Category Archives: Politics

Pro-Hamas Takeover at Cornell University

Students belonging to a pro-Palestinian coalition at Cornell University occupied two buildings on campus over the course of this past weekend, demanding, among other things, that the university revise its definition of antisemitism. I find it hard to believe that these well-educated students actually believe that anti-Zionism is not anti-Jews.

They proudly taped posters on the hallowed walls of Willard Straight, Cornell’s Student Union, which is supposed to be available to all students, that said, “From the river to the sea,” which, as Ivy League students, they know full well that the phrase calls for the genocidal elimination of the Jewish state. But their callous racist selves could care less.

The first thing I noticed when I walked into the stately 98-year-old building was the stench of rotting food and body odor.

The posters stunned and crushed my heart. But what hurt the most was that I noticed many people of a particular minority group that I truly believed cared about the Jews, primarily because the Jews always had their backs. But the only feeling I got as I walked around snapping photos was willful and ignorant hatred of everyone and everything Jewish.

I guess Jewish lives don’t matter.

Poster after poster, these occupiers displayed frightening and hateful words about Jews, with not one negative thing to say about Hamas.

Not one.

I can only come to one conclusion to explain their actions and lack of clarity: They are Pro-Hamas.

Moreover, free speech is a two-way street. And when does Free Speech cross over into Hate Speech? School administrators are responsible for protecting their students and should loudly and forcefully condemn and counter all hatred. But where are they?

F the IDF police? What about Hamas terrorists raping young girls to death? Gang rape is not resistance. It’s animalistic torture perpetrated by sick and twisted sexual deviants. Some of the women were raped so brutally that their pelvic bones were broken.

I guess the Me Too movement doesn’t apply to Jewish women.

The hate speech I saw scrawled on every piece of paper on those hallowed walls made me want to tear down the posters or, at the very least, yell out something in defense of Jews, but I forced myself to exercise restraint. Only because my husband asked me to.

The word “Intifada” constitutes the call for violence against Jews, and is associated with suicide bombings, and the wonton murder of innocent Jewish lives.

Violence and murder of Jews from Ithaca to Gaza? This is what you’re calling for?

Where was your outcry when innocent Palestinians were beheaded by Hamas because they were gay?

Where was your “intifada” outcry when more than 4,000 Palestinians were slaughtered by the Syrian regime forces?

Where were your posters when 39 health Centers were destroyed in Yemen by Saudi-led rebels?

And where were your Palestinian flags when the Russians targeted hospitals and schools in Syria killing scores of patients, medical staff, teachers, and young children?

I can only presume that when Arabs kill Arabs, including Palestinians, that’s okay with you.

Yesterday, when I checked the internet to see what Cornell was going to do about this outrageous takeover of a public building, I noticed that the coalition’s demand to protect academic speech in support of “Palestinian self-determination and criticizing the state of Israel” as described on the coalition’s Instagram story, was “100% met.”

It seems to me that Cornell has enabled and allowed anti-semites to shamefully, and yet successfully, exploit the schools’ commitment to free speech, cloaking their hateful and despicable propaganda in the guise of academic freedom.

I’m Wide Awake and Proud of It

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the definition of “Woke” is being aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues.

In other words: Pay attention!

If I’m “woke,” it means that I’m informed, educated, and conscious of the issues that matter to me.

I pay attention to the issues I deem crucial to my life.

Who knew that would become a moral negative?

And my concerns encompass a whole range of issues, including, but not exclusively centered around, social justice or racial equality.

Pay attention. Be informed. Be aware.

Fairly straightforward, right?

And yet, the definition of “woke” has morphed into a no-no, something to be ashamed of, a political faux pas.

Many people (mostly Republicans) use “woke” as an insult against progressive values, or maybe it’s their way of clarion calling racism, white supremacy, and bigotry.

Progressive = Developing gradually or in stages; proceeding step by step.

Values = A person’s principles or standards of behavior; one’s judgment of what is important in life.

Here is a short list of the things I deem essential in my wide-awake life:

  1. Freedom
  2. Equality
  3. Safety & Security
  4. Dignity
  5. Integrity
  6. Kindness
  7. Truthfulness
  8. Responsibility
  9. Inclusiveness
  10. Creativity
  11. Identity
  12. Community

I’m also wide awake regarding religious choice, affordable child care, common sense/bipartisan immigration, women’s rights, eradicating sexual assault, equal pay for equal work, sensible gun control, clean drinking water, equal taxation, affordable health care, saving our planet, bullies, bigots, and bullsh*t.

Do I deserve to be called a Marxist, snowflake, or even a liberal for what I believe to be necessary to live my best life?

I won’t call them friends any longer, but I even had some Facebook people put me down for where I was born and where I currently live.

Excuse me for being born in Connecticut (I’ve been called a Yankee) and relocating to New York (I’ve been accused of living in a Democratic bubble).

Really? You people who call yourself my friend have a problem with where I live?

I don’t put you down for living in podunk nowheresville.

And I never once accused anyone of living in a Republican bubble.

Give me a bubble break.

And FYI: I don’t need your permission or acceptance regarding my beliefs, where I was born, where I currently reside, or my political affiliation (until 2017, I was a registered Republican).

And no pun intended, but wake up “friends” because you are as woke as I am, you just don’t want to admit it and use wokeness as a slur against those you disagree with.

Your so-called anti-wokeness is an unsuccessful attempt to divert you from the reality of the world in which we all live. All of us, not just the some of us you think should exist.

THE ONLY ONE LIVING IN A BUBBLE IS YOU.

And for the record, I’d rather be awake than asleep.

Current Members of the U.S. House of Representatives

[Updated as of 3/18/24]

If we’ve learned anything from the 2022 elections, it’s that political complacency is no longer an option. And to effect change, there is no need to look any further than your own legislative backyards.

Elections for the 118th United States House of Representatives were held on November 8, 2022, and since they serve two-year terms, all 435 will be up for reelection on 11/5/24.

Republicans currently have a razor-thin cushion (219-213) leaving Speaker Mike Johnson little room for error as he attempts to steer the party’s conservative agenda through the second half of the 118th Congress with a deeply divided conference.

In the House of Representatives, the majority party holds significant power to draft chamber rules and schedule bills to reach the floor for debate and voting.

The House is charged with the passage of federal legislation, otherwise known as bills, which, after concurrence by the Senate, are sent to the President for consideration.

The House also has the exclusive power to initiate bills for raising revenue, impeach officials, and choose the President in the event that a presidential candidate fails to get a majority of the Electoral College votes.

Under Article 1, Section 2 of the Constitution, in the House of Representatives, a state’s representation is based on its population as measured by the U.S. Census.

The Constitution does not provide for the representation of the District of Columbia or the territories of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Marina Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, although each is represented by one non-voting delegate. They have a voice on the floor but have no voting power.

To run for House of Representatives, he or she must be at least 25 years of age, have been a citizen of the United States for at least seven years, and, at the time of the election, be a resident of the state they represent. Members are not required to live in the district they represent, but they traditionally do.

To contact your Representative, click here.

