Bill's Focus

Or Back to July 1920

The 19th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified on August 20, 1920 giving women the right to vote. And now Republicons want to neuter it with something obscenely titled the SAVE Act. The “Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act” could be voted on in the House of Representatives today. A similar bill is being assembled in the Senate. Here are some excerpts from the sources in the citations below.

”Although supporters say the bill protects elections from illegal voting, opponents note that noncitizen voting is already illegal under federal law, and instances of it are extremely rare. An audit in Georgia found only 20 noncitizens attempted to register among 8.4 million voters, all of whom were flagged and referred to law enforcement​.”

”The SAVE Act would impose new federal requirements for proving citizenship during voter registration, potentially affecting millions of eligible voters who lack immediate access to documentation. The Brennan Center for Justice estimates more than 21 million voting-age U.S. citizens lack documentary proof of citizenship readily available​.”

”Much of the documentation listed under the SAVE Act is based on having a birth certificate that matches the person registering to vote. However, as many as 69 million married women in the United States have changed their legal name since getting married, meaning their name does not match their birth certificate, per the Center for American Progress.”

Voting by non-citizens is already illegal. This legislation is Fascism on full display – especially if you have difficulty finding a birth certificate or don’t have a passport…or if you are a woman who married and changed her name…duh!

”House Republicans — with five Democrats — passed a version of SAVE Act in 2024, after House Speaker Mike Johnson joined Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago to tie the president’s anti-immigration agenda to “election integrity.” Elon Musk had even suggested that anyone who voted against the bill should be executed for treason. “Those who oppose this are traitors,” he wrote on X at the time. “What is the penalty for traitors again?”

”The SAVE Act and Trump’s order are “about MAGA Republicans wanting to choose their voters,” according to Susan Corke, executive director of bipartisan pro-democracy group State Democracy Defenders Action.”

“Republican lawmakers are “deliberately rigging the system to silence our voices and seize power for themselves” while Trump is “laying the groundwork for mass voter disenfranchisement,” she said in a statement.”

The “SAVE Act” is a continuation of the LIE that the 2020 election was stolen. The Fascists have been repeating the lie ever since King $Trump launched it. There is NO PROOF of election fraud. NONE. And yet the Fascists will repeat and repeat and repeat until the dunderheads who don’t read believe it.

Need more evidence that the Fascists are vindictive liars? In a November 29, 2020 interview on 60 Minutes, King $Trump’s personally selected head of election security (CISA) Chris Krebs wrapped up with this statement:

“Scott Pelley: The president says you’re dead wrong about election security, and to him you say what?

Chris Krebs: There is no foreign power that is flipping votes. There’s no domestic actor flipping votes. I did it right. We did it right. This was a secure election.”

And now, in a continuation of his Vicious Vengeance Tour, in the face of NO EVIDENCE that the 2020 election had any fraud – King $Trump is on the attack, ordering an investigation of Republican Chris Krebs. Using OUR Justice Department as his personal law firm – again. I wonder what AG Pam Bondi’s retainer is.

Over 60 court cases were thrown out as bogus and frivolous efforts to challenge the legitimacy of the election. Krebs was in charge. He speaks the truth. This is all Fascism with a capital F. This is out of the “1984” and Putin Playbook. Lie, lie and lie. And lie some more.

In the meantime, King $Trump will be focusing on cutting off food and emergency aid around the world – and for OUR OWN KIDS. I am pissed off and horrified.

But if I were a woman I think my head would be exploding with astonishment and rage at the idea that in some states my right to vote will be fragile because I married someone. So much for “family values”. But maybe if this Fascist legislation passes, it will disenfranchise many “Trad Wives”. And if a woman decides to keep her name upon marriage, how might she be likely to vote? Hmm. Sweet irony?

