February 26, 2025

Wednesday, February 26, 2025. Annette’s Roundup for Democracy.

James Carville’s message to Congress.

James Carville: The Best Thing Democrats Can Do in This Moment.

The Republican Party is all too often effective at campaigning and winning elections, but there’s another fact about it that a lot of Americans forget: The Republican Party flat out sucks at governing. Even Tucker Carlson agrees with this. For all the huffing and puffing on the campaign trail in 2016, the first Trump administration largely amounted to tax cuts for the wealthy, 500 miles of a border wall and a destructive pandemic gone viral. George W. Bush got us into a harebrained war in Iraq and then tried to privatize Social Security while letting our financial system drive smack into the Great Recession. And George H.W. Bush governed his way into a one-term presidency because of the economy.

For Round 2 in office, instead of prioritizing the problems he campaigned on — public safety, immigration and the border and, most of all, the economy — President Trump is hellbent on dismantling the federal government. To accomplish this, he has put his faith in the most incompetent cabinet in modern history: a health and human services secretary who is already targeting federal vaccination efforts and dumped a bear carcass in Central Park as a fun prank at age 60, a director of national intelligence who was devoted to an allegedly abusive yoga-centered cult, a WWE tycoon turned head of Department of Education and a former cable news talking head as defense secretary. Which will result in one clear thing: disorder. There will probably be more enormous tax cuts for the wealthy and Medicaid cuts hitting a lot of other people, but there is nothing the American public despises more than disorder and a broken economy.

And there’s nothing Democrats can legitimately do to stop it, even if we wanted to.

With no clear leader to voice our opposition and no control in any branch of government, it’s time for Democrats to embark on the most daring political maneuver in the history of our party: roll over and play dead. Allow the Republicans to crumble beneath their own weight and make the American people miss us. Only until the Trump administration has spiraled into the low 40s or high 30s in public approval polling percentages should we make like a pack of hyenas and go for the jugular. Until then, I’m calling for a strategic political retreat.

The Army has a term for this: tactical pause. It’s a vision move — get out of the hour-to-hour, day-to-day combat where one side (ours) is largely playing defense and struggling to defend politically charged positions (like explaining D.E.I. or persuading voters to care about foreign aid) and take time to regroup, look forward and make decisions about where we want to get to over the next two years. I don’t think a lot of Americans are waiting around for us to use the same old arguments and same old language to pile on Donald Trump. They’re tired of it, and our Democratic voters are tired of watching us moan and groan to cover up our impotency out of power. They want us to be smarter than that.

Our first major test in the art of strategic retreat comes in a few weeks, as the Trump administration must get a budget passed that raises the debt ceiling. There are deep internal Republican divides over the budget: Republicans don’t know what they want to include, they don’t agree on an agenda, and they do not have a clear path forward. Mr. Trump has asked for an abolishment of the debt ceiling. The speaker of the House, his close ally, has yet to definitively support him on it.

Already, many Democrats across the party are itching at their seams for a showdown. Instead of gearing up to fight them — as we love to do — the most radical thing we can do is nothing at all.

Let the Republicans disagree with themselves publicly. Do not offer a single vote. Do not insert yourself into the discourse. Do not throw a monkey wrench into the equation. Simply step away and let ’em flirt with a default.

Just when they’ve pushed themselves to the brink and it appears they could collapse the global economy, come in and save the day. Be the competent party and not the chaos party. House Democrats know this. It’s time for everyone in our party, including the darlings who want to run in 2028, to understand this as well. You won’t win or achieve anything meaningful going toe to toe with the Trump administration right now.

This equation must be applied for the remainder of this year. Let the Republicans push for their tax cuts, their Medicaid cuts, their food stamp cuts. Give them all the rope they need. Then let dysfunction paralyze their House caucus and rupture their tiny majority. Let them reveal themselves as incapable of governing and, at the right moment, start making a coordinated, consistent argument about the need to protect Medicare, Medicaid, worker benefits and middle-class pocketbooks. Let the Republicans crumble, let the American people see it, and wait until they need us to offer our support.

