Inspire and Inspired

Rep. Al Green of Texas. March 4, 2025

Election Connection – Trump Fiddles While Democracy Burns

Up to about four minutes is excellent commentary on what is going on in the US. The rest is also worth watching, although its focus is more on where France should be heading.

There are English subtitles.

Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them

(with apologies to Al Franken.)

Does anyone remember Joe Wilson? He called President Obama a liar in the middle of a speech he was giving to a Joint Session of Congress. He wasn’t escorted out. The Sergeant at Arms didn’t go to his seat and remove him.

Vice President Biden didn’t gesture with his thumb, cartoonishly directing, “Get him out of here.”

That’s because Democrats value free speech, even if it’s rude. Even if it’s wrong. Even if Joe Wilson, was himself lying about what President Obama was saying.

Democrats, we, believe in free speech. No matter who is speaking.

However, we also believe in truth telling. In calling out lies. In calling out hypocrisy. Real hypocrisy. Real lies. Not the fake news crowd’s misinterpretations, misleading, and misinformation.

I can almost guarantee that anyone reading this will NOT be receiving a tax cut. In fact, your services will be cut even if you do not receive social services. I mean, they fired the folks who watch over and take care of our nuclear arsenal, why wouldn’t they take away the things that we need. They fired the air traffic controllers and then wonder why planes are falling out of the sky.

They’re canceling contracts (great business decision, amirite?) left and right, which in turn has people who will lose their jobs and benefits. It’s called the domino effect.

This morning, the fake agency DOGE cancelled the contract for the land that President Obama’s Presidential Library is going to be built.

And in case you missed it, the classified documents that Trump stole in his last term and stored on stage and in a bathroom at his Florida resort were just stolen back by him and flown on Air Force One because they’re “his.” Kind of like when my son cried out that the Batman his sister took was his. Except they’re not his. They belong to the American people. They belong to us. They’re classified for a reason.

From Alt National Parks Services on Facebook:

Election Connection 2025: Day 634

Not to put too fine a point on it, but the Inauguration of the former and next President is in thirteen days, and the mid-term elections are in six hundred thirty-four days, and many of us will be counting the months, weeks, days, and hours until that election day.

We must resist in all our legal capacity, and we must be loud.

My two strongest focuses, in addition to holding onto our democracy by any legal means necessary, are combating antisemitism and trans-hate. Some of it is transphobia, but the majority of what I’m witnessing is ignorance and hate, and we all need to be allies.

The graphic below is useful in vetting news sources. In the coming weeks, this is going to be more difficult with opinion pieces masquerading as facts, with declarative statements masquerading as already existing in law. Two examples of this are:

The media continually calling Pete Hegseth and Kash Patel the next Secretary of Defense and Director of the FBI, respectively. They are not, and they will NOT be until they are confirmed by the United States Senate. They are merely nominees; not even designees yet.

The second is the acquiescing to calling Musk and Ramaswamy as any kind of official and calling DOGE anything other than wishful thinking. A new government department just doesn’t magically appear without Congressional approval, and these two numb nuts have no position within the government. They may still, but not yet.

We must not obey in advance.

Election Connection – 12 Days

We can do this!

In our house, we have a first time voter! We are very excited to have her vote for HER rights and who we hope will be the FIRST WOMAN President.

In 12 days, she, her father, and I will walk together into our polling place and watch her “pull the lever” for Democracy. She knows the issues; she knows what’s at stake, and she’s ready to add this civic duty to her growing list of growing up milestones, following graduation from high school, getting a driver’s license and buying herself a car, and working in her chosen field.

We are so proud of all of our kids who are choosing their ways through life, and we are proud that they all know that equal rights are for everyone, and civil rights are human rights.

Take the responsibility and the privilege and go out and vote on November 5, and let’s turn this country around.

BRING THE JOY!

Election Connection – 91 Days Left

Today we should know who VP Harris chooses as her running mate. All the names put forward as being on the short list are all excellent candidates. They all have virtually the same positions on every subject: reproductive rights, gun control, rule of law, Supreme Court reform, and the war on Israel.

We will be lucky to have any one of them.

But first, we need to get them elected on November 5th!

Before you go on vacation.

Before school starts.

Before Election Day comes and goes.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO SAVE DEMOCRACY BY GETTING OUT THE VOTE FOR KAMALA HARRIS AND HER VICE PRESIDENT AND THE REST OF HER PROSPECTIVE ADMINISTRATION?!

Election Connection – VOTE!

T-Minus Zero

Today is Election Day. Get out the vote, get out your vote, do your civic duty, and take the responsibility for what direction you want this country to go in. Please remember January 6th, and the heroes of that day who are still traumatized – that kind of thing doesn’t go away overnight and it certainly doesn’t go away when the circumstances that led to it in the first place are still prevalent. We need to stop the impending fascism and save our democracy. It’s not perfect. Of course, it’s not perfect, but one party wants to help you, and one wants to destroy our American experiment. Vote blue for Democracy.

