Victory against these tyrants is not going to come fast. Fighting them in the courts and slowing them down until the mid-terms is our best hope. Just like the tyrant 👿 did to protect his own ass before the elections. If you can afford to donate to these organizations who are suing them it will be a big help. https://www.aclu.org/ - https://democracyforward.org/ - https://www.citizen.org/ - https://www.citizensforethics.org/ Suing, Protesting and Recruiting the Non-Voters will be the path to restoring our Democracy. When the tyrants policies fail, the experiment will be over!!!😂👏
Attorney General Mayes said after the first Hands Off! rally that we must "move forward with the three C's: Courts, Crowds, and Courage!" Attorney General Mayes is the plaintiff, with other states, in a multitude of lawsuits against this regime. In the most recent lawsuit, it was alleged that DOGE and Musk acted illegally and unconstitutionally when they were given sweeping authority to carry out mass firings, terminate grants and contracts, and access sensitive government data without congressional approval. U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan on Tuesday agreed, denying requests by Trump to dismiss this lawsuit. It isn't the end of this or other fights, by any means, because the courts and the crowds are slow, and courage is definitely needed as we fight this evil--but we WILL prevail!
Absolutely right! That list could be true, though. AND IT MUST NOT BE!!!!!!!! Trump gave a speech at West Point. All he talked about was old golfers and trophy wives. He danced off the stage of his "rich guy" dinner to the tune of "YMCA", pumping his stupid fists all the way. (The rather expensive dinner was not very good, some complained) HE IS RIDICULOUS! Certainly, eventually most Americans will see that, and come to their senses. But when!!!!!
IKR ‼️We need everyone to wake up ⏰ - together - now ! I am not sure many of us can hold on for the 1332 days, 2 hours, 5 minutes and 20seconds to the next inauguration 🤦🏻♀️
I don't think we have to hold on for the next inauguration to be successful. The mid-terms can change everything. Unless were provoked (shooting at protesters or Martial Law) fighting in the streets is not the answer. Suing, Protesting and Recruiting the Non-Voters will be the path to restoring our Democracy.
A game changer would be if the morons pass this "Big Beautiful Abomination Bill" with the crippling the courts in it. If that happens forget everything I just wrote.
I am hoping you are right, hopefully all the protests and chanting ourselves hoarse pays off, and the subservient legislators get voted out, but the damage done in the meantime will hit hard. Even if the BB 💩bill doesn’t go through, they will keep trying, and the more frustrated “They” get, the more we will have to worry about armed reaction. I saw a quote from Kevin Roberts about the “revolution will be bloodless, as long as the left cooperates “, sounds like a threat to me 🤔
Whenever I see sweeping posts--whether pro or anti Trump--I drill down to see who was the original poster. It's sad that there is such a load of misinformation, even here on Substack. I get these automatic notifications on my iPad from Substack (haven't figured out how to turn them off) that start with "Breaking...." and most of them are bogus. We need to be factual indeed, take the higher road--I also am turned off with OTT cursing--and get to the people we need to get to so that real change can happen.
Hi Valeria...You should be able to go into your Substack settings and shut off automatic notifications. I did and it really cleaned up the volume of stuff I receive.
The challenge is that we have plenty of commentary on the challenges we are facing. What we lack is leadership. There is no cohesive leadership calling out cohesive consistent strategy to take on the destructiveness of this administration. So where will the leadership come from? When will the commentaries turn into true leadership?For example, who is keeping track of and cataloguing the criminality of this administration at large and of the individual members, particularly but not limited to the cabinet members. The corruption as we know is profound.
Where is the leadership to take on right wing media? Most Trump supporters are utterly disconnected from reality, not hearing real news and not getting real information about what’s going on. They listen to podcasts and right wing media, such as Fox News, which feeds them continual propaganda and shelters them from any real sense of how corrupt and inept the administration is. How is that going to change? What are the strategies and who will lead them?
Joyce Vance is keeping track and is cataloging the criminality of it all in what is called The Democracy Index. I believe it is part of the Contrarian, here on Substack.
