Dark money from musk pouring in to the race to put up ads that are blatantly false and very ugly.. My son lives in Madison. He sees these ads when watching NCAA Basketball. Our Democratic Party here are having phone banking sessions and are going to Wisconsin the weekend before the election to canvas. Other Democratic groups along the Northshore of Chicago are also doing this, as we did before the November election.
Marquette came out with a poll showing Trump underwater in approvals there and that has to have downballot effects. Democrats are also killing it when Trump is not on the ballot. If we work hard we can make sure we hold the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
I have been text banking with a group that texts for progressive causes. For the past weeks, we've been texting to help get out the vote for Susan Crawford. Tomorrow, we have a big push to continue doing this.
Exactly, and you can do this via Mobilize US, which I've already done and will do more of this week! I also would have suggested letter-writing via Vote Forward, but people have already adopted all the voters. They MAY open up the campaigns again as needed, but as of now, there are no letters left to write.
Great work! Thanks for the link. Wisconsin Democrats are rising to the occasion – they know what is at stake: democracy itself in Wisconsin and in our nation as a whole.
Thanks for the link. I went over there to sign up. I hope to get postcards written and sent out before early voting (if they have one) starts. I'll go back and donate more money. Musk will not buy this election if I have anything to say about it (and I've got plenty).
MAYDAY?! As Malcolm Nance warned during the first term of Dolos, WE ARE LIVING THROUGH A RUSSIAN OPERATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGFKwshHjWQ&list=TLPQMDkwMzIwMjVSQFFablTasA . Now, Peter Zeihan, who has been a geopolitical strategist for over 25 years and predicted the attack on Ukraine (please view this 3-minute blurb and note the date): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkuhWA9GdCo, seems to be leaning toward the Nance spectrum about the seemingly unpatriotic behavior of Dolos.
Per our Five-Eyes partners, sensitive intelligence has already begun to leak; therefore, they will throttle back their interactions (making us vulnerable). So, the USA is now deemed untrustworthy - even to the Israelis and the Saudis. This is not a game.
The Russians know that their demography has sealed their fate. The old KGB Colonel wants us to join his team, “a trailer park with atomic bombs”, in HELL! Sadly, one side of our political dynamic has already made the WRONG choice.
I literally come from heroes (see the medal in my icon). Thus, before people inexplicably start to fall out of windows or take ill (from exotic poisons), WE NOW KNOW OUR LIKELY ULTIMATE ENEMY. Dolos has always been an actor taking directions from others, i.e. Fred Trump, Roy Cohn, the producers of “The Apprentice”, Roger Stone, Paul Manafort, Steve Bannon, and now the TSAR. To remove any doubt, here is a thoughtful take from Ambassador (and former National Security Advisor) Rice on the Kremlin's "Honey Do List": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWbK5gfNYd4 .
Because the TSAR is losing (with donkeys on the battlefield and falling oil prices), they have moved too fast and unmasked themselves. So, tighten your broken shield onto your broken arm (here is some cinematic inspiration): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pFUP0HZwWM . I’m an old Marvel fanboy: “Let’s go!” LET’S MAKE IT REAL.
CARTHAGO DELENDA EST (via nonviolence).
P.S.: Do the following now! FIRST, TEACH CIVICS. Second, register voters. THIRD, TEACH CIVICS. Rinse. Repeat.
P.P.S.: DEMOCRATS (AND PROSPECTIVE CANDIDATES FOR OFFICE) NEED TO HAVE “TOWN HALLS” IN REPUBLICAN DISTRICTS - ASAP. YOUR OPPONENTS HAVE WILLINGLY CONCEDED THE FIELD.
Thanks for this, Patrick. I too have thought about the Russian penchant for taking out opponents through windows, falls and poisons. Note that one good move has been that all our calls to Dems re the PPS in your post has resulted in action, which we hope will multiply during this March recess https://pocan.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pocan-host-town-hall-lafayette-county and this in the critical state of Wisconsin!
Thanks, Simon. That impressionist exhibit at the National Gallery was one of the most beautiful and breathtaking I've ever seen. I waited almost 2 hours to get in on the last Monday of the exhibit , but it was worth it. Some of the works were from the National Gallery's permanent collections and were just moved from one room to another. But, most of the works were from museums throughout Paris, France, and other European cities. I met a lovely couple from Delaware who came in just for the exhibit and we talked about all sorts -- including our beloved Biden, patriotism, love of country and service to others. In that week right before the Inauguration, viewing this exhibit brought up all types of emotions -- not just the anticipation of what was about to hit us, but also our allies and friends around the world. Living here in Washington is a wonderful thing, and I'll never let that mad tyrant ruin this city for us.
I love the permanent National Gallery impressionism collection and was fortunate enough to see a huge special exhibit at the Met in NYC in the 1980s - it is always worth standing in line for! I miss living in DC very much, but it just became too expensive to be in town, which was where we wanted to be. Cost of living is not much better here in NJ.
I noticed that you are not urgiing us to call Dem Senators about the Continuing Resolution. I'm wondering why. TPM reports that the Senate Dems are not united and fear causing a shutdown. Shouldn't we call our Dem Senators about this? Thanks for your take on this.
