Democratic Party

Chuck Schumer “Cave In” To Trump And Republicans A Disaster! :(

Sadly, Senate Minority Leader, and formerly Senate Majority Leader in the recent past, Chuck Schumer of New York, allowed himself to cave in to Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and other Republicans to support a Continuing Resolution to avoid shutdown of the government through September 30.

This action on his part, plus that of eight other Democrats and Independent Angus King of Maine, has caused an uproar in the Democratic Senate caucus, and there is discussion of challenging Schumer’s leadership, possibly removing him as Minority Leader.

Schumer could face a primary challenge in 2028 from Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries refused to comment when asked about what Schumer and others did, but it was clear he was very upset.

The Democrats, sadly, are ineffective so far on the issue of how to deal with Trump and Musk, and the danger to the Republic is really alarming, with no easy answer as to strategy.

Early Estimation Of Potential Republican Presidential Nominees In 2028

The Washington Post just published an article on ten potential Republican Presidential contenders to succeed Donald Trump in 2028.

It is a literal horror list!

At the top of the list are Vice President JD Vance, and Trump’s oldest son, Donald Trump, Jr.

Vance, already, in six weeks, has compiled a public persona that has not gone over well in public opinion polls, and makes earlier Republican Vice Presidents look better by comparison, including not only broadly respected Gerald Ford and George H. W. Bush, but also far less impressive Vice Presidents, including Dan Quayle, Dick Cheney, and Mike Pence. Only Spiro Agnew, at this point, would rate lower than Vance.

Trump Jr. is not a very smart or impressive individual, who clearly has been harmed over his life by the parental abuses his father visited upon him, with many stories of their difficult relationship.

Once we go beyond these two top contenders, we have Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as number 4; and Kristi Noem, former South Dakota Governor and now Homeland Security Secretary as number 8—both having many negatives in their public record.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio (formerly Senator from Florida) as number 5 and Nikki Haley (former South Carolina Governor and United Nations Ambassador) as number 6, are comparatively more palatable, but one cannot accept that either really has a great chance for the future. Rubio surving in the Cabinet for four years seems unlikely, and Haley has aliented Trump supporters by her fierce campaign against Trump in 2024.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp at number 3 was a major Trump critic in the past, and outgoing Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin at number 7 did not meet the expectations of many that he was a major player.

Finally, at the bottom two slots of ten listed are former Fox host Tucker Carlson at number 10, and enterpreneur Vivek Ramaswamy (who is running for Ohio Governor in 2026) at number 9. Needless to say, they are both obnoxious beyond the pale, and make everyone else on the list comparatively palatable.

This is an indication of how horrendous the future of the Trump dominated Republican Party looks at this moment in 2025.

But the question is can the Democratic Party recover and offer a real alternative in the future?

Any chance of the survival of the American Republic beyond Donald Trump is a real question, without a clear-cut answer!

Trump State Of The Union Address: Highly Divisive And Lies, Lies, Lies! :(

Donald Trump gave the longest State of the Union speech ever delivered last evening, about 9,900 words lasting about 100 minutes, surpassing Bill Clinton’s State of the Union speech in 2000.

The speech was highly, extremely divisive, unusual as Presidents usually try to promote a sense of unity when giving the State of the Union address, even with the opposition party, but instead Trump was gloating about his victory, which he exaggerated regarding its magnitude.

Trump, as usual, lied, lied, and lied some more, distorting and exaggerating reality, facts, and truth.

Trump lied about Joe Biden’s record, calling him the worst President in US History (which was an example of projection about himself).

Trump also took a dig against Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, the primary promoter of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, that became law under Barack Obama, but now is on the chopping block.

Trump also claimed that there are people over 100 years of age, up to 300 years old, who are collecting Social Security, a clearcut attack on that program that has existed for 90 years since the time of Franklin D. Roosevelt. There is fear that Social Security may not be paid in future months, due to the claims of waste, fraud, and abuse that are totally preposterous, and with layoffs of civil service employees in that agency.

Trump also promoted the idea of seizing the Panama Canal and taking over Greenland from Denmark, which will antagonize Latin America and NATO respectively, as Trump promotes “imperialism”.

Watching the smirks of Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Vice President JD Vance was infuriating, as the nation clearly is evenly divided, but there was no interest in crossing the aisle and promoting cooperation, with the Congress more divisive and the majority unconcerned about compromise and negotiation.

Trump’s promotion of tariffs with Canada, Mexico, and China will raise the cost of living dramatically, and soon, and goes against the record of history, that tariffs are counterproductive.

Plaudits to newly elected Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin, who gave the Democratic response to the State of the Union, and introduced herself to the nation as a legislator who should be respected and paid attention to in the future of the Democratic Party.