You're right Charles. We need leadership like we had in the 1960s. MLK Jr, Rabbi Heschel. I loved what Rabbi Heschel said after the Selma march: “For many of us the march from Selma to Montgomery was about protest and prayer. Legs are not lips and walking is not kneeling. And yet our legs uttered songs. Even without words, our march was worship. I felt my legs were praying.” Words like that inspire and uplift. Especially when spoken by people who know the implications of authoritarianism. Heschel's mother and some of his sisters died in the Nazi concentration camps, he barely made it out of Germany himself--an international student accepted by a US university, THERE's a lesson for today as well.
We had leaders and they were all assassinated. It takes courage to make change. People will get hurt but it's necessary to come out victorious. Then once you make change it has to be maintained. If people are not vigilant it unravels as we see happening today. All the hard work being reversed bit by bit. We weren't vigilant. We became complacent.
"Take up our quarrel with the foe, To you from failing hands we throw, The torch be yours to hold it high, If ye break faith with us who die, We shall not sleep, Though poppies grow, In Flanders Field" -- Canadian physician Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae who died in France in 1918 and is buried near Flanders Field. Contrary to what Trump purportedly said, the dead are not the losers.
We have MANY leaders, and that can be good---as long as we don't begin infighting and instead target the real threats, MAGA, Project 2025, Trump. Having many leaders will keep this regime from targeting just one person. The leaders I see right now: Adam Kinzinger, Cory Booker, Chris Murphy, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth (I'm a proud Illinois resident!) attorneys general like Kris Mayes and Kwame Raoul and those from other states; those in the media/politics like Simon Rosenberg of Hopium Chronicles, Jen Rubin of the Contrarian and many others on Substack; and so many more that I'm not thinking of at the moment!
I agree that this is true in a way. But I don’t feel on a day-to-day basis like they are leading. I don’t see evidence of a cohesive leadership strategy or leadership language. I hear commentary and I see a few actions, but I don’t equate that with the type of organized, communicative leadership that we need.
That said, there certainly is leadership in organizing protest, there certainly is a form of leadership from the individuals that you .2, and there are many individuals doing things large and small, but it feels to me that it lacks cohesiveness and clarity. Perhaps that’s asking too much.
I agree Charles, the list that people came up with above is actually too big and not cohesive. Sometimes a great leader has to come from outside the party political sphere. Martin Luther King Jr went toe to toe with LBJ not on the floor of Congress but on the streets of Alabama and then in the Oval Office. And the men and women who followed MLK Jr, like John Lewis, Rabbi Heschel, Coretta Scott King, Dorothy Cotton, joined him to be one voice. One voice. Nelson Mandela was a powerful figure outside of politics and only reluctantly became a political figure once he was released from prison. Ditto Desmond Tutu. And Tutu and Mandela together were a powerful voice, one voice. We need that one voice now. He/she must transcend a political party. He/she must draw both of the political parties together in a shared goal of toppling this authoritarian movement.
Adam, I deleted that Facebook account. It says it is from you and Liz but I don’t believe it is. Please do clarify this and if nether of you have anything to do with that group let us know. The group needs to stop using your names.
Let me clarify what I said. I deleted my own account, meaning I left this group and blocked them. They can be reported for spreading misinformation and lies. My hope is that Adam and Liz Cheney will make public statements that they are not affiliated with this group. It’s very confusing with both their names are the group.
At a glance, I did fall for this and was completely disturbed. I run a very busy life and business, and have tried to limit myself to only those that I really trust for information. But it does appear, that disinformation, manipulation and fear mongering still exists even in the channels that I trust. Thank you, Adam Kinzinger, for clarifying this. I am spreading it to my friends.
I find myself questioning everything these days. Unfortunately, it's a full time job due to the massive deluge of lies and misinformation bombarding us. So I wouldn't feel bad about "fall"ing for something that "supposedly" came from a trusted source. In this case, that trusted source (Adam) was quick to refute the lies.
"America is at a crossroads. But we’ve been here before. Our history is filled with moments when truth was under siege and fear ran high. And each time, it wasn’t the loudest voice that prevailed—it was the truest one.
So let’s be that voice. Let’s resist the urge to sensationalize. Let’s rise above the clickbait and stick to the facts. Because in this battle for our future, truth is not just a virtue—it’s our weapon." Adam Kinzinger
THIS is what a PRESIDENT should sound like! Amen, Adam!
