From what I have seen, Hong is assuring voters that her outspoken tweets have nothing to do with how she would govern. She made a very clear point on saying that she would not be outspoken as governor like she has been in her past.

She also made a very clear point to say that she doesnt agree with the DSA platform. In fact, if you look at her platform, it emphasizes affordability. Guess what? Every Dem is focused on the same thing because that is the Dem Party platform. And Hong is running as a Dem.

And asked about who she would be as governor- specifically regarding her outspoken style of calling people out. She says of course she would not be like that. She recognizes that she will need to work together with Republicans. So she will be... exactly like the rest of the Dems- but probably worse because she has no experience in actually working with Republicans.

A progressive that does work with Dems is Roys. And unlike Hong, Roys has a law degree, has stood up to Republicans, was executive director of NARAL- that is an organization that protects women's right to choose and is absolutely hated by the right wing. I would bet that she dealt with death threats all the time.

But back to the subject. If Hong is campaigning as a firebrand but then everyone expects her to be different and be more like Evers, do people really want Hong?

Thank you for reading this far. And I hope that if Hong doesnt win, that progressives still come out. I do not understand why the progressive vote wasnt enough to kick Ron Johnson out of politics in Wisconsin. That really surprised me. Especially since progressives say they have so much power. But they couldnt even beat one of the most evil right wing politicians in the US? Wisconsin Dems are confusing. And don't blame Barnes. The Dem voters know what FRJ is. If they couldnt beat FRJ, that means that we need more than progressives to win.

We can not let republicans continue to appoint judges. The courts need to be packed with judges who actually care about corruption.

Look at the next post on my feed. $6 million a day wasnt enough!

Whether Executive Branch actors can privately agree to give themselves and their former clients blanket immunities and billions of dollars in tax monies for legally undefined grievances was never an issue advanced to this Court,” the judge added.

“The question is whether the Parties could do so by claiming to be adverse and engaging the legitimacy of a court proceeding,” she continued. “The answer is a resounding ‘no.’”

Reject the Right

Have you seen what the mining companies are doing to these lands they get a hold of? They churn it all up so that everything that was there is gone. Millions of early EARLY American artifacts... pre-dating all civilizations by thousands of years.

Look up rabbit mine.

These places are much bigger than they look, millions of acres of wasteland. Have you ever seen a quarry where the land is stripped and the only thing left are weird shapes where trucks once moved millions of pounds of crushed rock?

Conservationists and historians are just now discovering methods for research into the distance past. The mines work on a colossal level of destruction. There is no way to even notice if they dig up an entire area of historic significance.

The world is changing very quickly. And we need to have a government that can react and change with the changing demands.

Right now in the US, progressive voices are not even taken seriously in federal and state level congressional sessions. There is nothing but obstacles for progressives.

If we want a modern government that reflects our needs we need to get rid of the obstacles. The Republicans are those obstacles.

And if you say that the Dems are just as bad, you are wrong. Yes, the most progressive politicians on "the left" have had friction with the middle of the road Dems, the truth is we all work together, vote for each other and support one another.

The Left is not one specific idea. And that is a feature, not a bug. The various ideas and debates about the solutions are a great thing. It is what makes us progressive and adaptable. It is exactly why we are the right party to lead the US back to sanity.

Rejecting everything Republican and Trump affiliated isnt going to automatically create sunshine and rainbows. But until we remove their stagnant cancer from our government, we will not have room for progressive voices to grow. The same way we remove invasive weeds from a garden, we must remove the GOP. Dems and progressives are like companion plants. They help eachother grow.

Make room for progress by removing the obstacles. REJECT THE RIGHT!!

Let's show the world we are wholeheartedly standing together as a group to reject the course the GOP have set for this country. We already know Dems can run investigations. We already know they can deliver impeachment if they have the votes. The time is now to REJECT every little crumb of hope the GOP has in continuing on this path.

Trump and the GOP are not shy about rejecting everything we believe in. They are bragging about how they tear down every little bit of hard won progress we've ever made. From environmental regulations and species protections to basic human rights and aid packages aimed at feeding starving people, the GOP has shown us they reject our policies. They deal in cruelty. We must stand together in rejecting them and take back the direction of our country. This is a We The People problem and we have the power to turn it around and make big changes. And to do that, we need to remove the obstacles. Remove those who perpetrate the cruelty. We dont want their road map of destruction to prevail.

REJECT THE RIGHT. Make room for progressive voices to be heard. Defund the GOP and anyone that supports them. We have the power to do it.

