It isn't enough to oppose this. We have to do the dirty work of showing how all the bad parts are set to kick in....AFTER the mid-terms, not before. Ask people 'why do you think this might be?' Did the significance of that timing occur to you?'
The answers practically scream themselves. We have to be the megaphones and sirens to amplify that as loudly as possible.
"These Republicans cannot know a moment of peace. They must understand that we will fight their cruelty with every megaphone and microphone that we have. We must castigate them on the soap box and then punish them at the ballot box." - Gov. Pritzker
Is the Democratic Party even listening? Is it up to Senator Sanders, Representative AOC, and a small group of principled Democratic senators and governors to do all the heavy lifting? And we who protest publicly - what more can we do?
True, most of the medicaid and SNAP cuts will take place after this next midterm election. But we can pommel them with EPA, NOAA, FEMA cuts plus Dept Of Health fo pauxs-especially with COVID and the measles vaccines. The dangers are looming in so many aspects of our democracy and our very existence...we must be on the offensive.
Forget headlines, except from independent journalists. Corporate journalism is too afraid of being sued by Trump, and with good reason since they can't count on the courts to cross him either. No, we're pretty much on our own, media-wise.
yeah HAL., too bad we can't attract the likes of say hanniy's girlfriend from fox...what are you doing back here anyway ? I kinda think everyone knows your group is in charge and nothing to be done until the midterms...
Given that we can't count on support from media, huge marches are a really good way to get the Democrats' message out there. It also sends a message to the rest of the world that it's Trump and his cult trying to bring down the U.S., not the whole population. Once Trumpism is over, we're going to have to win back our former allies, and this is a good way to start.
Trump is also restructuring government without the approval of Congress, so blatantly unConstitutional and yet the Extreme Court rolled over for him once again. Congress needs to stand up and seize back its rightful power.
If not, it will be interesting, if the Dems ever manage to retake power, to see how fast the Court does a 180 to prevent the powers they are bestowing on Trump from being used to reverse everything he did.
Well Thomas, William Moore here, the Dems will take power! Not "if they manage to retake". But I like the idea that the SC will try to take back what they bestowed on Dear DonOld. Not the consequences, but it is sweet revenge to see how partisan they are, so we can eventually get rid of the Alito/Thomas wing.
I’m aware of that. Unfortunately Republicans started many years ago stacking election boards and local controls with their own ultra conservative people. Haven’t you seen what’s going on in many of the states where they’re trying to put in such draconian rules that people will not be able to vote? That’s not the feds that’s the states.
That's exactly why it is so important that Democrats develop and maintain a presence in even the reddest spots of the country. People all over are recognizing (finally) what they are seeing and they do not like it! They need somewhere else to go. Let's have an end to this emphasis on six or seven swing states at election time. Let's get them all!
Trump will sign an executive order declaring federal control over state elections. MAGAcourt will either find a bizarre reason to allow it or push adjudication to happen after the elections have concluded.
Not just Trump, but the federal government as a whole has NO authority over how states conduct elections. The date of federal elections is in the Constitution and can't be changed without a Constitutional amendment; and that's where federal involvement ends. Trump could no more declare control over state elections than he could declare himself Emperor of the Universe. Not even *this* Supreme Court would stand for that.
I predict turnout will make a difference in 2026. So let’s make sure we work to optimize the turnout in our favor. And we’ll help voters in voter-suppressed states to bring the required voter id.
If ever there were grounds for impeaching a “sitting” president and the Extreme Court Justices who are “lying down” all that has happened since the hemorrhoid’s inauguration (the most egregious lies he’s ever uttered) provide such grounds, no? And if there aren’t enough reptilian republicans (my apologies to the reptile species) to support impeachment, with all those who are not seeking reelection, we the people can assure the rest that they don’t have to fret over losing in the primaries because of Trump or even Musk, they can count losing reelection because of we the people! Come on Americans, put and keep pressure on your Republican representatives. If you want a copy of an email you can fax to all of them copy the one I sent to Andrew Harris and posted in my Substack.
100 letters already sent out to both sides. I made it VERY personal. I had a handicapped child, now deceased, and without Medicaid, I don't think we would have survived. I had a mother with Alzheimer's and without her SS, we would not have been able to afford her nursing home. I am the grandchild of immigrants on both sides and, had this idiot been at the helm when they arrived, I would not be living here. Maybe he should check his heredity and scratch out an "order of deportation" for himself?? I will fight tooth and nail and will NEVER vow any allegiance to him or his minions!!!
Isn't that the damn truth about his own heredity??? His mother, his paternal grandparents, and 2 of his wives: all immigrants. The only reason the asshole grew up here is that his paternal grandparents were kicked out of Germany because, guess what? His grandfather refused to serve in the military. Guess it's a family tradition. I'm right with you with never vowing allegiance to him or his cast of idiots.