Indivisible call this past week mentioned this topic and they sent out a poll to subscribers about it. I would venture to guess most Indivisibles are in our camp.
Where can I find details about the "first shadow hearing" and "the largest grassroots organizing event of the year so far with over 100,000 attendees"? If it was in one of Simon's posts this week, I apologize that I didn't have time to read everything. I'd appreciate it if someone could point me in the right direction.
Here's a snippet from it, really compelling. The House Dems held a hearing on Medicaid and what it would mean to cut it. There's another snippet when a former state official says that 50% of babies in his state are born under Medicaid. The Rep says: excuse me, how many? Yes, 1 out of 2, 50%. The GOP has the majority, but wouldn't call an official hearing. Nonetheless, the shadow hearing surface the truth and got lots of news coverage.
Here is the link to the event with Ken Martin and Hakeem Jeffries: It's called National Update and Call to Action on the YouTube channel for "The Democrats".
I ran the audio of Bernie's Fighting Oligarchy Kenosha YouTube while making dinner, and then while washing dishes - very invigorating! Especially hearing the local Dem reps in Kenosha. Will watch/listen to this one today. Thanks!
He had over 10,000 people in Warren, Michigan yesterday. It's about 13 miles north of Detroit. Kenosha had over 3,500 with another 500 outside. There was a good turnout in Altoona, a very small farming town in Eau Claire County. The population is about 9,000. 2,000 people showed up for the rally.
David, WTF does this mean? It's a ridiculous comment. I ask folks not to denigrate other Dems here and you are making a sweeping statement trashing all Dems from the last 40 years? Come on, do better.
Um, in my defense, I am not a bot. Here is where I am getting the language from (https://robertreich.substack.com/p/democrats-wake-the-hell-up). Of course, to better make my point for purposes of this particular post, I have changed my language above.
Further, as the saying goes, "only a Sith deals in absolutes" :) I am not saying ALL Democrats of the 1980s and 90s on have simply "played dead" to a bad Republican agenda. However, I would still stand by the argument that the mainstream Democratic Party HAS largely "played dead" and even "rolled over."
It does not need to remain that way, and I am certainly not going to denigrate the current Party. Every day is a new opportunity to move in the right direction, and I will take what wins I can get at any rate.
I am happy to further explain what I said or am saying now, but I think my other comments can prove I am not a bot.
I apologize to you. I know you are a fellow Hopium member and are fighting the good fight. In my opinion, Reich is wrong. He has complained about the party in these terms for a long time, and it seems to me he overlooks what Democrats are doing.
Understandable sentiment. But, if you think Reich is going after Biden's presidency, his posts suggest otherwise. As for me, I wish Biden only had a little better anti-establishment branding (Truman '48).
Finally, here is what I wrote to Simon on a very similar point of whether the 90s was a time when people returned to the Party or left it. I don't know if it sounds like I'm parroting Reich, but I will let you be the judge of that:
Hello Simon,
Short-term, yes. But long-term, this is when the Democratic Party began to alienate the working-class with support of NAFTA and such. So that would be my argument. Senator Sherrod Brown has directly drawn such a line on multiple occasions, from before November 2024 to during November 2024 to after November 2024. To me, it seems the best explanation of why the voting population today is so passionately anti-establishment.
And that applies across the political spectrum. One of the unfortunate consequences of being in power so long in that 1990s and then that 2008-2020 window is we became "the establishment." We came to represent a status quo that, while it brought great technological progress, did not quite allow the average working person to share in that new wealth.
The economy now is quite different from the economy that FDR, Truman, etc. created in the 40s and 50s. Look no further than what Robert Reich has said on the change in the worker to CEO pay gap from then to now. There are many examples to the same effect, but that is just one.
And what people have seen is that, time and time again, Democrats have "played dead" as Republicans going back to Reagan have rewritten the rules to favor the rich. Sometimes, as in the case of the repeal of Glass-Steagall (again, 1990s Democratic Party stuff here), they even contributed to the events that caused people to lose their faith in our institutions. I mean, we can argue all day how much a role that repeal played in causing the Great Recession, but we should all agree as FDR Democrats that these types of restrictions on banking should not have been taken away.
A bit longer than I wanted my answer to be, but I did want to better explain my perspective here.
It doesnt matter where it is coming from it is a ridiculous sentiment, and need you to do better here. I want to repeat a critical statistic - from 2008 to 2020 Dems averaged 51% of the vote, our best showing over 4 elections since FDR. The idea that our party has been bleeding voters since the 1990s or in decline is false and wrong. We bled voters from 1968 to 1988 and started regaining them in the 1990s. Obama's 53 and 51 percent vote share was our best back to back showing since FDR's Presidency. In this time of enormous challenge we must keep the focus on them. If we spend our time together attacking each other we will guarantee the fascists succeed.
I get your frustration here, and I think too much soul-searching and self-doubting can be a dangerous thing.
