The Lincoln Square website declares that with Trump losing the shutdown fight, he wants kids to starve anyway, so, “Donald Trump cancelled Thanksgiving.” The writer challenges Democrats to take that message and run with it, knowing it will result in a 500-page briefing book on SNAP — however, talk is better. Divulging that, ‘kids are starving‘ is much more effective than ‘the fiscal and health-impacts of the discontinuation of 7 CFR 272 programmatic efforts to ameliorate food insecurity,’ so forget the study! The GOP can taste the defeat of losing the shutdown — they lost it as soon as The Don turned the federal government into a hostage for his own vanity, and as protection from the release of the Epstein files.

“They lost it again when reality showed up with receipts: polls, long lines at food banks, missed paychecks, grounded flights, and, coming soon to an aisle near you, the SNAP freeze that wallops retailers,” asserts Lincoln Square, “this isn’t 5D chess. It’s 1D cruelty dressed up as strategy, and it’s detonating in their faces. Even little Mike Johnson, Trump’s latest meatbot who obviously finds self-abnegation and public embarrassment arousing, can’t hold it together too much longer.” New national polling shows Americans continue to blame Trump and Congress, with worsening numbers: Washington Post/ABC/Ipsos indicates voters are pointing fingers at the Trump-GOP side by a solid margin, with independents breaking against them by an almost 2-1 margin.

Michael Cohen writes on MeidasTouch, “Let’s be brutally honest: we’re not moving the needle because Democrats have suddenly figured out how to talk to voters or craft a compelling message. We’re moving it because the Republican Party has completely lost its mind. The GOP isn’t just bad at governing anymore; they’re morally bankrupt, publicly cruel, and proudly arrogant. And for once, the American people seem to be noticing.” Cohen interprets figures from the Quinniac poll that he says should both encourage and alarm Democrats, and not because the left is inspiring hope or offering visionary leadership. The fifty percent of voters who say they would rather see Democrats control the House is because they are disgusted by what the right is doing — in being “so detached from basic humanity that they think hunger, poverty, and suffering are punchlines.”

For example, Cohen refers to Louisiana’s Representative Clay Higgins, who told the 42 million citizens who are losing access to food assistance to “stop smoking crack.” Go tell your neighbor, your aging parent or grandparent that Higgins mockingly suggests their monthly stipend is some sort of unnecessary luxury with which MAGA sees no need to be concerned with. Eighteen percent of his own constituents are among his state’s one million SNAP recipients, but instead of his empathy, they get his contempt, no understanding, classed as stereotypical. The GOP has become a mockery by mocking the poor as it worships the powerful, the greedy. At Mar-a-Lago, Trump was the host of a ‘Roaring 20s’ Halloween gala, serving champagne and wagyu beef to a crowd that doesn’t care about the bottom line on their grocery bill, feasting while the country starves. Cohen writes, “The optics couldn’t be clearer — the Republican message to working Americans is simple: you’re on your own, peasants.”

Though poll numbers are shifting, Republicans being blamed for the shutdown and the economy, the cruelty and the chaos, with voters sick of it, Democrats can’t assume it’s because of their own success. With a year left until the mid-terms, complacency could doom the polls downward trajectory faster than MAGA’s corruption. Cohen believes the GOP is imploding under the weight of its own lunacy, but they’re still ruthless, still organized, and still willing to burn democracy to the ground if it means clinging to their money and power; however, Democrats aren’t winning because they’ve inspired confidence — they’re winning because Republicans are terrifying. Trump is underwater on every issue, except Israel where a fragile ceasefire is supposedly holding, but this self-proclaimed “business genius” would view customers shedding tears at the checkout counter, if only he were able to see beyond his potbelly.