Yes IF the Dems manage to retake power. Didn't happen in Germany in the 30s and it won't happen here unless the Republicans who used to believe in democracy wake up.
So our job is cut out for us before the 2026 elections. Do everything in our power, especially on a local level, to make sure that they are free and fair. And to drive people to vote so they’re not subject to the mail in arguments and to help people register etc. etc. Our work is cut out for us.
If we have an election, we might have a chance. This morning Thom Hartmannn mentions Mexico, Brazil, Chile Greece and Spain that reverted to democracy. South Korea is a work in progress.
I think Chile made a complete reversal. Chile became a democracy on March 11, 1990, with the inauguration of Patricio Aylwin as president, marking the end of the Pinochet dictatorship. This transition followed a period of military rule and included a plebiscite in 1988 where a majority voted against Pinochet continuing as president.
My office was a liason with the democratic government, re due process in administrative adjudication.
AI breakdown:
1973-1990: Chile was under military dictatorship led by General Augusto Pinochet.
1988: A plebiscite was held where 56% of voters rejected Pinochet's continuation as president, paving the way for democratic elections.
1989: Patricio Aylwin, a Christian Democrat, was elected president.
1990: Aylwin assumed the presidency on March 11, officially marking the start of Chile's democratic period.
As always Daniel a very informative comment. I myself went to South America often on business. And it always was heartbreaking to hear the stories of the “disappeared“. So the progress they have made is wonderful. However, now we are having people disappeared in our own country.We have to work on a local level to be sure we have elections, because the opposite side is busy trying to put up barriers to that voting.
Yes, indeed. I, too, look forward to reading what Daniel Solomon has to say: he either already knows everything or he is adept at researching the answers he's looking for.
Fortunately, Republicans handed the Democrats a fully-formed platform: the reconciliation bill must go. Everybody, even Republicans, hate that bill. Refunding Medicaid alone would be a winning policy, not to mention all the other unpopular cuts. Sure, billionaires love the bill, but there are 813 billionaires in this country, and they get one vote each. There are 174,000,000 eligible voters. I think we got this.
This part struck me especially:”Nearly 1 in 5 household workers and landscapers” are undocumented immigrants. I can’t wait until rich Republicans find out they’re gonna have to start cleaning their own houses and raking and mowing their own yards! Oh, I forgot, that’s right, all those disabled Medicaid recipients and all the grandparents are going to have to get off their butts in the nursing homes and get out there and do all that work. 34 million of them, that’ll make a big difference in how this country runs! Hey grandma, you missed a tomato over there, get busy.
The ads and their absurdity just write themselves, don't they? All those red state Medicaid recipients will have to move to CA and FL for construction and farms jobs? What could go wrong? I can see it now - the red states will be declaring they've fixed their Medicaid roles, easy peasy.
Trump was the poster boy for employer sanctions.... Had to pay a fine and make restitution for using illegals on his job sites.
Employer sanctions are legal penalties that can be imposed on employers who knowingly hire, recruit, or continue to employ individuals not authorized to work in the United States. Enforced by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The primary goal is to discourage illegal immigration by making it harder for unauthorized immigrants to find employment.
Since then, Trump Inc. has been using temporary foreign workers on his properties to avoid having to pay the locals.
If "nearly 1 in 5 household workers and landscapers” are undocumented immigrants, their employers probably weren't withholding IRZS and FICA, and these folks are unable to apply for Medicaid, SSI, and other government benefits. The employers should be liable for employer sanctions, plus perhaps suits to make the workers whole, pay back taxes, etc.
The illegal household workers and landscapers may be money on the hoof for enterprising plaintiffs' lawyers.
No shit. I'm a retired clinician and worked in skilled nursing for years; Medicaid pays room and board for the majority of the residents, if the building accepts Medicaid patients. If its a ritzier building, then it's private pay, as Medicare pays for nursing/rehab, but not room and board. When granny or grandpa end up in the street because their Medicaid disappears, and their MAGA relatives realize, finally, who and what caused it, maybe they will finally wake up. Don't think the elderly, feeble patients in care homes will be picking any tomatoes, but I get your idea. Hell, they can't walk, dress, feed or toilet themselves. The assholes in Congress just don't get it. And I can't wait either until the rich, including DT, realizes that his toilets aren't going to be cleaned, his food won't be bought or cooked, his lawns/golf greens not maintained, etc etc, when his undocumented staff start disappearing. Think Barron will be doing all of that menial work?? Sure. He's always had someone wiping his ass. And Melania??? Much too busy doing Pilates or getting a face lift. She wouldn't know how to clean a toilet if her life depended on it.
