If any of your readers have contact information where we can DIRECTLY email the leaders of the DNC, I would appreciate getting that info. I constantly get emails asking for donations, but no contact info. I want to tell them that the donations will NOT be forthcoming until we see REAL leadership stepping up in both the Senate and House. I want protests, I want TV coverage, I want filibusters, and slow downs. WHATEVER IT TAKES. I've tried to give them the benefit of the doubt, but my patience is gone. They need to act now, act often and "make good trouble!"
Yes! Same! I was sitting in traffic, listening to the news and getting very angry about the lack of communication from Democratic leadership and the audacity that they are still running social media campaigns asking for donations.
So I open up Notes and yelled my frustration into the phone. I will be posting this every time I see an ad asking for donations.
My representative said this in a virtual Townhall meeting when someone asked why Democratic leaders were not speaking out. “we can’t get on TV because the media chooses who’s gonna be on TV, we don’t “
Why are you waiting for the media to invite you in?? You sure know how to use social media when it comes to asking for donations, so why not are you out on social media defending democracy and talking to your constituents like you give a damn about what we’re going through?
So, you can’t get on TV well, you have other outlets to get in touch with people: social media, podcast, emails town halls, go stand out in front of the Capitol building with your iPhone and do a Facebook live!! Talk to us because we’re drowning here!
Or are you OK with what’s going on? We don’t know because your silence is deafening ! Why are you not speaking to your constituents, the people who hired you? I’m not contributing a damn cent to your campaign until you start acting like the leaders we need you to be. If you can use social media for fundraising you can certainly use it to interact with your constituents.
Powerfully said. I will use a variation of your comments to try to light some fires. My Republican congressman sends me the latest hits on the way to the Golden Age -- I'm not kidding that America is going to experience under Trump's thumb. I can counter that. But I don't know what to say to those Democrats who sucked up money like crazy from us poor pilgrims out here on the landscape and now whine because they can't get on TV. Give me a break. Do we look like idiots. I am tired of the Democratic Party treating Democrats like children.
As you put it so well.
"You sure know how to use social media when it comes to asking for donations, so why not are you out on social media defending democracy and talking to your constituents like you give a damn about what we’re going through?"
Let's try to get the DNC or Democratic leaders movng.
Robert Hubbell is correct in that we can't WAIT for them. But we can try several methods:
1). Lead by doing and tell them to come on along side us.
2) Telling them what we want them to do -- in ways you've suggested and I and others have seconded. "What we need from you is......" Fill in the blanks.
3) Let's not presume they know what to do. Trump's Coup has made this the first day of school for all of us.
Somebody who has just become a U.S. Senator, doesn't necessarily know what to do and even the veterans are shaken by the suddenness of Trump's assault.
IF they are good leaders, they will value the advice from those who lead. When I was a college president, people who came to me and said "This is bad. Fix it," were valuable. But people who came to me and said, "This is bad. I think we should x or y were indispensable. They gave me a starting point, turning an essay question into a multiple choice question that still left me and other with options.: "I agree that this is bad, I don't think we should do x, but maybe we should do 1/2 y and then let's try z or aa.
In any case, let's be nimble and flexible."
The least productive questions are the "Why" questions. Examples. "Why is Trump siding with Putin? Why is he letting Musk run the show? Why do people buy his lying? Why don't you do something." These may be important questions, but they are not the most immediate right now.
In the words of Gil Turner, recorded by Judy Collins, Joan Baez and many others.
"When you can’t go on any longer,
Take the hand, hand of your brother,
Every victory brings another, Carry it on, carry it on."
Marsha- it’s infuriating! What is it gonna take for them to move their asses and get out and speak to the public? It feels like we’re running out of time.
I couldn't find an email address for any of the individual DNC leaders. But you can submit "questions or comments" to them through the contact page here: https://democrats.org/contact-us/
We need to lead our leaders, and Robert is absolutely right: "No effort is wasted. No gesture is meaningless. No voice is unheard. Everything matters—now more than ever."
Go ahead and send the DNC your questions or comments. They need to hear from us, loud and clear!
I have found that if I Google individual Senate members email addresses are provided. I have sent emails to my state senators-Peters and Slotkin- and to Cassidy about what Kennedy isn't doing regarding the measles outbreak. Now whether they are read is another story.
Just a note: indivisible says only contact your reps. The rest goes in trash. They also say calls are THE MOST impactful. Emails aren’t. I think they still have a Do & Don’t on website.
Some other person pointed out the DNC is just one of many branches of Democratic leadership. However, I do not know what they were referring to as other branches other than local and state.
I agree that I have wanted daily performative bills addressing the things that Trump, Musk and their cabinet and other hires are doing, and get on the record that Republicans did not bring these bills to the floor, and demand a press conference on the bills. These Dems are just making the life of the press easy by doing nothing and letting a few people speak up. Not a penny more will they be getting from me until they get how to act up like the Republicans do.
That's tempting, but the DNC has a spot in the political infrastructure and those are what we need access to. We have to either change their perspective or co-opt them into action.
is the website where you can write a message to the DNC. I sent one about no more money till they use some of the $20 million left over from the 2024 campaign to actually do something. Billboards exposing the destruction of the R party!
And I use every mailing asking for donations to write the same message on their donation form and send it back. If enough of us do it, maybe they'll respond. $20 million goes a long way!
I just sent the same message. NO MORE donations to the DNC...and they can look at my records and see that they received substantial assistance last year. Not now, and not until (IF!) they get their act together.
It might be easier to find contact info for David Hogg who is DNC vice president or something to that effect. He would be more open to this idea anyway and can pass on our comments. I bet he can be reached on BlueSky. Maybe Ken Martin (new leader of the DNC) is also.
Yes. Ken Martin needs to be taken to task! He promised us a War Room with daily meme's and messaging coordinated with Ben Wickler, using alternate platforms and even using "Influencers" to get our messages out, and instead it's a daily barrage of begging for donations.
I have torn up all requests for donations. Where the *#%$* are they besides spending our taxpayer money blanketing Democrats with donation requests? They are tone-deaf!!!
Democrats are out of power, and unlike the UK, we have no tradition of a shadow cabinet.
Is Biden supposed to step forward and expose himself to Trump's malevolence? That is exactly what would happen.
I see a lot of Americans who want SOMEONE ELSE to step forward and risk their life because 77 million people chose to vote for a cognitively deficient con man who appears to be a mascot for a drug addled, sociopathic entrepreneur, Elon Musk.