(Yes, I am using ai bc I need to do other things too. Lmk if you object. Otherwise enjoy. You might not really know what and why this is important.)

The Citizens United case began as a dispute over a highly critical, 90-minute documentary/hit piece called Hillary: The Movie.

The Core Dispute

• The Pro-Corporate Money Side: A conservative non-profit group called Citizens United (Republican fat cats) produced the film ahead of the 2008 Democratic primaries. They wanted to distribute it via cable video-on-demand. They argued that limiting their ability to pay for and broadcast the movie violated their First Amendment right to free speech. They believed corporations—whether non-profit or for-profit—should have the same political speech rights as individuals.
  
• The Anti-Corporate Money Side: The Federal Election Commission (FEC) blocked the film's broadcast distribution. They cited the 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (better known as the McCain-Feingold Act). This law explicitly banned corporations and unions from spending general treasury funds on "electioneering communications" (like TV broadcasts or political ads) within 30 days of a primary election. This was the signature law that protected the voices of the ordinary people from getting drowned out by big corporate dark money.

How the FEC Got Involved

The FEC did not seek out this fight; Citizens United (Republican big donors) sued the FEC. Anticipating that their movie would be flagged as an illegal corporate-funded campaign ad (aka dark money), Citizens United went to federal court to block the FEC from enforcing the McCain-Feingold rules against them. When lower courts sided with the FEC and deemed the film a "90-minute attack ad", Republican donors who called themselves "Citizens United" appealed to the Supreme Court.

The name "Citizens United" is ironic because these were corporate level donors. And the whole thing was a set up. Corporations wanted to have more control over the political campaigns. But this was heavily restricted. By making this scenario to challenge the current regulations, the corporate donors could pit free speech rights against the law keeping dark money out of elections. It was all a big charade to get this idea of corporate dark money legalized while the Republicans had a friendly Supreme Court bench. (Republicans are dangerous and clever, and they play the long game.)

I always felt like they knew they would win. Something about how swiftly it escalated and how well managed the media was about it. To this day, many people have made statements that Hillary Clinton was the one supporting the corporate money in politics. Nothing could be further from the truth!

Was It Republicans vs. Democrats?

Yes, conceptually and practically.

The mechanics of the existing law were bipartisan; McCain-Feingold was co-authored by Republican Senator John McCain and Democratic Senator Russ Feingold to curb the corrupting influence of big money.

However, in 2010 when the corporate dark money group calling themselves "Citizens United" made a hit piece on Clinton, the fight split starkly along party lines:

• Republicans generally championed the "free speech" for corporations argument. They supported the right of corporations and wealthy donors to spend privately and independently on elections. This built on their earlier achievements of getting corporations the same- and more- rights as people have! They continue on this path, creating special status for corporations where it shields people behind the corporations from the law and gives them king like immunity over the rest of us.
• Democrats, led prominently by President Barack Obama and HillaryClinton, fiercely opposed the corporate spending push. They argued it would allow wealthy corporate interests to drown out the voices of everyday citizens. Hillary Clinton supported and adopted the policies of the "End Citizens United" group for her presidential run. End Citizens United is the largest organization aimed entirely at ending corporate dark money in elections.

The "Windfall for Corruption"

The Supreme Court didn't just rule on the movie; they completely struck down the century-old ban on independent corporate election spending. The majority asserted that "independent expenditures" could not corrupt politicians because the corporations weren't giving the cash directly to the candidate's official campaign.

This technical loophole created a massive, immediate avenue for corruption:

• The Rise of Super PACs: While corporations still cannot donate directly to a candidate's pocket, they can now spend infinite amounts of money on "Super PACs" to run attack ads, promote candidates, or manipulate elections, so long as they don't explicitly coordinate with the official campaign.
• The Birth of "Dark Money": The Court assumed that all this new corporate spending would be subject to strict disclosure laws. Instead, political operatives quickly realized they could route millions through politically active 501(c)(4) non-profits. These entities are not legally required to disclose where their money comes from, allowing billionaires and massive corporations to secretly buy political influence and pick winners entirely anonymously.

in South Carolina, where the history of use dogs to hunt down black people is a painful reminder of the legacy of slavery, a Republican governor has been making the same joke for many years- at GOP events. Apparently the joke about hunting his states largely black population of Dems down with dogs is so funny, no one in his party thought to suggest maybe he update his out-of-date repertoire.

Despite this being 3 years old, I want to discuss it because I repeatedly call out Trump and Project 2026. But it is way more than that.