Cohen concludes: “The Republican Party’s cruelty isn’t strategic anymore. It’s reflexive. It’s who they are. They can’t help themselves. When millions of Americans lose access to food, healthcare, or housing, they don’t feel shame; they feel pride. They call it ‘tough love.’ They sneer about ‘personal responsibility.’ They talk about crack pipes instead of policy, mock the hungry instead feeding them, and think empathy is weakness. If the Democrats don’t retake the House — and possibly the Senate — we’re in for another cycle of dysfunction, shutdowns, and moral decay, watching as Trump and his enablers turn hunger into a weapon and governance into performance art. Democrats need to stop assuming voters will automatically side with sanity. They won’t — not unless we remind them, daily, what’s at stake. The needle is moving only because the other side has revealed who they really are. The clock is ticking — one year to prove that America still has a conscience. The fight doesn’t end because the polls look good; it starts because they finally do.”

Conservative and former federal judge J. Michael Luttig wrote in The Atlantic, suggesting in his article that Trump has already taken steps in this second term to ensure he never relinquishes power. “With every word and deed, Trump has given Americans reason to believe that he will seek a third term, in defiance of the Constitution,” Luttig says. “It seems abundantly clear that he will hold on to the office at any cost, including America’s ruin.” The president has admitted to reporters that he would “love” to violate the Constitution by running for a third term, and Trump loyalist Steve Bannon has never let the possibility wane that there are “different alternatives” that could allow his golden idol run again. Luttig cites Trump’s use of the US military to carry out personal vendettas against Democratic-led cities, his efforts to eliminate birthright citizenship, and the conservative-majority Supreme Court giving the president its “imprimatur to continue his power grab.”

Luttig writes, “Trump has always told us exactly who he is. We have just not wanted to believe him. But we must believe him now. If America is to long endure, we must summon courage, or fearlessness, our hope, our spirited sense of invulnerability to political enthrall, and, most important, or abiding faith in the divine providence of this nation. We have been given the high charge of our forbears to ‘keep’ the republic they founded a quarter of a millennium ago. If we do not keep it now, we will surely lose it.” On MSNBC’S Morning Joe, Judge Luttig said, “Donald Trump has seized near absolute unchecked power in the United States — unchecked by either Congress, the Supreme Court, the several states, or the media itself. There’s no question at all that, as of today, Donald Trump has all the power he would ever need to run for a third term and be seated as the next president, whether or not he actually won that election.” As The Onion ‘quotes’ Trump — “I will not rule out a Third Reich.”

Concerns about the president’s health has been a big topic of late, and his claim of passing with ease his recent MRI, raises even more questions about his acuity to remain in office, with many looking for an early expiration date. Andy Borowitz has jumped into the conversation with usual satiric jab: “Donald J. Trump ordered members of his Cabinet on Wednesday to start wearing three pairs of tube socks to make his ankles appear normal. At the White House, press secretary Karoline Leavitt attempted to downplay Trump’s demand, as well as his order that Cabinet members use a hammer to create bruises on the back of their hands. ‘The press has been trafficking in stories about the President’s health which are entirely malicious and false,’ said Leavitt, black sweat socks protruding from her Ann Taylor slingbacks. According to sources, Trump has also mandated that Cabinet members periodically babble incoherently and fall down, a directive immediately embraced by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.”

Robert Reich, on his blog, writes: “Trump is incapable of allowing tensions and stresses to ease without creating new ones.” One recent example comes after his meeting with China’s Ji, and the announcement that our countries will de-escalate the trade war — all well and good, but we are now in the same place before Trump created that tension in the first place. Then, what does he do? He announces the USA will restart nuclear testing after a 30-year lull by the three major military powers. His only explanation? “Other nations” are doing so — another Trump lie to fester the chaos. His refusal to fund food stamps, to extend Obamacare subsidies, to ease up on tariffs which are killing US farmers, to end criminal prosecutions of his ‘political foes,’ to end the violence of ICE raids, or to end the bullying of our neighboring countries to the south all ramp up the stress in our lives.

Reich says we cannot ignore the news, because it plays into Trump’s hands by allowing him to cause even more mayhem if we aren’t watching — all of it matters and denial only weakens our resolve. If we fall into despair or hopelessness, Trump wins it all, becoming a self-fulfilling prophesy; we cope by becoming stronger, by coming out in record numbers as on ‘No Kings‘ day, or calling our Congress members and showing up at their town halls, by protecting the vulnerable among us, and importantly — organize for the mid-term elections. His conclusion is: “We keep the faith in America’s ideals. We stay as close as we can to our loved ones and dearest friends. And we celebrate small and noble acts of decency, wherever they occur.”