Where is June Osborne just when you need her?

https://www.newsweek.com/save-act-congress-voting-women-will-trump-sign-2057511

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/save-act-republicans-trump-voter-id-b2727571.html

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/election-results-security-chris-krebs-60-minutes-2020-11-29/

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/trump-orders-probes-two-former-officials-defied-rcna200523

Exceeded my Expectations

It was loud. The horns honking in affirmation were at times deafening. This small town was alive. A bigger turnout than I expected. Was it a thousand? The street was lined with a terrific variety of creative signs. The fury and frustration with an administration gone wild was on full display in this little village.

Oldsters were there early. At first it felt like a “senior moment”. But then as the start time came closer, waves of people of all ages swarmed the park. A young man who walked with some difficulty had a large sign which read “Don’t Defund Disabilities”. There were several that said “Stop the Cruelty”. A couple held a replica of the original 13 star flag – upside down. Distress was in the air.

A prevalent sentiment was anti-Musk. This was one sign that wasn’t vulgar. Just on point. Several of the surrounding towns loaded up busses to fuel the big rally in Boston. The organizers wanted to boost the big city numbers. They did. It was big. But there were many of us who preferred to stay local and still be part of the national effort. It felt good.

It felt really good. To be among so many like minded people. To share our frustration and disgust. But here’s the thing. Despite the fact that we were all royally pissed off, most of us were smiling with a sense of solidarity. Instead of staring at our phones reading the latest horror from the Fascists, we were together. Sharing.

”No King” was by my count, the most prevalent sign. But there were a lot of sentiments. Here’s my sign – front and back.

This was a good week. Corey Booker inspired us. And a whole lot of people across the country made some good noise. It won’t change the mind of the kid who drove by us with a $Trump flag. But as the Orange Menace Sociopath and his Drug Addled Enemy of Empathy Sidekick rip this country to shit, people are waking up.

Someone I respect and love said to me yesterday that the protests won’t change anything until Congress does something. She is right. But IMO, the pain from the slaughter of our Federal Agencies will be felt slowly and then all of a sudden. There will be a tsunami of suffering. And Red States will feel it more than Blue. Maybe 77 million people voted for “smaller government”. But they didn’t vote to punish veterans and kids.

I don’t think I have ever protested as an adult. I really don’t like crowds at all. I do remember protesting something in high school. Can’t remember the issue!

But despite the cold rainy weather I had the best time in a long time. I think we are just warming up this resistance. Below is my new hat.

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The White House Threatens to Suppress

By now you have read about yesterday’s “Tesla Protests”. For a good recap of how global and powerful it was, consider reading this Guardian article. People are angry at Musk. Perhaps because he reminds us of Hermann Goering – Hitler’s choice to control the German economy.

And if you don’t think Elon Musk is insane, please read this. If you are receiving Social Security (that you and your employer PAID into for decades!!!) keep an eye on those automatic deposit dates at your bank. There is another word for Musk that starts with an i – incompetent.

Musk is no technical genius as popular myth would suggest. He inherited wealth from a racist father and parlayed it into other companies. (Sound familiar?!) He didn’t invent Tesla. He bought it. And he benefited from Federal government subsidies that he now decries for others. He built Tesla bigger with OUR help. Read about it here.

And to make the hypocrisy even more upsetting – Tesla paid almost zero in taxes over the last three years. 0, Nada, Nothing.

The fact that the demonstrations occurred at almost every Tesla dealership and headquarters suggest that the rebellion has very widespread support. People are pissed off.

The “Deep State” government that Republicans complain about has been holding our society together despite being UNDER STAFFED for decades.

The number of Federal employees peaked in 1990 at 3.19 million.
The population of the United States in 1990 was about 248 million people.

The number of Federal employees by 2023 was 2.93 million
The population of the United States in 2023 was about 340 million people.

33 years later…roughly the same number of employees were serving 37% MORE of us. That’s not Deep State bloat. That is employee abuse. But I digress.

Next? April 5th!
Google it and notice how prominent it is in the search. I think this will be a launch.

Of course, nothing we say or do this Saturday will change the minds of the Fascists. The DOGE stooges will still be determined to carry out every detail of Project 2025. They will continue to slaughter our government and ruin the careers of thousands of hard working non-partisan government workers. People who could have made much more money with their educations and skill sets in the private sector. But they have something $Trump and Musks storm troopers can’t fathom. Patriotic dedication to their nation.

