Our Psychological and Political Pandemic 'It's Even Worse than You Think' THE NEWSLETTER OF DR. BANDY X. LEE
🔸️Mental pathology in a president is a public matter, on which the public needs to be informed, more than anyone else, when its own safety and survival are at stake.
The more severe the mental pathology the less one will recognize that one is even ill. " Insight", or self-awareness, is one of the first things to go, when one spirals into mental pathology.
🔸️Our systems have failed to prevent his candidacy in the first place. We have yet to institute mental fitness screens for the most important position on the planet - while every other job that deals with life or death has a mental fitness evaluation as a requirement, even before one takes the position. When this is not available, the public needs to be educated about the risks as much as possible, especially when they involve conditions that elude detection, manipulate others into collusion, and resist their own management, as mental disorders do.
The American Psychiatric Association is perhaps responsible for the greatest harm to the public by a health association in U.S. history. The American Psychological Association's torture program, or the American Medical Association's blockage of universal healthcare, now pales in comparison.
By aggressively silencing conscientious mental health professionals from the public arena, the American Psychiatric Association prevented accountability for harm to the public's mental health, when science points to the critical importance of education as a public health intervention ("insight" at the societal level)--and of open discussion for the reduction of stigma.
Instead, the Association has become responsible not only for the up to 1.2 million American deaths from Covid-19, but the current psychological and political pandemic that is threatening to enable and enlarge future pandemics, to destroy democracy and the world Order, and to bring civilization to its knees.
🔸️I recall when pundits used to say during the first Trump administration: "Things are bad, but at least we know we have reached the bottom." No, there was no bottom then, nor is there now. It's much worse than you think - and the viability of our future depends on whether we will accept the rapidly-deteriorating status quo because of convenience, politeness, or a desire to keep one's pension, or will find it unacceptable. It depends on insight.
Thanks for this, Lonnie. All these years, I’ve been in disbelief that people, and particularly the media, can’t see that this man is gravely mentally ill and dangerous. Simon in an earlier post briefly mentioned that Democrats might benefit from understanding what’s at play here. It seems to me that promoting the truth that he’s mentally ill is kind of a dead letter, bizarrely enough. It explains almost everything he says and does.
Terrific op-ed from Dana Milbank today! His focus is Jeff Bezos’ recent order that “We are going to be writing every day in support and defense of two pillars: personal liberties and free markets. …viewpoints opposing those pillars will be left to be published by others.”
Milbank writes: "[T]his much is clear: If we as a newspaper, and we as a country, are to defend his twin pillars, then we must redouble our fight against the single greatest threat to “personal liberties and free markets” in the United States today: President Donald Trump."
Here is the start of Milbank’s op-ed (which I urge you to read):
Over the last 48 hours, I’ve been receiving from readers and friends the sort of notes one gets upon losing a loved one, or perhaps receiving a terminal diagnosis.
“So very sorry.”
“Hang in there.”
“Sending you love and strength.”
“With appreciation and sorrow.”
The cause of death? The belief that Post owner Jeff Bezos has just ended the tradition of open debate that has guided this paper’s editorial page for generations.
I was one of the readers who sent Dana an email yesterday saying that Bezos's newly announced editorial policy had finally provoked my household to cancel our decades-long subscription and that I feared that Dana's delightfully irreverent and sometimes snarky voice would be suppressed. It looks like he's testing Bezos. Good for him!
Yeah I'd probably make them fire me. If I was in that position it's what I would do. I'd probably be stealing office supplies whenever I got a chance too.
Meg- I too have, in past, canceled WAPO over things Bezos has pulled - but have reconsidered and re upped my subscription. This is why - my father was a reporter - I have always subscribed to as many reliable news sources as I can afford. The editorial side will do the protest for us - Bezos is not hurt by our unsubscribes - but the other side of the equation the reporters are. The reporting is still much needed and the reporters are the best sourced for DC news. Please reconsider - we need journalism, as it may be our only check and balance moving -forward.
"If Jeff Bezos had owned the Washington Post in 1972, Richard Nixon would have been able to serve out his second term. And fascism would have come to the United States decades earlier."
Thank you kindly! But credit where credit is due; that quote is from a poster called Diogenes on The Downballot. That’s a nerdy election news site, previously DailyKos Elections, that I highly recommend.
I wonder if Bezos believes freedom means woman can do what they want with their bodies or that the free markets should not dictate whether doctors in private practice can decide to treat trans people. My guess is Bezos does not mean THAT!
"The quickest way to see gun control laws enacted, is if American women suddenly armed themselves and "stood their ground" to defend their bodily autonomy."
That literally has been my belief. It wasn't with respect to gun laws (but hey the Black Panther party proved that in California back in the day) I was thinking about ending sexual assault. The whole point of rape (the turn on) is to make someone submit, to terrorize them. If you just want sex one can hire a sex worker and the penalty for that (how stupid -it's also a woman's right to demand money for sex if that's what she wants to do ---yuck, but you do you, ma'am) is far less than a rape conviction.
