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Linda's avatar

The whole Democratic Party needs a Newsom spine transplant. Governor Newsom stay strong Our Constitutional Rule of Law Republic needs YOU.

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alis's avatar

Many Dems were in this fight long before Newsom: Senator Schiff, Senator Sanders, Senator Warren, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Porter, Rep. Crockett, Rep. Swalwell, Rep. Raskin, Rep. Casar, Rep. Frost, and on and on.

They hit the road, talk shows, and podcasts; they know how to bring the snark concerning TRump. I'm glad Gavin finally decided to join THEM! So many good Democrats, so little time, but the Governor absolutely is HELPING.

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Linda's avatar

Those you listed are always the ones we count on.

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Daniel Solomon's avatar

All politics is (and are) local. Most of those listed by Alis are anethema for Dems here in Baghdad By the Sea for cultural reasons. Swalwell did make an appearance here at a Dem program.

The same is true for most of Red America.

We have a more rational message on virtually every issue, yet we are a minority party.

The substance for a successful campaign in NY will, to any degree of probability, fail miserably in Tejas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1S828Y7Eais Although white voters should be a minority in Tejas, Rep Crockett is isolated. The culture pattern is different, maybe unique. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-cFtSPIF4Q

I've spent a lot of time (and money) in the past 3 campaigns extolling Field Team Six, https://www.fieldteam6.org/. "To win in ‘25, ‘26, and ‘28, we will reach out to millions of unregistered likely Democrats using our one-of-a-kind database and every outreach method possible (email, text, postcard, phone, targeted ad, and in-person too), in every single swing state and district where new Democrats will make the most impact."

Unfortunately, the 2024 candidates wouldn't listen. Texas does not permit electronic registrations and moves voting locations to the deteriment of Dems, caging, etc. But we still should outnumber Republicans in Texas by a wide margin.

I couldn't even get Thom to interview Jason Berlin. https://pasadenamag.com/people-places/playing-the-field

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Carol A. Heasley's avatar

I think it behooves the people you list, Alis, to make known exactly what they are doing to fight against the horrendous turn our government is taking, which is what I think you are talking about.

Serious historians like Thom Hartmann, Isabell Allende,Noam Chomsky, Jeffrey Sachs,Steven Levitsky, Norman Finklestein, outlined what they need to do and I don’t see the elected officials playing by those playbooks.

What specifically? Snark is good but it will take more than snark. These individuals have a front row seat and inside power we don’t have to stop Trump.

Talk shows are by design infotainment- and I don’t see any of them going out on a limb to protect our civil rights.

I know first hand what a lack of protection my civil rights have received. Gavin has been front and center in California and could have stop the military surveillance of me and my family but he chose to look the other way as chaos ensued causing great damage amid real family crisis.

When Chris Hedges and my neighbors chose to engage Army surveillance of me 24/7 in my home a few months ago I haven’t seen any backlash. The need to know did not require violating my home space because there many ways in which to obtain what he wanted.

This method of watching me denies me the privacy I need to write creatively. An individual David Long and his wife Suzanne Long have for decades availed themselves of my private life and brag about it.

Without ever confiding with me regarding slanderous revenge led talk by people who would do anything to cover for a friend they have had decades to try and make what I was unaware of stick.

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Linda's avatar

I sent my comment before I finished due to a rogue index finger.👆 Our Democratic governors are essential in the fight with MAGA intrusion into to their states as more intrusions are coming. I totally agree that many of our elected US Senators and Representatives are fighters. I have always believed that our Military would stand down to Trump’s illegal aggression on the nation. It seems they will not.

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settybue's avatar

Treason =death. This might be why the military is not taking a position to defend the Constitution. Hedgehog has his minions imbeded deep in the machinery.

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Carol A. Heasley's avatar

I was surprised to see Newsom 'show some spine', it is a politically brave thing to do. I wondered when or if he would show up. In the press conferences, Gavin is in full attack mode, but also loaded with code, just like Trump and Putin in Alaska—both political and personal attacks on an American citizen, elder abuse against me.

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alis's avatar
Aug 16Edited

That sucking sound

I'll just let your imagination take over what that could mean coming from the direction of Alaska yesterday. Regardless of what Putin did or didn't get out of that meeting, America loses because our (cough) President is the consummate lying loser of all time. 

As psychopaths age, they often become better "actors". Somehow TRump has learned to spew rhetoric about saving lives. Sending thoughts and prayers to Ukraine. Pundits really were stunned by how they looked and acted after Putin told him how high to jump. Hell, TRump skipped the meal, failed to answer questions, and kinda shut his pie-hole. Scary!

As for the Epstein Affair, TRump is in it up to his eyeballs. That too goes back to Russia Russia Russia---you can bet Vlad reminded him in Anchorage. I think Jeffrey is going to get him from the grave, but the victims, possibly hundreds of them, will get him HERE on this earthly plane.

Love your inquiring mind, Thom. Same to all the commenters. Patience, my friends. See you in the streets.

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JP Connolly's avatar

The victims will be in DC in early September, so that should move the Epstein scandal back into the news. The desperate meet-up in Alaska will quickly fade.