Below is the complete list of the 118th United States House of Representatives by political party and State:

DEMOCRATS

Alabama (District 7): Terri Sewell

Alaska (At Large):  Mary Peltola

Arizona (District 3): Ruben Gallego (Retiring to run for Senate)

Arizona (District 4): Greg Stanton

Arizona (District 7): Raul Grijalva

California (District 2): Jared Huffman

California (District 4): Mike Thompson

California (District 6): Ami Berra

California (District 7): Doris Matsui

California (District 8): John Garamendi

California (District 9): Josh Harder

California (District 10): Mark DeSaulnier

California (District 11): Nancy Pelosi

California (District 12): Barbara Lee (Retiring to run for Senate but she was defeated in the March Senate primary)

California (District 14): Eric Swalwell

California (District 15): Kevin Mullin

California (District 16): Anna Eshoo (Retiring)

California (District 17): Ro Khanna

California (District 18): Zoe Lofgren

California (District 19): Jimmy Panetta

California (District 21): Jim Costa

California (District 24): Salud Carbajal

California (District 25): Raul Ruiz

California (District 26): Julia Brownley

California (District 28): Judy Chu

California (District 29): Tony Cardenas (Retiring)

California (District 30): Adam Schiff (Retiring to run for Senate)

California (District 31): Grace Napolitano (Retiring)

California (District 32): Brad Sherman

California (District 33): Pete Aguilar

California (District 34): Jimmy Gomez

California (District 35): Norma Torres

California (District 36): Ted Lieu

California (District 37): Sydney Kamlager

California (District 38): Linda Sanchez

California (District 39): Mark Takano

California (District 42): Robert Garcia

California (District 43): Maxine Waters

California (District 44): Nanette Barragan

California (District 46): Luis Correa

California (District 47): Katie Porter (Retiring to run for Senate, but she was defeated in the March Senate primary)

California (District 49): Mike Levin

California (District 50): Scott Peters

California (District 51): Sara Jacobs

California (District 52): Juan Vargas

Colorado (District 1): Diana DeGette

Colorado (District 2): Joe Neguse

Colorado (District 6): Jason Crow

Colorado (District 7): Brittany Pettersen

Colorado (District 8): Yadira Caraveo

Connecticut (District 1): John B. Larson

Connecticut (District 2): Joe Courtney

Connecticut (District 3): Rosa DeLauro

Connecticut (District 4): Jim Hines

Connecticut (District 5): Jahana Hayes

Delaware (At Large): Lisa Blunt Rochester

Florida (District 9): Darren Soto

Florida (District 10): Maxwell Frost

Florida (District 14): Kathy Castor

Florida (District 20): Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick

Florida (District 22): Lois Frankel

Florida (District 23): Jared Moscowitz

Florida (District 24): Frederica Wilson

Florida (District 25): Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Georgia (District 2): Sanford Bishop, Jr.

Georgia (District 4): Hank Johnson

Georgia (District 5): Nikema Williams

Georgia (District 7): Lucy McBath

Georgia (District 13): David Scott

Hawaii (District 1): Ed Case

Hawaii (District 2): Jill Tokuda

Illinois (District 1): Jonathan Jackson

Illinois (District 2): Robin Kelly

Illinois (District 3): Della Ramirez

Illinois (District 4): Jesus “Chuy” Garcia

Illinois (District 5): Mike Quigley

Illinois (District 6): Sean Casten

Illinois (District 7): Danny K. Davis

Illinois (District 8): Raja Krishnamoorthi

Illinois (District 9): Jan Schakowsky

Illinois (District 10): Brad Schneider

Illinois (District 11): Bill Foster

Illinois (District 13): Nikki Budzinski

Illinois (District 14): Lauren Underwood

Illinois (District 17): Eric Sorensen

Indiana (District 1): Frank J. Mrvan

Indiana (District 7): Andre Carson

Iowa (District 3): Cindy Axne

Kansas (District 3): Sharice Davids

Kentucky (District 3): Morgan McGarvey

Louisiana (District 2): Troy Carter

Maine (District 1): Chellie Pingree

Maine (District 2): Jared Golden

Maryland (District 2): Dutch Ruppersberger

Maryland (District 3): John Sarbanes (Retiring)

Maryland (District 4): Glenn Ivey

Maryland (District 5): Steny Hoyer

Maryland (District 6): David Trone

Maryland (District 7): Kweisi Mfume

Maryland (District 8): Jamie Raskin

Massachusetts (District 1): Richard Neal

Massachusetts (District 2): Jim McGovern

Massachusetts (District 3): Lori Trahan

Massachusetts (District 4): Jake Auchincloss

Massachusetts (District 5): Katherine Clark

Massachusetts (District 6): Seth Moulton

Massachusetts (District 7): Ayanna Pressley

Massachusetts (District 8): Stephen F. Lynch

Massachusetts (District 9): Bill Keating

Michigan (District 3): Hillary Scholten

Michigan (District 6): Debbie Dingel

Michigan (District 7): Elissa Slotkin

Michigan (District 8): Daniel Kildee (Retiring)

Michigan (District 11): Haley Stevens

Michigan (District 12): Rashida Tlaib

Michigan (District 13): Shri Thanedar

Michigan (District 14): Brenda Lawrence

Minnesota (District 2): Angie Craig

Minnesota (District 3): Dean Phillips

Minnesota (District 4): Betty McCollum

Minnesota (District 5): Ilan Omar

Mississippi (District 2): Bennie Thompson

Missouri (District 1): Cori Bush

Missouri (District 5): Emanuel Cleaver

Nevada (District 1): Dina Titus

Nevada (District 3): Susie Lee

Nevada (District 4): Steven Horsford

New Hampshire (District 1): Chris Pappas

New Hampshire (District 2): Ann McLane Kuster

New Jersey (District 1): Donald Norcross

New Jersey (District 3): Andy Kim

New Jersey (District 5): Josh Gottheimer

New Jersey (District 6): Frank Pallone, Jr.

New Jersey (District 8): Robert Menendez

New Jersey (District 9): Bill Pascrell, Jr.

New Jersey (District 10): Donald Payne, Jr.

New Jersey (District 11): Mikie Sherill

New Jersey (District 12): Bonnie Watson Coleman

New Mexico (District 1): Melanie Stansbury

New Mexico (District 2): Gabriel Vasquez

New Mexico (District 3): Teresa Leger Fernandez

New York (District 3): Tom Suozzi

New York (District 5): Gregory Meeks

New York (District 6): Grace Meng

New York (District 7): Nydia Velazquez

New York (District 8): Hakeem Jeffries

New York (District 9): Yvette Clarke

New York (District 10): Dan Goldman

New York (District 12): Jerrold Nadler

New York (District 13): Adriano Espaillat

New York (District 14): Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

New York (District 15): Ritchie Torres

New York (District 16): Jamaal Bowman

New York (District 18): Pat Ryan

New York (District 20): Paul Tonko

New York (District 25): Joseph Morelle

New York (District 26): Brian Higgins (Retired)

North Carolina (District 1): Don Davis

North Carolina (District 2): Deborah K. Ross

North Carolina (District 4): Valerie Foushee

North Carolina (District 6): Kathy Manning

North Carolina (District 12): Alma Adams

North Carolina (District 13): Wiley Nickel (Retiring)

North Carolina (District 14): Jeff Jackson

Ohio (District 1): Greg Landsman

Ohio (District 3): Joyce Beatty

Ohio (District 9): Marcy Kaptur

Ohio (District 11): Shontel Brown

Ohio (District 13): Emilia Sykes

Oregon (District 1): Suzanne Bonamici

Oregon (District 3) Earl Blumenauer (Retiring)

