I think part of the lefts frustration comes from Bernie's run as well and more broadly the chosen candidates(next in line get the call up). The only way to mix things up on our end is to primary candidates, but when our side does that they feel that if / when they lose that side puts up a pity party. The Republicans do a better job of voting for whoever regardless (we need to act more like them). Really having some primaries from the left that win may help us. They may not really care to activate for us because they feel used/they are not going to get what they want anyway so why bother.
Sorry if you have seen this before, but one thing we can do to get the Democrats to get loud is Timothy Snyder's (On Tyrrany) idea for a peoples cabinet.
The petition below has gotten > 1000 signatures in the last 24 hours, and if we get more and deliver it to the DNC who knows? Please sign and forward.
Here's a post you can use, and how to sign:
Democrats, we need to get louder to respond forcefully to the administration and make them own their unpopular actions. One way is to form a People's Cabinet, our best folks speaking out. Please sign and forward this petition!
Sign the petition but use your voice, as well. Call Schumer (202) 224-6542 tell him you are a Democrat and want to see them fight this regime. Then call Jeffries (202) 225-5936 and say the same. Short and simple sample script “I am a Democrat who supports Democrats with my action and my money. It is time for Democratic leadership to speak out against the current administration’s anti-democratic actions They are endangering our lives, our planet and our democracy Please get LOUD.”
"Please get loud – and in a simple and straightforward manner voice the alternative Democratic policies that you believe America should instead be following."
TImothy Snyder explains it well and can provide choice quotes and a succinct definition. That said, both Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries are familiar enough with European politics, where Shadow Cabinets are a very common feature in many countries.
The dems so far have been pretty feckless as an opposition party. I'd like to see new, more effective leadership. I am contacting my dem reps in congress and urging them to be more outspoken against Trump.
Agree that your suggestion to directly contact leadership can be the most effective. No disrepect intended, @Steve Engel, but I am not sure those petitions are as effective at getting the messages to leadership as they are at creating potential donor bases, based on my past experiences. I understand the potential power behind lots of names being sent all at once to leadership, but my preference is to just contact them directly. I might also suggest that, even though she is no longer an official leader, Nancy Pelosi undoubtedly continues to hold power and respect (as a "leader emmeritus") among her peers. Thus, it also might be effective to contact her, as well.
I am not opposed to the idea of a shadow-type of cabinet. I would want to know what it's supposed to achieve -- and whether there are alternate methods to achieve it. There are roughly 20 cabinet positions, for example, and it might be more effective to focus on a smaller number. (What Snyder observed in the UK doesn't match, IMO, our current situation.)
One "shadow seat" that could be considered immediately is Health and Human Services. Trump has ordered communications cut from CDC and NIH -- and there's H5N1 that's on the rise.
It does not require a lot of volume to overcome silence. Prepare other "seats" in the background and bring them up and forward as each new Trump-caused crisis becomes visible, using HHS as the model. With Trump recently threatening Denmark (!!!) over Greenland, State is another seat that might be needed soon.
Read Tim Snyders substack where he introduced the idea. That will give you the background. My understanding is that it would be an informal way to organize our electeds in getting loud.
Of course, I read what Snyder wrote. Dated January 9. I got the sense of a "loyal opposition" that was playing out, relatively speaking, like a minuet in Amadeus. (FREQUENT government changes in their parliamentary system.)
What Trump has offered in his first week is more of a body-slamming mosh pit. (And we want to compete on loudness? That's what I'm not getting.)
By all means, form the cabinet. But I'd ask people to consider -- with a shutdown in critical health-care information from CDC -- if an opposition HHS channel in Wikileaks mode might be of more immediate impact.
PS: Since flu shots have about a 90 to 120 day effectiveness, I use the CDC's Flu Tracker to time mine -- when I start to see cases rise in my area. Flu can be a killer.
It is important to deliver just like a daily briefing:
Just a chance to tell of bad bills and good bills and inviting people to contact their reps based on how they might vote or did vote. I subscribe to such as this on Substack, but this would be a daily briefing right out in the mainstream front and center. This is hopeful. How I think it really functions is to highlight with comparisons how the left works to build up the family, the middle class, the community, the country, as opposed to...
You can check out Five Questions with Timothy Snyder from Joyce Vance’s Civil Discourse, Friday January 24. This would be articulate people who can get on various media outlets such as Cable News, Letters to the Editor, speaking engagements around the country to address civic organizations, universities, etc. Pete Buttigieg is the best example I can think of right now. Five Questions does require a paid subscription. It’s well worth it!
Since the firing of the watchdogs -- Inspectors General -- I am liking the idea more and more of opening up Wikileaks-type channels to allow people in the civil service branches to circumvent their restrictions on communications -- starting with public health.
Technically, this is very doable -- is very focused -- and might very well provoke yet another insane response from the White Asylum.
Freedom of information flow is VERY American, in defiance of censorship. What MAGA has been successful at doing is intimidating people into self-censorship.
