Conor Lamb breaking bread with AOC is the kind of weird, thrilling political fanfic I didn’t know I needed because, finally, someone’s figuring out the enemy is not “people who use slightly different tones on MSNBC,” it’s the fascists actually in power. The fact that Lamb, Mr. Moderation 2018, is throwing elbows at Fetterman and siding with AOC should be a five-alarm fire to the party’s calcified leadership. Chuck and Hakeem are out here slinging book tour tickets while Americans watch their lives get dismantled one DOGE cut at a time.
This isn’t left vs. center anymore. It’s responsive vs. inert. Confrontational vs. complicit. Fighting vs. performing. Lamb’s not joining the Squad, he’s telling his party to stop playing footsie with authoritarianism and pick a damn side. And here’s the kicker: voters don’t care who had brunch with Bernie in 2016. They want to know who’s going to stop Trump now.
If Schumer, Fetterman, or anyone else thinks a polite silence is going to save Social Security, they need to get off the damn elliptical and into a town hall.
I sent you a email on your article Where have all the pussycats gone. In today's piece you mention Conor Lamb who I never heard about before today. If you did actually read my email, it sounds like somebody along with AOC to be willing the start a campaign on what I suggested below.
I have heard a little feed back like on Facebook already and some had said they would still like some with a political background and the name's most mentioned are Mark Kelly and Josh Shapiro and they are all good with Gretchen Whitmer as VP.
My thought is the Democrats need a gimmick like what the Republican's have with Trump a no-politician. Here is the winning ticket for 2028 George Clooney for President and Gretchen Whitmer. for VP. He is only like 62 and would be good for 8 years, and she 53 and than ready to take over as the first women President for 8 more years, thus keeping the Democrats in power for the next 16 years. My reasoning Clooney would get the Marjory of the female vote just because he is George Clooney and his beautiful wife would become the most popular First Lady since Jacquelyn Kennedy. They are a worldly couple who have been exposed to the lime light and would do America proud where every their positions would take them. Let us not forget the charities and philandry work they have done over the years.
Trump proved that you didn't need to be a politician to become President even if you were a low life with no real morals or empathy for anyone but his self. The Dem's have about three and a half years to process this path to their voters. A person like yourself has the platform to reach out and could get this ball rolling. Maybe in the future you could claim you were one of the instigators who threw the ball down.
While it may be time for Chuck Schumer to step aside (it is interesting that no one suggests who should replace him), I do think Schumer played the shutdown perfectly. If Trump and Musk were operating in an unfunded fiscal environment, there is no telling what they might have done to further eliminate the government services on which we depend. That was Schumer's argument plus the concern that there would be no legal recourse to what Musk did under the pretext of fiscal exigency. Schumer enabled the passage of the CR without forcing his caucus to vote for it while allowing himself to be the fall guy against whom everyone else could exhibit their virtue signaling. Well done, Chuck.
Lauren, you are great addition to the Bulwark team. I’m a constituent in IL09 and I’ve got my eye on Kat, too. Attended an online town hall of current rep last week and it was painful to watch. I’m all for age and term limits.
I'm with Lamb on this one. We need to back those who fight and get rid of those who won't fight. Otherwise we have the Trump Party and the Trump-collaborator Party.
Below this I see JVL's article from just after the election titled "A Modest Proposal..." In it he wonders, as I had before that, and still do, whether the best way to defeat MAGA might be to let them "burn it all down." In other words, let them inflict so much pain on their own voters, especially the swing voters, that there's no way they (Trump's hand-picked successor, or Trump himself if they repeal the Amendment on term limits) can win against any Democrat in '28. Not fairly, at least (more on that later). Might Fetterman, Schumer and the others who caved, be taking this radical approach? Maybe not, but I wouldn't rule it out. Either way, I'm not necessarily defending them.
That said I'm very glad that Lamb and AOC are uniting in fighting MAGA. But that doesn't mean they have to punch back at everything MAGA does. Even the "modest proposal" does not rule out strategic strikes, or "smarter" pushback. I'm hoping this alliance is just a start, and that people like Fetterman will eventually get on board, at least to have HEALTHY disagreements on how and when to fight MAGA. Heck, even Republicans like Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger understand that there must be solidarity against this authoritarian cult. One issue where I think all can, and must, agree on as a top priority, is to secure elections moving forward, and increase voter turnout. They know the MAGA GOP will try anything they can get away with to steal, if not outright ban, the '28 election. They don't even pretend otherwise! On other issues I'm much closer to Cheney and Kinzinger that to AOC, but if she's the Democratic opponent of a MAGA in '28 she already has my vote.
