Sorry to say, but it seems almost certain there will not be a presidential election two years from this coming November. The great (evil) leader and his devoted team of sycophants are solidly in place. Those of us who could have, didn’t have the guts to stop the takeover. Believe it! Our government is now as solidly
I agree. He bragged about how well Musk knows computers and those voting machines in PA, and he told us that we’d never have to vote again because they’re going to have it so fixed. I think pinning any hopes on elections in 2026 is folly, unless, maybe, we start now to demand a count of all paper ballots before declaring any results.
Oh, hogwash! Stop being such a god-damn drama queen! 86 47! 86 47! 86 47! Somebody will eventually take him out! Hopefully, sooner rather than later!
How many times did you call your senators, your representative, and the DOJ today, demanding action?? I started my calls at 4:00 this morning. And made several more as the day went on. We don't want to hear bullshIt about Nazi Germany! This ain't Nazi Germany! Trump can be assassinated. He's not THAT well-guarded!
How old are you, Klare? You’re very naive. I lived through Hitler and Mussolini. People said then, “This can never happen! No one is so evil! Heck, just before WWII, Madison Square Garden was filled with American Nazis wanting us to side with Hitler! Even politicians in England were siding with Hitler.
Please get a copy of Eric Hoffer’s THE TRUE BELIEVER. And, by the way, somehow getting trump out of the way will not solve the problem. Figure that one out.
Mr. Palmer, I am not naive. I have 100% intuition, which I have always used to my advantage. Most men do not have intuition, OR don't use it if they do. I am sorry you had to live thru Hitler and Mussolini. Even Charles Lindbergh did not want the U.S. to enter into WWII. Personally, I think getting Trump off the face of the earth would do a lot to stop what is going on -- shock value, you know? Or, do his sycophants expect it? Whatever -- if someone can accomplish this, they -- all of them -- will at least be wondering: "Am I next?"
Tom, if you gain any traction on organizing, count me in. No one here is doing anything but whining about ho horrible this is, not knowing that the true "horrible"is yet to come.
It is hard to tell if I/we are getting any traction until we would start hearing it from the Democratic Party and our candidates. Folks keep telling me we can't win with Our Platform but they never answer me when I ask them 'What in Our Platform stops us from winning?' I just keep repeating the same message maybe it will catch on because folks have to think it is their idea. So far I have gotten over 300 likes from my ORGANIZE comment since I have been posting it for months. I will keep doing it until folks don't 'like it' anymore. Thanks for your feedback. We don't want the others to define us! Our Platforms are in writing!
Google your states platform. The MNDFL Platform has it ORGANIZED with Bullet Points. Just read the Bullet Points to find out if you are a Democrat. Read the whole Platform if you want. When Democratic candidates are asked questions they should answer "Let's see what the Democratic Platform says. I expect democratic candidates to know and promote Our Platform not THEIR Platform. Our Platform is in writing. The National Democratic Platform is an option also. They are all Common Good Platforms, Interdependent Platforms not Greed Over People, GOP, Platforms
I live in AL, every email and letter is ignored and I get a boilerplate respond about how my representatives are fine Chrisfolks whob are fully committed to Trump's policies. I'm drowning in a red hell.
I know that many people in AL receive help with Medicaid, SNAP, and other benefits. I heard that phone calls work better than emails. Churches are usually supportive of helping everyone. Maybe you could reach out to them? Also, Southern Poverty Law Center is in Montgomery AL at (334) 956-8200, contact them for some ideas?
Stay engaged here, James .............. question ... where do those designated as Democrats play a part in your hell?
You can reach your Senators and Representatives via the Congressional switchboard (202-224-3124), or, even more directly by an internet search for your voting district for "Congresspeople". Also, contact for senators and representatives can be had via the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121.
And, there's also 6-14 as another way of continuing to express your dissatisfaction with this more than terrifying take-over of our democracy .....maybe better would be "our country".
