Thank you Adam for everything you've done for this country and continue to do!! Grateful for your insights and calming effect on the events we're living through.
Sometimes you sound like a populist metaphysician, but without the jargon ! One for the common man. I love comments about your humanity. The shoe fits (unlike Marco’s Florsheims), so wear it proudly my friend.
Thank you for this beautiful recounting of what it feels like to be a candidate. And also thank you for continuing your work albeit in a different way that you ever imagined.
Thank you, Adam for the wonderful article. My cousin in Illinois thought a lot of you in office. I told him your cheering on the candidates and I have a subscription from substack with you. I told him you’re in Texas. Prayers for your mom and Senator Murphy as he had a stroke and is in the hospital.
That 2010 GOP "shellacking" of the Obama administration will always go into history books as one of the most shameful moments in American democracy.
Remember how, in 2024, right before the elections, JD Vance claimed, in an interview with the NYT, that whenever people are fed false information about candidates, the VP and Congress should claim the election results are illegitimate?
That's EXACTLY what happened in 2024. A self-declared "Tea Party" GOP brainwashed the American people into believing that it was Republicans, not Democrats, who were "fiscally conservative". That was right after Democrats had to rescue the economy from yet another disastrous GOP mismanagement and decided to work with government loans to make sure that ordinary citizens don't suffer too much from the Great Recession, caused by the wealthiest (in collaboration with the GOP and its irrational and immoral obsession with "deregulation" for the wealthiest and big corporations).
The GOP claimed that the Stimulus Democrats passed would blow up the debt (RIGHT after the GOP's Iraq war - rejected by the majority of the American people and already based on utterly shameful GOP lies - had done exactly that). That claim came AFTER the independent, non-partisan CBO proved it would not, and instead would end the Great Recession much faster than any GOP plan would.
What 2010 Tea Party politicians were doing was exactly "taxation without representation": their claims were NOT fact-based, and therefore, their proposals would NOT represent the people. They only represented the wealthiest.
The result was also that universal healthcare became impossible, even though that too was exactly what the vast majority of the American people at the time already wanted. And "Obamacare", as the Tea Party misleadingly decided to call the ACA, was the exact same thing as Romneycare, so a real, honest compromise between what the voter bases of Democrats and Republicans wanted. And yet... the GOP rejected it as "Armageddon" and "the government killing granny".
I will never forget the 2010 midterms for these reasons.
Fortunately, THIS time, the wave about to take over DC is full of politicians with a strong enough moral spine to refuse to lie, and who believe in real, genuine representation...
Agree with the historical facts you cite. Most such waves are actually undertows or riptides for the party in power that stands to lose it because they went overboard when they had all the levers of government in the preceding two years. In some cases, though, there can be misrepresentations of the work done by the party in power in its two years prior -- e.g. just see how much more the ACA is liked by the general public today than it was in 2010, plus pretty much everyone now agrees that the 2009 stimulus measures ended up saving our economy and cutting the Great Recession short.
Fortunately for us even if the red wave in 2010 (again more of a blue undertow) was partly based on a well-constructed mirage by one party, it yielded from among all its newly minted representatives a "diamond in the rough" called Adam Kinzinger. As the diamond got polished over about 10 years in office, it sparkled courageously when it really mattered in 2021--2022. I am thankful for that.
You are exactly correct! Also if you recall Obama desired to make the ACA totally government run to bring down costs exactly like the Universal Health Care both Europe and Canada has but his desire to make the bill bi- partisan and equally include the Republicans backfired as the Republicans INSISTED that there should be COMPETITION in the ACA and they wanted Health Insurance Companies to be involved! And they got their way! To those day Obama says it is one of his biggest regrets to allow that to happen.
ONLY by taking over a healthcare plan concocted by the GOP's Heritage Foundation (today a neofascist organization, but not yet at the time) could he win the crucial support of one-third of Democratic Senators (Blue Dog Senators representing mostly RED districts, so whose constitutional job it is to do what THEIR constituents wanted, not what you and I wanted) and Independents like Lieberman.
This was not Obama being stupid... . It is BECAUSE he truly understands the democratic process and was such a great negotiator that he managed to make substantial progress toward universal healthcare (more than half a million American lives saved thanks to the ACA by now), contrary to his predecessors, who all tried but failed.