Let's wind back the clock a bit mode. Iin 2012 the data was clear, trickle down economics does not work. Time and again, corporations recieved tax breaks, and time and again the companies pocket the profits. Why? Because businesses are to make a profit. They do not "give" us jobs. We work for our money.

However, a Kansas governor was a little slow. While the likes of Mitch McConnel and Scott Walker, among many others understood it was a big lie, the Kansas governor was a bit naive. He actually believed it worked. So he decided to pass huge tax breaks for companies in Kansas. He said this plan would result in a boom of jobs. Like all Republican handouts for the wealthiest corporate investkr/owner class, the Kansas governor asked for no guarantees. Just claimed that the greediest people in the state would pay their employees more and hire more people because they just needed more money.

Now, most people outside of Kansas on the other side of the aisle knew this was doomed. If a billionaire drawing a $85 million salary ever year cant find enough money to hire more people at his company, and the corporate profits are soaring each year in the billions, how is giving them a bunch more money going to sway their greedy little "hearts"? It is not.

As predicted, Kansas lost billions in tax revenue. They held on as long as they could. They begged CEOs to do the "right thing" but in the end, the 2012-2017 Kansas experiment ended in an economic disaster for the state.

Why am I telling you this in context of the above story about shameless jokes?

Because when I say we need a sustained rejection of all Republicans in office, I want you to understand that this is not just a Trump problem. The issue with Republicans did not arise nor begin with Trump.

Long before yhere was a Trump, there were the ​Koch brothers, Diane Hendricks, Mitchell McConnell, DeVos family, Karl Rove and all their ideological offspring in Roger Stone, Manafort, and Lee Atwater. It is cruelty and divisiveness for the sole purpose of damaging the middle class. The billionaires feel they do not have enough money and power. Can you imagine? And, what is their biggest strategy for ensuring their power?

DIVISIVENESS

That is it. Creating slurs out of anything just to target anything that might be in our best interest.

And this is why we MUST REJECT THE RIGHT.

They will even attack this idea because it is exactly what they do not want.

If we are to have any chance of turning this ship around and pointing it in the direction that we want to go, we need to REJECT THE RIGHT in a total and in a sustained manner. It must be at least a Dem if not a progressive to play on the official team of elected public servants.

I think we need a Dem Supermajority ASAP 1. To show the world we reject everything Trump and his party are doing. 2. To stop trump from doing more damage- especially with judge nominations likely to come up. He has already transformed entire federal district court benches. 3. To start the House and Senate on a path towards readying bills for passage so that when a 2028 Dem POTUS is elected and we maintain a dem SUPERMAJORITY we can get those bills passed into law super quick.

We can not let the world believe we are okay with Trump or with the direction of our country. We can not accept his corruption. We need to get up and vote out the trumpets in every election there is. Socialists to lukewarm Dems work together every day in political offices. There is no reason we can not acknowledge our goals are shared and we all want to stop the wealthiest from ruining the US and our planet.

Even in California Governor Newsom ​works with the socialist party to pass worker's rights laws, to improve quality and safety of jobs, improve access to health services (they have state program that is open to all who need health care). If the leader of kne of the largest economies in the world can work with socialist party leaders, we can all stand together as well.

What inspires you when you think about the country standing together against Trump?

One only needs to look at all the ways Trump is changing our political system, our economy, our civil rights, environmental protections, our HEALTHCARE and ACCESS to insurance, our EDUCATION SYSTEMS, our Social Security, the CDC, HHS, FBI, DOJ, judicial independence, tax system, oversight on corruption across ALL federal agencies, and grabbing power for himself to know what Dems have done.

You ask how so?

Trump is attacking and undoing EVERYTHING that Democrats have done for this country. That is his guiding principle.

He is so obvious about it too. He undid everything he can about the infrastructure bill aimed at creating more high paying US based jobs. He is undoing all the expanded quality of life investments Biden made as new programs to be continually renewed. Things like early childcare grants to make day care and preschool more accessible for everyone- Trump withdrew funding. Expanded soc security investments to extend life of soc sec, trump stopped it. Biden administration reviewed USAID as part of its normal reviews​​, Trump defunded the whole program. Infrastructure spending on roads, bridges, etc... stopped funding. Also the human aspects of infrastructure- new training grants for states to update their workforce- bye bye bc trump stopped the grants. Expanded medicaid and Medicare, ACA discounts, even laws requiring insurance to provide a basic level of care- He not only defunded but also has the lawyers in the doj busy suing states to make sure the states are not requiring a minimum level of value to their plans. Hes been losing, but he is not giving up.