James, write them and tell them they are living in a hell of their own making and "Christ" has/had nothing to do with it! Be sure to tell them they are rednecks and hillbillies and they need to go back to school hopefully to get a proper education this next time around!
You are right about what they need (to be competent voters). But those are the last things they would ever do on their own volition. Their grossly mistaken beliefs tell them all they want to know.
And when their taxes are raised, and they lose their Medicare, Trump will say, “I didn’t do that. I have brilliant people who looked into it and said we had to do this because of the massive deficit that Biden left us.”
We need to point out that we could bring down the deficit by not renewing the 2017 tax cuts. (The top one-tenth of one percent of “earners” stand to gain over $300,000 each if the cuts go through.)
If tax cut is renewed, people earning between$17,000 and $51,000 per year will lose $700, while people poorer than that will lose $1,000 per year. Talk about regressive. Source is Robert Reich if I remember.
As bad as all this is, the bill also includes a provision that removes funding for courts to enforce a contempt charge. There goes the power of the judicial branch, the last impediment to dictatorship.
"No court of the United States may use appropriated funds to enforce a contempt citation for failure to comply with an injunction or temporary restraining order if no security was given when the injunction or order was issued."
The parliamentarian ruling is not binding. The Senate can ignore it if they want. Hopefully no matter what the Democrats find their spines and fight this bill. There is nothing in this bill that helps Americans who are not members of the 1%.
Democrats ARE fighting. Don’t mean to be rude, but I’m wondering if you watch the news. I get daily updates from my reps in Congress. Perhaps you’re either in a red state, or you’re not signed up to receive newsletters?
I share your posts on my Facebook page almost daily! As a retired educator, I get likes & comments from some of my former colleagues so I feel I'm making a little bit of a difference there. One encouraging event was attending the recent commencement at Berkeley for a great nephew. He's received a fellowship in Washington to work with Senator Sanders on HELP. He also took your last class on Wealth & Poverty and showed us a picture of him sitting next to you on campus. I was overjoyed - the promise of this next generation to help us in fighting this regime!! Thanks so much Robert for influencing these young people!
What about disabled people? My cousin has a boy with downs syndrome, he is about 36 and he lives on SSI, been on it since was born. He is not able to work any kind of job, he is in a wheel chair. I think he only gets about 1,000 a month, are they going to take away his disability check? He has no means of supporting himself. I am so frightened for them, he is a sweet boy, his life has worth, God created him. She works full time at Walmart and can barely pay the rent on her apartment, he lives in a home for disabled people. If he loses his check then she will have to take him into her apartment and she can't work full time and take care of him. What will happen to them?
most Republicans claim to be Christian, but they are servants of billionaires who believe that the government has no right to tax them for the benefit others. Call them CINOs--Christians in name only.
I used to be a case manager who had many folks with cognitive disabilities. I am not sure what state you are in but your cousins family can contact the state agency that provides services and eligibility determination for him. In our state it is called DDA, Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) here is the web site link https://www.dshs.wa.gov/dda and phone number 360-407-1500. Your family can call them and ask them how to be directed to services in your state so you can ask your questions and or go in for an interview. They do benefits planning in our state and they go over all the SSI/medicaid benefits with you which will give the family a good idea of how any laws may be changing. Best of luck.
Thank you Colleen, for taking the time to reply and for giving me the information, I am so grateful for your kindness, I will share this with my cousin.
That's all horrific - but you didn't mention the worst part: eliminating the courts ability to hold them in contempt (by requiring a "bond" for which they are not funded) which effectively re-writes the constitution.