The battle ahead for the average American taxpayer and families will be a long, bitter struggle, but the Democrats must not sit on the sidelines, but instead march, demonstrate, organize, and vigorously fight with every bone in their bodies against the extreme right wing tilt of the Republican Party, which has repudiated so much of their heritage over 170 years of their history from Abraham Lincoln to Theodore Roosevelt to Dwight D. Eisenhower to Ronald Reagan!

The Republican Party And Russia From Joseph McCarthy To Donald Trump!

The Republican Party has completely reversed its long held stand against Russian aggression, from the time of the Soviet Union’s founding in 1917; through its decline and collapse and the end of the Cold War in 1991; and through the rise of Vladimir Putin and the Russian Federation in the year 2000 to the present.

Whether Democratic or Republican administrations, the US Government has stood against the imperialism and expansionist urges of the Russian government for more than a century.

No longer though, now, as Donald Trump has embraced Vladimir Putin’s three year war on Ukraine, and called Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy a “dictator”, totally upending all reasonable assessments of the worst destruction and bloodshed in Europe since World War II and Nazi Germany.

Trump has hijacked the Republican Party, silencing most members of the party in the Congress and in the states, who have instead of doing the right thing, condemning Russia’s imperialism and threat to all of Europe and the NATO alliance, rather become the cheering squad for Trump’s destructive relationship with the western democracies, and his embrace of authoritarianism.

Despite the overall negative view of Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy, who led the Second Red Scare from 1950-1954, he was certainly right on the menace of the Soviet Union, while tragically destroying the reputations of many Americans in his quest for power and influence.

Richard Nixon was also a promoter of the Second Red Scare, along with a multitude of others, but the one consistency in the midst of horrendous abuse of their attack on Democrats, liberals, and decent Americans, there was recognition of the dangers of Communism and the Russian control of Eastern Europe and the desire to expand further.

But now, we see people in the Republican Party who know better, going along with Donald Trump’s destruction of the basic traditions of American foreign policy, in order to advance their own personal agenda and ambitions.

Now, we have Marco Rubio, as Secretary of State, keeping silent on what Trump is doing regarding Russia, and the same for other Cabinet Officers and House and Senate Republicans.

Only a few are willing to speak up and condemn the switch in attitude toward Russia, including Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, and Congressman Don Bacon from the Second District of Nebraska.

But Tillis and Bacon are in danger of being opposed for reelection by Elon Musk recruiting opponents, and most Republicans are unwilling to speak up, in fear of losing their seats, which is, sadly, more important than having any principles!

So the Republican Party is a disaster, with the old traditions thrown out, and instead, embracing a war criminal, Vladimir Putin, who was a KGB Spy in the latter years of the former Soviet Union!

It can be assured that Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and other hardline critics of Russia, are tossing in their graves!

Speculation About Futures Of Prominent Democrats In Second Trump Presidency

As Donald Trump and Elon Musk run rampant in doing grievious harm to the federal government bureaucracy, speculation about the futures of prominent Democrats in the second Trump Presidency is being considered.

Will Kamala Harris run for California Governor, or wait to be a candidate for President in 2028?

Will Pete Buttigieg run for the open Senate seat in Michigan, or wait to be a candidate for President in 2028?

Will Tim Walz run for the open Senate seat in Minnesota, or wait to be a candidate for President in 2028?

Will Andy Beshear run for the open Senate seat in Kentucky, or wait to be a candidate for President in 2028?

Will Gavin Newsom in California; Jared Polis in Colorado; and Gretchen Whitmer in Michigan, all term limited as Governors of their states, be candidates for President in 2028?

Will Josh Shapiro in Pennsylvania; JB Pritzker in Illinois; Wes Moore in Maryland; and Josh Stein of North Carolina, all Governors of their states, be candidates for President in 2028?

Will members of the US Senate, including Cory Booker of New Jersey; Ruben Gallego of Arizona; Raphael Warnock of Georgia; Chris Murphy of Connecticut; Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota; and Jon Ossoff of Georgia be candidates for President in 2028?

Could sitting House of Representatives members, including Ro Khanna of California and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, be candidates for President in 2028?

Who, among these 19 Democrats mentioned above, would have a way forward to the Democratic Presidential nomination in 2028?

Republicans’ War On Social Security (90 Years); On Medicare (60 Years); Affordable Care Act (15 Years)!

The Republican Party from the 1930s until now, the 2020s, has opposed and attempted to destroy the major successes of the Social Safety Net.

Social Security was adopted in 1935 under Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt, as part of the New Deal reform programs, which transformed the nation.

Medicare was adopted in 1965 under Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson, followed my Medicaid in 1966, as part of the Great Society reform programs.

The Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) was adopted under Democratic President Barack Obama in 2010, as part of his attempt to promote medical care availability for millions of people that had no medical coverage.