Excellent. As usual. (Am holding a ticket to Chicago Bulwark event this evening. I was excited you were going to be on stage as well. Family events preclude my travel from MN, unfortunately, but I am proud of my home town for giving you a sellout crowd!!!)
I saw that post on Instagram but it didn’t make me nervous nor was I sure it was real because if it was really true, you would have brought it up in here. So I ignored it. And I agree 150% that the truth matters. The Republican Party destroyed itself with lies and continues doing so.
I agree that the claims in the "lensofblue" post are wildly exaggerated. However, there is a provision in the bill that is especially worrisome. The NY Times summarizes it thus:
"The language in the House-passed bill would block federal judges from enforcing their contempt citations if they had not previously ordered a bond, a provision that Republicans said was intended to discourage frivolous lawsuits by requiring a financial stake from those suing."
Judges often waive the bond (as I understand). But it appears that if they do so, their orders could be blocked. This is something the Senate needs to be aware of.
My reading of the bill (or maybe it was a summary of the bill) is that the entities bringing suit are in the clear if they have posted a bond, and then an injunction can be implemented. Is this not the case? The video you are linking to seems to suggest the funds are unavailable and therefore it is impossible for a litigant to comply.
The point being that a Federal Judge who fines someone (such as trump for contempt of Court), cannot possibly post a bond since the funds for that bond would be unavailable to any Federal employee (including the Judge) if this amendment passes.
This in effect allows Federal officials (including trump) to ignore the orders of any Federal Judge since there is no longer any consequences for doing so. Requiring the Judge (or anyone else) to post bond out of his/her own pocket is not only unreasonable, it is unprecedented. When a Judge finds that someone violated the law in a case, why should the Judge, or persons bringing the case before the Court, be required to "cough up" more money in order to enforce the Judge's decision?
I viewed a video by a professor at Sheffield University (as I recall) talking about this. I posted a link to that video here in a comment to one if Adam's recent articles. I'll reply with that comment if I can find it.
You are 100% correct. The key is credibility. Without it, the ground we stand on becomes shakier. and unstable. We must have solid ground to stand upon. But I don't mean that we don't put up a fight. It can be done with both urgency and integrity. I know I'm repeating exactly what you said -- but it is worth repeating!
From what I understand, the Republicans added parts to the "Big Beautiful Bill" that curtail the power of the courts to reign in the administration. Many are sounding an alarm that reads like that post.
Life in America is like watching a never-ending movie that is horrible throughout and has a disastrous ending. We know that Trump and company are doing all they can to make America part of the Soviet "Union". All we can hope for is the demise of Trump and the ultimate failure of MAGA.
To avoid a Civil War we need the courts to be present to balance things out in this society we currently are living in. The Republicans by putting this "Big Beautiful Abomination" together are crossing over into the "They Own Us World". Most Dictators go to far and end up hanging from a rope right side up or up side down. These people are eager beavers and running out of wood to chew.
The truth matters. Spreading lies and misinformation makes us no better than the MAGA crowd.
🪖 June 6th Veteran March On D.C. https://www.fiftyfifty.one/veterans 🇺🇸
Victory against these tyrants is not going to come fast. Fighting them in the courts and slowing them down until the mid-terms is our best hope. Just like the tyrant 👿 did to protect his own ass before the elections. If you can afford to donate to these organizations who are suing them it will be a big help. https://www.aclu.org/ - https://democracyforward.org/ - https://www.citizen.org/ - https://www.citizensforethics.org/ Suing, Protesting and Recruiting the Non-Voters will be the path to restoring our Democracy. When the tyrants policies fail, the experiment will be over!!!😂👏
TAKE NO CRAP CITIZEN!!! I love it! https://www.threads.com/@adr1600/post/DKLdb54ubdU?xmt=AQF0CqnSjWsFvhTCTKDsMlPwLL1PYMfLfwqPRuQjCs3JzQ
Attorney General Mayes said after the first Hands Off! rally that we must "move forward with the three C's: Courts, Crowds, and Courage!" Attorney General Mayes is the plaintiff, with other states, in a multitude of lawsuits against this regime. In the most recent lawsuit, it was alleged that DOGE and Musk acted illegally and unconstitutionally when they were given sweeping authority to carry out mass firings, terminate grants and contracts, and access sensitive government data without congressional approval. U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan on Tuesday agreed, denying requests by Trump to dismiss this lawsuit. It isn't the end of this or other fights, by any means, because the courts and the crowds are slow, and courage is definitely needed as we fight this evil--but we WILL prevail!