April 5th is about showing solidarity. This about showing a big push back against an unelected mega billionaire acting like a co-dictator ruining the lives of millions.

April 5th will be big. In hundreds of locations. You can find a demonstration near you via “Hands Off”. I’ll be at a town near me.

Multiple organizations like Indivisible are joining in support. And this protest will be global. It looks as if $Trump and Musk are uniting millions – putting the focus on free speech and good governance.

However, somehow, my wife has been receiving White House “notices” which she shares with me. Yesterday’s missive from the Fascists was chilling. Here is the link.
The statement established a new “D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force” that can involve every law enforcement entity under the sun – from Homeland Security to the FBI. All to make Washington “safe and beautiful”.

Do you think it is a coincidence that this new “Task Force” was established just one week before millions of people may visit our nation’s capital to express their displeasure? $Trump loves big crowds – but only if they are cheering him and laughing at his bullying and his cruel jokes. Don’t be shocked if some “storm troopers” are in evidence.

Here is an excerpt from the White House message yesterday:

….facilitate the deployment of a more robust local law enforcement presence as appropriate in areas in or about the District of Columbia, including in such areas as the National Mall and Memorial Parks, museums, monuments, Lafayette Park, Union Station, Rock Creek Park, Anacostia Park, the George Washington Memorial Parkway, the Suitland Parkway, and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, and ensuring that all applicable quality of life, nuisance, and public-safety laws are strictly enforced, such as those prohibiting assault, battery, larceny, graffiti and other vandalism, unpermitted disturbances and demonstrations, noise, trespassing…

So, let’s be careful and peaceful – but strong.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/29/tesla-protests-elon-musk-doge?utm_term=67e9244a5bcc7ba66cb9bf9389179d63&utm_campaign=GuardianTodayUS&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&CMP=GTUS_email

https://history.as.uky.edu/nazi-leadership-and-holocaust

https://www.statista.com/statistics/204535/number-of-governmental-employees-in-the-us/

https://www.macrotrends.net/global-metrics/countries/usa/united-states/population

https://thirdact.org/act/handsoff/

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/making-the-district-of-columbia-safe-and-beautiful/

https://www.wired.com/story/doge-rebuild-social-security-administration-cobol-benefits/

https://newrepublic.substack.com/p/the-tesla-secret-that-exposes-elon?utm_source=cross-post&publication_id=1520659&post_id=159547011&utm_campaign=1520659&isFreemail=true&r=3s3j1&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email

The United States is Not a Bubble

This a big meaningful day. But the ironies are frightening. And outrageous.

In 1952—an epidemic year for polio—there were 58,000 new cases reported in the United States. I was one of them. More than 3,000 died from the disease. I survived with minor lifetime complications.

On March 26, 1953, Dr. Jonas Salk announced he had developed an effective vaccine for polio.

By 1957 new cases had dropped to 6,000. In 1962 Albert Sabin had developed an oral version which greatly expanded its application. Polio has been essentially eliminated in the United States – by the universal use of vaccines. But earlier this month five other countries reported new cases of the virus.

And on this day in 2025 our “government” announced:

U.S. to End Vaccine Funds for Poor Countries

A question for “Christian” supporters of $Trump. What do you think Jesus would say? Was he a “Nationalist”?

The irony is that America has been the source of science and modern medicine that has saved millions lives around the globe. Yet today as we celebrate Jonas Salk, we condemn millions to suffer and die.

The cruelty is mind boggling in its scope. Does anyone remember when American “Christian” missionaries were sent to HELP people abroad? Did Jesus change his mind about who should live or die?

The stupidity is that we have broken faith with the world. Picture this. America has with drawn USAID support of food and medicine for many countries. People (children) will die. Governments will turn to other nations for help. China and Russia will jump in and expand their influence in those regions. Why would we give our global competitors such a gift?

