Alexander Vindman, is entering the Democratic primary in Florida to face Sen Ashley Moody in the special US Senate race this year. Vindman is a strong patriot and a long-time Trump critic who paid a heavy personal price for standing up for truth. Here is an article and Vindman’s launch video.
I saw this earlier this morning and am VERY excited! Seeing such strong candidates emerge in Florida gives me a genuine sense of optimism because it means that the Democrats are going to leave it all out on the field, no matter how daunting the odds. Let's do everything we can to ensure that the authoritarians can't take winning a single elected office in this country for granted!
Super excited to see this….probably a long shot, but we MUST continue to compete and recruit great candidates in Florida and get back in the game there….not an option to ignore it
This is really good news. Whether they win or not strong candidates like Vindman and David Jolly could help build the FL state Dem party for the long game.
I couldn’t agree more! Imho, the candidacies must be coupled with serious efforts to rebuild the Democratic Party in states where, shall we say, the quality of the state party has languished. Also, it must be combined with strong voter registration efforts – and, of course, overwhelming GOTV efforts.
Neuroscientist and Princeton professor Sam Wang has announced his candidacy for New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District. He is a good friend and I wish him luck. I know he would make an excellent Congressman!
Excellent headline for today's email -- The Fight Ahead of Us is about Reining in Trump.
Simon, please continue to highlight your conversation with Glenn Kirschner last week. I suggest you put it up high in each day's newsletter, as you did today. I've shared it with folks on other Substacks who continue to ask how anything can be done to rein Trump in given the outrageous SCOTUS decision on presidential immunity.
Glenn is on vacay in Mexico but he popped on last night for a quick community meeting for us. I look forward to the two of you getting together again soon.
I recently changed my profile here and removed my last name -- it's my father's name. My hubby was concerned about trolls etc. Seeing your beautiful name so many times, I just said to myself -- F that and put my name back.
Simon, Please add the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee as allies in the proposed coalition, along with the Governors and Attorneys General. This would create a powerful national and state level alliance against Trump..
Simon, Since you support Governor Cooper, can’t you get him to write the Letter to America and organize the signatures? We (NC) have a democratic governor and a democratic AG who can get those signatures. Then we have a few democrats in congress.
Yesterday I attended on campus a vigil for the victims of ICE and CBP.
I'll call my members of Congress later today.
I'll offering remarks at the open session of the Whatcom County Council this evening. My remarks concern the Council's recent resolution and possible follow-on steps.
Glad to read Rep. Suozzi's email. The killing of Alex Pretti has changed many minds and hearts and awakened a growing number of people to the true threat we're in.
My MAGA Congressman, Tim Burchett, said on several local and national news programs the past couple of days that "most of the Minnesota protestors are paid." Showing once again his ignorance and unfitness for office. I gave him another earful--saying, among other things, that I was not paid to attend local "No Kings" rallies but that he should attend because he actually IS paid to represent us and in doing so took an oath to uphold the Constitution.
Minnesotans, being nice and polite, honored Burchett (and others of his caliber) by naming a prominent street in St. Paul for the lot of them: Cretin Avenue.
I'd love to see that "paid" claim challenged by the interviewer on air. Exactly how much does he estimate a person would need to be paid to show up and protest in subzero weather in a city where ICE is murdering and kidnapping people off thr streets?
Multiply that large amount by 50k-75k protesters and the number "they" are paying protesters becomes quite large. And that's just one day in Minneapolis!
So typical. Every time I hear a MAGA talk about "paid protesters," I say, in response, "What does it say about you and your leader that you can't imagine anyone doing anything for free without any expectation of getting anything material in return? Is that what Jesus taught you?"
I wrote here on Sunday that perfection is the enemy of the possible, and I'm feeling it. In my perfect world, the democrats wouldn't need to have more than a 30 minute conversation to get their messaging straight. But coalescing into a unified front takes more than 30 minutes, and as I also wrote Sunday, that's life! So, here's the message I'm sharing with my elected officials in DC. This isn't hard. Do what's right. This is a moment for moral clarity...not politics, not polls, not consultants (sorry, Simon!), not equivocation. Look in the mirror and just do what's right. Or channel your inner Nike and Just Do It!
