Make the impacts personal. Say not just that so many Americans will lose their healthcare, but thanks to Rep. John’s vote R-VA, “Pat Smith in Hampton lost healthcare coverage AND because the local hospital Hampton Health closed, must drive 100 miles.” Make it personal.
The BBB is cynically structured to delay much the public pain until after the 2026 midterm elections. Making it personal also includes a campaign about what's in store for us after the midterms. Otherwise, 2 years are wasted waiting until 2028.
Agreed except the She Wolf Noem will have her troops on the street immediately to enslave the undocumented. We need to broadcast videos multi times a day of those kidnappings by her thug army. There is no doubt in my mind the political dissenters will be next.
Calling Noem a "She Wolf" is an insult to wolves and a label that she probably would like. Lizard is a label I like, though it's also an insult to lizards.
She is and has always been a poser. Like all of the felon's cabinet, she kissed his ass or something else to get the job. Noemnothing will pay for her BS. Perhaps not soon enough for all of us, but she will pay.
What about "Valkryies"? Yes, there is the famous classical music piece, "Flight of the Valkries" but Valkryies are actually winged creatures in Norse mythology who come out when DEATH is imminent. The Republican Party is now the Party of Death. Although "Valkryies" might be a bit too arcane.
I wish you could have met the lizard whose photo is my desktop on my computer. I had an amazing, fun encounter with it, and even got a photo of it. Lizards are not slimy or nasty, in my experience. Many of the lizards I've encountered have real personality. I do appreciate that you understand that labeling Noem a lizard is an insult to them.
Yes. This is exactly what I was going to comment. Many effects won’t be felt or take affect until after the 2026 midterms. People need to know what is in store for them in a personal way. otherwise, they have a long time to say, “well what was all the fuss– this isn’t so bad“.
At that point, 'short memory syndrome' will kick in, and by the next time the offender is up for election, all will be forgotten and they'll be re-elected. This has happened before.
It is then up to us to remind them both of how they have had plenty of time already and haven't served their constituency with anything but cheap words.
Put the ugly law into chunks people can comprehend and then begin those town halls. Perhaps Democrats in relevant district would invite Republicans to come and learn. Let up on social/cultural issues in favor of bread and butter.
Not only that, but not all congressmen in Senators are up for election in the same year. If we miss the 2026 elections, we miss the opportunity to toss out the people who were eligible to lose in that election. 2028 will not include all of the people whom we need to get out of office. We have to do this now and in 2028 and in 2030.
The "Die-In" protest at the Pennsylvanian Congressional Rep's office was brilliant - and successful. He was one of the scant few Republicans to vote against the bill. This tactic needs to be emulated.
That’s true, but between Trump's tariff wars, DOGE destruction, ICE terror campaign, and this terrible, horrible, no good bill there will be no hiding the deep recession and stagflation that has already started (it just won’t be “official" until the end of the third quarter).
Well as the saying goes" when Democrats lose they get sad, when Republicans lose they get mad!!" This time let's get some new democrat blood in there that's not afraid to get mad and dump the morons both democrat and Republican by the wayside and leave them there to rot!!! I am about to turn 70 and have lived thru many of this dictators things that were ruined once he touched them. Lock the moron up as he should be and keep his assets for the people to sell of for their livelihood!!!
In telling personal stories, let’s not forget about the economy: the impact of whatever Trump says about tariffs on a given day and the loss of immigrant labor from agriculture and other industries. Reducing grocery prices was a major Trump promise. Families have been struggling financially before the BBB and will continue to do so.
Truth can be very personal, huh? ALL are going to suffer but want the MAGAs and Republicans to suffer the most! They asked for this and put these deplorables in office!
For many, already too late. What’s just taken place in Texas was heartbreaking, but not quite the Act of God that sunofabitch Governor portrays it as. It was a perfect storm of course. No, not just the isobars and fronts and low-lying flood plain-kind, but the human kind too — the bizarre, irrational hatred of taxes to pay for things we all need.
The grotesque war against FEMA, the violence DOGE did to one federal agency after another, the warnings made by past National Weather Service directors as late as May about the idiocy of slashing budgets to the National Weather Center just as tornado and hurricane season descended — and the ever-present, poisonous miasma of hate-taxes, hate-gummint lunacy every Republican loves to indulge in — there’s your Perfect Storm. Acts of Willful Idiocy piled onto Acts of God. No accident that Chip Roy, perhaps the dumbest, meanest wretch in Congress, represents that district in Texas.
A century ago, Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote that “taxes are the price to pay for living in a civilized society” — words now etched into the stone of the IRS building in Washington. So what do you call people who steal goods and services they refuse to pay for out of “principle”? Short-sighted? Morons? Thieves? Deadbeats? What about the clods who then show up to scenes of disaster (or just tweet about it), full of tears, gushing ‘heartfelt’ “thoughts and prayers” that deflect attention from their own failures?
Call this dumb bullshit out for what it is. No sane person wants to see their families die because cheapskates won’t pay for the services and systems that define what it means to live in a “civilized society.”
So all those people in Texas must be insane, because they don't want to pay for any safeguards themselves. These are the same people who will watch their kids die from measles and not get other children vaccinated. So maybe these people don't care if people die, as long as they don't have any taxes.
I would call them brainwashed. They've been indoctrinated with this 'hate taxes' foolishness for a long, long time. It never occurred to them there's a price to pay for that, too.
It's not all of Texas that is insane, just large parts. The blue areas tend to be sane. Our House rep cares about all the people in her district and has worked tirelessly for us. One of the things that's sad to me is that I've always thought Kerrville was pretty nice place.
It will be BIGGER than D"Jehovah" T and .ore BEAUTIFUL !