I finally had time to read Dana's article. Interesting that Dana chose Ilya Simon, a libertarian, for his thoughts on Trump. I take issue with his comments about Biden forgiving student loans. Ilya Simon doesn't mention that the student loans had interest rates that ended up keeping most students in debt for decades, far surprising the original amount of the loan. I suppose the libertarian in him believes this is okay? Ilya also says Trump is worse than Biden, which, to me, sounds very close to "both sides do it except Trump is worse". Thank you again for the free article Arc - really appreciate it.
Timothy Snyder and others have called for a Shadow Cabinet to monitor and publicize the actions of the Trump administration. I propose that we include the Cabinet in a larger Government in Waiting. This team of people have the expertise that comes from experience in government as elected officials and senior officials in the departments. It will provide a real time and specific critique of the damage Trump / Musk are doing to Americans: crippling the Veterans' Administration, closing rural hospitals, destroying the scientific institutions that have made this country healthier and more prosperous, and on.
They will also present plans for restoring what Trump / Musk are trying to destroy and improving those institutions so they do their jobs better and faster.
These people will need to be superb communicators, both natural and trained. They will bring this case to neutral and hostile territory, like Fox News, Newsmax,
Whether its an organized shadow cabinet as Snyder first labeled it ( he has since started referring to it as The People's Cabinet) or just the recognition among Democratic electeds that they need to call out Trump's "policies" and crimes against the constitution and we, the people EVERY DAY, the point is that Democratic Leaders need to get LOUDER and MORE FORCEFUL.
That's why we need to keep calling them, keep asking for them to do in person Town Hall's, to do events that call attention to the destruction of the Republic. Bernie, AOC, Brian Shatz, Chris Murphy, Eric Swalwell, Jasmine Crockett and serveral others have been making the necessary noise. If we live in Blue zones we must keep the pressure up on electeds to DO MORE. If we live in Red zones we need to continue to call out the Republicans for standing by while Trump shreds the Constitution, our government and the lives of working Americans to enrich the rich.
The woman who ran for Congress in our vivid pink district in GA but lost to a 47 boot-licker has, on her own, started doing videos each day calling out our first time Representative on his voting record and for his unwillingness to meet with constituents during recess! I complimented her on basically being a shadow Representative. IDK how effective it is yet, but hopefully people are starting to notice. Would love to see more DEM candidates who lost to R's do the same.
Simon, I agree with you that the Dems need to expand the scope of their attacks against Trump. However, you do not mention at all the need to link preserving a functioning government with economic stability. If the last election told us anything, it is that Americans are willing to sacrifice some things we thought were untouchable in order to achieve greater economic stability for themselves and their families. If we don't remind voters every day that our prosperity depends on a stable government that prosecutes business corruption, that champions a fair tax code, that protects the most vulnerable, that protects investment, that believes in science and public health, then we let Trump off the hook. These things are all inter-related and we must make that clear to people or they will ignore just about everything but egg prices. That's what happened four months ago.
And I'm convinced that the egg story was amplified by Russian / Musk bots and / or humans to distract voters' attention from the harm another Trump administration would do.
And now EVERYONE is doing the same w abuse,waste and fraud. Stop using RW talking points,it's detrimental to US. Same as Biden is too old. That came from RWHM and everyone amplified it. Either by saying yes or defending it. We have to get our messages out w small catch phrases.
Trump is our modern day Nero, golfing as the country burns. The other emerging crack is CORRUPTION, which everyone understands as their pockets are picked.
Now that MAGA is getting fired as well, will they put their racism and bigotry aside? More importantly, I hope those Dems that stayed home wake up now and vote in every single election - local and state.
Mary: Do you know why 4 names are in italics? I've looked back at original post and couldn't find a note. Most vulnerable of the 17? Most likely to vote w/DEMS? Asking b/c a friend lives in the toss-up CO district currently served by Evans and I'm trying to provide her as much information as possible.
When asked for a specific example of “waste, fraud, and abuse” (this is the line that was repeated by him over and over) found by DOGE during In his phone “town hall” R rep for VA05John McGuire cited experimentation on cats and dogs, sex changes in cats, and cat cannibalism. That his only response is this kind of preposterous lie is a sign of weakness. It is a crack. We need to angrily, ferociously exploit these cracks. If you live in VA05 please call and ask why your rep is talking about sex change operations on cats when his constituents are facing high costs and joblessness thanks to Trump Musk.
Also when a constituent brought up the many people who have lost their jobs thanks to DOGE he said “everyone has been laid off at one time or another.” But not by YOU, John! Callous, careless, and another sign of weakness. They have no real answers.
