A great day! My 2 cents: Musk may be poison, but we must constantly link him to Trump or it will seem that we think that getting rid of Musk will make this administration acceptable. “Trump’s hand-picked wrecking ball, Elon Musk,” etc.
YES!! Musk is the poison that will take Trump down. We must get Trump to deny and double down, a la Roy Cohn. People hate Musk. Without him, to them Trump becomes more palatable and his lies believable.
I don't think that repulsive, toad-faced twerp's ego will let him step away from the spotlight. Narcissists need a constant supply of attention or they feel like they're dying.
They're stuck with each other: nesting egg of devil's bargains - all that's left is a small group of incompetent, revolting men with personality disorders
Agreed. I've been reading rumors that Elon might be leaving now. I still think we need to keep hammering Tesla and linking him to Trump even if he isn't in the White House day-to-day anymore, if we can even trust that he's been removed.
The rumors are right. His role has a 130-day time limit, and at the end of May, Musk's hourglass runs out of (...Hmm, what's the proper plural for units of sand in an hourglass? Sands? (No, that can't be right. I'll just say time.)) time.
I've been hearing rumors that Musk has been firing all the government employees then reassigning contracts to himself, so even it he leaves after the 130-day window, we still won't be rid of him.
Cory Booker gave not just a record-setting speech, but a truly excellent speech. That said, I am surprised he didn’t do this as a filibuster, but perhaps Senator Booker felt he needed to seize the moment – and the moment was now.
I am also glad to see Senate Democrats are using their power to place holds on Trump’s many and odious nominations. There should be holds on all of them!
And for each and every agency, those holds should remain in place until the Trump Regime spends funds according to the allocations made by Congress. This also means halting and reversing DOGE’s unlawful firings of our civil servants. Trump/Musk’s shuttering of USAID is blatantly illegal, and just one of many egregious examples.
He didn't do it as a filibuster because there was no bill attached to his oratory. It was not an attempt to derail or stall a piece of legislation. He was speaking about the health of the United States.
“As a little girl growing up in Chippewa Falls, I never could have imagined that I’d be taking on the richest man in the world for justice in Wisconsin. And we won!
"Justice does not have a price. Our courts are not for sale!"
– Susan Crawford, newly elected Justice to the Wisconsin Supreme Court
As a Wisconsonite (always in my heart despite living far from my homeland/heartland), I love that Susan Crawford mentions her hometown in her acceptance speech. Chippewa Falls is a small community of 15,000 in north central Wisconsin. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chippewa_Falls%2C_Wisconsin
One claim to fame is that Chippewa Falls is the home of the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewery Company, a.k.a. "Leine's". Another piece of trivia: Fictional character, Jack Dawson, played by Leonardo DiCaprio in James Cameron's "Titanic", hailed from Chippewa Falls. Now the town is really on the map as hometown pride, Susan Crawford, makes history as the newly elected Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
Meanwhile in Aurora, Illinois – DEMOCRATIC VICTORY
Richard Irvin, mayor of Aurora, Illinois, lost his reelection race to John Laesch, 53–46. Irvin was considered a strong general election Republican candidate for Illinois Governor in 2022 but didn't win the primary. Laesch is a union carpenter who was endorsed by state Democrats.
These are the kinds of stories I want to be able to share in my news network — great stories that are underreported and go widely unnoticed but shouldn’t. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks. I was already planning to be in the April 5 Hands Off rally in DC, but I didn't know about the rally for Ukraine. I will definitely join that, too.
Simon makes a very important point: "The reason Trump has begun floating a third term is that he is feeling his influence wane, and he doesn’t want to be a struggling leader who is both losing his grip on Washington AND a lame duck." We should constantly refer to him as "Lame Donald Duck." Republican elected will feel more confident standing up to him if they view him as a lame duck.
I made calls this morning to Alsobrooks, Raskin, and Van Hollen. I said that every Dem needs to sign up for a night and do what Booker did. Also that they must save Social Security from death by a thousand firings and the the crew conducting our national security matters over insecure social media must go.
Turning my attention now to the Virginia races coming up THIS November. Spanberger is a great candidate and her R opponents are batshit crazy MAGAts.