Those planes full of deportees? When they can’t land, expect the deportees to be landed in the ocean, to perish, and then for the process to be covered up. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_flights
Tillis should be the number 1 target for defeat in his Senate reelection bid in 2026. He could have flipped and voted against Hegseth. Instead, he was the key to creating a tie so that Vance could break it. NC Dems have their hands full defending a 2024 win in their Supreme Court race, but we sure need to be there to support them going forward to win that fight AND to defeat Tillis.
As to Shumer and Jeffries--yes, very disappointed that they haven't come out stronger. Come on, guys, it's time to get in the game and act like leaders--not just in Congress but in mobilizing for action in the country.
Call Schumer (202) 224-6542 tell him you are a Democrat and want to see them fight this regime. Then call Jeffries (202) 225-5936 and say the same. Short and simple sample script “I am a Democrat who supports Democrats with my action and my money. It is time for Democratic leadership to speak out against the current administration’s anti-democratic actions They are endangering our lives, our planet and our democracy Please get LOUD."
In 2020, Thom Tillis won by a mere 1.75 percent. Cal Cunningham could and should have won – pity he was brain-dead enough to very publicly commit marital infidelity. Tragic!
(Yes, I know it’s not fair that Republican politicians frequently get away with such behavior, while Democrats have to be virtually impeccable.)
What if Charles de Gaulle had said, “Oh well, the Nazis are in Paris, let’s try to work with them?” Call Schumer (202) 224-6542 tell him you are a Democrat and want to see them fight this regime. Then call Jeffries (202) 225-5936 and say the same. Short sample script: “I am a Democrat who supports Democrats with my action and my money. It is time for Democratic leadership to speak out against the current administration’s anti-democratic actions They are endangering our lives, our planet and our democracy Please get LOUD.” I have called Schumer’s office daily telling him to stand in opposition. We need a LOUD opposition, and not just a few wonderful Dems like Elizabeth Warren, AOC and Chris Murphy, for example.
As we examine precisely what Trump is doing on the deportation front, and his unfolding terrorization of immigrant communities, I think it wise to constantly ask ourselves a key question: Precisely how is Trump using this to increase his power, including in blatantly unconstitutional ways?
Will he, for example, try to remove Democratic mayors of so-called Sanctuary Cities? Will he try to withhold federal funds from Blue states with uncooperative governors? Will he try to outsource border patrol and raids on suspected undocumented migrants to the Proud Boys and other violent militias that are personally beholden to him after his outrageous massive pardons? I believe these are things to watch for.
(In mentioning these things, my intention isn’t to raise anxieties, but simply to encourage us to also examine events through the filter of "power".)
Whether or not Trump’s actions are illegal or unconstitutional matter only in the abstract sense. What matters in the real world is the extent to which we are able to STOP him.
Trump is all about power. I believe one of America’s most underreported stories is how, immediately after his 2016 victory, his MAGA movement moved successfully to seize control of the Republican Party organization in state after state.
The answer is yes to all you raise. The "undocumented" thing is a decoy for normies. The actual program is ethnic cleansing of non-white people from America. Step two is forced birth to repopulate with white people. If you are reading this and think I'm nuts to write this, it's more than likely because it is impossible for you conceive that so many people could be obsessed with white skin, not because I am wrong. I don't understand the reason for White Supremacy but I do see that it now seems to be an overriding obsession with a large part of the GOP. What amazes me is that there is a single dark skinned American that fails to see it. Being the daughter of a Holocaust survivor I guess helps me to see this even though I'm pale skinned as can be. Nazism is a deranged ideology. If you want to see a glaring example of skin color being a random category of choice for fascist obsession you have only to look at Russia v Ukraine. Put a random group of Russians and Ukrainians in a line up. Who is going to be able to look at them and tell which is which? Yet the rhetoric/actions by Russia is all about ethnic cleansing.
Excellent points. Today, Americans have forgotten the list of immigrants who once were "not considered proper, good White people". That includes Italians, Poles and other Eastern Europeans, and the Irish.
I know it’s not politically correct, but there is significant racism also in the immigrant communities. For example, many American citizens of Hispanic background, who simply want to fully integrate, don’t look kindly on the wave of undocumented Latin American immigrants, many of whom have more Native American ancestry and hence darker skin than they do.
That is not correct. Kamala Harris won 53% of the overall Latino vote, whereas Tump received only 43%. However, that was a marked increase from his share in 2020.
Something else that never gets mentioned - how many of those Latinos changing to Trump were evangelicals? They've been proselytizing heavily in the Latino community for years, The failure to acknowledge the role of a toxic religion clouds people's understanding of the problem.
I hope Leaders Schumer and Jeffries understand that we are trying to be patient but there is frustration here too. At least acknowledging the need for action would be better than nothing. Right now it feels like the race has started and our feet are glued to the blocks. I know we will have few wins and that the ability to tolerate this is crucial. But a little communication from the party leadership would go a long way. Just sayin’.