Ellie, a few days ago, I got email from the DNC regarding donating. I unsubscribed from emails from them and then they asked why. I told them I wanted to hear about concrete ACTIONS being planned to thwart what's being perpetrated by repubs and magas. The next day, I received my "membership" card and request for a donation. I wrote on it the same thing and mailed it back. It is very frustrating 😤
It’s bizarre how hard it is to find this contact info! I was the vice chair for voter outreach for my county Dem party and know all of our State committee reps and our former county chair was on the executive committee committee at the state level. No one had direct access to our state chair let alone the DNC. I know there is a caucus of county reps at the state level who are pushing for structural reform. They’ve had some success but it’s a long road. The best path is the slow one where activist party members begin to take over our state committees. Perhaps we could circulate a petition to somehow present to the DNC leadership? Maybe through someone’s congress member?
I'd like to see a resolution submitted on the floor of both the House and the Senate by ALL Democrats offering not only an apology but full support for Zelensky and Ukraine. Maybe they could fund raise off of that and just maybe if they did ANYTHING they'd get their 30 seconds of airtime on national media.
From People Power United.Takes a minute to send ! ⬇️
“Will you join us in sending a letter of support for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian leaders and soldiers, and the resilient people of Ukraine? Click here to send a letter.”
Just did it. Thankyou. They make it easy - and you can easily add your own words.
There is a lot of frustration among those who live in these comment boards. I share that - big time. I'm terrified and pissed off like never before in my life.
But as Heather Cox Richardson reminds us - we have been through horrific times before and we have had despicable presidents and we have fought wars - but we came through.
I despair at some of the hopelessness I read. Some are ready to give up. That is not a path to repairing our democracy. We need to be loud. We need to steel ourselves. For what is coming is worse than anything we could have imagined.
As the horrors are unfolding, let's remember that the pendulum swings both ways. And also... EVERYTHING that goes wrong is ALWAYS the president's fault. A year from now if $Trump is still president, his approval rating will be in the toilet and we will be preparing to retake Congress.
I will watch the MoveOn show tomorrow night instead of the Shitshow of the Union address. We will hear from Senators Murphy, Schatz and Markey...who along with Bernie have been very vocal.
I completely agree. There are times when a rant is the best direct communication of the facts. Thank you for this excellent post. It’s not lost on any of us that your travels in the UK have a strong component related to this moment in history for our country. The two of you are a phenomenal team, which already you know and cherish, and Jill‘s daily videos showing highlights of your travels are exquisite. Together, you are an inspiration. If anything, your choice of format for this particular post of Today’s Edition relates to an economy of words, an economy of time, that you can only do so much within each 24/7! We’re all so so grateful. This 80 year-old was at a Tesla demonstration Saturday (Palo Alto near Stanford) and I aim to demonstrate with the energy of a 60-year-old! Lol! My friends and I are on track to identify demonstrations that are trustworthy and well organized. I have friends who own Tesla’s because they thought Elmo was Green, not realizing that he’s been funding Stephen Miller for more than a decade. I know some are in a quandary whether to dump their cars or not, but that’s a small matter, compared to saving our nation, saving our democracy, and indeed, as you say, Robert, it’s going to take “we the people” to move en masse and wake the sleepyhead politicians with the thunder of our activity. We. Will. Vanquish.
Katherine, you give us all courage. The indomitable will of people like you, even older than I (76). pushes us all to action. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and your experience.
Patrick, I thank you for such kind words. Considering this venue, I’m blessed that someone from high school in SoCal knew of Rob Hubbell‘s newsletter and we joined in February 2017! Such a rocky road but all along, Rob‘s ability to pull it all together absolutely contributes to our sanity, our understanding, and our will to be engaged with hope and action. (Periodically, he reminds us all that action is the antidote to fear and anxiety.) Rob and his managing editor indeed inspire. I’ll throw this in… Some of my closest friends are turning 60 and I met them when they were eight years old in my third grade class… I’ll invite you to think back to third grade and I’ll hope they are special and fun memories. The third grade bubble mindset definitely provides healthy inspiration. Take care and again, thank you. Kathie
ACTION ITEM: On Monday call the office of your Senators and Representative. Urge them to boycott Trump's speech on Tuesday. Empty seats are better than any disruption. Ron Wyden, my Senator is holding an online town hall that is open to anyone.
Absolutely! On Sunday Senator Chris Murphy explained on CNN why he won't attend the Trump show on Tuesday, sitting there listening to another litany of lies. Each and every Democrat in Congress should follow his example. Their constituents should tell them that they should not allow themselves to be demeaned as cheap extras in this despicable reality show.
And if one member of the Democratic caucus should not heed that call to action and attends wearing his signature baggy shorts and a hoodie – so be it.
I've become a big Sen Chris Murphy fan. We need more like him. I read that some Democrats are inviting fired federal workers to be their guests. Why on earth would they want to subject themselves to such abuse by the man who is destroying their lives? Just seems stupid to me.
My Representative will be attending, even though I asked her not to, though I did have a nice conversation with her staff person. Wyden is one of my Senators, so he's taken care of. Merkley's said they didn't know if he would be attending, but would give him the message.
I hope the people of Pennsylvania get on Fetterman's case. We got rid of Kirsten Sinema, and we don't need another like her.
A hell of a lot can be done, everyone has to do something. The cumulative effect of a combined Gathering of force will be undeniable. Many of us can't march in the streets, but we need to break up the routine of Our Lives which has enabled this horrid force to gain momentum. At the very least, join me in a 30-day boycott of Amazon, the previous one day boycott was an absolute minimum and I'm sure that many people who didn't buy on that day bought on the next day. Mr. Bozos likely leaned back and laughed at the tiny effort which inflicted no harm on him. Perhaps 30 days of as many of us as possible not buying one thing from Amazon will begin to make a dent. Face it, we don't need all those things, we buy them out of convenience and we have lapsed into a consumer coma which has made him an arrogant asshole billionaire. Stop it now, stop it for a month, stop it as long as necessary. Go to the store, buy something instead of using keystrokes which line his pockets. And I'm sure there's plenty else we can all do.
March 7 thru 14th there is a planned cumulative boycott of Amazon. I think these type work better when planned. I personally did a one month of no Amazon until this past week, just because I just could not reward Bezos with my money at all for a while - felt like nails on a chalkboard to me to do it at all. I live in a rural area and do have issues getting out for more than for short shopping trips, so I order pickup a lot from Walmart and Amazon both. I am trying to change that up as much as possible. But unfortunately I would not get very far at a protest.
Thank you for this newsletter. It clearly describes what I feel and what other like minded folks I am talking to feel. I think Democratic leadership needs to recruit someone like Pete Buttigieg as the daily spokesperson. I also think every cabinet secretary under Biden should be re-convened to act in their leadership positions to help direct resistance in the most effective way possible. After all, each of those individuals have the most immediate knowledge of their respective areas of cabinet responsibility. Democratic Governors could provide the top level leadership. They seem much more able to plan, act and articulate plans. Democratic House and Senate should look to informal leaders for more ideas and strategies to effectively fight from the legislative end. Every city that has a Democratic mayor should be regularly convening interested citizen forums to formulate and coordinate efforts at protest and resistance at local levels. I also see a role for Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O'Donnell to direct communications. Other trusted spokespersons need to be identified to assist with messaging and communications. There are so many opportunities to get the resistance coordinated and moving ahead more effectively. System thinkers....we need system thinkers!
