Well said Steve. Sen. Booker's stand should be seen as THE call to action, for all Democrats. They need to follow his lead and grow a pair. They have the support of the massive and rapidly swelling ranks of an outraged public.
This Saturday, April 5, the Hands Off protests are happening in D.C. and across the entire country. EVERYONE who cares about stopping Trump and the MAGA takeover must get out, and that includes the 260 House and Senate Dems. They can play golf the following weekend. Let's go, America!!
The question isn’t even a political one in this instance. It’s a competence thing. None of them are qualified to do the jobs they have been nominated for. The inmates are running the asylum now. None of the lifeguards can swim. All the pyromaniacs are firefighters.
We can and should debate taxes, policy, social issues, foreign policy, etc, etc, etc. However, skill, experience and competency still matter. You don’t give a 16 year old a case of beer and the keys to dad’s ‘vette on a Friday night. You already know what will happen with that. I’m looking at you DOD Signal texts
The lack of morality demonstrated by Mullin is reflected throughout the Trump administration and the media and journalists supporting him.
On her broadcast last night, Laura Ingraham said, ““Liberals obsess over one Maryland migrant who is shipped to the supermax prison in El Salvador. Now, that screams middle America. Now, not good if it was a mistake but important to note that guy was an MS-13 member, as court documents showed.” Is she unaware the WH acknowledged they made a mistake but can do nothing about it? It is not surprising that her brother, “Curtis Ingraham, on Tuesday called the Fox News host ‘a monster’” https://www.yahoo.com/news/laura-ingrahams-estranged-gay-brother-170037239.html
Stoic philosopher and ancient Roman, Marcus Aurelius stated, “What injures the bee, injures the hive.” He meant that when we hurt others we hurt ourselves. The unnecessary pain we inflict on others demeans us and may well backfire.
Laura Ingraham and Fox “News” should be ashamed, but these self-righteous morons are not only amoral but incapable, as Robert Burns said, of seeing themselves as others see them.
They are not capable of shame. 20 million dollars a year to read a piece of paper into a glass lens , with only producers and friendlies telling you that you did a great job, or to do more of the same. They should be ashamed.
M. Aurelius also said , paraphrasing, to have some self respect. They are down a deep rabbit hole, and know that there is no way out. Can ingraham start telling the truth tomorrow?
Yes, she can, But,
No more 20 mil
No more maga love
No more trump love
No more relevancy
Death threats would go her way
Its our job to grab maga by the scruff of their neck , pull them out of this rabbit hole, remind them that our leader is truth , and justice for all!!
Can you imagine if that happened under Biden or Obama? There would be marauding mobs with pitchforks and flaming torches.
Laura Ingraham IS a monster. It's a prerequisite to work at Fox. (Except for Jessica Tarlov) They all need to be sent off to a black hole in El Salvador. They have not ONE ounce of shame or compassion. All of them ass kissers and boot lickers.
Even Dick Cheney who has a lesbian daughter adores her. How can someone hold a family member in such contempt for being who and what they are because of who they choose to love? Even mothers of serial killers still love them.
Rupert Murdoch was the beginning of the downfall of this country with his poisonous, lying media and his rag newspapers. Another billionaire oligarch we allowed to become a citizen of this country only to try and bring it down. He did this in Australia and the UK too. It has to be true that "only the good die young" because this fossil is still breathing and on his 4th or 5th wife. Hope he ODs on viagra and gets a stroke. He can't be gone fast enough.
Most of the past recessions in the U.S were caused by speculation and greed.
This one will be caused by ignorance and incompetence.
This is what happens when we elect to the office of President a person who is a liar, a fraud, a con, and incompetent in “all things business”, a person who has filled his Cabinet with ignorant, incompetent scum.
Like most recessions, this one began in New England (it began in early February), will roll down to the Mid-Atlantic and will then roll all the way out to the West Coast.
America’s Disgrace Trump is leading our country to financial disaster.
I even heard the "D"/depression word today! I hope that there will be videos of Trump's disasters, so that in four years when he runs again (and if he is alive, he will run again!); people will remember how miserable he makes us all feel! I cannot believe that people voted for Trump because of the economy; when Biden gave Trump the best economy in decades! But, they believed Trump's lies; and in less than three months, everything fell apart!