[this week]

Thom Hartmann begins his piece on The Hartmann Report by quoting Thomas Jefferson’s commentary in the Federalist Papers #48: “All the powers of government, legislative, executive, and judiciary, result to the legislative body. The concentrating of these in the same hands, is precisely the definition of despotic government. An ELECTIVE DESPOTISM was not the government we fought for; but one…in which the powers of government should be so divided and balanced among several bodies of magistracy, as that no one could transcend their legal limits, without being effectually checked and restrained by others.”

Hartmann says it is presumed that on orders from President Trump, House Speaker Johnson has shut down the House of Representatives in order for Trump to do whatever he wishes “without being effectually checked and restrained by others.” For the moment he is the King of America — it’s the coup that finally worked, writes Hartmann, even though it is Congress‘ duty to prevent seizure of such power. The Founders agreed upon this principle as shown in their writings, before and after inserting it into the Constitution itself. By demolishing the East Wing of the White House, a replica of Vladimir Putin’s Winter Palace Grand Throne Room, The Donald can entertain, and coerce, his rich hangers-on into fundraising for his personal and family projects, all at the expense of the American taxpayer. Donate to the Trumps, receive special favors, and let the hoi-polloi foot the bill, that’s the ticket!

As politico James Carville claimed, “I have to get sixteen permits before I can remodel my bathroom!” — but Trump barged ahead with his destruction on the White House, never submitting plans to the National Planning Commission or bothering to get permission from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Why? Loopholes in the law, and because nobody in government ever imagined a leader would be demented enough to undertake such a self-aggrandizing project, so why ban such a far-fetched idea through legislation? Thomas Jefferson’s idea of “being effectually checked and restrained by others” would have been appropriate and legal, so where were the others? Also, no voices are being raised concerning Trump’s “lawless murders” as Columbia’s president is calling the destruction of boats near his country’s shores. And for that matter, what of the imposition of tariffs violate Article 1 of the Constitution, or the brutality and warrantless arrests by ICE and the secret police!

But, here we are cruising into an indeterminate future as Congress vacations, with no congressional oversight of the president’s newly conferred dictatorial powers. Speaker Johnson is keeping the House in recess during the government shutdown, refusing to hold even pro forma sessions, which is keeping newly elected member Grijalva from being seated. Hartmann says, “This is against the law — the supreme law — of the land. There is no joint resolution with the Senate allowing for a recess longer than three days, nor has the Senate passed such a standalone resolution. As the Constitution reads: ‘Neither House, during the Session of Congress, shall, without the Consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other Place than that in which the two Houses shall be sitting.'” Such lengthy suspensions have never occurred before, even during the Civil War or WWII. “What’s the emergency that’s greater than the War of 1812, WWI, 9/11, or any other national crisis?,” asks Hartmann.

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[last week]

One of the ‘No Kings‘ protesters last Saturday carried a sign that read, ‘If no mentally disturbed person should have an assault weapon, should a mentally ill president have an army?‘ Reasonable question, and by extension it might have read ‘…a navy?‘ or ‘…an air force?‘ As a response to the more than 2700 planned ‘No Kings’ events, President Trump in a show of strength and dominance toward the organizers, and in particular toward the people of California — to include Governor Newsom — he scheduled a live-fire military demonstration at the US Marine Corps’ Camp Pendleton. To ‘celebrate‘ the 250th anniversary of the Corps, the live ammunition exercise was to fire land-based artillery pieces over Interstate 5 into impact areas, claiming it to be “an established and safe practice.” This massive Marine exercise featured fighter jet flyovers, amphibious ships, explosions in a simulated village and Navy SEALS dropping into the Pacific Ocean from helicopters. Vice President Vance contended that the administration was focused on supporting Marines and removing “woke” priorities that “have weakened the US armed forces.” He added, “When officials try to shift focus to mandating diversity quotas, or they try to inject partisan politics into the American armed forces, they impede the Marine Corps’ ability to do its best work.”

