Called Senators Cortez Masto & Rosen about the tariffs. Managed to get a live person in both offices, and both of the staffers (or interns, ICK) seemed to appreciate the call.
Calling and calling! Thanks for posting all this Simon; I have been so worried these last days. Going to get involved with Food insecurity organization here where I live especially during the holidays. I just cannot believe that in these United States, children are going to be starving! It's beyond the pale. I'm enraged....
What a horror show! I think Trump loves the tariffs because it gives him agency as a puppet master. He enjoys inflicting pain and knows that these tariffs are causing pain. And Peter Navarro is the tariff Rasputin whispering in his (undamaged) ear that tariffs are good for the country, giving him a narrative he can sort of sell to Fox News.
Called my Republican senators about the tariffs and SNAP. I feel the Democrats shouldn’t be blamed for what’s happening because Johnson never acts in good faith. So I was pleased to see Murkowski pushing for normal Congressional processes, along with a Republican rep criticizing Johnson for not swearing in the congresswoman from Arizona. For me, this shutdown has become something about preventing Trump from breaking Congress. I do think Democrats are handling that well.
Simon, thank you for the info on the tariffs. Be interesting to see which, if any, Republicans are willing to stand up to the lame duck.
I called Congressman Raskin to thank him for standing up to Trump and to urge criminal referrals, state and federal, against the law breakers in this administration. I called Senators Alsobrooks and Van Hollen to ask them to be sure to be present for the tariff votes and to take back the power to impose tariffs.
Thanks for all you do Simon. Wisconsin: 1st round of calls are in to Rep. members regarding SNAP and ACA. 2nd round of calls to D&R senators regarding tariffs. I plan an additional call this afternoon regarding the rest of our 4part agenda. I have a call in to volunteer at our local food shelf. It’s been on my to do list for a long time but this current state of affairs motivated me to do it.
I left messages re tariff rollbacks and fully funding SNAP with Fetterman and McCormick. I spoke with Bresnahan staff to urge the congressman to report to the floor of the House with Rep Kevin Kiley (R-CA).
I call every week day btw with a Hopium-focused ask. Today felt particularly pertinent because you alerted me to the possible senate votes. Thank you!!
Called Rep. Lawler this morning. Got VM. Asked him to urge Speaker Johnson to call the House back into session. Reminded him that Congress was supposed to pass a budget by 9/30 and that neither the BBB nor a CR is a budget. Added that gov't employees are working without pay and when SNAP runs out, children & elderly will go hungry. Ended with "go back to DC and back to working for the people who elected you". I figured it wouldn't hurt to remind him that his seat is vulnerable.
How about alongside of a political game, democrats play a personal game. trump gets billionaires to contribute to his "even though i have a teenie weenie i am still your king" pet projects so, what if ordinary people had a way to contribute to federal workers and snap recipients to lighten their burden? I get multiple emails to give money to the party and yet they show me no clear path out of this mess except a road back to the way things were that got us here in the first place. maga leaders have painted us as the evil enemy and each of us has been maligned personally and shit on by meme. What if we use a fund to demonstrate who we really are Proud, Plucky Patriots for a United America.
I remember in the movie, Patton, when he says "I read your book" while he watches his strategy defeating Rommel's. This is a new book on MAGA: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0063512866 "Kirk describes why it took Trump, a reality TV superstar, to see past the sclerotic [rigid] and power-hungry institutions, from the United Nations and Google to Harvard and Viacom, working to crush real America. The MAGA Doctrine is all about giving you a say in the future of America and a hand in making it happen.
As the mainstream media churn out lies about the “real reasons” behind the new conservative agenda, this book is a powerful reminder of the true ideals of freedom and greatness that swept Donald Trump to the presidency. The MAGA Doctrine urges a restoration of self-rule by a populace long taken for granted by its rulers." I live in a red state. It is important to understand their emotions. Heather Cox Richardson refers to it as the self reliance of the western cowboy image - I see it in Appalachian self reliance. But what they yearn for in 'real America' is not only nostalgia, it is changing, and it is harsher than any of them could live now. Plus they don't see the oligarch part while stuck in their world view. But it will benefit us to understand it. We are experiencing the backlash they have felt from not being heard. Trump is using that to his power advantage. Convoluted but accurate.
Kirk was accurate in assessing that people were being hammered in the overall neoliberal economic order. His solution was grossly reactionary which of course trump took advantage of.
It's brutally ironic that trump's supporters see him as the restorer of their nostalgic past but don't realize that in the past they yearn for that they'll be massively screwed. It will take some doing to pull them out of this morass if they're capable of seeing it.