I’m a bit confused about the photo of Newsom and Trump which makes it look like Newsom is giving Trump “a piece of his mind.” But from what I can tell from news reports, the meeting was cordial. The LA Times, for instance, says “President Trump shared a warm embrace with Gov. Gavin Newsom and appeared to pledge his support to Los Angeles as he stepped onto state soil Friday for the first time in his second term.” It would seem to be strategically dumb for Newsom to pick a public fight with Trump right now, given that his state desperately needs federal help. So while Newsom and other Democrats are completely justified in confronting Trump’s fascism, for this *specific* meeting, it seems believable that Newsom would have put this aside to simply get agreement from Trump to secure federal aid. Does this normalize Trump? Maybe. And might Trump turn around and deny California aid anyway? Maybe. But I’m guessing yelling at Trump on the tarmac would have made it less likely to result in aid to California.
The fucking LA Times!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Come on. You have to be kidding me.
Newsom had to crash Trump's trip. None of it was coordinated with the state. They had no notice he was coming and Newsom showed up at the tarmac uninvited. Trump has been trashing Newsom, the state, Los Angeles and making outrageous demands and threatening to eliminate FEMA without witch CA would burn. The meeting wasn't cordial. It was one strong leader responding to a bully and an asshole rather than bending the knee. Find better newsources next time please.
I don't engage at all with cable news, so I was taking aback when eating out last night. The restaurant had a channel on with a multi-feed of different news broadcasts with the sound down. The sheer amount of ass-kissing on display in the wording used in the chyrons was out of control. No wonder people end up thinking it was a cordial meeting. It's Radio Rwanda time in terms of the level of propaganda. It's only gotten worse compared to last summer.
I will watch interview and listen. I very much enjoyed the interview with David Hogg and hope he succeeds. The Blue Wall is indeed under threat.
While Hegseth’s confirmation is disappointing and damning of the craven GOP (that would be you, Joni Ernst and co.), I saw an interesting post this morning on Bluesky from Mark Cuban. Namely, Hegseth can’t run DOD without next level leadership many of whom need Senate confirmation.
Simon - can you please confirm or correct Cuban’s post? Is there value to keep calling on these appointees who are less likely to be scrutinized by MSM? Sad though it may be, I think most Americans have the attention span of a gnat!!
Simon, these interviews are such a huge public service. And I gain so much from the conversation here. More letters to write! More phone calls to make! More scripts! I am on it. I am grateful. I also want to add, on this Saturday morning, when, yesterday afternoon and all through the night I did not think I could take it, when I went to a very very dark place in my own soul, I wrote a piece on my own Substack about the need to strengthen our coalition not just through the calls but through the kindness toward and support we show to one another. The Bishop is key to this post. So is a single loaf of bread. For anyone seeking light as we continue our fight, I humbly share these quiet words here: https://thehushandthehowl.substack.com/p/poppy-seeds-and-almond-extract
Michael, thank you so much. Do you know what is funny, or not? I had an angry Unsubscriber ovre that post. Just like the Christians who are furious at our beautiful Bishop. When did kindness become so very wrong?
Those who are furious are Christianists – not Christians. There is a vast and fundamental difference, akin to the difference between Islamists and Muslims.
I lived for many years beside a raging Evangelist who tried all that time to win over my soul. We could make it work. We were friends. (I was never persuaded.) But when Trump emerged and she started talking about all those dirty diseased children at the border (my husband is Salvadoran, she should have known better), well — that was it. That was the dividing line. How could a devout Christian who reads the Bible think in those terms at all? We have not spoken since.
Loved your post. And how could that woman be so unself-aware? I guess people retreat into their tribes when they are frightened. Tragic dimension of human nature.
We almost stopped the confirmation of Pete Hegseth! I believe this is only the second time in history that a VP’s tie-breaking vote has been required to confirm a Cabinet member.
Murkowski and Collins Nay vote may have been predicted. I though McConnell’s vote against Hegseth was a nice surprise. However, I do have the nagging feeling that McConnell could have done more – that he could have used his influence in the Republican Senate caucus to swing at least one more vote, and thus sunk Hegseth’s nomination.
Agreed, I was watching the vote tally on my phone in the final minutes. McConnell was about the 43nd GOP vote and he waited until people like Cornyn and other "normies" to go first. After he voted, Tillis was about the only one left who might have killed the nomination. Its an old trick that all politicians know; if its controversial wait until you know the outcome then vote against so you can save face with constituents. It felt like that. Now McConnell can say he didn't vote for the incompetent, drunken, malevolent a-hole.
I kinda see this period as them trying to ram in as many awful things as possible because they know they only have a short window to operate in, especially once the public catches on to the implications of the administration's actions. Any Republican resistance is going to be bare-bones, at least until it sinks in that trump won't be on the ballot anymore and they have a political future to think about.
McConnell has always been a leader of the white supremacist, misogynistic, old southern guard’s plotting and planning that paved the way for the current state of affairs. He gets a slight nod but no more from me, for his paltry vote against the fruit of his own efforts.
