Exactly one year ago today, Jen Rubin and I and a small band of colleagues were furiously working to launch a new publication dedicated to the idea of honest but unabashed defense of democracy.
Thank you for continuing to provide excellent, factual analysis, legal defense and enough joy to sustain sanity. I am proud to be a continuing subscriber! A best investment.
If you live abroad you have to register to vote every year. U.S. citizens living, serving, or studying abroad—you can vote from wherever you are! 🌍 Visit https://votefromabroad.org to register and request your overseas ballot.
It’s quick, free, and valid for all elections in 2026. Need help? Write to help@votefromabroad.org.
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I will continue to subscribe, particularly to support your legal defense activities. Trump and his minions are ramping up fascism, and our rights under the Constitution are under attack. We need to defend them now more than ever.
"Rule of Law Shock and Awe." Keep it going Norm, Jen and the rest of the team. The good guys will win this fight. And after that battle is over, it'll take constant vigilance and hard work to make sure the enemy doesn't sneak in the back door again. For decades, beginning with Reagan, Republicans have been pecking away toward the moment we're in now. Gerrymandering, outright buying candidates and judges, running unopposed for state house seats across the country and worse. We can't let that happen again, and we can't let the Democratic party ever forget the lessons we learned last Nov. 4, when Democrats cleaned house in an off-year election. Our leaders have to give the people what they want, and more importantly, improve our messaging so the people know our leaders are giving them what they want. If we do, we can root out the rodents and once again become the country the world looks up to. We're in the middle of a sea change, and The Contrarian has been one of the leaders of the charge. I'm proud to be a charter subscriber.
Dear Norm, Jen, and your Fellow Contrarians, … I shudder to think where we would be today had we not your (and like enterprises) courageous reporting and your dogged work. Thank you!
Thanks to the Contrarian founders for your bravery, your considerable smarts, your optimism. And thank you for not censoring comments: not the thoughts and not the language. This is one of the few places where a commenter can speak his/her mind about Adolf Trump without having the comment deleted. That is a big deal in this land of the disappearing First Amendment.
Fascism. Heather Cox Richardson wrote this very instructive piece yesterday. If you haven't read it, I recommend it. It's about what our very own Army wrote back in 1945. Interesting especially if the verbiage spilling from the mouths of JD Vane, Stephen Miller, Donald Trump, and Kristi Noem is making you as nervous about our future governance as it makes me>
Your reporting (facts and commentary) has sustained so many in these terrifying months of attack on our way of life and our forms of civilized attention to the Rule of Law. There cannot be too much emphasis on how The Contrarian has permitted us to maintain our collective sanity. Jennifer Rubin and Norman Eisen have led us wisely into these uncharted waters (apologies for the metaphor) and guided us toward action and hope. Thank you is not enough for your commitment to continue to lead us along with your many guests. Forward we go with this amazing community!
Amen! I am so deeply grateful for Norm and Jen and their tireless work on behalf of this community, AND our country. Many have been the days when the presence of evil people and their actions have been overwhelming. At those moments, I turn to what Norm and Jen are doing, and peace of mind descends again. You both are blessings!
As always, the Contrarian rocks. Thank you , Mr. Eisen, for your excellent legal defense of the rule of law in so many cases. And love to Jen and Ezra Levin for the reminder that it is our job as citizens to protest such horrific wrongs bombarding us. We are fighting for our very democracy. It’s hanging by a thread right now.
Thank you Norm. If there were ever a man worthy of the title of PATRIOT, it is you Norm.
But I fear we are losing the battle.
Flooded as we have been with absolute insanity, finding precious few of those of your caliber around to help, watching our media shrug and turn away from Democracy, has had negative effects on me.
But, thank you Norm. What we need, norm, is you cloned over and over again. We need reason.
Actually I think Norm has built a fantastic coalition of like minded highly effective and very intelligent attorneys to join him - or he joining them - in their endeavors on behalf of us - and democracy.