The Bill will be debated for a couple of months, I assume, back to the House after Senate changes, back to the Senate....where it needs 4 Republican votes added to all the Democratic votes to defeat it. Bear in mind that Mitch McConnell (202-224-2541) has stated publicly his disgust for Trump. I asked his staffer this morning to cut the "no Judicial", Dr. Reich described, from the budget and he replied, "Yes, we can do that, that's awful"; Other possible 'no' votes: Susan Collins (202-224-2523) (who has lost 70% of her Maine support) might be persuaded to vote against it; Lisa Murkowski (oil leases offshore in Alaska 202-224-6665) might yield to calls; Rand Paul (Kentuckians will be very badly hurt - is a possible, 202-224-4343) he has a very short msg period, just say "Vote NO on the Budget Bill"; Tom Tillis is behind already in his election - (202-224-6342)... There may be other vulnerable Senators.... We have time to watch and interact forcibly!
I was shocked when you said that Susan Collins had lost 70% of her support. When I checked, it seems that Maine is moving more to the left and she doesn't please either the Dems. Or Republicans with her positions
You read it right. It cuts Medicare AND Medicaid. Republicans will disingenuously tell you otherwise, but the fact is that cuts in both Medicaid AND Medicare will kick in as soon as we cross certain spending thresholds, which is certain to happen.
Hayek was right! The famous author of The Road to Serfdom, a book much beloved by Conservatives, did not see any danger to American freedom coming from socialism. Collusion between big business and big labor was the risk in the USA, he believed. Trump and Project 2025 are all about business interests at the expense of political liberty, put in power by dissatisfied labor. Only active, organized can dethrone them.
It is correct as stated, taken literally. #1 is the cut in amount of funds to Medicare, #2 is how many people stand to lose any Medicaid insurance coverage.
And don’t forget about the Provision cutting the legs from out under the Judiciary ! Why wasn’t that in the top ten???? Thank you, btw, for alerting me to that terrible clause , though by the time I read about it, it was a bit too late for the House vote.
Unfortunately, that is actually the most dangerous part of this bill, as it makes it IMPOSSIBLE for the courts to enforce decisions on constitutional issues. When this bill passes the Senate, which apparently requires only the vote of the current republican majority, Trump will be king.
OK. I reached out to my PA Sen. Rep. via https://fitzpatrick.house.gov/, sent the link to this post and asked if he, Mr. Brian Fitzpatrick, could dispute any of Mr. Reich's 10 points.
This is one of a number of outreaches (calls, mailed letters, emails) to Mr. Fitzpatrick with no response. I do receive email with all of the things he wants to show and say he is doing. I've even gone as far as thanking him for things that seemed praiseworthy. I try not to just be a complainer, but I think we have more and more cause to be concerned.
Now an OOPs -The House already passed the bill- but I still want to know from Mr. Fitzpatrick Why he voted for it.
ORGANIZE ORGANIZE ORGANIZE!!!!!
ORGANIZE OVER THE COMMON GOOD DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM. JUST READ THE PLATFORM BULLET POINTS. ORGANIZE!!!!
ALLEGIANCE TO OUR PLATFORM AND THE CANDIDATE THAT PROMOTES OUR PLATFORM!
GOOGLE YOUR STATES DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM TO READ IT!
MAKE AMERICA GRATEFUL AGAIN!
Sorry to say, but it seems almost certain there will not be a presidential election two years from this coming November. The great (evil) leader and his devoted team of sycophants are solidly in place. Those of us who could have, didn’t have the guts to stop the takeover. Believe it! Our government is now as solidly
fascist as Germany in the mid 1930’s.
I guess we will just have to ORGANIZE to make sure that doesn't happen.
I agree. He bragged about how well Musk knows computers and those voting machines in PA, and he told us that we’d never have to vote again because they’re going to have it so fixed. I think pinning any hopes on elections in 2026 is folly, unless, maybe, we start now to demand a count of all paper ballots before declaring any results.
Oh, hogwash! Stop being such a god-damn drama queen! 86 47! 86 47! 86 47! Somebody will eventually take him out! Hopefully, sooner rather than later!
