Please take this post down. You don't link to any article; it is just a negative sentiment dump; and your characterization of what is happening right now is incorrect. Wildly unhelpful way to start the day here at Hopium.
To be fair, he was probably referring to Robert Hubbell’s post this morning, which mentioned the wavering Senators, but forgot the link. And, Mr. Hubbell is almost always a positive voice encouraging actions, as you are, Simon. I think we should encourage the constituents of these Senators to reach out to them ASAP to urge them to stand strong against this authoritarian power grab rather than give in to the anxiety we’re all experiencing. Just my thoughts.
My response on Robert Hubbell's post today. Hubbell never allows himself to fall into the trap of blaming but rather staying hopeful and taking action.
I don't trust Axios as an honest resource. They are known to exaggerate stories or right out lie with their reporting.
The names Axios are alleging who could vote for a CR are the ones who did in March. If they are your representative, then I would suggest you call their office and insist they do not cave. The other 3 Dems who voted with the Republicans also voted for the CR back in March. Fetterman is a lost cause but the other 2 may be swayed with enough pressure from their constituents.
Call their offices rather than email them. When you flood their offices with phone calls, the staff has a hard time getting their work done. According to an interview I heard awhile back, Angus King from Maine pays attention to those calling and leaving comments. He mentioned he takes them home to read. Found that interesting so putting the pressure on him may get him to not cave.
Good morning - furious about the Gateway Project. Mikie was talking about it last night in several interviews and was steadfast about her strong opposition. Vought needs to be gone, we need to get rid of him. He is the evil mastermind - we need to make him toxic and amp up the pressure.
And they cannot permanently fire people during a shutdown. It's just going to cost the feds $$ bc they will have to keep them on while litigation happens, then will be forced to rehire and give them back pay.
MSM still pushing the wrong narrative, it's really blatant. We need to drown them out.
Got weekly email from Sen. Kim today w detailed update about the shutdown. Keeping the pressure on Sen. Booker to catch up on sending out newsletters - we've all been signing up but never receive anything. He's been strong in social and MSM presence, was on MSNBC earlier in the week. I've been raising the militarization issue on calls to both of them.
Schumer needs to continue to whip his folks into line, this wavering by Fetterman, etc. is unacceptable.
I also appreciate Senator Kim’s updates, and Congressman, Herb Conaway has been stellar with info on the shutdown. I love Senator Booker, and he was great on MSNBC, but where is his communication with his constituents?
Simon. Thanks for another terrific job keeping us informed and HOPEful. I’d like to see the Dems add to their demands the immediate release of all Epstein files. BTW I learned just this morning that the Republican Woman’s Caucus refuses to comment on the Epstein issue. … Hopium newbie looking forward to this evening’s video hook-up.
I agree, I heard the suggestion of calling this the Epstein Shutdown and I think it's a good one. This shutdown is another distraction from that issue.
Either one or both are a "distraction" in the un-real world of Trumpism. Know that they will play that naming game to the hilt if/as they see that doing so works to their advantage. Don't be fooled. Both are "hinge" issues that must be exploited non-stop by the Dems. Why? Because that is the winningest tactic available. AND because it is just, proper, and entirely in keeping with who the Dems are. Or should be. ... Or had better be,
We are headed for a Kent State-like moment. I'm crying about the ICE raid! This needs to be pushed on all platforms. I left scorching messages for Tillis and Budd this morning and thanked my Democratic representative and asked her to stay strong.
They're threatening MN now. I do not understand why the Dems aren't making Miller and Vought the faces of this administration. I will, once again, call my senators and say that I expect them to speak out for their constituents. I am feeling a bit discouraged about Senator Klobuchar's lack of courage in this moment, but I am a Hopiate, and so I keep calling.
Oh, I mean about what's happening to immigrants (and people who look like immigrants), and telling a broader story about ICE/civil rights/etc. But I cannot find a newsletter for her.
So far I have seen only weak tea from Schumer and Jeffries. Instead of “we need to work with our republican colleagues “ how about “we don’t negotiate with terrorists”.
Seriously what is wrong with you people today? We are in the fight we all wanted. Polling is breaking towards us. The Mad King is losing his shit. Dems are holding the line. Buck the fuck up everyone.
I wish I shared your optimism. But I don't. Things just keep getting worse and the Democrats are not up to the fight as far as I can see. Hope springs eternal I guess.
I'm compelled to wonder what drew you to this community in the first place then, considering the cognitive dissonance between these comments and the core ideals of this community.
I have long been reminded of the algebra problems I so struggled with in 8th grade, in which two trains were moving in opposite directions at differing speeds, and I had to determine which one would arrive at its destination first. Trump's gathering speed is a sign that the opposition is growing stronger. Which side will get to its destination first? Ours will, but only if we all do our part! And part of that work is not giving in to pessimism. Fear is only good for us insofar as it propels us to act; if it becomes crippling, Trump wins.
He uses fear and stochastic terrorism to control people. When it doesn't work, which it is not, he has to ramp it up. The threat was always real but following through on at least some of it is desperation.
Don’t despair! Yesterday, Simon introduced us to Dem Reps. Landsman and Veasey, who came on to “Talk The Trump Shutdown, The Fight For Health Care,” and introduce their NEW PODCAST, "The Fly-In.” This might lead to an attitude adjustment!
