If she is saying it there must be many more senators that are thinking it. As important as it is for a senator to stand up to trump compared to one of us, it is far far more powerful if 10 of them do it. She must get her peers to join her, and if she does she will find an army of Alaskans as well as many in the lower 48 who will support her.
It's not as if trump is doing what he promised on the economy - lowering costs, creating jobs/housing and making many people happy. And it's not as if he is clearly deporting dangerous illegal immigrant criminals by the tens of thousands making people safer. So, speaking out against clear fascism has a big dissatisfied audience.
I'm hesitant to agree about the "fear" part, because it may sound misogynistic. But it's disconcerting to read all the "Oh, I'm so afraid!" comments, mostly from women. Sure, it's easy for me to say that, but there's an old saying that has nothing to do with gender: If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. Woman Hear Me Roar from the 70s would never have let "men" intimidate her! (Too bad most of those feminists burned out by the 80s.)
There is at least one woman in the country who is not afraid to go against the prevailing sentiment of her supporters and stand up for what she believes to be the proper legal course. Justice Kagan just refused a request for a stay of deportation for four illegals who had their request for asylum denied, and that decision was affirmed several times. As long as SCOTUS rules based on law and not emotion, the situation will be resolved without "Handmaid's Tale" subjection!
“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.”
If she cannot in good conscience fulfill her oath, then she should resign. But it would be better if she would do everything possible in her power to fulfill those duties and to protect the Constitution and the country from the threats we now face.
Our only leverage right now is applying pressure. Just tonight I heard on Rachel Maddow’s show that senator Van Hollen managed to meet with Kilmar Garcia in El Salvador today. He had pictures and Garcia was in street clothes looking healthy. It does make me question if the deported are actually being held in the notorious El Salvadoran prison or elsewhere. In any case it was pressure that made this meeting happen. In my view we don’t have a second to waste. We have to keep the pressure up on our lawmakers and the government itself. It’s our only hope to stop this authoritarian take over of our country. Senator Van Hollen’s persistence shows it possible.
Thank you Julie. I urge people to contact her office, even if not constituents. Start with praise for her past votes against Trump nominees and add appreciation and support for her courage on the video. Opponents of Musk/Trump do seek her nay vote, on everything from SAVE to the USPS. And she needs our support, too.
Dr. Joseph Warren is an inspiration for these times. He found his voice surrounded by jeering armed British regulars at Old South Church, Boston on March 6, 1775, 250 years ago. The 5th anniversary of the Boston Massacre. Please share this passage with others looking for inspiration.
Very well said. We should all fear and be angry with how Trumphuk and the Cabal that he fronts are destroying American democracy. One could hope that she would realize that the Republican Party is now the Repugnancan Party and she should either join Bernie as an independent or switch to the Democratic Party.
https://open.substack.com/pub/sleuthsos/p/warning-signal-018-be-not-afraid?r=5g1ndc&utm_medium=ios
If she is saying it there must be many more senators that are thinking it. As important as it is for a senator to stand up to trump compared to one of us, it is far far more powerful if 10 of them do it. She must get her peers to join her, and if she does she will find an army of Alaskans as well as many in the lower 48 who will support her.
It's not as if trump is doing what he promised on the economy - lowering costs, creating jobs/housing and making many people happy. And it's not as if he is clearly deporting dangerous illegal immigrant criminals by the tens of thousands making people safer. So, speaking out against clear fascism has a big dissatisfied audience.
Face your fear, Senator. Act to stop the destruction of the nation that you swore a solemn oath to defend.
I'm hesitant to agree about the "fear" part, because it may sound misogynistic. But it's disconcerting to read all the "Oh, I'm so afraid!" comments, mostly from women. Sure, it's easy for me to say that, but there's an old saying that has nothing to do with gender: If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. Woman Hear Me Roar from the 70s would never have let "men" intimidate her! (Too bad most of those feminists burned out by the 80s.)
There is at least one woman in the country who is not afraid to go against the prevailing sentiment of her supporters and stand up for what she believes to be the proper legal course. Justice Kagan just refused a request for a stay of deportation for four illegals who had their request for asylum denied, and that decision was affirmed several times. As long as SCOTUS rules based on law and not emotion, the situation will be resolved without "Handmaid's Tale" subjection!
Senator Murkowski took this oath:
“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.”
If she cannot in good conscience fulfill her oath, then she should resign. But it would be better if she would do everything possible in her power to fulfill those duties and to protect the Constitution and the country from the threats we now face.
Good column.
But I’m afraid the fever hasn’t broken yet for the GOP.
Our only leverage right now is applying pressure. Just tonight I heard on Rachel Maddow’s show that senator Van Hollen managed to meet with Kilmar Garcia in El Salvador today. He had pictures and Garcia was in street clothes looking healthy. It does make me question if the deported are actually being held in the notorious El Salvadoran prison or elsewhere. In any case it was pressure that made this meeting happen. In my view we don’t have a second to waste. We have to keep the pressure up on our lawmakers and the government itself. It’s our only hope to stop this authoritarian take over of our country. Senator Van Hollen’s persistence shows it possible.
Thank you Julie. I urge people to contact her office, even if not constituents. Start with praise for her past votes against Trump nominees and add appreciation and support for her courage on the video. Opponents of Musk/Trump do seek her nay vote, on everything from SAVE to the USPS. And she needs our support, too.
A profile in courage. A profile of humanity.
Dr. Joseph Warren is an inspiration for these times. He found his voice surrounded by jeering armed British regulars at Old South Church, Boston on March 6, 1775, 250 years ago. The 5th anniversary of the Boston Massacre. Please share this passage with others looking for inspiration.
https://www.drjosephwarren.com/2015/03/warren’s-1775-boston-massacre-oration-in-full-text-our-country-is-in-danger-but-not-to-be-despaired-of/
He followed this up with his inspiring and heroic martyrdom at the Battle of Bunker Hill in June 1775. Let’s defend his legacy please Congress!
Very well said. We should all fear and be angry with how Trumphuk and the Cabal that he fronts are destroying American democracy. One could hope that she would realize that the Republican Party is now the Repugnancan Party and she should either join Bernie as an independent or switch to the Democratic Party.