Yeah, since it was a phone town hall it wasn't easy to get a clip (how it was designed) however I just heard from a friend that someone may have recorded this. If so, I will try to share the recording.
Yesterday I helped write 100 postcards for Sarah Crawford in Wisconsin. Last night I attended an Indivisible of Asheville meeting with an overflow crowd of 200 people and volunteered for the events committee. I have already been to three protests, another one on Tuesday, March 4 at the federal building in Asheville.
As the Board Chair for the local Meals on Wheels I confronted our representative, Chuck Edwards, about the frozen federal grant funds. I told him that he could tell the 200 seniors we will have to cut from receiving lunch exactly why this happened. Put tiny “I did that “stickers with Trump’s face to on egg price signs at the grocery store. I’m currently flying the Star Wars Rebel Alliance flag. Have blue candles in my windows and along my driveway for Democrats. I’m preparing my precinct for a big organizing meeting in March with other precincts in our area.
This morning I learned from Joyce Vance's Substack, Civil Discourse, that musk plans to cancel the $2 billion contract with Verizon and have Starlink take over. She links to the AP story:
Per Joyce, this is just such "profound corruption...and a clear conflict of interest". No matter what side of the aisle our Senators and Representatives may reside on, they should be calling this out loudly. It's a clear intention on the part of musk to profit on his unauthorized, unconstitutional role in the current administration.
I will be contacting my Democratic Senators and Reps about this as soon as I stop shaking in anger.
I'm in Ireland and am returning home in late April. From Portugal, you can call your House member and senators. You can donate. You can get involved with Democrats Abroad.
When you return home, you can get involved with your county or district Democratic organization. There's a lot you can do at the local level.
I think we should put more energy into developing positive plans that will actually work for people, and selling them to voters. That's what we should be talking about. Dems need to re-brand as the party that can solve problems, not the party that mindlessly defends the status quo. We'll get our chance when Trump fails.
Well…. I seem to remember that a certain party talked loudly about forgiving student loans and assisting first time home buyers and…. During the last campaign cycle. It didn’t help with the brain dead, anti-intellectual, Fox News addicted (dare I say “racist”) MAGAts…
I'm wondering why no mention by Simon of the 3 upcoming special elections to fill vacated republican seats in the House. Two, in Florida are on April 1; the other in NY is TBD. Dems winning all 3 would flip the House; even winning just one or two makes the repub majority even slimmer. Winning all is admittedly a long-shot, but why not try?
If I recall correctly, he has covered these in his paid subscriber get togethers. All this races are very long shots and any money this community would raise for these races would be outraised by the other side. Simon only asks us to support contests he thinks are winnable.
NJR, Simon has repeatedly mentioned these three elections in past Hopium columns, as well as in responses to previous comments. In addition, as TBlack points out, Simon has addressed these three elections numerous times in his Paid Subscribers Get-Togethers – and the videos for each of these are always posted in the next day’s Hopium column.
Sorry, I didn't know this. Just re-subscribed recently and don't attend the get-togethers. Still, the seat in NY seems very winnable since several republicans are running against one Democrat. I've donatated to the FL races through ActBlue.
There won’t be several republicans running for the NY21 seat. Once the special election is scheduled (which likely won’t be for a month or two) the GOP will select a candidate. It is a very long shot for Dems.
Although Simon does not recommend donating to the 3 special elections, there was an interview of Ken Martin recently (I don't remember if it's on Hopium) where he (Ken) said that the landscape has changed recently and he said that these seats are winnable. So... depending on who you want to listen to, you may want to donate. Last year, I found Simon's prediction about how winnable the races were to be pretty accurate. But we are also in unprecedented times right now.
I can't speak to Florida at all - I've literally never even been there. But I live in rural New York and I know something about the culture. I wasn't raised here (I'm from SoCal) so I've had to be a bit of an anthropologist to figure out how people are expected to act (like not flip people off who take your parking space because they might literally be right next to you at the grocery store tomorrow.) Like where I live, NY 21 is an actual rural area. During covid, we did not have maskholes assaulting store clerks even though this place votes heavily Republican. In a small rural community we literally rely on the good will of others and the "don't discuss politics or religion" is totally true. You can't afford to have the guy that plows your driveway refuse to come because you had an argument over politics."
The reason I think Blake is such a strong candidate is that he is a farmer. Let me explain to you why that matters here. If you walked into a room filled with people of every political stripe and said, "Politicians are crooks," there be near unanimity. The idea of not having prior experience in office is not necessarily a disqualifier. But there is something about being a farmer specifically that I don't think people who haven't lived here literally won't get because people in rural NY a have an attitude that is quite foreign to me as an "immigrant." They literally WORSHIP HARD WORK. I don't mean they have to do hard work so they do it - I mean they believe that doing hard work is a mark of personal virtue and everyone knows being a farmer is super hard work.