So for 90 years; 60 years; and 15 years, with some individual exceptions, the Republican Party’s aim has been, and remains under Donald Trump and Elon Musk today, that the Social Safety Net, that has worked so well, and is so humane, should be scuttled, with the aim being to enrich wealthy people through massive tax cuts.

The Republican Party is shameless, and reprehensible, as they have always been, but the battle by the Democratic Party and all decent people, must be to continue to fight to defend programs that in many European nations, are much better than ours!

“Unitary Executive” Is Term For Dictatorship And Plutocracy!

With “Project 2025” now in effect during the Donald Trump Presidency in his second, nonconsecutive term, the term “Unitary Executive” is now officially the rationale for Trump asserting himself in an authoritarian manner!

This is a direct attack on the history of the Presidency, and if not challenged effectively, it means we are under a dictatorship and plutocracy, with billionaires, led by Elon Musk, but also most of the Cabinet members and other advisers around Trump, being in total control of domestic and foreign policy.

The federal courts, so far, are challenging this reality, but the question is whether the Supreme Court will assert itself with its present membership, when cases arrive at the Court in the future.

The News Media also is, courageously, making clear the threats to all Americans by this new “GILDED AGE” mentality.

And the Democrats in state governments and many in Congress are also making clear they will not sit on the sidelines as the basic concepts of American democracy are under attack.

But with growing public demonstrations developing across the nation by average citizens, the question is will the Trump Administration abuse the rights under the First Amendment—Freedom of Speech, Press, and Assembly—and use violence to suppress popular opinion and outrage at the revolutionary changes being brought about against our entire constitutional history!

Trump’s recent statement–“He who saves his country does not violate any laws”–is an alarm bell in the night, and must be resisted, as America does not have or need a King or dictator!

America has a system of “checks and balances”, and Donald Trump must be controlled in his powers for the good of the nation and its future!

Checks And Balances, Separation Of Powers, And The Constitution After 236 Years!

The American Constitution, adopted between 1787 and 1789, has gone through multiple crises, including most notably the Civil War, World War I, the Great Depression, World War II, the Cold War, the Great Recession, and the COVID 19 Pandemic.

Through it all, the basic belief in American democracy and freedom has held, due to strong leadership in Congress and the Presidency.

But now, America faces a very severe threat to our system of checks and balances and separation of powers, as Donald Trump and his Billionaire supporters, and most notably Elon Musk, the wealthiest person in the world, are posing a massive threat and disrupting our economic, social, and foreign policy.

Donald Trump in just 24 days has been acting like a revolutionary leader, creating a whirlwind of constant crises and challenges.

It is difficult to keep up with the chaos which is assisted by MAGA followers and Republicans willing to give up their oversight over the Executive branch.

The role of the news media, the Democratic Party in the states and in Congress, and massive numbers of lawsuits, as well as public demonstrations and support, are the only way to prevent the threat of Fascism.

This is a time to pay attention, and be constantly active in pursuit of the truth, and the abuses of power that are being waged.

This is not a time to turn our heads and ignore what is happening, as that would just insure an authoritarian dictatorship!

Donald Trump And Elon Musk Attack On Federal Regulatory Agencies

Donald Trump and Elon Musk have declared war on many federal regulatory agencies, creating a “clear and present danger” in so many areas of government policy.

These include the US Agency For International Development (USAID); the US Department of Education, which is a Cabinet post; the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

These agencies were created by John F. Kennedy in 1961; Jimmy Carter in 1979 for the second and third listed agencies; and the latter by Barack Obama in 2010, after vigorous advocacy by Elizabeth Warren, before she won election to the US Senate in 2012.

Additionally, there has been discussion of weakening or eliminating the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC); and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), all created in the early 1970s under Richard Nixon.

This is pure madness, but at this point, Trump and Musk are like “Bulls in a China Shop”, abusing their power and no clearcut response from Democrats, state governments, and the courts, although cases are being brought to the courts, and Democrats are up in arms!

Russell Vought, The Destroyer Of The Federal Government Work Force And Agencies!

The confirmation of Russell Vought as the head of the Office of Management and Budget in the Trump Administration is a danger sign to the issue of federal civil service employees and federal oversight on a host of issues and policies.

This man is a “wrecking crew”, considered by Democrats as the most dangerous of all Trump nominees, as he is a prime author of Project 2025, which is a right wing declaration of war on federal regulations in so many areas, including as examples, the environment, consumer protection, civil rights, labor protections, and separation of powers. He also is an advocate of Christian Nationalism.

Vought believes the Presidency should be more centralized and not be accountable to Congress and the courts, so he is promoting anarchy, chaos, and endorsement of what would be authoritarian Fascism, if it is not stopped by those who believe in the survival of American democracy and the rule of law!