I just called both of my Missouri senators to let them know of my opposition to cutting any of our earned benefits, like Medicaid and Medicare. I also told them I am opposed to giving tax breaks to the wealthy in this budget. It is an outrage that most of the country is having to shoulder the burden of government expenditures while approving unearned handouts to the wealthy. I believe focus on this legislation is a priority, which should not be subverted by the outrageous news grabbers designed to distract us. I also told my senator's offices I want to see them lifting the limits on Social Security taxes, a fair and simple solution to funding issues. It's disgusting how it always comes down to reducing benefits for most of us, with no effort to enact fair taxation legislation for those who already have gotten rich on the backs of the rest of us.
Jonathan Chait has been speaking about the long-term goal of the Rs being nothing more than eradication of the redistribution of wealth started during the New Deal. UGH.
I was pretty useless yesterday in the face of the Big Ugly Bill passing. I was only able to make one phone call. In conversation with an aide to Miller-Meeks (R, IA-01) I was so overwhelmingly furious that I could barely stammer out my disgust about the congresswoman’s “yes” vote, ultimately falling back on voicing the sarcastic sentiment that she should enjoy the next 18 months in Congress because she’ll be gone after Nov, 2026.
I’ll do better today in calling Grassley and Ernst, including demanding that the Senate version of Reconciliation follow the Byrd Rule as well as the usual arguments about tariffs and immoral cuts.
Also, in an interview yesterday on The Contrarian, Ben Wikler cited some research about the importance of communicating about these dreadful, brutal cuts NOW.
In other words, in order for voters to believe that the GOP really has cut $500 billion from Medicare, $700 billion from Medicaid and $267 billion from SNAP, voters have to learn the specifics today. According to Mr. Wikler, voters will be more likely to tune out this information as mere election-season “exaggerations” if they only hear about these for the first time in fall of 2026.
Thus, we must convince people TODAY that the GOP really did vote for this putrid reconciliation bill because unfortunately, it is so bad it does seem fictional.
My own rep, Monica de la Cruz (whom my brother calls "de la Crud"), voted "yes" on these cuts, so I'm not so sure I should even call her. I did call her yesterday to register my anger with what she did. Should I still call her, anyway?
I think you should just to express your ire. These reps need to know what the citizens think. And they register the lack of calls as acceptance and consent.
Wrote both Michigan Senators today about the recently house passed Big Beautiful Bill. Told them to stand against it, that it was not meaningful for the majority of their constituents and expressed genuine worry for the direction of the country.
Two good pieces of anecdotal good news about how our message is breaking through.
1) I get together with my old roommates from the 90s every quarter. Three of us are very liberal; the fourth is independent and has been a Trump apologist. We have to work hard on not exploding at her. (She exclaimed over and over about how weak Biden was compared to Trump, esp. after the assassination attempt, when Trump looked so "vigorous". ARGH!) At our last dinner in February, she tried to reassure us that Trump is a businessman and that all the crazy economic stuff would be fine because he is interested in making money. WELL, things have changed! Last night she went on a rant worthy of any liberal for ten minutes. The Big Beautiful Bill almost gave her an aneurysm and any vestiges of the lies of Trump's business acumen and youthfulness have evaporated. She is pissed. I told her how important it is to call our senators every day, and she asked good questions about talking points. One of my other friends had her download the 5Calls app. I was thrilled to welcome her to our side.
2) A few days ago I mentioned that my middle child, my 20-year-old son, had inveighed against the Democrats for a long time, comparing voting for them to having to take chemotherapy. I listened without arguing (had to do a lot of deep breathing), and agreed that the debt is a huge problem, which is his biggest complaint. Yesterday he excitedly told me that he had watched an interview with Gavin Newsom (of all people!) and was very impressed. I asked him for details, because I couldn't imagine where in the world he would have seen something like that. He told me that he regularly watches a Twitch streamer whose shtick is left-leaning politics. This streamer invited Gov. Newsom for a 30-minute interview. My son said that at one point the Governor's handler, who was also on the stream, asked if there were any questions in the chat, but all the comments were trolling remarks like, "Boomer bro!" But they were watching, and these comments are in line with the comments that are always there. At any rate, I was amazed that mainstream Democratic candidates are going on Twitch. And I was super excited that when my son and his best friend were talking last night, they were railing against the reconciliation bill and the administration and talking about their favorite Dems! The reconciliation bill seems to have galvanized them and seeing Newsom talk articulately about the economic challenges facing the country made my son see that Democrats do care about these issues and are working on them. Yippee!