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Daniel Solomon's avatar

I hope a lot of protesters will accompany Zalensky on Monday.

Since the "you don't have the cards" Trump gaffe. Russia is bombed nightly, the Russian army is losing troops by death, injury, and defection, and the summer Russian initiative has stalled, if not thwarted. By bombing oil refineries and arms factories, Russia is on the verge of banktruptcy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=lmp4C1bRpiM

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Rebel408's avatar

Try as he may the 🍊💩 will never take our eyes and focus off the Epstein horror show. We’ve seen the photos, heard the victim’s testimony- he can’t ever erase that from our memories.

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Daniel Solomon's avatar

I am watching Michael Wolff on Daily Beast. Wolff is Epstein's biographer--says Epstein had a secret meeting with Putin in Moscow. https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-circles-drop-f-bomb-after-failure-putin-summit-wolff/

MAGA is spinning the summit as a success. "Trump Circles Drop F-Bomb After ‘Failure’ Putin Summit: Wolff."

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Sonja Mitchell's avatar

Thank you, Thom, for this searing summary. There is hope for us. Disgusting, incompetent, corrupt, lying, lascivious, wannabe dictator Trump and his craven ring-kissers are imploding all over the country. Trump and his “folks” have demonstrated who they are, and they are going down into the cess pool they came from. Americans have been looking for a worthy and charismatic leader to oppose Trump. I sincerely hope Newsom is that leader, and he has lit a fire of national enthusiasm that will make Trump history. I also hope the Trump "experience" and its authoritarian near miss will be a lesson in the importance of democracy, how it cannot be taken for granted. Instead, it needs to be strengthened and protected. Every school child needs to be taught this lesson. Democracy works when everyone benefits from it--not just the rich, or the greedy and criminal, like Trump.

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William Farrar's avatar

And Nancy Pelosi called the Epstein affair a distraction. For sure the satyr Bill Clinton was a frequent flyer to pedo island, but what other Democrats, this is truly a both sides is guilty scenario, no wonder there is no demands or outcry from the Democrats. It is given that Trump and the Republicans are guilty.

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alis's avatar

When you put "both sides" on the pedo scale, which side weighs it down as far as it can go? That would be the repressed/Republican/religious pedo-side. Kyle Kulinski just showed the "receipts" for this FACT on his YouTube show.

Clinton's day may be coming. And the victims? I hope they get every penny they can from him, TRump, and the Epstein trust.

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Robot Bender's avatar

I don't care who is in the Epstein Files. They all deserve to be arrested and tried for their crimes. ALL of them.

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William Farrar's avatar

We knew that the rich and famous, like Prince Andrew was a frequent visitor to pedo Island, and given the satyrism of Bill Clinton, but it was Nancy Pelosi chiming in that Epstein files were a distraction, that did it..

The only chance we have of taking down Trump is his penchant for young girls and sexual abuse. that's the only thing that can disabuse MAGA of their idolization of Trump. Now there is a major push, prominent Dems included, to push it into the memory hole.

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alis's avatar

And the Progressives are fighting to expose EVERYONE. The Epstein Affair is going to make Watergate look "simple". It figures this will keep their attention, because Republicans are obsessed with other people's bodies and sex lives.

From AI Overview-"Recent reporting indicates that Nancy Pelosi initially characterized the public focus on Jeffrey Epstein as a "distraction" from other legislative issues. However, soon after these remarks, she reversed course, issuing calls for transparency and accountability regarding the Epstein case."

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William Farrar's avatar

Question, why did she make the statement in the first place, calling it a distraction is echoing the Republicans, of course she reversed her position, she came under fire for calling it a distraction.

The voters have been longing for a real choice, they are fed up with and don't trust centrists, the mediocre ameliorators. Their Jesus even said be yee neither not nor cold I will spew thee out of my mouth.

The Democrats have been following the lead of their donors,who also control the corporate media, and have been ignoring or punishing progressives, meanwhile the voting public looking for leadership have gravitated to the phony populist right, while the Democrats have shitcanned and ignored the populist left.

And yeh I know we wuz robbed, but there were 74 million people who sat out the election.

The DNC will not support Mamdani, and if they could they would primary AOC, and Bernie sticks in their craw.

And finally Newsom has shown some spine, after kissing up to Joe Rogan and the cultural right.

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Daniel Solomon's avatar

I say again. You are hung up on Nancy Pelosi. She hasn't been Speaker for a long time. She's not majority leader.

I'll take her over any House Republican.

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William Farrar's avatar

I am hung up on Pelosi because she is the face of the problem Daniel. Just like Trump is the face of the problem. It isn't just Nancy but all those in Congress who think and act like her

I will agree with you given any Republican I will SETTTLE for a Demopub, but I am tired of settling. I am sore tired of voting against and not voting for.

I want to see a solid ticket of FDR Republicans., but that will never happen in the current Democratic party.

You won't find any who will stand up and say "the economic royalists hate me and I welcome their hate", because it is the economic royalists who are their donor base, they slop at the same trough as the Republicans only they slop the leavings.