Oregon (District 4): Val Hoyle

Oregon (District 6): Andrea Salinas

Pennsylvania (District 2): Brendan Boyle

Pennsylvania (District 3): Dwight Evans

Pennsylvania (District 4): Madeleine Dean

Pennsylvania (District 5): Mary Gay Scanlon

Pennsylvania (District 6): Chrissy Houlahan

Pennsylvania (District 7): Susan Wild

Pennsylvania (District 8): Matt Cartwright

Pennsylvania (District 12): Summer Lee

Pennsylvania (District 17): Chris Deluzio

Rhode Island (District 1): Gabe Amo

Rhode Island (District 2): Seth Magaziner

South Carolina (District 6): Jim Clyburn

Tennessee (District 9): Steve Cohen

Texas (District 7): Lizzie Fletcher

Texas (District 9): Al Green

Texas (District 16): Veronica Escobar

Texas (District 18): Sheila Jackson Lee

Texas (District 20): Joaquin Castro

Texas (District 28): Henry Cuellar

Texas (District 29): Sylvia Garcia

Texas (District 30): Jasmine Crockett

Texas (District 32): Colin Allred

Texas (District 33): Marc Veasey

Texas (District 34): Vincente Gonzalez

Texas (District 35): Greg Casar

Texas (District 37): Lloyd Doggett

Vermont (At Large): Becca Balint

Virginia (District 3): Bobby Scott

Virginia (District 4): Jennifer McClellan

Virginia (District 7): Abigail Spanberger (Retiring to run for Governor)

Virginia (District 8): Don Beyer

Virginia (District 10): Jennifer Wexton (Retiring)

Virginia (District 11): Gerry Connolly

Washington (District 1): Suzan DelBene

Washington (District 2): Rick Larsen

Washington (District 3): Marie Gluesenkamp Perez

Washington (District 6): Derek Kilmer (Retiring)

Washington (District 7): Pramila Jayapal

Washington (District 8): Kim Schrier

Washington (District 9): Adam Smith

Washington (District 10): Marilyn Strickland

Wisconsin (District 2): Mark Pocan

Wisconsin (District 4): Gwen Moore

REPUBLICANS

Alabama (District 1): Jerry Carl

Alabama (District 2): Barry Moore

Alabama (District 3): Mike Rogers

Alabama (District 4): Robert Aderholt

Alabama (District 5): Dale Strong

Alabama (District 6): Gary Palmer

Arizona (District 1): David Schweikert

Arizona (District 2): Eli Crane

Arizona (District 5) Andy Biggs

Arizona (District 6): Juan Ciscomani

Arizona (District 8): Debbie Lesko (Retiring)

Arizona (District 9): Paul Gosar

Arkansas (District 1): Rick Crawford

Arkansas (District 2): French Hill

Arkansas (District 3): Steve Womack

Arkansas (District 4): Bruce Westerman

California (District 1): Doug LaMalfa

California (District 3): Kevin Kiley

California (District 5): Tom McClintock

California (District 13): John Duarte

California (District 20): Kevin McCarthy (Retired at the end of 2023)

California (District 22): David Valadao

California (District 23): Jay Obernolte

California (District 27): Mike Garcia

California (District 40): Kim Young

California (District 41): Ken Calvert

California (District 45): Michelle Steel

California (District 48): Darrell Issa

Colorado (District 3): Lauren Boebert (Leaving District 3 and running for District 4)

Colorado (District 4): Ken Buck (Retiring on 3/22)

Colorado (District 5): Doug Lamborn

Florida (District 1): Matt Gaetz

Florida (District 2): Neal Dunn

Florida (District 3): Kat Cammack

Florida (District 4): Aaron Bean

Florida (District 5): John Rutherford

Florida (District 6): Michael Waltz

Florida (District 7): Cory Mills

Florida (District 8): Bill Posey

Florida (District 11): Daniel Webster

Florida (District 12): Gus Bilirakis

Florida (District 13): Anna Paulina Luna

Florida (District 15): Laurel Lee

Florida (District 16): Vern Buchanan

Florida (District 17): Greg Steube

Florida (District 18): Scott Franklin

Florida (District 19): Byron Donalds

Florida (District 21): Brian Mast

Florida (District 26): Mario Diaz-Balart

Florida (District 27): Maria Elvira Salazar

Florida (District 28): Carlos Gimenez

Georgia (District 1): Buddy Carter

Georgia (District 3): Drew Ferguson

Georgia (District 6): Rich McCormick

Georgia (District 8): Austin Scott

Georgia (District 9): Andrew Clyde

Georgia (District 10): Mike Collins

Georgia (District 11): Barry Loudermilk

Georgia (District 12): Rick W. Allen

Georgia (District 14): Marjorie Taylor Greene

Idaho (District 1): Russ Fulcher

Idaho (District 2): Mike Simpson

Illinois (District 12): Mike Bost

Illinois (District 15): Mary Miller

Illinois (District 16): Darin LaHood

Indiana (District 2): Jackie Walorski

Indiana (District 3): Jim Banks

Indiana (District 4): Jim Baird

Indiana (District 5): Victoria Spartz (Retiring)

Indiana (District 6): Greg Pence

Indiana (District 8): Larry Bucshon

Indiana (District 9): Trey Hollingsworth

Iowa (District 1): Ashley Hinson

Iowa (District 2): Mariannette Miller-Meeks

Iowa (District 4): Randy Feenstra

Kansas (District 1): Tracey Mann

Kansas: (District 2): Jake LaTurner

Kansas: (District 4): Ron Estes

Kentucky (District 1): James Comer

Kentucky (District 2): Brett Guthrie

Kentucky (District 4): Thomas Massie

Kentucky (District 5): Hal Rogers

Kentucky (District 6): Andy Barr

Louisiana (District 1): Steve Scalise

Louisiana (District 3): Clay Higgins

Louisiana (District 4): Mike Johnson

Louisiana (District 5): Julia Letlow

Louisiana (District 6): Garret Graves

Maryland (District 1): Andy Harris

Michigan (District 1): Jack Bergman

Michigan (District 2): John Moolenaar

Michigan (District 4): Bill Huizenga

Michigan (District 5): Tim Walberg

Michigan (District 9): Lisa McClain

Michigan (District 10): John James

Minnesota (District 1): Brad Finstad

Minnesota (District 6): Tom Emmer

Minnesota (District 7): Michelle Fischbach

Minnesota (District 8): Pete Stauber

Mississippi (District 1): Trent Kelly

Mississippi (District 3): Michael Guest

Mississippi (District 4): Mike Ezell

Missouri (District 2): Ann Wagner

Missouri (District 3): Blaine Luetkemeyer

Missouri (District 4): Mark Alford

Missouri (District 6): Sam Graves

Missouri (District 7): Eric Burlison

Missouri (District 8): Jason Smith

Montana (District 1): Ryan Zinke

Montana (District 2): Matt Rosendale

Nebraska (District 1): Mike Flood

Nebraska (District 2): Don Bacon

Nebraska (District 3): Adrian Smith

Nevada (District 2): Mark Amodei

New Jersey (District 2): Jeff Van Drew

New Jersey (District 4): Chris Smith

New Jersey (District 7): Thomas Kean, Jr.