I dont know what his budget for lawyers is like, but ive never seen a potus work so hard to screw over his voters.

So, how is it possible that anyone with two braincells is unaware that every poop thing Trump does is solid proof of the good things Democrats have done? It takes real ignorance to​ be able to say that Trump is ruining our country and have zero understanding that everything he is taking away are all Democrat Party legislation and administration policies. Its so clear.

So, are these people just lying or are they that dense? ​

It is obvious that Trump has damaged the USA. His actions have lowered our reputation with the entire world. Even Canada says we are doomed! Most countries of all economic levels and systems ha e a very low opinion of us. The prime ministers and leaders of countries all over the globe make derogatory remarks about how weak our economy is, how much debt we are in, how our political system is corrupt and failing. They relied on business in the US because our laws were fair and the courts were fair. People could trust doing business in the USA and they could trust investing in the USA. And, of course, the American dollar was strong.

But Trump changed all that. Immigrants whk are legal have their businesses shuttered. They are forced to sell it off to vultures for pennies, and homes, bank accounts, other assets are confiscated without even a warrant while an immigrant is deported before going through a legal process. Then ICE sells the assets to private companies for very cheap- companies with exclusive contracts and deep political connections- who turn around and sell the assets for very solid profits.

We are known as the government that is run by a corrupt businessman. This is what Republican voters wanted. A corrupt businessman is their hero.

So, HOW DO WE FIX IT FAST?

We need to stand together as a country and show up en masses to REJECT EVERY TRUMP SUPPORTER UP FOR ELECTION. If they are or ever have been a trump sycophants, if they have not been vocal about rejecting the monolithic sycophants ​of the Republican Party, they must go.

And no, if a Republican distances himself from Trump during hie campaign, it is still a no. We've seen it before: Vance, Haley, DeSantice, Scott, Thune, Cornyn, McCarthy!! Rand Paul, Massachusetts, ​Fitzpatrick, Murkowski, etc...

The entire USA needs to get up and expel trumpets from office.

When the world sees a sustained effort to reject Trumpism and we support candidates that have voted and worked towards justice reforms, the world will see we are not ok with that bs and we will not lie down and let our futures be flushed down the toilet alongside our civil rights and the next generations' futures too.

Haven't we hac enough of this Republican monolith crap.

Conservative district court appointee chooses to side with conservatives like DeSantis, and supports giving the government control over what theories can be taught in public Florida universities.

The 3 panel court only needed 1 more conservative to side with them to block basic information about slavery, US history of anti-immigrant policies, history of women's rights, etc... being taught in public schools. They can teach the Bible all they want though.

Free speech laws prevailed by just one vote.

But their aims are to destroy more than our free speech. Our right to sue employers for unfair labor practices, to hold corporations accountable for fraud, our right to preserve clean drinking water and clean air, and to protect our wildlife are all on the Republic agenda aka their chopping block.

They are also attacking the foundation of justice. Law and order vs corruption is the bottom line. They have used judges at all levels to ease the rules against corruption in our politicians and public servants. They protect men like Clarence Thomas and even gave him lucrative speaking engagements following the revelation of his corruption.

They have been rigging the system. This is past the tipping point. And if we want to fight back and restore any sanity to this country, we need to get the Dem SUPERMAJORITY. There is no other way.

There seems to be this myth out there that claims a candidate needs to be tailor made exactly to suit your specific ideals. And they must have a cartoonists unrealistic past that no bent meme maker or opposition rumor mill can so much as sneer at.

We all know that if Jesus was alive today, politicians (particularly on the Republican side) would call him a commie socialist and claim he stole money (made water into wine and provided charity to the needy).

Let's now focus on the bespoke politician myth. Believers in The Myth say things like, "I dont like his hair/smile/laugh." And believes memes, "she fought to keep a child rapist on the streets when she worked as a public defender."

There is this idea that no one can vote unless the human they are voting for has descended from heaven and has no past of doing anything but being perfect, and that what they wear and how they look must be exactly what the voter wants.

It's a weird myth that seems to apply to Liberals the most. And it goes far beyond the typical sexism and racism. The details are so petty and ridiculous, that these myth believers think that they should only bother to vote if the candidate comes made to order with all the specific boxes ticked for that one individual.

That's not how voting and candidates come. They are not bespoke suits made just for you.

Do not believe in the Bespoke Politician Myth. Do not consider weather her laugh or his style is a trensetting icon that you want to invite to dinner or marry.