My late husband was a physician, and in his later years he ended up in rehab and skilled nursing due to declining mobility. So I’ve seen what you do, and thank you for doing that hard work. I now volunteer in the hospital where my late husband was a physician, and we have one woman who’s in the hospital but she’s been there for over a month. They’re trying to find a place to go because she was homeless, although well spoken and clean and neat. And they can’t, so there she sits in the hospital bed until her caseworker can find somewhere for her to live. Perfectly lucid but I suppose these folks would have her out there picking tomatoes too. You do know of course that I was being facetious about grandma and the tomatoes. Of course it’s utterly absurd to think that 34 million people who get Medicaid or are immigrants will be able to shift to do the work of the people they have made go into hiding because of their immigration status. Hell they’re even arresting people on their way to get a green card hearing.
Pam, I knew you were kidding! Although, the old feeble folks who I worked with born in KY would love to be able to do that farming work if they were still able! It's absolutely absurd that the masked gunmen are grabbing people off of the street, who have legal status, no criminal record, and yes, on their way to report to immigration. With all of the ridiculous amount of money being spent on deportation and paying the felons who are ICE agents, how about instead try to redo the antiquated and impossible immigration laws so people who have been here for 20 years, working, paying taxes, etc, can become citizens??? When our grandparents came to this country in the early 1900s, these laws did not exist, so in theory, one could say they were "illegal", but they broke no laws because there were no such laws. All they had to do is afford a ship ticket, and name a US sponsor for the ship's manifest, who would vouch for them. Now, since the 30s, it's damn near impossible to become a citizen unless you have special status, are a US citizen bringing over immediate family, have a visa for work (usually temporary), or have amnesty, which is nigh to impossible to get anymore. Why someone who has been here since the age of 8 cannot get citizenship, and is not a cartel member, is simply beyond me.
Here’s a good one about what you laid out there as far as the 30s. My husband‘s mother was Jewish and Ukrainian, and she came into this country through Canada. As you point out there was nothing illegal about it. Here’s the great thing. She married my late husband‘s father, and they sent my late husband to Westtown Friends Quaker school in Pennsylvania. One of his classmates from seventh grade through high school was Earl Harrison, who went on to become the headmaster of Westtown friends and later the headmaster of Sidwell friends of Washington DC fame. He was quite a wonderful man. But the interesting part is his father was part of Roosevelt’s administration and was responsible for making all the people legal who would come in under those circumstances as had my husband’s mother. How ironic my husband‘s high school friend’s family was responsible for making his mother legally a citizen. That will never happen now. Of course you will recall that there was a good bipartisan immigration fixing that works till Trump told the Republicans not to do anything to make it happen because he wanted immigration as a campaign issue. So here we are.
Thanks for the commentary. To me, it's such a simple fix. Remedy the laws, and make hard working and law-abiding people citizens. If they're criminal, ok, charge them, follow due process, (what an idea) jail them, deport, whatever, and not to the friggin' Sudan! If people have been here as long as some of these folks have, and kept their noses clean, what on this earth is the issue??? Because they speak Spanish? Have brown skin? Or are from Haiti? My grandparents on both sides had very heavy Eastern European accents; we were partially raised by them; they didn't have it easy but they worked, were law abiding and easily became naturalized, as did I'm sure Trump's grandparents. WTH is the issue?? Well, I think we all know.
Once upon a time, my wife was a Kellog Fellow and her fellowship was finding elderly residents -- mostly Cubans -- who were not citizens and help them get citizenship.
Those 65 or older with at least 20 years of lawful permanent residency may have an easier civics test, and they can take it in their native language.
Another great piece that lays out the path forward! I am sure Dear Leader and his handlers want everyone to think all the crap they foisted on us the voters is permanent. NOT! The pendulum will swing, in fact it is already moving in favor of democracy and humanity. I hate to think that all we'll do for the next 30 years is swing back and forth, pass stuff like just happened, then reverse it, not too mention DL tearing down absolutely anything Biden and Obama did just out of spite and thinking he knows better. But maybe one day all the moderate, thinking MAGAts will tire of their path and throw the bums out. Let it be!
Not only happy to run on it, but make them eat it. Require legislators to use the same healthcare system that we all use, including Medicaid if applicable. Make them have to certify they are a valid voter. Make them visit the fields where the crops are rotting, in front of TV cameras, etc…. They are so distant from reality, they probably don’t even know the definition of the word.
Oh, and repeal the cap on income subject to social security taxes. That tax is so small and the cap is currently large enough that anyone making more than the cap will surely not miss the small amount of tax. it is my understanding this simple change will create significant new tax revenue all by itself.
I agree that in the short term, Democrats saying "we're not them" may well be enough to get them the majority in the House, and maybe even the Senate. But in the long run, to keep it from being just a blip, they need to come up with a program that people can support.