That said, Obama was a once-in-a-generation charismatic speaker with an ambitious (I dare say progressive populist) agenda in 2008, and enough good will from that even despite a dip in support going into 2012.
As to the question of a Democratic Party "in decline," let me just say this: you can win elections and yet lose a sense of your mission. I think that is what largely happened with Democrats over the last 40 years.
In the 40s and 50s, we shaped the policy conversation. We were setting the agenda. Fiscally, Republicans like Eisenhower would be practically unrecognizable to Republicans today, beyond even their foreign policy.
Even in the 60s and 70s, Nixon was socially conservative (without a doubt), yet he also established the EPA and did other things that would be considered much "too progressive" for Rs today.
Yet Reagan comes, and he changes the whole conversation. "Government is the problem," and then everyone (including Democrats) goes along with much of it. And play out the consequences of that, and you get a base of just raw anger (based on economic insecurity) that Trump exploits to con people.
But, even if I say Democrats lost a sense of their mission in the past, what better chance to regain it than now? So I will keep up the fight, and try to move the Party in the direction I think it ought to move. In my own little way.
David, I'm with Leslie and appreciate Simon's comment below. Why post this here and clutter our comments thread? we are busy working and self reporting . Personally, I think the dem party is doing great and we have such a deep bench! I don't care what some [expletives] says. self - reporting: busy weekend with back to back events with multiple local orgs, as Tim Snyder recommends.
My actions this week included Stand Up For Science in San Francisco, which was both cathartic (Yay Science! Yay Scientists! [me]) and confusing (Why do I have to be here, again? I was at the 2017 March for Science). Today I’m going to a town hall by my congressperson, Sam Liccardo. I’ve gotten a few comments in the media, regarding the loss of BIL and IRA money for local conservation projects (https://baynature.org/article/trump-confusion-chaos-impacts-on-san-francisco-bay-area-conservation-work/), and the attack on the Presidio Trust (https://abc7news.com/place/presidio/). I know it all adds up, and it is the antidote for despair, but WTF was the plurality of the electorate, especially in the swing states thinking (or not)?
Simon, I like your idea of a Letter to America. Also, on another Substack post (possibly yours), it was suggested that a spokesperson for Democrats have a rebuttal EVERY DAY to whatever Trump's administration is doing. Although there are many Democratic senators and representatives out there doing that, we need someone to present to the media as our 'official' rebuttal of the day.
If it's a 'formal' declaration from the party, it would be harder for the media to ignore it. Jeffries and Schumer are not cutting it and they should not be the voice of our opposition.
We need someone to address the Trump topic of the day, with discipline and a clear objective to educate the public about the consequences of what the administration is doing. Don't get caught up on any solution as we're wont to do, just state the obvious to get people to listen. Trump is using his daily Captain Kangaroo Executive Order signings to spew his lies, which gets press coverage every single day; we can also create a daily rebuttal in a similar way.
I think this coming week I will try and do a Letter to Americans, post it here and see, as a group, we can improve the outline, then when we think it is what we want, send it to our Representatives/Senators. What say you? Are you game?
Please comment on need for a Democrat “Press Secretary”. I think it’s a great idea. We have a lot of individuals with new posts to be paid by subscription snalyzing the situation, but not a single voice from the Dem party
Great summary of the good stuff happening. Thank you.
I'm focusing on calling and writing to my people about a united front and letter to America.
I am also coming down on Medicaid and social security; asking Jim McGovern to do a Town hall and give us a real update. My church has joined a lawsuit with 25 other churches, against ICE. We want to be a sanctuary church/town. There are multiple rallies and protests and our state legislators are getting up and speaking... it's Massachusetts and they better be!
My group here are preparing our scripts for or calls (probably voice mails) and contact form emails. Of course, our Senators and Congresswoman or Democrats. I'm concerned about Ukraine, the budget negotiations, and DOGE. So, here is what I have drafted. I will first send this to Senator Durbin, who made a strong speech in support of Ukraine on the floor of the Senate last week. I did to add statistics about Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid as my Senators of course support all three programs. But if you are in a red state you will need to add statistics and the truth about Social Security and Medicare - We Pay It!
"Dear Senator Durbin,
Thank you for speaking out so strongly concerning support for Ukraine.
I would like assurance that you and your colleagues in the Senate will not support a budget that does not include full military support for Ukraine and a restoration of the intelligence satelite systems shut down by Elon Musk. Every Democrat in the Senate as well as those on the other side should vocally stand up in defense of Ukraine.
In addition, cuts to Medicaid, Social Security and Medicare should be aggressively opposed, as I’m sure you agree.
There is absolutely no need for a cabinet level department called DOGE. The 17 Inspectors General fired by Donald Trump should be reinstated. Musk dropped out of Stanford University after one week. He is uneducated and has no understanding of our Constitution or the need for a strong federal government. The Inspectors General have the required education and professional experience and have been successfully fulfilling their responsibilities for many years.
I know you are doing everything you can. It is crucial that every single Democratic Senator remain unified in our opposition to the policies of the current administration. We must show that we are united even though we are in the minority at the moment. I was very disappointed to learn that certain Democratic Senators actually voted Yes for certain cabinet nominees."