New York (District 1): Nicholas LaLota

New York (District 2): Andrew Garbarino

New York (District 4): Anthony D’Esposito

New York (District 11): Nicole Malliotakis

New York (District 17): Michael Lawler

New York (District 19): Marcus Molinaro

New York (District 21): Elise Stefanik

New York (District 22): Brandon Williams

New York (District 23): Nick Langworthy

New York (District 24): Claudia Tenney

New York (District 27): Chris Jacobs

North Carolina (District 3): Greg Murphy

North Carolina (District 5): Virginia Foxx

North Carolina (District 7): David Rouzer

North Carolina (District 8): Dan Bishop

North Carolina (District 9): Richard Hudson

North Carolina (District 10): Patrick McHenry (Retiring)

North Carolina (District 11): Chuck Edwards

North Dakota (At Large): Kelly Armstrong

Ohio (District 2): Brad Wenstrup (Retiring)

Ohio (District 4): Jim Jordan

Ohio (District 5): Bob Latta

Ohio (District 6): Bill Johnson (Retired)

Ohio (District 7): Max Miller

Ohio (District 8): Warren Davidson

Ohio (District 10): Mike Turner

Ohio (District 12): Troy Balderson

Ohio (District 14): David Joyce

Ohio (District 15): Mike Carey

Oklahoma (District 1): Kevin Hern

Oklahoma (District 2): Josh Brecheen

Oklahoma (District 3): Frank Lucas

Oklahoma (District 4): Tom Cole

Oklahoma (District 5): Stephanie Bice

Oregon (District 2): Cliff Bentz

Oregon (District 5): Lori Chavez-DeRemer

Pennsylvania (District 1): Brian Fitzpatrick

Pennsylvania (District 9): Dan Meuser

Pennsylvania (District 10): Scott Perry

Pennsylvania (District 11): Lloyd Smucker

Pennsylvania (District 13): John Joyce

Pennsylvania (District 14): Guy Reschenthaler

Pennsylvania (District 15): Glenn Thompson

Pennsylvania (District 16): Mike Kelly

South Carolina (District 1): Nancy Mace

South Carolina (District 2): Joe Wilson

South Carolina (District 3): Jeff Duncan (Retiring)

South Carolina (District 4): William Timmons

South Carolina (District 5): Ralph Norman

South Carolina (District 7): Russell Fry

South Dakota (At Large): Dusty Johnson

Tennessee (District 1): Diana Harshbarger

Tennessee (District 2): Tim Burchett

Tennessee (District 3): Chuck Fleischmann

Tennessee (District 4): Scott DesJarlais

Tennessee (District 5): Andy Ogles

Tennessee (District 6): John Rose

Tennessee (District 7): Mark E. Green

Tennessee (District 8): David Kustoff

Texas (District 1): Nathaniel Moran

Texas (District 2): Dan Crenshaw

Texas (District 3): Ken Self

Texas (District 4): Pat Fallon

Texas (District 5): Lance Gooden

Texas (District 6): Jake Ellzey

Texas (District 8): Morgan Luttrell

Texas (District 10): Michael McCaul

Texas (District 11): August Pfluger

Texas (District 12): Kay Granger (Retiring)

Texas (District 13): Ronny Jackson

Texas (District 14): Randy Weber

Texas (District 17): Pete Sessions

Texas (District 19): Jodey Arrington

Texas (District 21): Chip Roy

Texas (District 22): Troy Nehls

Texas (District 23): Tony Gonzales

Texas (District 24): Beth Van Duyne

Texas (District 25): Roger Williams

Texas (District 26): Michael Burgess (Retiring)

Texas (District 27): Michael Cloud

Texas (District 31): John Carter

Texas (District 36): Brian Babin

Texas (District 38): Wesley Hunt

Utah (District 1): Blake Moore

Utah (District 2): Chris Stewart (Retiring)

Utah (District 3): John Curtis

Utah (District 4): Burgess Owens

Virginia (District 1): Rob Wittman

Virginia (District 2): Jen Kiggans

Virginia (District 5): Bob Good

Virginia (District 6): Ben Cline

Virginia (District 9): Morgan Griffith

Washington (District 4): Dan Newhouse

Washington (District 5): Cathy McMorris Rodgers

West Virginia (District 1): Carol Miller

West Virginia (District 2): Alex Mooney

Wisconsin (District 1): Bryan Steil

Wisconsin (District 3): Derrick Van Orden

Wisconsin (District 5): Scott Fitzgerald

Wisconsin (District 6): Glenn Grothman

Wisconsin (District 7): Tom Tiffany

Wisconsin (District 8): Mike Gallagher (Retiring)

Wyoming (At Large): Harriet Hageman

DELEGATES (They have a voice on the floor but no voting power.)

American Samoa: (Republican) Amata Coleman Radewagen

District of Columbia: (Democrat) Eleanor Holmes Norton

Guam: (Republican) James Moylan

Northern Mariana Islands: (Democrat) Gregorio Sablan

Puerto Rico: (Republican) Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon

U.S. Virgin Islands: (Democrat) Stacey Plaskett

* Cherokee Nation Delegate pending: Since the 116th Congress, the legislature has refused to act on seating the Cherokee Nation delegate-elect Kimberly Teehee (Democrat), nominated in August 2019. Teehee remains unseated as of September 2022, when the Cherokee Nation government reiterated their insistence that Congress seat her.

 

U.S. Senate Seats Up for Reelection

[This blog post was updated on March 6, 2024]

Of the current 100 Senators, 48 are Democrats, 49 are Republicans, and 3 are Independents.

If we’ve learned anything from the 2022 elections, it’s that one senator can make a significant difference on some extremely consequential issues, especially if the party control of the Senate is close.

It’s never too early for reelection vision time. The time to start organizing is now.

There are a total of 535 Members of Congress. 100 serve in the U.S. Senate, and 435 serve in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Each state sends two Senators to represent their state in the U.S. Senate. In the Senate, the majority has the power to schedule when various bills come to the floor for voting, but a single Senator can slow legislation from coming to the floor for a vote.

Since debate in the Senate is not concluded until 60 Senators vote for a cloture motion to approve a bill for consideration, the majority must also coordinate with the minority party to set the rules for debate on legislation.

Under this system, legislation can be debated for one or two weeks on the Senate floor alone.

Senators serve a six-year term, and elections to the Senate are staggered over even years so that approximately 1/3 of the Senate is up for reelection during any election.

To contact your Senator, click here.

Below are the Senate seats up for reelection in alphabetical order by political party, reelection year, and state.

Democrats up for reelection in 2024:

California: Laphonza Butler (Not running for re-election)

Connecticut: Chris Murphy

Delaware: Tom Carper (Retiring)

Hawaii: Mazie Hirono

Maryland: Ben Cardin (Retiring)

Massachusetts: Elizabeth Warren

Michigan: Debbie Stabenow (Retiring)

Minnesota: Amy Klobuchar

Montana: Jon Tester

Nevada: Jacky Rosen

New Jersey: Bob Menendez

New Mexico: Martin Heinrich

New York: Kirsten Gillibrand

Ohio: Sherrod Brown

Pennsylvania: Bob Casey Jr.

Rhode Island: Sheldon Whitehouse

Virginia: Tim Kaine

Washington: Maria Cantwell

West Virginia: Joe Manchin (Retiring)

Wisconsin: Tammy Baldwin

Independents up for reelection in 2024:

Arizona: Kyrsten Sinema (Retiring)

Maine: Angus King

Vermont: Bernie Sanders

Republicans up for reelection in 2024:

Florida: Rick Scott

Indiana: Mike Braun (Braun is running for Governor in 2024. Representative Jim Banks announced he will run for Braun’s Senate seat.)