Come together Dems, Reps, all of US Of course DONATE your shekels to Dems, this media or The Atlantic , NYT etc, etc . Yet this is the problem Money talks more so than ever. Get money out of politics w/a Constitutional amemendment to limit the time frame and the amount of dollars any entity, (candidates. partys etc) can collect & spend. BuTT be quick b4 thesix can declare amendments null & void! For starters let's come up w/ a means to regulate the digital empires that flood the people's use of their digital world by harnessing the Inernet ...forthe people instead of the "bottom line " WhaddYaThink FOLK?
ERNIE notBert
PS How's about CCC Camps inatead of an Airstrip Alcatraz like FDRs in the 30s for immigrants to help as partners in rebuilding devasted areas & infrastructure to help prevent future disasters from earth, air ,water & fire?
It is time for Americans to understand the assault on elections that Republicans are engaged in. Perhaps the Contrarian can do more interviews with folks from the Brennan organization or similar groups to explain how ordinary Americans can help fight back against Repulican voter suppression. Much of this is happening in states which is why it's so important for Americans to be involved in state races. Groups like Sister District Project should also be given some time to recruit volunteers via the Contrarian. Most immediately voters in blue states must demand their local leaders provide leadership. Until Republicans are removed from power it's going to be hell for many people to survive. We are going to need to create a shadow federal government to replace services formally provided by the federal government. FEMA, NOAH, FDA, CDC are all dysfunctional. Health insurance, already in a terrible state, is now going to be lost by many Americans. Blue states need to form alliances as Governor Pritzger suggests.
And I will suggest a shadow ALT-DOJ to hire back any of the former DOJ staff who were forced out or left when the Project 2025 wrecking ball hit.
Perhaps the Patriotic Millionaires would help to fund it.
The function of the Alt-DOJ would be to provide more lawyers and legal support staff to fight all the illegal actions of the current constitution-defying actions as they continue to accumulate.
As I see it, our current judges are all that stand between us and the complete success of Project 25.
The work of Jen Rubin, Norm Eisen and the Contrarians provides a terrific model, but I think we need more of the same! Our time is limited and the crimes are many. Our Constitutional Democracy is in great peril right now.
Yes BosPhotoGuy, and our Governor in MD, Wes Moore, Senators Van Hollen & Alsobrooks, House members Steny Hoyer, Jamie Raskin, Sarah Elfreth, and all the other Represenstives excluding Republican, Andy Harris are doing just that! We have a great team!
It is time to stop berating House and Senate Democrats for not “doing enough.” Well said Jen, I am totally tired of the endless comments etc. by supposed Dems that bad things happen because our elected leaders don't do enough. Often these commenters don't seem to be able to do basic math, like do we have enough votes to do things? To me the Orange Menace is a perfect example of a leader who does exactly what he feels like, and doesn't give a hoot that much of it is patently illegal. And he is a criminal of course. United we stand strong! Whiners need not apply!
It is a timely reminder that we cannot be a house divided if we hope to turn the tide of MAGA cruelty. And after we win, we must abolish Citizens United and virulent political PACS.
This is not something that just happened. It has been going on for decades. So I will continue to blame Democrats for their lack of action when they did have power.
So what are you going to do to improve the Democrats? Frankly, I have no quarrel with my congresspeople (Raiskin. van Hollen and Alsobrooks). In fact, I'm quite proud of them. Maybe you should work in your district to elect people of quality?
How about blaming the Fossil fuel industry whose support kept Joe Manchin in office opposing Build Back Better and the Tech and Finance lobbyists at whose teat Kristin Sinema fed? Those two prevented Biden from enacting much more sweeping changes in 2021, muting the beneficial effects of Democratic leadership. Biden was still able to do a lot of good (now much undone) but it could have been so much better. And if it had been, would we be where we are now? Special interests bribes caused this,as usual.
Well, have fun down that rabbit hole. For $2 extra, you can get a mediocre cup of coffee somewhere to go with it. They’ll even throw in the swizzlestick for free…
The problem with some elected Democrats and much of the DNC leadership is that so many are not authentic. Don’t tell me that you support what the polls tell you the average Democrat wants. Tell me what you believe and mean it. Make an argument for your beliefs. Maybe you win the primary, maybe you don’t. But if average voters think you are a poll-tested empty suit, you will not win the general election in all but the safest districts and you will hurt the Democratic Party overall.
"Donald Trump voters who insist they 'Never voted for this' must be allowed to return to the pro-democracy, pro-decency coalition."
That's a big ask. As far as I'm concerned, anyone who voted for Trump, particularly the second time around, needs to devote the rest of their life to working for causes that promote common decency. Let them go work for the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, Common Cause, Indivisible, the NAACP, WCK, Legal Aid, or whatever. Then maybe they can be admitted to the coalition posthumously. I want nothing to do with any of them.
There is a large % of Trump voters who would rather see their sister in a whorehouse than vote for anyone without an (R) behind their name. Sad but true.
But, not *all* of them. And, there are the 1/3 of undecided voters, the ones who sat out the last election that we need to go and get. Yes, there is a large percentage of MAGA who are not reachable, but they are not all of them. we need all the help we can get.
Assuming that they are willing to "repent", we need their votes. Democrats claim to be the big tent. We have room for all who are willing to help remove the thugs from our government - from top to bottom.
Definitely we need their votes. But my point is that they need to earn their way back in, and as far as I'm concerned a reformed Trumpista will never the same to me as someone who never voted for him. Another way to put it is that a lifelong commitment to democratic (small "d") causes will earn them a general admission ticket, not an all-access pass.
Earning their way back is a good way to put it. We shouldn't assume, to use the Susan Collins language, "that they've learned their lesson" for a single election cycle.
I agree with you Andrew - I'm not going to waste time on MAGA voters. I see Democrats or Democracy Defenders making a mistake if in trying to "pull in" MAGA voters they get wishy washy again. Let's stand for something and stand proud. Trans youth. Immigrants. DEI. Choice. Criminal Justice. Living Wage. We can respectfully differ and even disagree on our vision of what a more just society looks like, but we don't betray that vision.