Yesterday I received a fundraising request from Fetterman. I went down to "Unsubscibe". The form asked why I wanted to Unsubscribe. I replied strongly that he is a disappointment and I was appalled at his vote approving certain Cabinet nominees. I told him Democrats must show a unified front even though we currently the minority in the Senate.
I will be copying your letter and sending it to my reps, it is perfect. They don't need their staff to deal with me crying when I call. I am so worried about what will happen to my autistic son who cannot work.
Yes, where are the criminal referrals?!!! And the Articles of Impeachment?!!! Even if they are DOA, they need to be made. If there's a good reason not to do it now, I'd like to hear it.
If anybody needs a primer on Social Security and how to debunk Musk's comments, Paul Krugman's column today is really helpful and easy to understand. Should be a national read (and point of pride).
Unfortunately, it's behind a paywall. From what I understand, this is not funded by the government but wholly by the tax receipts of Social Security taxes on your paycheck and is in a separate funding stream. Current beneficiaries are funded by the currently employed ( which makes it a little difficult because we baby boomers are a much larger population than those who came after us). SS taxes are not collected on high wage earners after their wage base goes beyond $164,600 - not sure if it's this figure or $168,600.
Oh sorry, I didn't realize it was only for paid subscribers. A few bits:
The upper limit is actually $176,100.
"The purpose of these changes [during Reagan's time] was to enable Social Security to run substantial surpluses during the years when boomers were still working and not collecting benefits. The accumulation of these surpluses created a substantial Social Security trust fund, which peaked in 2020 at $2.9 trillion and is still, as we’ve seen, $2.7 trillion."
"It sometimes seems to me as if discussions about Social Security are caught in a time loop where it’s always 2005, and Very Serious People issue ominous warnings about what will happen when the gray wave of baby boomers hits the system. But it’s 2025, and they (we) are already here. Most of the fiscal impact of an aging population is already in the budget numbers.
And the other clean little secret of Social Security is that it won’t be too hard to absorb what’s left of that impact, given the political will."
"...over the next decade as the last of the baby boomers start collecting. And maintaining full benefits beyond that point will require finding a significant amount of money — 1.3 percent of GDP — a sum that will grow, but only a little, over time."
"Here’s a point of comparison: House Republicans just passed a budget resolution calling for $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, mainly for the wealthy, over the next decade. If we compare those cuts with CBO economic projections, they amount to … 1.2 percent of GDP.
So roughly speaking we could raise enough money to sustain Social Security as it is simply by not letting Republicans cut taxes for the rich."
Thank you, Rachel. The figure I used was from 2024. So all this scary stuff about SS needs to have more put into it or decrease the amount paid would have to decrease around 2034 is not true, apparently. Well, that's good as long as the funding is not diverted by Trump.
Well, it is true, but as Krugman says, it's not dire, and it's fixable.
"...once the trust fund is gone, something will have to happen. No, Social Security won’t go “bankrupt.” Even with the trust fund gone, payroll tax receipts will still cover 77 percent of scheduled benefits. But seniors would, understandably, be furious if their benefits were suddenly cut.
So the most likely outcome — or at least that’s my guess — is that Congress will find a way to provide Social Security with more money. One obvious way to do this would be to raise, maybe even eliminate, the FICA maximum. Only 6 percent of workers earn more than that maximum, but some of them earn a lot more, so this would raise a substantial amount."
And at the end of his column:
"It faces a financial shortfall, but the shortfall isn’t that big, and sustaining Social Security is well within America’s means.
Above all, don’t let Elon Musk and his kids panic you into thinking that we must destroy Social Security to save it."
Concerned about the WI Supreme Court race
Why?
Dark money from musk pouring in to the race to put up ads that are blatantly false and very ugly.. My son lives in Madison. He sees these ads when watching NCAA Basketball. Our Democratic Party here are having phone banking sessions and are going to Wisconsin the weekend before the election to canvas. Other Democratic groups along the Northshore of Chicago are also doing this, as we did before the November election.
Exactly, musk is involved. Crawford needs help.
Some hopium:
Marquette came out with a poll showing Trump underwater in approvals there and that has to have downballot effects. Democrats are also killing it when Trump is not on the ballot. If we work hard we can make sure we hold the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
I have been text banking with a group that texts for progressive causes. For the past weeks, we've been texting to help get out the vote for Susan Crawford. Tomorrow, we have a big push to continue doing this.
Well, let's get to work! Already started phonebanking for her, and had a very good conversation with an undecided.
Dammit you’re right
Exactly, and you can do this via Mobilize US, which I've already done and will do more of this week! I also would have suggested letter-writing via Vote Forward, but people have already adopted all the voters. They MAY open up the campaigns again as needed, but as of now, there are no letters left to write.
Postcards to Voters was giving out addresses as of Saturday morning, so may be able to keep writing through them.
That is great. I know MoveOn and Indivisible also have opportunities to work for Susan Crawford as well.
Let’s work hard to help Susan Crawford win that seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. We can do this! We NEED to do this!