Watch Simon’s interview yesterday, and then follow links below to view everyday you can get the Dem scoop. If links don’t work, type each name in browser and search.
Per Simon info: Follow links to see a totally New Dem way of communicating with the country! You can find each week’s episode on the website of the New Democrat Coalition; on the NDC’s new Substack, New Dem Dispatch; and Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube too. These will be live links at the bottom of yesterday's post. Cheers Runfastandwin!
I don't think of it as an optimism/pessimism choice or moment. This whole fight has been and is still a choice of persistence versus giving in/giving up, and acting and communicating in a way that makes persistence for each of us and for our community more likely. Communicating in a way that encourages persistence is a pro-democracy commitment.
All the experts on fascism (as in Simon's interview with Anne Appelbaum) said things would get worse, that as Trump's numbers decline and he feels weaker, he would do terrible things. I'm still surprised at first when each terrible thing happens, like the raid on the Chicago apartment building. 😡🥵😫 But each spectacle is both horrific and then it backfires. The horror is not erased, but neither is the backfiring. It took years to create this chaos; it'll take some time to fix it. As long as we persist, he has not won.
I know that is intended rhetorically, but I will answer anyway.
Speaking only for myself, I can tell you what is wrong. The WaPo article about taking children from their parents in the middle of the night and throwing them naked into a U-Haul van, which is illegal and wildly unsafe, is making it really hard to think straight. Some things are too horrific to process quickly. The fear makes things feel like an emergency, which makes both thinking and staying positive very difficult. Hence why fear is the tool of the tyrant.
You are right that we can’t let that distract us from our focused and highly effective efforts. But I really get it.
"The Democrats did what we wanted! (Not 2 full seconds later) Why aren't the Democrats doing anything?! Blue MAGA!!!!!" -Seemingly every other goddamn thing I see/hear on the internet...
I am so off-the-charts tired of everyone and their mother doing their asinine 'teenage rebellion arc' with us. And now our own people are doing it too?! Ugh...
The media is framing Schumer and Jeffries as weak - why are we spreading their framing? The democrats refused cloture and are pushing the ACA cuts into public awareness. They are also provoking bonkers responses from the administration. What aren't they doing? Don't spread the media's misleading tropes for them
Here's what they could be doing. Deny unanimous consent to proceed every morning and go en masse to the steps of the Capitol every afternoon. "Hearings" are a waste of time and resources, not one voter in fifty even knows what senators and representatives do, and it's not working anyway. Hire the best ad guys there are, the guys that make Taco Bell commercials if we can get them, and cut them loose with like a billion dollars. Get an internet infrastructure going ala Joe Rogan. Image is everything in today's world, clearly process means nothing to the average voter. I feel like we're in a 5-alarm fire and we're fighting it with a bucket brigade. I donate monthly to the DNC and to Brandon Riker, the guy running to replace my MAGAt congressman (Calvert) but it's not enough. When the Republicans in Texas kidnapped Nicole Collier every Democrat should have stayed with her until she was released. Instead they went home. There's so much more we could be doing, these are just a few suggestions.
I'm guessing the concern here is that whatever evils Dick à l'Orange and his lictors wreak during this shutdown may make the potential positive gains of restoring funding slashed by the Big Ugly Bill null in the grand estimate.
(And considering the endless creativity for inflicting suffering shown by the people he surrounds himself with, I can't say such concern is completely unjustified.)
That said, this is all pure conjecture, and such grand/dire speculation this early into the shutdown is both presumptuous and counterproductive. "Until such time as the world ends, we will act as if it intends to spin on," or however the quote goes.
I completely understand what is happening here. I also understand that adreniline soaked hyperbole rather than clear headed logic will not win the day. You are preaching to the choir who is increasingly frustrated by what is happening as am I. But, I am less inclined to believe that effective long-term solutions come from those who live their lives using "capital letters".
It's very important to let the American people know that a government shutdown does NOT give the President authority to fire federal employees and eliminate government programs.
During a government shutdown, non-essential federal employees can be furloughed and receive back pay when the government re-opens. They cannot be fired!
Any firings or funds withheld by Trump during the shutdown are just as illegal and unconstitutional as they have been over the past 8 months while the government was open.
My question is what can be done about these illegal actions right now. I know the Unions are suing over the firings, but what about the rescissions and the use of illegal tariff monies (he shouldn’t have been allowed to levy them in the first place) to bypass Congress’ power of the purse? I assume someone is working on a lawsuit? Maybe State AG’s.
These actions are being challenged in the courts, but it's a slow process. And in the meantime, the Supreme Court has allowed Trump's actions to continue. A good source for following these court cases is Marc Elias' web site and newsletter called "Democracy Docket." https://www.democracydocket.com/ Marc Elias also has a Substack https://marcelias.substack.com/
I get at least some of Democracy Docket updates literally every day. I don’t pay for the newsletter, and can’t read all of them anyway. I’m not sure he would have any information on stuff that’s just happened due to the shutdown, but the AG’s have been truly on top of everything from the get-go, so perhaps they were prepared ahead of time? Actually, the Contrarian explained the Union case, as Norm Eisen is one of the attorneys working on that lawsuit. So thank goodness for independent media!