I agree. McConnell could’ve done a lot more. A lot more . he could’ve announced his vote and brought other people along. Now he is just an inconsequential vote. Like not voting for impeachment because “ the courts will take care of this,”.
I’m no fan of the LA Times, or The NY Times, or Politico, or Axios, NBC News, but they’re all reporting the same thing, with photographic evidence of a half “embrace” by the two men. There were words exchanged where Newsom asked for help and Trump. From The NY Times:
“Any animosity was put aside during their short time together on the tarmac. Mr. Trump thanked Mr. Newsom for meeting him, and Mr. Newsom recalled how the White House helped California during the Covid pandemic, during Mr. Trump’s last term.
“We’re going to need your help,” Mr. Newsom said. “You were there for us, during Covid, I don’t forget that, and I have all the expectations that we will be able to work together for a speedy recovery.”
Mr. Trump nodded. “We are going to get this done.”
Are all these media outlets lying? Is there objective reality anymore? If we cannot trust what seems to be pretty straightforward reporting by multiple news outlets then where are we?
My brother’s neighbors adopted their son and daughter from Ethiopia. The kids are in high school now. Their mother has been posting on FB about the need to get certificates of citizenship on top of the other usual docs, be sure the name is consistent across the docs, etc. I never even considered international adoptions in all this. This anti-immigrant agenda is metastatic and even more dangerous than I’d considered.
Simon - I appreciate your newsletter and all the great work you and didn’t realize you were the one responding before my last message. LA Times is indeed owned by an oligarch, and is likely biased, but I’m legitimately at a loss to find any news report that describes the meeting as contentious. The video from CNN https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/24/politics/video/gavin-newsom-donald-trump-tarmac-digvid looks like they indeed share a half embrace. So I’m not trying to be a jerk, but I am literally confused by the disconnect. You correctly point out that Newsom showed up uninvited, which is a power move, but otherwise the actual interaction seemed short and non contentious. Some other news sources that seem to tell the same story:
It's because Trump caved when Newsom confronted him. He yielded. Nothing about the trip was friendly. He came into a disaster area uninvited and without coordinating with state and local officials, trashing them at every step, threatening to cut off their aid. Trump backed down when challenged, which is the big lesson here.
For the record up until Monday my wife was the lead coordinator in the federal government for all disaster response and worked closely with Newsom and officials throughout California. What Trump was attempting to do was reckless and inflammatory but he yielded once he was on the ground.
This can’t be emphasized enough. Trump is indeed a wrecking ball and is doing terrible things, but he is ultimately a coward and a weak, ill, old man. He can be triggered by something as benign as being publicly asked to be merciful to vulnerable people.
I appreciate the context and feel better informed by this exchange. I also appreciate your wife's work and am horrified by the reality that federal response will now be undoubtedly led by someone far less competent and likely antagonistic to California. It does seem that a reasonable person unfamiliar with the entire backstory could watch the brief interaction between Newsom and Trump, though, read multiple news accounts about it (not just the LA Times), read transcripts of their exchange and conclude that the interaction was cordial. With context, sure, there's a much different story. But your response to my initial question seemed the to dismiss the media's take out of hand -- like the LA Times is biased and I was an idiot for raising the question. For the record, I'm firmly in the choir that you're preaching to here. So I feel that by being able to question things that you say that I don't understand, and having you provide context, might bring to light understanding that can be helpful in fighting this fight.
I think part of the lefts frustration comes from Bernie's run as well and more broadly the chosen candidates(next in line get the call up). The only way to mix things up on our end is to primary candidates, but when our side does that they feel that if / when they lose that side puts up a pity party. The Republicans do a better job of voting for whoever regardless (we need to act more like them). Really having some primaries from the left that win may help us. They may not really care to activate for us because they feel used/they are not going to get what they want anyway so why bother.
I appreciated your comments, thank you.
I'm wondering about not paying taxes en masse. If enough of us threaten this say in the next few weeks? IRS was gutted. We need to take action.
Sorry if you have seen this before, but one thing we can do to get the Democrats to get loud is Timothy Snyder's (On Tyrrany) idea for a peoples cabinet.
The petition below has gotten > 1000 signatures in the last 24 hours, and if we get more and deliver it to the DNC who knows? Please sign and forward.
Here's a post you can use, and how to sign:
Democrats, we need to get louder to respond forcefully to the administration and make them own their unpopular actions. One way is to form a People's Cabinet, our best folks speaking out. Please sign and forward this petition!
www.change.org/shadowcabinet
(see https://snyder.substack.com/p/shadow-cabinet)
Sign the petition but use your voice, as well. Call Schumer (202) 224-6542 tell him you are a Democrat and want to see them fight this regime. Then call Jeffries (202) 225-5936 and say the same. Short and simple sample script “I am a Democrat who supports Democrats with my action and my money. It is time for Democratic leadership to speak out against the current administration’s anti-democratic actions They are endangering our lives, our planet and our democracy Please get LOUD.”