Every avenue for reining in Trump is going to be very hard and require a lot of sustained effort; but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. This different unorthodox proposal based on the 14th Amendment that was amplified today by Greg Olear sounds like a pipe dream — and maybe it is — but at least read it through and think about it.
I agree with BD, James--very interesting. The two biggest things to figure out (to me):
(1) How to get it on the floor--you need a discharge petition to do that, right? The Epstein bill got one because four Republicans broke with their party. One of those Republicans, Massie, might well be willing to do it again, but one of them (MTG) is gone, and the other two, Boebert & Mace, seem unlikely to do it again (they've undoubtedly taken a lot of grief for doing it the first time, and as far as I can tell, people tend to react to that scenario in one of two ways, double-down or beg for forgiveness--which path are those two more likely to take? And then you still need one more to replace Greene). I tend to think the best candidates to become the new Fantastic Four aren't worried about being primaried; they're worried that they and/or their loved ones will be killed, so what to do about that?
(2) In theory, this is an opportunity to turn Trump's game against him--over and over, he has taken actions he knows are illegal, knowing the wheels of justice turn slowly enough that by the time things get to the Supremes, the damage has made the objections moot. In theory, under this scheme, the goose's sauce becomes the gander's too. But what's to stop him from skipping that whole process and going for an emergency stay or injunction, as he's already done in other cases? And what prevents the Supremes from using their should-be-unconstitutional shadow docket to immediately grant it? We won't, at that point, be able to retort, a la Andrew Jackson, "you and whose army?" Because the answer will be *his*, as Commander-in-Chief, as a result of the stay. Unless, of course, the army is already on board in advance. Which they could be (and might need to be for other reasons, too--eg the aftermath)--"suckers and losers" is barely a chip on the tip of the iceberg where all the ways in which he has undermined the military and what it stands for, his entire life--but anyone undertaking that educational project is gonna have to be Minnesota Brave, and then some.
In any case, thanks much for posting it, not only as something to think about, but for some of the links. Eg I did not know that an election-denying GOP operative bought Dominion late last year--yikes--yet another thing the pro-democracy movement is going to have to thoroughly neutralize between now and 11/28 (not likely it will impact the midterms, fortunately): https://www.wired.com/story/scott-leiendecker-dominion-liberty-votes/
When I talk to Republicans (like Ron Johnson), I'm going to start pushing the idea that Miller is giving Trump terrible advice (and/or indulging Trump's worst instincts), that it's likely to cost them both houses of Congress, and if they don't want that to happen, he's gotta go. I know we *want* them to lose, and lose badly, but to me getting rid of Miller is one of those putting country before party moments for *us,* rather than them (for a change), because if he's not checked, and checked hard, we could win those elections, only to find ourselves presiding over rubble where the warp, woof, and zeitgeist of our nation used to be (or win them and not be able to take office at all without a conflict only Russia and China would win).
The thing that makes my brain hurt about the data bros is that they always counsel Dems to adopt a general election footing for the least politically engaged voters immediately, as if completely discounting:
1. Candidates need to consolidate the base vote for the swing votes to matter
2. In emotionally charged times, you’re inviting contentious primary battles by ignoring what the base wants to talk about
3. In the MAGA era, you have no fucking idea what will be the salient issues for the general election ahead of time because of the avalanche of shit intentionally dumped into the discourse….the need to fiercely oppose MAGA on all fronts to end the chaos and destruction is LITERALLY the only constant, regardless of what the data shows on any given day in any given issue
Agreed. "...those who have been advocating soft forms of appeasement with Trump are 1) ignoring the lessons of history 2) making it more likely he is successful."
This is what I emailed Tillis, Budd and Harrigan this morning:
Subject: Robust 2nd Amendment is Necessary for Strong Societal Order-
Good morning Honorable _____________:
The optics of the disarming of a lawful gun gunner, Alex Pretti, and then shooting him in the back are toxic. The 2nd Amendment is being infringed. Please refuse to fund the DHS until it is fully restored. ICE and Customs and Border Patrol must adhere to 1st, 2nd and 4th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution for a strong societal Order.