When I was ten years old, my father ran for a county office. I was told that if he won, I could get a horse. I was given a Vote for My Daddy t-shirt and a handful of cards to give out with his picture on them asking for a vote. Of course, I was motivated by the horse thing, but I also loved my Dad. So off I went, intent on passing out all those cards.
Many were kind and smiled to accept my cards. One man I will always remember, looked right at me, looked at the card, then crumpled it up and threw it on the ground. I was stunned. I didn’t understand his reaction, and I remember feeling sorry for him. I was also my father’s daughter. I passed them all out. He held that office for almost twenty years, and I got my horse.
I have lived in East Tennessee all my life among really good people, some of whom don’t care if you are only ten. This article describes them better than I can, along with the dichotomy we face in the diversity of complexity we face in our society at this time. If you can read and internalize the emotions and perspectives described in this article, perhaps we can begin to find the humility to foster understanding and find true community.
In rural Texas, just 40 miles apart, a paramedic and a former small-town mayor got caught up on two sides of a digital “civil war.”
Leave it to those fuckers to decide whether or not to feed kids, the elderly, and the disabled, during their Thursday policy LUNCH. This is not something to play around with for politics.
It is tempting to say they have no moral compass. But it isn't even true. They know exactly what the immoral choice is and take it every time. We should be so lucky if they were just amoral and occasionally did the right thing, even if by accident.
I just called Cruz and Cornyn about voting for the bill to take back the tariff responsibility from the President and emphasized that Texas citizens will be hurt if Trump continues.
me and an old navy vet canvassed today informally; got one more vote for mikie in nj...older dude, was going to make his decision saturday....we helped him make it.
I wish I had known about the tariff vote! I would have emphasized it more…. But I did mention it to both TX senators today as part of a general plea for them to take back their congressional power
Called Senators Cortez Masto & Rosen about the tariffs. Managed to get a live person in both offices, and both of the staffers (or interns, ICK) seemed to appreciate the call.
Let's save our economy from Donald the Terrible!
Calling and calling! Thanks for posting all this Simon; I have been so worried these last days. Going to get involved with Food insecurity organization here where I live especially during the holidays. I just cannot believe that in these United States, children are going to be starving! It's beyond the pale. I'm enraged....
thank you - yes we need to be very, very loud today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HA HA. I'm "yelling". Thanks Simon.
What a horror show! I think Trump loves the tariffs because it gives him agency as a puppet master. He enjoys inflicting pain and knows that these tariffs are causing pain. And Peter Navarro is the tariff Rasputin whispering in his (undamaged) ear that tariffs are good for the country, giving him a narrative he can sort of sell to Fox News.
Off to make my calls!
keep making calls everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Called my Republican senators about the tariffs and SNAP. I feel the Democrats shouldn’t be blamed for what’s happening because Johnson never acts in good faith. So I was pleased to see Murkowski pushing for normal Congressional processes, along with a Republican rep criticizing Johnson for not swearing in the congresswoman from Arizona. For me, this shutdown has become something about preventing Trump from breaking Congress. I do think Democrats are handling that well.
keep making calls everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And they're working!
Simon, thank you for the info on the tariffs. Be interesting to see which, if any, Republicans are willing to stand up to the lame duck.
I called Congressman Raskin to thank him for standing up to Trump and to urge criminal referrals, state and federal, against the law breakers in this administration. I called Senators Alsobrooks and Van Hollen to ask them to be sure to be present for the tariff votes and to take back the power to impose tariffs.
Thanks for all you do Simon. Wisconsin: 1st round of calls are in to Rep. members regarding SNAP and ACA. 2nd round of calls to D&R senators regarding tariffs. I plan an additional call this afternoon regarding the rest of our 4part agenda. I have a call in to volunteer at our local food shelf. It’s been on my to do list for a long time but this current state of affairs motivated me to do it.
I left messages re tariff rollbacks and fully funding SNAP with Fetterman and McCormick. I spoke with Bresnahan staff to urge the congressman to report to the floor of the House with Rep Kevin Kiley (R-CA).
I call every week day btw with a Hopium-focused ask. Today felt particularly pertinent because you alerted me to the possible senate votes. Thank you!!
Called Rep. Lawler this morning. Got VM. Asked him to urge Speaker Johnson to call the House back into session. Reminded him that Congress was supposed to pass a budget by 9/30 and that neither the BBB nor a CR is a budget. Added that gov't employees are working without pay and when SNAP runs out, children & elderly will go hungry. Ended with "go back to DC and back to working for the people who elected you". I figured it wouldn't hurt to remind him that his seat is vulnerable.