"Please get loud – and in a simple and straightforward manner voice the alternative Democratic policies that you believe America should instead be following."
How do I explain what a shadow cabinet is to Jeffries and Schumer when I call them?
TImothy Snyder explains it well and can provide choice quotes and a succinct definition. That said, both Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries are familiar enough with European politics, where Shadow Cabinets are a very common feature in many countries.
The dems so far have been pretty feckless as an opposition party. I'd like to see new, more effective leadership. I am contacting my dem reps in congress and urging them to be more outspoken against Trump.
https://youtube.com/shorts/zBYoYr7NAZA?feature=share
THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Agree that your suggestion to directly contact leadership can be the most effective. No disrepect intended, @Steve Engel, but I am not sure those petitions are as effective at getting the messages to leadership as they are at creating potential donor bases, based on my past experiences. I understand the potential power behind lots of names being sent all at once to leadership, but my preference is to just contact them directly. I might also suggest that, even though she is no longer an official leader, Nancy Pelosi undoubtedly continues to hold power and respect (as a "leader emmeritus") among her peers. Thus, it also might be effective to contact her, as well.
why not both?
I am not opposed to the idea of a shadow-type of cabinet. I would want to know what it's supposed to achieve -- and whether there are alternate methods to achieve it. There are roughly 20 cabinet positions, for example, and it might be more effective to focus on a smaller number. (What Snyder observed in the UK doesn't match, IMO, our current situation.)
One "shadow seat" that could be considered immediately is Health and Human Services. Trump has ordered communications cut from CDC and NIH -- and there's H5N1 that's on the rise.
It does not require a lot of volume to overcome silence. Prepare other "seats" in the background and bring them up and forward as each new Trump-caused crisis becomes visible, using HHS as the model. With Trump recently threatening Denmark (!!!) over Greenland, State is another seat that might be needed soon.
Read Tim Snyders substack where he introduced the idea. That will give you the background. My understanding is that it would be an informal way to organize our electeds in getting loud.
https://snyder.substack.com/p/shadow-cabinet
Of course, I read what Snyder wrote. Dated January 9. I got the sense of a "loyal opposition" that was playing out, relatively speaking, like a minuet in Amadeus. (FREQUENT government changes in their parliamentary system.)
What Trump has offered in his first week is more of a body-slamming mosh pit. (And we want to compete on loudness? That's what I'm not getting.)
By all means, form the cabinet. But I'd ask people to consider -- with a shutdown in critical health-care information from CDC -- if an opposition HHS channel in Wikileaks mode might be of more immediate impact.
PS: Since flu shots have about a 90 to 120 day effectiveness, I use the CDC's Flu Tracker to time mine -- when I start to see cases rise in my area. Flu can be a killer.
It is important to deliver just like a daily briefing:
Just a chance to tell of bad bills and good bills and inviting people to contact their reps based on how they might vote or did vote. I subscribe to such as this on Substack, but this would be a daily briefing right out in the mainstream front and center. This is hopeful. How I think it really functions is to highlight with comparisons how the left works to build up the family, the middle class, the community, the country, as opposed to...
You can check out Five Questions with Timothy Snyder from Joyce Vance’s Civil Discourse, Friday January 24. This would be articulate people who can get on various media outlets such as Cable News, Letters to the Editor, speaking engagements around the country to address civic organizations, universities, etc. Pete Buttigieg is the best example I can think of right now. Five Questions does require a paid subscription. It’s well worth it!
Politics Girl tonight on the urgent need for Dems to get loud--well said! https://www.youtube.com/shorts/zBYoYr7NAZA
Since the firing of the watchdogs -- Inspectors General -- I am liking the idea more and more of opening up Wikileaks-type channels to allow people in the civil service branches to circumvent their restrictions on communications -- starting with public health.
Technically, this is very doable -- is very focused -- and might very well provoke yet another insane response from the White Asylum.
Freedom of information flow is VERY American, in defiance of censorship. What MAGA has been successful at doing is intimidating people into self-censorship.
Yes, shadow cabinet people would be natural hubs for distributing information, no matter who gathers it.
"We offer the socket ... PLEASE "plug:" in!!
Those planes full of deportees? When they can’t land, expect the deportees to be landed in the ocean, to perish, and then for the process to be covered up. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_flights
Or to go to prison camps where they can be loaned out to work for free picking crops, etc.
I've thought the same with the prison stocks higher after trump won.
Or sent to work camps in Greenland -- where we have a massive air base already.
"Extract those beautiful resources."
Political prisoners too (US citizens)
Trump’s also getting his butt kicked in the courts:
https://abcnews.go.com/US/judge-challenge-trumps-executive-order-ending-birthright-citizenship/story?id=118005855
Tillis should be the number 1 target for defeat in his Senate reelection bid in 2026. He could have flipped and voted against Hegseth. Instead, he was the key to creating a tie so that Vance could break it. NC Dems have their hands full defending a 2024 win in their Supreme Court race, but we sure need to be there to support them going forward to win that fight AND to defeat Tillis.