An inspiring and practical "Call to Arms" for all of us working to elect Democrats in 2026. Some foreign media are already calling the Republican Party, the American Fascist Party. I agree with them and intend on using this name in my own social media posts.
Great macro strategy points! And also, many of us need to simultaneously tend to our rage and grief.
If you spent the holiday feeling angry, scared, or heartbroken instead of patriotic, you're responding to something real.
It's like the bullies have taken over the school. Donald Trump is the principal, Kristi Noem runs detention, Kash Patel is the hall monitor, and the Heritage Foundation decides the curriculum.
They're targeting people from groups who proved democracy could work because that threatens their power. And because - let's be honest - they take visible sadistic pleasure in the pain of others. These are cruel people who light up when discussing how to "traumatize" their enemies.
Screwing People Who Play by the Rules: Trump’s “Long Train of Abuses and Usurpations”
That sick feeling in your stomach? It's systematic betrayal. Name it and claim it to fuel your resistance.
The sadism has been apparent to me for a long time, but it is only recently that it has been pointed out by more writers. It can be hard to wrap our heads around this notion that others take pleasure in creating deliberate harm, despite the accumulating daily evidence.
The call to arms we all need. I’m so tired of “the Democrats didn’t do enough to stop this” BS. They did all they could, but it comes down to simple math. Everything needs to be focused on tying all Rs in Congress to this monstrous act.
1. I suggest that everyone watch the great interview Marc Elias did with Governor Pritzker. In his usual practical, understandable way, he explains why Republicans voted for the bill: Math is Math. No matter how many people in their state or district were going to lose government equivalency benefits, they counted that there were more Trump supporters than that and they would still be elected. So one needs to take those lists of victims of the budget bill and compare them to how many were elected by a margin smaller than that number. Those are the states and districts where work can be most effective. Shame is not as effective as fear, neither is as effective as Math.
2. Near the end of the interview, Pritzker talks about messaging vs results. Democrats have provided important realizable benefits like establishing minimum wage and union protections over the years. Yet the 2024 campaign hardly mentioned them at all. Democracy is nebulous, especially to those who think anything else could not happen in America. So talking about Democracy does not have the impact of how much money is in one's pay check, and how that is spent.
3. Do not let the MAGA element define the conversation. That means do not talk on their trumped-up issues (pun intended). Get real, and get personal. Talk about the issues of the everyday American. Instead of the cost of a starter home, talk about the increase in local taxes on their existing home that will be necessary to make up for the loss of US government funds, just to maintain the educational level for their children. Instead of talking about climate change, talk about what the loss of NOAH warnings could have meant to the children and staff at Camp Mercy, TX. And more.
Pritzker linked his budget message, his State of the State (Illinois) address, and his commentary on the effects of Trump's policies on everyone--not on others, not on poor people, not on those who are ill, but on us. Why? Because the budget makes the impacts of spending on everyday life real. While that address is also very down to earth, the broader national message is in the interview. Remember that Pritzker has won back to back landslide victories with his messaging.
And we need to focus on the things we all can agree on, then draw the party parallels from there. Use some variation of "Christian" theological language regarding our responsibility to support those who are the neediest among us: not necessarily taking care of them, but truly providing support, so most people benefit in some way. Admit where the Dems went off the rails in the 2024 campaign, and how we are refinding our way to our base of workers, along with the academics, law enforcement, etc. Address the needs of public education and educators. Go with the old-fashioned but accurate picture of a country and government built for all of us: WE the PEOPLE.
I so appreciate Jennifer’s post. I’m really quite sick of hearing one Democrat (?) after another call for the circular firing squad because somebody isn’t pure enough for them, isn’t far enough left for them, doesn’t share ALL their ideas in exactly the way they want, or thinks ‘free ice-cream for everybody’ isn’t exactly a workable blueprint for governing.
Look around you. One-third the country voted for insanity on a stick; another third couldn’t have been bothered. Stop throwing shit at Joe Biden (isn’t it enough to watch Trump and Fox do this?) and start strategizing about how best to engage the disinterested, disinformed, and disheartened so that 2026 won’t just look like 2024 all over again.
"The choice now is not Democrat vs. Republican, or progressive vs. conservative; it is right vs. wrong, humane vs. cruel. "
It always was. The biggest mystery of all: how could Americans do this to THEMSELVES?! Makes no sense! And........what's with the Republican "representatives"? Don't they realize that they are/have ruining/ruined their very OWN country? At the core of the whole mess: how, and why, have Americans........LOST THEIR MINDS? Or......did they ever have one?
"Democrats must lift up the stories of fellow Americans and tie those “with a cord of steel” to every Republican responsible for the suffering they have unleashed. In this effort, adept Democratic governors (who must attend to the victims of MAGA’s cruelty) can tally the toll, denounce by name their state’s GOP delegation, and rouse their residents to throw them out."
I have often wished that Ms. Rubin could have been the communications director for the Democratic party, and this column, once again, proves her "cut through the BS and focus on the future" skills.
We are the party that allows and encourages debate and disagreement.
We are the party that acknowledges strength in our pluralistic and diverse society.
We are the party the recognizes the overriding importance of the Rule of Law, of Checks and Balances, of an independent Supreme Court and a non-partisan Justice Department.
We are the vanguard standing between our beloved country and the neo-fascist MAGA cult.
As a component to trump impeachment, link these horrible felonies “pay for get out of jail free” schemes perpetrated by liar /felon Trump.
Here’s a breakdown of notable Medicare and Medicaid fraud cases that received pardons or commutations from former President Donald Trump, particularly during the final days of his first term:
---
🏥 Individuals Pardoned or Granted Clemency for Health Care Fraud
Name Fraud Type Details
Philip Esformes Medicare & Medicaid Convicted in a $1.3 billion fraud scheme involving nursing homes. Trump commuted his 20-year sentence in 2020. Esformes later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud A.
