We Are Our Only Hope

Here's Jen on Boston's Women's March for America:

The women's march was amazing. The optimism and friendly openness of the crowd was contagious. Thousands of people making warm eye contact and sharing smiles was something I'm honestly not used to. I was excited to be a part of this giant like-minded collective.

The clear message of the day was that while today was important, tomorrow and the next day and the next are more important. We need to come together, stay together and fight together. Failure is not an option; there is too much at stake. That we will have to fight for rights that were hard won over these last few decades is mind blowing.

I am grateful to everyone that organized and worked this tremendous event.

Oh, and Elizabeth Warren kicks some major frickin' ASS

From a friend’s Facebook status:

In his Illegitimate Inauguration speech, the Narcissist-in-Chief referred to the start of a "historic movement." For once, he was right. There is a movement. Not in the anemic turnout to the Illegitimate Inauguration, but in the millions of people flooding the streets all over the world to protest the Racist-in-Chief, his cabinet of billionaires and anti-government zealots, and his white supremacist advisors.

From Robert Reich’s page:

Marches and demonstrations are great, but if we’re to successfully resist Trump’s agenda and get back on track, we also have to be disciplined and strategic about regaining power.

So what can you do?

1. Join with neighbors and friends in your congressional and/or state district – and plan your strategy. Here’s a handy guide: Indivisible: A Practical Guide for Resisting the Trump Agenda

2. If you live in a safe blue district and you like your member of congress, find a “sister” district in another state that’s up for grabs – and use your time and energy to support a good candidate there. Here’s a handy guide: Going From Red to Blue: Sister District Project

What’s the sister district thing all about?

The Sister District Project harnesses the progressive resources of safe blue and red communities to help elections on the local, state, and national levels go blue.  In so doing, we will ensure that all Americans have equal representation and our government works for all people, not just the minority in power.
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Volunteers in blue communities will coordinate with volunteers in their sister communities as well as the campaigns of the progressive candidates that need support. Volunteers will be able to register voters, make phone calls, donate money, and canvass for their sister communities. With this targeted, individualized approach, volunteers will have a discrete and specific goal with measurable success. One by one, we will flip and secure these races for progressive candidates. In so doing, we will re-build the pipeline of progressive candidates at the state and local levels, we will win back state governments and bring fairness to redistricting, and in 2018, we will take back the House and ensure that all Americans have an equal voice in Congress.

More from Robert Reich’s page:

I had breakfast recently with a friend who's a former Republican member of Congress. Here's what he said:

Him: Trump is no Republican. He’s just a big fat ego.

Me: Then why didn’t you speak out against him during the campaign?

Him: You kidding? I was surrounded by Trump voters. I’d have been shot.

Me: So what now? What are your former Republican colleagues going to do?

Him (smirking): They’ll play along for a while.

Me: A while?

Him: They’ll get as much as they want – tax cuts galore, deregulation, military buildup, slash all those poverty programs, and then get to work on Social Security and Medicare – and blame him. And he’s such a fool he’ll want to take credit for everything.

Me: And then what?

Him (laughing): They like Pence.

 Me: What do you mean?

Him: Pence is their guy. They all think Trump is out of his mind.

Me: So what?

Him: So the moment Trump does something really dumb – steps over the line – violates the law in a big stupid clumsy way … and you know he will ...

Me: They impeach him?

Him: You bet. They pull the trigger.

Just a reminder on Pence – amongst others, he’s on the take to Tobacco companies. So much so that he's on record spewing phony "alternative facts" about the dangers of smoking. He's also popped that global warming’s a myth, stem cell research is ‘obsolete’ and he’s made it abundantly clear that he’s not sold on this whole “evolution” thingie.

His nickname's Dense Pence for good reason.

No big, whopping surprises here. Trump is the first battle – Pence is next. While these are goin' down we also absolutely MUST turn the House and Senate around.