This belief is held by a woman who had a Hilary bumper sticker on her tractor: "If you're not doing it the hard way you're doing it the wrong way."
and a Republican good ol boy who was my next door neighbor. When I first moved here I had a partner, and he had really long hair at a time when no conservative did. My neighbor confessed to me years later, that when he look out the window and saw his new neighbor he was freaked out and said to himself, "OMG what kind of people have moved in next door." Then he saw my partner with a shovel digging in the dirt to put in a vegetable garden and said to himself, "He's working hard. He must be alright."
I saw an interview with Ken Martin in which he mentioned flipping these three seats, so I know it's on his radar. If you have time and money, why not volunteer or donate. Long shots do occasionally play out. But I have prioritized the four campaigns Simon is supporting first.
Interesting comment about the DNC. My husband decided to make donations to each of the 3 candidates knowing full well that they are long shots. He went to the DNC website for information and NOTHING was posted. So he whipped off an email to the DNC pointing out this glaring omission. He did get a pretty quick response from DNC’s comms people, so that’s positive. But seriously folks, the DNC needs to step up their game.
I donated to the two Florida Dems running in the special April elections and I call my senators daily only to be greeted by full voicemails or none at all. Those are Senators Moreno and Husted in Ohio. So sending emails instead now demanding town halls and answers. The Dispatch newspaper in Columbus is welcoming constituents to voice their complaints and personal stories to their non present Senators and Reps. People are starting to show up at their offices too.
Regarding Social Security: I discovered this information about lay-offs at Social Security from the comments section of Robert Hubbell's Substack, Today's Edition: Voluntary Reassignments, Voluntary Early Retirements, Voluntary Separation Incentives, etc:
I think we need to also mobilize, maybe through groups such as ACLU as well as through individual candidates we support in the off year elections as well as the 2026 elections, for special training. The training would be to become poll monitors and election workers for the 2026 midterms. Garland's DOJ reported that they were sending Federal Election Monitors to about 47 locations in certain states for the 2024 election. That was quite a failure of course.
I volunteered on both Obama campaigns on voter protection hotlines. I believe the projects were run by David Plouffe. We were given lists of attorneys who had donated to Obama's campaigns, called them to ask if they could work on voter protection in precincts in battleground states around the country. We used our cells phones. Sometimes I would get calls from the west coast quite late at night! These projects were really well organized and successful. Both Obama campaigns had attorneys around the country volunteering as poll monitors. For example, one attorney from San Francisco who returned my call quite late said he would be able to go to Ohio and sleep on his mother-in-law's sofa. I was unaware of projects like this for Clinton, Biden, or Harris.
Today I called 12 GOP Senators, with a message of incredulity that they were letting this cruelty go unchecked. I also called Senator Kennedy to thank him (stranger things have happened, I guess) to thank him for his fulsome takedown of Mr. Saur in his confirmation hearing for WH General Counsel. The Senator excoriated him on not being able to say he would counsel the president NOT to defy a Supreme Court order he didn’t like.
Our Psychological and Political Pandemic 'It's Even Worse than You Think' THE NEWSLETTER OF DR. BANDY X. LEE
🔸️Mental pathology in a president is a public matter, on which the public needs to be informed, more than anyone else, when its own safety and survival are at stake.
The more severe the mental pathology the less one will recognize that one is even ill. " Insight", or self-awareness, is one of the first things to go, when one spirals into mental pathology.
🔸️Our systems have failed to prevent his candidacy in the first place. We have yet to institute mental fitness screens for the most important position on the planet - while every other job that deals with life or death has a mental fitness evaluation as a requirement, even before one takes the position. When this is not available, the public needs to be educated about the risks as much as possible, especially when they involve conditions that elude detection, manipulate others into collusion, and resist their own management, as mental disorders do.
The American Psychiatric Association is perhaps responsible for the greatest harm to the public by a health association in U.S. history. The American Psychological Association's torture program, or the American Medical Association's blockage of universal healthcare, now pales in comparison.
By aggressively silencing conscientious mental health professionals from the public arena, the American Psychiatric Association prevented accountability for harm to the public's mental health, when science points to the critical importance of education as a public health intervention ("insight" at the societal level)--and of open discussion for the reduction of stigma.
Instead, the Association has become responsible not only for the up to 1.2 million American deaths from Covid-19, but the current psychological and political pandemic that is threatening to enable and enlarge future pandemics, to destroy democracy and the world Order, and to bring civilization to its knees.