Salomon Melgen Medicare Florida eye doctor convicted of defrauding Medicare of $42 million by performing unnecessary and harmful eye procedures. Trump commuted his sentence after 4 years served B.
Faustino Bernadett Workers’ Comp / Kickbacks California anesthesiologist involved in a $30 million kickback scheme tied to spinal surgeries. Pardoned by Trump B.
John Davis Medicare Former CEO of Comprehensive Pain Specialists. Convicted in a $4 million kickback scheme and accused in a separate DOJ suit of excessive urine testing fraud. Trump commuted his sentence after 4 months C.
Todd Farha, Thaddeus Bereday, William Kale, Paul Behrens, Peter Clay Medicaid Executives of WellCare Health Plans convicted of inflating mental health spending to avoid Medicaid rebates. Trump granted full pardons D.
🧾 Key Themes in These Cases
• Scale of Fraud: Several cases involved hundreds of millions to over a billion dollars in fraudulent claims.
• Patient Harm: Some schemes endangered vulnerable patients with unnecessary or harmful treatments.
• Political Support: Many clemency decisions were backed by prominent figures or framed as correcting prosecutorial overreach.
• Controversy: Critics argue these pardons undermined deterrence and accountability in health care fraud enforcement B C.
If you’re exploring this for research, policy analysis, or just curiosity, I can help you dig deeper into any of these cases or the broader implications of executive clemency in fraud prosecutions. Want to explore how these decisions compare to past administrations or how they’ve influenced current DOJ enforcement?
Are we really the party that allows and encourages debate and disagreement? I wonder if that is true in public perception or in reality, especially with respect to what are being called "cultural issues" nowadays...
I agree that we on the left need to figure out the cultural issues that are making moderate voters fear Democratic politicians. Often those issues look different over in Right Wing World (RWW). You see how Orangeman is forcefully making diversity illegal and shoving racism down our throats? If you live in RWW, you fully believe that Dems in power will do something similar. And, truth to tell, since the 60s, federal laws have striven to make institutional racism illegal--so that may actually be a sort of parallel. However, I believe that it's what they see as the sexual aspect that is driving a big cultural gap. Look how gay marriage rapidly became acceptable by most people, and none of the fearmongerng that RWW pushed about it has proven true. Allowing same sex marriages did absolutely nothing to prevent more traditional marriages from happening. The opponents were reduced to a rearguard action for awhile. However, the brilliant combination of : (#1) "Democrats are going to make being gay so attractive that your kids and grandkids are going to turn gay!" laced with (#2) AND they are going to make it cool to be transgender and then your daughter will become a son !!!!!!" topped off by the completely ludicrous (#3) AND there are going to be horrible fully equipped MALES dressed as women hiding in every restroom in the country planning to rape EVERYONE [insert infinite exclamation points.]" I have read multiple RW commentaries and they tend to go very much to the "social engineering" allegation because of the "everyone should advertise their pronouns". It seems to me many of our rural, heavily white, heavily "Christian" people are very much afraid of the unmistakeable cultural drift of the US (and the Western world) to a higher level of acceptance of difference. I think we as Dems need to emphasize the practical: a living wage, access to healthcare, food and shelter; but how do we neutralize the existential fear that the world is changing?
Did you Constance, mean: "abortion rights, the LGBT community, and a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. And that Democrats typically agree with the scientific consensus on climate change, and favor a multilateral approach in foreign policy"?
“the far left have been too dismissive of concerns about immigration”. No, we have not been dismissive enough. What we have learned these past few months, as decent, hard-working, law-abiding immigrants have been rounded up by Stephen Miller’s gestapo is that MAGA “concerns” about immigrants are baseless. Immigrants are positive contributors to America, and deserve our support. The demonizing of, and bigotry towards, immigrants is a massive propaganda campaign stirring up fear and hate. We Democrats need to fight for the rights of immigrants, not hide from the issue in fear of the demagogues.
Democrats should tie the MGA republicans to their egregious behavior with bands of steel, but Democrats still need to be presenting an alternative program that doesn’t appear to bankrupt the country, betray our allies, stoke trade wars, and leave the bottom half of the country exactly where it is. My point is that we are in a game of high stakes political poker and the Democrats need to create a Fresh deal. We can’t unwind the minds of the unhappy and disaffected, but we can offer a program that delivers beyond political purity and small group politics. People want to have good jobs, jobs where they also benefit in the profits of their production. They want a fair, progressive tax system that provides a safety net, and covers the needs of a democratic nation, not a militarized autocracy with billionaires who can spend millions on weddings and private yachts while their employees work in miserable conditions. MAGA is bad is not a program. What is the Democratic program going forward?
Make the impacts personal. Say not just that so many Americans will lose their healthcare, but thanks to Rep. John’s vote R-VA, “Pat Smith in Hampton lost healthcare coverage AND because the local hospital Hampton Health closed, must drive 100 miles.” Make it personal.
All of this.
The BBB is cynically structured to delay much the public pain until after the 2026 midterm elections. Making it personal also includes a campaign about what's in store for us after the midterms. Otherwise, 2 years are wasted waiting until 2028.
Agreed except the She Wolf Noem will have her troops on the street immediately to enslave the undocumented. We need to broadcast videos multi times a day of those kidnappings by her thug army. There is no doubt in my mind the political dissenters will be next.
Calling Noem a "She Wolf" is an insult to wolves and a label that she probably would like. Lizard is a label I like, though it's also an insult to lizards.
Calling Kristi Noem an inhumane and horrible person, or a nasty piece of work should be enough. No animal would ever match up or behave as she does.
also, want someone to make her stop prancing around in front of prisoners in a cage torturing them...kinda pervy for "christian" right wings
Thought that was a prerequisite for being a christian right wing.
She is and has always been a poser. Like all of the felon's cabinet, she kissed his ass or something else to get the job. Noemnothing will pay for her BS. Perhaps not soon enough for all of us, but she will pay.