Scientists remind us that diseases know no borders. No amount of travel restrictions will prevent the next pandemic. If monkey pox becomes more virulent in Africa, it won’t stay in Africa. If a new form of bird flu or another example of animal transmission occurs across the Atlantic, there is no “iron dome” to hide under.

We are the richest nation in the history of the planet. Yet we allow a few of us to hoard outrageous levels of wealth, deprive our own citizens of housing, health care, food and water…education. I guess we might as well hurt other countries too!

Our shame will be forever. Our word will never be trusted again.

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/polio/five-countries-report-new-polio-cases

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/26/health/usaid-cuts-gavi-bird-flu.html?unlocked_article_code=1.604.3maG.MVQteCue4hku&smid=url-share

Two months of Treason

Below is a repost of a warning from someone who has lived through this Hell before. Manuel A. Garcia writes excellent Substack letters. This is his latest. But first I ask THE question:

Who have $Trusk helped in the first two months of holding power?

Putin and his Russian gangsters.

Who have they hurt? Average Americans and our allies. Veterans, children, the elderly.

This is Treason.

The Voice of America was there to help protect us. To tell the truth to those living in “closed societies” where democracy was just a dream. To “HOLD THE DOOR” as the forces of evil tried to trample us. There is only ONE explanation for the shuttering of such a news service. Treason.

This is no puzzle. This is blatant. This is obvious. $Trusk = betrayal of their own nation for personal gain. Both are sociopathic hoarders of wealth. Both have global ambitions. One of them (like Bibi) wants to stay out of prison and wallow in the attention he never got from his ice cold parents. $Trusk are the White Walkers of 2025.

Please read this excellent piece from Manuel A. Garcia

They look almost asleep. Their inert little bodies rest on the flagstones. I had watched them all morning in their aerial pirouettes. Their direction looked random as the large flock came and went, seemingly aimless. But this pair soon met solid reality, crashing against the side of our house, drunk on the nandina and yaupon berries. Hold that thought…

In my youth, when the dictator was fending off diverse groups of rebels, we would huddle to listen to short-wave radio. To be caught doing so would be deleterious to those around the radio. We were seeking the truth— news from outside the island. What is going on in the mountains? Are people flocking to join the rebels? Is the dictator weakening as the bodies of his opponents litter the streets?

The rebel groups eventually succeeded. Soon, though, the short-wave radios were banned by the rebels who gained power— the most ruthless of the groups. The island population was once again driven into silent resistance with access to outside sources pronouncedly scarce.

In the above-described scenario of struggles for the most reliable information, there was still a beacon of light. The Voice of America would broadcast in bands accessible to the islanders. The lifeline countering the totalitarian state’s propaganda was available. Last Friday, the POTUS regime, in totalitarian fashion, pulled the plug on that important resource. For decades, totalitarian governments sought to block its radio transmissions. It took a loyal supporter of the Putin regime to bring it about.

The American voters who naively or intentionally supported the GOP during the 2024 presidential election are like the drunk cedar waxwings that crashed against my house. And if we fail to stop the fascists, we will all be dead waxwings.

Resist as strongly and as frequently as you are able, or suffer the consequences. This is no time for hesitation— step by step, as promised, the GOP fascists are implementing their Project 2025 plan to silence the news media and replace it with propaganda favorable to an authoritarian state under the POTUS regime. The Voice of America is one of the latest victims, along with the U S Department of Education. Note also that journalists who ask questions that make the regime uncomfortable are banned from the White House.

An uninformed public benefits a tyrant.

Resist today. Resist tomorrow. Resist as you are able. Democracy needs you for its survival.

The Voice of America Silenced

Fitting the Pieces

Exploring life and the events of our day, seeking the truth with humility.

By Manuel A. Garcia

The DEI Push Back is Real!

In a world full of destruction and negativity, I needed this. I wanted to feel some positive emotions, some hope, some connection to people doing and saying the right thing – the inarguably moral thing.