Absolutely right! That list could be true, though. AND IT MUST NOT BE!!!!!!!! Trump gave a speech at West Point. All he talked about was old golfers and trophy wives. He danced off the stage of his "rich guy" dinner to the tune of "YMCA", pumping his stupid fists all the way. (The rather expensive dinner was not very good, some complained) HE IS RIDICULOUS! Certainly, eventually most Americans will see that, and come to their senses. But when!!!!!
IKR ‼️We need everyone to wake up ⏰ - together - now ! I am not sure many of us can hold on for the 1332 days, 2 hours, 5 minutes and 20seconds to the next inauguration 🤦🏻♀️
I don't think we have to hold on for the next inauguration to be successful. The mid-terms can change everything. Unless were provoked (shooting at protesters or Martial Law) fighting in the streets is not the answer. Suing, Protesting and Recruiting the Non-Voters will be the path to restoring our Democracy.
A game changer would be if the morons pass this "Big Beautiful Abomination Bill" with the crippling the courts in it. If that happens forget everything I just wrote.
I am hoping you are right, hopefully all the protests and chanting ourselves hoarse pays off, and the subservient legislators get voted out, but the damage done in the meantime will hit hard. Even if the BB 💩bill doesn’t go through, they will keep trying, and the more frustrated “They” get, the more we will have to worry about armed reaction. I saw a quote from Kevin Roberts about the “revolution will be bloodless, as long as the left cooperates “, sounds like a threat to me 🤔
We will have to do whatever it takes to keep our Democracy, in honor of the men 🪖and woman🪖 that died trying. "Freedom Isn't Free"
🥰Thank you, you are so correct ❣️I have to believe that Integrity wins 💪🫡💝
Whenever I see sweeping posts--whether pro or anti Trump--I drill down to see who was the original poster. It's sad that there is such a load of misinformation, even here on Substack. I get these automatic notifications on my iPad from Substack (haven't figured out how to turn them off) that start with "Breaking...." and most of them are bogus. We need to be factual indeed, take the higher road--I also am turned off with OTT cursing--and get to the people we need to get to so that real change can happen.
Hi Valeria...You should be able to go into your Substack settings and shut off automatic notifications. I did and it really cleaned up the volume of stuff I receive.
Thank you for keeping us informed with the truth.
The challenge is that we have plenty of commentary on the challenges we are facing. What we lack is leadership. There is no cohesive leadership calling out cohesive consistent strategy to take on the destructiveness of this administration. So where will the leadership come from? When will the commentaries turn into true leadership?For example, who is keeping track of and cataloguing the criminality of this administration at large and of the individual members, particularly but not limited to the cabinet members. The corruption as we know is profound.
Where is the leadership to take on right wing media? Most Trump supporters are utterly disconnected from reality, not hearing real news and not getting real information about what’s going on. They listen to podcasts and right wing media, such as Fox News, which feeds them continual propaganda and shelters them from any real sense of how corrupt and inept the administration is. How is that going to change? What are the strategies and who will lead them?
I soooooo agree. There is no leadership in opposition which is why we all have to do it
Senator Chris Murphy is a favorite of mine, he a fighter!!! I hope he steps up.
Adam , I think you'll like this one: TAKE NO CRAP CITIZEN!!! I love it! https://www.threads.com/@adr1600/post/DKLdb54ubdU?xmt=AQF0CqnSjWsFvhTCTKDsMlPwLL1PYMfLfwqPRuQjCs3JzQ
Joyce Vance is keeping track and is cataloging the criminality of it all in what is called The Democracy Index. I believe it is part of the Contrarian, here on Substack.
You're right Charles. We need leadership like we had in the 1960s. MLK Jr, Rabbi Heschel. I loved what Rabbi Heschel said after the Selma march: “For many of us the march from Selma to Montgomery was about protest and prayer. Legs are not lips and walking is not kneeling. And yet our legs uttered songs. Even without words, our march was worship. I felt my legs were praying.” Words like that inspire and uplift. Especially when spoken by people who know the implications of authoritarianism. Heschel's mother and some of his sisters died in the Nazi concentration camps, he barely made it out of Germany himself--an international student accepted by a US university, THERE's a lesson for today as well.