Shat upon is an understatement. Reading about what ICE has done in Chicago is frightening. The stopping of federal funds to projects already approved in blue states is illegal. Vought, Miller, Noem, Hegseth etc don't have immunity like his Royal Heinous. Their day will come. In the meantime I keep calling my senators, donating what I can, attending peaceful protests. Gearing up for No Kings 10/18. Regarding the gold, what goes up, must come down.
Interior decor, no matter how tacky and abundant, can all be swept away as soon as a legitimate administration retakes power. Think of the yard sale the White House could have! (Kidding....probably).
On a related note, the future of the Mad King's ballroom seems guaranteed to be short. Perhaps an extension of the restored Rose Garden can go there. Or a bank of solar panels to make the White House net zero. Or a monument to the Resistance.
Simon, thanks for this morning's dose of hope. I'm very glad to see the polls showing Americans know who's to blame for this shutdown. I suspect a number of folks in the "not sure" category really know, but don't want to say.
I've noted that there seems to be increased coverage of Trump's increasingly obvious mental decline. Nicole Wallace and Lawrence O'Donnell both devoted segments of their programs to it. Congresswoman Madeline Dean confronted Mike Johnson about it and he just shrugged and said, "I don't control him." The more this is discussed, the better it is.
I called Congressman Raskin and Senators Alsobrooks and Van Hollen and thanked them for what they're doing and urged them to stand strong. I'm writing postcards to Virginia voters today.
Lawrence has been on it, and other things, for a while. He is unmissable as far as I am concerned. Listening to the podcast version is how I start my day - he fires me up!
Just as a bonus dose of hope, a piece about my home's brightest star on the state level, the good Mr. Talarico, free of charge. Enjoy, my dear compatriots.
The South Shore Drive story is heartbreaking. I am constantly being bombarded with either despair or anger and ending up in hopelessness most of the time. I don't want reconciliation with people like this because I would never be able to trust them. Their morality and ethical fiber has been stripped away by fake toughness and patriotism and I would not trust them with anything of importance. We are in a war and we must start to act like it, talk like it and fight like it. Trump and maga are far weaker I agree so we must RESIST.
You are right; we must resist. Taking action is the best antidote for despair. Please call your elected representatives and report back here. We will get through this.
Yesterday I participated in a rally against ICE at the DHS facility in Cedar Rapids, Iowa where we gathered to support the immigrants reporting for their mandatory check-ins. We chanted and sang loudly enough for the 10 or so ICE agents inside to hear that they were vastly outnumbered. Every time one of our neighbors walked out of the building to rejoin our community, joyful cheering arose from the crowd. I’d like to think that our presence outside the building played a part in helping to protect our neighbors—did ICE think twice about whether or not they wanted to detain an immigrant in the face of our outrage? Perhaps.
But even if our noisy cheering had no impact at all on those masked thugs, it had a positive effect on all of us gathered there, standing strong and united together. It’s invigorating to know that one is united with the moral and just against the bigots and cowards hiding in the building!
The size of our protest had probably doubled since the previous ICE check-in day as a result of one immigrant’s violent and highly publicized kidnapping a few days earlier. In other words, the cruel and illegal acts that they *think* are going to intimidate us just build the strength of our resistance against them.
tRumpy’s years of ginning up his weak MAGA base with faux excuses for outrage has blinded his regime to the results when people of moral courage become genuinely outraged by actual injustices.
Non-violent mass resistance gets the most sympathy from the general public. No Kings Day will be a good rallying point across the country but it will take more frequent mobilizations that continue to grow, and hopefully MSM will be tipped over into reporting. I also think general strikes are a good tactic. I do fear that a significant percentage of our population wants a literal war, egged on in their online bubbles. But any actions they take will be very unpopular. I joined our county Indivisible grassroots org a few months ago and the feeling of solidarity is super helpful for my mental health.
I think they *believe* they want a literal war. It seems pretty clear that if that happens, literally everyone loses.
I wonder if being isolated from their neighbors is why their mental health is so terrible that they want war? Because I totally agree with the beneficial effects of being part of a team and trying to do some good.
yes, we are heading to general strikes. maybe now is as good a time as any. think everyone is fed up and disgusted. so use the govt shutdown to really shutdown the country and get a big win. since elected dems wont suggest it, it will be to be from the ground up. unions can be the spark!
What can be done about Fetterman and other Democrats not supporting the position of demanding the restoration of health care support before voting to fund the government?
Short-term, I'm not sure. Long-term, primary Fetterman out of office, and remember what happens when we acquiesce to those of a more demagogic nature on our left.
(Particularly if the aforementioned fifth column support someone for little reason other than a refusal to not dress like a Winnipeg garbageman for formal occasions...)
Simon, Self reporting the following sent to Sen Thune, and my 2 Sens Murray, Cantwell and Schumer.
Sen. Thune,
This is not AMERICA. I sincerely hope you are proud of what you have allowed - being complicit in the loss of our Republic:
From the Chicago Sun Times:
In the South Shore raid, Armed federal agents in military fatigues busted down their doors overnight, pulling men, women and children from their apartments, some of them naked, residents and witnesses said. Agents approached or entered nearly every apartment in the five-story building, and U.S. citizens were among those detained for hours.