It doesn't matter that Republicans dishonestly repudiated the HC plan their own main think tank had concocted. Obama and the Democrats by then knew perfectly well how the GOP was no longer interested in truth and representation at all, by the time. He needed a plan that would let Blue Dog Democrats vote for it without losing the support of their red-district constituents, since that IS how democracy is supposed to work.
To be fair, however, I don't think Republicans at the time still supported the HF plan. We could ask Adam and check. Adam, did you support Romneycare in 2010?
Also, IF single payer was impossible at the time (as it was), then one of the main ways to drive costs was precisely restoring competition among health insurers. That's what the ACA marketplaces did, effectively lowering prices. So more competition made sense anyhow. It's also unclear that, at the time, the GOP actually welcomed more competition. Imho they were already in the pockets of big insurers and therefore defended monopolies rather than more competition. Yes, thanks to the ACA subsidies, health insurers would have millions more clients. But the marketplaces and other regulations inside the ACA strongly reduced price increases. The result of the ACA was that insurers ended up not earning more or less than before the ACA. And that was the compromise Obama managed to achieve.
As to Obama claiming to regret what he did: any evidence to back up your claim?
Yes… i heard a statement right after the SVA passed on an interview with Obsma on this subject and he did state that his only regret was that he allowed Insurance companies to become involved! Thank you Dear Sir… you do have impeccable knowledge! Respect
Ok, but someone just blocked me (not on this Substack) because I asked her to fact-check her memory telling her that Obama had promised Medicare for All in 2008 (he hadn't), so for the same reason, you remembering that you "heard" him say something isn't exactly proof, is it?
Thank you, Adam. You couldn’t be more correct. After tomorrow, the real work begins.
If we see a substantial blue wave in both the House and Senate, we cannot afford to squander that mandate. There is an extraordinary amount of work to be done, and the planning, legislation, and accountability measures must begin immediately. We need cool heads, clear strategies, and sharp teeth. No dilly-dallying. No waiting to see what happens. And certainly no mistaking the restoration of democracy for a return to business as usual.
We must close the loopholes that have allowed corruption to flourish, enact legislation that strengthens our democratic institutions, and hold accountable every individual in this administration who has unlawfully abused the power of their office—regardless of their title, position, or political influence. No one is above the law. That principle must be demonstrated, not merely repeated.
We also have a responsibility to address the damage done to our judicial system, including restoring balance to the Supreme Court through the appointment of qualified, progressive justices when constitutionally and politically possible.
There are potholes everywhere on the road to democracy, some deep enough to derail us if we are not vigilant. We cannot simply patch the surface and hope for the best. We need structural repairs, lasting safeguards, and the political courage to act.
A blue wave is not the finish line. It is the opportunity—and the obligation—to begin rebuilding a government that serves the people rather than those who seek to exploit it.
We have waited long enough. The time to act is the moment we have the power to act.
I agree that we need him in Congress however until the ugliest president ever is gone and out of sight perhaps with some of J6ers back in jail or dead it’s those death threats he has a child to think of.
I truly wish he was still there but the add Security for his family again. Just like Liz Cheney. I wouldn’t wish that upon him. Not sure where in TX he lives maybe by the base I just pray they’re all safe and they have a great support system around them.
It would be great to see him in Texas Gov to help that state untangling of Abbott and Paxton. They give so much to billionaires that the working class doesn’t get by on $7.75 per hr rents are really no different than here in Ca. It just seems to me minorities & women are 2nd class citizens in Tx god do get pregnant there.
Sorry I got off track. May he could run against Randy Jackson that would be good if he’s even still there. Have a great day. Get ready for all the lies on Tues & Weds lawsuits.
PS
question to anyone that might know Can DJT & administration be removed from office other than impeachment? I thought there was perhaps Treason?
Because if he starts this war up again for Israel and DOD they must be stopped Pete must go as well as all in that department and those 4 tech civilians they put in army as admirals all CEOs or assistants how it that even possible.
God DJT & friends are all fox crazy. What happened to working your why up the ladder?