I chose the 2nd Amendment topic because it seems to resonate with some Republicans. Tillis' soul comes and goes, Budd owns Gun stores and Harrigan is well Harrigan, and I doubt any argument can sway him. However, his seat in Congress will not go unchallenged . Matthew Sin a formerly unaffiliated NC voter changed his registration to Republican and filed to run against him. Matthew has participated in numerous demonstrations at Tillis' Budd's and Harrigan's district offices. Harrigan will not return to his U.S. House of Representative seat without at least breaking a sweat. Matthew's handmade yard signs simply state: Matt Sin Cares. I doubt his campaign will ask for or raise any money, but he paid the $ 1,740.00 filing fee and Pat Harrigan will have a primary. Five Democrats are also running for the seat, but it is very gerrymandered.
I think this is a good argument. The MAGA people need to see that the administration is not there to protect their 2nd amendment rights.
But on a related topic, I saw an AP article this morning criticizing Democrats for, I guess, not attacking Pretti for being armed. It implied tribalism was making us hypocrites. There seems to be an impression that all Democrats hate all firearms, but we change our tune when a perceived Democrat has one. I have no idea what Pretti’s politics were, and I don’t think it matters.
It is true, some on the left want all guns gone. Some want automatic weapons and bump stocks gone. Some want them all licensed like cars, with training and tests and background checks and red flag laws and rules about responsibility. Some liberals even carry guns themselves. But it is an enumerated right, and the topic is nuanced, and the left is not a monolith.
And it isn’t about the gun. Renee Nicole Good was equally accused of having a deadly weapon because she was in a car. And Pretti never brandished the gun or reached for it.
Anyway, I had to think about it for a while. I finally realized that we don’t know how the gun affected things, because ICE destroyed the evidence and blocked Minnesota from investigating. The administration announced their conclusions immediately after it happened. They lied about what happened.
We could maybe talk about what role Pretti’s gun did, or did not, play *after* a full investigation reveals what happened and who was to blame. Without that investigation, it seems premature to conclude, even for someone who wants all guns gone, that Pretti’s gun was the cause of his death. It appears to me that it was untrained violent masked thugs acting with impunity that were the cause.
In the meantime, I plan to join you in standing up for Pretti’s 2nd amendment rights when talking to Rs.
Right on! Second Amendment has been what I've been using with Rs, too. I think it helps that I actually believe it, and believe that it was for just such situations like we're in now that the Founders included it, though with the words "well-regulated" included, it seems pretty clear it was intended to protect the rights of municipalities to organize and defend themselves against an oppressive federal government, more so than unfettered individuals anyway. I also believe it's becoming increasingly important that Dems and Indies close the "gun gap," so that MAGAs don't, as Timothy Snyder fears, "believe they have a monopoly on force."
Good news #1 on the candidate front:
Alexander Vindman, is entering the Democratic primary in Florida to face Sen Ashley Moody in the special US Senate race this year. Vindman is a strong patriot and a long-time Trump critic who paid a heavy personal price for standing up for truth. Here is an article and Vindman’s launch video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTXvAsUwrvE
https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/01/27/whistleblower-alexander-vindman-to-seek-florida-democratic-nomination-for-senate/
His brother Eugene Vindman represents Virginia’s 7th Congressional district.
I saw this earlier this morning and am VERY excited! Seeing such strong candidates emerge in Florida gives me a genuine sense of optimism because it means that the Democrats are going to leave it all out on the field, no matter how daunting the odds. Let's do everything we can to ensure that the authoritarians can't take winning a single elected office in this country for granted!
Super excited to see this….probably a long shot, but we MUST continue to compete and recruit great candidates in Florida and get back in the game there….not an option to ignore it
Yes, I got the text this morning.Great news!
This is really good news. Whether they win or not strong candidates like Vindman and David Jolly could help build the FL state Dem party for the long game.
I couldn’t agree more! Imho, the candidacies must be coupled with serious efforts to rebuild the Democratic Party in states where, shall we say, the quality of the state party has languished. Also, it must be combined with strong voter registration efforts – and, of course, overwhelming GOTV efforts.
I just saw that text. This is awesome.