Gavin has his issues, but he is on Twitch and organizes on Discord. He knows how to work the socials for sure, even if it's not always the messaging we think he should be spreading.
It's odd that the House budget bill was her wake-up call. It's really just a mish-mash of every awful, cruel, stupid, hypocritical, anti-American thing Trump has been saying and doing forever. Not sure why this was this epiphany, unless some particular measure in the bill touches her very personally.
It was the drip drip drip of bad news that broke the dam. She works at Duke, so she is seeing the horror up close and personal. Had we seen her before the bill was passed, I think she still would have spoken out, but the bill turned her into a volcano. It was very exciting!
Simon ... I've just joined and been a keen follower for a long time.
Go enjoy your vacation YET ... Project 2025 had a 180 day plan and I believe the worst is yet to come.
And please ... you need to connect Project 2025 with white christian theocrats and connect them to the new apostolic evangelical (Mike Johnson and most of GOP congress) and catholic movements (Thiel, Vance, Techie Bros) AND Israel and the End Times war, Network Cities, DOGE/Musk control over all our personal data.
Is there a recording of the Simon - Brian Tyler Cohen interview yesterday?
Also, I offered a few days ago - too late in the day, so I'm offering again, earlier - to collect drafts of resolutions, articles of condemnation, or letters to America in case anyone needs samples to work off. A google drive with several samples would help, wouldn't it? Simon put this whole raising-the-rhetorical-level project our for crowd-sourcing, which I take as calling for crowd-gathering too.
So far, I've gotten two in resolution style, where the resolution part is urging their delegation to assert Congress as an equal branch. Really great, positive approach. I remember reading lots of others over the last few months, but Substack doesn't have an easy search function. If others have drafts to share, either repost them here with an @mention of me so I get a notification or send them to me: rapoliner@gmail.com. Thanks!
Sent yet another email to Thom do nothing Tillis. He sent me an email yesterday regarding the bribe plane from Qatar.
"Thank you for taking the time to contact me. I appreciate hearing from you.
In 2018, the U.S. Air Force awarded a contract to the Boeing Company to deliver two certified mission-ready Air Force One aircraft replacements by 2024. Unfortunately, Boeing failed to meet the deadline, and President Donald Trump has had to rely on the current Air Force One aircraft that have been in service since the early 1990s. President Donald Trump is right to be concerned by continuous delays from Boeing as the next generation Air Force One planes are now expected to be completed by 2027.
The Boeing 747 that the Qatari government gifted the United States would require a retrofit of the already-built aircraft for Presidential use which will require considerable time and money. Since the plane was previously operated by a foreign government, it will likely need to be nearly dismantled in order to do proper security checks and install critical defensive, communications, and navigation upgrades. Even if safety and security can be assured, the question remains whether retrofitting this aircraft would be completed before Boeing’s next-generation Air Force One is ready."
Needless to say I NEVER even contacted him about this issue. This is typical of our GOP elected officials. His email says nothing.
I would love for someone to tally how much taxpayer money has gone to defend Trump's illegal Exec Orders and lawsuits against fake enemies and legal fees against DOGE actions.
ezra klein pointed out the cruelty of this budget bill. How the richest people get the same percentage cut as the medicare , etc cuts. The Republicans did not even take the time to distinguish between rewarding the rich and punishing the rest of America. Using Musk as an example of the wealthy for me moves moutains of anger. I also wonder what interest rate Putin forced on Trump for bailing him out of bankrupty, particularly the casinos.
Thank you, Simon! I called my Maryland Senators and Congressman and thanked them for what they have been doing, but urged them to do much more. Also sending postcards to Virginia today.
I'm looking forward to listening to Ms. Clayton shortly.