Ebony Sweets Watson, who lives across the street, said it “looked like hundreds” of agents were outside her front door......
Watson said she saw agents dragging residents, including kids, out of the building without any clothes on and into U-Haul vans. Kids were separated from their mothers, she said.
Horrifying news on the ICE raid in Chicago. Why isn't this blaring headlines across legacy media? I went to NYT to peruse the headlines. Scrolled through at least the first 30 articles with no mention. Same for CNN. Absolute travesty.
Even Trump must be surprised that Chicago raid isn't getting greater coverage. He is working hard to keep Epstein out of front and center. He thinks he's winning because negative polling is the only pushback he's getting. Raid an entire multi story housing complex, destroying doors, steal furniture, ransack peoples apartments, taking naked children into UHauls, and it's crickets? Only the worst drug dealers and criminals, right Donny? Kristi Noem and Tom Homan for jail. Steven Miller all the more so.
...and where are the Chicago Police? We need to push hard to have state and local police not only "not cooperate" with ICE, but interfere when they abuse human, civil and constitutional rights. Protect and Serve, right? Declaration Project can be a vehicle for that, but it's not fast or comprehensive enough of a response. Send in the Marines to honor their oath to go after the true enemy within. "All enemies, foreign or domestic."
I imagine we will be hearing from Governor Pritzker about this today. Can he mobilize the country? He said he would do all in his power to protect his constituency. It's show time, JB.
I'm calling my electeds and this raid is front and center. Pushing the narrative that the GOP has not only failed to govern, ICE is escalating into fullscale warcrimes. Dem leadership needs to be far louder in expressing the outrage.
If the polls show , as Simon shared today, that voters are currently clearly more concerned about our failing government. declining economy and runaway prices because of tariffs, and outright war on citizenry than on health care, then why aren't the leaders nimble enough to adjust their messaging? I think that's the frustration that some of the posts are expressing, and it's legitimate.
Yes, Michael, a thousand times yes. The healthcare myths vs facts that the Dem house posted are good for an in the weeds policy battle and that is exactly where the GOP wants us right now. MAGA Mike with continue to harp that Dems want $1 trillion in new spending. I hope the Dems lead in "whose to blame" holds but if we win that fight on health care we have lost the opportunity to make it about the GOP drive to dictatorship.
Our failing government... due to Trump's hacktockracy and lawlessness
Declining economy and runaway prices because of (ILLEGAL) tariffs. Instead of GOP talking about $1 trillion in new spending Dems need to talk about $400 billion in new GOP taxes from illegal tariffs... and call them illegal taxes!
Outright war on citizenry (illegal attacks on rights including free speech, equal protection, due process etc etc etc)
Illegal, illegal, illegal! Every Dem elected needs to use the word illegal everytime it applies and tie it back to SCOTUS immunity decision.
Governor Pritzker recently called for the removal of Donald Trump as President by invoking the 25th amendment and cited health concerns about the president.
I saw that, Deborah, and I personally think JB has shown great leadership in his rebuke of Trump. Proud to be an Illinois resident. (Illinoisan?). We can't despair. If we do, he's already won.
Please take this post down. You don't link to any article; it is just a negative sentiment dump; and your characterization of what is happening right now is incorrect. Wildly unhelpful way to start the day here at Hopium.
To be fair, he was probably referring to Robert Hubbell’s post this morning, which mentioned the wavering Senators, but forgot the link. And, Mr. Hubbell is almost always a positive voice encouraging actions, as you are, Simon. I think we should encourage the constituents of these Senators to reach out to them ASAP to urge them to stand strong against this authoritarian power grab rather than give in to the anxiety we’re all experiencing. Just my thoughts.
That is true, I was referring to Hubbell’s post which referenced an Axios article. https://www.axios.com/2025/10/01/seven-democratic-senators-to-watch-government-shutdown?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email. I posted so that their constituents might get the message to call, like Wendy said. Hubbell is a positive voice and is usually accurate. I had heard about Shaheen wavering before. I will take the post down.
My response on Robert Hubbell's post today. Hubbell never allows himself to fall into the trap of blaming but rather staying hopeful and taking action.
I don't trust Axios as an honest resource. They are known to exaggerate stories or right out lie with their reporting.
The names Axios are alleging who could vote for a CR are the ones who did in March. If they are your representative, then I would suggest you call their office and insist they do not cave. The other 3 Dems who voted with the Republicans also voted for the CR back in March. Fetterman is a lost cause but the other 2 may be swayed with enough pressure from their constituents.
Call their offices rather than email them. When you flood their offices with phone calls, the staff has a hard time getting their work done. According to an interview I heard awhile back, Angus King from Maine pays attention to those calling and leaving comments. He mentioned he takes them home to read. Found that interesting so putting the pressure on him may get him to not cave.
Perpetual disappointment is a choice. We choose hope and our own positive actions instead.
Good morning - furious about the Gateway Project. Mikie was talking about it last night in several interviews and was steadfast about her strong opposition. Vought needs to be gone, we need to get rid of him. He is the evil mastermind - we need to make him toxic and amp up the pressure.