Mr. Kinzinger, you were right. I did not know that much about you until the J6 attack and you sitting on the J6 Committee. I did my research. You signed a pledge with Americans for Prosperity voting against any global warming legislation that would raise taxes. You sponsored the Veteran Emergency Medical Technician Support Act making it easier for veterans to use their knowledge as emergency medical technicians in the military to get civilian jobs calling for that same knowledge. You introduced a bill requiring the United States Secretary of Energy to produce a report detailing the effects thermal insulation has on energy consumption. You worked in a bipartisan fashion which is sorely lacking in the Congress today. There are so very many more things you have done in service to your country. I admired your work in Congress and the work you did on the J6 committee. For me, what we are fighting for is not red vs blue, right vs left, democrat vs republican or anything like that. I am fighting to save my country from fascism and authoritarianism. That is just not America. My grandparents and my dad fought against fascism and authoritarianism because they knew how bad it could be. I don't want that here. I cast my vote for the candidate I feel will actually do the work once in office. Will they work to help ALL Americans? I want to thank you for all of your service from the military to Congress for this great country. I enjoy your post and look forward to them daily.
Reading this article gives me an appreciation for the courage and strength of character it took of you to vote in favor of impeachment and then serve on the J6th Committee. You earned your placed in congress, and it's a damned shame your party placed Trump ahead of the truth and the rule of law. With that said, I'm glad to have you on our side, the pro-democracy side, in this fight.
Oh, how I remember November 2010! I was a DuPage county resident/voter at the time, but had so many friends that lived in Channahon, Manhattan, New Lenox, and Shorewood. You were quite the memorable candidate back then, and still a class act, today. I'm a Michigander, now. So.....
Such great insights, Mr. Kinzinger!! Thank you for your service to our precious country. You are an inspiration to us all. Your courage and determination are contagious. We will press on no matter what because it is the right thing to do. God bless you. God bless America.
How exciting for you !!! I love all the pics of you as a freshie. No doubt you were ill because campaigning had dropped your immune system. And it lines everything up that came after. Without you and Liz Cheney and the others things would be looking different now.
Thank you for all your hard work for the American people.
Awesome article Adam. Thank you for sharing what it is like on the other side. As a voter I am anxious in a different way. We are all trying to save our Country.
Thank you for everything you have done to fight for us.
Thank you Adam for everything you've done for this country and continue to do!! Grateful for your insights and calming effect on the events we're living through.
And your humanity.
Yes!! Thank you for adding that.
Absolutely, you are a bright light in the stormy night. Perhaps the stormy night is coming to an end real soon.
Sometimes you sound like a populist metaphysician, but without the jargon ! One for the common man. I love comments about your humanity. The shoe fits (unlike Marco’s Florsheims), so wear it proudly my friend.
James
Flagstaff, AZ
Thank you for this beautiful recounting of what it feels like to be a candidate. And also thank you for continuing your work albeit in a different way that you ever imagined.
Thank you for fighting for the USA!
Interesting point of view! Loved your interview about telling the truth when others don’t want you to, with the theranos whistleblower!
Thank you, Adam for the wonderful article. My cousin in Illinois thought a lot of you in office. I told him your cheering on the candidates and I have a subscription from substack with you. I told him you’re in Texas. Prayers for your mom and Senator Murphy as he had a stroke and is in the hospital.
That 2010 GOP "shellacking" of the Obama administration will always go into history books as one of the most shameful moments in American democracy.
Remember how, in 2024, right before the elections, JD Vance claimed, in an interview with the NYT, that whenever people are fed false information about candidates, the VP and Congress should claim the election results are illegitimate?
That's EXACTLY what happened in 2024. A self-declared "Tea Party" GOP brainwashed the American people into believing that it was Republicans, not Democrats, who were "fiscally conservative". That was right after Democrats had to rescue the economy from yet another disastrous GOP mismanagement and decided to work with government loans to make sure that ordinary citizens don't suffer too much from the Great Recession, caused by the wealthiest (in collaboration with the GOP and its irrational and immoral obsession with "deregulation" for the wealthiest and big corporations).
The GOP claimed that the Stimulus Democrats passed would blow up the debt (RIGHT after the GOP's Iraq war - rejected by the majority of the American people and already based on utterly shameful GOP lies - had done exactly that). That claim came AFTER the independent, non-partisan CBO proved it would not, and instead would end the Great Recession much faster than any GOP plan would.
What 2010 Tea Party politicians were doing was exactly "taxation without representation": their claims were NOT fact-based, and therefore, their proposals would NOT represent the people. They only represented the wealthiest.
The result was also that universal healthcare became impossible, even though that too was exactly what the vast majority of the American people at the time already wanted. And "Obamacare", as the Tea Party misleadingly decided to call the ACA, was the exact same thing as Romneycare, so a real, honest compromise between what the voter bases of Democrats and Republicans wanted. And yet... the GOP rejected it as "Armageddon" and "the government killing granny".