I'll be very curious to see who emerges from the Democratic pack when it's time to nominate a Presidential candidate.
Please work with someone like Antonia Scatton to create compelling language and a dynamic message. While I agree that "do the opposite" is at the heart of the message it is not nearly bold and courageous enough and makes the same mistakes of past campaigns - "we are not them." It continues to highlight "them" and not a compelling different path. We need to present fresh, bold ideas and, yes, hold the BBB supporters and others accountable. Begin by reprogramming 98% of ICE funds to Medicaid, SNAP, etc. Address immigration as a dynamic reason that the US has thrived and grown. Dems have also been guilty of repeatedly delaying on that issue. Learn from other countries that have sane, positive policies. Pope Leo offers some great language about inclusion. Say what WE WILL do and not just that we will do the opposite of THEM.
If rule by the Orange Pendejo’s demented whims is the GOP agenda, the “Do the Opposite” is perfect. Now it’s a matter of convincing the Dems to adopt that and say it forcefully. The Democratic Party needs to adapt to the new world we’re in- show us you have the cojones to do it. I favor a coalition of the younger Dems to inject some life into the party messaging. We can’t go back to the old ways. Schumer needs to go.
I don’t disagree with you, but I just read yesterday in some sub stack article, that 60% of the young people get their news from TikTok. That doesn’t sound helpful to me.
And I just read that the company buying TikTok will implement a rule that anyone using it will have ALL their online information scooped up and available to the company for whatever!
My biggest caution is that, most people will likely not be affected by BBB (blatantly bilious bill) until after the mid-terms. And then, at least in my state of Kentucky, they will want to blame the Dems!! Folks around here have an inclination to blindly follow and ardently believe anything out of tRump's thin-lipped mouth. We will of course beat that drum of "Do the Opposite" and our wonderful Gov. Andy Beshear will lead the way. Is it enough? Is it enough nationwide in all those fanatical red pockets?
Lord knows the dipshit Republicans have given the Democrats a metric ton of oppo research. Now the job is to make sure they don't figure out how to steal congressional elections.
"Moreover, when the incumbent party manages to get just about everything wrong, the positive agenda becomes “Do the opposite.” Looking ahead to 2026, Democrats agenda writes itself:"
Candidates opposing the ruling party have to do it all: promise not only to do the opposite of destroying the government by rebuilding it, but also strengthening the guardrails which protect our interests. Americans deserve a Supreme Court, for example, which looks out for their best interests and their civil rights, not business and authoritarian interests.
Maybe this is a winning strategy, but a significant number of Democratic voters do not believe that simply going back to 2024 is good or worth showing up to vote for. Perhaps if we have a slate of younger and bolder candidates who win that will matter. But 2 more years of Schumer-type Electeds? No. We will get our clicks cleaned in 2028.
It's the largest transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich in a single law in U.S. history. It's no wonder that the more people learn about the Big Ugly Bill, and realize it has Project 25's stench all over it, the more they hate it. Pretty sure Republicans will soon realize they picked the wrong hill to die on. And never let them forget -
Losing healthcare is "immaterial". - J. D. Vance
"Well, we're all going to die." - Sen. Joni Ernst
"They'll get over it." - Mitch McConnell
"Do I like this bill? No." (and then voted for it) - Sen. Lisa Murkowski
JD's comment??? Wonder what his mamaw would say about that, when she was dying of COPD in the hospital. And McConnell with his obvious Parkinsons? Would he "get over it" if he depended on Medicaid? And Murkowski?? What the hell is wrong with her, particularly coming from Alaska with many working class citizens? Is she so friggin' scared of reelection/retribution so she votes for a bill she hates? Screw that. She's a middle aged lady. At her age, the hell with retribution. She doesn't have other income resources? And no comments on Ernst. Just an idiot.
It isn't enough to oppose this. We have to do the dirty work of showing how all the bad parts are set to kick in....AFTER the mid-terms, not before. Ask people 'why do you think this might be?' Did the significance of that timing occur to you?'
The answers practically scream themselves. We have to be the megaphones and sirens to amplify that as loudly as possible.
"These Republicans cannot know a moment of peace. They must understand that we will fight their cruelty with every megaphone and microphone that we have. We must castigate them on the soap box and then punish them at the ballot box." - Gov. Pritzker
Is the Democratic Party even listening? Is it up to Senator Sanders, Representative AOC, and a small group of principled Democratic senators and governors to do all the heavy lifting? And we who protest publicly - what more can we do?
Thank you Susan - please continue your good works. I have to believe it will all come together as a collective force if we stay the course.
YES!
Totally agree!!
