Why no mention of the Georgia Special Election yesterday for MTG's seat in Congress?? Why no mention of support for the Dem Shawn Harris, retired Army general, now in the April 7th runoff against Trump's pick??
Because I don't know if this race is winnable, and we are taking our time. We don't do long shot races here. Only ones where our money and volunteer time can lead us to victory.
And we can't cover everything that is happening in every newsletter.
Simon, thanks, as always for the good information.
Has there ever been a more incompetently planned US war? Along with everything else, apparently, when Kari Lake took over Voice of America she fired everyone who speaks Farsi. So even if we had a message, America has no way to get it out to the people of Iran. A judge just ruled Lake's firings illegal, but it will take time to find more Americans who speak Farsi and are willing to work for VOA. Another Trump screw up.
I called Congressman Raskin and Senators Alsobrooks and Van Hollen about Iran and ICE. I also emphasized the need for Democrats to regularly point out that Trump is not in touch with reality and needs to go. I'm writing postcards to NC.
I feel we have to ask a variant of the same question we had to ask about COVID about a lot of this stuff. Then the question it seemed like we had to ask again and again was: is this incompetence, political gamesmanship, or malice? Such innocent times.
This time, I feel the choices would be: incompetence, political gamesmanship (though this time in more of a trick shot way, eg to destabilize the country as a pretext for more authoritarian overreach), greed, by order of Putin/Xi, or malice?
In 2020, the leading scientific journal in the world, came down on the side of incompetence +. In an editorial, they ascribed our worst-in-class response to "not just ineptitude, but sabotage." At the time, I gathered as much evidence as I could find to make that case, in case you're interested: https://creativepoli.net/covid_20 PS On the flip side, we might be overly generous in calling any part of this "planning" or a plan ;)
Jared Kushner is paid $25 million/year by the Saudi government to manage their $2 billion fund. He talks to Sheik Bone Saw and then gives "counsel" to Trump. I wonder if Jared is registered as a foreign lobbyist?
These guys, Witkoff and Kushner, might be idiots that have no experience in diplomacy, but it doesn't matter when you realize what they really are : traveling salesmen.
The fact that Trump has engaged inexperienced private citizens with problematic financial ties to "negotiate", and totally sidelined an experienced diplomatic corps, ought be be trigger all our alarm bells!
By the way, Witkoff has suspiciously strong business ties to Qatar.
Surely, the Russians would never lie to us! No way. Inconceivable. Unless you are terminally stupid and naive. Calling Witkoff and Kushner the "Laurel and Hardy" of diplomacy is a slander on Laurel and Hardy.
Speaking of Russia, noted today its statement that the US starting a war with Iran while ostensibly negotiating a deal to end Iran's nuclear enrichment just proves the US cannot be trusted to negotiate with Russia and Ukraine to end that war. Yeah, like we couldn't have seen that propaganda coming, too.
On a happier note, congrats to the NH Dems for flipping a state legislative race from Red to Blue!
the two idiot grifters whisphered into satan's ear that they thought iran was going to attack first! so paranoid satan, also an idiot, along with idiot sec def, punched first. that's the whole story. and the fact that the two idiots are world class grifters in all the gulf state countries and kushner/witkoff close to bibi, so why would iran trust the negotiations since no state dept involved? so the gulf state patrons of kushner & witkoff are now being bombed by iran. classic trumpism fuck up all the way around. incompetence combined with overreach!
and yay for shawn harris in ga! its a win so far. let's take it! he got more votes than the trumper!
Thank you for all your hard work! I still wonder if the dem leadership is up for this moment. It could be viewed as an opportunity to make real change—not back to the past. I liked your interview with the founder of “No Kings” yesterday. I think he has the right ideas now.
When I look at the inflation numbers, they don't correspond to the price increases I experience. I'm sure I'm not alone.
Last week gas was $2.89 Yesterday, I drove by a gas station - 3.39. When I drove by it again on the return journey a few hours later, it had risen to 3.49
A quart of light cream was 3.12 last week. Yesterday 3.27
A type of cheese I buy was 5.50/lb last week. Now 5.75
Everything I bought at the grocery store had similar price rises
I'm not sure what items they actually calculate in these indexes, but food and energy are regular, unavoidable expenditures that impact everyone
Lyn--I agree. Like I was saying the other day, my electric bill for February was 47% higher than January. We used a bit more than last month--nowhere close to 47%. Would it surprise anyone if Trump is cooking the books on this? Apparently, you don't have to be a conspiracy theorist to be concerned: https://bit.ly/trump_cpi Have been looking for alternative sources--not surprisingly, the initial lists of sources I've seen haven't been promising--it's a lot of work, and up until now we never had an administration that was willing to completely undermine the trust--in our institutions, in our relationships, in our numbers, in our currency, in everything--that's made us us, and not Russia, who nobody trusts about anything, so there hasn't really been a good business case for an alternative; our government has had a natural monopoly. I'm also going to ask ChatGPT if it could create such an index (Claude might even better at that kind of task) (a) with the same basket of goods (b) with what it (the AI) feels is a more representative basket in today's world (that's been an issue that pre-dates Trump)
Trump’s enablers in Congress continue to do his bidding because they are bought and paid for. They don’t represent their voters; they represent their donors. This is the world we live in since SCOTUS killed campaign finance reform. The only thing we have left is to turn them out of office.