How about alongside of a political game, democrats play a personal game. trump gets billionaires to contribute to his "even though i have a teenie weenie i am still your king" pet projects so, what if ordinary people had a way to contribute to federal workers and snap recipients to lighten their burden? I get multiple emails to give money to the party and yet they show me no clear path out of this mess except a road back to the way things were that got us here in the first place. maga leaders have painted us as the evil enemy and each of us has been maligned personally and shit on by meme. What if we use a fund to demonstrate who we really are Proud, Plucky Patriots for a United America.
I remember in the movie, Patton, when he says "I read your book" while he watches his strategy defeating Rommel's. This is a new book on MAGA: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0063512866 "Kirk describes why it took Trump, a reality TV superstar, to see past the sclerotic [rigid] and power-hungry institutions, from the United Nations and Google to Harvard and Viacom, working to crush real America. The MAGA Doctrine is all about giving you a say in the future of America and a hand in making it happen.
As the mainstream media churn out lies about the “real reasons” behind the new conservative agenda, this book is a powerful reminder of the true ideals of freedom and greatness that swept Donald Trump to the presidency. The MAGA Doctrine urges a restoration of self-rule by a populace long taken for granted by its rulers." I live in a red state. It is important to understand their emotions. Heather Cox Richardson refers to it as the self reliance of the western cowboy image - I see it in Appalachian self reliance. But what they yearn for in 'real America' is not only nostalgia, it is changing, and it is harsher than any of them could live now. Plus they don't see the oligarch part while stuck in their world view. But it will benefit us to understand it. We are experiencing the backlash they have felt from not being heard. Trump is using that to his power advantage. Convoluted but accurate.
Kirk was accurate in assessing that people were being hammered in the overall neoliberal economic order. His solution was grossly reactionary which of course trump took advantage of.
It's brutally ironic that trump's supporters see him as the restorer of their nostalgic past but don't realize that in the past they yearn for that they'll be massively screwed. It will take some doing to pull them out of this morass if they're capable of seeing it.
I agree, Thornton. I really don't know what it will take.
https://democracy.io/#!/ Democracy thrives when people’s voices are heard. The easier it is for you to contact Congress, the better. It’s that simple.
When I was ten years old, my father ran for a county office. I was told that if he won, I could get a horse. I was given a Vote for My Daddy t-shirt and a handful of cards to give out with his picture on them asking for a vote. Of course, I was motivated by the horse thing, but I also loved my Dad. So off I went, intent on passing out all those cards.
Many were kind and smiled to accept my cards. One man I will always remember, looked right at me, looked at the card, then crumpled it up and threw it on the ground. I was stunned. I didn’t understand his reaction, and I remember feeling sorry for him. I was also my father’s daughter. I passed them all out. He held that office for almost twenty years, and I got my horse.
I have lived in East Tennessee all my life among really good people, some of whom don’t care if you are only ten. This article describes them better than I can, along with the dichotomy we face in the diversity of complexity we face in our society at this time. If you can read and internalize the emotions and perspectives described in this article, perhaps we can begin to find the humility to foster understanding and find true community.
In rural Texas, just 40 miles apart, a paramedic and a former small-town mayor got caught up on two sides of a digital “civil war.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/12/us/charlie-kirk-civil-war.html?unlocked_article_code=1.wU8.QC-N.l3_7N494QxOe&smid=em-share
thank you for that link. i will never understand the lionization of charlie kirk; a neighbor has a shrine to him. right here in blue nj.
Leave it to those fuckers to decide whether or not to feed kids, the elderly, and the disabled, during their Thursday policy LUNCH. This is not something to play around with for politics.
Yep. It's actually nauseating even to read, isn't it?
The ballroom is getting all the press, but the real construction boom is happening in Hell, I'd say.
It is tempting to say they have no moral compass. But it isn't even true. They know exactly what the immoral choice is and take it every time. We should be so lucky if they were just amoral and occasionally did the right thing, even if by accident.
They'll pray on it.
I just called Cruz and Cornyn about voting for the bill to take back the tariff responsibility from the President and emphasized that Texas citizens will be hurt if Trump continues.
I made my calls, too. At times, I've thought of giving up on calling them both. But as I've found out, it isn't pointless after all.
me and an old navy vet canvassed today informally; got one more vote for mikie in nj...older dude, was going to make his decision saturday....we helped him make it.
Good for you!!!
Well done - thanks!
That’s how it’s done! Thanks.
If you can, donate or volunteer for a food bank. I think it’s going to be tough but Dems should continue to hold the line here.
I wish I had known about the tariff vote! I would have emphasized it more…. But I did mention it to both TX senators today as part of a general plea for them to take back their congressional power