How many times did you call your senators, your representative, and the DOJ today, demanding action?? I started my calls at 4:00 this morning. And made several more as the day went on. We don't want to hear bullshIt about Nazi Germany! This ain't Nazi Germany! Trump can be assassinated. He's not THAT well-guarded!
How old are you, Klare? You’re very naive. I lived through Hitler and Mussolini. People said then, “This can never happen! No one is so evil! Heck, just before WWII, Madison Square Garden was filled with American Nazis wanting us to side with Hitler! Even politicians in England were siding with Hitler.
Please get a copy of Eric Hoffer’s THE TRUE BELIEVER. And, by the way, somehow getting trump out of the way will not solve the problem. Figure that one out.
Mr. Palmer, I am not naive. I have 100% intuition, which I have always used to my advantage. Most men do not have intuition, OR don't use it if they do. I am sorry you had to live thru Hitler and Mussolini. Even Charles Lindbergh did not want the U.S. to enter into WWII. Personally, I think getting Trump off the face of the earth would do a lot to stop what is going on -- shock value, you know? Or, do his sycophants expect it? Whatever -- if someone can accomplish this, they -- all of them -- will at least be wondering: "Am I next?"
LEAD A NATIONAL RECALL OF EVERY MAGA IN CONGRESS.......WHY NOT?????????????????????
We have to ORGANIZE first.
Tom, if you gain any traction on organizing, count me in. No one here is doing anything but whining about ho horrible this is, not knowing that the true "horrible"is yet to come.
It is hard to tell if I/we are getting any traction until we would start hearing it from the Democratic Party and our candidates. Folks keep telling me we can't win with Our Platform but they never answer me when I ask them 'What in Our Platform stops us from winning?' I just keep repeating the same message maybe it will catch on because folks have to think it is their idea. So far I have gotten over 300 likes from my ORGANIZE comment since I have been posting it for months. I will keep doing it until folks don't 'like it' anymore. Thanks for your feedback. We don't want the others to define us! Our Platforms are in writing!
how? Each state has their own rules for this.
Google your states platform. The MNDFL Platform has it ORGANIZED with Bullet Points. Just read the Bullet Points to find out if you are a Democrat. Read the whole Platform if you want. When Democratic candidates are asked questions they should answer "Let's see what the Democratic Platform says. I expect democratic candidates to know and promote Our Platform not THEIR Platform. Our Platform is in writing. The National Democratic Platform is an option also. They are all Common Good Platforms, Interdependent Platforms not Greed Over People, GOP, Platforms
A hard rain's a gonna fall.
🎶 🎵 I see a bad moon rising... 🎶 🎵
Don't you see, we're on the Eve of Destruction?
Don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind is blowin'
I live in AL, every email and letter is ignored and I get a boilerplate respond about how my representatives are fine Chrisfolks whob are fully committed to Trump's policies. I'm drowning in a red hell.
Hi James,
I know that many people in AL receive help with Medicaid, SNAP, and other benefits. I heard that phone calls work better than emails. Churches are usually supportive of helping everyone. Maybe you could reach out to them? Also, Southern Poverty Law Center is in Montgomery AL at (334) 956-8200, contact them for some ideas?
Thank you Colleen, I will.
Can you rebut their points? How about anecdotes about the hell their "Christian" policies are inflicting?
I sympathize. As a long-time immigrant living in northern states, I've had more than my fair share of nasty rumor-mongering.
I'm sorry you've had to endure that, I've been getting a taste of that since I moved here from ILnearly ten yrs ago.
Stay engaged here, James .............. question ... where do those designated as Democrats play a part in your hell?
You can reach your Senators and Representatives via the Congressional switchboard (202-224-3124), or, even more directly by an internet search for your voting district for "Congresspeople". Also, contact for senators and representatives can be had via the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121.
And, there's also 6-14 as another way of continuing to express your dissatisfaction with this more than terrifying take-over of our democracy .....maybe better would be "our country".