Indeed she will. History and evidence has shown that those who dance with Trump usually have hit the finish line in their futures.
There is no moniker no comparison of the rethug party of DEATH with any animal species on this planet that is not detrimental to animals.
how about evil entities from hell...
I'll go for that one.:)
What about "Valkryies"? Yes, there is the famous classical music piece, "Flight of the Valkries" but Valkryies are actually winged creatures in Norse mythology who come out when DEATH is imminent. The Republican Party is now the Party of Death. Although "Valkryies" might be a bit too arcane.
They'll like that also
I wish you could have met the lizard whose photo is my desktop on my computer. I had an amazing, fun encounter with it, and even got a photo of it. Lizards are not slimy or nasty, in my experience. Many of the lizards I've encountered have real personality. I do appreciate that you understand that labeling Noem a lizard is an insult to them.
Absolutely. The undocumented are only the first victims. We must indeed run those videos.
they don't even send them back to their own country...
You mean the Puppy Killer, don't you?
OMG I forgot about that...can you imagine a mother that would do something like that ???
Yes. This is exactly what I was going to comment. Many effects won’t be felt or take affect until after the 2026 midterms. People need to know what is in store for them in a personal way. otherwise, they have a long time to say, “well what was all the fuss– this isn’t so bad“.
At that point, 'short memory syndrome' will kick in, and by the next time the offender is up for election, all will be forgotten and they'll be re-elected. This has happened before.
No doubt many of the offenders will say "I feel your pain. We just need to work out the kinks. Give us time and let's "focus on getting the job done!"
It is then up to us to remind them both of how they have had plenty of time already and haven't served their constituency with anything but cheap words.
Put the ugly law into chunks people can comprehend and then begin those town halls. Perhaps Democrats in relevant district would invite Republicans to come and learn. Let up on social/cultural issues in favor of bread and butter.
Not only that, but not all congressmen in Senators are up for election in the same year. If we miss the 2026 elections, we miss the opportunity to toss out the people who were eligible to lose in that election. 2028 will not include all of the people whom we need to get out of office. We have to do this now and in 2028 and in 2030.
All Congresspersons ARE up for re-election every two years. One third of Senators run per cycle.
The "Die-In" protest at the Pennsylvanian Congressional Rep's office was brilliant - and successful. He was one of the scant few Republicans to vote against the bill. This tactic needs to be emulated.
That’s true, but between Trump's tariff wars, DOGE destruction, ICE terror campaign, and this terrible, horrible, no good bill there will be no hiding the deep recession and stagflation that has already started (it just won’t be “official" until the end of the third quarter).
Well as the saying goes" when Democrats lose they get sad, when Republicans lose they get mad!!" This time let's get some new democrat blood in there that's not afraid to get mad and dump the morons both democrat and Republican by the wayside and leave them there to rot!!! I am about to turn 70 and have lived thru many of this dictators things that were ruined once he touched them. Lock the moron up as he should be and keep his assets for the people to sell of for their livelihood!!!
Make it personal. Yes Michael, thank you for the suggestion.
I’m going to work that.
Agreed! Personal examples of the Big Beautiful Betrayal will be unfortunately easy to document.
The essay says precisely that.
In telling personal stories, let’s not forget about the economy: the impact of whatever Trump says about tariffs on a given day and the loss of immigrant labor from agriculture and other industries. Reducing grocery prices was a major Trump promise. Families have been struggling financially before the BBB and will continue to do so.
I understand Trump is carving out exemptions for immigrant labor on Farms.
Farmer Suicide rates are traditionally higher than average US even without the extra challenges of his BBB.
Truth can be very personal, huh? ALL are going to suffer but want the MAGAs and Republicans to suffer the most! They asked for this and put these deplorables in office!
The CON Man-in-Chief is ruling our World!
You are absolutely right when you say, make it personal.
And not a moment to waste. Beautifully written.
For many, already too late. What’s just taken place in Texas was heartbreaking, but not quite the Act of God that sunofabitch Governor portrays it as. It was a perfect storm of course. No, not just the isobars and fronts and low-lying flood plain-kind, but the human kind too — the bizarre, irrational hatred of taxes to pay for things we all need.
The grotesque war against FEMA, the violence DOGE did to one federal agency after another, the warnings made by past National Weather Service directors as late as May about the idiocy of slashing budgets to the National Weather Center just as tornado and hurricane season descended — and the ever-present, poisonous miasma of hate-taxes, hate-gummint lunacy every Republican loves to indulge in — there’s your Perfect Storm. Acts of Willful Idiocy piled onto Acts of God. No accident that Chip Roy, perhaps the dumbest, meanest wretch in Congress, represents that district in Texas.
A century ago, Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote that “taxes are the price to pay for living in a civilized society” — words now etched into the stone of the IRS building in Washington. So what do you call people who steal goods and services they refuse to pay for out of “principle”? Short-sighted? Morons? Thieves? Deadbeats? What about the clods who then show up to scenes of disaster (or just tweet about it), full of tears, gushing ‘heartfelt’ “thoughts and prayers” that deflect attention from their own failures?
Call this dumb bullshit out for what it is. No sane person wants to see their families die because cheapskates won’t pay for the services and systems that define what it means to live in a “civilized society.”
So all those people in Texas must be insane, because they don't want to pay for any safeguards themselves. These are the same people who will watch their kids die from measles and not get other children vaccinated. So maybe these people don't care if people die, as long as they don't have any taxes.
I would call them brainwashed. They've been indoctrinated with this 'hate taxes' foolishness for a long, long time. It never occurred to them there's a price to pay for that, too.
It's not all of Texas that is insane, just large parts. The blue areas tend to be sane. Our House rep cares about all the people in her district and has worked tirelessly for us. One of the things that's sad to me is that I've always thought Kerrville was pretty nice place.
Wow! Great! Thanks for giving us this emotional message. Feel your tears and fears!
Fantastic job by Jen. Furious but focused!