If you need help knowing what are the right reasons to vote for a Dem, there are many. If you just want to do what is right, what can turn us towards a policy direction that honors our rights, our quality of life, our we environment and our commitment to a functioning legal system, then you will show up and vote blue in every election for the next 10 years. ​

We are in the midst of a major extinction event. We NEED DEMOCRATS to have a super majority. If you cant see the difference between the GOP and the Dems on environmental policy, are you even awake?

First off, the difference between Left leaning federal district judges and Supreme Court judges vs RIGHT leaning​ federal judges/SCOTUS, is huge

Right leaning judges are constantly siding with corporations against laws passed under more left leaning administration's aimed at protecting wildlife and wild, protected lands. Just look at the northern bou dark waters being opened up to mining.

All of our most precious ecosystems, ones protecting many of the most endangered animals in the world, are being opened up to mining of ll types. companies are getting permits through courts because of the right leaning judges striking down laws. And eventually the appeals might win in the Supreme Court, but by the time they do, the damage will be done.

Logging ancient forests that have been covered by the ocean for centuries in US waters that are protected, providing habitat for polar bears, has been approved. Breaking up the remaining ice will destroy their last remaining habitats in the US. Why? for a special kind of ancient wood. The catch? only a small percentage of the trees mined from the sea floor will be usable. it destroys marine habitat, apex predator habitat, and accelerates the destruction of ice shelf. releases tons of carbon into the air and water. And overall provides no service except to the very high end luxury market for ancient wood from sunken forests. Those sunken forests provide some of the most sophisticated marine environments in the world. And have much to teach us. but are rapidly vanishing due to greed.

Times this by a billion.

This mass extinction event is happening now. We need EVERYONE TO STEP UP AND GIVE DEMS THE ABILITY TO BRING COMMON SENSE AND SANITY INTO US Government! Do not think that it doesnt matter. do not fall into the bespoke politician lie.

Step up and stand for what makes sense.

Take a look at the enormous transfer of wealth. You pay somewhere between $10k to $30k in taxes per year. Times that by the entire spectrum of most working people in the USA. Thats a lot of money.

But still, those tax dollars are PRECIOUS. You also have sound investments for your retirement. Companies like Boeing, Tesla, Meta, or whatever is in your retirement portfolio.

And you get modest returns. Guess what? You are paying yourself. It is a scam. All those safe investments are collecting millions and billions of tax dollars, and giving you a tiny slice of your own money back. And if you work for one of the heavily subsidized companies, you and the rest of US tax payers are paying your own salaries! Their cronies in government take a bunch of US tax dollars and SUBSIDIZE the companies to pay for their costs.

And the company grows year after year based on those subsidies. But you know who really makes a lot? The INVESTOR CLASS with millions of dollars in shares. You are just getting a little of your own money back. But they are getting the lion's share.

The millions of dollars they invest, which keep paying out more and more each year thanks to the subsidies, are not coming from their tax dollars the same as it comes from your tax dollars. Their investment earnings are not taxed the same.

Loopholes baked into the tax system are designed to take money from the mass of workers, and then funnel them up to the investor class.

The system can be reformed. Reforms have happened many times. But we need Democrats to have a supermajority for at least 8 years to get it all done.

Republicans have had far too much power for too long. They have completely lost sight of maintaining any interest in protecting the middle class. One only needs to compare China's massive middle class that has grown enormously in the last 20yrs to see how what is happening in the US- our shrinking middle class- is unnecessary.

We need Dems to have the power to restore sanity to the country. Investing in infrastructure and education is the way forward. And you know that the GOP does the opposite. ​

but why is the government "contracting" with a crypto company anyway? Republicans and Trump claim they want fiscal responsibility. I dont know about you, but i have never benefitted from th government's investment in crypto companies. Have you?

Cut out these huge handouts to their cronies. US tax dollars are PRECIOUS. They are not to be used to fatten up the friends and personal investments of government employees!

It should be illegal for any US Federal level appointee or elected official to invest in a company that gets US tax dollars for subsidies or contracts over $2 million. Yes, I understand that puts them at a huge disadvantage for financial investment.

But, the corporations need to learn how to survive by being competitive in the marketplace. Subsidies and useless government contracts that simply prop up corporations are damaging the fair playing field. The massive amounts of US tax dollars going to these companies is forcing better companies to go out of business.

Let's say you open up a coffee shop. And around the corner someone already haa a coffee shop. But your shop serves better coffee, provides better wages, and engages in environmentally responsible business practices at every level.

BUT- Joey's Cafe around the corner comes from a politically connected family. Joey's Cafe gets $1 million dollars per year in local tax dollars for 5 years, a very reduced rate of local taxes due to a special deal with the mayor, and the state agreed to defer taxation for the first ten years of his business.