Finally, I'd like to urge all Democrats to stop using Trump's language. Even used sarcastically, "Big Beautiful Bill" reinforces his message.
Just called Senators Booker and Kim, which I am now doing daily to point out 2 provisions in the House tax scam I strongly oppose. Today’s are:
1. Objection to the MAGA accounts allowing parents to continue $5k per year tax free to be used for school and other costs when child reaches adulthood. It’s nothing more than a vanity play by our narcissistic mad king, and we already have in place 529 plans.
2. Oppose the imposition of stricter eligibility requirements for ACA exchange coverage. The GOP could not repeal the ACA directly so they are trying to do so indirectly. It will account for about 50% of the people who will lose coverage, which will wind up increasing all of our healthcare costs.
The estimable Charles Gaba has put together a spreadsheet AND pie charts showing how many inhabitants of swing state districts could lose medical coverage due to the actions of their Republican House Representatives. Great campaign fodder!!
“…and undermining the greatest public health achievement of the past 100 years - our national vaccine REGIME. …” (caps are mine)
MAGA adherents believe that the Democrat Gestapo wishes to impose a vaccine REGIME to induce autism in their fragile children. (I heard one of them reassert this in the Board of County Supervisors’ meeting three days ago. She got elected to the Air Quality Control Board anyway.)
Science savvy lovers of things like antibiotics and antiseptics know that it is adherence to a vaccine REGIMEN (different word!) that protects us from measles, polio, COVID etc.
Self-reporting:
This morning I sent a donation to Spanberger’s campaign
I just wrote a paragraph commenting on a friend’s FB post in which she was remarking on the national scope of eugenics in the Babyman’s Ballooning Bauble Bill to say that the bill actually frames a worldwide program of eugenics.
I am gearing up to do a close read of Schiff’s and Padilla’s outward facing materials so I will know how to phrase my support for their efforts in general and an invitation to join me in opposing the BBBB.
Too many voters want the luxury of voting for Republicans but keep the benefits gained from Democrats. That cognitive dissonance is not sustainable and is running headlong into reality now. If you want nice things you have to vote for Democrats. If you vote for Republicans you lose shit and your life is worse.
Thanks for the gift link. The concluding sentences make Rs motivation very clear: Congressional Republicans are willing to endanger their hold on power to enact policy changes they believe in. And what they believe—what has been the party’s core moral foundation for decades—is that the government takes too much from the rich, and gives too much to the poor.
Just contributed to Virginia Governor race. Your suggestion was what motivated me. Thanks and Happy Memorial Day!
I just called both of my Missouri senators to let them know of my opposition to cutting any of our earned benefits, like Medicaid and Medicare. I also told them I am opposed to giving tax breaks to the wealthy in this budget. It is an outrage that most of the country is having to shoulder the burden of government expenditures while approving unearned handouts to the wealthy. I believe focus on this legislation is a priority, which should not be subverted by the outrageous news grabbers designed to distract us. I also told my senator's offices I want to see them lifting the limits on Social Security taxes, a fair and simple solution to funding issues. It's disgusting how it always comes down to reducing benefits for most of us, with no effort to enact fair taxation legislation for those who already have gotten rich on the backs of the rest of us.
Great Points
Jonathan Chait has been speaking about the long-term goal of the Rs being nothing more than eradication of the redistribution of wealth started during the New Deal. UGH.
I was pretty useless yesterday in the face of the Big Ugly Bill passing. I was only able to make one phone call. In conversation with an aide to Miller-Meeks (R, IA-01) I was so overwhelmingly furious that I could barely stammer out my disgust about the congresswoman’s “yes” vote, ultimately falling back on voicing the sarcastic sentiment that she should enjoy the next 18 months in Congress because she’ll be gone after Nov, 2026.
I’ll do better today in calling Grassley and Ernst, including demanding that the Senate version of Reconciliation follow the Byrd Rule as well as the usual arguments about tariffs and immoral cuts.
Also, in an interview yesterday on The Contrarian, Ben Wikler cited some research about the importance of communicating about these dreadful, brutal cuts NOW.
