.]
How does he get away with this crap? Every "report" should say that tariffs are a tax on the CONSUMER; the "tariff money" doesn't go into the US Treasury.
I'm not buying ANY car this year -- new or used. I guess I'll just put all my "saved" money into the campaigns of our various candidates listed here.
See Paul Krugman's blog today, which includes a great Larkin Poe cover at the end.
Please highlight the work Senator Kaine is doing. He wrote an opinion article for the Washington Post telling Americans how he and other Senators are making the Senate go on the record about Trump’s tariffs. He is using the law and the loopholes to hold everyone accountable! https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/03/27/trump-kaine-tariffs-canada/