Mississippi: Roger Wicker

Missouri: Josh Hawley

Nebraska: Deb Fischer

North Dakota: Kevin Cramer

Oklahoma: Markwayne Mullin

Tennessee: Marsha Blackburn

Texas: Ted Cruz

Utah: Mitt Romney (Retiring)

Wyoming: John Barrasso

Democrats up for reelection in 2026:

Colorado: John Hickenlooper

Delaware: Chris Coons

Georgia: Jon Ossoff

Illinois: Dick Durbin

Massachusetts: Ed Markey

Michigan: Gary Peters

Minnesota: Tina Smith

New Hampshire: Jeanne Shaheen

New Jersey: Cory Booker

New Mexico: Ben Ray Lujan

Oregon: Jeff Merkley

Rhode Island: Jack Reed

Virginia: Mark Warner

Republicans up for reelection in 2026:

Alabama: Tommy Tuberville

Alaska: Dan Sullivan

Arkansas: Tom Cotton

Idaho: James Risch

Iowa: Joni Ernst

Kansas: Roger Marshall

Kentucky: Mitch McConnell

Louisiana: Bill Cassidy

Maine: Susan Collins

Mississippi: Cindy Hyde-Smith

Montana: Steve Daines

Nebraska: Ben Sasse

North Carolina: Thom Tillis

South Carolina: Lindsey Graham

South Dakota: Mike Rounds

Tennessee: Bill Hagerty

Texas: John Cornyn

West Virginia: Shelley Moore Capito

Wyoming: Cynthia Lummis

Democrats up for reelection in 2028:

Arizona: Mark Kelly

California: Alex Padilla

Colorado: Michael Bennet

Connecticut: Richard Blumenthal

Georgia: Raphael Warnock

Hawaii: Brian Schatz

Illinois: Tammy Duckworth

Maryland: Chris Van Hollen

Nevada: Catherine Cortez Masto

New Hampshire: Maggie Hassan

New York: Chuck Schumer

Oregon: Ron Wyden

Pennsylvania: John Fetterman

Vermont: Peter Welch

Washington: Patty Murray

Republicans up for reelection in 2028:

Alabama: Katie Britt

Alaska: Lisa Murkowski

Arkansas: John Boozman

Florida: Marco Rubio

Idaho: Mike Crapo

Indiana: Todd Young

Iowa: Chuck Grassley

Kansas: Jerry Moran

Kentucky: Rand Paul

Louisiana: John N. Kennedy

Missouri: Eric Schmitt

North Carolina: Ted Budd

North Dakota:  John Hoeven

Ohio: JD Vance

Oklahoma: James Lankford

South Carolina: Tim Scott

South Dakota: John Thune

Utah: Mike Lee

Wisconsin: Ron Johnson

Secretaries of State – a State-by-State Breakdown

[This article was updated 11/30/23]

Secretaries of state can’t single-handedly change an election’s results, but they can undermine and disrupt the process and the system in undemocratic ways.

Knowing your secretaries of state can help you better understand your state’s election procedures and make you a more informed voter. And keeping up with your secretary of state’s policy actions, especially election-related ones, can help ensure accountability.

The secretary of state is an official in the state governments of 47 of the 50 states of the United States.

In three states, there is no secretary of state, so the lieutenant governors perform those duties: Alaska (Republican, Kevin Meyer), Hawaii (Democrat, Sylvia Luke), and Utah (Republican, Deidre Henderson).

Of the 50 current Secretaries of State, or Lt. Governors, 28 are Republican, and 22 are Democrats.

In 35 states, the secretary of state is elected by the people and serves a four-year term, except for Vermont, which serves a two-year term.

In the other 12 states, the secretary of state is appointed by either the governor or the state legislature. Maine and New Hampshire General Courts select their secretaries of state for two-year terms.

Below is a state-by-state breakdown of secretaries of state by voter elected or governor/legislator appointed, political party, state, and reelection year where applicable:

DEMOCRATS UP FOR REELECTION IN 2024

North Carolina (Voter Elected): Up for reelection in 2024
Elaine Marshall: Won by 51.2%
Four-year term
Term limit: None

Oregon (Voter Elected): Up for reelection in 2024
Shemia Fagan: Won by 50.3%
Four-year term
Term limit: Eight years in a 12-year period

Vermont (Voter Elected): Up for reelection in 2024
Sarah Copeland Hanzas: Won by 64.9%
Two-year term
Term limit: None

Washington (Voter Elected): Up for reelection in 2024
Steve Hobbs: Won by 49.8%
Four-year term
Term limit: None

DEMOCRATS UP FOR REELECTION IN 2026

Arizona (Voter Elected): Up for reelection in 2026
Adrian Fontes: Won by 52.8%
Four-year term
Term limit: Two Consecutive Terms

California (Voter Elected): Up for reelection in 2026 (Can’t run due to term limits)
Shirley Weber: Won by 57.7%
Four-year term
Term limit: Two Terms

Colorado (Voter Elected): Up for reelection in 2026 (Can’t run due to term limits)
Jena Griswold: Won by 53.6%
Four-year term
Term limit: Two Consecutive Terms

Connecticut: (Voter Elected): Up for reelection in 2026
Stephanie Thomas: Won by 54.9%
Four-year term
Term limit: None

Illinois (Voter Elected): Up for reelection in 2026
Alexi Giannoulias: Won by 53.8%
Four-year term
Term limit: None

Massachusetts (Voter Elected): Up for reelection in 2026
William Galvin: Won by 67.5%
Four-year term
Term limit: None

Michigan (Voter Elected): Up for reelection in 2026 (Can’t run due to term limits)
Jocelyn Benson: Won by 50.8%
Four-year term
Term limit: Two Terms

Minnesota (Voter Elected): Up for reelection in 2026
Steve Simon: Won by 54.5%
Four-year term
Term limit: None

Nevada: (Voter Elected): Up for reelection in 2026
Cisco Aguilar: Won by 48.9%
Four-year term
Term limit: Two Terms

New Mexico: (Voter Elected): Up for reelection in 2026
Maggie Toulouse Oliver: Won by 54.5%
Four-year term
Term limit: Two Consecutive Terms

Rhode Island (Voter Elected): Up for reelection in 2026
Gregg Amore: won by 59.4%
Four-year term
Term limit: Two Consecutive Terms

Wisconsin (Voter Elected): Up for reelection in 2026
Douglas La Follette: Won by 48.3%
Four-year term
Term limit: None

REPUBLICANS UP FOR REELECTION IN 2024

Missouri (Voter Elected): Up for reelection in 2024
Jay Ashcroft: Won by 60.5%
Four-year term
Term limit: None

Montana (Voter Elected): Up for reelection in 2024
Christi Jacobsen: Won by 59.6%
Four-year term
Term limit: Two terms in a 16-year period

West Virginia (Voter Elected): Up for reelection in 2024
Mac Warner: Won by 58.3%
Four-year term
Term limit: None

REPUBLICANS UP FOR REELECTION IN 2026

Alabama (Voter Elected): Up for reelection in 2026  
Wes Allen: Won by 66.3%
Four-year term
Term limit: Two Consecutive Terms

Arkansas (Voter Elected): Up for reelection in 2026 (Can’t run due to term limits)
John Thurston: Won by 67.2%
Four-year term
Term limit: Two Terms

Georgia (Voter Elected): Up for reelection in 2026
Brad Raffensperger: Won by 53.3%
Four-year term
Term limit: None

Idaho (Voter Elected): Up for reelection in 2026
Phil McGrane: Won by 72.4%
Four-year term
Term limit: None

Indiana (Voter Elected): Up for reelection in 2026
Diego Morales: Won by 57.4%
Four-year term
Term limit: Eight out of twelve years

Iowa (Voter Elected): Up for reelection in 2026
Paul Pate: Won by 60.4%
Four-year term
Term limit: None

Kansas (Voter Elected): Up for reelection in 2026
Scott Schwab: Won by 58.8%
Four-year term
Term limit: None

Nebraska (Voter Elected): Up for reelection in 2026
Bob Evnen: Won by 100%
Four-year term
Term limit: None

North Dakota (Voter Elected): Up for reelection in 2026
Michael Howe: Won by 63.2%
Four-year term
Term limit: None