I will never forget the 2010 midterms for these reasons.
Fortunately, THIS time, the wave about to take over DC is full of politicians with a strong enough moral spine to refuse to lie, and who believe in real, genuine representation...
Agree with the historical facts you cite. Most such waves are actually undertows or riptides for the party in power that stands to lose it because they went overboard when they had all the levers of government in the preceding two years. In some cases, though, there can be misrepresentations of the work done by the party in power in its two years prior -- e.g. just see how much more the ACA is liked by the general public today than it was in 2010, plus pretty much everyone now agrees that the 2009 stimulus measures ended up saving our economy and cutting the Great Recession short.
Fortunately for us even if the red wave in 2010 (again more of a blue undertow) was partly based on a well-constructed mirage by one party, it yielded from among all its newly minted representatives a "diamond in the rough" called Adam Kinzinger. As the diamond got polished over about 10 years in office, it sparkled courageously when it really mattered in 2021--2022. I am thankful for that.
You are exactly correct! Also if you recall Obama desired to make the ACA totally government run to bring down costs exactly like the Universal Health Care both Europe and Canada has but his desire to make the bill bi- partisan and equally include the Republicans backfired as the Republicans INSISTED that there should be COMPETITION in the ACA and they wanted Health Insurance Companies to be involved! And they got their way! To those day Obama says it is one of his biggest regrets to allow that to happen.
Uh.... "his" desire to make the bill bipartisan?
This IS how democracy works!
ONLY by taking over a healthcare plan concocted by the GOP's Heritage Foundation (today a neofascist organization, but not yet at the time) could he win the crucial support of one-third of Democratic Senators (Blue Dog Senators representing mostly RED districts, so whose constitutional job it is to do what THEIR constituents wanted, not what you and I wanted) and Independents like Lieberman.
This was not Obama being stupid... . It is BECAUSE he truly understands the democratic process and was such a great negotiator that he managed to make substantial progress toward universal healthcare (more than half a million American lives saved thanks to the ACA by now), contrary to his predecessors, who all tried but failed.
It doesn't matter that Republicans dishonestly repudiated the HC plan their own main think tank had concocted. Obama and the Democrats by then knew perfectly well how the GOP was no longer interested in truth and representation at all, by the time. He needed a plan that would let Blue Dog Democrats vote for it without losing the support of their red-district constituents, since that IS how democracy is supposed to work.
To be fair, however, I don't think Republicans at the time still supported the HF plan. We could ask Adam and check. Adam, did you support Romneycare in 2010?
Also, IF single payer was impossible at the time (as it was), then one of the main ways to drive costs was precisely restoring competition among health insurers. That's what the ACA marketplaces did, effectively lowering prices. So more competition made sense anyhow. It's also unclear that, at the time, the GOP actually welcomed more competition. Imho they were already in the pockets of big insurers and therefore defended monopolies rather than more competition. Yes, thanks to the ACA subsidies, health insurers would have millions more clients. But the marketplaces and other regulations inside the ACA strongly reduced price increases. The result of the ACA was that insurers ended up not earning more or less than before the ACA. And that was the compromise Obama managed to achieve.
As to Obama claiming to regret what he did: any evidence to back up your claim?
Yes… i heard a statement right after the SVA passed on an interview with Obsma on this subject and he did state that his only regret was that he allowed Insurance companies to become involved! Thank you Dear Sir… you do have impeccable knowledge! Respect
Ok, but someone just blocked me (not on this Substack) because I asked her to fact-check her memory telling her that Obama had promised Medicare for All in 2008 (he hadn't), so for the same reason, you remembering that you "heard" him say something isn't exactly proof, is it?
Thank you, Adam. You couldn’t be more correct. After tomorrow, the real work begins.
If we see a substantial blue wave in both the House and Senate, we cannot afford to squander that mandate. There is an extraordinary amount of work to be done, and the planning, legislation, and accountability measures must begin immediately. We need cool heads, clear strategies, and sharp teeth. No dilly-dallying. No waiting to see what happens. And certainly no mistaking the restoration of democracy for a return to business as usual.
We must close the loopholes that have allowed corruption to flourish, enact legislation that strengthens our democratic institutions, and hold accountable every individual in this administration who has unlawfully abused the power of their office—regardless of their title, position, or political influence. No one is above the law. That principle must be demonstrated, not merely repeated.