True, most of the medicaid and SNAP cuts will take place after this next midterm election. But we can pommel them with EPA, NOAA, FEMA cuts plus Dept Of Health fo pauxs-especially with COVID and the measles vaccines. The dangers are looming in so many aspects of our democracy and our very existence...we must be on the offensive.
Where are the mass marches shouting this to the roof tops?
July 17 is the next big protest, built around the revered late Congressman John Lewis and his call to "make good trouble."
And where are the headlines??
Forget headlines, except from independent journalists. Corporate journalism is too afraid of being sued by Trump, and with good reason since they can't count on the courts to cross him either. No, we're pretty much on our own, media-wise.
Substack is where the good journalists have set up business. Check it out.
"Substack is where the good journalists have set up business."
It's also a place for out-of-touch journalists such as Jen Rubin.
yeah HAL., too bad we can't attract the likes of say hanniy's girlfriend from fox...what are you doing back here anyway ? I kinda think everyone knows your group is in charge and nothing to be done until the midterms...
Then why are you subscribed, Hal? Save us all some misery, and go find someone in-touch.
there have been marches...some quite big...not going to change our current situation with marches though...must win BOTH houses in the midterms
Given that we can't count on support from media, huge marches are a really good way to get the Democrats' message out there. It also sends a message to the rest of the world that it's Trump and his cult trying to bring down the U.S., not the whole population. Once Trumpism is over, we're going to have to win back our former allies, and this is a good way to start.
Trump is also restructuring government without the approval of Congress, so blatantly unConstitutional and yet the Extreme Court rolled over for him once again. Congress needs to stand up and seize back its rightful power.
If not, it will be interesting, if the Dems ever manage to retake power, to see how fast the Court does a 180 to prevent the powers they are bestowing on Trump from being used to reverse everything he did.
Well Thomas, William Moore here, the Dems will take power! Not "if they manage to retake". But I like the idea that the SC will try to take back what they bestowed on Dear DonOld. Not the consequences, but it is sweet revenge to see how partisan they are, so we can eventually get rid of the Alito/Thomas wing.
IF we have a free and fair election.
Do you really think the Midterms will not be rigged?
Thinking that way is only helpful if you vow to fight like hell to make sure that doesn’t happen.
Remember, elections are state run, not federal. There is much less chance of voter fraud without the feds in charge.
I’m aware of that. Unfortunately Republicans started many years ago stacking election boards and local controls with their own ultra conservative people. Haven’t you seen what’s going on in many of the states where they’re trying to put in such draconian rules that people will not be able to vote? That’s not the feds that’s the states.
That's exactly why it is so important that Democrats develop and maintain a presence in even the reddest spots of the country. People all over are recognizing (finally) what they are seeing and they do not like it! They need somewhere else to go. Let's have an end to this emphasis on six or seven swing states at election time. Let's get them all!
Trump will sign an executive order declaring federal control over state elections. MAGAcourt will either find a bizarre reason to allow it or push adjudication to happen after the elections have concluded.
Not just Trump, but the federal government as a whole has NO authority over how states conduct elections. The date of federal elections is in the Constitution and can't be changed without a Constitutional amendment; and that's where federal involvement ends. Trump could no more declare control over state elections than he could declare himself Emperor of the Universe. Not even *this* Supreme Court would stand for that.
Maybe some day, but not by 2026. There is still time to right this ship before it’s too late!
We know MAGA will try their damnedest. And the Kangaroo court will find some precedent from1647 to justify them rigging the elections.
I predict turnout will make a difference in 2026. So let’s make sure we work to optimize the turnout in our favor. And we’ll help voters in voter-suppressed states to bring the required voter id.
I expect they will be rigged one way or the other. SO: we focus on local elections, misinformation & get out the local vote
I think the Democrats might want to hold onto presidential immunity for job related policies … super quick Trump reversals from sea to shining sea.
If ever there were grounds for impeaching a “sitting” president and the Extreme Court Justices who are “lying down” all that has happened since the hemorrhoid’s inauguration (the most egregious lies he’s ever uttered) provide such grounds, no? And if there aren’t enough reptilian republicans (my apologies to the reptile species) to support impeachment, with all those who are not seeking reelection, we the people can assure the rest that they don’t have to fret over losing in the primaries because of Trump or even Musk, they can count losing reelection because of we the people! Come on Americans, put and keep pressure on your Republican representatives. If you want a copy of an email you can fax to all of them copy the one I sent to Andrew Harris and posted in my Substack.
100 letters already sent out to both sides. I made it VERY personal. I had a handicapped child, now deceased, and without Medicaid, I don't think we would have survived. I had a mother with Alzheimer's and without her SS, we would not have been able to afford her nursing home. I am the grandchild of immigrants on both sides and, had this idiot been at the helm when they arrived, I would not be living here. Maybe he should check his heredity and scratch out an "order of deportation" for himself?? I will fight tooth and nail and will NEVER vow any allegiance to him or his minions!!!
