Anyone else interested in how Australian Labor achieved its overwhelming election victory? Here is a terrific article on the strategist and strategy behind Anthony Albanese and Labor’s wildly successful campaign. Amazing stuff on their chosen communication.
Yep, more street fighters is what we need. Ironically, that may be the only way to prevent this from ending up in the streets. But as another article points they out, they have to be *real.* People like Chuck Schumer using profanity is not going to cut it: it's not authentic, and that's what else is important, even more than before, especially for young voters.
There's a role for people like Chuck to play, but it's not as the face of the party, not when Trump is on the verge of irreparably destroying the country (the article by Rob Shapiro that Simon shared is truly must-read, and btw, fwiw, for anyone who doesn't already know, imnsho the Washington Monthly is not only the best pub too few people have heard of, it's one of the best, period).
The Allison Riggs win in North Carolina is HUGE! I am going to bask in it for some time. Because it's six months and one day of fighting for something that should have been settled back in November. And Griffin's lies, even now: “While I do not fully agree with the District Court’s analysis, I respect the court’s holding — just as I have respected every judicial tribunal that has heard this case,” Griffin said. “I will not appeal the court’s decision.”
YESSSSSS! One of the plaintiffs in the case was an elementary-school friend of my daughter's. I'm so proud of her and the many others who fought so hard for this win! Justice Riggs is and will continue to be amazing.
Good for her! So much effort and time for a race that should never have been contested. But the precedent, had he won, would have been devastating to voters rights. Now, on to making sure that Anita Earls is re-elected in 2026!~ It's wonderful to have candidates who are smart, great humans, and we can campaign for them with the knowledge that they are superb jurists!
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp would have been a formidable opponent for Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff. Kemp’s decision not to run greatly increases Ossoff’s re-election chances in 2026.
And in other great new, you know who is considering challenging Ossoff. Marjorie Taylor Greene, that’s who! Please please please run, MTG!
Senator Jon Ossoff is clearly goading Greene to throw here MAGA hat in the ring, telling CNN in late March: "I don't think that she's got the guts to do it."
Yes. I was surprised Brian Kemp decided against running for the Senate. My understanding is that Republican leadership really pressured him to run. Then, I read that it's probably because he wants to run for President. 🤷🏻♀️
I agree. Made no sense to me for him to be one of fifty, when he would be a formidable Republican candidate for President. Not that I like him, his purge of voter rolls and voter laws are unacceptable but he is a hell of a lot smarter than Trump. Not that I think that 2028 would be a good year for R's.
I've been saying he'll run in 2028 since he rebuked T in the Jan 2021 phone call requesting 11,000 votes and started at that point separating himself from T's chaos and clownishness.
While it is great news, I, for one, never thought Kemp was going to run for Senate. As soon as he recorded T in early Jan. 2021 on the phone call and said No to the request for 11,000 votes, I knew he was separating himself from T for a reason, and I have been saying since then that he is eyeing a Presidentail run in 2028. No idea if he will, but he is still youngish and not as openly outrageous as T nor chaotic and clownish like T. IOW he would appear to be to outsiders, by comparison, a sane, normal Republican. Can't stand his policies, but he appears to know the basics of governing. That or he will lobby to be President of UGA, his-- and my-- alma mater.
The GOP leadership are sort of caught here. They definitely don't want her to run but I think they are scared of her bc they know their crazy base loves her.
Careful. I recall dancing a little jig on learning Trump would be Hillary’s opponent. She’ll wipe the floor with that fool . . . Georgia is full of MAGA maniacs. Her chances might be better than we would like to think.
Had it not been for the 11th hour interference by FBI Director James Comey, Hillary would have won not just the popular vote but most likely enjoyed an Electoral College landslide as well.
The monomanic focus on "but her emails", with Sulzberger’s New York Times leading the media wolf pack, was also singularly destructive – and outrageous.
My congresspersons call script for Weds. that anyone can riff off of:
- Calling today re: Stephen Miller
- He’s the architect of the mass deportation scheme but he pretends like he isn’t, tries to hide in the background.