Wow, thank you very much for loading me up with that mental image. Welcome to my nightmares, Donald Duck/Trump Minotaur... (Joking aside, agreed on all counts.)
Simon, I appreciate the way you queue up discussions that are going to happen a few hours later - "preview" gives me an opportunity to be thoughtful about questions I might want to ask
Traveling today but I will wear my "resist" shirt and try to engage folks on my journeys!
I am so proud of both of our wonderful NJ Senators Kim and Booker, and I thank you, Simon, for coaching Sen. Booker & moving him in the right direction. Thanks also for setting up the fundraiser! And finally, thanks also to this wonderful community for supporting Cory!
I'd like to encourage everyone to include in their phone calls to senators a message to do what Cory did. Any senator can do it, they all should! And please keep the pressure on with Signalgate, people - don't let this distract you. According to Malcolm Nance, we should all be very concerned about saber-rattling coming from DC.
Speaking of saber rattling, I would very much like to hear what Simon and others here think about being explicit regarding the likelihood of some state of emergency and martial law in the (near?) future as protests grow and Trump weakens.
Faux Cheesehead Elon Musk spent $20M pissing off voters and was humiliated
in a landslide, in a state where elections are routinely won or lost by 1% or less.
Cory Booker spoke his truth, and ours, for 25 hours and 4 minutes…
you could feel the presence of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King
there with him as he elevated all of us into the higher ground available to humanity.
Republicans in the House and Senate have been placed on notice that fully half of Trump’s 2024 coattails were torched in ruby red Florida Congressional districts. This morning MAGA and GOP electeds who thought they were lording over R+15 districts have woken up in toss-up territory.
Preview of coming attractions…
The House will be voting on House Res 23-the Proxy Voting for New Parents Resolution this week (and on nothing else apparently, as family values are about to bite GOP House leadership in the butt) as the discharge petition puts all of the Trump-Johnson priority bills on hold. Please call your Member of Congress, especially if they are Red, and demand that they support for family values and vote YES on HR 23.
Will tariff-affected Senate Republicans pull together enough votes to join with Democrats to pull the covers on Trump’s bullshit National Emergency Proclamation that is the legal pretext for his raging Tariff madness.
As Rachel so prophetically has said, “Watch this space.”
I made my calls urging TX senators that Hegseth and Waltz should resign. I urged my Republican congressman to hold an in person town hall and vote against cutting Medicaid.
Good for you!! I was born & raised Texan, but moved to NM in 1986. I keep trying & trying to reach out to my sister & other family members back there, trying to get them to see the lawlessness, the damage being done. I’m sure it’s harder to call reps that are hard core maga; so glad you do it.
Fantastic Win in Wisconsin!!!! And Thank You Simon for posting what I thought was the most incredible parts of Susan Crawford's wonderful acceptance speech, Thurgood Marshall's quote. She then spoke of the import to the world of such a push back as the Wisconsin win - she and Senator Cory Booker are leaders for this moment showing that our phoenix can rise from the ashes!!!
Stevens was raving about your interview in his convo with Rick Wilson. He loves what you and we are doing. I am a lifelong strong Dem, including some time in "pro ball" with NJ Governor and Begala/Carville and on the Hill. I know many truly engaged Dems who give money and volunteer and hate Trump with the hate of a hundred suns. But many are disaffected, still, and angry at Biden. Most loved Sen Booker. Wisconsin win is waking people up. We need more flagpole events and rallies and get them coverage with newsmakers. Dems need to see elected standing up for our values and future.
I think it is Stuart. He and Tim Miller are my favorite of all the never=Trumper pundit analysts. So much depth and Hopium in that video you posted, Simon. Having you collaborate with all these great people is a wonderful way to grow a group brain for Pro Democracy. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you
A great day! My 2 cents: Musk may be poison, but we must constantly link him to Trump or it will seem that we think that getting rid of Musk will make this administration acceptable. “Trump’s hand-picked wrecking ball, Elon Musk,” etc.
YES!! Musk is the poison that will take Trump down. We must get Trump to deny and double down, a la Roy Cohn. People hate Musk. Without him, to them Trump becomes more palatable and his lies believable.
