For the next two years, life will be Hell for little Donnie Trump, the spoiled brat who mentally barely made it out of 4th grade and who has spent his life throwing temper tantrums whenever he doesn't get what he wants. He got almost all he wanted the last two years., but it's all over now. Even the Republicans, who took a bad shellacking, now must accept the fact that it is the American people whom they must serve, and not merely Donald Trump.
The point is not to make life hell for Trump. Dems did not win because Americans support them, they won because a majority didn't like Trump. Dems still have to WIN the support of Americans, and the only way to do that is focus on, and pass, legislation that helps "ordinary" Americans and put the bill on the corps and rich. Prioritze the wish list and focus on the things that will win in 2028. I approve of making life hell for Trump and his cronies but don't let that be the main story.
JB Pritzker himself said that in this dual role Congress could walk and chew gum at the same time. Holding out for accountability and legislating for the good of the people can both be accomplished.
Maybe 'making life hell for DT' is a somewhat bombastic way to say it (although I agree with the feeling ) - but investigations involving subpoenas over a long list of possible (likely) crimes is not just warranted but really required by the Dems. Voters want an end to corruption and have been quite clear about it. Impeachments should def be on the table (maybe for DJT but definitely for Hegseth, Patel, others?)
Definitely also for JDT. We need to make it obvious to others who esteem him, that there is no more allowance for this kind of non-statesman in our government.
Two years, L.D., should he live that long, which seems doubtful. But if he beats the actuarial odds, why stop at two years? I recommend hell for Donald every minute of the rest of his miserable life. And if there is life after death, which also seems doubtful, I recommend hell for every minute of that.
These people also appear to like both the people and the country. Let them so serve us. Corporations can take care of themselves. Congress should take care of the people. Part of that responsibility is to protect us from the corporations. Strengthen anti-trust and anti-monopoly investigations and action against them.
Curious as to why the subject of who the next House Speaker could be didn't come up. Is Hakeem Jeffries that much of a shoe-in? He shouldn't be, given the shady dealings on his part.
I think only because Rubin specifically mentioned Schumer today. It was a big thread/topic on yesterday's Contrarian morning Rubin post.
You are 100% right, Jeffries should not be House leader. I do think though he is pretty likely to win..with Schumer I think there's slightly more chance of him being replaced.
Please consider calling or emailing your current Dem Senators and House. reps to voice your concerns over our Senate/HR leadership!! IMHO, we need a change in leadership in the Senate, and in the HR!!
The ‘Grassroots’ Pro-democracy organizations, along w/ our Pro-democracy teams of lawyers, state AGs & governors, former federal judges, independent journalism, etc…made this midterm historic!! Our progressive candidates have given us this opportunity to completely change the path our country is on!! There has to be serious discussion on what the American people voted for and which leader is right to actuate a plan that is consistent with our US Constitution. The fight is NOT over, we must push forward in all directions!!!!!
I would say anyone but Schumer, but that’s not true. Van Hollen would be great. I love Suzanne Warren too. She is sharp as a tack, especially from a financial perspective and would be great. Unfortunately, l am not sure the many “cross-over” voters respect her and her savvy.
and it is in practice unenforceable - so a state that the Compact required to deliver its votes to a completely unacceptable candidate would simply refuse and nobody could do anything about it.
I’m interested to hear more about this. The national popular vote interstate compact sounds like it might work once, being right now, only because of this singular moment of mass intention.
The electoral college is part of the constitution you can’t just abolish it. But there is a way around it. That is something that’s already in place for each state to pass legislation that says that the electors of that state go to candidate who won the most votes in that state. Most states have already passed such legislation but we’re needing a few big ones like Texas to make the electoral college, obsolete and ineffective. That’s what we need to push for.
Styra, I agree, but the interstate compact needs to be a temporary solution while we work on a Constitutional amendment to do away with the Electoral College.
Not just abolish ICE, but dump the whole Department of Homeland (in)Security. Its formation was a knee-jerk reaction to 9/11 and didn't consider the consequences. It has since become a boondoggle. Let the individual agencies under its "umbrella" return to their previous independent status.
Do you want an amendment to abolish the Electoral College, that would take years to get through the states, if ever, or do you believe Congress can do it?
I dunno, My sense is that in the battle of ideas, the left shows up armed with a wheelbarrow full of 90 page briefing books. In contrast, the right shows up with a box of 12x3 inch bumper stickers.