In other words, in order for voters to believe that the GOP really has cut $500 billion from Medicare, $700 billion from Medicaid and $267 billion from SNAP, voters have to learn the specifics today. According to Mr. Wikler, voters will be more likely to tune out this information as mere election-season “exaggerations” if they only hear about these for the first time in fall of 2026.
Thus, we must convince people TODAY that the GOP really did vote for this putrid reconciliation bill because unfortunately, it is so bad it does seem fictional.
https://contrarian.substack.com/p/coffee-with-the-contrarian-0522
Such a good post! Thank you!
And Dems need to come out with this messaging pronto. Attn: Simon!
My own rep, Monica de la Cruz (whom my brother calls "de la Crud"), voted "yes" on these cuts, so I'm not so sure I should even call her. I did call her yesterday to register my anger with what she did. Should I still call her, anyway?
I think you should just to express your ire. These reps need to know what the citizens think. And they register the lack of calls as acceptance and consent.
Yes! Maga politicians need to be reminded that they represent sensible, compassionate people, too!
Wrote both Michigan Senators today about the recently house passed Big Beautiful Bill. Told them to stand against it, that it was not meaningful for the majority of their constituents and expressed genuine worry for the direction of the country.
Two good pieces of anecdotal good news about how our message is breaking through.
1) I get together with my old roommates from the 90s every quarter. Three of us are very liberal; the fourth is independent and has been a Trump apologist. We have to work hard on not exploding at her. (She exclaimed over and over about how weak Biden was compared to Trump, esp. after the assassination attempt, when Trump looked so "vigorous". ARGH!) At our last dinner in February, she tried to reassure us that Trump is a businessman and that all the crazy economic stuff would be fine because he is interested in making money. WELL, things have changed! Last night she went on a rant worthy of any liberal for ten minutes. The Big Beautiful Bill almost gave her an aneurysm and any vestiges of the lies of Trump's business acumen and youthfulness have evaporated. She is pissed. I told her how important it is to call our senators every day, and she asked good questions about talking points. One of my other friends had her download the 5Calls app. I was thrilled to welcome her to our side.
2) A few days ago I mentioned that my middle child, my 20-year-old son, had inveighed against the Democrats for a long time, comparing voting for them to having to take chemotherapy. I listened without arguing (had to do a lot of deep breathing), and agreed that the debt is a huge problem, which is his biggest complaint. Yesterday he excitedly told me that he had watched an interview with Gavin Newsom (of all people!) and was very impressed. I asked him for details, because I couldn't imagine where in the world he would have seen something like that. He told me that he regularly watches a Twitch streamer whose shtick is left-leaning politics. This streamer invited Gov. Newsom for a 30-minute interview. My son said that at one point the Governor's handler, who was also on the stream, asked if there were any questions in the chat, but all the comments were trolling remarks like, "Boomer bro!" But they were watching, and these comments are in line with the comments that are always there. At any rate, I was amazed that mainstream Democratic candidates are going on Twitch. And I was super excited that when my son and his best friend were talking last night, they were railing against the reconciliation bill and the administration and talking about their favorite Dems! The reconciliation bill seems to have galvanized them and seeing Newsom talk articulately about the economic challenges facing the country made my son see that Democrats do care about these issues and are working on them. Yippee!
Love this; thanks for sharing.
One voter at a time adds up!
I responded to your post two days ago about your son being so down on the the Dems. Glad to hear about the change of heart!!
I know the streamer you are talking about and he's done really great work in a space where few progressives are. (Can I remember his name? No.)
My son told me the guy's Twitch handle, but it just sounded like a consonant cluster to me! LOL. I think his real name is either Brandon or Brendan.
Elizabeth this is how we change the country. Through relationships and patience (the opposite of arguing and fighting). Great job!
one hundred percent.
Gavin has his issues, but he is on Twitch and organizes on Discord. He knows how to work the socials for sure, even if it's not always the messaging we think he should be spreading.
What state does your converted college friend live in?
North Carolina
It's odd that the House budget bill was her wake-up call. It's really just a mish-mash of every awful, cruel, stupid, hypocritical, anti-American thing Trump has been saying and doing forever. Not sure why this was this epiphany, unless some particular measure in the bill touches her very personally.