Rabbi Heschel was a profound doer and thinker---I greatly admired him. He also said that marching was "praying with my feet." What a great phrase!
We had leaders and they were all assassinated. It takes courage to make change. People will get hurt but it's necessary to come out victorious. Then once you make change it has to be maintained. If people are not vigilant it unravels as we see happening today. All the hard work being reversed bit by bit. We weren't vigilant. We became complacent.
"Take up our quarrel with the foe, To you from failing hands we throw, The torch be yours to hold it high, If ye break faith with us who die, We shall not sleep, Though poppies grow, In Flanders Field" -- Canadian physician Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae who died in France in 1918 and is buried near Flanders Field. Contrary to what Trump purportedly said, the dead are not the losers.
We have MANY leaders, and that can be good---as long as we don't begin infighting and instead target the real threats, MAGA, Project 2025, Trump. Having many leaders will keep this regime from targeting just one person. The leaders I see right now: Adam Kinzinger, Cory Booker, Chris Murphy, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth (I'm a proud Illinois resident!) attorneys general like Kris Mayes and Kwame Raoul and those from other states; those in the media/politics like Simon Rosenberg of Hopium Chronicles, Jen Rubin of the Contrarian and many others on Substack; and so many more that I'm not thinking of at the moment!
Rep. Jason Crow of CO, Pete Butigieg
I agree that this is true in a way. But I don’t feel on a day-to-day basis like they are leading. I don’t see evidence of a cohesive leadership strategy or leadership language. I hear commentary and I see a few actions, but I don’t equate that with the type of organized, communicative leadership that we need.
That said, there certainly is leadership in organizing protest, there certainly is a form of leadership from the individuals that you .2, and there are many individuals doing things large and small, but it feels to me that it lacks cohesiveness and clarity. Perhaps that’s asking too much.
The Democratic Party nowhere to be seen, sadly.
Sorry, that got sent before editing.
I agree Charles, the list that people came up with above is actually too big and not cohesive. Sometimes a great leader has to come from outside the party political sphere. Martin Luther King Jr went toe to toe with LBJ not on the floor of Congress but on the streets of Alabama and then in the Oval Office. And the men and women who followed MLK Jr, like John Lewis, Rabbi Heschel, Coretta Scott King, Dorothy Cotton, joined him to be one voice. One voice. Nelson Mandela was a powerful figure outside of politics and only reluctantly became a political figure once he was released from prison. Ditto Desmond Tutu. And Tutu and Mandela together were a powerful voice, one voice. We need that one voice now. He/she must transcend a political party. He/she must draw both of the political parties together in a shared goal of toppling this authoritarian movement.
Your question is also mine! Commentary is great, but it won't save the democracy! We need leaders to help move that needle.
They can find them if they want to. We did.
A lie travels around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes 🙄
Indeed. Even the ancient Greeks and Romans knew that.
Adam, I deleted that Facebook account. It says it is from you and Liz but I don’t believe it is. Please do clarify this and if nether of you have anything to do with that group let us know. The group needs to stop using your names.
Let me clarify what I said. I deleted my own account, meaning I left this group and blocked them. They can be reported for spreading misinformation and lies. My hope is that Adam and Liz Cheney will make public statements that they are not affiliated with this group. It’s very confusing with both their names are the group.
At a glance, I did fall for this and was completely disturbed. I run a very busy life and business, and have tried to limit myself to only those that I really trust for information. But it does appear, that disinformation, manipulation and fear mongering still exists even in the channels that I trust. Thank you, Adam Kinzinger, for clarifying this. I am spreading it to my friends.
I find myself questioning everything these days. Unfortunately, it's a full time job due to the massive deluge of lies and misinformation bombarding us. So I wouldn't feel bad about "fall"ing for something that "supposedly" came from a trusted source. In this case, that trusted source (Adam) was quick to refute the lies.
It's easy for me, if their lips are moving it's a lie!
"America is at a crossroads. But we’ve been here before. Our history is filled with moments when truth was under siege and fear ran high. And each time, it wasn’t the loudest voice that prevailed—it was the truest one.