Cory Booker is a national treasure. I did not watch all of it, but was moved by the parts I did see. Such heartfelt patriotism. His ending made clear that he does not expect there to be any real change since the Dems are in the minority, but I sincerely hope it struck a chord with some of the complicit republicans --- explicitly Lindsey Graham who sits in Thurmond's seat -- who previously stood for something beyond sane-washing and ass-kissing a maniacal dictator wearing XXXL adult diapers. Regardless, I am so happy for Booker, a black man, to have stomped on Strom Thurmond's filibuster record.
As an American, I more proud today than I have been in a while. I remember when Senator Booker was laughed out of the Democratic primary for emphasizing "love" a bit too much. Well, guess what? You have to love something before you're willing to fight for it. Senator Booker brought the fight!
I remember his beautiful words to Ketanji Brown Jackson at her Senate confirmation hearing for SCOTUS as they reduced this brilliant, accomplished woman to tears. How proud he was of her accomplishments and how honored he was to vote for her. He's a wonderful speaker and we desperately need more love, kindness and civility in this country because we are digressing into Markwayne Mullins and Tommy Tubervilles.
A champion’s heart, a pioneer."Enough!" he cried with righteous fire,
Against the forces of deceit and liar.
No silent complicity would he bear,
While truth was trampled, justice rare.With words like shields and truth his sword,
He spoke for those too long ignored.
The sacred right to cast a vote,
For every voice, for every note.Through weary hours, he held the floor,
A sentinel at freedom’s door.
No filibuster born of spite,
But one to keep the flame alight.For democracy is fragile, dear,
And thieves of rights draw ever near.
Yet Booker stood—unbowed, unbroken—
A vow of justice boldly spoken.So history will mark this fight,
When darkness loomed, he brought the light.
A senator with courage true,
Who dared to do what none would do.For in his stand, we hear the call:
Democracy must never fall.
*********************************Yes, a great day for the Dems, and let's underline this: " Booker’s speech “may change the course of political history” in that it gave Democrats hope and “a reason to fight.” [Frank Luntz, Republican pollster] The leaderless Dem Party now has a leader--where no other stood up before and fought for 25 hours straight, making his name mean Fighter, Solidarity, and Good Trouble, all at the same time
Submitted, with dedication to him. Thanks for the idea. (In reading further he was a hard-working, even heroic mayor of Newark. Great background for a run for prez). Hope he contues to speak out and lead..
25 hours. Booker’s stand was enervating and, as you said, overdue. Combined with Crawford’s win and April 5 at the end of the week — Inflection? It’s past time, but as Steve said, the building’s got to be burning before we’re willing to fight the fire. As for ignorance and incompetence, its appointment is rooted in our national electorate’s susceptibility to speculation and greed and stupid red hats and clown makeup.
Trump is tearing the fabric of the USA apart using the Project 2025, He is taking the command of the designers who are implementing their direction's, it is not Trump, he is too dumb to do this on his own, It's the people behind the scenes he is just following their directions which is the same as Orban's Hungry and Putin's Russia. I think! And abandoning Ukraine and NATO.
And, one of the authors is our Vice President! I am afraid if Trump dies of old age before his term is over, then Vance will take over! To me, he is more dangerous than Trump-he is young and has a brain!
The Republicans won the long game they started during Reagan...making many Americans believe that the government is bloated and not here to help, universities and education are "woke" and need to be destroyed, women and people of color progressed to far and need to be put back in their place, having a fair minimum wage will destroy businesses, and social media companies creating algorithms that divide us and push lies. What Booker did last night was a lesson for every Democrat in Congress-- start telling the truth to America loudly, forcefully and with ANGER. I am so tired of hearing "we can't do anything". Time to march, time to fight back, time to get pissed!
They've been working at dumbing down America for over 50 years now, and they've finally succeeded. We need to go back to basics in our schools and universities: along with STEM we need, Humanities (doge is planning to disband the National Endowment for the Humanities), Civics, Geography, Art, and other basic studies that make us fully rounded. I majored in Math and Science and still managed to study several of those electives, and am better for it.