- Long before the election, he did an interview on the Charlie Kirk podcast where he talked about how Trump had made plans for concentration camps. But it wasn’t Trump making those plans. It was Miller. And now we have the CECOT atrocity.
- Right now Miller is gaining power, which is extremely dangerous. But, Trump has a history of getting rid of advisors who make him lose face. Opportunity there.
- Miller is doing stuff like mislead Trump about what the court rulings say. Example is the SCOTUS’ 9-0 ruling to facilitate Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s return
- Put spotlight on Miller:
1. Make fun of him. He comes unhinged when he’s made fun of.
2. Put a human face on the impacts of his crooked lawyering. Innocent ppl are now incarcerated -apparently for life- in a brutal foreign prison just for being Latino ppl w/ tattoos. Tie that to Miller and be relentless about it.
I've been recommending that since the first go round with the fiend. He can be arrested, he can be tried, he can be convicted. He flirts with crimes against humanity. He is not protected by the Constitution. He is an errand boy with waaaay too much power. Your suggestion is right on point. As with all little ogres, he can't stand to be mocked or questioned. Sounds like a plan.
I like the nickname someone gave him recently: Nosferatu. It really sticks, and from an artistic standpoint is attach those Nosferatu ears and do a little dental work, et voila: separated at birth! I used to compare him to Goebbels, but he's eaten too much Chinese takeout to fit the part...
Here’s a really good article on how to deal with S Miller. Just what you’re saying! ( not sure where I first saw this - someone may have already shared it on here)
Sort of unrelated, but I noticed the Hopium Chronicles do not appear on Simon Rosenberg's Wikipedia page! Someone who knows how to Wikipedia (sorry that is not me:)) needs to fix that stat.
Good catch! Wikipedia lists it at bottom, under External Links – but I totally agree, it should have a more prominent mention. In fact, Hopium Chronicles deserves its own Wikipedia entry!
Adding it to the first paragraph of his bio would help make a Hopium Chronicles article possible. I've edited these articles before, how about this: "Since then, he has launched Hopium Chronicles, an influential and leading edge online political community." I'd say "highly influential" because it's true, but that's where you can run into problems with editors. There would be a link from the site name and I'd find a press citation somewhere (I'm guessing by now there are a bunch) that supports "influential and leading edge online political community" What do you think? Simon can always change it if he wants, or get someone else to.
PS Just noticed there's a ton of other stuff missing from his bio. Nothing about the Clinton war room, all the first wave new media ecosystem stuff he was involved in, the 2022 election, and much more. Something should be done about that as well. Think I'll ask him if he'd like the community to take care of that for him.
thank you so much for sharing my story. my dear hope is that book banning begins to backfire massively, and teaches local groups to organize and pay attention to local elections--AND that it inspires high school students to get involved.
I've watched a bit from St. Paul and am so proud of those kids, too! Is it me or do they seem to have a higher bullshit meter than most grownups? I AM HERE FOR IT!
And, Jon Stewart did an amazing bit on his show Monday about what the red light saber really means. Hilarious.
Terrific! Wow this is some spin from the article you posted:
"Tarrant County GOP Chair Bo French declined an interview on Sunday, but addressed the results on X (formerly Twitter), saying: “Republican voters seem very content with what is happening in D.C. because Trump is winning on so many issues. I think the average Republican voter sees that and thinks there is no urgency locally.”
Oh, if only Republicans used all the creative energy they spend spinning, lying to voters, and unconstitutionally preventing people from voting to do their jobs instead
Postcards to Voters (https://postcardstovoters.org/) and Markers for Democracy (https://postcards.markersfordemocracy.org/) were both writing postcards for TX school board races although I don't think they did any for Tarrant County. Postcards for low-turnout, down-ballot races can make a HUGE difference!
I wrote postcards for the Fort Bend IDS school board candidates in TX and our candidates won! YAY!