Ohio (Voter Elected): Up for reelection in 2026 (Can’t run due to term limits)
Frank LaRose: Won by 59.6%
Four-year term
Term limit: Two Consecutive Terms

South Carolina (Voter Elected): Up for reelection in 2026
Mark Hammond: Won by 63.3%
Four-year term
Term limit: None

South Dakota (Voter Elected): Up for reelection in 2026
Monae Johnson: Won by 64.5%
Four-year term
Term limit: Two Consecutive Terms

Wyoming (Voter Elected): Up for reelection in 2026
Chuck Gray: Won by 91.6%
Four-year term
Term limit: None

REPUBLICANS UP FOR REELECTION IN 2027

Kentucky (Voter Elected): Up for reelection in 2027 (Can’t run due to term limits)
Michael Adams
Four-year term
Term limit: Two Consecutive Terms

Louisiana (Voter Elected): Up for reelection in 2027
Nancy Landry
Four-year term
Term limit: None

Mississippi (Voter Elected): Up for reelection in 2027
Michael D. Watson, Jr
Four-year term
Term limit: None

DEMOCRAT SECRETARIES OF STATE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR OR STATE LEGISLATURE

Delaware (Governor Elected)
Jeffrey W. Bullock: Assumed Office on 1/21/09
Length of Term: Serves at the pleasure of the Governor
Term limit: None

Maine (Legislator Elected)
Shenna Bellows: Assumed Office on 1/4/21
Length of Term: Two Years
Term limit: Four Consecutive Terms

New Jersey (Governor Elected)
Tahesha Way: Assumed Office on 6/1/18
Length of Term: Serves a term coterminous with the Governor
Term limit: None

New York (Governor Elected)
Robert Rodriguez: Assumed Office on 12/20/21
Length of Term: Until the end of the term of the governor by whom s/he was appointed and until his or her successor is appointed and has qualified
Term limit: None

Pennsylvania (Governor Elected)
Leigh Chapman: Assumed Office on 1/8/22
Length of Term: Serves at the pleasure of the Governor
Term limit: None

REPUBLICAN SECRETARIES OF STATE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR OR STATE LEGISLATURE
Florida (Governor Elected)
Cord Byrd: Assumed Office on 5/17/22
Length of Term: Serves at the pleasure of the Governor
Term limit: None

Maryland (Governor Elected)
John C. Wobensmith: Assumed Office on 1/21/15
Length of Term: Serves at the pleasure of the Governor
Term limit: None

New Hampshire (Legislator Elected)
David Scanlan: Assumed Office on 1/10/22
Length of Term: Two Years
Term limit: None

Oklahoma (Governor Elected)
Brian Bingman: Assumed Office on 2020
Length of Term: Four Years
Term limit: None

Tennessee (Legislator Elected)
Tre Hargett: Assumed Office on 1/15/09
Length of Term: Four Years
Term limit: None

Texas (Governor Elected)
John Scott: Assumed Office on 10/21/21
Length of Term: Serves concurrent with the appointing Governor
Term limit: None

Virginia (Governor Elected)
Kay Coles James: Assumed Office on 1/24/22
Length of Term: Four years
Term limit: None

Governors up for Reelection

[This blog post was updated on 11/8/23]

Of the fifty current Governors, 26 are Republicans, and 24 are Democrats.

In politics, it’s never too early to start planning.

Governors are the chief executive officers of their state government and control the day-to-day governmental business. A majority of governors also have the authority to appoint state court judges as well, so your vote for Governor is as important as your vote for President.

All but two of the fifty Governors serve four-year terms — the governors of New Hampshire and Vermont serve two-year terms.

To contact your Governor, click here.

Below are the Governors up for reelection in alphabetical order by political party, reelection year, and state.

Democrats up for reelection in 2024:

Delaware: John Carney (Not running due to term limits)

Louisiana: John Bel Edwards (Not running due to term limits)

North Carolina: Roy Cooper (Not running due to term limits)

Washington: Jay Inslee (Retiring)

Republicans up for reelection in 2024:

Indiana: Eric Holcomb (Not running due to term limits) Eric Doden is running for the Republican nomination.

Missouri: Mike Parson (Not running due to term limits) Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe is running for the Republican nomination.

Montana: Greg Gianforte 

New Hampshire: Chris Sununu (Retiring)

North Dakota: Doug Burgum 

Utah: Spencer Cox 

Vermont: Phil Scott

West Virginia: Jim Justice (Not running due to term limits) Chris Miller is running for the Republican nomination.

Democrats up for reelection in 2025:

New Jersey: Phil Murphy 

There are no Republicans up for re-election in 2025

Democrats up for reelection in 2026:

Arizona: Katie Hobbs

California: Gavin Newsom 

Colorado: Jared Polis 

Connecticut: Ned Lamont 

Hawaii: Josh Green

Illinois: J.B. Pritzker 

Kansas: Laura Kelly 

Maine: Janet Mills 

Maryland: Wes Moore

Massachusetts: Maura Healey

Michigan: Gretchen Whitmer 

Minnesota: Tim Walz 

New Mexico: Michelle Lujan Grisham 

New York: Kathy Hochul 

Oregon: Tina Kotek

Pennsylvania: Josh Shapiro

Rhode Island: Daniel McKee 

Wisconsin: Tony Evers 

Republicans up for reelection in 2026:

Alabama: Kay Ivey 

Alaska: Mike Dunleavy 

Arkansas: Sarah Huckabee Sanders

Florida: Ron DeSantis 

Georgia: Brian Kemp 

Idaho: Brad Little 

Iowa: Kim Reynolds 

Nebraska: Jim Pillen

Nevada: Joe Lombardo

Ohio: Mike DeWine 

Oklahoma: Kevin Stitt 

South Carolina: Henry McMaster 

South Dakota: Kristi Noem 

Tennessee: Bill Lee 

Texas: Greg Abbott 

Virginia: Glenn Youngkin

Wyoming: Mark Gordon 

Democrats up for reelection in 2027:

Kentucky: Andy Beshear (4-Year Term)

Republicans up for reelection in 2027:

Mississippi: Tate Reeves (4-Year Term) (Not running due to term limits) 

Why Do So Many Elderly Run America?

According to my research, in 24 out of the previous 32 years, America was led by people born in or before 1946.

Politicians in other countries aren’t old like ours—our two-party system is steadfastly controlled by the elderly, which is why I have long advocated for a third party.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average age of the 117th Congress’ 535 members is 59 years old, and the median is 60 years old.

Overall, the average age for Democrats in Congress is 60, and 58 for Republicans.

That’s old.

The current U.S. Senate (100 members) is the oldest in history, with an average age of 63 years.

The average age of the House of Representatives (435 members) is 58 years.

The age groups with the most significant gains in the 117th Congress compared to the 116th were born in the 1930s and 1960s.

Members in the 80+ and 50-59 both saw gains. Members in the 30-39 age group saw the most significant losses.

Why is Congress so old, and isn’t it far past the time to pass the government leadership baton?

The natural passing of the torch “to a new generation of American leadership,” as John F. Kennedy spoke about, hasn’t even come close to happening.

Maybe the Constitution should be amended to include maximum ages in addition to minimums.

The Constitution requires that a U.S. President be at least 35 years old, been a U.S. resident for at least 14 years, have been born in the U.S., or have at least one U.S. citizen parent.

The youngest elected president was John F. Kennedy, at age 43, in 1963. Bill Clinton was 46, Barack Obama was 47.

Joe Biden, inaugurated in 2021, is the oldest elected president in U.S. history at age 78. Donald Trump was 70, Ronald Reagan was 69, George H.W. Bush was 64.