A former CIA Director writes: “I could not have done my job as an ambassador, as a deputy secretary of state, or as the CIA director unless my colleagues were straightforward about their views. When I led secret talks with the Iranians more than a decade ago, I needed the unvarnished advice of diplomats and intelligence officers to help me navigate the complex world of nuclear programs and Iranian decision making. I needed colleagues to question my judgment sometimes, and offer creative, hard-nosed solutions.
There is a real danger in punishing dissent—not only to our profession, but to our country. Once you start, policy can become an extension of court politics, with little airing of alternative views or consideration of second- and third-order consequences.”
So this ridiculous baby man can’t handle being contradicted and here we are. Congress has to step in and that will be the focus of my calls.
“We’re an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you’re studying that reality — judiciously, as you will — we’ll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that’s how things will sort out.“
Yeah they can try that crap I guess. But as pointed out in today’s post time after time reality has a way of swimming up behind and biting them in the ass.
Yeah, and the guy who said that, is going to carry it to his grave, and beyond. The dictionary definition of "fatuous" should include it as an archetypal example, even if it the word itself isn't included in the sentence.
What "plan"? What "strategy"? Just a, "Well, I just want to do this, so we're doin' it. The negotiations might actually come up with a deal, meaning there might actually be peace, so I've got to illegally start a war to make sure we have NO peace. If there's peace--even with the totally incompetent and ignorant two men who are clueless about negotiating and, apparently, ANYTHING about nuclear weapons or their technology (Great choices, Donnie, baby.)--then what will I come up with next to make myself feel strong and, of course, to distract from my crimes with Epstein?
And it's beyond laughable that ANYONE in this country would try to claim the reason was to help support the Iranian protesters!!! In our country, We The People have the constitutionally guaranteed right to peaceful protest--just read the whole First Amendment, merge all of it, and you wind up with the guaranteed right to peaceful protest, whether or NOT anyone in ANY governmental position happens to like--or hate--what the protest is about--yet these same ignoramuses who are ridiculously trying to claim we were just going to help the Iranian protesters are HAPPY, if ignorant, to claim our protesters, people who are MERELY exercising one of their constitutionally guaranteed rights, are "terrorists"--proving again they need to be indicted for perjury in their oath of office, since they are clueless about the constitution--and happy to see many killed for exercising their rights or at least jailed and detained.
Excuse me, but they've proved they can not, just like weak Donnie, can not stand to have anyone in this democracy actually state his or her opinion and tell those in government positions just what we do NOT like about what they're doing, another guaranteed right.
I am so thankful right now that I drive an EV, thanks to President Biden and the tax credit in the Inflation Reduction Act. All this gas price drama isn’t even on my radar.
Why no mention of the Georgia Special Election yesterday for MTG's seat in Congress?? Why no mention of support for the Dem Shawn Harris, retired Army general, now in the April 7th runoff against Trump's pick??
Because I don't know if this race is winnable, and we are taking our time. We don't do long shot races here. Only ones where our money and volunteer time can lead us to victory.
And we can't cover everything that is happening in every newsletter.
Simon, thanks, as always for the good information.
Has there ever been a more incompetently planned US war? Along with everything else, apparently, when Kari Lake took over Voice of America she fired everyone who speaks Farsi. So even if we had a message, America has no way to get it out to the people of Iran. A judge just ruled Lake's firings illegal, but it will take time to find more Americans who speak Farsi and are willing to work for VOA. Another Trump screw up.
I called Congressman Raskin and Senators Alsobrooks and Van Hollen about Iran and ICE. I also emphasized the need for Democrats to regularly point out that Trump is not in touch with reality and needs to go. I'm writing postcards to NC.
I feel we have to ask a variant of the same question we had to ask about COVID about a lot of this stuff. Then the question it seemed like we had to ask again and again was: is this incompetence, political gamesmanship, or malice? Such innocent times.
