The inability of the Demopublicans to bring more than one or two Republicrats to their side of any issue while losing ten or more of their own is telling. At some point an effective opposition to The Don must arise among the disaffected however, the time does not seem to have come yet. The first American Revolution was sparked by British troops panicking and firing into a crowd of protesters. Perhaps Hegseth's proud boys will offer another opportunity this Spring as protest season swings into high gear, after all, he has stated a willingness to have his minions fire into protesting crowds in the name of 'suppression of disorder'. We shall see.
I don't have any evidence, but I truly believe that Musk & doge have downloaded all the federal data they could get their hands on. It's all on their hard-drives. Possibly they left viruses in federal computer systems, too. Now, Trump has finally said he might have been moving too quickly & he's going to rein in Musk. That would only happen if he & Musk have gotten what they want already.
“We were at war with a dictator,” said French center-right politician Claude Malhuret of Europe’s stand against Putin. “[N]ow we are at war with a dictator backed by a traitor.”
I am advocating that people will need to have the right to fight back against an authoritarian (trump) regime. Same as our founders advocated for. This time the Dems will be the party protecting the right to Bear and Keep Arms.
Join Indivisible - https://indivisible.org/ - It’s run by former congressional staffers who know how things work in Washington. These folks have an amazing level of determination, practical knowledge, and hope. Those demonstrations against Musk & Trump around the country have been organized by dozens of local Indivisible chapters. They do a Zoom every Thursday that lays out action steps. Their next focus is to identify vulnerable GOP Senators – the traitors who confirmed every dangerous cabinet head – who are coming up for re-election soon…and make sure they are voted out of office.
Speak out against the GOP’s latest attempt at voter suppression. Tell your Representatives and Senators to stop the ironically-named ”SAVE” act. Up to 34% of voting-age women don't have documents proving citizenship with their current legal name because when they married, they likely took their husband’s surname. This could disenfranchise millions of eligible voters. And that’s the whole point. HR 22 would need to be passed by both the House and Senate.
Also tell your Congress people to not give Trump one inch – on anything. (Even some Democratic Senators have, shockingly, voted to confirm dangerous Cabinet heads.)
If you’re shy about calling Congress, join Adam Kinziger’s “Country First” zooms. Hundreds of people call their congresspeople at the same time – they suggest scripts and coach you through it. Sign up at https://www.country1st.com/
Support Judge Susan Crawford in her bid for the Wisconsin Supreme court. Go to CrawfordForWI.com to learn about why this race is so important. (That Elon Musk has donated tons of money to her GOP opponent tells you something…..) Jen Rubin at The Contrarian explains - https://substack.com/home/post/p-158477872
And please support Democracy Forward – https://democracyforward.org/ These tireless lawyers are suing the Trump Administration every day. They have some impressive wins under their belt, but unfortunately there are many more battles to fight. 5,600 civil servants just got their jobs back, due to Democracy Forward’s lawsuit!
This is what happens when a grift mutates into a full-blown political doctrine. Trump never cared about proving election fraud. He cared about monetizing, weaponizing, and turning it into the emotional glue binding his base to him for life. The lie wasn’t just a strategy. It was a long-term business model.
The revelations in Revenge: The Inside Story of Trump’s Return to Power aren’t shocking because they expose Trump as a fraud. We knew that. They’re shocking because they confirm how deliberate this whole con was from the start. While his dead-eyed flunkies ranted about Venezuelan voting machines and bamboo ballots, Trump was already looking ahead to 2024, laying the groundwork for a movement that thrives on humiliation, real or imagined.
Fast-forward to today. The martyr act has evolved into a full-blown messianic delusion. He isn’t just a victim of the Deep State anymore. He’s God’s chosen warrior. Meanwhile, his administration staggers under its own incompetence, leaving chaos, reversals, and lawsuits in its wake.
The good news? The mask is off. The bad news? The cult doesn’t care.
Time for the Dems to do something radical! They need to take a hard stand in favor of the second amendment. Their anemic stance during the State of Union was laughable. This is an Authoritarian regime. One of the first things an authoritarian ruler does after coming to power is to ban the private possession of guns or other weapons. That should wake the sheep up. Maybe they will even begin to grow fangs, horns and claws!
"Some [Republican] senators were given Musk’s phone number during Wednesday’s meeting, and the entrepreneur said he would “create a system where members of Congress can call some central group” to get problematic cuts reversed quickly, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) said."
but Democrats who represent blue or swing districts will not receive this number. No reversal of problematic cuts for their constituents. Pain okay for those citizens. Pain even good as far as sadistic jerks Musk and Trump are concerned. Not that I think the two care about anyone's pain, but they do want to maintain the support of their moronic base. Can't let those idiots get too worked up
Joe Biden was (falsely) accused by Trump of withholding disaster relief from western North Carolina last fall, because it was predominantly Republican, but these creeps are doing exactly what they accused Biden of.