I am currently writing postcards for the upcoming school board race in Somers NY (with Markers for Democracy). For their last school board race the margin of victory was just 10 votes!! MFD is also writing postcards for the Clarkstown (NY) school board race and PTV is writing postcards for a Scranton, PA school board race. Since school board races are non-partisan , you should not use overly partisan postcards. I usually use postcards with messages like "Your Vote is Your Voice" or "Every Vote Counts" for nonpartisan races.
I love writing postcards. I’ve done it a lot, but need to get back to it. Totally agree, these small, local races are crucial, the backbone of democracy.
Please consider interviewing Deja Foxx from Arizona a 25 year old candidate who is passionate, energetic, and outstanding communicator and the face of the future in the Democratic Party!
This is interesting. The 7th is a deep-blue district, right? And she's running in a special election to fill the seat of Raul Grijalva.
It's up to the voters of the 7th, of course, but I note that in Whatcom County, WA, young people in positions of leadership have helped to draw their colleagues to participate actively in the political process.
Allison Riggs’ victory proves my tennis theory of politics: we just need to get the ball over the net one more time than they do. So never give up! Relish beating the GOP in their abhorrent attempts to steal elections. Despicable losers.
And now for some timely entertainment, I share the link to Mel Brook’s Springtime for Hitler:
The community that is fighting a book ban reminds us, encourages us, to fight locally. Don't just condemn MAGA, but brag about Democrats' accomplishments and fight for Democratic democratic values on every board.
NM CD2's Gabe Vasquez consistently works across the aisle, and now he and Ryan Zinke (R Montana) formed a caucus to protect federal lands from the MAGA's drive to commercialize our Great Outdoors. Make sure your circle knows about stuff like that.
Thank you for sharing this note about federal land protection. It will be a relief for me to contact the office of my representative, Congressman Zinke, with a rare compliment.
This is great. It strikes me that destroying public land was a bridge too far for the people of Florida, who are fine with destroying literally everything else.
that was actually shocking that floridians rose up to stop legislation by gov de santis to put golf course, hotels, etc into our state parks & preserves!
It makes me happy that Zinke is caucusing to protect federal lands. I spent my whole career in D.C. working for nonprofits that advocate for national parks, national wildlife refuges, and national monuments, all of which belong to all of us. Zinke has not always been on the side of the angels, but in this case he's doing a good thing, and for that I'm grateful. Those who think only of selling off public lands need to hear from people who understand how much revenue they bring in from visitors and non-extractive uses. I haven't seen current stats, but I'll bet they're compelling (as they always prove to be). Like so many issues where we can look for common cause, I think that the environmental, public lands, and tourism communities share common purpose--and urgency--in looking for shared values and shouting them to the world. Our conservation history allows for a very large tent!
Simon, thank you, as always, for all the good news! I'm delighted the Tufts student is headed home. Today, I called Senators Alsobrooks and Van Hollen and Congressman Raskin to ask for criminal referrals for Lame Donald Duck and Elon Musk (including for blatant corruption; if they won't enforce the Emoluments Clause they can maybe enforce basic bribery and wire fraud laws). I'm also saying, as you note, that the "Israeli software used by National Security Advisor Waltz (and perhaps others) was hacked, shut down, and clearly exposed the most important national security conversations in our government to the entire world" and asking that the Dems make this an issue. Senator Van Hollen has shown that we CAN make things an issue when we try.
HUMILIATION: JD Vance's half-brother trounced in Cincinnati election
Cory Bowman, the Republican half-brother of Vice President JD Vance, received less than 13% of the vote in Cincinnati's mayoral primary yesterday. He was beaten by Cincinnati Democratic Mayor Aftab Pureval who won 82.5% of the vote. Another Republican, Brian Frank, received even less than Bowman. As the third-place finisher with just 4.6%, he was eliminated.
JD’s half-brother can look forward to another humiliation in November. Under the election rules, the top two finishers advance to the general election. Will he once again break 10%? Stay tuned!
Thanks for these, AS. Forwarded! Has there ever been anyone in history whose reputation for intelligence differed more from reality? I wonder how hagiographer Walter Isaacson is feeling these days...