🔸️I recall when pundits used to say during the first Trump administration: "Things are bad, but at least we know we have reached the bottom." No, there was no bottom then, nor is there now. It's much worse than you think - and the viability of our future depends on whether we will accept the rapidly-deteriorating status quo because of convenience, politeness, or a desire to keep one's pension, or will find it unacceptable. It depends on insight.
https://open.substack.com/pub/bandyxlee/p/our-psychological-and-political-pandemic?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=280c3q
Thanks for this, Lonnie. All these years, I’ve been in disbelief that people, and particularly the media, can’t see that this man is gravely mentally ill and dangerous. Simon in an earlier post briefly mentioned that Democrats might benefit from understanding what’s at play here. It seems to me that promoting the truth that he’s mentally ill is kind of a dead letter, bizarrely enough. It explains almost everything he says and does.
PERSONAL LIBERTIES & FREE MARKETS?
Terrific op-ed from Dana Milbank today! His focus is Jeff Bezos’ recent order that “We are going to be writing every day in support and defense of two pillars: personal liberties and free markets. …viewpoints opposing those pillars will be left to be published by others.”
Milbank writes: "[T]his much is clear: If we as a newspaper, and we as a country, are to defend his twin pillars, then we must redouble our fight against the single greatest threat to “personal liberties and free markets” in the United States today: President Donald Trump."
https://wapo.st/3DaSKxX
Here is the start of Milbank’s op-ed (which I urge you to read):
Over the last 48 hours, I’ve been receiving from readers and friends the sort of notes one gets upon losing a loved one, or perhaps receiving a terminal diagnosis.
“So very sorry.”
“Hang in there.”
“Sending you love and strength.”
“With appreciation and sorrow.”
The cause of death? The belief that Post owner Jeff Bezos has just ended the tradition of open debate that has guided this paper’s editorial page for generations.
Did Dana resign? What about Eugene Robinson? I recall the overall editor of Post Opinions resigned yesterday. Is that correct?
Yes, WaPo’s Opinions Editor David Shipley resigned. He did not accept serving under Bezo’s new "guidelines".
I was one of the readers who sent Dana an email yesterday saying that Bezos's newly announced editorial policy had finally provoked my household to cancel our decades-long subscription and that I feared that Dana's delightfully irreverent and sometimes snarky voice would be suppressed. It looks like he's testing Bezos. Good for him!
Yeah I'd probably make them fire me. If I was in that position it's what I would do. I'd probably be stealing office supplies whenever I got a chance too.
Meg- I too have, in past, canceled WAPO over things Bezos has pulled - but have reconsidered and re upped my subscription. This is why - my father was a reporter - I have always subscribed to as many reliable news sources as I can afford. The editorial side will do the protest for us - Bezos is not hurt by our unsubscribes - but the other side of the equation the reporters are. The reporting is still much needed and the reporters are the best sourced for DC news. Please reconsider - we need journalism, as it may be our only check and balance moving -forward.
"If Jeff Bezos had owned the Washington Post in 1972, Richard Nixon would have been able to serve out his second term. And fascism would have come to the United States decades earlier."
– Diogenes
Agreed
Love you too
I don't know who you are my friend but I just love you to pieces
Thank you kindly! But credit where credit is due; that quote is from a poster called Diogenes on The Downballot. That’s a nerdy election news site, previously DailyKos Elections, that I highly recommend.
https://www.the-downballot.com/
I wonder if Bezos believes freedom means woman can do what they want with their bodies or that the free markets should not dictate whether doctors in private practice can decide to treat trans people. My guess is Bezos does not mean THAT!
Last year I read a pithy comment somewhere:
"The quickest way to see gun control laws enacted, is if American women suddenly armed themselves and "stood their ground" to defend their bodily autonomy."
That literally has been my belief. It wasn't with respect to gun laws (but hey the Black Panther party proved that in California back in the day) I was thinking about ending sexual assault. The whole point of rape (the turn on) is to make someone submit, to terrorize them. If you just want sex one can hire a sex worker and the penalty for that (how stupid -it's also a woman's right to demand money for sex if that's what she wants to do ---yuck, but you do you, ma'am) is far less than a rape conviction.
I cancelled my subscription. Looks like I can read it which I will do later. Did Dana resign? Thank you for the link.
Also notable: Ron Charles’ whole newsletter today was about supporting independent bookstores.
Can't read it because I'm no longer a subscriber
Lyn, I assure you that you can read it. That’s why I shared a gift link. :)
It wants me to create an account to read it.
I finally had time to read Dana's article. Interesting that Dana chose Ilya Simon, a libertarian, for his thoughts on Trump. I take issue with his comments about Biden forgiving student loans. Ilya Simon doesn't mention that the student loans had interest rates that ended up keeping most students in debt for decades, far surprising the original amount of the loan. I suppose the libertarian in him believes this is okay? Ilya also says Trump is worse than Biden, which, to me, sounds very close to "both sides do it except Trump is worse". Thank you again for the free article Arc - really appreciate it.