As to Shumer and Jeffries--yes, very disappointed that they haven't come out stronger. Come on, guys, it's time to get in the game and act like leaders--not just in Congress but in mobilizing for action in the country.
Call Schumer (202) 224-6542 tell him you are a Democrat and want to see them fight this regime. Then call Jeffries (202) 225-5936 and say the same. Short and simple sample script “I am a Democrat who supports Democrats with my action and my money. It is time for Democratic leadership to speak out against the current administration’s anti-democratic actions They are endangering our lives, our planet and our democracy Please get LOUD."
Yup, doing it! Thanks for the boost.
Thanks for this call to action!
I'm in North Carolina and couldn't agree with you more!
In 2020, Thom Tillis won by a mere 1.75 percent. Cal Cunningham could and should have won – pity he was brain-dead enough to very publicly commit marital infidelity. Tragic!
(Yes, I know it’s not fair that Republican politicians frequently get away with such behavior, while Democrats have to be virtually impeccable.)
What if Charles de Gaulle had said, “Oh well, the Nazis are in Paris, let’s try to work with them?” Call Schumer (202) 224-6542 tell him you are a Democrat and want to see them fight this regime. Then call Jeffries (202) 225-5936 and say the same. Short sample script: “I am a Democrat who supports Democrats with my action and my money. It is time for Democratic leadership to speak out against the current administration’s anti-democratic actions They are endangering our lives, our planet and our democracy Please get LOUD.” I have called Schumer’s office daily telling him to stand in opposition. We need a LOUD opposition, and not just a few wonderful Dems like Elizabeth Warren, AOC and Chris Murphy, for example.
As we examine precisely what Trump is doing on the deportation front, and his unfolding terrorization of immigrant communities, I think it wise to constantly ask ourselves a key question: Precisely how is Trump using this to increase his power, including in blatantly unconstitutional ways?
Will he, for example, try to remove Democratic mayors of so-called Sanctuary Cities? Will he try to withhold federal funds from Blue states with uncooperative governors? Will he try to outsource border patrol and raids on suspected undocumented migrants to the Proud Boys and other violent militias that are personally beholden to him after his outrageous massive pardons? I believe these are things to watch for.
(In mentioning these things, my intention isn’t to raise anxieties, but simply to encourage us to also examine events through the filter of "power".)
Whether or not Trump’s actions are illegal or unconstitutional matter only in the abstract sense. What matters in the real world is the extent to which we are able to STOP him.
Trump is all about power. I believe one of America’s most underreported stories is how, immediately after his 2016 victory, his MAGA movement moved successfully to seize control of the Republican Party organization in state after state.
He will surely try to get away with illegal and unconstitutional actions as long as no one challenges him.
Unfortunately, it has raised my anxieties - but I do agree with you. We need to be much louder on ALL of these ridiculous things.
The answer is yes to all you raise. The "undocumented" thing is a decoy for normies. The actual program is ethnic cleansing of non-white people from America. Step two is forced birth to repopulate with white people. If you are reading this and think I'm nuts to write this, it's more than likely because it is impossible for you conceive that so many people could be obsessed with white skin, not because I am wrong. I don't understand the reason for White Supremacy but I do see that it now seems to be an overriding obsession with a large part of the GOP. What amazes me is that there is a single dark skinned American that fails to see it. Being the daughter of a Holocaust survivor I guess helps me to see this even though I'm pale skinned as can be. Nazism is a deranged ideology. If you want to see a glaring example of skin color being a random category of choice for fascist obsession you have only to look at Russia v Ukraine. Put a random group of Russians and Ukrainians in a line up. Who is going to be able to look at them and tell which is which? Yet the rhetoric/actions by Russia is all about ethnic cleansing.
Excellent points. Today, Americans have forgotten the list of immigrants who once were "not considered proper, good White people". That includes Italians, Poles and other Eastern Europeans, and the Irish.
I know it’s not politically correct, but there is significant racism also in the immigrant communities. For example, many American citizens of Hispanic background, who simply want to fully integrate, don’t look kindly on the wave of undocumented Latin American immigrants, many of whom have more Native American ancestry and hence darker skin than they do.
The Latino community overwhelmingly voted for Trump in the first place... Something that I still don't understand.
That is not correct. Kamala Harris won 53% of the overall Latino vote, whereas Tump received only 43%. However, that was a marked increase from his share in 2020.
Something else that never gets mentioned - how many of those Latinos changing to Trump were evangelicals? They've been proselytizing heavily in the Latino community for years, The failure to acknowledge the role of a toxic religion clouds people's understanding of the problem.
I hope Leaders Schumer and Jeffries understand that we are trying to be patient but there is frustration here too. At least acknowledging the need for action would be better than nothing. Right now it feels like the race has started and our feet are glued to the blocks. I know we will have few wins and that the ability to tolerate this is crucial. But a little communication from the party leadership would go a long way. Just sayin’.