Isn't that the damn truth about his own heredity??? His mother, his paternal grandparents, and 2 of his wives: all immigrants. The only reason the asshole grew up here is that his paternal grandparents were kicked out of Germany because, guess what? His grandfather refused to serve in the military. Guess it's a family tradition. I'm right with you with never vowing allegiance to him or his cast of idiots.
Yes IF the Dems manage to retake power. Didn't happen in Germany in the 30s and it won't happen here unless the Republicans who used to believe in democracy wake up.
So our job is cut out for us before the 2026 elections. Do everything in our power, especially on a local level, to make sure that they are free and fair. And to drive people to vote so they’re not subject to the mail in arguments and to help people register etc. etc. Our work is cut out for us.
If we have an election, we might have a chance. This morning Thom Hartmannn mentions Mexico, Brazil, Chile Greece and Spain that reverted to democracy. South Korea is a work in progress.
I think Chile made a complete reversal. Chile became a democracy on March 11, 1990, with the inauguration of Patricio Aylwin as president, marking the end of the Pinochet dictatorship. This transition followed a period of military rule and included a plebiscite in 1988 where a majority voted against Pinochet continuing as president.
My office was a liason with the democratic government, re due process in administrative adjudication.
AI breakdown:
1973-1990: Chile was under military dictatorship led by General Augusto Pinochet.
1988: A plebiscite was held where 56% of voters rejected Pinochet's continuation as president, paving the way for democratic elections.
1989: Patricio Aylwin, a Christian Democrat, was elected president.
1990: Aylwin assumed the presidency on March 11, officially marking the start of Chile's democratic period.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilean_transition_to_democracy
As always Daniel a very informative comment. I myself went to South America often on business. And it always was heartbreaking to hear the stories of the “disappeared“. So the progress they have made is wonderful. However, now we are having people disappeared in our own country.We have to work on a local level to be sure we have elections, because the opposite side is busy trying to put up barriers to that voting.
Yes, indeed. I, too, look forward to reading what Daniel Solomon has to say: he either already knows everything or he is adept at researching the answers he's looking for.
Fortunately, Republicans handed the Democrats a fully-formed platform: the reconciliation bill must go. Everybody, even Republicans, hate that bill. Refunding Medicaid alone would be a winning policy, not to mention all the other unpopular cuts. Sure, billionaires love the bill, but there are 813 billionaires in this country, and they get one vote each. There are 174,000,000 eligible voters. I think we got this.
This part struck me especially:”Nearly 1 in 5 household workers and landscapers” are undocumented immigrants. I can’t wait until rich Republicans find out they’re gonna have to start cleaning their own houses and raking and mowing their own yards! Oh, I forgot, that’s right, all those disabled Medicaid recipients and all the grandparents are going to have to get off their butts in the nursing homes and get out there and do all that work. 34 million of them, that’ll make a big difference in how this country runs! Hey grandma, you missed a tomato over there, get busy.
The ads and their absurdity just write themselves, don't they? All those red state Medicaid recipients will have to move to CA and FL for construction and farms jobs? What could go wrong? I can see it now - the red states will be declaring they've fixed their Medicaid roles, easy peasy.
Trump was the poster boy for employer sanctions.... Had to pay a fine and make restitution for using illegals on his job sites.
Employer sanctions are legal penalties that can be imposed on employers who knowingly hire, recruit, or continue to employ individuals not authorized to work in the United States. Enforced by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The primary goal is to discourage illegal immigration by making it harder for unauthorized immigrants to find employment.
Since then, Trump Inc. has been using temporary foreign workers on his properties to avoid having to pay the locals.
If "nearly 1 in 5 household workers and landscapers” are undocumented immigrants, their employers probably weren't withholding IRZS and FICA, and these folks are unable to apply for Medicaid, SSI, and other government benefits. The employers should be liable for employer sanctions, plus perhaps suits to make the workers whole, pay back taxes, etc.
The illegal household workers and landscapers may be money on the hoof for enterprising plaintiffs' lawyers.
No shit. I'm a retired clinician and worked in skilled nursing for years; Medicaid pays room and board for the majority of the residents, if the building accepts Medicaid patients. If its a ritzier building, then it's private pay, as Medicare pays for nursing/rehab, but not room and board. When granny or grandpa end up in the street because their Medicaid disappears, and their MAGA relatives realize, finally, who and what caused it, maybe they will finally wake up. Don't think the elderly, feeble patients in care homes will be picking any tomatoes, but I get your idea. Hell, they can't walk, dress, feed or toilet themselves. The assholes in Congress just don't get it. And I can't wait either until the rich, including DT, realizes that his toilets aren't going to be cleaned, his food won't be bought or cooked, his lawns/golf greens not maintained, etc etc, when his undocumented staff start disappearing. Think Barron will be doing all of that menial work?? Sure. He's always had someone wiping his ass. And Melania??? Much too busy doing Pilates or getting a face lift. She wouldn't know how to clean a toilet if her life depended on it.