I don't think that repulsive, toad-faced twerp's ego will let him step away from the spotlight. Narcissists need a constant supply of attention or they feel like they're dying.
Oh Musk will be around telling Trump what to do - unless Trump gets jealous and dumps him. Then, it will be another Trump sycophant "advising" him.
They're stuck with each other: nesting egg of devil's bargains - all that's left is a small group of incompetent, revolting men with personality disorders
Agreed. I've been reading rumors that Elon might be leaving now. I still think we need to keep hammering Tesla and linking him to Trump even if he isn't in the White House day-to-day anymore, if we can even trust that he's been removed.
The rumors are right. His role has a 130-day time limit, and at the end of May, Musk's hourglass runs out of (...Hmm, what's the proper plural for units of sand in an hourglass? Sands? (No, that can't be right. I'll just say time.)) time.
Sand grains
I guess that works, but I could've sworn there was a single word for it that I just couldn't remember.
And we still don't know what info.he and his DOGE guys have. We may never know but I think we need to keep on it.
I've been hearing rumors that Musk has been firing all the government employees then reassigning contracts to himself, so even it he leaves after the 130-day window, we still won't be rid of him.
He's absolutely doing that. They're all slimeballs.
Sarah, you are 100% on. I completely agree. We must put blame where it belongs, Trump. Then his minions.
Cory Booker gave not just a record-setting speech, but a truly excellent speech. That said, I am surprised he didn’t do this as a filibuster, but perhaps Senator Booker felt he needed to seize the moment – and the moment was now.
I am also glad to see Senate Democrats are using their power to place holds on Trump’s many and odious nominations. There should be holds on all of them!
And for each and every agency, those holds should remain in place until the Trump Regime spends funds according to the allocations made by Congress. This also means halting and reversing DOGE’s unlawful firings of our civil servants. Trump/Musk’s shuttering of USAID is blatantly illegal, and just one of many egregious examples.
All of this that you said!!!
Wait, you're right. Thurmond still has the record for longest filibuster. Thanks, hadn't caught that important qualifier.
Actually, no he doesn't Thurmond was allowed to leave the floor, take bathroom breaks and eat. So, no, he doesn't hold the record. He left the floor.
I'd love to see Senate Dems do constant filibusters, each trying to outdo Cory's record.
💯
He didn't do it as a filibuster because there was no bill attached to his oratory. It was not an attempt to derail or stall a piece of legislation. He was speaking about the health of the United States.
“As a little girl growing up in Chippewa Falls, I never could have imagined that I’d be taking on the richest man in the world for justice in Wisconsin. And we won!
"Justice does not have a price. Our courts are not for sale!"
– Susan Crawford, newly elected Justice to the Wisconsin Supreme Court
As a Wisconsonite (always in my heart despite living far from my homeland/heartland), I love that Susan Crawford mentions her hometown in her acceptance speech. Chippewa Falls is a small community of 15,000 in north central Wisconsin. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chippewa_Falls%2C_Wisconsin
One claim to fame is that Chippewa Falls is the home of the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewery Company, a.k.a. "Leine's". Another piece of trivia: Fictional character, Jack Dawson, played by Leonardo DiCaprio in James Cameron's "Titanic", hailed from Chippewa Falls. Now the town is really on the map as hometown pride, Susan Crawford, makes history as the newly elected Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
https://apnews.com/article/susan-crawford-profile-wisconsin-supreme-court-68a679bd5c52e42384d877955a57e6f3
Report from Aurora, CO: Let’s keep the momentum going! Musk is on the ropes!
We’re getting ready to fly to Washington, DC for the Saturday April 5th Hands Off! Rally at the Washington Monument! Incredible number of groups sponsoring: https://handsoff2025.com/about-1 and https://www.womensmarch.com/initiatives/peoples-veto-day-washington-d-c
On Sunday, April 6th the Ukraine Action Summit begins in DC. Rally at the Lincoln Memorial at 3 p.m. https://unitedhelpukraine.org/events/rally-stand-for-american-values-support-ukraine/
https://americancoalitionforukraine.org/ukraine-action-summit/ukraine-action-summit-spring-2025/
Please attend a rally/march in your local area if you are unable to get to D.C. Every visible body matters!