Bernie proved that donor cash is not needed, and what does it say about a public which can be swayed and bought, by propaganda, It says they are mindless sheep being led up the ramp of the abattoir by Judas Goats, and deserve their fate.

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arshambow's avatar

AMEN!

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Chris Brodin's avatar

Maybe it would be easier to compile a list of those who weren’t at Epstein’s island. I’m sure that there are many shitting bricks right now.

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William Farrar's avatar

That is a though. MAGA was all hot and bothered when they though the list contained nothing but Democrats, not so much now, though 50% seem to be anti pedophilia, like that Pizzagate clown. Pedophilia knows no race, religion, ethnicity or party.

However there are plenty of Democrats that don't want the list made public now., but more like you and I that do.

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Robert Herreshoff's avatar

There is an important difference between the quality of an act and its frequency. In the end, loathsome is loathsome.

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Carol A. Heasley's avatar

Is it of any consequence that the scale weighs as far as it can go on the republican side? One molested girl or boy is one too many. I laughed outloud at the Fox presentation of the press conferences with Trump and Putin - the red carpet rolled out for those thugs - Putin wearing a wine color tie and Trump a red one. Also, the light sky blue square shaped the Fox News online.

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JP Connolly's avatar

It always seemed likely that blackmail would be part of the Epstein operation.

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settybue's avatar

This kind of ... Blackmail = mega bucks. And how about all the kidnapped Ukrainian children being sold by Putz-in?

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Carl Selfe's avatar

For you, 108 protest signs for the fight. This is for Occupied D.C. Many signs are revised to sing. 🎶. I recommend using a local printer, but national print companies offer great pricing, shipping included. There is time to get the lot printed for your protest group, assuming you have a gathering of 300 to 1,000. This would help fill the hands of the signless.

https://hotbuttons.substack.com/p/protest-sign-sign-everywhere-a-sign

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docrhw Weil's avatar

The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded by a committee appointed by the Norwegian parliament and has nothing to do with its finance minister. But Trump heard "Norway" and that was enough. I think he wants it because Obama got it, in part for not being Bush, as did Teddy Roosevelt, for negotiating the end of the Russo-Japanese War. When a person has low self-esteem shiny baubles may boost their ego. But Donald could eat the world and still not feel full. He never understood that first you earn something, then you get it, not the other way around.

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Carl Selfe's avatar

For you, 108 protest signs for the fight. This is for Occupied D.C. Many signs are revised to sing. 🎶. I recommend using a local printer, but national print companies offer great pricing, shipping included. There is time to get the lot printed for your protest group, assuming you have a gathering of 300 to 1,000. This would help fill the hands of the signless.

https://hotbuttons.substack.com/p/protest-sign-sign-everywhere-a-sign

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Elizabeth Fenlon's avatar

I’ve seen the transcript of the lawsuit where the 13 year old girl was raped first by trump then by epstein.

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Susan Vaughan's avatar

So Gavin Newsom is leading the way in challenging these Republicans who have no respect for the rule of law. Good. But I don't want to replace Republican fascists with corporate Democrats. We're in a climate emergency here, and the last thing we need are elected Democrats who grease the wheels for powerful industries that seek to privatize, say, transportation.

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Robert Herreshoff's avatar

About California redistricting... I wonder what the outcome would be were all states to gerrymander so that the opposition was squeezed out of representation. Were Texas and then California to gerrymander to the max the rest of the states would most likely follow. I believe (I haven't checked the stats) that the Republicans would pretty much become the only functioning party on the federal level and the Democrats would basically cease to exist on the national llevel. Were this not to be the case now, it undoubtedly will be after the next census — most Blue states are bleeding population. If only the Titanic had had radar...

There is a rapidly closing window to prevent the nation being torn apart. If there isn't a viable Democratic Party by November of 2026 (assuming we have fair elections (no guarantee there)) we will all be genuflecting to and singing the praises of our Beloved Leader, may his Orange Radiance Always Shine Down Upon Us. That, or trying to escape from South Sudan.

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CZ's avatar

Trump is normalizing our relationship with Russia for his MAGA followers. Russia will no longer be an enemy but a friend. Sanctions will be lifted and Epstein drama will cast aside.

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Daniel Solomon's avatar

I wanna hear from Republicans Sens Roger Wicker; Rand Paul; Don Bacon, Chairman, House Armed Services Subcommittee.

https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2025/6/wicker-backs-bill-to-bankrupt-putin

'There Is One Man To Blame For This War': Roger Wicker ..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6PJLdPjCAw

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alis's avatar

AND THEN THEY VOTE........

Thanks for this, though, Daniel. I only listen to them for research purposes.

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D Stone's avatar

Another excellent summary, thank you Thom -- keep writing the good write. (And, yes, I'm a paid subscriber.) How tragic the thought that if joe, jill, hunter, and 'the brain trust' had faced reality in 2023, Gavin or Josh or JB likely would be our president ... and donald, not ghislaine, would now be in Club Fed.

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Jackie's avatar

And, that is the News that was, thanks, Thom.

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