And they cannot permanently fire people during a shutdown. It's just going to cost the feds $$ bc they will have to keep them on while litigation happens, then will be forced to rehire and give them back pay.
MSM still pushing the wrong narrative, it's really blatant. We need to drown them out.
Got weekly email from Sen. Kim today w detailed update about the shutdown. Keeping the pressure on Sen. Booker to catch up on sending out newsletters - we've all been signing up but never receive anything. He's been strong in social and MSM presence, was on MSNBC earlier in the week. I've been raising the militarization issue on calls to both of them.
Schumer needs to continue to whip his folks into line, this wavering by Fetterman, etc. is unacceptable.
Looking forward to tonight's call.
I also appreciate Senator Kim’s updates, and Congressman, Herb Conaway has been stellar with info on the shutdown. I love Senator Booker, and he was great on MSNBC, but where is his communication with his constituents?
exactly. that's what the newsletter is supposed to be for. Keep hounding him. And good news about Rep. Conaway, he's been kinda quiet.
I think his office staff is just excellent. He also sends out a regular newsletter that’s pretty informative.
i get better info from you than i do from official nj media.
Wildstein in NJ Globe is good on occasion. NJ Politics newsletter from Politico is also occasionally useful. Both can be really slanted.
I get a daily email from InsiderNJ, an aggregator of Jersey political news.
yes, that too. I always forget about it.
Simon. Thanks for another terrific job keeping us informed and HOPEful. I’d like to see the Dems add to their demands the immediate release of all Epstein files. BTW I learned just this morning that the Republican Woman’s Caucus refuses to comment on the Epstein issue. … Hopium newbie looking forward to this evening’s video hook-up.
Welcome aboard Don!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I agree, I heard the suggestion of calling this the Epstein Shutdown and I think it's a good one. This shutdown is another distraction from that issue.
Either one or both are a "distraction" in the un-real world of Trumpism. Know that they will play that naming game to the hilt if/as they see that doing so works to their advantage. Don't be fooled. Both are "hinge" issues that must be exploited non-stop by the Dems. Why? Because that is the winningest tactic available. AND because it is just, proper, and entirely in keeping with who the Dems are. Or should be. ... Or had better be,
We are headed for a Kent State-like moment. I'm crying about the ICE raid! This needs to be pushed on all platforms. I left scorching messages for Tillis and Budd this morning and thanked my Democratic representative and asked her to stay strong.
I keep thinking the same thing. I really worry about this.
I've been raising it w Booker & Kim, I'm really concerned here in NJ, esp. given the whole escapade w Rep. McIver and Mayor Baraka.
They're threatening MN now. I do not understand why the Dems aren't making Miller and Vought the faces of this administration. I will, once again, call my senators and say that I expect them to speak out for their constituents. I am feeling a bit discouraged about Senator Klobuchar's lack of courage in this moment, but I am a Hopiate, and so I keep calling.
I have seen her in press conferences w Schumer. Has she not been updating constituents?
Oh, I mean about what's happening to immigrants (and people who look like immigrants), and telling a broader story about ICE/civil rights/etc. But I cannot find a newsletter for her.
Hmm. When you email Booker & Kim on their websites, you get a newsletter opt-in (many senators do this) but we never get a newsletter from Booker.
So far I have seen only weak tea from Schumer and Jeffries. Instead of “we need to work with our republican colleagues “ how about “we don’t negotiate with terrorists”.
Seriously what is wrong with you people today? We are in the fight we all wanted. Polling is breaking towards us. The Mad King is losing his shit. Dems are holding the line. Buck the fuck up everyone.
Amen to that!
I wish I shared your optimism. But I don't. Things just keep getting worse and the Democrats are not up to the fight as far as I can see. Hope springs eternal I guess.
I like this quote.
"A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties." – Harry S. Truman
love that quote!
I'm compelled to wonder what drew you to this community in the first place then, considering the cognitive dissonance between these comments and the core ideals of this community.
I’m optimistic but also a realist. I just like Simon’s style.
Fair enough. A good reason if ever there was one.
Neville Chamberlain also described himself as a realist. Realism is often a way of dressing up cowardice and appeasement.
While also somehow finding a way to be simultaneously nihilistic *and* lost in a cul-de-sac of their own internal self-righteousness.
(Side note: *Ouch.*)
I have long been reminded of the algebra problems I so struggled with in 8th grade, in which two trains were moving in opposite directions at differing speeds, and I had to determine which one would arrive at its destination first. Trump's gathering speed is a sign that the opposition is growing stronger. Which side will get to its destination first? Ours will, but only if we all do our part! And part of that work is not giving in to pessimism. Fear is only good for us insofar as it propels us to act; if it becomes crippling, Trump wins.
finally I understand the point of math
😂
HA! teeny bit of humor today! thx for that!
He uses fear and stochastic terrorism to control people. When it doesn't work, which it is not, he has to ramp it up. The threat was always real but following through on at least some of it is desperation.
Don’t despair! Yesterday, Simon introduced us to Dem Reps. Landsman and Veasey, who came on to “Talk The Trump Shutdown, The Fight For Health Care,” and introduce their NEW PODCAST, "The Fly-In.” This might lead to an attitude adjustment!