Pete Buttigieg would be a natural. But being the daily spokesperson and thus face of the opposition would probably propel him (or any other person assuming that task) into a pole position for the elections in 2028. So the leadership of the Democrats (whoever they are, they seem to be MIA) would have to forget about their own ambitions.
Perhaps the realization, that if the coup continues with the current breathtaking speed there won't be any elections in 2028, might help.
I totally agree with you on the daily press conference. In fact this morning I had sent the following to both Congressmember Jamie Raskin and Sydney Kamlager Dove:
“ I suggest the Dems start a daily press conference called “Just the Facts” to cover what happened that day and how it specifically hurts everyday Americans. Pick a dozen really good communicators from Congress and have them rotate the duty. I think we need to be in the public’s face every day with just the facts and simple straightforward messaging. Have a simple scorecard showing one fact per day such as:
We The People:
Minus $880 billion in Medicaid benefits for seniors and children; low insulin prices
They The Richest:
Plus $4 Trillion in tax cuts for the wealthiest 1%.
I would encourage all your readers to contact their Congressmembers and push them to do this.
That is a magnificent photo of the Magna Carta. The underlying principles resonate here and with all modern democracies. Hopefully we will be able to re-capture the spirit and reinforce our ties with the UK at some point. And thank you for speaking with concerned citizens and allies abroad. It means a lot to know people understand the immense frustration we feel.
I am searching for cracks in the veneer of this debased regime. Here is one: I read, that when unqualified Hegseth ordered the cybersecurity to stand down, the other head, Waltz I believe, was not informed of any such order. This is a big DoD deal, and could result in a challenge.
Also, there was a strong statement from Hakeem Jeffries today regarding continuing budget negotiations. Essentially, House GOP could not agree amongst themselves, and walked away from negotiations with Democrats. The statement indicates Dems will negotiate if they include the social programs -- e g Medicaid, etc. -- we come to expect. But, they will not work with GOP without it. So . . . the subtext is let the GOP own their failure and shut it down (March 14) without the Dems. It's on them.
I honestly don't know when I will get over the shock and loss of that vile White House stunt with President Zelenskyy. I have seen more reports that suggest dynamics of explicit abuse, which is triggering and traumatizing for Ukrainians and for Americans. The political fallout is incalculable damage the world over. And the Chinese may be watching with interest -- thanks, GOP -- for a chance to pounce on Taiwan, if it too is left vulnerable in the wake of U.S. capitulation.
To think: The House Republicans have it within their power to end this national nightmare. All they have to do is impeach the bastard and let the Senate convict him. Then (and only then) the reparations can begin to proceed.
They will not. Very unlikely. I think mobilization is the way, and capture House, maybe Senate seats as soon as possible. Then impeachment becomes feasible. There are two elections April 1, and 2026.
It would only take a few Republicans with spines to impeach Trump and Vanceand, if need be, Johnson. Then the Republicans in the Senate would have a third chance to save our democracy. I think we have to try. Or we won't have another "fair" election...
I don't think most Americans understand how quickly and "democratically" Hitler destroyed Germany's democracy.
Purin, Trump, Vance, the Oligarchs and the authors of Project 2025 ALL understand this 👇
“The big joke on democracy is that it gives its mortal enemies the means to its own destruction.” - Joseph Goebbels, March 23, 1933 (The day Hiter succeeded in destroying Germany"s democracy)
The Republicans will only change when it becomes clear that their voters are now against them. Then the threats by muskrat to "primary" them becomes meaningless.
Putin's Manchurian candidate has revealed himself beyond a shadow of a doubt now. Trump and Vance have embraced Putin and rejected our Allies. Trump and Vance spew Putin's propaganda, as if it were true. They have betrayed American ideals. When will Republicans in the House and Senate get a spine and hold Trump and Vance accountable? What will it take?
I agree with all of this until the question of spines. That is why I say don't waste our precious time and energy on thoroughly corrupted GOP reps. Spend it on organized, public outcry and especially, mobilizing votes for any and all elections. This is triage time. Wishful thinking is for another, brighter day.
I agree it will take a public outcry to force Republicans to stand up for democracy or be ousted in the next election. But that presumes there will be a next, "fair", election. Remember, Trump promised his base that they wouldn't have to vote again. And the Trump administration has now taken down cybersecurity measures against Russian interference.
So we are almost on the same page here. That last point on the cybersecurity is very concerning and I'm not clear yet how to counter it. It's brand new and not even 100% clear how much it will be deployed. There was internal dissent from Waltz already. I am wondering if there could be a suit mounted by a party with standing to challenge or at least stall such a serious decision. Heather Cox Richardson also wrote about it.
Last week, our impromptu Saturday protest saw 25 people show up on two days notice via word-of-mouth. This past Saturday, 65 people showed up and nearly every car and pickup truck that drove by gave a supportive honk of the horn.
Start your own Saturday Protest. No permit needed for single file on a sidewalk. No permit for construction paper megaphones. No permission slip required to speak out, wave the flag upside down or right side up, and create posters on a devastating range of topics.
Get out there. You will be amazed at how easy it actually is to make a patriotic ruckus, how eager people are to call and respond the Constitution’s Preamble, and how good you will feel to be outside in the elements with your neighbors by your side.
Friedrike, i don't know where you're located, but we have a small-scale Saturday protest, started 3 weeks ago, in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood, Market & Leary. Noon to 1 o'clock. Our first 2 gatherings were 18 of us, the 3rd gathering we doubled in size...so we decided to keep going.
Started by two of us who met on Nextdoor, totally nonprofessional, but we have extra signs for anyone who needs one. We're also getting a hugely enthusiastic response, very gratifying and uplifting. Anyone, welcome to join us!
Hello Diane, and thank you for the protest sign offer but over here in Cold Spring New York, across the Hudson River from West Point, we seem to be doing A-OK on the sign, enthusiasm and participation front.
I got fed up waiting for someone to organize a protest. At the same time, another woman up the road was feeling the same way and unbeknownst to each other, we initiated our town’s Saturday Protest.
Her call was for 10:30 and mine for noon. Two Saturday’s ago, I approached the protest site and saw people leaving. I asked my friend Anita where she was going. Home! I’m freezing, been out here for an hour. She had read the 10:30 notice.
It was a great moment, and we women are clearly leading the call to stand up for democracy. Great to hear from you. Onward!