Must admit I haven’t bothered to read Isaacson’s tome on Elon Musk, and probably never will. Perhaps Walter Isaacson needs to give his book an update, describing what influenced Musk to go off the deep end, embrace Fascism, and spout lies and conspiracy theories.
I did read his biography of Steve Jobs and thought it excellent, brutally hones about a man with great qualities as well as deep faults.
If Isaacson wrote that update, I would buy the book. I agree with you about Jobs (my hagiographer comment was not intended to apply to everything he's done), but the Musk volume stunk when it was written--everyone in tech who wasn't a fanboy knew it; he should do something to keep it out of his legacy.
In calmer future times, which I pray will come sooner rather than much later, I look forward to reading some of Isaacson’s other lauded biographies: Ben Franklin, Leonardo and perhaps Einstein. (I’d probably skip Kissinger, believing he long since should have stood trial at The Hague.) The one of Musk is not on my list, for the good reasons you mention.
I think you can skip the Einstein. I did a lot of research on Einstein in a past life for a drama called Einstein In Hollywood that unfortunately never came to pass (thanks to a falling out among the funders) . I didn't read that biography myself, but from the excerpts I saw, I didn't get the feeling he "got him" as well as others who've written about him. Unfortunately the good stuff others have unearthed comes in bits and pieces so I can't recommend one particular biography instead, but I can tell you my favorite Einstein story (and it's not the one about his chauffeur).
It happened late in his career, when he was at Princeton's Institute for Advanced Study. He and a student had just gone over a paper the student had written. He was going to keep the copy he had, it was looseleaf, so he and the student began looking all over Einstein's extremely messy office for a paper clip. At last, they found one, but it was very old and bent out of shape, so they began to look for a tool to fix it. In the course of doing so, they found a whole box of new clips. Einstein took one of the new clips out of the box and started using it to fix the old one. When the student looked at him, bewildered, Einstein suddenly realized what he was doing, stopped, smiled, and said "Once I am set on a course, it is difficult to deflect me."
Anyone else interested in how Australian Labor achieved its overwhelming election victory? Here is a terrific article on the strategist and strategy behind Anthony Albanese and Labor’s wildly successful campaign. Amazing stuff on their chosen communication.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/may/06/paul-erickson-labor-party-strategist-profile
Very interesting article. Thanks for pointing it out.
Also some worthwhile readers’ comments.
Thank you! I will read it later.
Yep, more street fighters is what we need. Ironically, that may be the only way to prevent this from ending up in the streets. But as another article points they out, they have to be *real.* People like Chuck Schumer using profanity is not going to cut it: it's not authentic, and that's what else is important, even more than before, especially for young voters.
There's a role for people like Chuck to play, but it's not as the face of the party, not when Trump is on the verge of irreparably destroying the country (the article by Rob Shapiro that Simon shared is truly must-read, and btw, fwiw, for anyone who doesn't already know, imnsho the Washington Monthly is not only the best pub too few people have heard of, it's one of the best, period).
The Allison Riggs win in North Carolina is HUGE! I am going to bask in it for some time. Because it's six months and one day of fighting for something that should have been settled back in November. And Griffin's lies, even now: “While I do not fully agree with the District Court’s analysis, I respect the court’s holding — just as I have respected every judicial tribunal that has heard this case,” Griffin said. “I will not appeal the court’s decision.”
Nonsense about the "respect." But horray for Judge Myers, another Trump appointee who said, "Enough, already!" https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/its-over-republican-jefferson-griffin-concedes-in-north-carolina-supreme-court-race/
YESSSSSS! One of the plaintiffs in the case was an elementary-school friend of my daughter's. I'm so proud of her and the many others who fought so hard for this win! Justice Riggs is and will continue to be amazing.
Good for her! So much effort and time for a race that should never have been contested. But the precedent, had he won, would have been devastating to voters rights. Now, on to making sure that Anita Earls is re-elected in 2026!~ It's wonderful to have candidates who are smart, great humans, and we can campaign for them with the knowledge that they are superb jurists!