Watch Simon’s interview yesterday, and then follow links below to view everyday you can get the Dem scoop. If links don’t work, type each name in browser and search.
Per Simon info: Follow links to see a totally New Dem way of communicating with the country! You can find each week’s episode on the website of the New Democrat Coalition; on the NDC’s new Substack, New Dem Dispatch; and Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube too. These will be live links at the bottom of yesterday's post. Cheers Runfastandwin!
I don't think of it as an optimism/pessimism choice or moment. This whole fight has been and is still a choice of persistence versus giving in/giving up, and acting and communicating in a way that makes persistence for each of us and for our community more likely. Communicating in a way that encourages persistence is a pro-democracy commitment.
All the experts on fascism (as in Simon's interview with Anne Appelbaum) said things would get worse, that as Trump's numbers decline and he feels weaker, he would do terrible things. I'm still surprised at first when each terrible thing happens, like the raid on the Chicago apartment building. 😡🥵😫 But each spectacle is both horrific and then it backfires. The horror is not erased, but neither is the backfiring. It took years to create this chaos; it'll take some time to fix it. As long as we persist, he has not won.
I know that is intended rhetorically, but I will answer anyway.
Speaking only for myself, I can tell you what is wrong. The WaPo article about taking children from their parents in the middle of the night and throwing them naked into a U-Haul van, which is illegal and wildly unsafe, is making it really hard to think straight. Some things are too horrific to process quickly. The fear makes things feel like an emergency, which makes both thinking and staying positive very difficult. Hence why fear is the tool of the tyrant.
You are right that we can’t let that distract us from our focused and highly effective efforts. But I really get it.
Exactly.
"The Democrats did what we wanted! (Not 2 full seconds later) Why aren't the Democrats doing anything?! Blue MAGA!!!!!" -Seemingly every other goddamn thing I see/hear on the internet...
I am so off-the-charts tired of everyone and their mother doing their asinine 'teenage rebellion arc' with us. And now our own people are doing it too?! Ugh...
You can only take responsibility for your own actions.
The media is framing Schumer and Jeffries as weak - why are we spreading their framing? The democrats refused cloture and are pushing the ACA cuts into public awareness. They are also provoking bonkers responses from the administration. What aren't they doing? Don't spread the media's misleading tropes for them
Here's what they could be doing. Deny unanimous consent to proceed every morning and go en masse to the steps of the Capitol every afternoon. "Hearings" are a waste of time and resources, not one voter in fifty even knows what senators and representatives do, and it's not working anyway. Hire the best ad guys there are, the guys that make Taco Bell commercials if we can get them, and cut them loose with like a billion dollars. Get an internet infrastructure going ala Joe Rogan. Image is everything in today's world, clearly process means nothing to the average voter. I feel like we're in a 5-alarm fire and we're fighting it with a bucket brigade. I donate monthly to the DNC and to Brandon Riker, the guy running to replace my MAGAt congressman (Calvert) but it's not enough. When the Republicans in Texas kidnapped Nicole Collier every Democrat should have stayed with her until she was released. Instead they went home. There's so much more we could be doing, these are just a few suggestions.
Winning the shutdown? Winning what? Any victory here may very well be Pyrrhic no matter who is declared the "winner".
Explain. Why? Do you not understand what is happening here?
I'm guessing the concern here is that whatever evils Dick à l'Orange and his lictors wreak during this shutdown may make the potential positive gains of restoring funding slashed by the Big Ugly Bill null in the grand estimate.
(And considering the endless creativity for inflicting suffering shown by the people he surrounds himself with, I can't say such concern is completely unjustified.)
That said, this is all pure conjecture, and such grand/dire speculation this early into the shutdown is both presumptuous and counterproductive. "Until such time as the world ends, we will act as if it intends to spin on," or however the quote goes.
I completely understand what is happening here. I also understand that adreniline soaked hyperbole rather than clear headed logic will not win the day. You are preaching to the choir who is increasingly frustrated by what is happening as am I. But, I am less inclined to believe that effective long-term solutions come from those who live their lives using "capital letters".
When you put it that way, I am compelled to agree.
It's very important to let the American people know that a government shutdown does NOT give the President authority to fire federal employees and eliminate government programs.
During a government shutdown, non-essential federal employees can be furloughed and receive back pay when the government re-opens. They cannot be fired!
Any firings or funds withheld by Trump during the shutdown are just as illegal and unconstitutional as they have been over the past 8 months while the government was open.
My question is what can be done about these illegal actions right now. I know the Unions are suing over the firings, but what about the rescissions and the use of illegal tariff monies (he shouldn’t have been allowed to levy them in the first place) to bypass Congress’ power of the purse? I assume someone is working on a lawsuit? Maybe State AG’s.