Hard to believe it’s been a year! Thank you Jen and Norm! I truly cannot adequately express how grateful I am for The Contrarian. You have kept me from despair over and over this year, lifted my spirits, made me laugh, propelled me to action, helped me help others, gave me hope and recipes!—nourishment of all kinds, and have been a major force in saving our democracy for another year. Please know my thank you comes from a gratitude deep within me. May your spirits be nourished for another year of the important work you do and the gifts you offer.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your efforts. As long as you keep fighting, I will keep supporting you. Your work is of Supreme importance. Again, thanks!
The work you, Jen, and the rest of the contrarians have done is really amazing, and it has so often at times given hope when all hope seemed lost. The concept of the Substacks and the Contrarian are alive and well, and that is great and full of hope.
It was interesting to see that Rachel Maddow, Steven Colbert, and Jimmy Kimmel are following suit by establishing their own collaborative independent news program. That's three sticks of dynamite corded together to create a noticeable blast as well.
We often talk about what we can do. I strongly feel a simple but illustrative way we can be effective, and to keep the mental imagery of all in discussions in the proper frame of mind is to never call Trump "President" again. Felon Trump is a more appropriate title and it is a constant reminder to all in discussions that the subject of the discussion is corrupt and a convicted criminal.
YES!!! Thank you for all you’re doing! I think of the Contrarian, the Bulwark, HCR, Robert Reich and others, under the umbrella of Substack as the “Muckrakers” of our time!
AI summary on the internet:
Muckrakers were investigative journalists and writers during America's Progressive Era (1890s-1920s) who exposed corruption, social problems, and corporate greed through powerful, often sensationalist, reporting in magazines and books, sparking public outrage and leading to significant reforms like consumer protection laws and trust-busting, with famous figures including Ida Tarbell (Standard Oil), Upton Sinclair (The Jungle), Jacob Riis (slum conditions), and Lincoln Steffens (political corruption).
Thank you for continuing to provide excellent, factual analysis, legal defense and enough joy to sustain sanity. I am proud to be a continuing subscriber! A best investment.
Yeah but when is a party going to file motions for Thomas and Alito to recuse on bias?
How about to Impeach them?
You all know the fascists will never, ever do such a thing and the Democrats don't hhave the votes.
If you live abroad you have to register to vote every year. U.S. citizens living, serving, or studying abroad—you can vote from wherever you are! 🌍 Visit https://votefromabroad.org to register and request your overseas ballot.
It’s quick, free, and valid for all elections in 2026. Need help? Write to help@votefromabroad.org.
Vote from Abroad volunteers are ready to assist you with any questions about requesting or returning your ballot. Don’t wait! Request your ballot today and make your voice heard! 🗳️
ICE Victims
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Me too
I will continue to subscribe, particularly to support your legal defense activities. Trump and his minions are ramping up fascism, and our rights under the Constitution are under attack. We need to defend them now more than ever.
Same here. My one-year anniversary is January 15th.
"Rule of Law Shock and Awe." Keep it going Norm, Jen and the rest of the team. The good guys will win this fight. And after that battle is over, it'll take constant vigilance and hard work to make sure the enemy doesn't sneak in the back door again. For decades, beginning with Reagan, Republicans have been pecking away toward the moment we're in now. Gerrymandering, outright buying candidates and judges, running unopposed for state house seats across the country and worse. We can't let that happen again, and we can't let the Democratic party ever forget the lessons we learned last Nov. 4, when Democrats cleaned house in an off-year election. Our leaders have to give the people what they want, and more importantly, improve our messaging so the people know our leaders are giving them what they want. If we do, we can root out the rodents and once again become the country the world looks up to. We're in the middle of a sea change, and The Contrarian has been one of the leaders of the charge. I'm proud to be a charter subscriber.
Dear Norm, Jen, and your Fellow Contrarians, … I shudder to think where we would be today had we not your (and like enterprises) courageous reporting and your dogged work. Thank you!
Thanks to the Contrarian founders for your bravery, your considerable smarts, your optimism. And thank you for not censoring comments: not the thoughts and not the language. This is one of the few places where a commenter can speak his/her mind about Adolf Trump without having the comment deleted. That is a big deal in this land of the disappearing First Amendment.
donna woodward: I haven't read everything here, but what I HAVE read is also, by comparison, remarkably civil.