Meanwhile in Aurora, Illinois – DEMOCRATIC VICTORY
Richard Irvin, mayor of Aurora, Illinois, lost his reelection race to John Laesch, 53–46. Irvin was considered a strong general election Republican candidate for Illinois Governor in 2022 but didn't win the primary. Laesch is a union carpenter who was endorsed by state Democrats.
Aurora is the second largest city in Illinois.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/aurora-illinois-mayor-richard-irvin-concedes-election-john-laesch/
That's how we roll, and troll, in Colorado: https://www.denver7.com/news/politics/colorado-gov-polis-takes-a-jab-at-trump-with-april-fools-capitol-portrait-spoof
I saw that yesterday. Absolutely brilliant!
humor will always work against tyrants!
Trump absolutely hates being laughed at, hates it. We should do it more often.
Good news i haven’t heard this morning. Thank you!
These are the kinds of stories I want to be able to share in my news network — great stories that are underreported and go widely unnoticed but shouldn’t. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks. I was already planning to be in the April 5 Hands Off rally in DC, but I didn't know about the rally for Ukraine. I will definitely join that, too.
Thank you for this.
I will be protesting on April 5, I had not heard about the pro Ukraine march on April 6.
I definitely will march for Ukraine 🇺🇦 I hate what trump is doing to Ukraine 🇺🇦 it’s just disgusting
Simon makes a very important point: "The reason Trump has begun floating a third term is that he is feeling his influence wane, and he doesn’t want to be a struggling leader who is both losing his grip on Washington AND a lame duck." We should constantly refer to him as "Lame Donald Duck." Republican elected will feel more confident standing up to him if they view him as a lame duck.
I made calls this morning to Alsobrooks, Raskin, and Van Hollen. I said that every Dem needs to sign up for a night and do what Booker did. Also that they must save Social Security from death by a thousand firings and the the crew conducting our national security matters over insecure social media must go.
Turning my attention now to the Virginia races coming up THIS November. Spanberger is a great candidate and her R opponents are batshit crazy MAGAts.
Wow, thank you very much for loading me up with that mental image. Welcome to my nightmares, Donald Duck/Trump Minotaur... (Joking aside, agreed on all counts.)
I will donate to Spanberger.
Simon, I appreciate the way you queue up discussions that are going to happen a few hours later - "preview" gives me an opportunity to be thoughtful about questions I might want to ask
For some reason I am unable to get to a registration page for tonight. Can others?
Have to run to an event but will check back later.
I am SO appreciative that you record these, Simon. I will be at a mayor candidate forum here in N Texas at the webinar time—focusing on local here!
Try this. https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_iNNpILacT5SiYfhNpCdHbg?_gl=1*544sn*_gcl_au*MTA3MzAyMjA4My4xNzM3MDczMzAz*_ga*MjcwNTUwODE0LjE2OTQzMDE5MjQ.*_ga_L8TBF28DDX*MTc0MzQyNDE3OC42MzcuMS4xNzQzNDI0OTYzLjAuMC4w#/registration
Still no luck for me. Goes to a blank page and n the registration never comes up.
Hmm. Perhaps a different device?
Finally had a chance to try on my laptop. It worked on laptop, but I never could get it to work on iPad.
Thanks for the link.
I also cannot register.
The link worked. Thanks.
You're welcome!
Excellent, focus on local Texas woman.
Hi all -
Traveling today but I will wear my "resist" shirt and try to engage folks on my journeys!
I am so proud of both of our wonderful NJ Senators Kim and Booker, and I thank you, Simon, for coaching Sen. Booker & moving him in the right direction. Thanks also for setting up the fundraiser! And finally, thanks also to this wonderful community for supporting Cory!
I'd like to encourage everyone to include in their phone calls to senators a message to do what Cory did. Any senator can do it, they all should! And please keep the pressure on with Signalgate, people - don't let this distract you. According to Malcolm Nance, we should all be very concerned about saber-rattling coming from DC.
Keep going!