I loved the small protest that was staged over the weekend in a small town in Vermont that JD Vance was traveling to for skiing. One of the lines I heard was "I hope they give you fake maple syrup". 😆
We had one in my town Saturday. We had 200 people and so many people honking. I think an appropriate sign next time would be.”mad as hell? Then join the fight!!”
The most striking part of your message this evening, Robert, is the lack of hierarchy in the reporting of the recent events. All forms of event precipitation are treated equally-- "Should Zelenskyy have worn a suit?", "Will/should Zelensky apologize to Trump?" "Is it true that the US is no longer an ally of the European countries, and has no wish to see Ukraine survive as a democracy?"
When all stories are treated equally, no stories seem to matter. The result is an overwhelming ennui.
There are only two stories these days, each of which needs careful and sustained attention at all levels of journalism-- news, opinions, and analyses. One story is domestic, the other international. One is of the destruction of a document that is nearly a quarter-millennia old-- the US Constitution. The other is the destruction of an agreement that is 80 years old-- the NATO alliance.
There is nothing conservative about either of these rapidly unfolding events. Everyone should be taking about them, constantly, and holding the feet of those who call themselves conservative to the fire.
I am filling out a passport app for my husband. He has not traveled out of the country since fighting in Vietnam in the 60’s. If his passport doesn’t get approved, I will have a nervous breakdown. I am also going to be starting in looking at getting dual citizenship from Germany since my mother was from Berlin and my grandparents were gassed at a gas camp. None of what is happening sits too well with me but I am not giving in or giving up! I fucking love my country!
I totally get why people who can are doing this. Dual citizenship would be great so you have an exit if needed. For me that would be hard at my age and with family pets. I have never traveled outside the US, except to Canada long before a passport was required. My family on my father's side was in America since 1797 and I still live on and own a portion of that ancestor's property. On my paternal grandmother's side, I can lay claim to a written lineage back to a Scotch-Irish ancestor named Andrew Moore. I still have the book volume with my closer family members' names in it.
Just saw this news: U.S. suspends cyberoffense against Russia. What in the hell?!? We have a secret agreement with them? Or we just decided to be nice because they are our new friends?? Putin is rolling on the floor, laughing. DO SOMETHING DIMOCRATS!!! OR RESIGN, BECAUSE YOU ARE TAKING UP SEATS OF PEOPLE WHO WANT TO FIGHT THE RUSSIANS, NOT LIE DOWN FOR THEM!!
Believe we have Hegseth to thank for that. There is no doubt that Trump is swinging us toward Putin as an ally. The bs excuse is in the heading of this article also [anything for Russia]
"The defense secretary’s instructions, which were given before President Trump’s blowup with the Ukrainian president, are apparently part of an effort to draw Russia into talks on the war."
Thank you Robert as always. It is a helpful summary of events. I’m curious where in general the action plans are going to come from. At present there are a large number of independent voices either regularly summarizing events or just complaining about the events (you are not a complainer), but where are the action plans, and where is the coordination between them?
It’s likely various readers will point out different efforts, but from what I can gather it seems like a disparate set of non-coordinated efforts without clear objectives might not produce the desired results. In fact, an articulation of the desired results would be helpful for the various things in okay. The lawsuits are intense, for example as you know better than I do, to slow down the Trump / Musk assault on the US government. Okay, but what then? And what else? What beside lawsuits and what feels like poorly if at all coordinated protests?
I would ask everyone to ask these questions… specifically what actions do we intend to produce, what specific results do we seek, and are those actions realistic and the results feasible? And, are the actions sustainable.
I suggest writing to Barack Obama at BarackObama.com to ask him to make a speech in answer to Trump's Joint Session appearance on Tuesday night. President Obama could make a speech a few nights later in a controlled studio setting, not an interview or press conference. I imagine a Substack journalist would carry his speech if the corporate media outlets are afraid to.
He can call a lie a lie, explain how tariffs actually work and the harm they will cause. He can point out the cruelties and real dangers that Trump's unelected co-president is creating. President Obama has the brilliance, stature, and oratorical skills to speak. We urgently need him, and he is not running for re-election.
The only time I've heard from the Obamas is to ask for a donation for his Presidential Center in Chicago. I volunteered on both his campaigns tirelessly on voter protection hotlines. He won both elections decisively. He and Michelle have made a great deal of money since leaving the White House. They owe us.
A rally is scheduled practically every day this week in San Francisco. We must fill the streets with people, 1,000s protesting this subversion of democracy. The people of South Korea were able to affect the Right Wing turn of their government, we can too. Keep up the calls, showing up at your Congressman's or woman'soffice and demand they vote against the SAVE Act, they support Medicaid, that they do not destroy social security. It's time NOW to lay it all on the table.
If any of your readers have contact information where we can DIRECTLY email the leaders of the DNC, I would appreciate getting that info. I constantly get emails asking for donations, but no contact info. I want to tell them that the donations will NOT be forthcoming until we see REAL leadership stepping up in both the Senate and House. I want protests, I want TV coverage, I want filibusters, and slow downs. WHATEVER IT TAKES. I've tried to give them the benefit of the doubt, but my patience is gone. They need to act now, act often and "make good trouble!"
Yes! Same! I was sitting in traffic, listening to the news and getting very angry about the lack of communication from Democratic leadership and the audacity that they are still running social media campaigns asking for donations.
So I open up Notes and yelled my frustration into the phone. I will be posting this every time I see an ad asking for donations.
My representative said this in a virtual Townhall meeting when someone asked why Democratic leaders were not speaking out. “we can’t get on TV because the media chooses who’s gonna be on TV, we don’t “
Why are you waiting for the media to invite you in?? You sure know how to use social media when it comes to asking for donations, so why not are you out on social media defending democracy and talking to your constituents like you give a damn about what we’re going through?
So, you can’t get on TV well, you have other outlets to get in touch with people: social media, podcast, emails town halls, go stand out in front of the Capitol building with your iPhone and do a Facebook live!! Talk to us because we’re drowning here!
Or are you OK with what’s going on? We don’t know because your silence is deafening ! Why are you not speaking to your constituents, the people who hired you? I’m not contributing a damn cent to your campaign until you start acting like the leaders we need you to be. If you can use social media for fundraising you can certainly use it to interact with your constituents.
Sharon,Suggest your Reps contact Meidas Touch, #1 independent news network.They would welcome !
Kathy- thanks for the tip!
Sharon,
Powerfully said. I will use a variation of your comments to try to light some fires. My Republican congressman sends me the latest hits on the way to the Golden Age -- I'm not kidding that America is going to experience under Trump's thumb. I can counter that. But I don't know what to say to those Democrats who sucked up money like crazy from us poor pilgrims out here on the landscape and now whine because they can't get on TV. Give me a break. Do we look like idiots. I am tired of the Democratic Party treating Democrats like children.
As you put it so well.