It was the drip drip drip of bad news that broke the dam. She works at Duke, so she is seeing the horror up close and personal. Had we seen her before the bill was passed, I think she still would have spoken out, but the bill turned her into a volcano. It was very exciting!
Simon ... I've just joined and been a keen follower for a long time.
Go enjoy your vacation YET ... Project 2025 had a 180 day plan and I believe the worst is yet to come.
And please ... you need to connect Project 2025 with white christian theocrats and connect them to the new apostolic evangelical (Mike Johnson and most of GOP congress) and catholic movements (Thiel, Vance, Techie Bros) AND Israel and the End Times war, Network Cities, DOGE/Musk control over all our personal data.
DOGE TEAM USES AI TO ROOT OUT PEOPLE DISLOYAL TO RUMP … https://www.rawstory.com/doge-team-sensitive-private-data-2672192671/
GILL DURAN/TECHIE FUTURE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1tcBUS0NYQ
CHRISTIANS IN ISRAEL
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-67422238
PASTORS ARE EXCITED ABOUT GAZA/BELIEVE IT OR NOT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mQpCjxR3MI
TRUMP AND THE END TIMES
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/christian-zionism-israel-antisemitic-new-apostolic-reformation_n_667d6b73e4b017bda37be3e4#
Also look at the data from PRRI (Public Religious Research Institute .. Robbie P Jones)
Anyway ... 'work towards/work for' and 'dont' fight against' ... Moral Mondays Rev Wm Barber and what we all learned in the Civil Rights movement.
Kind regards
Great book on theocracy subject from Katherine Stewart: Money, Lies and God. Highly recommend.
Is there a recording of the Simon - Brian Tyler Cohen interview yesterday?
Also, I offered a few days ago - too late in the day, so I'm offering again, earlier - to collect drafts of resolutions, articles of condemnation, or letters to America in case anyone needs samples to work off. A google drive with several samples would help, wouldn't it? Simon put this whole raising-the-rhetorical-level project our for crowd-sourcing, which I take as calling for crowd-gathering too.
So far, I've gotten two in resolution style, where the resolution part is urging their delegation to assert Congress as an equal branch. Really great, positive approach. I remember reading lots of others over the last few months, but Substack doesn't have an easy search function. If others have drafts to share, either repost them here with an @mention of me so I get a notification or send them to me: rapoliner@gmail.com. Thanks!
Working on it!
I will totally use this and send to all my state folks.
Thank you. I think I suggested a resources page a while back, happy to know this is happening. More work for Lincoln!
Rachel - that would be fantastic! I would definitely use a shared resource!
Sent yet another email to Thom do nothing Tillis. He sent me an email yesterday regarding the bribe plane from Qatar.
"Thank you for taking the time to contact me. I appreciate hearing from you.
In 2018, the U.S. Air Force awarded a contract to the Boeing Company to deliver two certified mission-ready Air Force One aircraft replacements by 2024. Unfortunately, Boeing failed to meet the deadline, and President Donald Trump has had to rely on the current Air Force One aircraft that have been in service since the early 1990s. President Donald Trump is right to be concerned by continuous delays from Boeing as the next generation Air Force One planes are now expected to be completed by 2027.
The Boeing 747 that the Qatari government gifted the United States would require a retrofit of the already-built aircraft for Presidential use which will require considerable time and money. Since the plane was previously operated by a foreign government, it will likely need to be nearly dismantled in order to do proper security checks and install critical defensive, communications, and navigation upgrades. Even if safety and security can be assured, the question remains whether retrofitting this aircraft would be completed before Boeing’s next-generation Air Force One is ready."
Needless to say I NEVER even contacted him about this issue. This is typical of our GOP elected officials. His email says nothing.
I would love for someone to tally how much taxpayer money has gone to defend Trump's illegal Exec Orders and lawsuits against fake enemies and legal fees against DOGE actions.
So True!!
ezra klein pointed out the cruelty of this budget bill. How the richest people get the same percentage cut as the medicare , etc cuts. The Republicans did not even take the time to distinguish between rewarding the rich and punishing the rest of America. Using Musk as an example of the wealthy for me moves moutains of anger. I also wonder what interest rate Putin forced on Trump for bailing him out of bankrupty, particularly the casinos.