Speaking of saber rattling, I would very much like to hear what Simon and others here think about being explicit regarding the likelihood of some state of emergency and martial law in the (near?) future as protests grow and Trump weakens.
Oh it’s highly likely, IMO. Trump, Homan, Miller, Noem, all of them just itching to do it. Trump has wanted an excuse ever since the BLM protests.
Trump’s ship of fools runs aground in Wisconsin
Faux Cheesehead Elon Musk spent $20M pissing off voters and was humiliated
in a landslide, in a state where elections are routinely won or lost by 1% or less.
Cory Booker spoke his truth, and ours, for 25 hours and 4 minutes…
you could feel the presence of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King
there with him as he elevated all of us into the higher ground available to humanity.
Republicans in the House and Senate have been placed on notice that fully half of Trump’s 2024 coattails were torched in ruby red Florida Congressional districts. This morning MAGA and GOP electeds who thought they were lording over R+15 districts have woken up in toss-up territory.
Preview of coming attractions…
The House will be voting on House Res 23-the Proxy Voting for New Parents Resolution this week (and on nothing else apparently, as family values are about to bite GOP House leadership in the butt) as the discharge petition puts all of the Trump-Johnson priority bills on hold. Please call your Member of Congress, especially if they are Red, and demand that they support for family values and vote YES on HR 23.
Will tariff-affected Senate Republicans pull together enough votes to join with Democrats to pull the covers on Trump’s bullshit National Emergency Proclamation that is the legal pretext for his raging Tariff madness.
As Rachel so prophetically has said, “Watch this space.”
Thanks for your post, it was so inspiring. Power to the People. April 5th -Let’s bring it home People.
Democrats need to stay in the high gear and not slide back. It's a new time not like the old time.
I made my calls urging TX senators that Hegseth and Waltz should resign. I urged my Republican congressman to hold an in person town hall and vote against cutting Medicaid.
Good for you!! I was born & raised Texan, but moved to NM in 1986. I keep trying & trying to reach out to my sister & other family members back there, trying to get them to see the lawlessness, the damage being done. I’m sure it’s harder to call reps that are hard core maga; so glad you do it.
Please LMK why I’m unable to sign up for tonight’s meeting. Think I’m paid up til May 1. Thanks! 😊
Link often doesn’t work on my iPad but works on my Android phone or PC.
Substack's weird. Try this! https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_iNNpILacT5SiYfhNpCdHbg?_gl=1*544sn*_gcl_au*MTA3MzAyMjA4My4xNzM3MDczMzAz*_ga*MjcwNTUwODE0LjE2OTQzMDE5MjQ.*_ga_L8TBF28DDX*MTc0MzQyNDE3OC42MzcuMS4xNzQzNDI0OTYzLjAuMC4w#/registration
Great post, Simon, thanks for your thoughts on
How Many Bad Ways Trump and Musk are hurting us. First good day in a very long time. More of them to come!
Fantastic Win in Wisconsin!!!! And Thank You Simon for posting what I thought was the most incredible parts of Susan Crawford's wonderful acceptance speech, Thurgood Marshall's quote. She then spoke of the import to the world of such a push back as the Wisconsin win - she and Senator Cory Booker are leaders for this moment showing that our phoenix can rise from the ashes!!!
Simon--great writing. Isn't it Stuart Stevens?
Yes I fixed it on line! Thank you
Stevens was raving about your interview in his convo with Rick Wilson. He loves what you and we are doing. I am a lifelong strong Dem, including some time in "pro ball" with NJ Governor and Begala/Carville and on the Hill. I know many truly engaged Dems who give money and volunteer and hate Trump with the hate of a hundred suns. But many are disaffected, still, and angry at Biden. Most loved Sen Booker. Wisconsin win is waking people up. We need more flagpole events and rallies and get them coverage with newsmakers. Dems need to see elected standing up for our values and future.
and we need "A Letter to America" Perhaps Stuart will start lobbying his network too.
I think it is Stuart. He and Tim Miller are my favorite of all the never=Trumper pundit analysts. So much depth and Hopium in that video you posted, Simon. Having you collaborate with all these great people is a wonderful way to grow a group brain for Pro Democracy. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you
x100000000000000000000000