"You sure know how to use social media when it comes to asking for donations, so why not are you out on social media defending democracy and talking to your constituents like you give a damn about what we’re going through?"
Thanks Patrick! Let's do this!!
Let's try to get the DNC or Democratic leaders movng.
Robert Hubbell is correct in that we can't WAIT for them. But we can try several methods:
1). Lead by doing and tell them to come on along side us.
2) Telling them what we want them to do -- in ways you've suggested and I and others have seconded. "What we need from you is......" Fill in the blanks.
3) Let's not presume they know what to do. Trump's Coup has made this the first day of school for all of us.
Somebody who has just become a U.S. Senator, doesn't necessarily know what to do and even the veterans are shaken by the suddenness of Trump's assault.
IF they are good leaders, they will value the advice from those who lead. When I was a college president, people who came to me and said "This is bad. Fix it," were valuable. But people who came to me and said, "This is bad. I think we should x or y were indispensable. They gave me a starting point, turning an essay question into a multiple choice question that still left me and other with options.: "I agree that this is bad, I don't think we should do x, but maybe we should do 1/2 y and then let's try z or aa.
In any case, let's be nimble and flexible."
The least productive questions are the "Why" questions. Examples. "Why is Trump siding with Putin? Why is he letting Musk run the show? Why do people buy his lying? Why don't you do something." These may be important questions, but they are not the most immediate right now.
In the words of Gil Turner, recorded by Judy Collins, Joan Baez and many others.
"When you can’t go on any longer,
Take the hand, hand of your brother,
Every victory brings another, Carry it on, carry it on."
Yes! 100% this, and I have been saying this for weeks! Yet, they do nothing (except for a few voices).
Marsha- it’s infuriating! What is it gonna take for them to move their asses and get out and speak to the public? It feels like we’re running out of time.
I couldn't find an email address for any of the individual DNC leaders. But you can submit "questions or comments" to them through the contact page here: https://democrats.org/contact-us/
We need to lead our leaders, and Robert is absolutely right: "No effort is wasted. No gesture is meaningless. No voice is unheard. Everything matters—now more than ever."
Go ahead and send the DNC your questions or comments. They need to hear from us, loud and clear!
I have found that if I Google individual Senate members email addresses are provided. I have sent emails to my state senators-Peters and Slotkin- and to Cassidy about what Kennedy isn't doing regarding the measles outbreak. Now whether they are read is another story.
Just a note: indivisible says only contact your reps. The rest goes in trash. They also say calls are THE MOST impactful. Emails aren’t. I think they still have a Do & Don’t on website.
I wrote to Senator Cassidy because he said he was going to meet regularly with Kennedy. AND Cassidy is a physician.
They get read, and counted. Sometimes you even get a form letter response that occasionally relates to the topic you addressed.
Maybe this will work: virginia@vmcgregor.com. Virginia McGregor is the Treasurer of the DNC.
Some other person pointed out the DNC is just one of many branches of Democratic leadership. However, I do not know what they were referring to as other branches other than local and state.
I agree that I have wanted daily performative bills addressing the things that Trump, Musk and their cabinet and other hires are doing, and get on the record that Republicans did not bring these bills to the floor, and demand a press conference on the bills. These Dems are just making the life of the press easy by doing nothing and letting a few people speak up. Not a penny more will they be getting from me until they get how to act up like the Republicans do.
DNC is and has been useless. Don't waste your time with them.
Don't attack them either - lead them.
That's tempting, but the DNC has a spot in the political infrastructure and those are what we need access to. We have to either change their perspective or co-opt them into action.
https://democrats.org/contact-us/
is the website where you can write a message to the DNC. I sent one about no more money till they use some of the $20 million left over from the 2024 campaign to actually do something. Billboards exposing the destruction of the R party!
And I use every mailing asking for donations to write the same message on their donation form and send it back. If enough of us do it, maybe they'll respond. $20 million goes a long way!
I just sent the same message. NO MORE donations to the DNC...and they can look at my records and see that they received substantial assistance last year. Not now, and not until (IF!) they get their act together.
It might be easier to find contact info for David Hogg who is DNC vice president or something to that effect. He would be more open to this idea anyway and can pass on our comments. I bet he can be reached on BlueSky. Maybe Ken Martin (new leader of the DNC) is also.
Yes. Ken Martin needs to be taken to task! He promised us a War Room with daily meme's and messaging coordinated with Ben Wickler, using alternate platforms and even using "Influencers" to get our messages out, and instead it's a daily barrage of begging for donations.
I am in the same situation — no more money until I see some concrete action.
I have torn up all requests for donations. Where the *#%$* are they besides spending our taxpayer money blanketing Democrats with donation requests? They are tone-deaf!!!
Democrats are out of power, and unlike the UK, we have no tradition of a shadow cabinet.
Is Biden supposed to step forward and expose himself to Trump's malevolence? That is exactly what would happen.
I see a lot of Americans who want SOMEONE ELSE to step forward and risk their life because 77 million people chose to vote for a cognitively deficient con man who appears to be a mascot for a drug addled, sociopathic entrepreneur, Elon Musk.
Yes good point — it is just so frustrating — but each effort to protect our republic no matter how small is important — #postcardstovoters
Ellie, a few days ago, I got email from the DNC regarding donating. I unsubscribed from emails from them and then they asked why. I told them I wanted to hear about concrete ACTIONS being planned to thwart what's being perpetrated by repubs and magas. The next day, I received my "membership" card and request for a donation. I wrote on it the same thing and mailed it back. It is very frustrating 😤
It’s bizarre how hard it is to find this contact info! I was the vice chair for voter outreach for my county Dem party and know all of our State committee reps and our former county chair was on the executive committee committee at the state level. No one had direct access to our state chair let alone the DNC. I know there is a caucus of county reps at the state level who are pushing for structural reform. They’ve had some success but it’s a long road. The best path is the slow one where activist party members begin to take over our state committees. Perhaps we could circulate a petition to somehow present to the DNC leadership? Maybe through someone’s congress member?
https://bsky.app/profile/kenmartin.bsky.social
Thank you!
I won't hold my breath, but an official apology to President Zelensky is in order.
I'd like to see a resolution submitted on the floor of both the House and the Senate by ALL Democrats offering not only an apology but full support for Zelensky and Ukraine. Maybe they could fund raise off of that and just maybe if they did ANYTHING they'd get their 30 seconds of airtime on national media.
From People Power United.Takes a minute to send ! ⬇️
“Will you join us in sending a letter of support for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian leaders and soldiers, and the resilient people of Ukraine? Click here to send a letter.”
https://actionnetwork.org/letters/send-a-letter-of-support-to-president-volodymyr-zelenskyy-ukrainian-leaders-and-soldiers-and-the-resilient-people-of-ukraine
Just did it. Thankyou. They make it easy - and you can easily add your own words.