Exactly right, Patty. To be "woke" is to be aware. To be aware of the injustices that have taken place throughout the course of our history, and to strive to overcome them and make things better for all of us, is to show our love for our country and our fellow citizens.
Thank you, for mentioning Reagan! The GOP has made him a saint, when in reality, he was anything but! I believe that it was really Nancy that ran the show! BTW: I'm still waiting for the money to trickle down to me!
Cory Booker shamed the majority of his caucus and its “leader”, eclipsed a record held by a racist leftover of the Confederacy, passionately speaking truth to power, and without significant respite gave Rachel Maddow an excellent interview, all while donvict and e-dolf were getting their asses handed to them in Wisconsin. Last night was the best night we’ve had in a long, long time.
I am so thankful to Senator Cory Booker. He is the leader we need at this moment to fight Trump and Musk and the GOP and its voters. Love New Jersey toughness including you Steve and of course Bruce Springsteen.
Secondly: An amend for an earlier message sent to your office at a moment when whatever it was that has had so many of us in shock since November seemed to have eradicated any ability for ACTION in the Democratic Senate caucus.
Little by slow, I see, hear and feel the lights coming on. Your speech was instructional, confessional, uplifting, touching, infuriating and motivating. I pray that those in the Democratic party who heard it and have ‘erred’ on the side of what I’ll keep it simple by just labeling it ‘caution’ are motivated to move out of the comfort zone that has allowed them, the ‘other’ side, and so many of us here, outside of the room you spoke for over 25 hours in, to take SO much for granted for so long.
I pray also that in someway your effort lands a spark of conscience in the hearts of those in the spellbound majority that awakens-even if it’s only self interest, pure and simple-a recognition that in going along to get along and living in fear of a very thinly papered grift got up to look like a tiger. It’s a shabby moral stage-set that their cult like support has, and increasingly earn them a place on the list if of eternal shame of this not only this nation’s history, but in the history of the world.
As there’s a lack of understanding that words do matter, such talk may seem of no consequence to those who’ve gotten so caught up in this moment as to appear to not believe that there are-as any student of history will know-very ugly consequences over time for power grabs such as we are now seeing.
All too often that has not been a ‘learn-as-you-go’ thing. Things get going and there’s a downhill momentum. Rather that ‘inconvenient’ truth been revealed in the post mortem assessment known as-again-again-history.
I pray that that those who feel compulsory to follow this train-wreck in the making understand that the things they are thoughtlessly destroying will gravely impact both their privilege, their perceived exemption from consequences and their very lives-just the same as all of that in the lives of those they most dearly love as well.
I pray also that there will be a clear recognition and acceptance of the fact that that this privileged enclave of service-embodied in space in which you spoke and the chamber that Donald Trump spent over two hours defiling several weeks ago is seen a PRIVILEGE, and NOT some exclusive gated community where one is granted absolutely power and entitlement. History, again, teaches that those who fall into such mindsets, fall-without exception-into the absolute corruption. Today’s emerging scenario should speak for itself. The truth is that that down-fall, that despite how good all the trappings might look, is what history-speaking again-ALWAYS has, does and will entail.
Back in 1961, Jacqueline Kennedy, the First Lady, made a comment to a reporter about ‘Camelot’-that what all she saw around her at that moment felt like a lit up version of an idea from a hit show on Broadway at that time and of that name. The person that was addressed to took ran with it. The comment lit a flame, and the idea of ‘Camelot’ took hold of this nation’s imagination.
It has been with us ever since-a shifting presence.
We all know how that ‘moment’ ended.
Even though you weren’t even alive on 11/22/63, I know that you know how that ended.
What the shots that rang out in Dealey Plaza that day left us with were disappointment and a sad memories of how the present turned in an instant into a well of sad memories.
A decision was subsequently made to create a symbol that vested the brighter sense of that memory into an eternally burning flame.
The Eternal Flame It was lit on the afternoon of 11/25/63 at the of the grave of a flawed young man who’s image had come to represent the ‘brand’ of America’s optimistic ‘rightness’ at that time.