Thank you for everything!! The Contrarians have been amazing and I am beyond grateful for this past year with you all! I’m a proud subscriber!
Keep being defiant and doing the right thing. Every action matters!
Fascism. Heather Cox Richardson wrote this very instructive piece yesterday. If you haven't read it, I recommend it. It's about what our very own Army wrote back in 1945. Interesting especially if the verbiage spilling from the mouths of JD Vane, Stephen Miller, Donald Trump, and Kristi Noem is making you as nervous about our future governance as it makes me>
https://open.substack.com/pub/heathercoxrichardson/p/january-9-2026?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
Your reporting (facts and commentary) has sustained so many in these terrifying months of attack on our way of life and our forms of civilized attention to the Rule of Law. There cannot be too much emphasis on how The Contrarian has permitted us to maintain our collective sanity. Jennifer Rubin and Norman Eisen have led us wisely into these uncharted waters (apologies for the metaphor) and guided us toward action and hope. Thank you is not enough for your commitment to continue to lead us along with your many guests. Forward we go with this amazing community!
Amen! I am so deeply grateful for Norm and Jen and their tireless work on behalf of this community, AND our country. Many have been the days when the presence of evil people and their actions have been overwhelming. At those moments, I turn to what Norm and Jen are doing, and peace of mind descends again. You both are blessings!
As always, the Contrarian rocks. Thank you , Mr. Eisen, for your excellent legal defense of the rule of law in so many cases. And love to Jen and Ezra Levin for the reminder that it is our job as citizens to protest such horrific wrongs bombarding us. We are fighting for our very democracy. It’s hanging by a thread right now.
Thank you Norm. If there were ever a man worthy of the title of PATRIOT, it is you Norm.
But I fear we are losing the battle.
Flooded as we have been with absolute insanity, finding precious few of those of your caliber around to help, watching our media shrug and turn away from Democracy, has had negative effects on me.
But, thank you Norm. What we need, norm, is you cloned over and over again. We need reason.
Actually I think Norm has built a fantastic coalition of like minded highly effective and very intelligent attorneys to join him - or he joining them - in their endeavors on behalf of us - and democracy.
Hard to believe it’s been a year! Thank you Jen and Norm! I truly cannot adequately express how grateful I am for The Contrarian. You have kept me from despair over and over this year, lifted my spirits, made me laugh, propelled me to action, helped me help others, gave me hope and recipes!—nourishment of all kinds, and have been a major force in saving our democracy for another year. Please know my thank you comes from a gratitude deep within me. May your spirits be nourished for another year of the important work you do and the gifts you offer.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your efforts. As long as you keep fighting, I will keep supporting you. Your work is of Supreme importance. Again, thanks!
The work you, Jen, and the rest of the contrarians have done is really amazing, and it has so often at times given hope when all hope seemed lost. The concept of the Substacks and the Contrarian are alive and well, and that is great and full of hope.
It was interesting to see that Rachel Maddow, Steven Colbert, and Jimmy Kimmel are following suit by establishing their own collaborative independent news program. That's three sticks of dynamite corded together to create a noticeable blast as well.
We often talk about what we can do. I strongly feel a simple but illustrative way we can be effective, and to keep the mental imagery of all in discussions in the proper frame of mind is to never call Trump "President" again. Felon Trump is a more appropriate title and it is a constant reminder to all in discussions that the subject of the discussion is corrupt and a convicted criminal.
What a list! Like chapters in a novel or even a TV series, “America’s War With Itself.” Even CBS has failed us.
YES!!! Thank you for all you’re doing! I think of the Contrarian, the Bulwark, HCR, Robert Reich and others, under the umbrella of Substack as the “Muckrakers” of our time!
AI summary on the internet:
Muckrakers were investigative journalists and writers during America's Progressive Era (1890s-1920s) who exposed corruption, social problems, and corporate greed through powerful, often sensationalist, reporting in magazines and books, sparking public outrage and leading to significant reforms like consumer protection laws and trust-busting, with famous figures including Ida Tarbell (Standard Oil), Upton Sinclair (The Jungle), Jacob Riis (slum conditions), and Lincoln Steffens (political corruption).