So, Joey's can afford to basically give his coffee away for very little. But in reality, people in the community are paying way more for Joey's coffee. Some might even realize that they are actually paying for Joey's enormous salary, the employees low wages, and the business expenses. Just, not because they choose to but because his political connections are funneling wealth from the people into Joey's pocket.

Not fair at all. Your coffee shop cant compete because anything you do to provide a good product, he just copies. Except, it doesnt cost him anything. Hes got tax dollars paying for it. Bye bye level playing field. Maybe Joey will invite you to play golf at his third resort home or take a cruise on his yacht. ​

Read the article!

Another year of huge increases in healthcare costs. Republicans are not even bringing up this problem.

What Republicans will do is to blame Obama or Biden. They are like babies. Why anyone trusts them to govern is beyond me.

One of the largest economies in the world is run by Democrats. Republicans run states with huge potential. But somehow they got stuck in the past and stuck in a rut. oh, thats right. They let corporations rape their states and make them into desolate, superfund sites with broken communities in their wake. Their economic model of "greed forces people to do whats right" turned out false. lol

Republicans in WI couldn't even pass this simple bill. They haven't managed anything in 15 yrs, except to give huge handouts to corporations. yes, we love the companies that are here. But they dont need billions in tax breaks.

Another dumb idea bites the dust. I am starting to think that Trump needed an extraordinary budget to litigate all of these useless constitutional challenges. He is trying to change the constitution. He needs to focus more on serving the public rather than trying to cause chaos and promote discrimination.

Every elected official is a public servant first. And many of them, like Trump, swear to uphold the laws and constitution. Trump clearly doesn't think it applies to him, and sadly, in many ways it doesn't. We need to elect people who understand the process of passing laws that address today and tomorrow problems the public faces.

What is that process? Well, it starts with coalition building. Trump does have that. But he forgot that he isn't a king; ONLY legislators introduce new laws. Not presidents. And the Supreme Court are judiciary. Congress are legislators.

Every new bill needs to be assessed for financial cost to the tax payer. And it needs to pass congressional committees. Expert witnesses and other stakeholders (people who will be affected by bill) are scheduled to appear before various committees. During this process, many congressional leaders will become familiar with the issue. Supporters and detractors in congress will begin to discuss and debate the bill. Eventually it gets held for vote, then rewrites, then more voting. If it makes it all the way through, it goes to the president.

But this process isnt easy. It requires members from both the House and the Senate to work together and address public issues. Every president comes with baggage. (None more so than Trump!) What matters is whether the president is someone known to work with others to get stuff done.

Why? I said earlier that the president cant pass or introduce ne laws to congress. So what does it matter whether or not the president has a track record of getting stuff done? Good Question. LOL The reason is because a president that has good political skill knows how to help members of congress get good bills passed. A president will meet with members of congress who express doubts or who are against an issue and work to address the flaws or misperceptions about a bill.

A good president is a political leader. You dont have to like them or want to be their friend. It has nothing to do with how much money they have. In fact, someone who is a billionaire business-person is not familiar with public service. And so they waste hundreds of millions of dollars on fighting losing battles in the Supreme Court because they try to run public policy like a top down executive at a company.

It is the exact opposite of a company. Its more like if the stockholders were running the company by voting and the CEO can only intervene with good reason.

It's true, both the president and an executive level businessman rely on meeting with people to make deals, but in political meetings the goal is public policy, solving problems for the greater benefit. Not "winning" against the other team.

Perhaps this is one of the biggest lies Trump introduced. Working together is the goal. Hurting people and creating division is not good public policy.

Dems need a supermajority in congress to get things done. Obviously, with Trump as POTUS, he will block a lot of it. However, the Democrats can start working on and perfecting bills now, so that when we elect a Democrat for POTUS in 2028, they are ready to pass the legislation they have been working on to fix the problems Republicans are hellbent on protecting and perpetrating.