A SHADOW CABINET AND A GOVERNMENT IN WAITING
Timothy Snyder and others have called for a Shadow Cabinet to monitor and publicize the actions of the Trump administration. I propose that we include the Cabinet in a larger Government in Waiting. This team of people have the expertise that comes from experience in government as elected officials and senior officials in the departments. It will provide a real time and specific critique of the damage Trump / Musk are doing to Americans: crippling the Veterans' Administration, closing rural hospitals, destroying the scientific institutions that have made this country healthier and more prosperous, and on.
They will also present plans for restoring what Trump / Musk are trying to destroy and improving those institutions so they do their jobs better and faster.
These people will need to be superb communicators, both natural and trained. They will bring this case to neutral and hostile territory, like Fox News, Newsmax,
Pete Buttigieg!
Counter messages must be made every day,
Time's a wastin'!! Pete would be perfect.
🔊🔊🔊
Whether its an organized shadow cabinet as Snyder first labeled it ( he has since started referring to it as The People's Cabinet) or just the recognition among Democratic electeds that they need to call out Trump's "policies" and crimes against the constitution and we, the people EVERY DAY, the point is that Democratic Leaders need to get LOUDER and MORE FORCEFUL.
Here is a petition asking for the Peoples Cabinet. https://chng.it/RNt2YWMrth
That's why we need to keep calling them, keep asking for them to do in person Town Hall's, to do events that call attention to the destruction of the Republic. Bernie, AOC, Brian Shatz, Chris Murphy, Eric Swalwell, Jasmine Crockett and serveral others have been making the necessary noise. If we live in Blue zones we must keep the pressure up on electeds to DO MORE. If we live in Red zones we need to continue to call out the Republicans for standing by while Trump shreds the Constitution, our government and the lives of working Americans to enrich the rich.
Next week the President addresses Congress. Who has been chosen to do the rebuttal?
Elissa Slotkin
Thanks!
Elissa Slotkin
The woman who ran for Congress in our vivid pink district in GA but lost to a 47 boot-licker has, on her own, started doing videos each day calling out our first time Representative on his voting record and for his unwillingness to meet with constituents during recess! I complimented her on basically being a shadow Representative. IDK how effective it is yet, but hopefully people are starting to notice. Would love to see more DEM candidates who lost to R's do the same.
Simon, I agree with you that the Dems need to expand the scope of their attacks against Trump. However, you do not mention at all the need to link preserving a functioning government with economic stability. If the last election told us anything, it is that Americans are willing to sacrifice some things we thought were untouchable in order to achieve greater economic stability for themselves and their families. If we don't remind voters every day that our prosperity depends on a stable government that prosecutes business corruption, that champions a fair tax code, that protects the most vulnerable, that protects investment, that believes in science and public health, then we let Trump off the hook. These things are all inter-related and we must make that clear to people or they will ignore just about everything but egg prices. That's what happened four months ago.
And I'm convinced that the egg story was amplified by Russian / Musk bots and / or humans to distract voters' attention from the harm another Trump administration would do.
Their stupid slogans work on the willing.
And now EVERYONE is doing the same w abuse,waste and fraud. Stop using RW talking points,it's detrimental to US. Same as Biden is too old. That came from RWHM and everyone amplified it. Either by saying yes or defending it. We have to get our messages out w small catch phrases.
Agreed. Our brand is the rule of law.
Trump is our modern day Nero, golfing as the country burns. The other emerging crack is CORRUPTION, which everyone understands as their pockets are picked.
Now that MAGA is getting fired as well, will they put their racism and bigotry aside? More importantly, I hope those Dems that stayed home wake up now and vote in every single election - local and state.
Spot On, Ken! Cogent....you're ringing a Wake Up Call to us all!
Repulsican synchophants....???? ...take notice!
A craven congress...??? Take notice...!!! Your legacy time is ticking away...!
Simon, please explain the chart listing Republican TossUp and Republican Leaning?
R tossup. Electorate in that district not yet determined. R leaning, electorate leans R.
Mary: Do you know why 4 names are in italics? I've looked back at original post and couldn't find a note. Most vulnerable of the 17? Most likely to vote w/DEMS? Asking b/c a friend lives in the toss-up CO district currently served by Evans and I'm trying to provide her as much information as possible.
First term
thanks
When asked for a specific example of “waste, fraud, and abuse” (this is the line that was repeated by him over and over) found by DOGE during In his phone “town hall” R rep for VA05John McGuire cited experimentation on cats and dogs, sex changes in cats, and cat cannibalism. That his only response is this kind of preposterous lie is a sign of weakness. It is a crack. We need to angrily, ferociously exploit these cracks. If you live in VA05 please call and ask why your rep is talking about sex change operations on cats when his constituents are facing high costs and joblessness thanks to Trump Musk.
Also when a constituent brought up the many people who have lost their jobs thanks to DOGE he said “everyone has been laid off at one time or another.” But not by YOU, John! Callous, careless, and another sign of weakness. They have no real answers.