And you know what, in the popular battle of ideas, the bumper sticker beats the briefing books 99 times out of 100!
But van Hollen and Pritzker are right that the Congress shouldn't worry about Don the Con's veto. They should pass those bills, and dare Don to veto them. Then they can run on the point that they're passing things to help regular folks, while Trump vetos them so that he can help him billionaire buddies and waste his time and money building monuments to himself. Van Hollen is also right that the Democrats should swing for the fences instead of playing "small ball"
And Schumer needs to go-- sure, he's a very bright guy (got a perfect 1600 on his college boards, as he'll tell you lots of times) who is well liked. But he doesn't have the stomach for the knock-down, drag-out fight that the Democrats need.
JB Pritzker delivered the crucial, timely money and support to Texas Democrats when we needed it most. He gave us shelter in Illinois when we fled Austin to bust Abbott's redistricting quorum. He went on national TV and fought Greg Abbott. The fight of Texas Democrats was the ignition point for Democrats all over the country. It gave focus to the stakes and to the way to fight back. JB Pritzker deserves a ton of credit for that. I do not forget all the other Texas Democrats and Beto especially for being ready to spring into action at this opportunity. JB saw an opportunity and he capitalized on it, without making it about himself. That is special. BTW, I know JB was celebrating election night when Abbott lost.
JB quietly donated money to down ballot Texas Democrats. It was deployed strategically and only in amounts sufficient to be outcome determinative. He also deserves credit for the flipping of local Texas government from Red to Blue. He got a hell of a lot more bang for his buck than Elon did. LOL
Finally, I attended a fundraising luncheon at the State Democratic Party Convention this summer keynoted by Prizker. Texas Democrats know he stood by us. We know he had our back when we needed it most. And, the local Texas Democrat presiding over the luncheon told us she had just found out that the program her special needs daughter relied on was funded by Pritzker's foundation.
Who knows what the future will bring? But, if you want a president in the mold of Talarico's public servant model, Pritzker is the guy. Besides what better rebuke of Putin and his Russian puppet than to elect the son of Ukranian immigrants?
JB Pritzker gives me hope for sanity going forward. America needs this individual to guide our nation through the transition from corruption and absolute chaos into a highly functioning Democracy that works for ordinary Americans.
Has any leader talked specifically about the detention centers? Shutting them down and rescuing the men, women, children and babies imprisoned there? This seems like it should be an urgent top tier issue
This is good stuff. And obviously there’s more on his list. I suggest one tweet to the items you list: offer BOTH college debt relief AND debt relief to small farmers and businesses. Link the three. Show the country you get this point. Dare republicans to vote no to it all, and Trump to veto it, and 2028 republican presidents candidates to defend the veto.
With a Trump regime it’s never business as usual. They will have to hit the ground running. Getting things done like reinstating SNAP benefits, refunding Medicaid two of the most important things should take priority first. Defunding ICE and tearing down concentration camps should also take priority. Decisions regarding impeachments and reforming the Supreme Court should be an ongoing priority.
We are at a Democratic defining moment in our history, like the FDR, civil rights and anti-poverty LBJ and Obama moments.
If we stay focused and organized, which I think we will, we can restore uplifting social policies and shine sunlight on the horrors of the Trump presidency at the same time; walk and chew gum.
Definitely don’t make deals with him, he never makes a deal he won’t go back on….He is Lucy holding the football for Charlie. He can’t be trusted only,checked.
Many of us in these Substack fora have been calling for two things: 1. A Democratic shadow government, and 2. A countermeasure against Project 2025.
The first should have happened long ago. Maybe with the Midterm wind in our sails, it will finally happen.
I would prefer that the second had been assembled by a team rather than one man. But a plan produced by one man is better than no plan at all, which has recently been the standard modus operandi of the Democratic Party.
I offer my praise to Pritzker and Van Hollen for showing the initiative that we all desire.
We must work quickly and use a top-down strategy. Garland tried the bottom-up strategy and it failed. There is no sense in trying it again. Rich S. Octogenarian and Contrarian
Merrick Garland is a decent person who could have been an excellent Supreme Court justice had it not been for the refusal of Mitch "The Turtle" McConnell and the GOP Senate Judiciary Committee to allow him to be nominated. They wanted someone in the mold of the late Anton Scalia and that's how we ended up with Neil Gorsuch.