I've already written over 600 postcardstovoters.org for Judge Crawford and raised my recurring donation significantly. This was a good event:
https://pbswisconsin.org/news-item/wisconsin-democrats-hold-people-vs-musk-town-hall-to-issue-call-to-action-for-the-2025-spring-election/
Great work! Thanks for the link. Wisconsin Democrats are rising to the occasion – they know what is at stake: democracy itself in Wisconsin and in our nation as a whole.
Thanks for the link. I went over there to sign up. I hope to get postcards written and sent out before early voting (if they have one) starts. I'll go back and donate more money. Musk will not buy this election if I have anything to say about it (and I've got plenty).
Early voting begins March 18
Thanks.
Here is Brian Tyler Cohen interviewing the WI Supreme Court candidate Susan Crawford
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhCqCG4o-0A
Its another case of "the money against the many" Ground games can and do win, even if we are outspent
Brian is very popular. I hope Judge Crawford can raise funds off this interview. Thank you.
Simon et al.:
MAYDAY?! As Malcolm Nance warned during the first term of Dolos, WE ARE LIVING THROUGH A RUSSIAN OPERATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGFKwshHjWQ&list=TLPQMDkwMzIwMjVSQFFablTasA . Now, Peter Zeihan, who has been a geopolitical strategist for over 25 years and predicted the attack on Ukraine (please view this 3-minute blurb and note the date): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkuhWA9GdCo, seems to be leaning toward the Nance spectrum about the seemingly unpatriotic behavior of Dolos.
Per our Five-Eyes partners, sensitive intelligence has already begun to leak; therefore, they will throttle back their interactions (making us vulnerable). So, the USA is now deemed untrustworthy - even to the Israelis and the Saudis. This is not a game.
The Russians know that their demography has sealed their fate. The old KGB Colonel wants us to join his team, “a trailer park with atomic bombs”, in HELL! Sadly, one side of our political dynamic has already made the WRONG choice.
I literally come from heroes (see the medal in my icon). Thus, before people inexplicably start to fall out of windows or take ill (from exotic poisons), WE NOW KNOW OUR LIKELY ULTIMATE ENEMY. Dolos has always been an actor taking directions from others, i.e. Fred Trump, Roy Cohn, the producers of “The Apprentice”, Roger Stone, Paul Manafort, Steve Bannon, and now the TSAR. To remove any doubt, here is a thoughtful take from Ambassador (and former National Security Advisor) Rice on the Kremlin's "Honey Do List": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWbK5gfNYd4 .
Because the TSAR is losing (with donkeys on the battlefield and falling oil prices), they have moved too fast and unmasked themselves. So, tighten your broken shield onto your broken arm (here is some cinematic inspiration): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pFUP0HZwWM . I’m an old Marvel fanboy: “Let’s go!” LET’S MAKE IT REAL.
CARTHAGO DELENDA EST (via nonviolence).
P.S.: Do the following now! FIRST, TEACH CIVICS. Second, register voters. THIRD, TEACH CIVICS. Rinse. Repeat.
P.P.S.: DEMOCRATS (AND PROSPECTIVE CANDIDATES FOR OFFICE) NEED TO HAVE “TOWN HALLS” IN REPUBLICAN DISTRICTS - ASAP. YOUR OPPONENTS HAVE WILLINGLY CONCEDED THE FIELD.
Thanks for this, Patrick. I too have thought about the Russian penchant for taking out opponents through windows, falls and poisons. Note that one good move has been that all our calls to Dems re the PPS in your post has resulted in action, which we hope will multiply during this March recess https://pocan.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pocan-host-town-hall-lafayette-county and this in the critical state of Wisconsin!
Thanks, Simon. That impressionist exhibit at the National Gallery was one of the most beautiful and breathtaking I've ever seen. I waited almost 2 hours to get in on the last Monday of the exhibit , but it was worth it. Some of the works were from the National Gallery's permanent collections and were just moved from one room to another. But, most of the works were from museums throughout Paris, France, and other European cities. I met a lovely couple from Delaware who came in just for the exhibit and we talked about all sorts -- including our beloved Biden, patriotism, love of country and service to others. In that week right before the Inauguration, viewing this exhibit brought up all types of emotions -- not just the anticipation of what was about to hit us, but also our allies and friends around the world. Living here in Washington is a wonderful thing, and I'll never let that mad tyrant ruin this city for us.
I love the permanent National Gallery impressionism collection and was fortunate enough to see a huge special exhibit at the Met in NYC in the 1980s - it is always worth standing in line for! I miss living in DC very much, but it just became too expensive to be in town, which was where we wanted to be. Cost of living is not much better here in NJ.
I noticed that you are not urgiing us to call Dem Senators about the Continuing Resolution. I'm wondering why. TPM reports that the Senate Dems are not united and fear causing a shutdown. Shouldn't we call our Dem Senators about this? Thanks for your take on this.
I'm posting my script now.
Indivisible call this past week mentioned this topic and they sent out a poll to subscribers about it. I would venture to guess most Indivisibles are in our camp.
