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Evening Shade--Resistance Rising--Wednesday May 7 [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-05-07
WELCOME TO THE EVENING SHADE A SANCTUARY OF SANITY AFTER A LONG HARD DAY OF FIGHTING FASCISM YOU WILL FIND in the DIARIES a LOT of POLITICS (Or NOT As the CASE MAY BE) AND EVEN MORE CRITTERS THE PERSON who MAKES the FIRST COMMENT WILL GET TWO CRITTERS EVERY PERSON WHO COMMENTS WILL GET A CRITTER RULES IN THE DIARY WHEN YOU FIND SOMETHING in the DIARY that you LIKE YOU CAN REPOST IT AS COMMENT in the DIARY
Good evening, everyone! I’ve been thinking a lot about America’s (former) position as the leader of the free world. Who knew it would describe our role as the first major economy to be tanked by its leader? Or the first country to back away from all international alliances? Or the first country to cozy up to our enemies? Or the first country to embarrass itself so thoroughly with insane claims to invade and punish our allies? It is all so horrible and worrying. Will we ever live down the shame?
I’m hopeful that with millions of us protesting and resisting, the world will see the real America. We made a colossal blunder last November, but maybe with all the buyers’ remorse (unbelievable so many voters couldn’t predict what would happen when you vote for a convicted felon) we will finally shake ourselves out of this unsustainable pattern of four years sane, four years crazy, four years sane, four years crazy nonsense we’ve found ourselves in for far too long. We were almost destined to give up our leader status, simply because the world came to recognize they could only trust us sometimes. And the other times? They have learned they cannot trust us because the president is a lying, grifting, idiotic shell of a human who has no idea what it means to honor his oath to the Constitution of the United States. Indeed, the only thing he wants is to stay out of jail and shake down our allies to make money for himself. Screw everyone else. In other words, our leadership role has been on borrowed time since 2016.
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Life in Activism: How Not to Panic Over Politics
Chris Bowers lays out 9 steps to follow to abate the panic. They are worth a read, but I’ll just put #4 here for now. I plan to read this every time I worry about our current state of affairs.
Remember that Donald Trump's term ends on January 20, 2029 After a poll came out showing that 80% of the public, including 60% of Republicans, opposed Donald Trump serving a third term, Trump himself has now admitted that he cannot serve a third term. So, in case there was any doubt before, Trump's time in office has a definite end date: January 20, 2029. From the date of the publication of this article—May 6, 2025—you have already made it 7.26% of the way through Trump's second term. And, since you already lived through his first term, you are already 53.63% through Trump's entire presidency. You have made it this far, and you can make it the rest of the way, too.
Oh, ok. I’ll list a few more:
Learn why there will be free and fair elections Back on February 10 of this year, in one of my most well received articles on Wolves and Sheep, I gave eight reasons why there will be free and fair elections next year. I feel that my reasons have held up remarkably well: There have already been elections in 2025. There has been no foul play and Democrats have done well in those elections, including flipping Republican-held seats.
The 2026 elections are already underway, and no foul play has occurred.
State and local governments run elections, not the federal government.
In blue and purple states, and even some red states, Democrats and/or anti-Trump Republicans have widespread control of the state and local governments that run elections.
The House and the Senate are the final arbiters of House and Senate elections, and there are clear majorities to seat free and fairly elected members in both branches of Congress.
The military swore an oath to uphold the Constitution, and few support military rule.
Trump has never actually tried to overturn any election he wasn't running in.
Autocrats tell you what they are going to do. Our elections are going to be fine. Those who tell you otherwise are either not thinking clearly or do not have your best interests at heart. Note the many ways that Trump is being restrained, even now While it can sometimes seem like Trump gets away with whatever he wants, note that he is actually operating under several restraints, even right now: Courts. Trump has been sued over 200 times, and has already faced at least a partial setback in roughly 50% of those cases. This has resulted in a wide range of outcomes, ranging from temporary delays to outright abandonment of some policies, such as the Trump administration's attempt to revoke the visas of thousands foreign students. Markets and business leaders. Many of Trump's tariffs have been paused, reduced or rolled back because of negative reactions from markets and business leaders. Congress. It may seem like the Republican Congress is just caving to Trump and doing whatever he wants. However, Trump has signed fewer new laws than any other recent president. Additionally, even Republicans rebuffed him over the debt ceiling and his plan to adjourn Congress indefinitely. Further, as the process of passing Trump's “one big, beautiful bill” enters its fifth month with no end in sight, Republicans are also not exactly making it easy for Trump to pass his agenda. Education and legal institutions. Outside of a few high profile instances of universities and law firms giving in Trump's demands, the truth is that the vast majority of educational institutions and law firms have not given in to Trump's demands. In fact, most seem to be fighting back. From Zach Beauchamp at Vox: Among universities, Columbia’s acquiescence is looking like an increasingly lonely stance. Harvard has filed a major lawsuit against Trump’s attempt to cut off billions in federal research dollars. The Ivies and other elite schools have formed a collective strategy group for pushing back, and the Big Ten universities have developed a mutual legal defense compact. Over 150 university presidents published a letter denouncing Trump’s attempt to bully American colleges. Law firms, too, are changing their tune. While nine firms have signed deals with Trump to get him to back off, and many of the biggest firms are still on the fence, over 500 signed an amicus brief supporting the firm Perkins Coie’s effort to fight Trump in court. Trump probably wants to give off the impression that he is always winning, and everyone is caving, but that narrative doesn't match up to reality. He is being restrained on multiple fronts.