There is a lot of frustration among those who live in these comment boards. I share that - big time. I'm terrified and pissed off like never before in my life.
But as Heather Cox Richardson reminds us - we have been through horrific times before and we have had despicable presidents and we have fought wars - but we came through.
I despair at some of the hopelessness I read. Some are ready to give up. That is not a path to repairing our democracy. We need to be loud. We need to steel ourselves. For what is coming is worse than anything we could have imagined.
As the horrors are unfolding, let's remember that the pendulum swings both ways. And also... EVERYTHING that goes wrong is ALWAYS the president's fault. A year from now if $Trump is still president, his approval rating will be in the toilet and we will be preparing to retake Congress.
Bill: I just wish that our Reps would be more vocal. Are they still reeling from the election loss? Silence except from a few.
No money until I see some action
I will watch the MoveOn show tomorrow night instead of the Shitshow of the Union address. We will hear from Senators Murphy, Schatz and Markey...who along with Bernie have been very vocal.
Shapiro, Whitmer, Pritzker, Pete B, Jeffries, Murphy, Baldwin and especially Crockett have been vocal.
That said I am with you, I am only donating to a few people. No more free money to people who are doing nothing.
we can also write to the Ukrainian embassy: emb_us@mfa.gov.ua
Robert;
You may call it a "rant", but I think that it was one of your best-written newsletters.
I completely agree. There are times when a rant is the best direct communication of the facts. Thank you for this excellent post. It’s not lost on any of us that your travels in the UK have a strong component related to this moment in history for our country. The two of you are a phenomenal team, which already you know and cherish, and Jill‘s daily videos showing highlights of your travels are exquisite. Together, you are an inspiration. If anything, your choice of format for this particular post of Today’s Edition relates to an economy of words, an economy of time, that you can only do so much within each 24/7! We’re all so so grateful. This 80 year-old was at a Tesla demonstration Saturday (Palo Alto near Stanford) and I aim to demonstrate with the energy of a 60-year-old! Lol! My friends and I are on track to identify demonstrations that are trustworthy and well organized. I have friends who own Tesla’s because they thought Elmo was Green, not realizing that he’s been funding Stephen Miller for more than a decade. I know some are in a quandary whether to dump their cars or not, but that’s a small matter, compared to saving our nation, saving our democracy, and indeed, as you say, Robert, it’s going to take “we the people” to move en masse and wake the sleepyhead politicians with the thunder of our activity. We. Will. Vanquish.
Katherine, you give us all courage. The indomitable will of people like you, even older than I (76). pushes us all to action. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and your experience.
Patrick, I thank you for such kind words. Considering this venue, I’m blessed that someone from high school in SoCal knew of Rob Hubbell‘s newsletter and we joined in February 2017! Such a rocky road but all along, Rob‘s ability to pull it all together absolutely contributes to our sanity, our understanding, and our will to be engaged with hope and action. (Periodically, he reminds us all that action is the antidote to fear and anxiety.) Rob and his managing editor indeed inspire. I’ll throw this in… Some of my closest friends are turning 60 and I met them when they were eight years old in my third grade class… I’ll invite you to think back to third grade and I’ll hope they are special and fun memories. The third grade bubble mindset definitely provides healthy inspiration. Take care and again, thank you. Kathie
ACTION ITEM: On Monday call the office of your Senators and Representative. Urge them to boycott Trump's speech on Tuesday. Empty seats are better than any disruption. Ron Wyden, my Senator is holding an online town hall that is open to anyone.
Absolutely! On Sunday Senator Chris Murphy explained on CNN why he won't attend the Trump show on Tuesday, sitting there listening to another litany of lies. Each and every Democrat in Congress should follow his example. Their constituents should tell them that they should not allow themselves to be demeaned as cheap extras in this despicable reality show.
And if one member of the Democratic caucus should not heed that call to action and attends wearing his signature baggy shorts and a hoodie – so be it.
I've become a big Sen Chris Murphy fan. We need more like him. I read that some Democrats are inviting fired federal workers to be their guests. Why on earth would they want to subject themselves to such abuse by the man who is destroying their lives? Just seems stupid to me.
My Representative will be attending, even though I asked her not to, though I did have a nice conversation with her staff person. Wyden is one of my Senators, so he's taken care of. Merkley's said they didn't know if he would be attending, but would give him the message.
I hope the people of Pennsylvania get on Fetterman's case. We got rid of Kirsten Sinema, and we don't need another like her.
This is what I'm watching on Tuesday: "Calling BS on trump". It's organized by MoveOn and Mobilize
https://front.moveon.org
Participants include Senators Chris Murphy, Brian Schatz and many others from elected officials to attorneys and those in the entertainment industry.
Just signed up. Thanks. I will share. Glad to see our Sen Markey (MA) is joining.
Chris Murphy has been excellent in his commentary. And Sen Schatz is terrific.
These two "younger" Democrats are the faces and voices of the resistance.
I was just now, serendipitously, thinking MoveOn might have just the already existing infrastructure we need to organize & mobilize.
That would be powerful.
A hell of a lot can be done, everyone has to do something. The cumulative effect of a combined Gathering of force will be undeniable. Many of us can't march in the streets, but we need to break up the routine of Our Lives which has enabled this horrid force to gain momentum. At the very least, join me in a 30-day boycott of Amazon, the previous one day boycott was an absolute minimum and I'm sure that many people who didn't buy on that day bought on the next day. Mr. Bozos likely leaned back and laughed at the tiny effort which inflicted no harm on him. Perhaps 30 days of as many of us as possible not buying one thing from Amazon will begin to make a dent. Face it, we don't need all those things, we buy them out of convenience and we have lapsed into a consumer coma which has made him an arrogant asshole billionaire. Stop it now, stop it for a month, stop it as long as necessary. Go to the store, buy something instead of using keystrokes which line his pockets. And I'm sure there's plenty else we can all do.
March 7 thru 14th there is a planned cumulative boycott of Amazon. I think these type work better when planned. I personally did a one month of no Amazon until this past week, just because I just could not reward Bezos with my money at all for a while - felt like nails on a chalkboard to me to do it at all. I live in a rural area and do have issues getting out for more than for short shopping trips, so I order pickup a lot from Walmart and Amazon both. I am trying to change that up as much as possible. But unfortunately I would not get very far at a protest.
I'm in the same boat Susan. We do what we can.