Where can I find details about the "first shadow hearing" and "the largest grassroots organizing event of the year so far with over 100,000 attendees"? If it was in one of Simon's posts this week, I apologize that I didn't have time to read everything. I'd appreciate it if someone could point me in the right direction.
me too. where?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uz_1YiNSoxo
Thank you.
I think it was a DNC meeting chaired by Ken Martin and Hakeem Jeffries on March 5.
Here's a snippet from it, really compelling. The House Dems held a hearing on Medicaid and what it would mean to cut it. There's another snippet when a former state official says that 50% of babies in his state are born under Medicaid. The Rep says: excuse me, how many? Yes, 1 out of 2, 50%. The GOP has the majority, but wouldn't call an official hearing. Nonetheless, the shadow hearing surface the truth and got lots of news coverage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfIThijcIG4
I've updated today's post with links to learn more about all these actions - https://www.hopiumchronicles.com/p/sunday-hopium-a-weaker-trump-a-letter
Here is the link to the event with Ken Martin and Hakeem Jeffries: It's called National Update and Call to Action on the YouTube channel for "The Democrats".
It was held March 5:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uz_1YiNSoxo
I missed this as well.
Bernie is taking the fight across the country. Truly inspiring. Watch and amplify: https://youtu.be/XVLGQ2dXDw0?si=RKxhT0K7HiaWgSEM
I ran the audio of Bernie's Fighting Oligarchy Kenosha YouTube while making dinner, and then while washing dishes - very invigorating! Especially hearing the local Dem reps in Kenosha. Will watch/listen to this one today. Thanks!
He had over 10,000 people in Warren, Michigan yesterday. It's about 13 miles north of Detroit. Kenosha had over 3,500 with another 500 outside. There was a good turnout in Altoona, a very small farming town in Eau Claire County. The population is about 9,000. 2,000 people showed up for the rally.
Yes. This is a much better alternative to the "playing dead" strategy advocated by some now.
David, WTF does this mean? It's a ridiculous comment. I ask folks not to denigrate other Dems here and you are making a sweeping statement trashing all Dems from the last 40 years? Come on, do better.
I am fed up with people (bots?) who post on social media that Dems are spineless or inert or the like. Automatic block.
Um, in my defense, I am not a bot. Here is where I am getting the language from (https://robertreich.substack.com/p/democrats-wake-the-hell-up). Of course, to better make my point for purposes of this particular post, I have changed my language above.
Further, as the saying goes, "only a Sith deals in absolutes" :) I am not saying ALL Democrats of the 1980s and 90s on have simply "played dead" to a bad Republican agenda. However, I would still stand by the argument that the mainstream Democratic Party HAS largely "played dead" and even "rolled over."
It does not need to remain that way, and I am certainly not going to denigrate the current Party. Every day is a new opportunity to move in the right direction, and I will take what wins I can get at any rate.
I am happy to further explain what I said or am saying now, but I think my other comments can prove I am not a bot.
I apologize to you. I know you are a fellow Hopium member and are fighting the good fight. In my opinion, Reich is wrong. He has complained about the party in these terms for a long time, and it seems to me he overlooks what Democrats are doing.
Understandable sentiment. But, if you think Reich is going after Biden's presidency, his posts suggest otherwise. As for me, I wish Biden only had a little better anti-establishment branding (Truman '48).
Finally, here is what I wrote to Simon on a very similar point of whether the 90s was a time when people returned to the Party or left it. I don't know if it sounds like I'm parroting Reich, but I will let you be the judge of that:
Hello Simon,
Short-term, yes. But long-term, this is when the Democratic Party began to alienate the working-class with support of NAFTA and such. So that would be my argument. Senator Sherrod Brown has directly drawn such a line on multiple occasions, from before November 2024 to during November 2024 to after November 2024. To me, it seems the best explanation of why the voting population today is so passionately anti-establishment.
And that applies across the political spectrum. One of the unfortunate consequences of being in power so long in that 1990s and then that 2008-2020 window is we became "the establishment." We came to represent a status quo that, while it brought great technological progress, did not quite allow the average working person to share in that new wealth.
The economy now is quite different from the economy that FDR, Truman, etc. created in the 40s and 50s. Look no further than what Robert Reich has said on the change in the worker to CEO pay gap from then to now. There are many examples to the same effect, but that is just one.
And what people have seen is that, time and time again, Democrats have "played dead" as Republicans going back to Reagan have rewritten the rules to favor the rich. Sometimes, as in the case of the repeal of Glass-Steagall (again, 1990s Democratic Party stuff here), they even contributed to the events that caused people to lose their faith in our institutions. I mean, we can argue all day how much a role that repeal played in causing the Great Recession, but we should all agree as FDR Democrats that these types of restrictions on banking should not have been taken away.
A bit longer than I wanted my answer to be, but I did want to better explain my perspective here.