Check out Chris Coons, D-DE news conference and post on your fb page
James, write them and tell them they are living in a hell of their own making and "Christ" has/had nothing to do with it! Be sure to tell them they are rednecks and hillbillies and they need to go back to school hopefully to get a proper education this next time around!
You are right about what they need (to be competent voters). But those are the last things they would ever do on their own volition. Their grossly mistaken beliefs tell them all they want to know.
And when their taxes are raised, and they lose their Medicare, Trump will say, “I didn’t do that. I have brilliant people who looked into it and said we had to do this because of the massive deficit that Biden left us.”
Yes - he will say that
We need to point out that we could bring down the deficit by not renewing the 2017 tax cuts. (The top one-tenth of one percent of “earners” stand to gain over $300,000 each if the cuts go through.)
Quoted figure was $390,000.
If tax cut is renewed, people earning between$17,000 and $51,000 per year will lose $700, while people poorer than that will lose $1,000 per year. Talk about regressive. Source is Robert Reich if I remember.
As bad as all this is, the bill also includes a provision that removes funding for courts to enforce a contempt charge. There goes the power of the judicial branch, the last impediment to dictatorship.
"No court of the United States may use appropriated funds to enforce a contempt citation for failure to comply with an injunction or temporary restraining order if no security was given when the injunction or order was issued."
I'm not a lawyer, but this seems to me to be unconstitutional. Comments?
I don't believe that is allowed in a reconciliation bill, so it wouldn't pass the parliamentarian.
The parliamentarian ruling is not binding. The Senate can ignore it if they want. Hopefully no matter what the Democrats find their spines and fight this bill. There is nothing in this bill that helps Americans who are not members of the 1%.
Democrats ARE fighting. Don’t mean to be rude, but I’m wondering if you watch the news. I get daily updates from my reps in Congress. Perhaps you’re either in a red state, or you’re not signed up to receive newsletters?
I share your posts on my Facebook page almost daily! As a retired educator, I get likes & comments from some of my former colleagues so I feel I'm making a little bit of a difference there. One encouraging event was attending the recent commencement at Berkeley for a great nephew. He's received a fellowship in Washington to work with Senator Sanders on HELP. He also took your last class on Wealth & Poverty and showed us a picture of him sitting next to you on campus. I was overjoyed - the promise of this next generation to help us in fighting this regime!! Thanks so much Robert for influencing these young people!
Nice work Dr. Reich.
What about disabled people? My cousin has a boy with downs syndrome, he is about 36 and he lives on SSI, been on it since was born. He is not able to work any kind of job, he is in a wheel chair. I think he only gets about 1,000 a month, are they going to take away his disability check? He has no means of supporting himself. I am so frightened for them, he is a sweet boy, his life has worth, God created him. She works full time at Walmart and can barely pay the rent on her apartment, he lives in a home for disabled people. If he loses his check then she will have to take him into her apartment and she can't work full time and take care of him. What will happen to them?
They don't care.
It’s survival of the fittest as far as they’re concerned, the rest can die
most Republicans claim to be Christian, but they are servants of billionaires who believe that the government has no right to tax them for the benefit others. Call them CINOs--Christians in name only.
Dear Solitaire,
I used to be a case manager who had many folks with cognitive disabilities. I am not sure what state you are in but your cousins family can contact the state agency that provides services and eligibility determination for him. In our state it is called DDA, Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) here is the web site link https://www.dshs.wa.gov/dda and phone number 360-407-1500. Your family can call them and ask them how to be directed to services in your state so you can ask your questions and or go in for an interview. They do benefits planning in our state and they go over all the SSI/medicaid benefits with you which will give the family a good idea of how any laws may be changing. Best of luck.
Thank you Colleen, for taking the time to reply and for giving me the information, I am so grateful for your kindness, I will share this with my cousin.
That's all horrific - but you didn't mention the worst part: eliminating the courts ability to hold them in contempt (by requiring a "bond" for which they are not funded) which effectively re-writes the constitution.