This time, I feel the choices would be: incompetence, political gamesmanship (though this time in more of a trick shot way, eg to destabilize the country as a pretext for more authoritarian overreach), greed, by order of Putin/Xi, or malice?
In 2020, the leading scientific journal in the world, came down on the side of incompetence +. In an editorial, they ascribed our worst-in-class response to "not just ineptitude, but sabotage." At the time, I gathered as much evidence as I could find to make that case, in case you're interested: https://creativepoli.net/covid_20 PS On the flip side, we might be overly generous in calling any part of this "planning" or a plan ;)
Jared Kushner is paid $25 million/year by the Saudi government to manage their $2 billion fund. He talks to Sheik Bone Saw and then gives "counsel" to Trump. I wonder if Jared is registered as a foreign lobbyist?
These guys, Witkoff and Kushner, might be idiots that have no experience in diplomacy, but it doesn't matter when you realize what they really are : traveling salesmen.
The fact that Trump has engaged inexperienced private citizens with problematic financial ties to "negotiate", and totally sidelined an experienced diplomatic corps, ought be be trigger all our alarm bells!
By the way, Witkoff has suspiciously strong business ties to Qatar.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/26/business/witkoff-son-qatar-gaza.html
Surely, the Russians would never lie to us! No way. Inconceivable. Unless you are terminally stupid and naive. Calling Witkoff and Kushner the "Laurel and Hardy" of diplomacy is a slander on Laurel and Hardy.
Speaking of Russia, noted today its statement that the US starting a war with Iran while ostensibly negotiating a deal to end Iran's nuclear enrichment just proves the US cannot be trusted to negotiate with Russia and Ukraine to end that war. Yeah, like we couldn't have seen that propaganda coming, too.
On a happier note, congrats to the NH Dems for flipping a state legislative race from Red to Blue!
Congratulations to Representative-elect Bobbi Boudman in NH !!!!
Democrats have flipped 28 state legislative seats since dt's inauguration. Republicans have flipped zero state seats. (from Ken Martin on BlueSky) https://bsky.app/profile/kenmartin.bsky.social/post/3mgs6omokak2z
yes, good news!!
Jared didn't read enough books.
Except in the school of dJT, who hasn’t read many.
Important information as always
the two idiot grifters whisphered into satan's ear that they thought iran was going to attack first! so paranoid satan, also an idiot, along with idiot sec def, punched first. that's the whole story. and the fact that the two idiots are world class grifters in all the gulf state countries and kushner/witkoff close to bibi, so why would iran trust the negotiations since no state dept involved? so the gulf state patrons of kushner & witkoff are now being bombed by iran. classic trumpism fuck up all the way around. incompetence combined with overreach!
and yay for shawn harris in ga! its a win so far. let's take it! he got more votes than the trumper!
will contribute today.
Thank you for all your hard work! I still wonder if the dem leadership is up for this moment. It could be viewed as an opportunity to make real change—not back to the past. I liked your interview with the founder of “No Kings” yesterday. I think he has the right ideas now.
Thank you, Simon. "Ridiculous dilettantes" great phrase!
And you really don't hear the word "vainglorious" enough, either
YES!!! IMPORTANT POINT!!!
Happily (or not, because there's a real reason to use it), its use seems to be increasing ;) https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?q=vainglorius&hl=en-US
The Iran War's Cost to the Global Economy
Estimated economic damage across energy, finance, trade, travel & military expenditure - As of March 11, 2026
Estimated Total (Base Case): $8,590.0B - over $8 TRILLION in damage to
the global economy - As of March 11, 2026 🥴
YES, a campaign to force Witkoff and Kushner from government must be waged now! Thank you Simon.
While we’re at it, can we ban Kushner from NJ? Asking for a friend. 🙄🙄🙄
😉Yes Lisa, for your friend! Lock him up in Guantanamo Bay prison with all the rest!
Something tells me you would have enjoyed this last night at the Beacon, Lisa I.
https://youtu.be/MmuJEjWh9Uw?si=ZHiGoc-xqhCd4MkN
That was my kind of music! I love it! Oh, how I miss Manhattan!
I have an extra ticket for Saturday!! Come on back, Millie!
When I look at the inflation numbers, they don't correspond to the price increases I experience. I'm sure I'm not alone.