A clarion call to battle. You are a national treasure, Jen.
Yes she is Rosemary.
Try trump in mainstream media and culture.
It will be BIGGER than D"Jehovah" T and .ore BEAUTIFUL !
Come together Dems, Reps, all of US Of course DONATE your shekels to Dems, this media or The Atlantic , NYT etc, etc . Yet this is the problem Money talks more so than ever. Get money out of politics w/a Constitutional amemendment to limit the time frame and the amount of dollars any entity, (candidates. partys etc) can collect & spend. BuTT be quick b4 thesix can declare amendments null & void! For starters let's come up w/ a means to regulate the digital empires that flood the people's use of their digital world by harnessing the Inernet ...forthe people instead of the "bottom line " WhaddYaThink FOLK?
ERNIE notBert
PS How's about CCC Camps inatead of an Airstrip Alcatraz like FDRs in the 30s for immigrants to help as partners in rebuilding devasted areas & infrastructure to help prevent future disasters from earth, air ,water & fire?
Agreed, Rosemary! Brava, Jen!
It is time for Americans to understand the assault on elections that Republicans are engaged in. Perhaps the Contrarian can do more interviews with folks from the Brennan organization or similar groups to explain how ordinary Americans can help fight back against Repulican voter suppression. Much of this is happening in states which is why it's so important for Americans to be involved in state races. Groups like Sister District Project should also be given some time to recruit volunteers via the Contrarian. Most immediately voters in blue states must demand their local leaders provide leadership. Until Republicans are removed from power it's going to be hell for many people to survive. We are going to need to create a shadow federal government to replace services formally provided by the federal government. FEMA, NOAH, FDA, CDC are all dysfunctional. Health insurance, already in a terrible state, is now going to be lost by many Americans. Blue states need to form alliances as Governor Pritzger suggests.
And I will suggest a shadow ALT-DOJ to hire back any of the former DOJ staff who were forced out or left when the Project 2025 wrecking ball hit.
Perhaps the Patriotic Millionaires would help to fund it.
The function of the Alt-DOJ would be to provide more lawyers and legal support staff to fight all the illegal actions of the current constitution-defying actions as they continue to accumulate.
As I see it, our current judges are all that stand between us and the complete success of Project 25.
The work of Jen Rubin, Norm Eisen and the Contrarians provides a terrific model, but I think we need more of the same! Our time is limited and the crimes are many. Our Constitutional Democracy is in great peril right now.
Let’s PRESS ON!
Yes BosPhotoGuy, and our Governor in MD, Wes Moore, Senators Van Hollen & Alsobrooks, House members Steny Hoyer, Jamie Raskin, Sarah Elfreth, and all the other Represenstives excluding Republican, Andy Harris are doing just that! We have a great team!
It is time to stop berating House and Senate Democrats for not “doing enough.” Well said Jen, I am totally tired of the endless comments etc. by supposed Dems that bad things happen because our elected leaders don't do enough. Often these commenters don't seem to be able to do basic math, like do we have enough votes to do things? To me the Orange Menace is a perfect example of a leader who does exactly what he feels like, and doesn't give a hoot that much of it is patently illegal. And he is a criminal of course. United we stand strong! Whiners need not apply!
It is a timely reminder that we cannot be a house divided if we hope to turn the tide of MAGA cruelty. And after we win, we must abolish Citizens United and virulent political PACS.
This is not something that just happened. It has been going on for decades. So I will continue to blame Democrats for their lack of action when they did have power.
So what are you going to do to improve the Democrats? Frankly, I have no quarrel with my congresspeople (Raiskin. van Hollen and Alsobrooks). In fact, I'm quite proud of them. Maybe you should work in your district to elect people of quality?
How about blaming the Fossil fuel industry whose support kept Joe Manchin in office opposing Build Back Better and the Tech and Finance lobbyists at whose teat Kristin Sinema fed? Those two prevented Biden from enacting much more sweeping changes in 2021, muting the beneficial effects of Democratic leadership. Biden was still able to do a lot of good (now much undone) but it could have been so much better. And if it had been, would we be where we are now? Special interests bribes caused this,as usual.
Well, have fun down that rabbit hole. For $2 extra, you can get a mediocre cup of coffee somewhere to go with it. They’ll even throw in the swizzlestick for free…
Your choice.
The problem with some elected Democrats and much of the DNC leadership is that so many are not authentic. Don’t tell me that you support what the polls tell you the average Democrat wants. Tell me what you believe and mean it. Make an argument for your beliefs. Maybe you win the primary, maybe you don’t. But if average voters think you are a poll-tested empty suit, you will not win the general election in all but the safest districts and you will hurt the Democratic Party overall.
Thanks for YOUR service. To democracy and humanity. We need far more true journalists like you.
Here, Here!!!!!
"Donald Trump voters who insist they 'Never voted for this' must be allowed to return to the pro-democracy, pro-decency coalition."
That's a big ask. As far as I'm concerned, anyone who voted for Trump, particularly the second time around, needs to devote the rest of their life to working for causes that promote common decency. Let them go work for the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, Common Cause, Indivisible, the NAACP, WCK, Legal Aid, or whatever. Then maybe they can be admitted to the coalition posthumously. I want nothing to do with any of them.
I agree, but we’ve got to pull them back in. We need to work together.
There is a large % of Trump voters who would rather see their sister in a whorehouse than vote for anyone without an (R) behind their name. Sad but true.
But, not *all* of them. And, there are the 1/3 of undecided voters, the ones who sat out the last election that we need to go and get. Yes, there is a large percentage of MAGA who are not reachable, but they are not all of them. we need all the help we can get.
Assuming that they are willing to "repent", we need their votes. Democrats claim to be the big tent. We have room for all who are willing to help remove the thugs from our government - from top to bottom.