These actions are being challenged in the courts, but it's a slow process. And in the meantime, the Supreme Court has allowed Trump's actions to continue. A good source for following these court cases is Marc Elias' web site and newsletter called "Democracy Docket." https://www.democracydocket.com/ Marc Elias also has a Substack https://marcelias.substack.com/
I get at least some of Democracy Docket updates literally every day. I don’t pay for the newsletter, and can’t read all of them anyway. I’m not sure he would have any information on stuff that’s just happened due to the shutdown, but the AG’s have been truly on top of everything from the get-go, so perhaps they were prepared ahead of time? Actually, the Contrarian explained the Union case, as Norm Eisen is one of the attorneys working on that lawsuit. So thank goodness for independent media!
and gold is still being added to the Opulent Oval Office while We the People are shat upon by maga mania
Shat upon is an understatement. Reading about what ICE has done in Chicago is frightening. The stopping of federal funds to projects already approved in blue states is illegal. Vought, Miller, Noem, Hegseth etc don't have immunity like his Royal Heinous. Their day will come. In the meantime I keep calling my senators, donating what I can, attending peaceful protests. Gearing up for No Kings 10/18. Regarding the gold, what goes up, must come down.
Interior decor, no matter how tacky and abundant, can all be swept away as soon as a legitimate administration retakes power. Think of the yard sale the White House could have! (Kidding....probably).
On a related note, the future of the Mad King's ballroom seems guaranteed to be short. Perhaps an extension of the restored Rose Garden can go there. Or a bank of solar panels to make the White House net zero. Or a monument to the Resistance.
"gold" you mean.
You can buy it at Home Depot. I saw the stuff on the fireplace for $58 (out of stock... gee I wonder why).
I've been thinking about what should happen to that ballroom when trump is gone. Food kitchen? Homeless shelter? Education and job training center?
How is he allowed to deform the White House? Isn’t it landmarked?
He bought that stuff from Home Depot. You can find pictures of it online. It is all polyurethane spray painted gold.
No point other than he tacky as shit.
Maybe. Could be a mix of fake and gold plating, or just like the plastic cover on his "leather bibles."
Congressman Greg Cesar is having a press conference at Senator Cruz’s San Antonio office tomorrow. We are to join him and bring signs.
that's fantastic! thank you! He was on last night's Indivisible call.
Simon, thanks for this morning's dose of hope. I'm very glad to see the polls showing Americans know who's to blame for this shutdown. I suspect a number of folks in the "not sure" category really know, but don't want to say.
I've noted that there seems to be increased coverage of Trump's increasingly obvious mental decline. Nicole Wallace and Lawrence O'Donnell both devoted segments of their programs to it. Congresswoman Madeline Dean confronted Mike Johnson about it and he just shrugged and said, "I don't control him." The more this is discussed, the better it is.
I called Congressman Raskin and Senators Alsobrooks and Van Hollen and thanked them for what they're doing and urged them to stand strong. I'm writing postcards to Virginia voters today.
Lawrence has been on it, and other things, for a while. He is unmissable as far as I am concerned. Listening to the podcast version is how I start my day - he fires me up!
They are all such stars. Just watched Lawrence's opening from yesterday 4 times. will link here when I get a chance later I hope.
100%
Just as a bonus dose of hope, a piece about my home's brightest star on the state level, the good Mr. Talarico, free of charge. Enjoy, my dear compatriots.
(https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/01/opinion/james-talarico-religious-left.html?unlocked_article_code=1.qE8.0JZY.Ss8x6_bt2VmV&smid=url-share)
The South Shore Drive story is heartbreaking. I am constantly being bombarded with either despair or anger and ending up in hopelessness most of the time. I don't want reconciliation with people like this because I would never be able to trust them. Their morality and ethical fiber has been stripped away by fake toughness and patriotism and I would not trust them with anything of importance. We are in a war and we must start to act like it, talk like it and fight like it. Trump and maga are far weaker I agree so we must RESIST.
You are right; we must resist. Taking action is the best antidote for despair. Please call your elected representatives and report back here. We will get through this.
I agree. We are in a war already and we need to respond accordingly.
Yesterday I participated in a rally against ICE at the DHS facility in Cedar Rapids, Iowa where we gathered to support the immigrants reporting for their mandatory check-ins. We chanted and sang loudly enough for the 10 or so ICE agents inside to hear that they were vastly outnumbered. Every time one of our neighbors walked out of the building to rejoin our community, joyful cheering arose from the crowd. I’d like to think that our presence outside the building played a part in helping to protect our neighbors—did ICE think twice about whether or not they wanted to detain an immigrant in the face of our outrage? Perhaps.
But even if our noisy cheering had no impact at all on those masked thugs, it had a positive effect on all of us gathered there, standing strong and united together. It’s invigorating to know that one is united with the moral and just against the bigots and cowards hiding in the building!
The size of our protest had probably doubled since the previous ICE check-in day as a result of one immigrant’s violent and highly publicized kidnapping a few days earlier. In other words, the cruel and illegal acts that they *think* are going to intimidate us just build the strength of our resistance against them.
tRumpy’s years of ginning up his weak MAGA base with faux excuses for outrage has blinded his regime to the results when people of moral courage become genuinely outraged by actual injustices.
Well done - thank you!
Non-violent mass resistance gets the most sympathy from the general public. No Kings Day will be a good rallying point across the country but it will take more frequent mobilizations that continue to grow, and hopefully MSM will be tipped over into reporting. I also think general strikes are a good tactic. I do fear that a significant percentage of our population wants a literal war, egged on in their online bubbles. But any actions they take will be very unpopular. I joined our county Indivisible grassroots org a few months ago and the feeling of solidarity is super helpful for my mental health.