Biden appointed Garland to be AG in part to give the middle finger to those who blocked his nomination to the SCOTUS mentioned above. Alas, his pensive style and institutionalist temperament did not serve him well when it came to pursuing the classified documents case and opening the 2020 election interference investigation. He dragged his feet and did not appoint Jack Smith as special counsel until 11/18/2022!!
This was a classic case of having the wrong person for the wrong job at the wrong time.
Listen to Senator Abdul and do each item individually. If you try to clump together items you give openings for denying the whole package. You want on record the republican-fascist party and trump denying the American people on the single issue. Also you want to flood the zone with all the legislation the people want making it harder and more expensive for law suits. After the financial beating the elections cost the republican-fascist party, make them continue to waste their money and time. No automatic leadership, there should be a chance for other great leaders to present their cases. This congress HAS to set the stage for a democratic president in 2028 to secure our constitution, rule of law, and gain our allies back.
For the next two years, life will be Hell for little Donnie Trump, the spoiled brat who mentally barely made it out of 4th grade and who has spent his life throwing temper tantrums whenever he doesn't get what he wants. He got almost all he wanted the last two years., but it's all over now. Even the Republicans, who took a bad shellacking, now must accept the fact that it is the American people whom they must serve, and not merely Donald Trump.
The point is not to make life hell for Trump. Dems did not win because Americans support them, they won because a majority didn't like Trump. Dems still have to WIN the support of Americans, and the only way to do that is focus on, and pass, legislation that helps "ordinary" Americans and put the bill on the corps and rich. Prioritze the wish list and focus on the things that will win in 2028. I approve of making life hell for Trump and his cronies but don't let that be the main story.
I understand your point of not being its primary focus, but just the existence of a Dem majority in Congress will be hell for Trump.
JB Pritzker himself said that in this dual role Congress could walk and chew gum at the same time. Holding out for accountability and legislating for the good of the people can both be accomplished.
Maybe 'making life hell for DT' is a somewhat bombastic way to say it (although I agree with the feeling ) - but investigations involving subpoenas over a long list of possible (likely) crimes is not just warranted but really required by the Dems. Voters want an end to corruption and have been quite clear about it. Impeachments should def be on the table (maybe for DJT but definitely for Hegseth, Patel, others?)
Definitely also for JDT. We need to make it obvious to others who esteem him, that there is no more allowance for this kind of non-statesman in our government.
"For the next two years, life will be Hell for little Donnie Trump..."
As it should be.
Or maybe the McBurgers will catch up with him.
🤞
Let’s ‘make it so’!!
Two years, L.D., should he live that long, which seems doubtful. But if he beats the actuarial odds, why stop at two years? I recommend hell for Donald every minute of the rest of his miserable life. And if there is life after death, which also seems doubtful, I recommend hell for every minute of that.
Chris Van Hollen for Senate Majority leader.
Other option:
Elizabeth Warren
There are plenty of other good choices.
Suddenly we have riches of possibilities. This year brought not only a majority, but highly competent people, and who look like the country!
These people also appear to like both the people and the country. Let them so serve us. Corporations can take care of themselves. Congress should take care of the people. Part of that responsibility is to protect us from the corporations. Strengthen anti-trust and anti-monopoly investigations and action against them.
(I would have added Jon Ossoff, but it looks pretty clear he is a front runner, if not THE front runner, for the Dem POTUS nominee as of today).
Curious as to why the subject of who the next House Speaker could be didn't come up. Is Hakeem Jeffries that much of a shoe-in? He shouldn't be, given the shady dealings on his part.
I think only because Rubin specifically mentioned Schumer today. It was a big thread/topic on yesterday's Contrarian morning Rubin post.
You are 100% right, Jeffries should not be House leader. I do think though he is pretty likely to win..with Schumer I think there's slightly more chance of him being replaced.
There is a Change.org petition to replace Jeffries with 800k signatures so far: https://www.change.org/p/house-democrats-choose-a-new-speaker?
recruiter=659139&recruited_by_id=00b2a780-1583-0130-a17b-3c764e046567&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=psf_promote_or_share&utm_medium=mobileNativeShare&share_id=mnrGDVqYzd
Thank you…done!
Please consider calling or emailing your current Dem Senators and House. reps to voice your concerns over our Senate/HR leadership!! IMHO, we need a change in leadership in the Senate, and in the HR!!