That jumped out at me too. What they fail to realize is that Dems have farmers, Vets and other traditional Repubs that they represent (Yes! They actually want to do their job and help all if their constituents). I was watching a CNN post - joint session blah-blah-blah. And they were asking a panel if they thought the President's msg was uniting - and the Trump voters were all nodding their heads. But it's crap like this they they ignore. Elon is meeting with the Repubs - it's not bipartisan. If they really wanted to eliminate waste and cause as little damage as possible - across the country - they would bring Dems and Repubs in - and they're clearly not doing that.
Right. This is what Trump meant when he told his supporters he was their retribution. It’s personal. They are out for us all. He was not playing games.
Once again I will ask The Bulwark to stop including links to X or at least label them so that those of us who do not want to support the "jester high on ketamine" can avoid clicking on them. There are numerous YouTube videos of the same speech.
How can you criticize Elon Musk while sending your readers to his website? It makes no sense at all.
I do not think you benefit X merely by looking at posts there. You only benefit them by buying the products advertised there. Not looking at X is like refusing to look at Fox News. You should know what the opposition is saying.
I'm particularly affected by Will Selber's words in this post. I haven't been involved with U.S. cryptology for years but, during my active service, I walked the halls of a three-letter service cryptologic agency working with NSG, INSCOM, and ESC analysts on many projects. These professionals are critically important to our national security and to that of our allies - if we still have allies or if our allies still trust our nation.
Pulling our intelligence support for Ukraine and prohibiting NATO allies from passing intelligence to that nation, which is defending itself against the invader who daily perpetrates war crimes against Ukrainians, is implausible and inexcusable.
It is yet another example of our Administration's perfidy.
It’s going to be a long time before America forgives Democrats for letting men play women’s sports. The social issues got blown all out of proportion. Maybe it’s time to split amicably. If not, we need a complete rebranding.
This is such weak-ass Dem bullshit. Run independent candidates who are, “…moderate to conservative on culture war issues” You mean a candidate who opposes gay marriage? Who agrees to book bans? What Dem would vote for such a candidate? If I wanted Republicans in office, I’d vote for them. I’ve never seen Republicans water-down their positions in order to win moderate votes. Fuck that! I’m a goddam Democrat and I’m gonna vote like it.
This, 100% agreement. Especially all this talk about a toxic brand. Umm, Harris, in only like 3 months to campaigning, still received more votes than the prior Democrat presidential candidates received other than Biden. Yes, including the mighty Obama. Harris received the 3rd most number of popular votes. But for the electoral college, Trump would have been sweating out the popular vote. Also, the last time I checked the Republican majority in the House was razor thin.
Enough with the whining and pearl clutching. Start fighting back as Democrats.
I'm sorry Democrats, but if you can't make hay with the shitshow going on right now, you're fucking useless. Trump's image is strength - he's showing none of that right now with regard to tariffs, one of his single biggest campaign items. Every single Democrat should be HAMMERING him right now - tariffs, yes or no? Either they're good for America, and they need to be implemented, or they're not good for America and they need to be abandoned. Trump looks so weak and confused - this needs to be exploited! The truth is, everyone (except Trump) knows they're bad, but his ego won't allow him to be so wrong, and it's what Democrats can use to drive a wedge between him and (some of) his support. Trump is stuck - if you goad him into tariffs, the economy goes into recession - bad for Trump. If he rolls back tariffs, he's a cuck. Anything he does can be: "Is this another Trade War that you lost loser?"
Trump's brand is synonymous with a good economy. Just trash him every chance you get, no matter what. Bond yields are going up? Mortgages and car loans are getting more expensive! Bond yields are down? People are freaking out and think the economy is going into recession.
My guess is the things Europe says out loud about Trump are the things cowardly Republican Senators like Graham, Ernst, Collins and countless others say quietly to each other while they hide hoping someone will do the things they lack the courage to do.
Given that it would only take a few of these folks to get together and essentially control the whole show makes me think they're all in (Graham) and those that are objectively turned off (Collins) just don't care enough to do a damn thing about it.
I read the Bailey and Drutman article and I think what they propose is just whistling past the graveyard. Splitting a largely powerless rump Democratic Party is not going to unify the anti-MAGA opposition, it will only divide it.
The only new party scenario that made sense was traditional Republicans calving off from the GOP but that needed to happen 8 years ago after 2017. That had the potential to change the dynamic. But as it turns out there was not a single Republican with the courage to take that leap.
I also have to laugh at the ‘toxic Democrats’ label? Look around, who is flooding the zone with toxic s*it ( hint: it isn’t the Democrats and we have a 2 party system).