I’m a bit confused about the photo of Newsom and Trump which makes it look like Newsom is giving Trump “a piece of his mind.” But from what I can tell from news reports, the meeting was cordial. The LA Times, for instance, says “President Trump shared a warm embrace with Gov. Gavin Newsom and appeared to pledge his support to Los Angeles as he stepped onto state soil Friday for the first time in his second term.” It would seem to be strategically dumb for Newsom to pick a public fight with Trump right now, given that his state desperately needs federal help. So while Newsom and other Democrats are completely justified in confronting Trump’s fascism, for this *specific* meeting, it seems believable that Newsom would have put this aside to simply get agreement from Trump to secure federal aid. Does this normalize Trump? Maybe. And might Trump turn around and deny California aid anyway? Maybe. But I’m guessing yelling at Trump on the tarmac would have made it less likely to result in aid to California.
The LA Times.. lies! Owned by an oligarch. I am sure Newsom was direct and yet courteous.
The fucking LA Times!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Come on. You have to be kidding me.
Newsom had to crash Trump's trip. None of it was coordinated with the state. They had no notice he was coming and Newsom showed up at the tarmac uninvited. Trump has been trashing Newsom, the state, Los Angeles and making outrageous demands and threatening to eliminate FEMA without witch CA would burn. The meeting wasn't cordial. It was one strong leader responding to a bully and an asshole rather than bending the knee. Find better newsources next time please.
Why would you believe anything that the LA Times says?????
I don't engage at all with cable news, so I was taking aback when eating out last night. The restaurant had a channel on with a multi-feed of different news broadcasts with the sound down. The sheer amount of ass-kissing on display in the wording used in the chyrons was out of control. No wonder people end up thinking it was a cordial meeting. It's Radio Rwanda time in terms of the level of propaganda. It's only gotten worse compared to last summer.
I will watch interview and listen. I very much enjoyed the interview with David Hogg and hope he succeeds. The Blue Wall is indeed under threat.
While Hegseth’s confirmation is disappointing and damning of the craven GOP (that would be you, Joni Ernst and co.), I saw an interesting post this morning on Bluesky from Mark Cuban. Namely, Hegseth can’t run DOD without next level leadership many of whom need Senate confirmation.
Simon - can you please confirm or correct Cuban’s post? Is there value to keep calling on these appointees who are less likely to be scrutinized by MSM? Sad though it may be, I think most Americans have the attention span of a gnat!!
Go Bills.
Since I used to live in Buffalo and also Northern VA, I am conflicted.
Simon, these interviews are such a huge public service. And I gain so much from the conversation here. More letters to write! More phone calls to make! More scripts! I am on it. I am grateful. I also want to add, on this Saturday morning, when, yesterday afternoon and all through the night I did not think I could take it, when I went to a very very dark place in my own soul, I wrote a piece on my own Substack about the need to strengthen our coalition not just through the calls but through the kindness toward and support we show to one another. The Bishop is key to this post. So is a single loaf of bread. For anyone seeking light as we continue our fight, I humbly share these quiet words here: https://thehushandthehowl.substack.com/p/poppy-seeds-and-almond-extract
That's beautiful, Beth. Thank You... and you are right. Kindness counts these days... big time.
Michael, thank you so much. Do you know what is funny, or not? I had an angry Unsubscriber ovre that post. Just like the Christians who are furious at our beautiful Bishop. When did kindness become so very wrong?
Ans: When they stopped following Christ….
So true
Those who are furious are Christianists – not Christians. There is a vast and fundamental difference, akin to the difference between Islamists and Muslims.
I lived for many years beside a raging Evangelist who tried all that time to win over my soul. We could make it work. We were friends. (I was never persuaded.) But when Trump emerged and she started talking about all those dirty diseased children at the border (my husband is Salvadoran, she should have known better), well — that was it. That was the dividing line. How could a devout Christian who reads the Bible think in those terms at all? We have not spoken since.
Loved your post. And how could that woman be so unself-aware? I guess people retreat into their tribes when they are frightened. Tragic dimension of human nature.
Thank you so very much for traveling to that quiet and sometimes desperate part of my world. Xo
Cruelty became fashionable with the help of people like Rush Limbaugh.
We almost stopped the confirmation of Pete Hegseth! I believe this is only the second time in history that a VP’s tie-breaking vote has been required to confirm a Cabinet member.
Murkowski and Collins Nay vote may have been predicted. I though McConnell’s vote against Hegseth was a nice surprise. However, I do have the nagging feeling that McConnell could have done more – that he could have used his influence in the Republican Senate caucus to swing at least one more vote, and thus sunk Hegseth’s nomination.
McConnell is shrewd. I am sure it was posturing all the while knowing it would not swing the needle.