Last week gas was $2.89 Yesterday, I drove by a gas station - 3.39. When I drove by it again on the return journey a few hours later, it had risen to 3.49
A quart of light cream was 3.12 last week. Yesterday 3.27
A type of cheese I buy was 5.50/lb last week. Now 5.75
Everything I bought at the grocery store had similar price rises
I'm not sure what items they actually calculate in these indexes, but food and energy are regular, unavoidable expenditures that impact everyone
Lyn--I agree. Like I was saying the other day, my electric bill for February was 47% higher than January. We used a bit more than last month--nowhere close to 47%. Would it surprise anyone if Trump is cooking the books on this? Apparently, you don't have to be a conspiracy theorist to be concerned: https://bit.ly/trump_cpi Have been looking for alternative sources--not surprisingly, the initial lists of sources I've seen haven't been promising--it's a lot of work, and up until now we never had an administration that was willing to completely undermine the trust--in our institutions, in our relationships, in our numbers, in our currency, in everything--that's made us us, and not Russia, who nobody trusts about anything, so there hasn't really been a good business case for an alternative; our government has had a natural monopoly. I'm also going to ask ChatGPT if it could create such an index (Claude might even better at that kind of task) (a) with the same basket of goods (b) with what it (the AI) feels is a more representative basket in today's world (that's been an issue that pre-dates Trump)
Trump’s enablers in Congress continue to do his bidding because they are bought and paid for. They don’t represent their voters; they represent their donors. This is the world we live in since SCOTUS killed campaign finance reform. The only thing we have left is to turn them out of office.
Reading about the inexcusable ignorance of witkoff and kushner (dumb and dumber?) and seeing the clip of Witkoff acting it out, I flashed on this article https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/10/trump-retribution-public-servants/683914/?gift=doPzWob87-IDzV8SonSFSJGQ-XRlqu2sLzpS0fBIQKo&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share.
A former CIA Director writes: “I could not have done my job as an ambassador, as a deputy secretary of state, or as the CIA director unless my colleagues were straightforward about their views. When I led secret talks with the Iranians more than a decade ago, I needed the unvarnished advice of diplomats and intelligence officers to help me navigate the complex world of nuclear programs and Iranian decision making. I needed colleagues to question my judgment sometimes, and offer creative, hard-nosed solutions.
There is a real danger in punishing dissent—not only to our profession, but to our country. Once you start, policy can become an extension of court politics, with little airing of alternative views or consideration of second- and third-order consequences.”
So this ridiculous baby man can’t handle being contradicted and here we are. Congress has to step in and that will be the focus of my calls.
“We’re an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you’re studying that reality — judiciously, as you will — we’ll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that’s how things will sort out.“
Yeah they can try that crap I guess. But as pointed out in today’s post time after time reality has a way of swimming up behind and biting them in the ass.
Yeah, and the guy who said that, is going to carry it to his grave, and beyond. The dictionary definition of "fatuous" should include it as an archetypal example, even if it the word itself isn't included in the sentence.
What "plan"? What "strategy"? Just a, "Well, I just want to do this, so we're doin' it. The negotiations might actually come up with a deal, meaning there might actually be peace, so I've got to illegally start a war to make sure we have NO peace. If there's peace--even with the totally incompetent and ignorant two men who are clueless about negotiating and, apparently, ANYTHING about nuclear weapons or their technology (Great choices, Donnie, baby.)--then what will I come up with next to make myself feel strong and, of course, to distract from my crimes with Epstein?
And it's beyond laughable that ANYONE in this country would try to claim the reason was to help support the Iranian protesters!!! In our country, We The People have the constitutionally guaranteed right to peaceful protest--just read the whole First Amendment, merge all of it, and you wind up with the guaranteed right to peaceful protest, whether or NOT anyone in ANY governmental position happens to like--or hate--what the protest is about--yet these same ignoramuses who are ridiculously trying to claim we were just going to help the Iranian protesters are HAPPY, if ignorant, to claim our protesters, people who are MERELY exercising one of their constitutionally guaranteed rights, are "terrorists"--proving again they need to be indicted for perjury in their oath of office, since they are clueless about the constitution--and happy to see many killed for exercising their rights or at least jailed and detained.
Excuse me, but they've proved they can not, just like weak Donnie, can not stand to have anyone in this democracy actually state his or her opinion and tell those in government positions just what we do NOT like about what they're doing, another guaranteed right.
Shawn Harris in the Finals for GA 14!
SAVE Act is dead in the Senate!
Celebrate the wins, baby!!!
Despite the trump regime's vendetta against EVs, they're doing a hell of a marketing job for them with these gas prices.
I am so thankful right now that I drive an EV, thanks to President Biden and the tax credit in the Inflation Reduction Act. All this gas price drama isn’t even on my radar.
:D Never let a crisis go to waste, right ;)
As an EV owner I do chuckle (between the tears) at the administration’s profound stupidity.