The inability of the Demopublicans to bring more than one or two Republicrats to their side of any issue while losing ten or more of their own is telling. At some point an effective opposition to The Don must arise among the disaffected however, the time does not seem to have come yet. The first American Revolution was sparked by British troops panicking and firing into a crowd of protesters. Perhaps Hegseth's proud boys will offer another opportunity this Spring as protest season swings into high gear, after all, he has stated a willingness to have his minions fire into protesting crowds in the name of 'suppression of disorder'. We shall see.
I don't have any evidence, but I truly believe that Musk & doge have downloaded all the federal data they could get their hands on. It's all on their hard-drives. Possibly they left viruses in federal computer systems, too. Now, Trump has finally said he might have been moving too quickly & he's going to rein in Musk. That would only happen if he & Musk have gotten what they want already.
“We were at war with a dictator,” said French center-right politician Claude Malhuret of Europe’s stand against Putin. “[N]ow we are at war with a dictator backed by a traitor.”
He is not wrong.
I am advocating that people will need to have the right to fight back against an authoritarian (trump) regime. Same as our founders advocated for. This time the Dems will be the party protecting the right to Bear and Keep Arms.
What we can do now:
Join Indivisible - https://indivisible.org/ - It’s run by former congressional staffers who know how things work in Washington. These folks have an amazing level of determination, practical knowledge, and hope. Those demonstrations against Musk & Trump around the country have been organized by dozens of local Indivisible chapters. They do a Zoom every Thursday that lays out action steps. Their next focus is to identify vulnerable GOP Senators – the traitors who confirmed every dangerous cabinet head – who are coming up for re-election soon…and make sure they are voted out of office.
Speak out against the GOP’s latest attempt at voter suppression. Tell your Representatives and Senators to stop the ironically-named ”SAVE” act. Up to 34% of voting-age women don't have documents proving citizenship with their current legal name because when they married, they likely took their husband’s surname. This could disenfranchise millions of eligible voters. And that’s the whole point. HR 22 would need to be passed by both the House and Senate.
Also tell your Congress people to not give Trump one inch – on anything. (Even some Democratic Senators have, shockingly, voted to confirm dangerous Cabinet heads.)
If you’re shy about calling Congress, join Adam Kinziger’s “Country First” zooms. Hundreds of people call their congresspeople at the same time – they suggest scripts and coach you through it. Sign up at https://www.country1st.com/
Support Judge Susan Crawford in her bid for the Wisconsin Supreme court. Go to CrawfordForWI.com to learn about why this race is so important. (That Elon Musk has donated tons of money to her GOP opponent tells you something…..) Jen Rubin at The Contrarian explains - https://substack.com/home/post/p-158477872
And please support Democracy Forward – https://democracyforward.org/ These tireless lawyers are suing the Trump Administration every day. They have some impressive wins under their belt, but unfortunately there are many more battles to fight. 5,600 civil servants just got their jobs back, due to Democracy Forward’s lawsuit!
This is what happens when a grift mutates into a full-blown political doctrine. Trump never cared about proving election fraud. He cared about monetizing, weaponizing, and turning it into the emotional glue binding his base to him for life. The lie wasn’t just a strategy. It was a long-term business model.
The revelations in Revenge: The Inside Story of Trump’s Return to Power aren’t shocking because they expose Trump as a fraud. We knew that. They’re shocking because they confirm how deliberate this whole con was from the start. While his dead-eyed flunkies ranted about Venezuelan voting machines and bamboo ballots, Trump was already looking ahead to 2024, laying the groundwork for a movement that thrives on humiliation, real or imagined.
Fast-forward to today. The martyr act has evolved into a full-blown messianic delusion. He isn’t just a victim of the Deep State anymore. He’s God’s chosen warrior. Meanwhile, his administration staggers under its own incompetence, leaving chaos, reversals, and lawsuits in its wake.
The good news? The mask is off. The bad news? The cult doesn’t care.
Time for the Dems to do something radical! They need to take a hard stand in favor of the second amendment. Their anemic stance during the State of Union was laughable. This is an Authoritarian regime. One of the first things an authoritarian ruler does after coming to power is to ban the private possession of guns or other weapons. That should wake the sheep up. Maybe they will even begin to grow fangs, horns and claws!
So, you are advocating for more guns with less regulation?
Nothing cheap about that shot.
From Andrew Egger's contribution
"Some [Republican] senators were given Musk’s phone number during Wednesday’s meeting, and the entrepreneur said he would “create a system where members of Congress can call some central group” to get problematic cuts reversed quickly, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) said."
but Democrats who represent blue or swing districts will not receive this number. No reversal of problematic cuts for their constituents. Pain okay for those citizens. Pain even good as far as sadistic jerks Musk and Trump are concerned. Not that I think the two care about anyone's pain, but they do want to maintain the support of their moronic base. Can't let those idiots get too worked up
Joe Biden was (falsely) accused by Trump of withholding disaster relief from western North Carolina last fall, because it was predominantly Republican, but these creeps are doing exactly what they accused Biden of.