It doesnt matter where it is coming from it is a ridiculous sentiment, and need you to do better here. I want to repeat a critical statistic - from 2008 to 2020 Dems averaged 51% of the vote, our best showing over 4 elections since FDR. The idea that our party has been bleeding voters since the 1990s or in decline is false and wrong. We bled voters from 1968 to 1988 and started regaining them in the 1990s. Obama's 53 and 51 percent vote share was our best back to back showing since FDR's Presidency. In this time of enormous challenge we must keep the focus on them. If we spend our time together attacking each other we will guarantee the fascists succeed.
I get your frustration here, and I think too much soul-searching and self-doubting can be a dangerous thing.
That said, Obama was a once-in-a-generation charismatic speaker with an ambitious (I dare say progressive populist) agenda in 2008, and enough good will from that even despite a dip in support going into 2012.
As to the question of a Democratic Party "in decline," let me just say this: you can win elections and yet lose a sense of your mission. I think that is what largely happened with Democrats over the last 40 years.
In the 40s and 50s, we shaped the policy conversation. We were setting the agenda. Fiscally, Republicans like Eisenhower would be practically unrecognizable to Republicans today, beyond even their foreign policy.
Even in the 60s and 70s, Nixon was socially conservative (without a doubt), yet he also established the EPA and did other things that would be considered much "too progressive" for Rs today.
Yet Reagan comes, and he changes the whole conversation. "Government is the problem," and then everyone (including Democrats) goes along with much of it. And play out the consequences of that, and you get a base of just raw anger (based on economic insecurity) that Trump exploits to con people.
But, even if I say Democrats lost a sense of their mission in the past, what better chance to regain it than now? So I will keep up the fight, and try to move the Party in the direction I think it ought to move. In my own little way.
David, I'm with Leslie and appreciate Simon's comment below. Why post this here and clutter our comments thread? we are busy working and self reporting . Personally, I think the dem party is doing great and we have such a deep bench! I don't care what some [expletives] says. self - reporting: busy weekend with back to back events with multiple local orgs, as Tim Snyder recommends.
Thank you Leslie; Agree 💯!
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Hello Simon,
I changed my comment accordingly, with some clarifications below.
My actions this week included Stand Up For Science in San Francisco, which was both cathartic (Yay Science! Yay Scientists! [me]) and confusing (Why do I have to be here, again? I was at the 2017 March for Science). Today I’m going to a town hall by my congressperson, Sam Liccardo. I’ve gotten a few comments in the media, regarding the loss of BIL and IRA money for local conservation projects (https://baynature.org/article/trump-confusion-chaos-impacts-on-san-francisco-bay-area-conservation-work/), and the attack on the Presidio Trust (https://abc7news.com/place/presidio/). I know it all adds up, and it is the antidote for despair, but WTF was the plurality of the electorate, especially in the swing states thinking (or not)?
Simon, I like your idea of a Letter to America. Also, on another Substack post (possibly yours), it was suggested that a spokesperson for Democrats have a rebuttal EVERY DAY to whatever Trump's administration is doing. Although there are many Democratic senators and representatives out there doing that, we need someone to present to the media as our 'official' rebuttal of the day.
If it's a 'formal' declaration from the party, it would be harder for the media to ignore it. Jeffries and Schumer are not cutting it and they should not be the voice of our opposition.
We need someone to address the Trump topic of the day, with discipline and a clear objective to educate the public about the consequences of what the administration is doing. Don't get caught up on any solution as we're wont to do, just state the obvious to get people to listen. Trump is using his daily Captain Kangaroo Executive Order signings to spew his lies, which gets press coverage every single day; we can also create a daily rebuttal in a similar way.
Who do you think that person should be?
Have a Shadow Cabinet doing that, one 'Minister" daily
https://prospect.org/politics/2025-03-05-case-for-a-shadow-cabinet/
I think this coming week I will try and do a Letter to Americans, post it here and see, as a group, we can improve the outline, then when we think it is what we want, send it to our Representatives/Senators. What say you? Are you game?
Thank you Simon for all you do. I think the idea of a “letter is
Let's turn that Daily Briefing into one from a Shadow Cabinet -
https://prospect.org/politics/2025-03-05-case-for-a-shadow-cabinet/
(Con’t).
Please comment on need for a Democrat “Press Secretary”. I think it’s a great idea. We have a lot of individuals with new posts to be paid by subscription snalyzing the situation, but not a single voice from the Dem party
Great summary of the good stuff happening. Thank you.
I'm focusing on calling and writing to my people about a united front and letter to America.
I am also coming down on Medicaid and social security; asking Jim McGovern to do a Town hall and give us a real update. My church has joined a lawsuit with 25 other churches, against ICE. We want to be a sanctuary church/town. There are multiple rallies and protests and our state legislators are getting up and speaking... it's Massachusetts and they better be!
My group here are preparing our scripts for or calls (probably voice mails) and contact form emails. Of course, our Senators and Congresswoman or Democrats. I'm concerned about Ukraine, the budget negotiations, and DOGE. So, here is what I have drafted. I will first send this to Senator Durbin, who made a strong speech in support of Ukraine on the floor of the Senate last week. I did to add statistics about Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid as my Senators of course support all three programs. But if you are in a red state you will need to add statistics and the truth about Social Security and Medicare - We Pay It!