The legacy JFK into the White House was complex. It was a very ‘American’ effort and a business effort, couched in boardrooms, and dealings that were almost ‘wild-west’ like in the questionable nature of their sources. John Kennedy embodied the glitz of that ‘success’. His image and message did not so much conquer that ‘problem’ as somehow it, for a moment, transcended it.
To date, that physical flame has remained lit at his final resting place for over 61 years now.
This symbol of fragile possibility, the Eternal Flame, is fire.
Fire confined may be a bright spot of contemplation, but fire misused and misappropriated, burns. Left uncontemplated and uncontained, it becomes power that will destroy everything in its’ path.
America has become too much about exceptionalist privilege and power and too little-in depth-and now most glaringly in its central halls of power-about truly serving humanity. We have had so much wealth with which we’ve done great things, that the way much of this being stripped away right now with seemingly NO opposition or voiced understanding by those thus engaged, of what stands to be lost, that this aspect of ‘Camelot’ seems to have been transformed from true passion and optimism into shrugs of indifferent dismissal, finger pointing, eye rolling, blaming others for self induced misery and fear, and mere lip service.
I am not exempt. I am far from a ‘One Percenter’, but I have lived a life of immense privilege. I have, as a citizen born in this country, been a descendant and beneficiary of the efforts of Welsh immigrants who immigrated to Ireland, of Germans and subjects of Great Britain all of whom immigrated here.
I have wanted for nothing.
We cannot tout ‘The City On The Hill’ being the brilliance and hope in the face of human tragedy that that ‘Eternal Flame’ is meant to represent-in effect, speaking that love for humanity with our lips, taking the actions to make it so-actions which have brought so many people, despite the flaws and failings of our system, into a better and more hopeful place, whilst hiding the lust of the ‘nudge-nudge wink-wink’ let’s make a deal JUST FOR US, in a corner of our hearts that we think is gated off because we think that somehow we are chosen for exemption from being the keepers collectively of our brothers and our sisters.
History-again-will show that that misstep takes that flame, shuts it off at its’ source-our collective conscience-and is using a taper made of OUR founding documents, stolen for the purpose of making a taper to set this nation on fire. Our so-called leaders are like children playing with the matches of of power. Their ignorance and denial of consequence is increasing the danger of a wildfire like what we’ve seen in the last year in stretches of California formerly seen as a part of an American paradise. Those places are now reduced to toxic waste and ashes. With the vicious politicizing of the causes and possible redemptions for these disasters, such images should stand as a cautionary warning that the same result could occur not just here but be world wide.
So please-keep speaking up and reaching out. I know I will & I pray that your words will leave others on, again, BOTH side to be so moved as to do the same.
Sir, your good message was that NOBODY is coming to save us from OUR COLLECTIVE SELVES but OUR COLLECTIVE SELF.
That’s what I heard you talking about.
It wasn’t anything new, but it landed, because is TRUTH.
It is frustrating that the pundit commentary is all about 25 hours, hooray. What about the substance of what he was saying. It was a masterful and eloquent dissertation about our founding fathers and documents, and our history of overcoming similar forces to which we are dealing with today. Also, indictment of Trump and the supine senators on the other side.
Well said Steve. Sen. Booker's stand should be seen as THE call to action, for all Democrats. They need to follow his lead and grow a pair. They have the support of the massive and rapidly swelling ranks of an outraged public.
This Saturday, April 5, the Hands Off protests are happening in D.C. and across the entire country. EVERYONE who cares about stopping Trump and the MAGA takeover must get out, and that includes the 260 House and Senate Dems. They can play golf the following weekend. Let's go, America!!
Just saw a headline that said Sen. Ruben Gallego has refused to vote yes on Trump’s noms to the VA if he continues to cut staff.
YES! Fu#k yes! Draw a line in the sand.
BTW. We’re expecting ( taking it to the streets ) over 5K people in Boston the Saturday
My only question would be, why was Gallego, or any other Dem voting yes, on any of Trump's gruesome collection of nominees to begin with?
Kick ass Boston!