Agreed, I was watching the vote tally on my phone in the final minutes. McConnell was about the 43nd GOP vote and he waited until people like Cornyn and other "normies" to go first. After he voted, Tillis was about the only one left who might have killed the nomination. Its an old trick that all politicians know; if its controversial wait until you know the outcome then vote against so you can save face with constituents. It felt like that. Now McConnell can say he didn't vote for the incompetent, drunken, malevolent a-hole.
He waited until after Tillis voted so he knew his vote would not have made a difference.
I kinda see this period as them trying to ram in as many awful things as possible because they know they only have a short window to operate in, especially once the public catches on to the implications of the administration's actions. Any Republican resistance is going to be bare-bones, at least until it sinks in that trump won't be on the ballot anymore and they have a political future to think about.
McConnell has always been a leader of the white supremacist, misogynistic, old southern guard’s plotting and planning that paved the way for the current state of affairs. He gets a slight nod but no more from me, for his paltry vote against the fruit of his own efforts.
If McConnell does run for reelection in 2026 we will need to get really activated. Kentucky has. Democratic governor after all.
I agree. McConnell could’ve done a lot more. A lot more . he could’ve announced his vote and brought other people along. Now he is just an inconsequential vote. Like not voting for impeachment because “ the courts will take care of this,”.
I’m no fan of the LA Times, or The NY Times, or Politico, or Axios, NBC News, but they’re all reporting the same thing, with photographic evidence of a half “embrace” by the two men. There were words exchanged where Newsom asked for help and Trump. From The NY Times:
“Any animosity was put aside during their short time together on the tarmac. Mr. Trump thanked Mr. Newsom for meeting him, and Mr. Newsom recalled how the White House helped California during the Covid pandemic, during Mr. Trump’s last term.
“We’re going to need your help,” Mr. Newsom said. “You were there for us, during Covid, I don’t forget that, and I have all the expectations that we will be able to work together for a speedy recovery.”
Mr. Trump nodded. “We are going to get this done.”
Are all these media outlets lying? Is there objective reality anymore? If we cannot trust what seems to be pretty straightforward reporting by multiple news outlets then where are we?
My brother’s neighbors adopted their son and daughter from Ethiopia. The kids are in high school now. Their mother has been posting on FB about the need to get certificates of citizenship on top of the other usual docs, be sure the name is consistent across the docs, etc. I never even considered international adoptions in all this. This anti-immigrant agenda is metastatic and even more dangerous than I’d considered.
Simon - I appreciate your newsletter and all the great work you and didn’t realize you were the one responding before my last message. LA Times is indeed owned by an oligarch, and is likely biased, but I’m legitimately at a loss to find any news report that describes the meeting as contentious. The video from CNN https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/24/politics/video/gavin-newsom-donald-trump-tarmac-digvid looks like they indeed share a half embrace. So I’m not trying to be a jerk, but I am literally confused by the disconnect. You correctly point out that Newsom showed up uninvited, which is a power move, but otherwise the actual interaction seemed short and non contentious. Some other news sources that seem to tell the same story:
https://www.newsweek.com/video-shows-gavin-newsom-donald-trumps-exchange-tarmac-2020737
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/24/us/politics/trump-newsom-california-wildfires-relief.html
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5106055-trump-newsom-friendly-california-wildfires/
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/newsom-and-trump-face-off-from-a-distance-as-los-angeles-fires-burn/ar-AA1xO9su
It's because Trump caved when Newsom confronted him. He yielded. Nothing about the trip was friendly. He came into a disaster area uninvited and without coordinating with state and local officials, trashing them at every step, threatening to cut off their aid. Trump backed down when challenged, which is the big lesson here.
For the record up until Monday my wife was the lead coordinator in the federal government for all disaster response and worked closely with Newsom and officials throughout California. What Trump was attempting to do was reckless and inflammatory but he yielded once he was on the ground.
This can’t be emphasized enough. Trump is indeed a wrecking ball and is doing terrible things, but he is ultimately a coward and a weak, ill, old man. He can be triggered by something as benign as being publicly asked to be merciful to vulnerable people.
"Nation Shocked By Spectacle of Someone in Washington Advocating Kindness"
https://www.borowitzreport.com/p/nation-shocked-by-spectacle-of-someone
I appreciate the context and feel better informed by this exchange. I also appreciate your wife's work and am horrified by the reality that federal response will now be undoubtedly led by someone far less competent and likely antagonistic to California. It does seem that a reasonable person unfamiliar with the entire backstory could watch the brief interaction between Newsom and Trump, though, read multiple news accounts about it (not just the LA Times), read transcripts of their exchange and conclude that the interaction was cordial. With context, sure, there's a much different story. But your response to my initial question seemed the to dismiss the media's take out of hand -- like the LA Times is biased and I was an idiot for raising the question. For the record, I'm firmly in the choir that you're preaching to here. So I feel that by being able to question things that you say that I don't understand, and having you provide context, might bring to light understanding that can be helpful in fighting this fight.
There is no question: Trump is a bully and bullies turn tail. Kudos Governor Newsom who is fearless.
Bingo!!!!!!!