That jumped out at me too. What they fail to realize is that Dems have farmers, Vets and other traditional Repubs that they represent (Yes! They actually want to do their job and help all if their constituents). I was watching a CNN post - joint session blah-blah-blah. And they were asking a panel if they thought the President's msg was uniting - and the Trump voters were all nodding their heads. But it's crap like this they they ignore. Elon is meeting with the Repubs - it's not bipartisan. If they really wanted to eliminate waste and cause as little damage as possible - across the country - they would bring Dems and Repubs in - and they're clearly not doing that.
Right. This is what Trump meant when he told his supporters he was their retribution. It’s personal. They are out for us all. He was not playing games.
Once again I will ask The Bulwark to stop including links to X or at least label them so that those of us who do not want to support the "jester high on ketamine" can avoid clicking on them. There are numerous YouTube videos of the same speech.
How can you criticize Elon Musk while sending your readers to his website? It makes no sense at all.
I do not think you benefit X merely by looking at posts there. You only benefit them by buying the products advertised there. Not looking at X is like refusing to look at Fox News. You should know what the opposition is saying.
I'm particularly affected by Will Selber's words in this post. I haven't been involved with U.S. cryptology for years but, during my active service, I walked the halls of a three-letter service cryptologic agency working with NSG, INSCOM, and ESC analysts on many projects. These professionals are critically important to our national security and to that of our allies - if we still have allies or if our allies still trust our nation.
Pulling our intelligence support for Ukraine and prohibiting NATO allies from passing intelligence to that nation, which is defending itself against the invader who daily perpetrates war crimes against Ukrainians, is implausible and inexcusable.
It is yet another example of our Administration's perfidy.
It’s going to be a long time before America forgives Democrats for letting men play women’s sports. The social issues got blown all out of proportion. Maybe it’s time to split amicably. If not, we need a complete rebranding.
This is such weak-ass Dem bullshit. Run independent candidates who are, “…moderate to conservative on culture war issues” You mean a candidate who opposes gay marriage? Who agrees to book bans? What Dem would vote for such a candidate? If I wanted Republicans in office, I’d vote for them. I’ve never seen Republicans water-down their positions in order to win moderate votes. Fuck that! I’m a goddam Democrat and I’m gonna vote like it.
This, 100% agreement. Especially all this talk about a toxic brand. Umm, Harris, in only like 3 months to campaigning, still received more votes than the prior Democrat presidential candidates received other than Biden. Yes, including the mighty Obama. Harris received the 3rd most number of popular votes. But for the electoral college, Trump would have been sweating out the popular vote. Also, the last time I checked the Republican majority in the House was razor thin.
Enough with the whining and pearl clutching. Start fighting back as Democrats.
I'm sorry Democrats, but if you can't make hay with the shitshow going on right now, you're fucking useless. Trump's image is strength - he's showing none of that right now with regard to tariffs, one of his single biggest campaign items. Every single Democrat should be HAMMERING him right now - tariffs, yes or no? Either they're good for America, and they need to be implemented, or they're not good for America and they need to be abandoned. Trump looks so weak and confused - this needs to be exploited! The truth is, everyone (except Trump) knows they're bad, but his ego won't allow him to be so wrong, and it's what Democrats can use to drive a wedge between him and (some of) his support. Trump is stuck - if you goad him into tariffs, the economy goes into recession - bad for Trump. If he rolls back tariffs, he's a cuck. Anything he does can be: "Is this another Trade War that you lost loser?"
Trump's brand is synonymous with a good economy. Just trash him every chance you get, no matter what. Bond yields are going up? Mortgages and car loans are getting more expensive! Bond yields are down? People are freaking out and think the economy is going into recession.
My guess is the things Europe says out loud about Trump are the things cowardly Republican Senators like Graham, Ernst, Collins and countless others say quietly to each other while they hide hoping someone will do the things they lack the courage to do.
Given that it would only take a few of these folks to get together and essentially control the whole show makes me think they're all in (Graham) and those that are objectively turned off (Collins) just don't care enough to do a damn thing about it.
I read the Bailey and Drutman article and I think what they propose is just whistling past the graveyard. Splitting a largely powerless rump Democratic Party is not going to unify the anti-MAGA opposition, it will only divide it.
The only new party scenario that made sense was traditional Republicans calving off from the GOP but that needed to happen 8 years ago after 2017. That had the potential to change the dynamic. But as it turns out there was not a single Republican with the courage to take that leap.
I also have to laugh at the ‘toxic Democrats’ label? Look around, who is flooding the zone with toxic s*it ( hint: it isn’t the Democrats and we have a 2 party system).