Agreed re: Trump’s noms
The question isn’t even a political one in this instance. It’s a competence thing. None of them are qualified to do the jobs they have been nominated for. The inmates are running the asylum now. None of the lifeguards can swim. All the pyromaniacs are firefighters.
We can and should debate taxes, policy, social issues, foreign policy, etc, etc, etc. However, skill, experience and competency still matter. You don’t give a 16 year old a case of beer and the keys to dad’s ‘vette on a Friday night. You already know what will happen with that. I’m looking at you DOD Signal texts
Yes!! Yes!!
Bravo to the honorable Cory Booker! I'm marching Saturday, I hope you all will too.
Got my marching shoes ready to go!
Me too! Rain, snow, or sun! We are expecting snow on Saturday! Springtime in the Rockies!
Marching in Santa Barbara CA this Saturday!
The lack of morality demonstrated by Mullin is reflected throughout the Trump administration and the media and journalists supporting him.
On her broadcast last night, Laura Ingraham said, ““Liberals obsess over one Maryland migrant who is shipped to the supermax prison in El Salvador. Now, that screams middle America. Now, not good if it was a mistake but important to note that guy was an MS-13 member, as court documents showed.” Is she unaware the WH acknowledged they made a mistake but can do nothing about it? It is not surprising that her brother, “Curtis Ingraham, on Tuesday called the Fox News host ‘a monster’” https://www.yahoo.com/news/laura-ingrahams-estranged-gay-brother-170037239.html
Stoic philosopher and ancient Roman, Marcus Aurelius stated, “What injures the bee, injures the hive.” He meant that when we hurt others we hurt ourselves. The unnecessary pain we inflict on others demeans us and may well backfire.
Laura Ingraham and Fox “News” should be ashamed, but these self-righteous morons are not only amoral but incapable, as Robert Burns said, of seeing themselves as others see them.
They are not capable of shame. 20 million dollars a year to read a piece of paper into a glass lens , with only producers and friendlies telling you that you did a great job, or to do more of the same. They should be ashamed.
M. Aurelius also said , paraphrasing, to have some self respect. They are down a deep rabbit hole, and know that there is no way out. Can ingraham start telling the truth tomorrow?
Yes, she can, But,
No more 20 mil
No more maga love
No more trump love
No more relevancy
Death threats would go her way
Its our job to grab maga by the scruff of their neck , pull them out of this rabbit hole, remind them that our leader is truth , and justice for all!!
Can you imagine if that happened under Biden or Obama? There would be marauding mobs with pitchforks and flaming torches.
Laura Ingraham IS a monster. It's a prerequisite to work at Fox. (Except for Jessica Tarlov) They all need to be sent off to a black hole in El Salvador. They have not ONE ounce of shame or compassion. All of them ass kissers and boot lickers.
Even Dick Cheney who has a lesbian daughter adores her. How can someone hold a family member in such contempt for being who and what they are because of who they choose to love? Even mothers of serial killers still love them.
Rupert Murdoch was the beginning of the downfall of this country with his poisonous, lying media and his rag newspapers. Another billionaire oligarch we allowed to become a citizen of this country only to try and bring it down. He did this in Australia and the UK too. It has to be true that "only the good die young" because this fossil is still breathing and on his 4th or 5th wife. Hope he ODs on viagra and gets a stroke. He can't be gone fast enough.
“Welcome” to the NEXT RECESSION.
Most of the past recessions in the U.S were caused by speculation and greed.
This one will be caused by ignorance and incompetence.
This is what happens when we elect to the office of President a person who is a liar, a fraud, a con, and incompetent in “all things business”, a person who has filled his Cabinet with ignorant, incompetent scum.
Like most recessions, this one began in New England (it began in early February), will roll down to the Mid-Atlantic and will then roll all the way out to the West Coast.
America’s Disgrace Trump is leading our country to financial disaster.
Wait till the Silicon and Hedgefund Mafia make a CryptoReserve Fund at the Fed. Collapse
of the global economy in the offing…
I even heard the "D"/depression word today! I hope that there will be videos of Trump's disasters, so that in four years when he runs again (and if he is alive, he will run again!); people will remember how miserable he makes us all feel! I cannot believe that people voted for Trump because of the economy; when Biden gave Trump the best economy in decades! But, they believed Trump's lies; and in less than three months, everything fell apart!
