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A reminder that people who know anything about politics -- what the parties are, what they stand for, their record, who they've elected, how government works -- are a freakish minority. Most people know *nothing at all* past the vague mythologies that sift down through pop culture.

So much this. The whole point of these stories is to support the GOP.

here is what i think: we're not consumers or spectators, we are participants with agency. you should not hope that democrats will do anything. you must work to force them to do the right thing. the odds are long, but we are far from the first americans to face long odds. we will win.

If someone chooses to live in a smaller home in the inner city in part to avoid a long commute, they generally don’t pressure society to build them a bigger house with more stuff. So if you choose a bigger stuff-filled house in the suburbs, don’t expect society to build you a fast car commute.

i genuinely wish the democratic national committee was as powerful, organized and ruthless as a lot of people seem to think it is

I say it again and again: Because we don’t learn the real history of this country, we do not understand what this country is capable of. After 1870, 22 Black men served in Congress. By 1901, because of racist SCOTUS rulings, electoral coups and election cheating and violence, there were none.

Kamlager-Dove: Stevie Wonder can even see how much this war is costing us. Prices have gone up, and this dude is wanting to spend $2 billion of your money every single day rather than help you. Fuck him.

I’m seeing two camps: 1. Low-info people who don’t realize that Biss is anti-genocide and anti-Bibi, AIPAC hates him, and his “Israel” money is J Street money from the Israeli left. 2. Antisemites who don’t like that Biss is Israeli-American and are seeking to take advantage of the first camp.

The White House claims the vote to rename the Kennedy Center was “unanimous.” That is false. I was muted on the call and denied the opportunity to speak or register my opposition. That is not consensus. That is censorship.

Walz: "They are paying contractors to pay down the East Wing but they're not putting money into the food bank. So if there's a sense of frustration in America, it's very real ... when the White House press secretary said their top priority is the ballroom, we could not disagree more."

A terrific AFP fact check uses reverse image searches to expose how a White House video took scenes from Florida, Texas, South Carolina and Nebraska and lied that they showed "Chicago is in chaos." factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....

Is this missing from Republican bibles?

Hard to believe they’re talking about the same event.

Tomorrow’s going to be a good stress test of the press. El Salvadoran President Bukele will visit the White House. At the press availability, every Q ought to be about Abrego Garcia: where is he now? Did US ask you to return him? etc. WH will hate, maybe try to prevent, so all should band together.

Everyone wants there to be a grand scheme behind all of this but the terrible truth is that extremely stupid people are in charge and they have a fanatical devotion to wrong, childlike concepts of society and economics cooked up by right wing radio hosts in order to sell tainted dietary supplements

To anyone living in a state that doesn't respect you for who you love or who you are: Illinois has a place for you. You are seen, you are celebrated, you are protected, and you are welcome here in our state.

If you’re looking at the news of Dems flipping an R+15 state senate seat & thinking huh maybe I should run in my deep red district… 1. Look up your options at runforwhat.net 2. Check out some resources at runforsomething.net/candidate-resources 3. Get the book. bookshop.org/a/100021/978...

Democrats slam intel chiefs over Trump team’s Signal leak of war plans www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...

Pete Hegseth must resign or be fired immediately.

Wyden: "I'm of the view that there ought to be resignations, starting with the national security adviser and the secretary of defense."

every single video I've seen of the hearing today, Democratic Senators (including ones I don't even like) were pounding the shit out of administration officials. if the media will not play those clips, it's up to make them go viral, show our friends & family, etc. They did something. Reward them.

youtu.be/x4YtQQPioHM?...

NEWS: After an emergency meeting of Indivisible groups across the country, Indivisible is officially calling on Senate Minority Leader Schumer to step down from his leadership position. indivisible.org/statements/i...

This is blood-boiling. Charles Rogers was awarded the Medal of Honor in Vietnam after being wounded three times leading the defense of a position. Google his name and the entry below comes up. When you click, you'll see the page has been deleted and the URL changed to include "DEI medal."

“Speak up, speak out, get in the way. Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America.” – John Lewis

I was traveling abroad some years back and cool ranch Doritos were marketed overseas as “America Flavor”

I wrote this bit that is entirely unrelated to current things

🏆 Governor Pritzker- Illinois - has signed an order prohibiting all J6 rioters from state employment.

Trump's freezing of all civil rights cases at the DOJ is not part of an anti-DEI agenda, but an anti-civil rights agenda. DOJ was *founded* to protect Black rights during Reconstruction. That this difference is unclear speaks to the success of conservative propagandists and the failures of liberals.

My governor!!

www.politico.com/live-updates...

I can't tell anymore if he's serious or trolling. www.forbes.com/sites/sarado...

Outraged by the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, a wilderness survival trainer spent years undercover climbing the ranks of right-wing militias. He didn’t tell police or the FBI. He didn’t tell family or friends. The one person he told was ProPublica reporter @josh-kaplan.bsky.social. propub.li/3DGXECO

The number of unhoused seniors is expected to triple by 2030. As rents rise, it becomes tougher to find affordable housing that's accessible for those with medical conditions and disabilities.

It won’t help this late, but I hope the Biden puts his name on the checks this time. Democrats have to show people when they are doing good things for them. www.npr.org/2024/12/23/n...

NEW: Women experiencing pregnancy loss in states with abortion bans told us they wished they had known what to expect and how to advocate for themselves. We created this guide for anyone who finds themselves in the same position. ⤵️

This is exactly what the Democrats need to do. How this isn’t obvious to them is scary.

Just a reminder that in 2019, RFK Jr.'s anti-vaccine misinformation campaign helped cause a measles outbreak in Samoa that killed 83 people, mostly kids. Do you really want him to lead the Department of Health and Human Services?

This is their goal. Privatize everything. And by “privatize” we mean steer billions to themselves and their friends, ending programs that serve those with the least under the guise of “efficiency”. Rural areas will suffer. Prices will rise. www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

The GOP is destroying their own voters and they keep coming back for more. www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/...

I don't know who needs to know this, but Pro Publica has an online thing that will format a letter to your US health insurance company to demand the records behind a claim denial. (which the insurance is then legally required to provide in most cases) projects.propublica.org/claimfile/