A long time ago, we “cut the cord”. No cable TV. Sometimes, there is a big event like an election or a sports championship that we might miss. But because we live near a major metro area (Boston) we can watch “legacy” TV with an antenna. The picture is as good as cable, or better. Although there are occasional freeze-ups due to some sort of interference (a bird? a plane?). But not enough to sign up with Comcast again.

And, for many shows, you can find an episode on YouTube. We read this article from AP (who does terrific reporting on events around the Gulf of MEXICO 🙂 about a 60 Minutes segment . So we searched for the show on YouTube.

We may start watching 60 Minutes on CBS again! Enjoy this one and feel some joy for some amazing young people who happen to be “diverse”.

Congratulations CBS, 60 Minutes staff and Scott Pelley. The majority of Americans believe that Diversity is normal and healthy. The majority of Americans believe that Equity for all is basic fairness. The majority of Americans believe that Inclusion is simply a level playing field.

DEI is GOOD. DEI should be embraced and celebrated as progress in the long journey to human justice. DEI DOES NOT discriminate against white people. It ensures that whites and non-whites are treated equally.

DEI is SMART because in a highly competitive global economy we need all the bright talent we can harvest.

DEI wouldn’t need to exist in a perfect world. But as long as there are $Trumps, Muskrats and other haters of non-white humanity, as long as highly talented very qualified women are ignored and people with disabilities are dismissed as unfit – DEI needs to be respected – kept alive, taught and supported.

And a note to Donald J. $Trump. You are not the president of all Americans. You are not our leader. You are “Donald the Destroyer” – king of the White Supremacists.
You are a bigot. You are a racist throwback to the Confederacy and the brutality of the past. The pendulum will swing to equality – you are in the way.

Bonus video. I have applauded the words of Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) in the past. Murphy is redefining the words “Progressive” and “Populist”. Listen to what a mainstream Democrat says about Bernie Sanders. And Chris has a sense of humor. And Jon is Jon…

https://apnews.com/article/cbs-60-minutes-lawsuit-trump-pelley-58339cc1a1eb52739bb365e2e8c6d8bc

https://youtu.be/EqLfXzzPB0g

https://billalstrom.substack.com/p/a-new-party-is-required

With Empathy, Attempting to Understand

So many of us have bemoaned the fact that our nation has shifted from being one of “we” to one of “me”. We are all guilty of “meism” at some point. But sometimes we can recognize that and consider the “other” point of view. There was a time when churches, temples and mosques would ask us to love everyone. The core message was about embracing the stranger, feeding the hungry, helping the needy. It was a message of community and inclusiveness.

What happened to “Everyone is welcome at our table.” ?

The following is a short story. Not actual people. It’s a fiction but depicts actual life circumstances. It’s a portrait of a family not living the “American Dream”. Their lives had begun with hope and the simple aspirations of living a “good life” raising their kids with friends nearby. Their “Dream” has evaporated.

I think the story explains, to some degree, why there are Two Americas now. There have always been cultural divides. But this is a chasm too wide.

There is a late middle aged guy in a state like Missouri. Jack doesn’t know me, but he hates me. He despises “liberal elites” and “progressives”. He lives in a “Christian” ecosphere. If he knew that I thought his religion was fantasy and that I see him swimming in unadulterated bigotry, he would hate me even more thoroughly. I am the essence of evil.

Jack’s life has been one of hard work. He had expected to retire from the same plant his father and brother had been at for decades. He is proud of the home he has maintained so well. He even added a family room with his own hands. His bosses had liked his work ethic and made him a foreman. A little more money and some pride when he came home to tell his family. He has two nights with the guys. A card game and bowling.

Jack’s wife works two jobs. Jean is an office manager at a local insurance agency. They love her because she holds the place together, smoothing over difficulties with customers. But the pay is modest – just like Jacks. The kids will be going to college soon (they hope), utility bills are higher and higher. Food prices are upsetting to say the least. So Jean also works evenings at a “nice” restaurant where her people skills are rewarded with good tips. It’s exhausting, but just like at the agency, she is well liked and appreciated.