The ‘Grassroots’ Pro-democracy organizations, along w/ our Pro-democracy teams of lawyers, state AGs & governors, former federal judges, independent journalism, etc…made this midterm historic!! Our progressive candidates have given us this opportunity to completely change the path our country is on!! There has to be serious discussion on what the American people voted for and which leader is right to actuate a plan that is consistent with our US Constitution. The fight is NOT over, we must push forward in all directions!!!!!
I would say anyone but Schumer, but that’s not true. Van Hollen would be great. I love Suzanne Warren too. She is sharp as a tack, especially from a financial perspective and would be great. Unfortunately, l am not sure the many “cross-over” voters respect her and her savvy.
Besides abolishing ICE, abolish the Electoral College. Let the people decide who wins the Presidency, not a group of political hacks!
The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact could be a good workaround. We are as close as ever to making that happen.
Probably unconstitutional, and any national vote scheme would be a nightmare if the vote is close. Recounts and lawsuits would take months.
Let them challenge it. There’s no worse nightmare than the thought of once again giving the presidency to a popular vote loser.
You didn’t address my point about a close vote. A better idea is to allocate EVs proportionally.
Exactly! No more Trumps!
and it is in practice unenforceable - so a state that the Compact required to deliver its votes to a completely unacceptable candidate would simply refuse and nobody could do anything about it.
I’m interested to hear more about this. The national popular vote interstate compact sounds like it might work once, being right now, only because of this singular moment of mass intention.
Here ya go: https://ballotpedia.org/National_Popular_Vote_Interstate_Compact
The electoral college is part of the constitution you can’t just abolish it. But there is a way around it. That is something that’s already in place for each state to pass legislation that says that the electors of that state go to candidate who won the most votes in that state. Most states have already passed such legislation but we’re needing a few big ones like Texas to make the electoral college, obsolete and ineffective. That’s what we need to push for.
Styra Eisinger
Styra, I agree, but the interstate compact needs to be a temporary solution while we work on a Constitutional amendment to do away with the Electoral College.
Not just abolish ICE, but dump the whole Department of Homeland (in)Security. Its formation was a knee-jerk reaction to 9/11 and didn't consider the consequences. It has since become a boondoggle. Let the individual agencies under its "umbrella" return to their previous independent status.
Do you want an amendment to abolish the Electoral College, that would take years to get through the states, if ever, or do you believe Congress can do it?
Don't need an amendment. States just need to decide to cast their electoral votes for the candidate who gets the most votes nationally.
We don’t need infighting. We need Schumer to hear the American people, which he absolutely NEVER does, and step aside. He’s not a king, either.
I dunno, My sense is that in the battle of ideas, the left shows up armed with a wheelbarrow full of 90 page briefing books. In contrast, the right shows up with a box of 12x3 inch bumper stickers.
And you know what, in the popular battle of ideas, the bumper sticker beats the briefing books 99 times out of 100!
But van Hollen and Pritzker are right that the Congress shouldn't worry about Don the Con's veto. They should pass those bills, and dare Don to veto them. Then they can run on the point that they're passing things to help regular folks, while Trump vetos them so that he can help him billionaire buddies and waste his time and money building monuments to himself. Van Hollen is also right that the Democrats should swing for the fences instead of playing "small ball"
And Schumer needs to go-- sure, he's a very bright guy (got a perfect 1600 on his college boards, as he'll tell you lots of times) who is well liked. But he doesn't have the stomach for the knock-down, drag-out fight that the Democrats need.
Check out Texas. New attorney general. Immune from Federal pardons. Musk may be the weak underbelly of the Trump administration.
Let your senators and your representative know what you expect from congressional leadership and encourage them to select leaders who can do the job.
JB Pritzker delivered the crucial, timely money and support to Texas Democrats when we needed it most. He gave us shelter in Illinois when we fled Austin to bust Abbott's redistricting quorum. He went on national TV and fought Greg Abbott. The fight of Texas Democrats was the ignition point for Democrats all over the country. It gave focus to the stakes and to the way to fight back. JB Pritzker deserves a ton of credit for that. I do not forget all the other Texas Democrats and Beto especially for being ready to spring into action at this opportunity. JB saw an opportunity and he capitalized on it, without making it about himself. That is special. BTW, I know JB was celebrating election night when Abbott lost.