My late husband was a physician, and in his later years he ended up in rehab and skilled nursing due to declining mobility. So I’ve seen what you do, and thank you for doing that hard work. I now volunteer in the hospital where my late husband was a physician, and we have one woman who’s in the hospital but she’s been there for over a month. They’re trying to find a place to go because she was homeless, although well spoken and clean and neat. And they can’t, so there she sits in the hospital bed until her caseworker can find somewhere for her to live. Perfectly lucid but I suppose these folks would have her out there picking tomatoes too. You do know of course that I was being facetious about grandma and the tomatoes. Of course it’s utterly absurd to think that 34 million people who get Medicaid or are immigrants will be able to shift to do the work of the people they have made go into hiding because of their immigration status. Hell they’re even arresting people on their way to get a green card hearing.
Pam, I knew you were kidding! Although, the old feeble folks who I worked with born in KY would love to be able to do that farming work if they were still able! It's absolutely absurd that the masked gunmen are grabbing people off of the street, who have legal status, no criminal record, and yes, on their way to report to immigration. With all of the ridiculous amount of money being spent on deportation and paying the felons who are ICE agents, how about instead try to redo the antiquated and impossible immigration laws so people who have been here for 20 years, working, paying taxes, etc, can become citizens??? When our grandparents came to this country in the early 1900s, these laws did not exist, so in theory, one could say they were "illegal", but they broke no laws because there were no such laws. All they had to do is afford a ship ticket, and name a US sponsor for the ship's manifest, who would vouch for them. Now, since the 30s, it's damn near impossible to become a citizen unless you have special status, are a US citizen bringing over immediate family, have a visa for work (usually temporary), or have amnesty, which is nigh to impossible to get anymore. Why someone who has been here since the age of 8 cannot get citizenship, and is not a cartel member, is simply beyond me.
Here’s a good one about what you laid out there as far as the 30s. My husband‘s mother was Jewish and Ukrainian, and she came into this country through Canada. As you point out there was nothing illegal about it. Here’s the great thing. She married my late husband‘s father, and they sent my late husband to Westtown Friends Quaker school in Pennsylvania. One of his classmates from seventh grade through high school was Earl Harrison, who went on to become the headmaster of Westtown friends and later the headmaster of Sidwell friends of Washington DC fame. He was quite a wonderful man. But the interesting part is his father was part of Roosevelt’s administration and was responsible for making all the people legal who would come in under those circumstances as had my husband’s mother. How ironic my husband‘s high school friend’s family was responsible for making his mother legally a citizen. That will never happen now. Of course you will recall that there was a good bipartisan immigration fixing that works till Trump told the Republicans not to do anything to make it happen because he wanted immigration as a campaign issue. So here we are.
Thanks for the commentary. To me, it's such a simple fix. Remedy the laws, and make hard working and law-abiding people citizens. If they're criminal, ok, charge them, follow due process, (what an idea) jail them, deport, whatever, and not to the friggin' Sudan! If people have been here as long as some of these folks have, and kept their noses clean, what on this earth is the issue??? Because they speak Spanish? Have brown skin? Or are from Haiti? My grandparents on both sides had very heavy Eastern European accents; we were partially raised by them; they didn't have it easy but they worked, were law abiding and easily became naturalized, as did I'm sure Trump's grandparents. WTH is the issue?? Well, I think we all know.
Once upon a time, my wife was a Kellog Fellow and her fellowship was finding elderly residents -- mostly Cubans -- who were not citizens and help them get citizenship.
Those 65 or older with at least 20 years of lawful permanent residency may have an easier civics test, and they can take it in their native language.
Another great piece that lays out the path forward! I am sure Dear Leader and his handlers want everyone to think all the crap they foisted on us the voters is permanent. NOT! The pendulum will swing, in fact it is already moving in favor of democracy and humanity. I hate to think that all we'll do for the next 30 years is swing back and forth, pass stuff like just happened, then reverse it, not too mention DL tearing down absolutely anything Biden and Obama did just out of spite and thinking he knows better. But maybe one day all the moderate, thinking MAGAts will tire of their path and throw the bums out. Let it be!
Not only happy to run on it, but make them eat it. Require legislators to use the same healthcare system that we all use, including Medicaid if applicable. Make them have to certify they are a valid voter. Make them visit the fields where the crops are rotting, in front of TV cameras, etc…. They are so distant from reality, they probably don’t even know the definition of the word.