This is such a relief! The Hopium Community stayed in the fight till victory!
Me too!!
I’ve been praying daily for this🙌🏻
Whew!!!!!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
GREAT NEWS FROM GEORGIA
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp would have been a formidable opponent for Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff. Kemp’s decision not to run greatly increases Ossoff’s re-election chances in 2026.
And in other great new, you know who is considering challenging Ossoff. Marjorie Taylor Greene, that’s who! Please please please run, MTG!
Senator Jon Ossoff is clearly goading Greene to throw here MAGA hat in the ring, telling CNN in late March: "I don't think that she's got the guts to do it."
Yes. I was surprised Brian Kemp decided against running for the Senate. My understanding is that Republican leadership really pressured him to run. Then, I read that it's probably because he wants to run for President. 🤷🏻♀️
I agree. Made no sense to me for him to be one of fifty, when he would be a formidable Republican candidate for President. Not that I like him, his purge of voter rolls and voter laws are unacceptable but he is a hell of a lot smarter than Trump. Not that I think that 2028 would be a good year for R's.
🤞🏻🙏🏻
I've been saying he'll run in 2028 since he rebuked T in the Jan 2021 phone call requesting 11,000 votes and started at that point separating himself from T's chaos and clownishness.
And I read he didn’t want to represent all the bad responses the GOP has to share with their voters!?!
While it is great news, I, for one, never thought Kemp was going to run for Senate. As soon as he recorded T in early Jan. 2021 on the phone call and said No to the request for 11,000 votes, I knew he was separating himself from T for a reason, and I have been saying since then that he is eyeing a Presidentail run in 2028. No idea if he will, but he is still youngish and not as openly outrageous as T nor chaotic and clownish like T. IOW he would appear to be to outsiders, by comparison, a sane, normal Republican. Can't stand his policies, but he appears to know the basics of governing. That or he will lobby to be President of UGA, his-- and my-- alma mater.
I had seen the debate between Sen. Ossoff and David Perdue. Boy, did he really put him in his place! I'll bet he'd do the same with MTG!
Agreed! I think MTG would be a dream opponent for our Honorable Senator.
The GOP leadership are sort of caught here. They definitely don't want her to run but I think they are scared of her bc they know their crazy base loves her.
Careful. I recall dancing a little jig on learning Trump would be Hillary’s opponent. She’ll wipe the floor with that fool . . . Georgia is full of MAGA maniacs. Her chances might be better than we would like to think.
You have a point. Never underestimate your opponent.
Had it not been for the 11th hour interference by FBI Director James Comey, Hillary would have won not just the popular vote but most likely enjoyed an Electoral College landslide as well.
The monomanic focus on "but her emails", with Sulzberger’s New York Times leading the media wolf pack, was also singularly destructive – and outrageous.
My congresspersons call script for Weds. that anyone can riff off of:
- Calling today re: Stephen Miller
- He’s the architect of the mass deportation scheme but he pretends like he isn’t, tries to hide in the background.
- Long before the election, he did an interview on the Charlie Kirk podcast where he talked about how Trump had made plans for concentration camps. But it wasn’t Trump making those plans. It was Miller. And now we have the CECOT atrocity.
- Right now Miller is gaining power, which is extremely dangerous. But, Trump has a history of getting rid of advisors who make him lose face. Opportunity there.
- Miller is doing stuff like mislead Trump about what the court rulings say. Example is the SCOTUS’ 9-0 ruling to facilitate Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s return
- Put spotlight on Miller:
1. Make fun of him. He comes unhinged when he’s made fun of.
2. Put a human face on the impacts of his crooked lawyering. Innocent ppl are now incarcerated -apparently for life- in a brutal foreign prison just for being Latino ppl w/ tattoos. Tie that to Miller and be relentless about it.
I've been recommending that since the first go round with the fiend. He can be arrested, he can be tried, he can be convicted. He flirts with crimes against humanity. He is not protected by the Constitution. He is an errand boy with waaaay too much power. Your suggestion is right on point. As with all little ogres, he can't stand to be mocked or questioned. Sounds like a plan.