Thank you for this newsletter. It clearly describes what I feel and what other like minded folks I am talking to feel. I think Democratic leadership needs to recruit someone like Pete Buttigieg as the daily spokesperson. I also think every cabinet secretary under Biden should be re-convened to act in their leadership positions to help direct resistance in the most effective way possible. After all, each of those individuals have the most immediate knowledge of their respective areas of cabinet responsibility. Democratic Governors could provide the top level leadership. They seem much more able to plan, act and articulate plans. Democratic House and Senate should look to informal leaders for more ideas and strategies to effectively fight from the legislative end. Every city that has a Democratic mayor should be regularly convening interested citizen forums to formulate and coordinate efforts at protest and resistance at local levels. I also see a role for Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O'Donnell to direct communications. Other trusted spokespersons need to be identified to assist with messaging and communications. There are so many opportunities to get the resistance coordinated and moving ahead more effectively. System thinkers....we need system thinkers!
Pete Buttigieg would be a natural. But being the daily spokesperson and thus face of the opposition would probably propel him (or any other person assuming that task) into a pole position for the elections in 2028. So the leadership of the Democrats (whoever they are, they seem to be MIA) would have to forget about their own ambitions.
Perhaps the realization, that if the coup continues with the current breathtaking speed there won't be any elections in 2028, might help.
I have been using my “5 Calls” to urge exactly this - I’m going to use this as my script for my calls!!
I totally agree with you on the daily press conference. In fact this morning I had sent the following to both Congressmember Jamie Raskin and Sydney Kamlager Dove:
“ I suggest the Dems start a daily press conference called “Just the Facts” to cover what happened that day and how it specifically hurts everyday Americans. Pick a dozen really good communicators from Congress and have them rotate the duty. I think we need to be in the public’s face every day with just the facts and simple straightforward messaging. Have a simple scorecard showing one fact per day such as:
We The People:
Minus $880 billion in Medicaid benefits for seniors and children; low insulin prices
They The Richest:
Plus $4 Trillion in tax cuts for the wealthiest 1%.
I would encourage all your readers to contact their Congressmembers and push them to do this.
Will do!
Borrowed your words and have forwarded to my reps — thanks for the good idea!
Thank you! I love this idea! I will also call and encourage my representatives to do this!
That is a magnificent photo of the Magna Carta. The underlying principles resonate here and with all modern democracies. Hopefully we will be able to re-capture the spirit and reinforce our ties with the UK at some point. And thank you for speaking with concerned citizens and allies abroad. It means a lot to know people understand the immense frustration we feel.
I am searching for cracks in the veneer of this debased regime. Here is one: I read, that when unqualified Hegseth ordered the cybersecurity to stand down, the other head, Waltz I believe, was not informed of any such order. This is a big DoD deal, and could result in a challenge.
Also, there was a strong statement from Hakeem Jeffries today regarding continuing budget negotiations. Essentially, House GOP could not agree amongst themselves, and walked away from negotiations with Democrats. The statement indicates Dems will negotiate if they include the social programs -- e g Medicaid, etc. -- we come to expect. But, they will not work with GOP without it. So . . . the subtext is let the GOP own their failure and shut it down (March 14) without the Dems. It's on them.
I honestly don't know when I will get over the shock and loss of that vile White House stunt with President Zelenskyy. I have seen more reports that suggest dynamics of explicit abuse, which is triggering and traumatizing for Ukrainians and for Americans. The political fallout is incalculable damage the world over. And the Chinese may be watching with interest -- thanks, GOP -- for a chance to pounce on Taiwan, if it too is left vulnerable in the wake of U.S. capitulation.
To think: The House Republicans have it within their power to end this national nightmare. All they have to do is impeach the bastard and let the Senate convict him. Then (and only then) the reparations can begin to proceed.
They will not. Very unlikely. I think mobilization is the way, and capture House, maybe Senate seats as soon as possible. Then impeachment becomes feasible. There are two elections April 1, and 2026.
It would only take a few Republicans with spines to impeach Trump and Vanceand, if need be, Johnson. Then the Republicans in the Senate would have a third chance to save our democracy. I think we have to try. Or we won't have another "fair" election...
I don't think most Americans understand how quickly and "democratically" Hitler destroyed Germany's democracy.
Purin, Trump, Vance, the Oligarchs and the authors of Project 2025 ALL understand this 👇
“The big joke on democracy is that it gives its mortal enemies the means to its own destruction.” - Joseph Goebbels, March 23, 1933 (The day Hiter succeeded in destroying Germany"s democracy)
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/01/hitler-germany-constitution-authoritarianism/681233/
Those who don't understand history are doomed to repeat it... Wake Up America!
The Republicans will only change when it becomes clear that their voters are now against them. Then the threats by muskrat to "primary" them becomes meaningless.
Putin's Manchurian candidate has revealed himself beyond a shadow of a doubt now. Trump and Vance have embraced Putin and rejected our Allies. Trump and Vance spew Putin's propaganda, as if it were true. They have betrayed American ideals. When will Republicans in the House and Senate get a spine and hold Trump and Vance accountable? What will it take?
I agree with all of this until the question of spines. That is why I say don't waste our precious time and energy on thoroughly corrupted GOP reps. Spend it on organized, public outcry and especially, mobilizing votes for any and all elections. This is triage time. Wishful thinking is for another, brighter day.
I agree it will take a public outcry to force Republicans to stand up for democracy or be ousted in the next election. But that presumes there will be a next, "fair", election. Remember, Trump promised his base that they wouldn't have to vote again. And the Trump administration has now taken down cybersecurity measures against Russian interference.
So we are almost on the same page here. That last point on the cybersecurity is very concerning and I'm not clear yet how to counter it. It's brand new and not even 100% clear how much it will be deployed. There was internal dissent from Waltz already. I am wondering if there could be a suit mounted by a party with standing to challenge or at least stall such a serious decision. Heather Cox Richardson also wrote about it.
Last week, our impromptu Saturday protest saw 25 people show up on two days notice via word-of-mouth. This past Saturday, 65 people showed up and nearly every car and pickup truck that drove by gave a supportive honk of the horn.
Start your own Saturday Protest. No permit needed for single file on a sidewalk. No permit for construction paper megaphones. No permission slip required to speak out, wave the flag upside down or right side up, and create posters on a devastating range of topics.
Get out there. You will be amazed at how easy it actually is to make a patriotic ruckus, how eager people are to call and respond the Constitution’s Preamble, and how good you will feel to be outside in the elements with your neighbors by your side.
Friedrike, i don't know where you're located, but we have a small-scale Saturday protest, started 3 weeks ago, in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood, Market & Leary. Noon to 1 o'clock. Our first 2 gatherings were 18 of us, the 3rd gathering we doubled in size...so we decided to keep going.
Started by two of us who met on Nextdoor, totally nonprofessional, but we have extra signs for anyone who needs one. We're also getting a hugely enthusiastic response, very gratifying and uplifting. Anyone, welcome to join us!
Hello Diane, and thank you for the protest sign offer but over here in Cold Spring New York, across the Hudson River from West Point, we seem to be doing A-OK on the sign, enthusiasm and participation front.