Definitely we need their votes. But my point is that they need to earn their way back in, and as far as I'm concerned a reformed Trumpista will never the same to me as someone who never voted for him. Another way to put it is that a lifelong commitment to democratic (small "d") causes will earn them a general admission ticket, not an all-access pass.
Earning their way back is a good way to put it. We shouldn't assume, to use the Susan Collins language, "that they've learned their lesson" for a single election cycle.
I agree with you Andrew - I'm not going to waste time on MAGA voters. I see Democrats or Democracy Defenders making a mistake if in trying to "pull in" MAGA voters they get wishy washy again. Let's stand for something and stand proud. Trans youth. Immigrants. DEI. Choice. Criminal Justice. Living Wage. We can respectfully differ and even disagree on our vision of what a more just society looks like, but we don't betray that vision.
treason is a hangable offense...
An inspiring and practical "Call to Arms" for all of us working to elect Democrats in 2026. Some foreign media are already calling the Republican Party, the American Fascist Party. I agree with them and intend on using this name in my own social media posts.
“Death Cult” works too.
Cruelty Cult.
They sure are. How they live with themselves I have no idea.
"The DumbAss Party", works for me!
Great macro strategy points! And also, many of us need to simultaneously tend to our rage and grief.
If you spent the holiday feeling angry, scared, or heartbroken instead of patriotic, you're responding to something real.
It's like the bullies have taken over the school. Donald Trump is the principal, Kristi Noem runs detention, Kash Patel is the hall monitor, and the Heritage Foundation decides the curriculum.
They're targeting people from groups who proved democracy could work because that threatens their power. And because - let's be honest - they take visible sadistic pleasure in the pain of others. These are cruel people who light up when discussing how to "traumatize" their enemies.
Screwing People Who Play by the Rules: Trump’s “Long Train of Abuses and Usurpations”
That sick feeling in your stomach? It's systematic betrayal. Name it and claim it to fuel your resistance.
https://paultshattuck.substack.com/p/screwing-people-who-play-by-the-rules
The sadism has been apparent to me for a long time, but it is only recently that it has been pointed out by more writers. It can be hard to wrap our heads around this notion that others take pleasure in creating deliberate harm, despite the accumulating daily evidence.
Well put.
The call to arms we all need. I’m so tired of “the Democrats didn’t do enough to stop this” BS. They did all they could, but it comes down to simple math. Everything needs to be focused on tying all Rs in Congress to this monstrous act.
It is all a number's game and we don't have the numbers against the traitorously nihilistic GQP.
Your list is missing three important actions.
1. I suggest that everyone watch the great interview Marc Elias did with Governor Pritzker. In his usual practical, understandable way, he explains why Republicans voted for the bill: Math is Math. No matter how many people in their state or district were going to lose government equivalency benefits, they counted that there were more Trump supporters than that and they would still be elected. So one needs to take those lists of victims of the budget bill and compare them to how many were elected by a margin smaller than that number. Those are the states and districts where work can be most effective. Shame is not as effective as fear, neither is as effective as Math.
2. Near the end of the interview, Pritzker talks about messaging vs results. Democrats have provided important realizable benefits like establishing minimum wage and union protections over the years. Yet the 2024 campaign hardly mentioned them at all. Democracy is nebulous, especially to those who think anything else could not happen in America. So talking about Democracy does not have the impact of how much money is in one's pay check, and how that is spent.
3. Do not let the MAGA element define the conversation. That means do not talk on their trumped-up issues (pun intended). Get real, and get personal. Talk about the issues of the everyday American. Instead of the cost of a starter home, talk about the increase in local taxes on their existing home that will be necessary to make up for the loss of US government funds, just to maintain the educational level for their children. Instead of talking about climate change, talk about what the loss of NOAH warnings could have meant to the children and staff at Camp Mercy, TX. And more.
Pritzker linked his budget message, his State of the State (Illinois) address, and his commentary on the effects of Trump's policies on everyone--not on others, not on poor people, not on those who are ill, but on us. Why? Because the budget makes the impacts of spending on everyday life real. While that address is also very down to earth, the broader national message is in the interview. Remember that Pritzker has won back to back landslide victories with his messaging.
Here is a link to the interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwxFVHCTvAA
Talk to the people about what is real to them. And use Math.
And we need to focus on the things we all can agree on, then draw the party parallels from there. Use some variation of "Christian" theological language regarding our responsibility to support those who are the neediest among us: not necessarily taking care of them, but truly providing support, so most people benefit in some way. Admit where the Dems went off the rails in the 2024 campaign, and how we are refinding our way to our base of workers, along with the academics, law enforcement, etc. Address the needs of public education and educators. Go with the old-fashioned but accurate picture of a country and government built for all of us: WE the PEOPLE.
I so appreciate Jennifer’s post. I’m really quite sick of hearing one Democrat (?) after another call for the circular firing squad because somebody isn’t pure enough for them, isn’t far enough left for them, doesn’t share ALL their ideas in exactly the way they want, or thinks ‘free ice-cream for everybody’ isn’t exactly a workable blueprint for governing.
Look around you. One-third the country voted for insanity on a stick; another third couldn’t have been bothered. Stop throwing shit at Joe Biden (isn’t it enough to watch Trump and Fox do this?) and start strategizing about how best to engage the disinterested, disinformed, and disheartened so that 2026 won’t just look like 2024 all over again.
"The choice now is not Democrat vs. Republican, or progressive vs. conservative; it is right vs. wrong, humane vs. cruel. "
It always was. The biggest mystery of all: how could Americans do this to THEMSELVES?! Makes no sense! And........what's with the Republican "representatives"? Don't they realize that they are/have ruining/ruined their very OWN country? At the core of the whole mess: how, and why, have Americans........LOST THEIR MINDS? Or......did they ever have one?
"Democrats must lift up the stories of fellow Americans and tie those “with a cord of steel” to every Republican responsible for the suffering they have unleashed. In this effort, adept Democratic governors (who must attend to the victims of MAGA’s cruelty) can tally the toll, denounce by name their state’s GOP delegation, and rouse their residents to throw them out."