Cory Booker is a national treasure. I did not watch all of it, but was moved by the parts I did see. Such heartfelt patriotism. His ending made clear that he does not expect there to be any real change since the Dems are in the minority, but I sincerely hope it struck a chord with some of the complicit republicans --- explicitly Lindsey Graham who sits in Thurmond's seat -- who previously stood for something beyond sane-washing and ass-kissing a maniacal dictator wearing XXXL adult diapers. Regardless, I am so happy for Booker, a black man, to have stomped on Strom Thurmond's filibuster record.
As an American, I more proud today than I have been in a while. I remember when Senator Booker was laughed out of the Democratic primary for emphasizing "love" a bit too much. Well, guess what? You have to love something before you're willing to fight for it. Senator Booker brought the fight!
Love is exactly where it's at.
I remember his beautiful words to Ketanji Brown Jackson at her Senate confirmation hearing for SCOTUS as they reduced this brilliant, accomplished woman to tears. How proud he was of her accomplishments and how honored he was to vote for her. He's a wonderful speaker and we desperately need more love, kindness and civility in this country because we are digressing into Markwayne Mullins and Tommy Tubervilles.
Poem (and more)
"Enough!" (by "Public Servant")
Beneath the Capitol’s grand dome,
Where voices rise and battles roam,
One man stood firm, his conscience clear,
A champion’s heart, a pioneer."Enough!" he cried with righteous fire,
Against the forces of deceit and liar.
No silent complicity would he bear,
While truth was trampled, justice rare.With words like shields and truth his sword,
He spoke for those too long ignored.
The sacred right to cast a vote,
For every voice, for every note.Through weary hours, he held the floor,
A sentinel at freedom’s door.
No filibuster born of spite,
But one to keep the flame alight.For democracy is fragile, dear,
And thieves of rights draw ever near.
Yet Booker stood—unbowed, unbroken—
A vow of justice boldly spoken.So history will mark this fight,
When darkness loomed, he brought the light.
A senator with courage true,
Who dared to do what none would do.For in his stand, we hear the call:
Democracy must never fall.
*********************************Yes, a great day for the Dems, and let's underline this: " Booker’s speech “may change the course of political history” in that it gave Democrats hope and “a reason to fight.” [Frank Luntz, Republican pollster] The leaderless Dem Party now has a leader--where no other stood up before and fought for 25 hours straight, making his name mean Fighter, Solidarity, and Good Trouble, all at the same time
You must sent that poem to Senator Booker! He accepts emails from outside of his state-as every senator and representative should!
Submitted, with dedication to him. Thanks for the idea. (In reading further he was a hard-working, even heroic mayor of Newark. Great background for a run for prez). Hope he contues to speak out and lead..
25 hours. Booker’s stand was enervating and, as you said, overdue. Combined with Crawford’s win and April 5 at the end of the week — Inflection? It’s past time, but as Steve said, the building’s got to be burning before we’re willing to fight the fire. As for ignorance and incompetence, its appointment is rooted in our national electorate’s susceptibility to speculation and greed and stupid red hats and clown makeup.
Trump is tearing the fabric of the USA apart using the Project 2025, He is taking the command of the designers who are implementing their direction's, it is not Trump, he is too dumb to do this on his own, It's the people behind the scenes he is just following their directions which is the same as Orban's Hungry and Putin's Russia. I think! And abandoning Ukraine and NATO.
And, one of the authors is our Vice President! I am afraid if Trump dies of old age before his term is over, then Vance will take over! To me, he is more dangerous than Trump-he is young and has a brain!
The Republicans won the long game they started during Reagan...making many Americans believe that the government is bloated and not here to help, universities and education are "woke" and need to be destroyed, women and people of color progressed to far and need to be put back in their place, having a fair minimum wage will destroy businesses, and social media companies creating algorithms that divide us and push lies. What Booker did last night was a lesson for every Democrat in Congress-- start telling the truth to America loudly, forcefully and with ANGER. I am so tired of hearing "we can't do anything". Time to march, time to fight back, time to get pissed!