So let’s be that voice. Let’s resist the urge to sensationalize. Let’s rise above the clickbait and stick to the facts. Because in this battle for our future, truth is not just a virtue—it’s our weapon." Adam Kinzinger
THIS is what a PRESIDENT should sound like! Amen, Adam!
Has anybody seen a President lately, all I see is a Tyrant and a Scoundrel?
Excellent. As usual. (Am holding a ticket to Chicago Bulwark event this evening. I was excited you were going to be on stage as well. Family events preclude my travel from MN, unfortunately, but I am proud of my home town for giving you a sellout crowd!!!)
See ya there!!
It's sold out, and I didn't know about it! Drat! It will be a special event, I know.
This is not the truth, because both you and Liz have too much class to lie. But, the list could be true. HE MUST BE STOPPED anyway he can be.
Hi Adam,
I saw that post on Instagram but it didn’t make me nervous nor was I sure it was real because if it was really true, you would have brought it up in here. So I ignored it. And I agree 150% that the truth matters. The Republican Party destroyed itself with lies and continues doing so.
Hope you’re having a great week.
Adam Kinzinger - always truth to power! 💪🇺🇸💯
I agree that the claims in the "lensofblue" post are wildly exaggerated. However, there is a provision in the bill that is especially worrisome. The NY Times summarizes it thus:
"The language in the House-passed bill would block federal judges from enforcing their contempt citations if they had not previously ordered a bond, a provision that Republicans said was intended to discourage frivolous lawsuits by requiring a financial stake from those suing."
Judges often waive the bond (as I understand). But it appears that if they do so, their orders could be blocked. This is something the Senate needs to be aware of.
I'll just link to the video instead of trying to refer to my earlier post.
https://youtu.be/JrpgSR0Y8Ms?si=cxakvI54JKk0P7U6
My reading of the bill (or maybe it was a summary of the bill) is that the entities bringing suit are in the clear if they have posted a bond, and then an injunction can be implemented. Is this not the case? The video you are linking to seems to suggest the funds are unavailable and therefore it is impossible for a litigant to comply.
The point being that a Federal Judge who fines someone (such as trump for contempt of Court), cannot possibly post a bond since the funds for that bond would be unavailable to any Federal employee (including the Judge) if this amendment passes.
This in effect allows Federal officials (including trump) to ignore the orders of any Federal Judge since there is no longer any consequences for doing so. Requiring the Judge (or anyone else) to post bond out of his/her own pocket is not only unreasonable, it is unprecedented. When a Judge finds that someone violated the law in a case, why should the Judge, or persons bringing the case before the Court, be required to "cough up" more money in order to enforce the Judge's decision?
I viewed a video by a professor at Sheffield University (as I recall) talking about this. I posted a link to that video here in a comment to one if Adam's recent articles. I'll reply with that comment if I can find it.
I guess the link only takes one to the article. If interested, look through the comments to that article and you'll see my comment. Sorry
If this doesn't work I give up.
https://adamkinzinger.substack.com/p/the-constitution-still-holds/comment/120314730?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=2vg1kz
You are 100% correct. The key is credibility. Without it, the ground we stand on becomes shakier. and unstable. We must have solid ground to stand upon. But I don't mean that we don't put up a fight. It can be done with both urgency and integrity. I know I'm repeating exactly what you said -- but it is worth repeating!
I saw this on FB -- didn't sound like you or Liz -- glad you cleared this up.
From what I understand, the Republicans added parts to the "Big Beautiful Bill" that curtail the power of the courts to reign in the administration. Many are sounding an alarm that reads like that post.
Life in America is like watching a never-ending movie that is horrible throughout and has a disastrous ending. We know that Trump and company are doing all they can to make America part of the Soviet "Union". All we can hope for is the demise of Trump and the ultimate failure of MAGA.
To avoid a Civil War we need the courts to be present to balance things out in this society we currently are living in. The Republicans by putting this "Big Beautiful Abomination" together are crossing over into the "They Own Us World". Most Dictators go to far and end up hanging from a rope right side up or up side down. These people are eager beavers and running out of wood to chew.
I’d like to see a conversation between you and Reed Galen on this topic. He says we won’t win by playing fair.