I have often wished that Ms. Rubin could have been the communications director for the Democratic party, and this column, once again, proves her "cut through the BS and focus on the future" skills.
We are the party that allows and encourages debate and disagreement.
We are the party that acknowledges strength in our pluralistic and diverse society.
We are the party the recognizes the overriding importance of the Rule of Law, of Checks and Balances, of an independent Supreme Court and a non-partisan Justice Department.
We are the vanguard standing between our beloved country and the neo-fascist MAGA cult.
As a component to trump impeachment, link these horrible felonies “pay for get out of jail free” schemes perpetrated by liar /felon Trump.
Here’s a breakdown of notable Medicare and Medicaid fraud cases that received pardons or commutations from former President Donald Trump, particularly during the final days of his first term:
---
🏥 Individuals Pardoned or Granted Clemency for Health Care Fraud
Name Fraud Type Details
Philip Esformes Medicare & Medicaid Convicted in a $1.3 billion fraud scheme involving nursing homes. Trump commuted his 20-year sentence in 2020. Esformes later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud A.
Salomon Melgen Medicare Florida eye doctor convicted of defrauding Medicare of $42 million by performing unnecessary and harmful eye procedures. Trump commuted his sentence after 4 years served B.
Faustino Bernadett Workers’ Comp / Kickbacks California anesthesiologist involved in a $30 million kickback scheme tied to spinal surgeries. Pardoned by Trump B.
John Davis Medicare Former CEO of Comprehensive Pain Specialists. Convicted in a $4 million kickback scheme and accused in a separate DOJ suit of excessive urine testing fraud. Trump commuted his sentence after 4 months C.
Todd Farha, Thaddeus Bereday, William Kale, Paul Behrens, Peter Clay Medicaid Executives of WellCare Health Plans convicted of inflating mental health spending to avoid Medicaid rebates. Trump granted full pardons D.
🧾 Key Themes in These Cases
• Scale of Fraud: Several cases involved hundreds of millions to over a billion dollars in fraudulent claims.
• Patient Harm: Some schemes endangered vulnerable patients with unnecessary or harmful treatments.
• Political Support: Many clemency decisions were backed by prominent figures or framed as correcting prosecutorial overreach.
• Controversy: Critics argue these pardons undermined deterrence and accountability in health care fraud enforcement B C.
If you’re exploring this for research, policy analysis, or just curiosity, I can help you dig deeper into any of these cases or the broader implications of executive clemency in fraud prosecutions. Want to explore how these decisions compare to past administrations or how they’ve influenced current DOJ enforcement?
Are we really the party that allows and encourages debate and disagreement? I wonder if that is true in public perception or in reality, especially with respect to what are being called "cultural issues" nowadays...
I agree that we on the left need to figure out the cultural issues that are making moderate voters fear Democratic politicians. Often those issues look different over in Right Wing World (RWW). You see how Orangeman is forcefully making diversity illegal and shoving racism down our throats? If you live in RWW, you fully believe that Dems in power will do something similar. And, truth to tell, since the 60s, federal laws have striven to make institutional racism illegal--so that may actually be a sort of parallel. However, I believe that it's what they see as the sexual aspect that is driving a big cultural gap. Look how gay marriage rapidly became acceptable by most people, and none of the fearmongerng that RWW pushed about it has proven true. Allowing same sex marriages did absolutely nothing to prevent more traditional marriages from happening. The opponents were reduced to a rearguard action for awhile. However, the brilliant combination of : (#1) "Democrats are going to make being gay so attractive that your kids and grandkids are going to turn gay!" laced with (#2) AND they are going to make it cool to be transgender and then your daughter will become a son !!!!!!" topped off by the completely ludicrous (#3) AND there are going to be horrible fully equipped MALES dressed as women hiding in every restroom in the country planning to rape EVERYONE [insert infinite exclamation points.]" I have read multiple RW commentaries and they tend to go very much to the "social engineering" allegation because of the "everyone should advertise their pronouns". It seems to me many of our rural, heavily white, heavily "Christian" people are very much afraid of the unmistakeable cultural drift of the US (and the Western world) to a higher level of acceptance of difference. I think we as Dems need to emphasize the practical: a living wage, access to healthcare, food and shelter; but how do we neutralize the existential fear that the world is changing?
Did you Constance, mean: "abortion rights, the LGBT community, and a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. And that Democrats typically agree with the scientific consensus on climate change, and favor a multilateral approach in foreign policy"?
Cultural issues is a very important aspect. I believe that a tremendous number of voters went to GOP because of cultural issues.
“the far left have been too dismissive of concerns about immigration”. No, we have not been dismissive enough. What we have learned these past few months, as decent, hard-working, law-abiding immigrants have been rounded up by Stephen Miller’s gestapo is that MAGA “concerns” about immigrants are baseless. Immigrants are positive contributors to America, and deserve our support. The demonizing of, and bigotry towards, immigrants is a massive propaganda campaign stirring up fear and hate. We Democrats need to fight for the rights of immigrants, not hide from the issue in fear of the demagogues.
I couldn't agree more, John Ranta!
Democrats should tie the MGA republicans to their egregious behavior with bands of steel, but Democrats still need to be presenting an alternative program that doesn’t appear to bankrupt the country, betray our allies, stoke trade wars, and leave the bottom half of the country exactly where it is. My point is that we are in a game of high stakes political poker and the Democrats need to create a Fresh deal. We can’t unwind the minds of the unhappy and disaffected, but we can offer a program that delivers beyond political purity and small group politics. People want to have good jobs, jobs where they also benefit in the profits of their production. They want a fair, progressive tax system that provides a safety net, and covers the needs of a democratic nation, not a militarized autocracy with billionaires who can spend millions on weddings and private yachts while their employees work in miserable conditions. MAGA is bad is not a program. What is the Democratic program going forward?