The Constitution requires that Senators be at least 30 years old, have been a U.S. citizen for at least nine years, and reside in the state they want to represent at the time of election.

The youngest senator is Jon Ossoff (D-GA), age 35, and the youngest person elected to the U.S. Senate since 1980. The next youngest is Josh Hawley (R-MO), age 41.

Ossoff is also the youngest Democrat elected since 1973, when Joe Biden became Delaware’s Senator at age 30.

The two oldest U.S. Senators are both 87 years old. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) has held her California seat for 30 years since 1992, and Chuck Grassley (D-IA) has held his seat for 41 years since 1981.

Six senators are at least 80, and 23 are in their 70s.

The Constitution requires that Members of the House be at least 25 years old, have been a U.S. citizen for at least seven years, and live in the state they represent (though not necessarily the same district).

Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) is the youngest of the 117th Congress at 26 and the youngest person elected to the U.S. House of Representatives since 1964—a whopping 58 years ago. The second youngest is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), at 32.

The oldest member of the House of Representatives is Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) at 85, followed by Alcee Hastings (D-FL), Grace Napolitano (D-CA), and Bill Pascrell (D-NJ); all 84 years of age.

Now let’s look at the U.S. Population.

According to Pew, people over 50 make up 34 percent of the U.S. population but 52 percent of the electorate, which means, in simple terms, that our electorate college system does not come close to representing the U.S. populace.

Also, according to Pew, in 2018, the most common age for all Americans was 27, while the most common age for white Americans was 58.

Too many older people, both in Congress and the voter registries, point to just how overrepresented white interests are in the U.S.

And Americans over 55 own two-thirds of the wealth in this country.

According to the 2010 census, the number of Americans over 45 increased by almost 25 million versus 2000.

If in 2018, the most common age for all Americans was 27, why are our government officials so old?

I think it’s a two-part answer.

For those that run: Running for Congress takes money, political skills, and a significant network, and the older people have all three.

For those that vote: According to Wikipedia, voter turnout in the 2020 presidential election was highest among those ages 65 to 74 at 76.0%, while the percentage was lowest among those ages 18 to 24 at 51.4%.

Older people have the money, the political skills, and the network to run, and older people (who are voting for older people) are voting in higher numbers, making the oldest people the holders of the most power.

The highest number of people to turn 65 in U.S. history will be in 2023, so old people aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

And according to the U.S. Census Bureau, by 2040, the population of American adults aged 65 and older will nearly double.

The bottom line is that if young people don’t start voting, a younger generation won’t take control of America’s leadership until the baby boomers are all dead.

By 2055, it’s estimated that there will still be 30 million people in the United States born before 1965 — most of whom will be boomers.

The younger generation needs to step up their democratic participation and run for office, or at the very least, vote. The future of the United States is in their hands.

Why September 18 for the far-Right Rally?

When I heard about the far-right extremist pro-Trump rally, my first thought was if September 18, 2021 was chosen for a particular reason.

I have my theory about the date, although maybe it’s a coincidence that on September 18, 1850, the U.S. Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act, which required that people who had escaped from slavery be captured and returned.

Former Donald Trump campaign official Matt Braynard who is spearheading the far-right extremist rally, recently told HuffPost that “protestors would be discouraged from holding election or candidate-related signs or wearing MAGA gear.”

His request sounds unconstitutional to me. And anyway, why not put it all out there? Is Braynard afraid of something?

I suggest you read the entire Fugitive Slave Act because A) I hope it will disgust you, and B) It eerily mirrors the recent Texas abortion law.

Is it possible that Texas lawmakers used the Fugitive Slave Act as a boilerplate for their draconian abortion restrictions? I say yes.

The Fugitive Slave Act essentially gave every American citizen the authority to hunt and roundup fugitive slaves.

Section 6 in the Fugitive Slave Act made it shockingly clear that captured slaves could not testify on their behalf or defense: “In no trial or hearing under this act shall the testimony of such alleged fugitive be admitted in evidence. . .”

Section 7 warned that anyone assisting or harboring slaves would be subject to a fine up to $1,000 (equivalent to $35,000 today) and imprisonment of up to six months.

Ironically, the harsh, brutal, and oppressive measures in the Fugitive Slave Act caused such outrage among abolitionists that its existence served as a vehicle to fight even harder against slavery.

The law also incentivized and spurred the continued operation of the Underground Railroad, a network of over 3,000 secret routes and safe houses used by slaves to escape from the slave-holding southern states to the free northern states and Canada. In 1850 alone, an estimated 100,000 slaves escaped via the network.

Many historians believe that the reversal of the Fugitive Slave Act in June of 1864 (14 years after its enactment), contributed to the country’s growing polarization over slavery and is considered one of the causes of the Civil War, which began in 1865.

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) has vehemently condemned preparations for the September 18 far-right rally. “We just have to make sure that if they are ready to get violent, that we’re ready again in a better way than on January 6 to defend the Capitol,” Swalwell said.”

With Trump out of office, defending the Capitol should be a breeze.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) also condemned the far-right extremist rally. “And now these people are coming back to praise the people who were out to kill, out to kill members of Congress, successfully causing the deaths — ‘successfully’ is not the word, but that’s the word, because it’s what they set out to do — of our law enforcement, Pelosi said.”

According to a January 29 letter Braynard sent to the Department of Justice and FBI, the mob who stormed the Capitol on January 6 looking to hang Mike Pence, and resulted in the deaths of five people,  were nonviolent and “reasonably believed they had permission” to enter the Capitol.

Permission by Dear Leader Trump?

Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe said Monday evening that “it looks like, from all indications, our law enforcement partners are well prepared for this one. They seem to be taking the intelligence very seriously, which raises a question as to whether or not they did on January 6, but that’s another issue.”

Another issue, indeed.

QAnon vs. Hitler’s Brownshirts

The world has seen QAnon before. It was called Nazism.

For years, QAnon believers have assured each other that the Democratic cabal of pedophilic, satanic world leaders would be exposed and defeated by Donald Trump in a cataclysmic event called “The Storm.”

The Q cultists promise that when “The Storm” comes, the Democratic cabal will be rounded up and executed.

Last July, the Texas Republican party proudly touted their new slogan: “We Are the Storm.”

Many QAnon theories and violence chillingly mirror the Nazi propaganda and terrorizing activity.

The Brownshirts, the Nazi party military wing, aka Sturmabteilung, or SA, was cofounded on October 5, 1921, by Adolf Hitler and Ernst Rohm.

Sturmabteilung, translated means, Storm Detachment, and the military wing played a significant role in Hitler’s rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s.

The identification as a Brownshirt came from the color of their uniform shirts. According to the Nuremberg Military Tribunal, the SA was “a group composed in large part of ruffians and bullies.”

The Brownshirts provided the Nazi party protection at political rallies and assemblies and riotously disrupted opposing parties’ meetings.

They threatened and terrorized opposing party members and violently intimidated journalists who opposed Hitler, Romani, and trade unionists. The Brownshirts were particularly cruel to the Jews and rabidly carried out unbridled and unchecked street violence against them.

Many SA members believed that their mission was not only a patriotic duty but, more importantly, a struggle to take away power and cleanse Germany from the Communists and the Jews.

Heinrich Himmler’s SS originated as a branch of the SA but eventually superseded them.

The Night of the Long Knives was the purge of Nazi leaders by Hitler on June 30, 1934. Hitler feared that the SA had become too powerful. To consolidate his power, Hitler ordered his elite SS guards to murder the organization’s leaders, including Ernst Rohm and hundreds of other perceived opponents.

