Jen Rubin with Alexander Vindman, Michael Podhorzer, The Democracy Index, Jim Kessler, Jennifer Schulze, Brian O'Neill, Cartoonists Michael de Adder and Ruben Bolling, Marissa Rothkopf, and Innis!
Thank you for all your work. Here is my week in review.
1. I wrote an email to family members, in the spirit of leaning into connection, to encourage us all to “lean in,” if/when we need to, and I shared what I have resolved to do as a citizen (note The Contrarian’s influence):
A. “Lean into connection” (advice from one of The Contrarian’s writers)
B. Be selective about the news I consume (HCR and The Contrarian top the list; local papers also important) and speak out to contribute
C. Respond to calls for action (for example, from Indivisible—upcoming phone banks and marches/rallies) and for money (made small donations to Slotkin and Crawford this week—Jen Rubin’s coverage of these leaders helped, also National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare, and monthly donation to DCCC)
D. Stay grounded in a worldview I can embrace, for example, this interview of Heather Cox Richardson with former Secretary of State Antony Blinken
E. Volunteer locally (working on this) and participate in/inform my government so it can better serve citizens (recently filed three complaints about United Healthcare with the Illinois Department of Insurance—federal tax dollars contribute to our premiums)
F. Through all the above, remind myself that I am “practicing democracy” (idea from Joyce Vance), like practicing law or, a better example for me, practicing swimming. We learn from practicing, and we get better/stronger at what we are practicing.
2. I got another letter to the editor published in the Chicago Tribune this week. My letter was in response to a Tribune editorial about the new policy Jeff Bezo imposed on the Washington Post’s opinion section—to focus on writing that supports free markets and individual liberties. I commented on the Tribune Editorial Board’s description of its role in supporting the integrity of government, raising the question of what newspapers are to do when readers know the integrity of government is failing. An excerpt:
The Tribune Editorial Board is taking the “legacy” road of “this has worked for us so far, so let’s keep doing it.” The board seems to acknowledge that things now happening in government are bad, but not bad enough for any of us — newspapers or readers — to do anything other than what we have always done.
As a reader, I have been discovering, and am taking my subscription dollars to, independent journalists who focus on informing citizens and supporting them to take action to address the mess our country is now in. “Not owned by anybody” is their credo. When our government is failing, it is up to us to get it back on track, as in “we the people.”
3. Thinking about Republicans’ spinelessness, I found myself at the end of the week humming the tune, “If I only had a [heart, brain, courage]," from The Wizard of Oz. We talk about Republicans needing a spine or balls. Maybe we should use the more humanistic language of “heart” (to feel with), “brain” (to think with) and “courage” (to face fears and fight with).
Please get every member of Congress on the record whether they acquiesce to Putin. Ihttps://jerryweiss.substack.com/p/remove-impeach-impeach
I like this presentation -- listing all of the new items with links for more.
With Bondi and Todd Blanche the justice department is now corrupt. Any lawyer who dissents is fired. What can be done about this?
Your site just gets better and better! Thank you for all of your hard work in keeping us well informed!
Thank you for all your work. Here is my week in review.
1. I wrote an email to family members, in the spirit of leaning into connection, to encourage us all to “lean in,” if/when we need to, and I shared what I have resolved to do as a citizen (note The Contrarian’s influence):
A. “Lean into connection” (advice from one of The Contrarian’s writers)
B. Be selective about the news I consume (HCR and The Contrarian top the list; local papers also important) and speak out to contribute
C. Respond to calls for action (for example, from Indivisible—upcoming phone banks and marches/rallies) and for money (made small donations to Slotkin and Crawford this week—Jen Rubin’s coverage of these leaders helped, also National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare, and monthly donation to DCCC)
D. Stay grounded in a worldview I can embrace, for example, this interview of Heather Cox Richardson with former Secretary of State Antony Blinken
E. Volunteer locally (working on this) and participate in/inform my government so it can better serve citizens (recently filed three complaints about United Healthcare with the Illinois Department of Insurance—federal tax dollars contribute to our premiums)
F. Through all the above, remind myself that I am “practicing democracy” (idea from Joyce Vance), like practicing law or, a better example for me, practicing swimming. We learn from practicing, and we get better/stronger at what we are practicing.
2. I got another letter to the editor published in the Chicago Tribune this week. My letter was in response to a Tribune editorial about the new policy Jeff Bezo imposed on the Washington Post’s opinion section—to focus on writing that supports free markets and individual liberties. I commented on the Tribune Editorial Board’s description of its role in supporting the integrity of government, raising the question of what newspapers are to do when readers know the integrity of government is failing. An excerpt:
The Tribune Editorial Board is taking the “legacy” road of “this has worked for us so far, so let’s keep doing it.” The board seems to acknowledge that things now happening in government are bad, but not bad enough for any of us — newspapers or readers — to do anything other than what we have always done.
As a reader, I have been discovering, and am taking my subscription dollars to, independent journalists who focus on informing citizens and supporting them to take action to address the mess our country is now in. “Not owned by anybody” is their credo. When our government is failing, it is up to us to get it back on track, as in “we the people.”
3. Thinking about Republicans’ spinelessness, I found myself at the end of the week humming the tune, “If I only had a [heart, brain, courage]," from The Wizard of Oz. We talk about Republicans needing a spine or balls. Maybe we should use the more humanistic language of “heart” (to feel with), “brain” (to think with) and “courage” (to face fears and fight with).