"And it’s a sign that Democratic voters will perhaps be less driven this midterm cycle by the ideological purity tests that have gripped the party in the past, looking instead for leaders who they view as fighting against Trump."
That's only good news if they VOTE. Only 62% of eligible voters voted in the '24 presidential election. The % is even lower, much lower, for recent midterms and primaries. That needs to change among Democrats, Independents and Never-Trump Republicans. NOW!
On a host of policy issues I'm much more aligned with Conor Lamb than with AOC, but that doesn't keep me from admiring and supporting her courage in speaking out for democracy and decency, repeatedly and strongly. Good on her for doing it, and good on him and anyone willing to put aside less important differences for the moment to help her stay in the fight.
So I'm going to admit that until these Bulwark articles I had been so confused because I thought Conor Lamb was Conor McGregor and I was like WOW wtf does Conor McGregor have in common with AOC........so I'm happy the Bulwark has sorted me out!
Connor Lamb was defeated by Fetterman who had rock solid support from the populist left (Sandernistas).
Fetterman by not "fighting" to make "Schumer's Shutdown" a reality is now on the Democratic primary (s)hit list.
So is this really about fighting Trump or MAGAtism or just preparation for dumping Fetterman in 2028.
And please stop dumping on politicians who are releasing books. It really is a shallow point. Books are released on schedules that do not relate to ongoing political events. Book contracts always require authors to promote the books when published. I haven't a clue why anyone would read a book by Schumer but it seems the book written has something to do with saving democracy. His book signing events seem like a perfect opportunity to engage in dialogue with him and ask how he sees his role in that and why he seems shy of fighting. Instead activists just want to turn it into a protest and a screaming match. Shutdown Schumer for not forcing the "Schumer Shutdown" on America.
Conor Lamb breaking bread with AOC is the kind of weird, thrilling political fanfic I didn’t know I needed because, finally, someone’s figuring out the enemy is not “people who use slightly different tones on MSNBC,” it’s the fascists actually in power. The fact that Lamb, Mr. Moderation 2018, is throwing elbows at Fetterman and siding with AOC should be a five-alarm fire to the party’s calcified leadership. Chuck and Hakeem are out here slinging book tour tickets while Americans watch their lives get dismantled one DOGE cut at a time.
This isn’t left vs. center anymore. It’s responsive vs. inert. Confrontational vs. complicit. Fighting vs. performing. Lamb’s not joining the Squad, he’s telling his party to stop playing footsie with authoritarianism and pick a damn side. And here’s the kicker: voters don’t care who had brunch with Bernie in 2016. They want to know who’s going to stop Trump now.
If Schumer, Fetterman, or anyone else thinks a polite silence is going to save Social Security, they need to get off the damn elliptical and into a town hall.
The LEADERSHIP NEEDS TO GET OUT AND FIGHT AND HOLD TOWN HALLS TO LISTEN TO ALL CONSTITUENTS.
Ossof/Buttigieg. It could as easily be Buttigieg/Ossof but if democracy fails it will be illegal to be gay.
Please run for Senate again Conor Lamb!!
Lauren Egan,
I sent you a email on your article Where have all the pussycats gone. In today's piece you mention Conor Lamb who I never heard about before today. If you did actually read my email, it sounds like somebody along with AOC to be willing the start a campaign on what I suggested below.
I have heard a little feed back like on Facebook already and some had said they would still like some with a political background and the name's most mentioned are Mark Kelly and Josh Shapiro and they are all good with Gretchen Whitmer as VP.
My thought is the Democrats need a gimmick like what the Republican's have with Trump a no-politician. Here is the winning ticket for 2028 George Clooney for President and Gretchen Whitmer. for VP. He is only like 62 and would be good for 8 years, and she 53 and than ready to take over as the first women President for 8 more years, thus keeping the Democrats in power for the next 16 years. My reasoning Clooney would get the Marjory of the female vote just because he is George Clooney and his beautiful wife would become the most popular First Lady since Jacquelyn Kennedy. They are a worldly couple who have been exposed to the lime light and would do America proud where every their positions would take them. Let us not forget the charities and philandry work they have done over the years.
Trump proved that you didn't need to be a politician to become President even if you were a low life with no real morals or empathy for anyone but his self. The Dem's have about three and a half years to process this path to their voters. A person like yourself has the platform to reach out and could get this ball rolling. Maybe in the future you could claim you were one of the instigators who threw the ball down.