Their callousness is off the charts.
I sent this info to family members and friends in that district yesterday and hope they are making their calls. Unbelievable!
Sex changes in cats? OMG How stupid.
Yeah, since it was a phone town hall it wasn't easy to get a clip (how it was designed) however I just heard from a friend that someone may have recorded this. If so, I will try to share the recording.
Yesterday I helped write 100 postcards for Sarah Crawford in Wisconsin. Last night I attended an Indivisible of Asheville meeting with an overflow crowd of 200 people and volunteered for the events committee. I have already been to three protests, another one on Tuesday, March 4 at the federal building in Asheville.
As the Board Chair for the local Meals on Wheels I confronted our representative, Chuck Edwards, about the frozen federal grant funds. I told him that he could tell the 200 seniors we will have to cut from receiving lunch exactly why this happened. Put tiny “I did that “stickers with Trump’s face to on egg price signs at the grocery store. I’m currently flying the Star Wars Rebel Alliance flag. Have blue candles in my windows and along my driveway for Democrats. I’m preparing my precinct for a big organizing meeting in March with other precincts in our area.
I am an NOT buying anything today!
Wow, Donna, you are such a great example of our community in action!! Bravo!!!
Hey Donna can I ask where you got those "I did that" stickers? I think I need them to put up here in Durham. Also, you are my hero!
Etsy!!
You’re a true patriot!!!
Thank you Donna! Reading about your activism is so inspiring!
💃🏻💃🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸!!!!!!
This morning I learned from Joyce Vance's Substack, Civil Discourse, that musk plans to cancel the $2 billion contract with Verizon and have Starlink take over. She links to the AP story:
https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-starlink-spacex-faa-bbe9495978cac61b60c2971168e2921f
Per Joyce, this is just such "profound corruption...and a clear conflict of interest". No matter what side of the aisle our Senators and Representatives may reside on, they should be calling this out loudly. It's a clear intention on the part of musk to profit on his unauthorized, unconstitutional role in the current administration.
I will be contacting my Democratic Senators and Reps about this as soon as I stop shaking in anger.
Good new issue for today’s calls! Copycatting you.
Yep, calling the senators right F-ing now.
"No conflict of interest to see. Move along, everybody, move along."
– Elon Musk, Co-President
I'm in Portugal but wish to return home to the USA. How can I help make things better
I'm in Ireland and am returning home in late April. From Portugal, you can call your House member and senators. You can donate. You can get involved with Democrats Abroad.
When you return home, you can get involved with your county or district Democratic organization. There's a lot you can do at the local level.
Good luck!
I think we should put more energy into developing positive plans that will actually work for people, and selling them to voters. That's what we should be talking about. Dems need to re-brand as the party that can solve problems, not the party that mindlessly defends the status quo. We'll get our chance when Trump fails.
And definitely including the new probs DT/Musk are creating.
Dems started the problem solvers caucus. Very popular.
Well…. I seem to remember that a certain party talked loudly about forgiving student loans and assisting first time home buyers and…. During the last campaign cycle. It didn’t help with the brain dead, anti-intellectual, Fox News addicted (dare I say “racist”) MAGAts…
I'm wondering why no mention by Simon of the 3 upcoming special elections to fill vacated republican seats in the House. Two, in Florida are on April 1; the other in NY is TBD. Dems winning all 3 would flip the House; even winning just one or two makes the repub majority even slimmer. Winning all is admittedly a long-shot, but why not try?
Thank you for bringing this up! Is the DNC on this?
If I recall correctly, he has covered these in his paid subscriber get togethers. All this races are very long shots and any money this community would raise for these races would be outraised by the other side. Simon only asks us to support contests he thinks are winnable.
NJR, Simon has repeatedly mentioned these three elections in past Hopium columns, as well as in responses to previous comments. In addition, as TBlack points out, Simon has addressed these three elections numerous times in his Paid Subscribers Get-Togethers – and the videos for each of these are always posted in the next day’s Hopium column.
Looks like you just missed all this?
Sorry, I didn't know this. Just re-subscribed recently and don't attend the get-togethers. Still, the seat in NY seems very winnable since several republicans are running against one Democrat. I've donatated to the FL races through ActBlue.
There won’t be several republicans running for the NY21 seat. Once the special election is scheduled (which likely won’t be for a month or two) the GOP will select a candidate. It is a very long shot for Dems.
Did Simon post a link for the next paid subscriber get together?
There's usually an email a day or two ahead of time.
There are two events that day - I just got the email for the Wed paid subscriber get together. Thank you!
I think it's next Wednesday 3/5/25 with Heather Cox Richardson
Two events on Wednesday. I just got the email to register for the subscriber event. Thank you!
