Evening Roundup: Another front opens in the battle to save democracy
Featuring pro-democracy columns and videos from Jen Rubin, Norm Eisen, Eric Swawell and Michèle Taylor and a cartoon by RJ Matson. Plus, we want to hear from you.
Good evening Contrarians.
BREAKING NEWS: Richard Nixon had the Saturday Night Massacre. Donald Trump has the Thursday Night Massacre. “Manhattan’s U.S. attorney on Thursday resigned rather than obey an order from a top Justice Department official to drop the corruption case against New York City’s mayor, Eric Adams,” the New York Times reported. After the case was transferred to the public integrity section at Main Justice, a total of five more DOJ attorneys resigned. In a blistering letter — one for the history books — former U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon blasted the Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove III’s order to dismiss the case, describing a nefarious quid pro quo and accusing Bove of ordering the collection of notes that would have documented a meeting concerning the matter. Sassoon and other DOJ lawyers have demonstrated uncommon courage in defense of the rule of law.
And, as acting president Elon Musk’s and his Department of Government Efficiency’s approval ratings continue to plummet, the supine Senate Republicans confirmed two more utterly unfit nominees, Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for secretary of Health and Human Services. Meanwhile, the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Kash Patel’s nomination to lead the FBI. Those senators will shoulder the blame for every pandemic outbreak, security slip up or other catastrophe on their watch.
On a more positive note, Norm, representing State Democracy Defenders Fund (SDDF), and Marziani, Stevens & Gonzalez PLLC filed a blockbuster lawsuit on behalf of a group of government employees against Elon Musk and DOGE alleging Musk lacks authority to stop payment of congressionally approved money, access sensitive and confidential data across government agencies, fire government employees and contractors, and dismantle entire agencies. Under the Constitution’s Appointments Clause, only senior officials nominated by the actual president (Trump) and confirmed by the Senate can perform such sweeping functions. Musk does not qualify. This is the broadest attack yet on Musk’s takeover of the federal government. (Jen and Norm discuss the lawsuit here.)
And: Join us Monday for a Contrarians’ Day special event.
Jen Rubin and Congressman Eric Swalwell discuss USAID and Foreign Policy
Jen Rubin and Congressman Eric Swalwell discuss Trump and Musk’s impact on the United States’ standing on the global stage.
Musk and son
RJ Matson is the editorial cartoonist at Roll Call, a newspaper covering Congress and Capitol Hill, and his cartoons are widely syndicated by caglecartoons.com. RJ is the 2019 winner of the National Press Foundation’s Clifford K. and James T. Berryman Award for Editorial Cartooning. He was the editorial cartoonist at the New York Observer and the St. Lo…
Jen and Norm’s Morning Live
The Contrarian co-founders, Norm Eisen and Jen Rubin went live this morning to let our subscribers know what to expect today in our democracy. Make sure to subscribe so you can join in on the fun during the next livestream!
We want to hear from YOU!
Doctors, patients, workers at federal agencies. local farmers, anyone who's life and livelihood have been upended.
We need mass rallies, not protests, but rallies like what Kamala held, and that Trump used to vault him to office. Headlined by great speakers on all the topics we need to highlight. Like the old teach ins for the Vietnam War that enlightened so many.
Thank you, I need ALL the help to make sense of ALL this corruption. I am a firm believer that if Nixon would have been punished we would not be here. This convicted felon needs to be held ACCOUNTABLE AND PUNISHED and any of his helpers. We are in this together, we need you keep up the great work.👏👏👏❤️⚖️⚖️