I have to say, I think we need to fight for those free and fair elections and we need to push back on the law firms and universities and companies that are capitulating. I disagree these things will just happen, but I do believe our voices will cause them to happen. And it keeps me focused on all the resistance actions I can do and am doing. Democracy is not a spectator sport!!!
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x It’s still hard for me to process that we voted last November to chomp down on the cyanide capsule — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) May 7, 2025 at 12:52 AM
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I happened onto a Politics Chat from Heather Cox Richardson last week. I generally don’t take time to watch or listen to things like this, but this one really assuaged my fears. I was struck by how much I agreed with her on some important points. Granted, I’m a regular reader of her daily letters so I may be biased, but I think if you have time, this may be helpful. It is an hour long but goes quickly.
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x There is something so obscene about a political party rallying behind a fucking draft dodger and denying courageous trans people the right to serve their country. What the fuck, America? — BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan.bsky.social) May 6, 2025 at 10:56 PM
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x "I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
[image or embed] — Rep. Jamie Raskin (@raskin.house.gov) May 4, 2025 at 10:22 AM
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Inside the world of GOP extremism and disinformation
“The mission of the Voting Rights (sic) Section of the DOJ Civil Rights Division is to ensure free, fair, and honest elections unmarred by fraud, errors, or suspicion,” the new mission statement reads, according to reporting from The Guardian. “The Section will work to ensure that only American citizens vote in US federal elections and do so securely. Other section priorities include preventing illegal voting, fraud, and other forms of malfeasance and error. All attorneys within the Voting Section will advocate with zeal on behalf of the United States of America in furtherance of all objectives as tasked.” It’s a major shift for the voting section, especially given that investigating voter fraud is currently carried out by the DOJ’s criminal division, not its voting section. Should the voting section actually make this shift to align with this mission statement it would be devastating. But the former DOJ staffers I spoke with explained that it’s not so easy to make that shift. “Like anything with the current administration, they can make broad pronouncements that are intended to make people mad, but I'm really curious about what the execution looks like,” a former DOJ attorney in the voting section told me. Levitt explained it to me in more technical terms. There are regulations that divide up the responsibilities of the civil rights division and changing them isn’t as easy as writing a new mission statement. “Those regulations can be changed, but that has to be changed through the regulatory process,” Levitt said. “And those regulations do not include authority for most of the civil rights division to prosecute voter fraud.”
The bolding is mine. It is comforting to know so many of these unhinged executive orders and statements are just words on paper. They mean nothing, really. They can’t fold their arms in front of them and nod their heads and POOF make stuff happen.
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Good news...
x "You never know which issue, or even which call or letter, is going to be the last straw. What matters is that Trump and his plans are not inevitable, and it makes a difference when all of us push back against the horrible as hard as we can."
@joycewhitevance.bsky.social Keep calling!
[image or embed] — Agitated Spiders for Justice (@jane-brooks.bsky.social) May 7, 2025 at 7:21 AM
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x I’m not sure how Duffy can fix any of the issues with air travel when he’s on Fox 24/7 complaining about it and blaming other people. STFU for 5 minutes and do your job! This isn’t a reality TV show - people’s lives and livelihoods are in the hands of these unqualified dipshits. — Ron Filipkowski (@ronfilipkowski.bsky.social) May 6, 2025 at 7:24 PM
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I have to include this because it clearly states just what I’m thinking, but are there really so few acts of courage that we had to scrape bottom here?
The Dworkin Report
Failed fmr. VP Mike Pence, who never really spoke out against Trump at a sustained level, just received the JFK Profile in Courage Award for doing his job on January 6th. I personally don’t believe people should applaud Pence for simply following the law. Let’s not forget: Pence will always be one of Trump’s biggest accomplices. That said, it is nice to see a Republican admit the truth about January 6th. Pence stated: “January 6 was a tragic day. But it became a triumph of freedom. And history will record that our institutions held.” Would be nice if Pence used his newfound “courage” to push Republicans to actually do their jobs.