Although Simon does not recommend donating to the 3 special elections, there was an interview of Ken Martin recently (I don't remember if it's on Hopium) where he (Ken) said that the landscape has changed recently and he said that these seats are winnable. So... depending on who you want to listen to, you may want to donate. Last year, I found Simon's prediction about how winnable the races were to be pretty accurate. But we are also in unprecedented times right now.
I can't speak to Florida at all - I've literally never even been there. But I live in rural New York and I know something about the culture. I wasn't raised here (I'm from SoCal) so I've had to be a bit of an anthropologist to figure out how people are expected to act (like not flip people off who take your parking space because they might literally be right next to you at the grocery store tomorrow.) Like where I live, NY 21 is an actual rural area. During covid, we did not have maskholes assaulting store clerks even though this place votes heavily Republican. In a small rural community we literally rely on the good will of others and the "don't discuss politics or religion" is totally true. You can't afford to have the guy that plows your driveway refuse to come because you had an argument over politics."
The reason I think Blake is such a strong candidate is that he is a farmer. Let me explain to you why that matters here. If you walked into a room filled with people of every political stripe and said, "Politicians are crooks," there be near unanimity. The idea of not having prior experience in office is not necessarily a disqualifier. But there is something about being a farmer specifically that I don't think people who haven't lived here literally won't get because people in rural NY a have an attitude that is quite foreign to me as an "immigrant." They literally WORSHIP HARD WORK. I don't mean they have to do hard work so they do it - I mean they believe that doing hard work is a mark of personal virtue and everyone knows being a farmer is super hard work.
This belief is held by a woman who had a Hilary bumper sticker on her tractor: "If you're not doing it the hard way you're doing it the wrong way."
and a Republican good ol boy who was my next door neighbor. When I first moved here I had a partner, and he had really long hair at a time when no conservative did. My neighbor confessed to me years later, that when he look out the window and saw his new neighbor he was freaked out and said to himself, "OMG what kind of people have moved in next door." Then he saw my partner with a shovel digging in the dirt to put in a vegetable garden and said to himself, "He's working hard. He must be alright."
I saw an interview with Ken Martin in which he mentioned flipping these three seats, so I know it's on his radar. If you have time and money, why not volunteer or donate. Long shots do occasionally play out. But I have prioritized the four campaigns Simon is supporting first.
I have donated.
Interesting comment about the DNC. My husband decided to make donations to each of the 3 candidates knowing full well that they are long shots. He went to the DNC website for information and NOTHING was posted. So he whipped off an email to the DNC pointing out this glaring omission. He did get a pretty quick response from DNC’s comms people, so that’s positive. But seriously folks, the DNC needs to step up their game.
I donated to the two Florida Dems running in the special April elections and I call my senators daily only to be greeted by full voicemails or none at all. Those are Senators Moreno and Husted in Ohio. So sending emails instead now demanding town halls and answers. The Dispatch newspaper in Columbus is welcoming constituents to voice their complaints and personal stories to their non present Senators and Reps. People are starting to show up at their offices too.
Way to be persistent, Marlene
Regarding Social Security: I discovered this information about lay-offs at Social Security from the comments section of Robert Hubbell's Substack, Today's Edition: Voluntary Reassignments, Voluntary Early Retirements, Voluntary Separation Incentives, etc:
https://www.ssa.gov/news/press/releases/2025/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery#2025-02-27
Thank you for sharing this link. I'm very concerned about what is going on at social security and how services will be impacted by layoffs, etc.
I think we need to also mobilize, maybe through groups such as ACLU as well as through individual candidates we support in the off year elections as well as the 2026 elections, for special training. The training would be to become poll monitors and election workers for the 2026 midterms. Garland's DOJ reported that they were sending Federal Election Monitors to about 47 locations in certain states for the 2024 election. That was quite a failure of course.
I volunteered on both Obama campaigns on voter protection hotlines. I believe the projects were run by David Plouffe. We were given lists of attorneys who had donated to Obama's campaigns, called them to ask if they could work on voter protection in precincts in battleground states around the country. We used our cells phones. Sometimes I would get calls from the west coast quite late at night! These projects were really well organized and successful. Both Obama campaigns had attorneys around the country volunteering as poll monitors. For example, one attorney from San Francisco who returned my call quite late said he would be able to go to Ohio and sleep on his mother-in-law's sofa. I was unaware of projects like this for Clinton, Biden, or Harris.
We're going to need an absolute army of lawyers donating time to beat voter suppression so we can win future elections.
Today I called 12 GOP Senators, with a message of incredulity that they were letting this cruelty go unchecked. I also called Senator Kennedy to thank him (stranger things have happened, I guess) to thank him for his fulsome takedown of Mr. Saur in his confirmation hearing for WH General Counsel. The Senator excoriated him on not being able to say he would counsel the president NOT to defy a Supreme Court order he didn’t like.
Small cracks.
We need more of this!
But will Kennedy vote no? To be determined.