Jean is helping to close the restaurant, serving the last customers. One of them casually says: “Too bad about the plant…” Jean says: “What are you talking about?” The customer says: “The place is shutting down. Over the next three months. Completely. All production is moving to Mexico.”

About 50% of the population of this town work in the plant or in smaller job shops that supply the plant with what it needs to operate. The ripple effect of the closing is actually a tsunami. A town drowns. The insurance agency closes. The restaurant closes.

Jack and Jean have always been proud of paying their bills on time. But now that their incomes have been decimated, that becomes impossible. And it is worse than that.

They purchased their modest home in 2005. Because of the Housing Crisis leading to the Great Recession, its value is nowhere near the purchase price. They owe way more than the assessed or appraised value. And now that the town is dying, they couldn’t sell the property if they wanted to. Jack and Jean read how the big banks and insurance companies were bailed out to “save the economy” – but little help was provided to them or their neighbors. To describe their situation as desperate is to understate it dramatically.

But that’s just the beginning. Of Hell on Earth. Jean has just been diagnosed with breast cancer. Oddly, several other women in town of her age, have also been told the same. Their town is apparently a hot spot for cancer. But that’s a story for another day.

Jacks health insurance can be extended through a program called COBRA. But the premiums are out of reach and it has an end date. The only way Jeans surgery, chemo, radiation and 10 years of hormone blocking drugs can be paid for is through Medicaid.

Medicaid is administered by the states. About 70% of the funding comes from the Federal government – in part because of the Affordable Care Act. Jack and Jean’s representatives in Congress are about to vote for a reduction in Medicaid to the tune of several hundred billion dollars. Because it’s viewed as “socialism”.

Jack and Jean have three children.

Ian, the oldest at 17 has just returned from rehab. He has been on this journey of addiction twice before. First it was alcohol, then pills like oxy. He had taken them for a football injury. The knee pain had been excruciating. When the doc shut down his supply, it was easy to find something on the street. This time, it had been some new drug they had never heard of. Ian stopped talking to them years ago. Jack and Jean are discouraged beyond words. They fear they have lost him.

Jen, their middle child, is 14. She hangs with older kids. They all have enormous tattoos and listen to music their parents hate. She refuses to go to church and uses words they have never heard of. Jen won’t listen to Jean when she tries to caution about unprotected sex. Now Jen says she hopes to tattoo most of her body.
Jack and Jean are terrified.

Kal is the youngest at 10. He is super bright. His teachers consider him to be exceptional at math and he is very interested in science. He has been trying to explain climate change and the interconnectedness of all species to his folks. Their eyes glaze over as he launches one of his “lectures”. Kal also thinks he was supposed to be a girl. Jean had had tried to ignore the fact that Kal would slip into Jen’s clothes and play with her discarded collection of Barbies.
Jean turns to Jack:
“What are they teaching these kids in school?! This is not our fault!”

Jack isn’t particularly religious. But he doesn’t like to argue with Jean. She insists they go to church each Sunday. Originally, all three kids would come along. Kal is the only one who attends now. But he is getting confused by the preacher who had taught them about loving thy neighbor. Lately, the minister at the “New Life” church has been ranting about the changes in society and how their children are being programmed in school to question “God’s ways”. He tells the community that they need saving from the new influences of social media and warns that the schools are now infested with “DEI” which he calls the Devils Evil Insanity. Kal is losing interest.

Jack and Jean are worried that Jen and Kal are turning into something they don’t understand. They may not be able to “save” Ian in the long run. But Jean’s “faith” says all this must be stopped.

Jack and Jean hate me and what I stand for. But my wife and I – and everyone I know in our bright blue socially liberal state – want Jack and Jean to be treated with “Kindness and Fairness”. Some would call that a “religious” attitude (old school). I call it compassion and empathy and the Golden Rule in practice.

I think that if that plant was to be shut down, there should have been a public/private project to retrain Jack for other work and money to relocate if that made sense. We think Jean shouldn’t have to think about the cost of her cancer treatment. We think they have been betrayed by the Oligarchs that control businesses with no thought to the welfare of their employees.