They've been working at dumbing down America for over 50 years now, and they've finally succeeded. We need to go back to basics in our schools and universities: along with STEM we need, Humanities (doge is planning to disband the National Endowment for the Humanities), Civics, Geography, Art, and other basic studies that make us fully rounded. I majored in Math and Science and still managed to study several of those electives, and am better for it.
The "woke" thing is mind-boggling. Why would anyone want to sleep through life?
Exactly right, Patty. To be "woke" is to be aware. To be aware of the injustices that have taken place throughout the course of our history, and to strive to overcome them and make things better for all of us, is to show our love for our country and our fellow citizens.
Thank you, for mentioning Reagan! The GOP has made him a saint, when in reality, he was anything but! I believe that it was really Nancy that ran the show! BTW: I'm still waiting for the money to trickle down to me!
Cory Booker shamed the majority of his caucus and its “leader”, eclipsed a record held by a racist leftover of the Confederacy, passionately speaking truth to power, and without significant respite gave Rachel Maddow an excellent interview, all while donvict and e-dolf were getting their asses handed to them in Wisconsin. Last night was the best night we’ve had in a long, long time.
I bring up Booker's filibuster everytime I call my reps in Washington, which by the way is 2x/day. APRIL 5, HAND'S OFF. BE THERE OR BE SQUARE:-)
I am so thankful to Senator Cory Booker. He is the leader we need at this moment to fight Trump and Musk and the GOP and its voters. Love New Jersey toughness including you Steve and of course Bruce Springsteen.
New Jersey is proud of Cory Booker. Who will step up next?
My letter to Cory Booker:
May his effort be a wake up call…
-
Dear Senator Booker:
First off: Thank you. Just-thank you.
Secondly: An amend for an earlier message sent to your office at a moment when whatever it was that has had so many of us in shock since November seemed to have eradicated any ability for ACTION in the Democratic Senate caucus.
Little by slow, I see, hear and feel the lights coming on. Your speech was instructional, confessional, uplifting, touching, infuriating and motivating. I pray that those in the Democratic party who heard it and have ‘erred’ on the side of what I’ll keep it simple by just labeling it ‘caution’ are motivated to move out of the comfort zone that has allowed them, the ‘other’ side, and so many of us here, outside of the room you spoke for over 25 hours in, to take SO much for granted for so long.
I pray also that in someway your effort lands a spark of conscience in the hearts of those in the spellbound majority that awakens-even if it’s only self interest, pure and simple-a recognition that in going along to get along and living in fear of a very thinly papered grift got up to look like a tiger. It’s a shabby moral stage-set that their cult like support has, and increasingly earn them a place on the list if of eternal shame of this not only this nation’s history, but in the history of the world.
As there’s a lack of understanding that words do matter, such talk may seem of no consequence to those who’ve gotten so caught up in this moment as to appear to not believe that there are-as any student of history will know-very ugly consequences over time for power grabs such as we are now seeing.
All too often that has not been a ‘learn-as-you-go’ thing. Things get going and there’s a downhill momentum. Rather that ‘inconvenient’ truth been revealed in the post mortem assessment known as-again-again-history.
I pray that that those who feel compulsory to follow this train-wreck in the making understand that the things they are thoughtlessly destroying will gravely impact both their privilege, their perceived exemption from consequences and their very lives-just the same as all of that in the lives of those they most dearly love as well.
I pray also that there will be a clear recognition and acceptance of the fact that that this privileged enclave of service-embodied in space in which you spoke and the chamber that Donald Trump spent over two hours defiling several weeks ago is seen a PRIVILEGE, and NOT some exclusive gated community where one is granted absolutely power and entitlement. History, again, teaches that those who fall into such mindsets, fall-without exception-into the absolute corruption. Today’s emerging scenario should speak for itself. The truth is that that down-fall, that despite how good all the trappings might look, is what history-speaking again-ALWAYS has, does and will entail.