I like to picture him hanging upside down from a lamp post. He may be the most evil of them all, even Trump.
Excellent points! Thank you!
i think he is running the govt and donny 2 dolls is just asleep. the staff are running everything now. he is just the tv face.
Seems accurate. Apparently today, Trump was asked if they are sending immigrants to Libya (???!!!) and he said he doesn’t know and to ask DHS.
What Trump doesn't know would fill the Library of Congress!
Unfortunately, what Trump doesn't know could destroy our liberty, imprison the innocent, and ruin lives.
Sadly, Trump's ignorance and ridiculousness is being furthered by do-nothing Republicans and a compliant Supreme Court.
I like the nickname someone gave him recently: Nosferatu. It really sticks, and from an artistic standpoint is attach those Nosferatu ears and do a little dental work, et voila: separated at birth! I used to compare him to Goebbels, but he's eaten too much Chinese takeout to fit the part...
https://criticalresistance.substack.com/p/the-strategist-no-one-voted-for-how
Here’s a really good article on how to deal with S Miller. Just what you’re saying! ( not sure where I first saw this - someone may have already shared it on here)
Yep, that article was the inspiration for my call script! Great catch. 🙂
Sort of unrelated, but I noticed the Hopium Chronicles do not appear on Simon Rosenberg's Wikipedia page! Someone who knows how to Wikipedia (sorry that is not me:)) needs to fix that stat.
Good catch! Wikipedia lists it at bottom, under External Links – but I totally agree, it should have a more prominent mention. In fact, Hopium Chronicles deserves its own Wikipedia entry!
Adding it to the first paragraph of his bio would help make a Hopium Chronicles article possible. I've edited these articles before, how about this: "Since then, he has launched Hopium Chronicles, an influential and leading edge online political community." I'd say "highly influential" because it's true, but that's where you can run into problems with editors. There would be a link from the site name and I'd find a press citation somewhere (I'm guessing by now there are a bunch) that supports "influential and leading edge online political community" What do you think? Simon can always change it if he wants, or get someone else to.
PS Just noticed there's a ton of other stuff missing from his bio. Nothing about the Clinton war room, all the first wave new media ecosystem stuff he was involved in, the 2022 election, and much more. Something should be done about that as well. Think I'll ask him if he'd like the community to take care of that for him.
This is really excellent! Yes, please contact Simon about this.
Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
why did they give him a red light saber
thank you so much for sharing my story. my dear hope is that book banning begins to backfire massively, and teaches local groups to organize and pay attention to local elections--AND that it inspires high school students to get involved.
I've watched a bit from St. Paul and am so proud of those kids, too! Is it me or do they seem to have a higher bullshit meter than most grownups? I AM HERE FOR IT!
And, Jon Stewart did an amazing bit on his show Monday about what the red light saber really means. Hilarious.
Perfectly tuned bullshit meter
Remember Emma Gonzalez’s I Call Bullshit speech after the Stoneman- Douglas school shooting?
Red lightsaber = SITH, which is an anagram for what Trump is.
Very inspiring story
More good news, from Texas:
https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/tarrant-county/gop-endorsed-candidates-lose-ground-tarrant-county-texas-nonpartisan-elections/287-818039b4-cec6-460c-8259-774a9895aa46
Terrific! Wow this is some spin from the article you posted:
"Tarrant County GOP Chair Bo French declined an interview on Sunday, but addressed the results on X (formerly Twitter), saying: “Republican voters seem very content with what is happening in D.C. because Trump is winning on so many issues. I think the average Republican voter sees that and thinks there is no urgency locally.”
Thank you for posting the link!
Oh, if only Republicans used all the creative energy they spend spinning, lying to voters, and unconstitutionally preventing people from voting to do their jobs instead
Postcards to Voters (https://postcardstovoters.org/) and Markers for Democracy (https://postcards.markersfordemocracy.org/) were both writing postcards for TX school board races although I don't think they did any for Tarrant County. Postcards for low-turnout, down-ballot races can make a HUGE difference!