These are some of the important races around the country that I am keeping my eye on and praying for. I’ve already voted today. We got up extra early to get my middle son to the polls. He’s a first time voter. In the car on the way home, my husband asked him if he voted on the bond issue, he wouldn’t tell him. I think that was just to be an amused teenager, but it drives home the point that your vote is YOUR VOTE. Use it wisely.

These are in no special order. You can look them up with Google, and to watch the returns, I’d recommend MSNBC who will have Rachel Maddow leading the coverage beginning at 6pm EST, although starting at 4pm is Deadline: White House with Nicolle Wallace. She’s great to watch – good insights, good guests.

Senate Races
AZ – Mark Kelly
CO – Michael Bennet
CT – Richard Blumenthal
FL – Val Demmings
GA – Rev. Raphael Warnock
HI – Brian Schatz
NH – Maggie Hassan
NV – Catherine Cortez-Masto
NY – Chuck Schumer
OH – Tim Ryan
PA – John Fetterman
WA – Patty Murray
WI – Mandela Barnes
Also, keep an eye on Iowa and Kentucky

House of Representatives
AK – Mary Peltola
MI – Elissa Slotkin
NY – Matt Castelli
NY – Sean Maloney
VA – Abigail Spanberger

Governors
CA – Gavin Newsom
CO – Jared Polis
FL – Charlie Crist
GA – Stacey Abrams
MI – Gretchen Whitmer
NY – Kathy Hochul
PA – Josh Shapiro
TX – Beto O’Rourke

Mayor
Los Angeles – Karen Bass

Election Connection – 2022 Mid-Terms

I know we’ve been saying this is the most consequential election for the last three elections, and each time it’s been true. If you watched even a small amount of the disgusting, racist display put on by the Republicans during Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation hearings for the Supreme Court, you can see there is a disconnect with the American majority and an appalling lack of morals and integrity. There is not one Republican member of the Judiciary Committee who is exempt from this. I will have more on this subject in next week’s Election Connection.

Today is a call to arms.

We need to be prepared for voter suppression and illegal and legal tactics that keep people from voting.

Vote Save America is out with their Mid-Term Madness. Go here and sign up for your region. There is an action to be taken by anyone, no matter how small or how large.

Work locally and be vigilent.

We need to keep the House and the Senate. If Republicans take over the Senate, it’s over for us. We need a solid supermajority so we don’t have to rely on the whims of two Senators getting their money from out of their states and against our interests.

Democracy is literally at stake, and we all need to do our parts

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris

Welcome and Congratulations to the new President and Vice President.

It is a bright, sunshiney day where I am, and I’m looking forward to a morning of prayer and taking my kids out of school to witness the swearing in and the Inaugural Address of President Biden.

Pictures to begin your day as we begin a new era, with hope, optimism, and determination.

Art interpretation by me of then Pres.Elect Biden’s words from November after the election was officially called for him. (c)2021

Outside my house last night. This morning, It’s covered in snow, but still shining bright. (c)2021

Meet the Democratic 2020 Presidential Candidates

Between exploratory committees and official Presidential candidates, as of this writing, there are 18 20 21 24 25 (I think) Democratic candidates*, and to be perfectly honest, almost all of them are better than the situation we have right now in the White House. Obviously, those running for President have their own policy priorities and while everything should not be seen only as a mirror to the Trump Administration, we cannot lose sight of what is at stake. The last two years have been frightening; horrifying at times, and undemocratic with our civil rights at risk.

With that in mind, I have compiled a list of the candidates’ official websites as well as their full interviews on Crooked Media‘s Pod Save America podcast. Most of them can be seen on several news shows offering their policies; I have found that PSA has a very good track record of tough questions while remaining fair.

I have a few of my favorites who I am supporting. I will probably express that in future posts. However, I have decided that I won’t include links for candidates who have not officially announced (VP Joe Biden and Stacey Abrams) nor will I include announced candidates that I feel are wholly unqualified (unless there is an interview with Pod Save America). After 2016 I think it’s important to maintain a level of expectation of our candidates, and while we have a big tent, and all are welcome, I don’t think we should pretend that all candidates are equal. I think two years of inexperience and incompetence is enough. We need someone who knows what they’re doing. I will update this as more announce. A link will also be included on my We the People Page for updates as they happen.

Michael Bennet Website, Pod Save America interview

Cory Booker Website, Pod Save America interview

Steve Bullock Website, Pod Save America interview

Pete Buttigeig Website, Pod Save America interview

Julian Castro Website, Pod Save America interview

Bill DiBlasio Website, Pod Save America interview

Kirsten Gillibrand Website, Pod Save America interview

Kamala Harris Website, Pod Save America interview

John Hickenlooper Website, Pod Save America interview

Jay Inslee Website, Pod Save America interview

Amy Klobucher Website, Pod Save America interview

Seth Moulton Website, Pod Save America interview