The Bill will be debated for a couple of months, I assume, back to the House after Senate changes, back to the Senate....where it needs 4 Republican votes added to all the Democratic votes to defeat it. Bear in mind that Mitch McConnell (202-224-2541) has stated publicly his disgust for Trump. I asked his staffer this morning to cut the "no Judicial", Dr. Reich described, from the budget and he replied, "Yes, we can do that, that's awful"; Other possible 'no' votes: Susan Collins (202-224-2523) (who has lost 70% of her Maine support) might be persuaded to vote against it; Lisa Murkowski (oil leases offshore in Alaska 202-224-6665) might yield to calls; Rand Paul (Kentuckians will be very badly hurt - is a possible, 202-224-4343) he has a very short msg period, just say "Vote NO on the Budget Bill"; Tom Tillis is behind already in his election - (202-224-6342)... There may be other vulnerable Senators.... We have time to watch and interact forcibly!
You can also thank Mitch (the evil turtle) for his part in putting the rightwing justices on the the court.
I was shocked when you said that Susan Collins had lost 70% of her support. When I checked, it seems that Maine is moving more to the left and she doesn't please either the Dems. Or Republicans with her positions
Is #1 supposed to say Medicaid? And also do you know anything about a provision purporting to prohibit states from regulating AI? That is scary.
You read it right. It cuts Medicare AND Medicaid. Republicans will disingenuously tell you otherwise, but the fact is that cuts in both Medicaid AND Medicare will kick in as soon as we cross certain spending thresholds, which is certain to happen.
Hayek was right! The famous author of The Road to Serfdom, a book much beloved by Conservatives, did not see any danger to American freedom coming from socialism. Collusion between big business and big labor was the risk in the USA, he believed. Trump and Project 2025 are all about business interests at the expense of political liberty, put in power by dissatisfied labor. Only active, organized can dethrone them.
Yes, this point needs clarification or correction.
It is correct as stated, taken literally. #1 is the cut in amount of funds to Medicare, #2 is how many people stand to lose any Medicaid insurance coverage.
Thanks for poining that out.
#1 is a 500 million$ cut to Medicare. #2 is Medicaid which will affect millions of people losing coverage.
My guess is that she’ll do a Tom Tillis and resign soon, but not before expressing her concern for the country.
Every republican is responsible for destroying this country.
The reverse Robin Hood. Stealing from the Poor to Make the Rich Richer. If you voted for Trump, you voted for this. Are you PROUD, Trumpers?
And don’t forget about the Provision cutting the legs from out under the Judiciary ! Why wasn’t that in the top ten???? Thank you, btw, for alerting me to that terrible clause , though by the time I read about it, it was a bit too late for the House vote.
Unfortunately, that is actually the most dangerous part of this bill, as it makes it IMPOSSIBLE for the courts to enforce decisions on constitutional issues. When this bill passes the Senate, which apparently requires only the vote of the current republican majority, Trump will be king.
There are probably thirty more things in that bill that ought to go in the top ten bad things about the bill!
OK. I reached out to my PA Sen. Rep. via https://fitzpatrick.house.gov/, sent the link to this post and asked if he, Mr. Brian Fitzpatrick, could dispute any of Mr. Reich's 10 points.
This is one of a number of outreaches (calls, mailed letters, emails) to Mr. Fitzpatrick with no response. I do receive email with all of the things he wants to show and say he is doing. I've even gone as far as thanking him for things that seemed praiseworthy. I try not to just be a complainer, but I think we have more and more cause to be concerned.
Now an OOPs -The House already passed the bill- but I still want to know from Mr. Fitzpatrick Why he voted for it.
Need to reach out to my PA Sen Rep. Fetterman w/same questions!! https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/ Not sure how far this one will go. Can also try Republican PA Rep https://www.mccormick.senate.gov/
I shared the original post with my immediate world