Good news #2 on the candidate front:
Neuroscientist and Princeton professor Sam Wang has announced his candidacy for New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District. He is a good friend and I wish him luck. I know he would make an excellent Congressman!
He does the Princeton Election Consortium?
Yes, and the Gerrymandering Project. (Prof. Wang also famously ate a bug, as promised, when his presidential election prediction was wrong.)
i will never forget it.
He is brilliant! I follow his substack. This is fantastic.
Excellent headline for today's email -- The Fight Ahead of Us is about Reining in Trump.
Simon, please continue to highlight your conversation with Glenn Kirschner last week. I suggest you put it up high in each day's newsletter, as you did today. I've shared it with folks on other Substacks who continue to ask how anything can be done to rein Trump in given the outrageous SCOTUS decision on presidential immunity.
Glenn is on vacay in Mexico but he popped on last night for a quick community meeting for us. I look forward to the two of you getting together again soon.
Glenn just appeared on Brian Tyler Cohen and said he had sent detailed info to MN law enforcement regarding how to hold ICE & CBP accountable. https://youtu.be/r3ja_tuYHX4?si=N310SjQTZ6_Ej5Bc
Thank you Lisa! I'll have a look. So much for his vacay.
Meanwhile, I love your surname!
I recently changed my profile here and removed my last name -- it's my father's name. My hubby was concerned about trolls etc. Seeing your beautiful name so many times, I just said to myself -- F that and put my name back.
Oh thank you! Very proud of my Italian roots.
thanks so much for link!
so much for his vacay, good news for us
Simon, Please add the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee as allies in the proposed coalition, along with the Governors and Attorneys General. This would create a powerful national and state level alliance against Trump..
Simon, Since you support Governor Cooper, can’t you get him to write the Letter to America and organize the signatures? We (NC) have a democratic governor and a democratic AG who can get those signatures. Then we have a few democrats in congress.
Wouldn’t it be great if Tom Tillis would sign it.
I second that excellent idea.
Do you mean Governor Stein or Roy Cooper? Either would be a good choice!
Apropos Simon’s headline: Crushed ICE is just the start!
What I'm doing:
Yesterday I attended on campus a vigil for the victims of ICE and CBP.
I'll call my members of Congress later today.
I'll offering remarks at the open session of the Whatcom County Council this evening. My remarks concern the Council's recent resolution and possible follow-on steps.
Am I the only one who missed this?
California joined the World Health Organization (WHO):
https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/01/23/governor-newsom-meets-with-world-health-organization-director-general-announces-california-becomes-first-state-to-join-who-coordinated-international-network/
Let other Free States follow suit.
I missed that. That's fantastic. Newsom continues to lead.
Thank you
I will contact our Governor and ask him to consider
Great idea! Sending to Gov. Sherrill right now!
Glad to read Rep. Suozzi's email. The killing of Alex Pretti has changed many minds and hearts and awakened a growing number of people to the true threat we're in.
My MAGA Congressman, Tim Burchett, said on several local and national news programs the past couple of days that "most of the Minnesota protestors are paid." Showing once again his ignorance and unfitness for office. I gave him another earful--saying, among other things, that I was not paid to attend local "No Kings" rallies but that he should attend because he actually IS paid to represent us and in doing so took an oath to uphold the Constitution.
Minnesotans, being nice and polite, honored Burchett (and others of his caliber) by naming a prominent street in St. Paul for the lot of them: Cretin Avenue.
I'd love to see that "paid" claim challenged by the interviewer on air. Exactly how much does he estimate a person would need to be paid to show up and protest in subzero weather in a city where ICE is murdering and kidnapping people off thr streets?
Multiply that large amount by 50k-75k protesters and the number "they" are paying protesters becomes quite large. And that's just one day in Minneapolis!
IF ONLY we had that kind of $$$$!
well done - thank you!
So typical. Every time I hear a MAGA talk about "paid protesters," I say, in response, "What does it say about you and your leader that you can't imagine anyone doing anything for free without any expectation of getting anything material in return? Is that what Jesus taught you?"
Simon, thank you for seeing the big picture!
I called my congressman and senators about ICE and about Venezuela/Gaza. I'm continuing to work on postcards to NC voters.