Oh, and repeal the cap on income subject to social security taxes. That tax is so small and the cap is currently large enough that anyone making more than the cap will surely not miss the small amount of tax. it is my understanding this simple change will create significant new tax revenue all by itself.
I agree that in the short term, Democrats saying "we're not them" may well be enough to get them the majority in the House, and maybe even the Senate. But in the long run, to keep it from being just a blip, they need to come up with a program that people can support.
I'll be very curious to see who emerges from the Democratic pack when it's time to nominate a Presidential candidate.
Please work with someone like Antonia Scatton to create compelling language and a dynamic message. While I agree that "do the opposite" is at the heart of the message it is not nearly bold and courageous enough and makes the same mistakes of past campaigns - "we are not them." It continues to highlight "them" and not a compelling different path. We need to present fresh, bold ideas and, yes, hold the BBB supporters and others accountable. Begin by reprogramming 98% of ICE funds to Medicaid, SNAP, etc. Address immigration as a dynamic reason that the US has thrived and grown. Dems have also been guilty of repeatedly delaying on that issue. Learn from other countries that have sane, positive policies. Pope Leo offers some great language about inclusion. Say what WE WILL do and not just that we will do the opposite of THEM.
Agree!
If rule by the Orange Pendejo’s demented whims is the GOP agenda, the “Do the Opposite” is perfect. Now it’s a matter of convincing the Dems to adopt that and say it forcefully. The Democratic Party needs to adapt to the new world we’re in- show us you have the cojones to do it. I favor a coalition of the younger Dems to inject some life into the party messaging. We can’t go back to the old ways. Schumer needs to go.
I don’t disagree with you, but I just read yesterday in some sub stack article, that 60% of the young people get their news from TikTok. That doesn’t sound helpful to me.
And I just read that the company buying TikTok will implement a rule that anyone using it will have ALL their online information scooped up and available to the company for whatever!
My biggest caution is that, most people will likely not be affected by BBB (blatantly bilious bill) until after the mid-terms. And then, at least in my state of Kentucky, they will want to blame the Dems!! Folks around here have an inclination to blindly follow and ardently believe anything out of tRump's thin-lipped mouth. We will of course beat that drum of "Do the Opposite" and our wonderful Gov. Andy Beshear will lead the way. Is it enough? Is it enough nationwide in all those fanatical red pockets?
I savor the notion of Republicans having to evade angry crowds at next year's candidate forums. They are already too afraid to hold town halls.
👍👍👍. YES! Let them run on the lack of warnings and emergency services for victims of the floods in Texas.Daved $s. Kills people.
In the GOP world, it's every cowboy for themselves! Welcome America to the MAGA jungle.
Lord knows the dipshit Republicans have given the Democrats a metric ton of oppo research. Now the job is to make sure they don't figure out how to steal congressional elections.
"Moreover, when the incumbent party manages to get just about everything wrong, the positive agenda becomes “Do the opposite.” Looking ahead to 2026, Democrats agenda writes itself:"
Candidates opposing the ruling party have to do it all: promise not only to do the opposite of destroying the government by rebuilding it, but also strengthening the guardrails which protect our interests. Americans deserve a Supreme Court, for example, which looks out for their best interests and their civil rights, not business and authoritarian interests.
Maybe this is a winning strategy, but a significant number of Democratic voters do not believe that simply going back to 2024 is good or worth showing up to vote for. Perhaps if we have a slate of younger and bolder candidates who win that will matter. But 2 more years of Schumer-type Electeds? No. We will get our clicks cleaned in 2028.
It's the largest transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich in a single law in U.S. history. It's no wonder that the more people learn about the Big Ugly Bill, and realize it has Project 25's stench all over it, the more they hate it. Pretty sure Republicans will soon realize they picked the wrong hill to die on. And never let them forget -
Losing healthcare is "immaterial". - J. D. Vance
"Well, we're all going to die." - Sen. Joni Ernst
"They'll get over it." - Mitch McConnell
"Do I like this bill? No." (and then voted for it) - Sen. Lisa Murkowski
JD's comment??? Wonder what his mamaw would say about that, when she was dying of COPD in the hospital. And McConnell with his obvious Parkinsons? Would he "get over it" if he depended on Medicaid? And Murkowski?? What the hell is wrong with her, particularly coming from Alaska with many working class citizens? Is she so friggin' scared of reelection/retribution so she votes for a bill she hates? Screw that. She's a middle aged lady. At her age, the hell with retribution. She doesn't have other income resources? And no comments on Ernst. Just an idiot.
How can we, believers in democracy, the constitution, and the rule of law, wait for elections that are a year away?