I’m glad to see more Gen Zs running. We need their energy and spirit.
It will be interesting to see if Fetterman runs again. I sure wouldn't vote for him.
I don’t believe any Democrat will vote for Fedderman. I called his office and let him know that he is not getting my vote .
While it may be time for Chuck Schumer to step aside (it is interesting that no one suggests who should replace him), I do think Schumer played the shutdown perfectly. If Trump and Musk were operating in an unfunded fiscal environment, there is no telling what they might have done to further eliminate the government services on which we depend. That was Schumer's argument plus the concern that there would be no legal recourse to what Musk did under the pretext of fiscal exigency. Schumer enabled the passage of the CR without forcing his caucus to vote for it while allowing himself to be the fall guy against whom everyone else could exhibit their virtue signaling. Well done, Chuck.
Lauren, you are great addition to the Bulwark team. I’m a constituent in IL09 and I’ve got my eye on Kat, too. Attended an online town hall of current rep last week and it was painful to watch. I’m all for age and term limits.
Some Pig (handler)
I'm with Lamb on this one. We need to back those who fight and get rid of those who won't fight. Otherwise we have the Trump Party and the Trump-collaborator Party.
Below this I see JVL's article from just after the election titled "A Modest Proposal..." In it he wonders, as I had before that, and still do, whether the best way to defeat MAGA might be to let them "burn it all down." In other words, let them inflict so much pain on their own voters, especially the swing voters, that there's no way they (Trump's hand-picked successor, or Trump himself if they repeal the Amendment on term limits) can win against any Democrat in '28. Not fairly, at least (more on that later). Might Fetterman, Schumer and the others who caved, be taking this radical approach? Maybe not, but I wouldn't rule it out. Either way, I'm not necessarily defending them.
That said I'm very glad that Lamb and AOC are uniting in fighting MAGA. But that doesn't mean they have to punch back at everything MAGA does. Even the "modest proposal" does not rule out strategic strikes, or "smarter" pushback. I'm hoping this alliance is just a start, and that people like Fetterman will eventually get on board, at least to have HEALTHY disagreements on how and when to fight MAGA. Heck, even Republicans like Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger understand that there must be solidarity against this authoritarian cult. One issue where I think all can, and must, agree on as a top priority, is to secure elections moving forward, and increase voter turnout. They know the MAGA GOP will try anything they can get away with to steal, if not outright ban, the '28 election. They don't even pretend otherwise! On other issues I'm much closer to Cheney and Kinzinger that to AOC, but if she's the Democratic opponent of a MAGA in '28 she already has my vote.
"And it’s a sign that Democratic voters will perhaps be less driven this midterm cycle by the ideological purity tests that have gripped the party in the past, looking instead for leaders who they view as fighting against Trump."
That's only good news if they VOTE. Only 62% of eligible voters voted in the '24 presidential election. The % is even lower, much lower, for recent midterms and primaries. That needs to change among Democrats, Independents and Never-Trump Republicans. NOW!
On a host of policy issues I'm much more aligned with Conor Lamb than with AOC, but that doesn't keep me from admiring and supporting her courage in speaking out for democracy and decency, repeatedly and strongly. Good on her for doing it, and good on him and anyone willing to put aside less important differences for the moment to help her stay in the fight.
So I'm going to admit that until these Bulwark articles I had been so confused because I thought Conor Lamb was Conor McGregor and I was like WOW wtf does Conor McGregor have in common with AOC........so I'm happy the Bulwark has sorted me out!
Connor Lamb was defeated by Fetterman who had rock solid support from the populist left (Sandernistas).
Fetterman by not "fighting" to make "Schumer's Shutdown" a reality is now on the Democratic primary (s)hit list.
So is this really about fighting Trump or MAGAtism or just preparation for dumping Fetterman in 2028.
And please stop dumping on politicians who are releasing books. It really is a shallow point. Books are released on schedules that do not relate to ongoing political events. Book contracts always require authors to promote the books when published. I haven't a clue why anyone would read a book by Schumer but it seems the book written has something to do with saving democracy. His book signing events seem like a perfect opportunity to engage in dialogue with him and ask how he sees his role in that and why he seems shy of fighting. Instead activists just want to turn it into a protest and a screaming match. Shutdown Schumer for not forcing the "Schumer Shutdown" on America.
In this moment, rallies and meetings with constituents trump book tours. Their job is more important than their side gig.