I wrote postcards for the Fort Bend IDS school board candidates in TX and our candidates won! YAY!
I am currently writing postcards for the upcoming school board race in Somers NY (with Markers for Democracy). For their last school board race the margin of victory was just 10 votes!! MFD is also writing postcards for the Clarkstown (NY) school board race and PTV is writing postcards for a Scranton, PA school board race. Since school board races are non-partisan , you should not use overly partisan postcards. I usually use postcards with messages like "Your Vote is Your Voice" or "Every Vote Counts" for nonpartisan races.
I love writing postcards. I’ve done it a lot, but need to get back to it. Totally agree, these small, local races are crucial, the backbone of democracy.
Let me know if you need any info on current postcard campaigns.
Here's a great resource for all types of activism:
https://www.forwardtogetherhub.net/
Thanks for this, Cheryl! Sharing it with folks who want to know what else they can do :)
This is awesome! A great example of why I tell friends to read Simon's posts AND the chats...
Too bad the one party is not amenable to impeaching the orange pos.
Please consider interviewing Deja Foxx from Arizona a 25 year old candidate who is passionate, energetic, and outstanding communicator and the face of the future in the Democratic Party!
This is interesting. The 7th is a deep-blue district, right? And she's running in a special election to fill the seat of Raul Grijalva.
It's up to the voters of the 7th, of course, but I note that in Whatcom County, WA, young people in positions of leadership have helped to draw their colleagues to participate actively in the political process.
Allison Riggs’ victory proves my tennis theory of politics: we just need to get the ball over the net one more time than they do. So never give up! Relish beating the GOP in their abhorrent attempts to steal elections. Despicable losers.
And now for some timely entertainment, I share the link to Mel Brook’s Springtime for Hitler:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovCf9VRLnDY&pp=0gcJCdgAo7VqN5tD
😂
The community that is fighting a book ban reminds us, encourages us, to fight locally. Don't just condemn MAGA, but brag about Democrats' accomplishments and fight for Democratic democratic values on every board.
NM CD2's Gabe Vasquez consistently works across the aisle, and now he and Ryan Zinke (R Montana) formed a caucus to protect federal lands from the MAGA's drive to commercialize our Great Outdoors. Make sure your circle knows about stuff like that.
Thank you for sharing this note about federal land protection. It will be a relief for me to contact the office of my representative, Congressman Zinke, with a rare compliment.
This is great. It strikes me that destroying public land was a bridge too far for the people of Florida, who are fine with destroying literally everything else.
that was actually shocking that floridians rose up to stop legislation by gov de santis to put golf course, hotels, etc into our state parks & preserves!
It makes me happy that Zinke is caucusing to protect federal lands. I spent my whole career in D.C. working for nonprofits that advocate for national parks, national wildlife refuges, and national monuments, all of which belong to all of us. Zinke has not always been on the side of the angels, but in this case he's doing a good thing, and for that I'm grateful. Those who think only of selling off public lands need to hear from people who understand how much revenue they bring in from visitors and non-extractive uses. I haven't seen current stats, but I'll bet they're compelling (as they always prove to be). Like so many issues where we can look for common cause, I think that the environmental, public lands, and tourism communities share common purpose--and urgency--in looking for shared values and shouting them to the world. Our conservation history allows for a very large tent!
Can Annie B get the template for fighting book bans shared with all?
I'll keep my eye on it. But there's a toolkit from American Library Association: https://uniteagainstbookbans.org
And there are people ready to go. Anyone facing a book ban should contact EveryLibrary: https://www.everylibrary.org/bannedhelp
And PEN America. The person who is working on this project is truly a force, and has devoted her life to this.
https://pen.org/book-bans/report-a-book-ban/
The organizations are starting to really work together now, so a complaint to PEN will get Authors Against Book Bans involved, etc etc etc.