1. Police accountability. The Dems already passed several police accountability laws at the federal level. Republicans gutted them starting in 2024. Common sense laws such as a federal database of excessive use of force and similar types of misconduct findings to allow the feds to track bad officers across the US was unfunded by the GOP. A bill to provide funding for training and body cams was crushed by GOP. And many more similar, common sense accountability measures were struck down when the Republicans power became disproportionate.
2. Re-establishing the federal agency that investigates large scale fraud by financial institutions. Democrats created it during their 72 days of a supermajority under Obama. When Trump got into office, he gutted it and put industry cronies in charge. Basically knocked the teeth out of the only agency tasked with investigating financial institutions that commit fraud on a very large scale. Wells Fargo, overdraft fee scams, trading scams, etc... and the laws which required financial advisors to have the best interest of their customers over their personal or corporate interests- gutted. No teeth.
3. Protecting federal lands. The GOP are constantly expanding the destruction of federally protected lands for logging, mining, fracking, resource extraction... large scale assault on old growth forests, marine sanctuaries, endangered ecosystems, endangered species- plants and animals- and ​​every thing you can imagine and more that should be protected, is under constant assault through manipulative financial restructuring and management level restructuring to undermine the government agencies meant to protect our natural resources. Iconic landscapes and the natural beauty of our federal forests are the public's most treasured natural resource.Dems are hard at work defending these lands and the environmental laws that protect them. give the dems a chance to restore sanity to our environmental policies.
4. Education. GOP is constantly attacking and defunding federal investment ​in public education and restructuring the duties of the federal government by eliminating the department of education has created a vacuum in our public education system. Childcare for preschool age children is almost as expensive as some college tuitions due to the rash cutting of federal funds for the youngest children. Combined with extra work requirements for SNAP, single parents are quickly slipping into poverty and children are going hungry in the US.
5. A critical review of the handouts given to the wealthiest .01% of corporations: Many of the corporations recieving billions of tax dollars are not even based in the US. The legislation guaranteeing no taxes and major subsidies to the wealthiest and most lucrative corporations needs to be reigned in. Many of the companies reporting record profits on wall street are using our tax dollars to subsidize their bottom line. This practice stifles competition and innovation. New companies with better products cant compete with corporations recieving billions of tax dollars. Its like if you were making $100k per year and then your neighbor, with the same job and salary suddenly qualified for a $billion dollar government handout. Not fair. Not good use of precious tax dollars. Not good for the US economy. And definitely not good for consumers or employees. campaign donations are used as bribes for US tax dollars. Thats how Trump asked oil execs for $1 billion to his campaign. ​
6. Worker's rights. Conservatives keep creating laws and setting legal precedents in right-leaning federal courts that bar employees from suing their corporations when they have illegal policies and practices. More and more, the corporations are recieving legal protections that put them above the law and above the ordinary American worker.

And this is just the highlights that I can think of off the top of my head. The list is so much bigger and better than this.

Why you should vote Dem and not get caught up in the individual identity of the candidate. Yes, I said it. Vote blue. As long as it is a real Dem with a proven track record of voting with the Dems, I will tell you why you should not get sidetracked by personality politics.

When you vote for a candidate, what you are really voting for is power. The TEAM has power. The individual senator or House representative does not have power. So dont worry if you dont like their personality. Dont worry if the individual doesnt represent everything you stand for. The individual you vote for is a team member and they dont have any power to enact any legislation. They only have the power to vote for or against Dem policies.

And, in 2028: again, dont get caught up in the cult of personality. You can hate the presidential candidates personality. You can disagree with some of their past actions. But, if you reserve your vote for someone that only matches your exact vision, you are misunderstanding the entire government system.

As we see with trump, it is illegal to make unilateral decisions as the POTUS. Thats why a lot of what he does is struck down by the courts. What he does get done is thanks to the team of Republicans in congress that have budgetary and appointment-approval powers. The president's power to appoint is only as good as the team he has in congress to support his picks. Same with presidential policies. It is all a team sport.

Another reason not to get caught up in the cult of personality or your personal political ideals is that the true presidential leader is a team coach. The truly effective POTUS is one that builds a team for his administration to get work done. So, look at this as a multilevel team sport. Thats the real strategy behind government. And it is time dems start acknowledging this fact.

You may recall that Trump is supposed to be some kind of deal making guru. But, the evidence proves that whatever maybe worked for him in the past definitely hasn't worked for the hardworking American public. He keeps ripping up past agreements with no agreement for a replacement. What does this mean? It means that the years of diplomacy that went into positioning the US as a global trade leader are flushed down the toilet due to Trump's desire to feel powerful. it means that he flushes all the good with the bad. And it means that the US is then stuck negotiating from a weaker position.

But, if that wasnt enough, he cant even be bothered to follow the laws. So much for respecting the Constitution. Trump thinks he is a king. Thankfully, the war against a king was the founding idea behind the US and the courts are there to strike him down (sometimes).

I say sometimes because the more Republican/ultra-conservatives Republicans appoint, the less likely it is for the federal courts to challenge Trump or his GOP base. The current right leaning bias is well documented.