Stay warm, everyone!
I wrote here on Sunday that perfection is the enemy of the possible, and I'm feeling it. In my perfect world, the democrats wouldn't need to have more than a 30 minute conversation to get their messaging straight. But coalescing into a unified front takes more than 30 minutes, and as I also wrote Sunday, that's life! So, here's the message I'm sharing with my elected officials in DC. This isn't hard. Do what's right. This is a moment for moral clarity...not politics, not polls, not consultants (sorry, Simon!), not equivocation. Look in the mirror and just do what's right. Or channel your inner Nike and Just Do It!
Every avenue for reining in Trump is going to be very hard and require a lot of sustained effort; but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. This different unorthodox proposal based on the 14th Amendment that was amplified today by Greg Olear sounds like a pipe dream — and maybe it is — but at least read it through and think about it.
https://open.substack.com/pub/gregolear/p/the-section3-removal-plan-another?r=p46ew&utm_medium=ios&shareImageVariant=overlay
Intriguing proposal. Would be interesting to have a Constitutional expert, like Congressman Raskin, provide a critique.
I agree with BD, James--very interesting. The two biggest things to figure out (to me):
(1) How to get it on the floor--you need a discharge petition to do that, right? The Epstein bill got one because four Republicans broke with their party. One of those Republicans, Massie, might well be willing to do it again, but one of them (MTG) is gone, and the other two, Boebert & Mace, seem unlikely to do it again (they've undoubtedly taken a lot of grief for doing it the first time, and as far as I can tell, people tend to react to that scenario in one of two ways, double-down or beg for forgiveness--which path are those two more likely to take? And then you still need one more to replace Greene). I tend to think the best candidates to become the new Fantastic Four aren't worried about being primaried; they're worried that they and/or their loved ones will be killed, so what to do about that?
(2) In theory, this is an opportunity to turn Trump's game against him--over and over, he has taken actions he knows are illegal, knowing the wheels of justice turn slowly enough that by the time things get to the Supremes, the damage has made the objections moot. In theory, under this scheme, the goose's sauce becomes the gander's too. But what's to stop him from skipping that whole process and going for an emergency stay or injunction, as he's already done in other cases? And what prevents the Supremes from using their should-be-unconstitutional shadow docket to immediately grant it? We won't, at that point, be able to retort, a la Andrew Jackson, "you and whose army?" Because the answer will be *his*, as Commander-in-Chief, as a result of the stay. Unless, of course, the army is already on board in advance. Which they could be (and might need to be for other reasons, too--eg the aftermath)--"suckers and losers" is barely a chip on the tip of the iceberg where all the ways in which he has undermined the military and what it stands for, his entire life--but anyone undertaking that educational project is gonna have to be Minnesota Brave, and then some.
In any case, thanks much for posting it, not only as something to think about, but for some of the links. Eg I did not know that an election-denying GOP operative bought Dominion late last year--yikes--yet another thing the pro-democracy movement is going to have to thoroughly neutralize between now and 11/28 (not likely it will impact the midterms, fortunately): https://www.wired.com/story/scott-leiendecker-dominion-liberty-votes/
Q: is there a way to depose the head of the snake, Stephen Miller? Trump seems like a useful puppet for Project 2025.
Making my calls and adding anger and urgency to Fetterman’s voicemail. ACLU-PA and Indivisible are organizing a protest at his Philly office today.
When I talk to Republicans (like Ron Johnson), I'm going to start pushing the idea that Miller is giving Trump terrible advice (and/or indulging Trump's worst instincts), that it's likely to cost them both houses of Congress, and if they don't want that to happen, he's gotta go. I know we *want* them to lose, and lose badly, but to me getting rid of Miller is one of those putting country before party moments for *us,* rather than them (for a change), because if he's not checked, and checked hard, we could win those elections, only to find ourselves presiding over rubble where the warp, woof, and zeitgeist of our nation used to be (or win them and not be able to take office at all without a conflict only Russia and China would win).
American federation of government employees, the largest federation employees Union, has now called for resignations of Noem AND Miller.