Back in 1961, Jacqueline Kennedy, the First Lady, made a comment to a reporter about ‘Camelot’-that what all she saw around her at that moment felt like a lit up version of an idea from a hit show on Broadway at that time and of that name. The person that was addressed to took ran with it. The comment lit a flame, and the idea of ‘Camelot’ took hold of this nation’s imagination.
It has been with us ever since-a shifting presence.
We all know how that ‘moment’ ended.
Even though you weren’t even alive on 11/22/63, I know that you know how that ended.
What the shots that rang out in Dealey Plaza that day left us with were disappointment and a sad memories of how the present turned in an instant into a well of sad memories.
A decision was subsequently made to create a symbol that vested the brighter sense of that memory into an eternally burning flame.
The Eternal Flame It was lit on the afternoon of 11/25/63 at the of the grave of a flawed young man who’s image had come to represent the ‘brand’ of America’s optimistic ‘rightness’ at that time.
The legacy JFK into the White House was complex. It was a very ‘American’ effort and a business effort, couched in boardrooms, and dealings that were almost ‘wild-west’ like in the questionable nature of their sources. John Kennedy embodied the glitz of that ‘success’. His image and message did not so much conquer that ‘problem’ as somehow it, for a moment, transcended it.
To date, that physical flame has remained lit at his final resting place for over 61 years now.
This symbol of fragile possibility, the Eternal Flame, is fire.
Fire confined may be a bright spot of contemplation, but fire misused and misappropriated, burns. Left uncontemplated and uncontained, it becomes power that will destroy everything in its’ path.
America has become too much about exceptionalist privilege and power and too little-in depth-and now most glaringly in its central halls of power-about truly serving humanity. We have had so much wealth with which we’ve done great things, that the way much of this being stripped away right now with seemingly NO opposition or voiced understanding by those thus engaged, of what stands to be lost, that this aspect of ‘Camelot’ seems to have been transformed from true passion and optimism into shrugs of indifferent dismissal, finger pointing, eye rolling, blaming others for self induced misery and fear, and mere lip service.
I am not exempt. I am far from a ‘One Percenter’, but I have lived a life of immense privilege. I have, as a citizen born in this country, been a descendant and beneficiary of the efforts of Welsh immigrants who immigrated to Ireland, of Germans and subjects of Great Britain all of whom immigrated here.
I have wanted for nothing.
We cannot tout ‘The City On The Hill’ being the brilliance and hope in the face of human tragedy that that ‘Eternal Flame’ is meant to represent-in effect, speaking that love for humanity with our lips, taking the actions to make it so-actions which have brought so many people, despite the flaws and failings of our system, into a better and more hopeful place, whilst hiding the lust of the ‘nudge-nudge wink-wink’ let’s make a deal JUST FOR US, in a corner of our hearts that we think is gated off because we think that somehow we are chosen for exemption from being the keepers collectively of our brothers and our sisters.
History-again-will show that that misstep takes that flame, shuts it off at its’ source-our collective conscience-and is using a taper made of OUR founding documents, stolen for the purpose of making a taper to set this nation on fire. Our so-called leaders are like children playing with the matches of of power. Their ignorance and denial of consequence is increasing the danger of a wildfire like what we’ve seen in the last year in stretches of California formerly seen as a part of an American paradise. Those places are now reduced to toxic waste and ashes. With the vicious politicizing of the causes and possible redemptions for these disasters, such images should stand as a cautionary warning that the same result could occur not just here but be world wide.
So please-keep speaking up and reaching out. I know I will & I pray that your words will leave others on, again, BOTH side to be so moved as to do the same.
Sir, your good message was that NOBODY is coming to save us from OUR COLLECTIVE SELVES but OUR COLLECTIVE SELF.
That’s what I heard you talking about.
It wasn’t anything new, but it landed, because is TRUTH.
One last time: Thank you.
Thomas McGraw-Hartland, Vermont
It is frustrating that the pundit commentary is all about 25 hours, hooray. What about the substance of what he was saying. It was a masterful and eloquent dissertation about our founding fathers and documents, and our history of overcoming similar forces to which we are dealing with today. Also, indictment of Trump and the supine senators on the other side.