We think they have been betrayed by the Oligarchs that influenced politicians to abandon them. We think “pulling yourself up by your bootstraps” doesn’t work very well if you have no boots.

Regardless of our religious beliefs or lack thereof, we “Blue Staters” want our fellow Americans to have a safety net and a way to prosper. We think of our nation as a place for “We” to thrive. How do we convince “Jack and Jean” that we are all in the same big boat? How do we bridge this gap?

My brilliant wife sent me this short fascinating article. It lays out the great divide between us. We need a break through. Democrats need to find a path to Missouri and beyond.

“Even if everybody in Washington simply vanished, we would still have the same problem because the underlying cause of it, which is partly growing social isolation and partly a class gap about social isolation,” Putnam said, adding that less educated Americans were becoming especially separated.

“That’s why Trump won, and unless we fix it, we’re going to get more and more Trumps forever,” he said.

“Now is probably the most polarized political period in American history, with a possible exception of one five year period that you will have heard of between 1860 and 1865,” he added. “That’s the Civil War.”

Read the whole piece here.

Post Script:
One of the most powerful and eloquent voices on the Substack platform is from Missouri. Jess Piper is a blue dot in a red world. She is making difference. Maybe she has some of the answers we are seeking. And she is a terrific writer.
https://jesspiper.substack.com/

Wake Up and Find the Right Voice

Today’s letter is longer than I wanted. If you are pressed for time, PLEASE just scroll down to the last short video.

Open Letter to the Democratic National Committee:
”It happened again. You sent me an email asking for money. It was supposed to be from Harris and Walz. But I know they just authorized some fund raising person at the DNC to email me…again. Stop. Just stop.

I will donate to the DNC when you find a voice. When you start to make some loud noise and some “good trouble”. Americans need to know what Democrats stand for on EVERY major issue and they need to hear about it every day. There are several firehoses of lies, misinformation and frankly incredibly insane bullshit coming from the administration and its oligarch funded media puppets. Time for Dems to show some official outrage.

I wrote to you recently about the “Shadow Cabinet” idea. You didn’t respond. But I’ll keep trying. Here is another idea.

Where in the name of all that is decent and good are Bill Clinton and Barack Obama? Hillary and Michelle? Harris and Walz? Why aren’t they joining Bernie Sanders touring the country trying to save it? OK, that is a lot of work. I get it.

But how about a DNC podcast featuring interviews with them and all the other voices that people might listen to? What’s the plan, Stan? Make some noise, boys! We’re bleeding. Time to start leading!

Give us a reason to send you money, Ken Martin!”

Then…I googled around and found this video. It is called a “National Update and Call to Action”. It happened five days ago. I follow politics. Too much. But accordingly, why wasn’t I aware of this messaging until I decided to dig around. If you decide to watch it, be aware that there is just music for the first few minutes – I guess they were waiting for everyone to sign on. So consider skimming or fast forwarding until you hear or see something that you feel is “compelling”. My thoughts are below.

JMO:
We live in a performative world. Presentation and personality rule. Pathetic, but true.
As usual, Jamie Raskin was strong and others were clear in their messaging. I was particularly proud of Rep Lori Trahan who is our representative. But…

Ken Martin: I agreed with every word. But is this the face and voice that will sell Americans the Democratic vision?

Hakeem Jeffries: I agreed with every word. But his speech is a continuous hesitation – halting and verges on stumbling. I have great admiration for this person and his remarkable ability to hold the Democrats together. But with respect, his style is not going to win the performative contest.

Democrats have the right ideas. What we need are really powerful sales people.

Barack Obama was a political unknown – a first term Senator with little experience. But wow, could he talk. He could sell you anything. His speeches were state of the art performances because he could pitch the ideas. He is amazing. We need him back on the team – full time.