We also have a responsibility to address the damage done to our judicial system, including restoring balance to the Supreme Court through the appointment of qualified, progressive justices when constitutionally and politically possible.
There are potholes everywhere on the road to democracy, some deep enough to derail us if we are not vigilant. We cannot simply patch the surface and hope for the best. We need structural repairs, lasting safeguards, and the political courage to act.
A blue wave is not the finish line. It is the opportunity—and the obligation—to begin rebuilding a government that serves the people rather than those who seek to exploit it.
We have waited long enough. The time to act is the moment we have the power to act.
Adam - Please consider running again. D, R or I we need you back in that arena.
I agree that we need him in Congress however until the ugliest president ever is gone and out of sight perhaps with some of J6ers back in jail or dead it’s those death threats he has a child to think of.
I truly wish he was still there but the add Security for his family again. Just like Liz Cheney. I wouldn’t wish that upon him. Not sure where in TX he lives maybe by the base I just pray they’re all safe and they have a great support system around them.
It would be great to see him in Texas Gov to help that state untangling of Abbott and Paxton. They give so much to billionaires that the working class doesn’t get by on $7.75 per hr rents are really no different than here in Ca. It just seems to me minorities & women are 2nd class citizens in Tx god do get pregnant there.
Sorry I got off track. May he could run against Randy Jackson that would be good if he’s even still there. Have a great day. Get ready for all the lies on Tues & Weds lawsuits.
PS
question to anyone that might know Can DJT & administration be removed from office other than impeachment? I thought there was perhaps Treason?
Because if he starts this war up again for Israel and DOD they must be stopped Pete must go as well as all in that department and those 4 tech civilians they put in army as admirals all CEOs or assistants how it that even possible.
God DJT & friends are all fox crazy. What happened to working your why up the ladder?
Mr. Kinzinger, you were right. I did not know that much about you until the J6 attack and you sitting on the J6 Committee. I did my research. You signed a pledge with Americans for Prosperity voting against any global warming legislation that would raise taxes. You sponsored the Veteran Emergency Medical Technician Support Act making it easier for veterans to use their knowledge as emergency medical technicians in the military to get civilian jobs calling for that same knowledge. You introduced a bill requiring the United States Secretary of Energy to produce a report detailing the effects thermal insulation has on energy consumption. You worked in a bipartisan fashion which is sorely lacking in the Congress today. There are so very many more things you have done in service to your country. I admired your work in Congress and the work you did on the J6 committee. For me, what we are fighting for is not red vs blue, right vs left, democrat vs republican or anything like that. I am fighting to save my country from fascism and authoritarianism. That is just not America. My grandparents and my dad fought against fascism and authoritarianism because they knew how bad it could be. I don't want that here. I cast my vote for the candidate I feel will actually do the work once in office. Will they work to help ALL Americans? I want to thank you for all of your service from the military to Congress for this great country. I enjoy your post and look forward to them daily.
Thank you, Adam! Well written. I'm glad you won and glad you stood on your principals.
Reading this article gives me an appreciation for the courage and strength of character it took of you to vote in favor of impeachment and then serve on the J6th Committee. You earned your placed in congress, and it's a damned shame your party placed Trump ahead of the truth and the rule of law. With that said, I'm glad to have you on our side, the pro-democracy side, in this fight.
Oh, how I remember November 2010! I was a DuPage county resident/voter at the time, but had so many friends that lived in Channahon, Manhattan, New Lenox, and Shorewood. You were quite the memorable candidate back then, and still a class act, today. I'm a Michigander, now. So.....
❤️🇺🇲💙----- 🌊🌊🌊
Such great insights, Mr. Kinzinger!! Thank you for your service to our precious country. You are an inspiration to us all. Your courage and determination are contagious. We will press on no matter what because it is the right thing to do. God bless you. God bless America.
How exciting for you !!! I love all the pics of you as a freshie. No doubt you were ill because campaigning had dropped your immune system. And it lines everything up that came after. Without you and Liz Cheney and the others things would be looking different now.
Thank you for all your hard work for the American people.
Thank you...you really should be running again....this Italian 80 yo hippie gramma Democrat really respects you and where you stand
I'm with ya, 'cept 71 on Wednesday -- he's awesome!
Awesome article Adam. Thank you for sharing what it is like on the other side. As a voter I am anxious in a different way. We are all trying to save our Country.
Thank you for everything you have done to fight for us.