The thing that makes my brain hurt about the data bros is that they always counsel Dems to adopt a general election footing for the least politically engaged voters immediately, as if completely discounting:
1. Candidates need to consolidate the base vote for the swing votes to matter
2. In emotionally charged times, you’re inviting contentious primary battles by ignoring what the base wants to talk about
3. In the MAGA era, you have no fucking idea what will be the salient issues for the general election ahead of time because of the avalanche of shit intentionally dumped into the discourse….the need to fiercely oppose MAGA on all fronts to end the chaos and destruction is LITERALLY the only constant, regardless of what the data shows on any given day in any given issue
🤷♂️🇺🇸
Spot on!
Rapid Response Teams have confirmed that ICE is back in Chicago this morning. Stay vigilant, Chicagoans. And don't forget our friends in Maine.
Agreed. "...those who have been advocating soft forms of appeasement with Trump are 1) ignoring the lessons of history 2) making it more likely he is successful."
This is what I emailed Tillis, Budd and Harrigan this morning:
Subject: Robust 2nd Amendment is Necessary for Strong Societal Order-
Good morning Honorable _____________:
The optics of the disarming of a lawful gun gunner, Alex Pretti, and then shooting him in the back are toxic. The 2nd Amendment is being infringed. Please refuse to fund the DHS until it is fully restored. ICE and Customs and Border Patrol must adhere to 1st, 2nd and 4th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution for a strong societal Order.
Topic Selected: Tillis-2nd Amendment, Budd-Guns, Harrigan-Law.
I chose the 2nd Amendment topic because it seems to resonate with some Republicans. Tillis' soul comes and goes, Budd owns Gun stores and Harrigan is well Harrigan, and I doubt any argument can sway him. However, his seat in Congress will not go unchallenged . Matthew Sin a formerly unaffiliated NC voter changed his registration to Republican and filed to run against him. Matthew has participated in numerous demonstrations at Tillis' Budd's and Harrigan's district offices. Harrigan will not return to his U.S. House of Representative seat without at least breaking a sweat. Matthew's handmade yard signs simply state: Matt Sin Cares. I doubt his campaign will ask for or raise any money, but he paid the $ 1,740.00 filing fee and Pat Harrigan will have a primary. Five Democrats are also running for the seat, but it is very gerrymandered.
I think this is a good argument. The MAGA people need to see that the administration is not there to protect their 2nd amendment rights.
But on a related topic, I saw an AP article this morning criticizing Democrats for, I guess, not attacking Pretti for being armed. It implied tribalism was making us hypocrites. There seems to be an impression that all Democrats hate all firearms, but we change our tune when a perceived Democrat has one. I have no idea what Pretti’s politics were, and I don’t think it matters.
It is true, some on the left want all guns gone. Some want automatic weapons and bump stocks gone. Some want them all licensed like cars, with training and tests and background checks and red flag laws and rules about responsibility. Some liberals even carry guns themselves. But it is an enumerated right, and the topic is nuanced, and the left is not a monolith.
And it isn’t about the gun. Renee Nicole Good was equally accused of having a deadly weapon because she was in a car. And Pretti never brandished the gun or reached for it.
Anyway, I had to think about it for a while. I finally realized that we don’t know how the gun affected things, because ICE destroyed the evidence and blocked Minnesota from investigating. The administration announced their conclusions immediately after it happened. They lied about what happened.
We could maybe talk about what role Pretti’s gun did, or did not, play *after* a full investigation reveals what happened and who was to blame. Without that investigation, it seems premature to conclude, even for someone who wants all guns gone, that Pretti’s gun was the cause of his death. It appears to me that it was untrained violent masked thugs acting with impunity that were the cause.
In the meantime, I plan to join you in standing up for Pretti’s 2nd amendment rights when talking to Rs.
Right on! Second Amendment has been what I've been using with Rs, too. I think it helps that I actually believe it, and believe that it was for just such situations like we're in now that the Founders included it, though with the words "well-regulated" included, it seems pretty clear it was intended to protect the rights of municipalities to organize and defend themselves against an oppressive federal government, more so than unfettered individuals anyway. I also believe it's becoming increasingly important that Dems and Indies close the "gun gap," so that MAGAs don't, as Timothy Snyder fears, "believe they have a monopoly on force."