I got fed up waiting for someone to organize a protest. At the same time, another woman up the road was feeling the same way and unbeknownst to each other, we initiated our town’s Saturday Protest.
Her call was for 10:30 and mine for noon. Two Saturday’s ago, I approached the protest site and saw people leaving. I asked my friend Anita where she was going. Home! I’m freezing, been out here for an hour. She had read the 10:30 notice.
It was a great moment, and we women are clearly leading the call to stand up for democracy. Great to hear from you. Onward!
I loved the small protest that was staged over the weekend in a small town in Vermont that JD Vance was traveling to for skiing. One of the lines I heard was "I hope they give you fake maple syrup". 😆
Fantastic!!🤣
We had one in my town Saturday. We had 200 people and so many people honking. I think an appropriate sign next time would be.”mad as hell? Then join the fight!!”
The most striking part of your message this evening, Robert, is the lack of hierarchy in the reporting of the recent events. All forms of event precipitation are treated equally-- "Should Zelenskyy have worn a suit?", "Will/should Zelensky apologize to Trump?" "Is it true that the US is no longer an ally of the European countries, and has no wish to see Ukraine survive as a democracy?"
When all stories are treated equally, no stories seem to matter. The result is an overwhelming ennui.
There are only two stories these days, each of which needs careful and sustained attention at all levels of journalism-- news, opinions, and analyses. One story is domestic, the other international. One is of the destruction of a document that is nearly a quarter-millennia old-- the US Constitution. The other is the destruction of an agreement that is 80 years old-- the NATO alliance.
There is nothing conservative about either of these rapidly unfolding events. Everyone should be taking about them, constantly, and holding the feet of those who call themselves conservative to the fire.
When all stories are treated equally, no stories seem to matter. The result is an overwhelming ennui.
Thank you. Yes!
Most of my local news on TV acts like this. Just another day in the life of Trump in the White House - nothing unusual going on
I am filling out a passport app for my husband. He has not traveled out of the country since fighting in Vietnam in the 60’s. If his passport doesn’t get approved, I will have a nervous breakdown. I am also going to be starting in looking at getting dual citizenship from Germany since my mother was from Berlin and my grandparents were gassed at a gas camp. None of what is happening sits too well with me but I am not giving in or giving up! I fucking love my country!
I totally get why people who can are doing this. Dual citizenship would be great so you have an exit if needed. For me that would be hard at my age and with family pets. I have never traveled outside the US, except to Canada long before a passport was required. My family on my father's side was in America since 1797 and I still live on and own a portion of that ancestor's property. On my paternal grandmother's side, I can lay claim to a written lineage back to a Scotch-Irish ancestor named Andrew Moore. I still have the book volume with my closer family members' names in it.
Just saw this news: U.S. suspends cyberoffense against Russia. What in the hell?!? We have a secret agreement with them? Or we just decided to be nice because they are our new friends?? Putin is rolling on the floor, laughing. DO SOMETHING DIMOCRATS!!! OR RESIGN, BECAUSE YOU ARE TAKING UP SEATS OF PEOPLE WHO WANT TO FIGHT THE RUSSIANS, NOT LIE DOWN FOR THEM!!
Believe we have Hegseth to thank for that. There is no doubt that Trump is swinging us toward Putin as an ally. The bs excuse is in the heading of this article also [anything for Russia]
"The defense secretary’s instructions, which were given before President Trump’s blowup with the Ukrainian president, are apparently part of an effort to draw Russia into talks on the war."
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/02/us/politics/hegseth-cyber-russia-trump-putin.html?unlocked_article_code=1.1E4.ZN7W.brsRhgD71VLF&smid=url-share
Thank you Robert as always. It is a helpful summary of events. I’m curious where in general the action plans are going to come from. At present there are a large number of independent voices either regularly summarizing events or just complaining about the events (you are not a complainer), but where are the action plans, and where is the coordination between them?
It’s likely various readers will point out different efforts, but from what I can gather it seems like a disparate set of non-coordinated efforts without clear objectives might not produce the desired results. In fact, an articulation of the desired results would be helpful for the various things in okay. The lawsuits are intense, for example as you know better than I do, to slow down the Trump / Musk assault on the US government. Okay, but what then? And what else? What beside lawsuits and what feels like poorly if at all coordinated protests?
I would ask everyone to ask these questions… specifically what actions do we intend to produce, what specific results do we seek, and are those actions realistic and the results feasible? And, are the actions sustainable.
I suggest writing to Barack Obama at BarackObama.com to ask him to make a speech in answer to Trump's Joint Session appearance on Tuesday night. President Obama could make a speech a few nights later in a controlled studio setting, not an interview or press conference. I imagine a Substack journalist would carry his speech if the corporate media outlets are afraid to.
He can call a lie a lie, explain how tariffs actually work and the harm they will cause. He can point out the cruelties and real dangers that Trump's unelected co-president is creating. President Obama has the brilliance, stature, and oratorical skills to speak. We urgently need him, and he is not running for re-election.
The only time I've heard from the Obamas is to ask for a donation for his Presidential Center in Chicago. I volunteered on both his campaigns tirelessly on voter protection hotlines. He won both elections decisively. He and Michelle have made a great deal of money since leaving the White House. They owe us.
A rally is scheduled practically every day this week in San Francisco. We must fill the streets with people, 1,000s protesting this subversion of democracy. The people of South Korea were able to affect the Right Wing turn of their government, we can too. Keep up the calls, showing up at your Congressman's or woman'soffice and demand they vote against the SAVE Act, they support Medicaid, that they do not destroy social security. It's time NOW to lay it all on the table.
"Organic protests are spreading across the US, including protests targeting Tesla dealerships."
DemLabs created this StoryMap to highlight protests. It includes the ability to enter details on upcoming protests which are shown on a real-time map.
Mapping the protests sweeping the country to protect American democracy
https://thedemlabs.org/2025/03/01/mapping-the-protests-sweeping-the-country-to-protect-american-democracy/
Here are four blogs about recent Trump/Musk actions over the last 24 hours. The goal is to explain issues in a simple graphical form.
Trump kills Medicare Telehealth Services: How far will you have to go to stay alive? Check this map.
https://thedemlabs.org/2025/03/02/trump-kills-medicare-telehealth-services/
10 Putin War Atrocities in Ukraine: Guided tour
https://thedemlabs.org/2025/03/01/10-putin-war-atrocities-in-ukraine-guided-tour/
How Trump Sold Out America To Putin: Follow The 20 Step Playbook
https://thedemlabs.org/2025/03/01/how-trump-sold-out-america-to-putin-follow-the-20-step-playbook/
Putin’s Puppet Performs: Follow the collusion timeline
https://thedemlabs.org/2025/02/28/trump-putin-collusion-russia-ukraine-volodymyr-zelenskyy/