The SS overshadowed the Brownshirts from then on, but the SA remained intricately involved in all aspects of the Nazi agenda, including the Holocaust.

For hundreds of thousands of Germans, the SA was their first introduction to Nazism. Many SA supporters approved of the political violence and intimidation and saw their mission as a patriotic duty to save Germany.

Many SA supporters believed that a secret cabal was taking over the world and that they controlled high positions in government, banks, international finance, the news media, and the church. The SA and their supporters were convinced that the cabal wanted to disarm the police, promote homosexuality and pedophilia, and mongrelize the white race so that it would become the minority and forever lose its power.

Sound familiar?

The history of the SA, pro-Hitler, and SS mobs highlight the terrifying similarities between them and the political violence we all witnessed on January 6 by the MAGA, pro-Trump, and QAnon mob:

Intimidating, racist, violent citizens incited by their leader, swept up in the frenzy of a power-grabbing hate-filled political mission to capture and execute their political opponents in a stormy purge.

Disillusioned Trumpite Blues

Woody Logan, who wrote this poem/song, reached out to me last Saturday.

I’m not bragging when I say that I get a ton of emails, story ideas, songs, poems—a whole gamut of emotional material.

But I have to say that when I read Woody’s lyrics, they got to me on so many levels.

And the guy is so humble and wants you to know that “Admittedly I sing horribly. Perhaps somebody can do it better.”

His singing ability was of no relevance to me.

His words, his plight, his poetic verse showed me a side of the “other side” I have never understood, or dare I say, embraced before.

Woody has laid his poem down as a blues song in two versions. The Short Sampler (3 minutes) and the Full Epic (21 minutes), both of which I have included at the end of this blog post.

I’ll let Woody’s poem/song speak for itself, except I can’t help but highlight the lyrics that hit me the hardest.

Like:

“Throughout the ages, when the gap between haves and have-nots. Gets intolerable, and the blue collars don’t have a lot. There is a revolution, that puts the privileged on the trot.”

Or:

“I’ve also realized, I was becoming a person of hate. But hate’s not a human condition, it springs from a fearful state. So facing our challenges with courage, can make our Nation great.”

And:

“Our man promised he would even out the quid, yes we knew he’s evil, but that’s how desperate we had slid.”

And this:

“T’was on a Fox news program, that I saw something on his wall. It was a gilded frame, there to see for all. “Kill The Messenger” in big letters, for me it was a wake-up call.”

I ask you to please take the time to read the poem in its entirety by the talented Woody Logan.

Disillusioned Trumpite Blues

When it comes to voting, I really don’t have a plan.
There’s nothing to consider, just go vote Republican.
That’s my obligation, and so I just do what I can.

But now I’m having trouble, thinkin’ ‘bout who I did choose.
I was all for him, didn’t want the man to lose.
What have I done, got the disillusioned Trumpite blues.

First it was funny, not one journalist figured it out.
Why he was elected, what was it all about.
If they had studied history, there was no need for them to pout.

Throughout the ages, when the gap between haves and have-nots.
Gets intolerable, and the blue collars don’t have a lot.
There is a revolution, that puts the privileged on the trot.

This is the main reason, we voted just like we did.
Because our man promised, that he would even out the quid.
Yes we knew he’s evil, but that’s how desperate we had slid.

Like a good Republican, he was the master of the FUD factor.
Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt, he deployed like a skilled transactor.
Journalists and politicians, spent every day trying to decipher.

Even though psychiatrists, predicted it in a big book.
That his narcissism without empathy, was very much like a crook.
He kept them running in circles, just by spouting gobbledygook.

While government in America, was like a three-legged stool.
Executive, Congressional, Judicial, that’s how we did rule.
He made it one leg, two-braces, that’s how he did retool.

He’d disagree with what you said, and your right to say it.
Refitting facts to his words, was something he did quite a bit.
This pleased the Trumpites, who said he had a lot of grit.

Manipulating the media, was keeping his base entertained.
Even though his credibility, was getting very stained.
That’s why we loved him, and why our loyalty remained.

Slowly but surely, the wool has been pulled from my eyes.
I started to see a glimmer, that Trump was not all blue skies.
His promises aren’t being delivered, no matter how hard he tries.

T’was on a Fox news program, that I saw something on his wall.
It was a gilded frame, there to see for all.
“Kill The Messenger” in big letters, for me it was a wake-up call.

As a born-again Christian, conflict crept into my mind.
“What would Jesus do?” was absent, I started to see, where once I was blind.
We Trumpites are good hearted, but our leader he is unkind.

I started paying attention, to what the “others” did say.
Things like the following, filled me with great dismay.
I started to question, had I been led astray?

We Trumpites need to ask ourselves these questions, as time is running out:
+ Is he a national health crisis? Psychotherapy is up 400%.
+ Is he smarter than any general?
+ Did he never mature beyond 14?
+ Does he use circular logic or irrational logic?
+ Will it take decades for America to recover?
+ Are decades of social and civil advances being reversed?
+ Have hate crimes quadrupled since he took office?
+ How is he doing on promised deliverables?
+ Did Mexico pay for a wall?
+ Is the way to defeat the virus to stop testing for it, as he said?
+ How many of his efforts have been reversed, cancelled, or overturned?
+ Is he all talk and no action?
+ Does he belittle everybody who has a different opinion?
+ Why does he claim no responsibility for anything that happens?
+ Is he showing symptoms of mental deterioration?
+ Are we being led by a lunatic?
+ Are all of his problems self-induced?
+ Why do his enablers do it?
+ Does he believe exercise is bad for you?
+ Are we Trumpites just jingoistic flag-waving sheep?
+ Does America really not have room for refugees?
+ Is restricting voter rights a good Republican strategy? Must we cheat to win?
+ Has he earned the right to another four years?
+ Can America move forward while looking backward?
+ Did he make America great?

Then I heard the report, from his wives all three.
Their marriages were never consummated, on wedding nights you see.
He’d just sit on the edge of the bed, and tell them how good it would be.

“He’s a blithering idiot”, said my friend who is no chump.
What does that mean I thought, I really was in a stump.
When I looked it up in a dictionary, all it said was “See Trump”.

Then did I finally notice, reoccurring before our eyes.
With each and every issue, regarding Trump that did arise.
A 3D plan of action: Deny then Distract then Decriminalize.

What’s wrong with me I wondered, with conflict in my mind.
Look up “Cognitive Dissonance”, said a caring friend of mine.
And that human condition, pretty much explains it fine.

It’s said he never reads a book, nor listens to anybody around.
So when he marched to a church, and held the bible upside down.
I had to wonder, is he the biggest hypocrite in town.

We Republicans for years, have claimed the moral high ground.
But Trump preaches intolerance, not the love we consider sound.
What are the consequences, are we no longer heaven bound?

I’ve also realized, I was becoming a person of hate.
But hate’s not a human condition, it springs from a fearful state.
So facing our challenges with courage, can make our Nation great.

I’m not saying that I’m well now. Mixed emotions carry on.
But I’ve switched to Independent, and to you I call upon.
Be a free thinking person. Be smarter from now on.

Stop being narrow minded. Pull your head out from the sand.
Deploy your Christian values. History helps you understand.
Apply the golden rule, like Jesus did command.

If you are having trouble, thinkin’ ‘bout who you did choose.
We’re all in this together, what more can we really lose?
We can rise above the fray and stop those disillusioned Trumpite blues.

Short Sampler (3 mins) …… https://youtu.be/7g78vibyEe8

Full Epic (21 mins) …………… https://youtu.be/knYBFEENG4c