Bill Clinton was a governor who was on nobody’s radar screen. But the first time I heard him speak, I said to a friend: “This guy may be our next president.” And “Slick Willy” got the job. This guy is not my personal favorite. He lost me with NAFTA, banking deregulation and of course, Monica. My point is that he could sell you a car with no engine and be gone by the time you put the key in the ignition. Sorry for the example. But the nation has been conned successfully by someone with worse motivation and intentions. You see where I am coming from.

So who stirs you when they speak? Who can sell the nation on the correct direction? Who can forcefully demand a halt to the wholesale destruction of our democracy, the rule of law and all the help and protections that our government provides for the environment, our seniors and children, the challenged, our veterans and the government workers who SAVE lives here and all over the world? WHO?

Democrats need some LOUD eloquent heroes now. People with remarkable speaking skills.

Below is how it is done. Please listen to Rep Melanie Stansbury. It is short but stirring. I have heard her speak before. This person is on fire.

If we look

Today is International Women’s Day. On this day in 1917, protests began in Russia by women demanding food. The protests grew as men joined by the tens of thousands. Police were confronted. The people couldn’t be silenced. The people had reached a breaking point.

The revolution was begun by women.

Russians were suffering losses in WWI and the families of soldiers were starving. As the royalty continued to live luxurious lives, people had no bread. The protests spread widely and led to the abdication of Czar Nicholas.

In 2023, 14% of children in the United States lived in poverty, which is nearly 10 million children.

”According to a recent HuffPost story, taxpayers have to shell out an estimated $3,383,250 for each golf trip to Florida. And, due to the frequency in which the president has played, the site estimated that meant that taxpayers paid out at least $10.7 million for the president to hit the links across the first month of his second term.

It puts Trump on pace to spend well over $100 million golfing in 2025. HuffPost reported that he spent an estimated $152 million, golfing 293 days at his own resorts, during his first term.”

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/08/womens-protest-sparked-russian-revolution-international-womens-day


https://www.pennlive.com/news/2025/03/trumps-golf-game-taxpayers-cost-for-the-president-to-play-at-mar-a-lago.html

Questions Unanswered by Republicans

What did $Trump ask for from Putin when he cut off military and intelligence assistance to Ukraine? Doesn’t a good negotiator get SOMETHING before giving it all up? Nobody has an answer. There can be only one explanation. $Trump is a Russian tool. A mole. An infiltrator. An agent of espionage. A democracy destroyer.
$Trump IS a Russian asset.

What is the Russian concession? A $Trump hotel in Moscow? A $Trump crypto purchase? A dacha with a McDonalds in the kitchen? Prompt approval of Russian citizenship when $Trump is outed?

Why did he have friendly chats with Putin and then attempt to humiliate our ally in the Oval Office? Why is $Trump abandoning Europe? Why is $Trump attacking our neighbors, our friends and trading partner with tariffs? Isn’t this just what Putin would love an asset to do? Isn’t it obvious?

There ARE Democrats in DC standing up and asking important questions. Oregon should be proud of the two House Reps who stood tall and left the $Trump rally this week. And Oregon should be very proud of their Senator. Please watch this brief but powerful video.

There IS a reason our president claims that Putin will honor any agreement that he makes – when Putin has violated every agreement of the past. There IS a reason why our president is abandoning Ukraine.

It was all too obvious when Trump selected Paul Manafort as his campaign chairman in 2016. Who hires a Russian tool to oversee an American election campaign?

Perhaps the Steele Dossier was spot on. Perhaps that video is in Putin’s desk drawer.

Doesn’t matter. We KNOW that EVERYTHING that our pompous putz of a president does is transactional. Not for principle. Not for empathy or compassion. Not for patriotism. He is proud of his “Art of the Deal”.

So, Mr Deal Maker, what do we get from Russia? Oops. What does $Trump get?

And now, for some appalling irony, please read this brief article from January 17, 2017. At a minimum, please read the last paragraph.

9 Things Trump Has Said Since the Election That Might Make Putin Smile

WE KNEW.
This was never normal.
This was always treason.
It is more than obvious.