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I wish we had a president as wonderful and knowledgeable and with as great a sense of humor as Mark Carney. Hopefully soon.
The felon is so cringe-worthy.
x President Trump, "We don't do much business with Canada" PM Mark Carney, "Canada is the largest client of the United States" Trump fact-checked in real time 👏
[image or embed] — Farrukh (@implausibleblog.bsky.social) May 6, 2025 at 1:05 PM
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'Perilous path': GOP insider says Mike Johnson faces 'political dilemma verging on a trap'
Republican congressional leaders are working to pass "one big, beautiful bill" sought by president Donald Trump to enact most of his legislative agenda, but a former top congressional aide warned they may be falling into a trap. The final details are still being negotiated, but the core of the bill is extending the 2017 tax law, which the administration believes will calm the markets and boost the economy, but former GOP congressional staffer Brendan Buck published an op-ed in the New York Times warning that legislation might not be enough to reassure Americans rattled by Trump's economic moves. "The Republican congressional leaders, Senator John Thune and Mr. Johnson, should not talk themselves into believing that this bill will deliver Republicans from the effects of Mr. Trump’s tariffs," Buck wrote. "The leaders face converging political problems right now: All the party’s energy is directed toward passing this one bill, for which voters may not reward them, and the effort is likely keeping them from putting more pressure on Mr. Trump to stop the tariffs." Buck cautioned that the tax bill, which could include cuts to Medicaid and spending increases for immigration enforcement, probably won't be enough to blunt the damage from Trump's tariffs, and he said most Americans won't even feel a reduction to their tax rates. "The reality is it’s no cut at all for most people," he said. "The rates they are preserving have been in place for more than seven years now." ✂ "Here, Mr. Thune and Mr. Johnson face a political dilemma, verging on a trap," Buck warned. "They have shied away from criticizing Mr. Trump’s trade policy, likely because they will require his political muscle to get the tax extension through Congress. But this has allowed the president to continue down a destructive path for the economy and for their majorities in Congress. The economy is not the only thing that matters in politics, but it’s the first thing that matters. Without a stable economic footing to run on, House members in battleground districts face a perilous path to re-election." ✂
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It seriously is all about the grift…
x Trump is profiting from his own crypto currency while overseeing crypto regulation He’s endangering the public interest & taking advantage of his office for profit I discussed on Anderson Cooper 360 @cnn.com
[image or embed] — Norm Eisen (@normeisen.bsky.social) May 5, 2025 at 9:53 PM
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🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂
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The latest issue of The Blue Print is a few days old. I usually receive an email on Tuesdays, but not this week. I’ll leave the link here:
Fight to Save Medicaid: May Month of Action
My member of Congress, Morgan McGarvey, sent an email today advertising a Social Security Town Hall on May 31. Good to see Democrats keeping this in the news.
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Horrible News For Trump That’s Great For Us
✂ Democrats—led by Rep. Maxine Waters and others—walked out of a cryptocurrency hearing yesterday, which led to it being shut down. Waters said she objected “because of the corruption of the president of the United States and his ownership of crypto and his oversight of all the agencies.” Waters is right. Trump and his family have made nearly $3 billion off cryptocurrency in the last 6 months, with the potential for billions more this year. Just imagine if Biden or Obama ever pulled a stunt like this. How would Republicans react? ✂ A pair of lawyers who left the Trump-controlled DoJ, Clayton Bailey and Jessica Merry Samuels, have launched the Civil Service Law Center “to combat the Trump Administration's unprecedented efforts to dismantle the federal government.” The new law firm will represent “displaced federal workers in federal court.” A federal judge halted the Trump regime’s attempt to close three smaller, but important, federal agencies. The judge declared that Trump’s order “ignores the unshakable principles that Congress makes the law and appropriates funds.” The judge had to educate Trump and his lawyers on checks and balances at a basic, Schoolhouse Rock-level. Fitting. Another federal judge ordered the Trump regime to admit 12,000 refugees to the US. Judge Jamal Whitehead wrote this about the DoJ’s take on a very clear court order: “It requires … hallucinating new text that simply is not there.” Whitehead called it, “to put it mildly, ‘interpretive jiggery-pokery’ of the highest order.” In an appearance on CNN, Dem Rep. Jasmine Crockett said: “In this moment we need people that are unafraid and willing to go after this administration for the good of the entirety of the country.” ✂
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For any and all Star Wars fans and those watching Andor. I love this. 💙
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We have a full calendar of observances today.
USA: National Roast Leg of Lamb Day
In the running for the most random national day during May, National Roast Leg of Lamb Day definitely takes one of the top spots. This day is pretty self-explanatory, so hopefully, you have a leg of lamb tucked away in your freezer just waiting to be roasted.
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