Governor Newsom confirmed that the live artillery would be fired over major roadways in Southern California, calling it “reckless,” “disrespectful,” and “beneath the office of the presidency.” The event, entitled “America’s Marines 250: From Sea to Shore — A Review of Amphibious Strength,” forced the California Highway Patrol to close a 17-mile stretch of Interstate 5 from 11 AM to 3 PM during the demonstration, with electronic signage reading “Overhead fire in progress” to inform drivers. San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond, a Republican, posted on social media: “This morning’s sudden freeway shutdown shows exactly what’s wrong with politics. No accountability, no planning — just finger-pointing while everyday people sit in traffic, miss work, and watch their plans fall apart.” The Orange County Republican Party posted on X: “Newsom shut down the 5 today to cause chaos around a Marine Corps celebration. What a jerk.” Nevertheless, safety assurances aside, a California Highway Patrol car reportedly was hit by shrapnel during the ‘Review of Amphibious Strength’. The CHP immediately notified Marine authorities who terminated the exercise after the fired shell detonated prematurely over the freeway.

Ben Meiselas on MeidasTouch calls Trump’s move fascism, and “what we are rallying against today.” Many see the live-ammunition exercise as a continuation of Trump’s June harassment in deploying the National Guard and US Marines into Los Angeles to quell small disturbances that Governor Newsom and local officials claim could have been easily handled by city and state law enforcement. Meiselas writes, “This ‘No Kings’ moment is bigger than Trump’s corruption. It’s about the spirit of a people refusing to surrender democracy to chaos and cruelty. As Governor Newsom said, ‘No Kings’ is a declaration of independence against tyranny…people are waking up to the rule of law increasingly appearing to be the rule of Don.'” Meiselas concludes, “That awakening is visible in every city where Americans are marching today. They are standing shoulder to shoulder, not as partisans but as citizens reclaiming their power. Trump can fire missiles, peddle lies, or try to silence dissent, but he cannot stop the truth. And the truth is this: the people of the United States are done kneeling before a would-be king. This is the day he feared most. This is the day America stood up and said, once again, no kings.”

In the weeks leading up to ‘No Kings,’ Trump and his gangsters had characterized the movement as radically anti-American, and potentially subversive. House Speaker Mike Johnson jumped onboard, calling it the ‘Hate America‘ rally, with “all the Marxists, antifas, Black Lives Matter remnants, pro-Hamas Democrats — all gathering to scream and wail.” White House press secretary KKKaroline Leavitt declared the Democratic Party’s “main constituency is made up of Hamas terrorists, illegal aliens and violent criminals. That is who the Democrat Party is catering to.” This alarmist hyperbole coming from the administration is signaling that a government crackdown is imminent according to The Wall Street Journal and Reuters, as MAGA readies plans to undercut funding of liberal organizations. The WSJ sees the administration “preparing sweeping changes” at the IRS, allowing “the agency to pursue criminal inquiries of left-leaning groups more easily.” And, Reuters made note of investigations into “what the administration labels ‘domestic terror networks’, which includes non-profits and educational institutions.”

Trump has already initiated the ‘domestic terror‘ effort by designating ‘antifa‘ a ‘domestic terror organization‘ with issuance of an executive order, calling all appropriate agencies to “investigate, disrupt, and dismantle any and all illegal operations.” The president has made ‘antifa’, a loosely organized enterprise of anti-fascists, into a structured and formidable force to be reckoned with, and his call for action is likely to be a pretext for repression of legitimate political opposition on a broader scale.

So, while the organizers of ‘No Kings” deem it a huge success, with an estimated 7 million demonstrators nationwide protesting against Trump and his un-Americanism, the Daily Dose of Democracy site says, “In the ultimate pronouncement that ‘subtlety is dead,’ Donald Trump responded to the 7 million Americans who marched against him yesterday by posting an AI video of himself wearing a crown, flying a fighter jet, and literally [crapping] on America. Way to tell us how you feel, Donny! While this is a disgusting and immensely childish response, it proves that the rallies worked — Trump is shook by the outpouring of public fury and knows now just how many people oppose him and his despotic regime.” Poet Amanda Gorman has it right in her poem: “There is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we are brave enough to be it.”

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