JB quietly donated money to down ballot Texas Democrats. It was deployed strategically and only in amounts sufficient to be outcome determinative. He also deserves credit for the flipping of local Texas government from Red to Blue. He got a hell of a lot more bang for his buck than Elon did. LOL
Finally, I attended a fundraising luncheon at the State Democratic Party Convention this summer keynoted by Prizker. Texas Democrats know he stood by us. We know he had our back when we needed it most. And, the local Texas Democrat presiding over the luncheon told us she had just found out that the program her special needs daughter relied on was funded by Pritzker's foundation.
Who knows what the future will bring? But, if you want a president in the mold of Talarico's public servant model, Pritzker is the guy. Besides what better rebuke of Putin and his Russian puppet than to elect the son of Ukranian immigrants?
JB Pritzker gives me hope for sanity going forward. America needs this individual to guide our nation through the transition from corruption and absolute chaos into a highly functioning Democracy that works for ordinary Americans.
Has any leader talked specifically about the detention centers? Shutting them down and rescuing the men, women, children and babies imprisoned there? This seems like it should be an urgent top tier issue
This is good stuff. And obviously there’s more on his list. I suggest one tweet to the items you list: offer BOTH college debt relief AND debt relief to small farmers and businesses. Link the three. Show the country you get this point. Dare republicans to vote no to it all, and Trump to veto it, and 2028 republican presidents candidates to defend the veto.
With a Trump regime it’s never business as usual. They will have to hit the ground running. Getting things done like reinstating SNAP benefits, refunding Medicaid two of the most important things should take priority first. Defunding ICE and tearing down concentration camps should also take priority. Decisions regarding impeachments and reforming the Supreme Court should be an ongoing priority.
IMHO the only thing that may be veto proof is restoration of the Voting Rights Act.
Bold actions are required no more business as usual, and if that requires leadership changes do them quickly.
We are at a Democratic defining moment in our history, like the FDR, civil rights and anti-poverty LBJ and Obama moments.
If we stay focused and organized, which I think we will, we can restore uplifting social policies and shine sunlight on the horrors of the Trump presidency at the same time; walk and chew gum.
Go get them starting Jan. 4.
Pass bills -- Trump's veto will demonstrate why the Republicans lost. Don't make deals with him. Take the reins and go!
Definitely don’t make deals with him, he never makes a deal he won’t go back on….He is Lucy holding the football for Charlie. He can’t be trusted only,checked.
Democrats can learn from Mamdani how to hit the ground running
Many of us in these Substack fora have been calling for two things: 1. A Democratic shadow government, and 2. A countermeasure against Project 2025.
The first should have happened long ago. Maybe with the Midterm wind in our sails, it will finally happen.
I would prefer that the second had been assembled by a team rather than one man. But a plan produced by one man is better than no plan at all, which has recently been the standard modus operandi of the Democratic Party.
I offer my praise to Pritzker and Van Hollen for showing the initiative that we all desire.
We must work quickly and use a top-down strategy. Garland tried the bottom-up strategy and it failed. There is no sense in trying it again. Rich S. Octogenarian and Contrarian
Garland had a great temperament for an appellate judge, but his temperament was absolutely wrong for a political appointee like Attorney General.
Merrick Garland is a decent person who could have been an excellent Supreme Court justice had it not been for the refusal of Mitch "The Turtle" McConnell and the GOP Senate Judiciary Committee to allow him to be nominated. They wanted someone in the mold of the late Anton Scalia and that's how we ended up with Neil Gorsuch.
Biden appointed Garland to be AG in part to give the middle finger to those who blocked his nomination to the SCOTUS mentioned above. Alas, his pensive style and institutionalist temperament did not serve him well when it came to pursuing the classified documents case and opening the 2020 election interference investigation. He dragged his feet and did not appoint Jack Smith as special counsel until 11/18/2022!!
This was a classic case of having the wrong person for the wrong job at the wrong time.
Listen to Senator Abdul and do each item individually. If you try to clump together items you give openings for denying the whole package. You want on record the republican-fascist party and trump denying the American people on the single issue. Also you want to flood the zone with all the legislation the people want making it harder and more expensive for law suits. After the financial beating the elections cost the republican-fascist party, make them continue to waste their money and time. No automatic leadership, there should be a chance for other great leaders to present their cases. This congress HAS to set the stage for a democratic president in 2028 to secure our constitution, rule of law, and gain our allies back.