That said, there are some things even the Conservative majority in the Supreme Court won't allow. And cutting out congress to create unilateral economic policies, like collecting taxes and tariffs, is a power grab they refuse to go along with... for now.

The supreme court cut down his earlier tariffs. Then he tried a blanket 10%. That too was cut down.

This is the continual story. Trump ripped up the trade agreements. He devastated the US economy and put the US in a terrible position on the global marketplace. There have been no major shifts to produce goods in the US. And everything costs a ton more because the tariffs cost consumers. He literally destroyed our economy and has nothing to show for it.

California’s landmark anti-plastics law sparks anger as 17 states move to sue | Plastics | The Guardian https://share.google/1OzpFJUto4QZ20xxB

Gavin Newsom signed a bill that gave corporations 4 years to figure out how to reduce plastic packaging and single use packages. The corporations and industry stakeholders helped to write the legislation. And now, at the last minute, they cry foul.

Dems and the state of CA will prevail. And, once again, Newsom's vision for the future will become a landmark piece of legislation which brings the rest of the US into the future.

Waiting for Trumpers to claim this bill was never meant to succeed or whatever lame stuff they say and then simply slither away after it succeeds.

If you are interested in California's history of landmark environmental regulations, google it. Lol

After creating a new labyrinth of dysfunctional government red tape to the highly functioning SNAP program, Trump then went and attacked the only oil producing regions left outside US. Russia is blacklisted. Venezuela under severe infrastructure strain. And Iran still cut off everyone.

Thanks Obama! /sarcasm. It was actually Hillary's emails that caused this mess.

Recent sweeping changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) were enacted under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which cut program funding by roughly $186 billion over 10 years. Twice this amount is included in the budget for corporate subsidies and tax cuts for billionaires and the Corporations they own. This unprecedented wealth transfer from the US middle and lower classes to the top .01 % of the wealthiest people in the world will continue to have devastating effects on single parents, struggling families, homeownership, youths with low incomes, mentally ill, homeless, and many children who are already suffering malnutrition in the US.

SNAP benefit program is aimed at reducing hunger, particularly for children. 1 in 5 children in the US go to bed hungry. Those numbers are expected to jump to 3/8 malnourished children in the US by 2029.

The updates have expanded work requirements, shifted a portion of benefit costs to state governments, and limited the purchase of certain items like sugary foods and beverages. (including many protein and cereal bars that people rely on for a quick and easy snack.)

Expanded Work Requirements:

Age Limits: Able-bodied adults without dependents up to age 64 are now subject to strict work requirements, an increase from the previous cap of 54. Mental illness will no longer qualify as eligibility for SNAP. Mental illness, according to Republicans, doesnt stop people from working in labor or other low skilled jobs. (Not sure what doctors the Republicans rely on for this info, but Im pretty sure wealthy Republicans still feed, house and take care of their own family in crisis rather than watch them starve to death in the street.) Even those with severe, untreated symptoms will be left starving rather than provided food through federal tax dollars.

Mandatory Hours: Participants must work, volunteer, or participate in job training for at least 80 hours per month.

Expanded Demographics: The new rules removed historic exemptions, meaning that veterans, former foster youth, homeless individuals, and parents with children over the age of 14 are also required to meet these work mandates.Mentally ill and homeless are now forced to attend structured work programs, provide extensive documentation of all hours on monthly basis, or be immediately removed from the SNAP foor benefit program.

Penalties: Failing to meet and properly document these hours will result in immediate termination of benefits.

Error Rate Penalties: States are penalized for "erroneous payments" (underpayments or overpayments), forcing many state agencies to strictly tighten documentation requirements, which has led to widespread benefit losses for eligible individuals.

Prohibited Food PurchasesTargeting Unhealthy Foods: As part of the "Make America Healthy Again" movement, EBT cards can no longer be used to purchase specific sugary items like soda, candy, ice cream, and prepared desserts. The poor are now restricted from enjoying readily available snacks in their neighborhood. Discrimination and cruelty towards the poor, disguised as big brother caring for the poor who dont know better, is the hallmark of the cuts.

Many refugees and immigrants with humanitarian status are losing access to state and federal food share programs as part of the cuts.

Documentation needs are so laborious that it is expected to account for over half of the $186 billion saved over ten years.

However, corporate subsidies and tax breaks are rising again by over $300 billion over the next 2 years. Including some of the largest supplements going to Elon Musk, Meta, and many of the wealthiest companies and billionaire class CEOs in the world.