Thank you, Simon! I called my Maryland Senators and Congressman and thanked them for what they have been doing, but urged them to do much more. Also sending postcards to Virginia today.
I'm looking forward to listening to Ms. Clayton shortly.
Finally, I'd like to urge all Democrats to stop using Trump's language. Even used sarcastically, "Big Beautiful Bill" reinforces his message.
Babyman’s “Ballooning Bauble Bill,” maybe?
I've heard it called the MAGA Murder Bill. Anything but accepting his framing.
Billionaires' Budget Buster ... or Budget Bomb.
I’m writing a “worried Girl Blues” verse using “Dinky Dastardly Death” Bill. Hoping to tie in international deaths too.
MAGA Suicide Pact works for me.
Just called Senators Booker and Kim, which I am now doing daily to point out 2 provisions in the House tax scam I strongly oppose. Today’s are:
1. Objection to the MAGA accounts allowing parents to continue $5k per year tax free to be used for school and other costs when child reaches adulthood. It’s nothing more than a vanity play by our narcissistic mad king, and we already have in place 529 plans.
2. Oppose the imposition of stricter eligibility requirements for ACA exchange coverage. The GOP could not repeal the ACA directly so they are trying to do so indirectly. It will account for about 50% of the people who will lose coverage, which will wind up increasing all of our healthcare costs.
Their cruelty and greed is sickening.
Yep! I reminded them about McIver, Watson Coleman and Menendez as well as Mayor Baraka. We cannot let up on this stuff.
The estimable Charles Gaba has put together a spreadsheet AND pie charts showing how many inhabitants of swing state districts could lose medical coverage due to the actions of their Republican House Representatives. Great campaign fodder!!
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/5/22/2323882/-How-many-could-lose-coverage-via-the-MedicaidMassacre-bill-in-the-29-most-vulnerable-GOP-districts
“…and undermining the greatest public health achievement of the past 100 years - our national vaccine REGIME. …” (caps are mine)
MAGA adherents believe that the Democrat Gestapo wishes to impose a vaccine REGIME to induce autism in their fragile children. (I heard one of them reassert this in the Board of County Supervisors’ meeting three days ago. She got elected to the Air Quality Control Board anyway.)
Science savvy lovers of things like antibiotics and antiseptics know that it is adherence to a vaccine REGIMEN (different word!) that protects us from measles, polio, COVID etc.
Self-reporting:
This morning I sent a donation to Spanberger’s campaign
I just wrote a paragraph commenting on a friend’s FB post in which she was remarking on the national scope of eugenics in the Babyman’s Ballooning Bauble Bill to say that the bill actually frames a worldwide program of eugenics.
I am gearing up to do a close read of Schiff’s and Padilla’s outward facing materials so I will know how to phrase my support for their efforts in general and an invitation to join me in opposing the BBBB.
Repeating this comment regarding an urgent action for today: https://www.hopiumchronicles.com/p/fighting-trumps-agenda-of-sabotage/comment/119256810?r=elb52&utm_medium=ios
And here is how to make good trouble: reserve free tickets to Trump’s birthday parade. Too bad if something comes up and you can’t make it to DC. https://events.america250.org/events/250th-anniversary-of-the-us-army-grand-military-parade-and-celebration
Too many voters want the luxury of voting for Republicans but keep the benefits gained from Democrats. That cognitive dissonance is not sustainable and is running headlong into reality now. If you want nice things you have to vote for Democrats. If you vote for Republicans you lose shit and your life is worse.
ding ding ding - Jonathan Chait specifically mentions this on a Bulwark podcast today. I'll try to find the article he wrote on this.
Here it is, free gift link from The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/05/big-beautiful-transfer-of-wealth/682885/?gift=woWIUxw7PQkPWVjhh-qn3n8gi6uEGbgsetKzG4vD2do&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share
Thanks for the gift link. The concluding sentences make Rs motivation very clear: Congressional Republicans are willing to endanger their hold on power to enact policy changes they believe in. And what they believe—what has been the party’s core moral foundation for decades—is that the government takes too much from the rich, and gives too much to the poor.