"Dear Senator Durbin,
Thank you for speaking out so strongly concerning support for Ukraine.
I would like assurance that you and your colleagues in the Senate will not support a budget that does not include full military support for Ukraine and a restoration of the intelligence satelite systems shut down by Elon Musk. Every Democrat in the Senate as well as those on the other side should vocally stand up in defense of Ukraine.
In addition, cuts to Medicaid, Social Security and Medicare should be aggressively opposed, as I’m sure you agree.
There is absolutely no need for a cabinet level department called DOGE. The 17 Inspectors General fired by Donald Trump should be reinstated. Musk dropped out of Stanford University after one week. He is uneducated and has no understanding of our Constitution or the need for a strong federal government. The Inspectors General have the required education and professional experience and have been successfully fulfilling their responsibilities for many years.
I know you are doing everything you can. It is crucial that every single Democratic Senator remain unified in our opposition to the policies of the current administration. We must show that we are united even though we are in the minority at the moment. I was very disappointed to learn that certain Democratic Senators actually voted Yes for certain cabinet nominees."
Yesterday I received a fundraising request from Fetterman. I went down to "Unsubscibe". The form asked why I wanted to Unsubscribe. I replied strongly that he is a disappointment and I was appalled at his vote approving certain Cabinet nominees. I told him Democrats must show a unified front even though we currently the minority in the Senate.
Great letter, Linda. Thanks for sharing it.
I will be copying your letter and sending it to my reps, it is perfect. They don't need their staff to deal with me crying when I call. I am so worried about what will happen to my autistic son who cannot work.
There might be typos. I’ve been awake for quite a while
This is great! Totally stealing it (with edits, of course.)
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Yes, where are the criminal referrals?!!! And the Articles of Impeachment?!!! Even if they are DOA, they need to be made. If there's a good reason not to do it now, I'd like to hear it.
If anybody needs a primer on Social Security and how to debunk Musk's comments, Paul Krugman's column today is really helpful and easy to understand. Should be a national read (and point of pride).
https://substack.com/home/post/p-158700999
Unfortunately, it's behind a paywall. From what I understand, this is not funded by the government but wholly by the tax receipts of Social Security taxes on your paycheck and is in a separate funding stream. Current beneficiaries are funded by the currently employed ( which makes it a little difficult because we baby boomers are a much larger population than those who came after us). SS taxes are not collected on high wage earners after their wage base goes beyond $164,600 - not sure if it's this figure or $168,600.
Oh sorry, I didn't realize it was only for paid subscribers. A few bits:
The upper limit is actually $176,100.
"The purpose of these changes [during Reagan's time] was to enable Social Security to run substantial surpluses during the years when boomers were still working and not collecting benefits. The accumulation of these surpluses created a substantial Social Security trust fund, which peaked in 2020 at $2.9 trillion and is still, as we’ve seen, $2.7 trillion."
"It sometimes seems to me as if discussions about Social Security are caught in a time loop where it’s always 2005, and Very Serious People issue ominous warnings about what will happen when the gray wave of baby boomers hits the system. But it’s 2025, and they (we) are already here. Most of the fiscal impact of an aging population is already in the budget numbers.
And the other clean little secret of Social Security is that it won’t be too hard to absorb what’s left of that impact, given the political will."
"...over the next decade as the last of the baby boomers start collecting. And maintaining full benefits beyond that point will require finding a significant amount of money — 1.3 percent of GDP — a sum that will grow, but only a little, over time."
"Here’s a point of comparison: House Republicans just passed a budget resolution calling for $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, mainly for the wealthy, over the next decade. If we compare those cuts with CBO economic projections, they amount to … 1.2 percent of GDP.
So roughly speaking we could raise enough money to sustain Social Security as it is simply by not letting Republicans cut taxes for the rich."
Thank you, Rachel. The figure I used was from 2024. So all this scary stuff about SS needs to have more put into it or decrease the amount paid would have to decrease around 2034 is not true, apparently. Well, that's good as long as the funding is not diverted by Trump.
Well, it is true, but as Krugman says, it's not dire, and it's fixable.
"...once the trust fund is gone, something will have to happen. No, Social Security won’t go “bankrupt.” Even with the trust fund gone, payroll tax receipts will still cover 77 percent of scheduled benefits. But seniors would, understandably, be furious if their benefits were suddenly cut.
So the most likely outcome — or at least that’s my guess — is that Congress will find a way to provide Social Security with more money. One obvious way to do this would be to raise, maybe even eliminate, the FICA maximum. Only 6 percent of workers earn more than that maximum, but some of them earn a lot more, so this would raise a substantial amount."
And at the end of his column:
"It faces a financial shortfall, but the shortfall isn’t that big, and sustaining Social Security is well within America’s means.
Above all, don’t let Elon Musk and his kids panic you into thinking that we must destroy Social Security to save it."
https://www.dailycardinal.com/article/2025/03/new-marquette-law-school-poll-reveals-lack-of-knowledge-on-supreme-court-candidates
Make calls! I made calls with Grassroots Dems HQ. It’s easy!