Simon, thank you, as always, for all the good news! I'm delighted the Tufts student is headed home. Today, I called Senators Alsobrooks and Van Hollen and Congressman Raskin to ask for criminal referrals for Lame Donald Duck and Elon Musk (including for blatant corruption; if they won't enforce the Emoluments Clause they can maybe enforce basic bribery and wire fraud laws). I'm also saying, as you note, that the "Israeli software used by National Security Advisor Waltz (and perhaps others) was hacked, shut down, and clearly exposed the most important national security conversations in our government to the entire world" and asking that the Dems make this an issue. Senator Van Hollen has shown that we CAN make things an issue when we try.
HUMILIATION: JD Vance's half-brother trounced in Cincinnati election
Cory Bowman, the Republican half-brother of Vice President JD Vance, received less than 13% of the vote in Cincinnati's mayoral primary yesterday. He was beaten by Cincinnati Democratic Mayor Aftab Pureval who won 82.5% of the vote. Another Republican, Brian Frank, received even less than Bowman. As the third-place finisher with just 4.6%, he was eliminated.
JD’s half-brother can look forward to another humiliation in November. Under the election rules, the top two finishers advance to the general election. Will he once again break 10%? Stay tuned!
https://www.newsweek.com/jd-vance-half-brother-cory-bowman-cincinnati-mayor-election-2068961
shoot it into my veins
And speaking of humiliation: Tesla sales in Germany down 46%, France 59%, UK 62%, Denmark 67%, Netherlands 74% and Sweden 81%.
https://bsky.app/profile/ledbydonkeys.org/post/3loltwljm2k2t
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZWhCwgN6sM
that tank video is the single best enjoyable thing i have seen since 1/20/25! thx!
Thanks for these, AS. Forwarded! Has there ever been anyone in history whose reputation for intelligence differed more from reality? I wonder how hagiographer Walter Isaacson is feeling these days...
Must admit I haven’t bothered to read Isaacson’s tome on Elon Musk, and probably never will. Perhaps Walter Isaacson needs to give his book an update, describing what influenced Musk to go off the deep end, embrace Fascism, and spout lies and conspiracy theories.
I did read his biography of Steve Jobs and thought it excellent, brutally hones about a man with great qualities as well as deep faults.
If Isaacson wrote that update, I would buy the book. I agree with you about Jobs (my hagiographer comment was not intended to apply to everything he's done), but the Musk volume stunk when it was written--everyone in tech who wasn't a fanboy knew it; he should do something to keep it out of his legacy.
In calmer future times, which I pray will come sooner rather than much later, I look forward to reading some of Isaacson’s other lauded biographies: Ben Franklin, Leonardo and perhaps Einstein. (I’d probably skip Kissinger, believing he long since should have stood trial at The Hague.) The one of Musk is not on my list, for the good reasons you mention.
I think you can skip the Einstein. I did a lot of research on Einstein in a past life for a drama called Einstein In Hollywood that unfortunately never came to pass (thanks to a falling out among the funders) . I didn't read that biography myself, but from the excerpts I saw, I didn't get the feeling he "got him" as well as others who've written about him. Unfortunately the good stuff others have unearthed comes in bits and pieces so I can't recommend one particular biography instead, but I can tell you my favorite Einstein story (and it's not the one about his chauffeur).
It happened late in his career, when he was at Princeton's Institute for Advanced Study. He and a student had just gone over a paper the student had written. He was going to keep the copy he had, it was looseleaf, so he and the student began looking all over Einstein's extremely messy office for a paper clip. At last, they found one, but it was very old and bent out of shape, so they began to look for a tool to fix it. In the course of doing so, they found a whole box of new clips. Einstein took one of the new clips out of the box and started using it to fix the old one. When the student looked at him, bewildered, Einstein suddenly realized what he was doing, stopped, smiled, and said "Once I am set on a course, it is difficult to deflect me."
Only Half brother, but 100% fully trounced
Lots of great news! Thank you.
Thank you Simon for yet another brilliant galvanizing mordant and cathartic newsletter.