I think they *believe* they want a literal war. It seems pretty clear that if that happens, literally everyone loses.
I wonder if being isolated from their neighbors is why their mental health is so terrible that they want war? Because I totally agree with the beneficial effects of being part of a team and trying to do some good.
yes, we are heading to general strikes. maybe now is as good a time as any. think everyone is fed up and disgusted. so use the govt shutdown to really shutdown the country and get a big win. since elected dems wont suggest it, it will be to be from the ground up. unions can be the spark!
yes, heartbreaking
What can be done about Fetterman and other Democrats not supporting the position of demanding the restoration of health care support before voting to fund the government?
Short-term, I'm not sure. Long-term, primary Fetterman out of office, and remember what happens when we acquiesce to those of a more demagogic nature on our left.
(Particularly if the aforementioned fifth column support someone for little reason other than a refusal to not dress like a Winnipeg garbageman for formal occasions...)
Simon, Self reporting the following sent to Sen Thune, and my 2 Sens Murray, Cantwell and Schumer.
Sen. Thune,
This is not AMERICA. I sincerely hope you are proud of what you have allowed - being complicit in the loss of our Republic:
From the Chicago Sun Times:
In the South Shore raid, Armed federal agents in military fatigues busted down their doors overnight, pulling men, women and children from their apartments, some of them naked, residents and witnesses said. Agents approached or entered nearly every apartment in the five-story building, and U.S. citizens were among those detained for hours.
Ebony Sweets Watson, who lives across the street, said it “looked like hundreds” of agents were outside her front door......
Watson said she saw agents dragging residents, including kids, out of the building without any clothes on and into U-Haul vans. Kids were separated from their mothers, she said.
This is horrific. The These raids are escalating and should be on every front page. Wake up America.
Please send to your Congressional Rep - Dems or Republicans
stealing this, sending to Chris Smith (Traitor-NJ04). and to Booker & Kim without the first paragraph. :)
Good job. Hope others do to
Horrifying news on the ICE raid in Chicago. Why isn't this blaring headlines across legacy media? I went to NYT to peruse the headlines. Scrolled through at least the first 30 articles with no mention. Same for CNN. Absolute travesty.
Even Trump must be surprised that Chicago raid isn't getting greater coverage. He is working hard to keep Epstein out of front and center. He thinks he's winning because negative polling is the only pushback he's getting. Raid an entire multi story housing complex, destroying doors, steal furniture, ransack peoples apartments, taking naked children into UHauls, and it's crickets? Only the worst drug dealers and criminals, right Donny? Kristi Noem and Tom Homan for jail. Steven Miller all the more so.
...and where are the Chicago Police? We need to push hard to have state and local police not only "not cooperate" with ICE, but interfere when they abuse human, civil and constitutional rights. Protect and Serve, right? Declaration Project can be a vehicle for that, but it's not fast or comprehensive enough of a response. Send in the Marines to honor their oath to go after the true enemy within. "All enemies, foreign or domestic."
I imagine we will be hearing from Governor Pritzker about this today. Can he mobilize the country? He said he would do all in his power to protect his constituency. It's show time, JB.
I'm calling my electeds and this raid is front and center. Pushing the narrative that the GOP has not only failed to govern, ICE is escalating into fullscale warcrimes. Dem leadership needs to be far louder in expressing the outrage.
If the polls show , as Simon shared today, that voters are currently clearly more concerned about our failing government. declining economy and runaway prices because of tariffs, and outright war on citizenry than on health care, then why aren't the leaders nimble enough to adjust their messaging? I think that's the frustration that some of the posts are expressing, and it's legitimate.
Yes, Michael, a thousand times yes. The healthcare myths vs facts that the Dem house posted are good for an in the weeds policy battle and that is exactly where the GOP wants us right now. MAGA Mike with continue to harp that Dems want $1 trillion in new spending. I hope the Dems lead in "whose to blame" holds but if we win that fight on health care we have lost the opportunity to make it about the GOP drive to dictatorship.
Our failing government... due to Trump's hacktockracy and lawlessness
Declining economy and runaway prices because of (ILLEGAL) tariffs. Instead of GOP talking about $1 trillion in new spending Dems need to talk about $400 billion in new GOP taxes from illegal tariffs... and call them illegal taxes!
Outright war on citizenry (illegal attacks on rights including free speech, equal protection, due process etc etc etc)
Illegal, illegal, illegal! Every Dem elected needs to use the word illegal everytime it applies and tie it back to SCOTUS immunity decision.
Thanks Michael
Governor Pritzker recently called for the removal of Donald Trump as President by invoking the 25th amendment and cited health concerns about the president.
I saw that, Deborah, and I personally think JB has shown great leadership in his rebuke of Trump. Proud to be an Illinois resident. (Illinoisan?). We can't despair. If we do, he's already won.
Here are some useful "Myths vs Facts" on the shutdown and healthcare crisis from the Democratic House Communications office. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_E3nQFN15vj9pwwNCrRZL9GgPi7VUHNt51acmhOr6hc
Thank you for the link, Kate! I'll share it.