It’s a wiser approach than we pursued in the first Trump administration, when Democrats tried and failed at the art of resistance politics. We voiced outrage on social issue after social issue. We spun ourselves up in a tizzy over an investigation into Russia. We fought Mr. Trump at every corner, on every issue imaginable and muddied up our message in an unwinnable war. We were saved only by his lousy governing and a lot of effort on our side finding good candidates to run for the House and Senate in 2018. Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is retreat on the immediate battlefield — and advance in another direction.

It won’t take long. Public support for this administration will fall through the floorboard. It’s already happening. Just over a month in, the president’s approval has already sunk underwater in two new polls. The people did not vote for the Department of Education to be obliterated; they voted for lower prices for eggs and milk. Democrats, let the Republicans’ own undertow drag them away.

At this rate, the Trump honeymoon will be over, best case, by Memorial Day but more likely in the next 30 days. And in November 2025, we start turning the tide with what will be remembered as one of the most important elections in recent years: the Virginia governor’s race. From tax enforcers to rocket scientists, bank regulators and essential workers — the Trump administration is hellbent on drastically firing the federal work force, despite the fact that federal civilian employees account for just 3 percent of the federal budget. These workers are highly concentrated in Virginia, home to around 144,000 civilian federal employees. It looks set to be a resounding Republican defeat. This will be the first moment when we can take the offensive back and begin our crusade again.

Half a century ago, Muhammad Ali cemented himself as the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time not by punching his way to glory but by mastering the art of the strategic retreat. Facing George Foreman, who was rolling off 37 knockouts and 40 wins, Ali deployed the famous rope-a-dope strategy, retreating to the ropes of the ring, evading punches right and left, absorbing small jabs, until Foreman’s battery was depleted — and in Round 8 deployed a decisive knockout blow.

It’s Round 1. Let’s rope-a-dope, Dems. (Op-ed, New York Times).

One more thing.

Looks like Democrats in the House are taking James’s advice. 👆👇

Mike Johnson could afford to lose only two House Republican vote or Trump’s slash and burn budget would have failed. Trump and Johnson made calls to shore up support. They succeeded.

Budget talks: Last night, the House narrowly (217-215) passed a Republican budget resolution that called for $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and a $2 trillion reduction in federal spending over a decade, a first step for advancing major elements of President Trump’s domestic agenda.

The plan’s passage — shortly after the vote appeared to have been canceled — set up a fight among Republicans over what federal programs to slash to finance major tax cuts, and came after Speaker Mike Johnson, with assistance from Mr. Trump, put down a small revolt among centrist Republicans who feared that the plan would require deep reductions in Medicaid spending.

If you have a red Elected Official, call him or her. Maybe we can stop the carnage that is going to follow.

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Friday’s 24 Hour Buying Boycott.

Here are the rules clearly set out. Feel free to post on your social media.

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Worst Trump Action of the Day.

What is described below 👇 is the action of a dictator, determined to control the information the public has, determined to stop the freedom of the press.

The Trump administration said it would take over the selection of media outlets allowed to take part in the presidential pool, the rotating group of journalists who closely follow the president’s every move, including inside the Oval Office, and relay them to hundreds of news organizations.

The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said the administration was taking over the authority from the White House Correspondents’ Association, which denounced the decision, saying in a statement that it “tears at the independence of a free press in the United States.”

The Trump administration moves to take control of the White House press pool.

The Trump administration said on Tuesday that it would start handpicking which media outlets were allowed to participate in the presidential press pool, the small, rotating group of reporters who relay the president’s day-to-day activities to the public.

The change breaks decades of precedent. It allows the White House to assert more control over which journalists can witness his activities up-close and ask him questions.

The White House Correspondents’ Association, a 111-year-old group representing journalists who cover the administration, has long determined on its own which reporters would participate in the daily pool.

Because presidents often hold events in smaller settings like the Oval Office, the pool format ensures that the public is provided with an accurate record of a president’s comments and actions. The pool reporters who witness the events distribute their reporting to the hundreds of other news outlets that cover him.

The pool is most often made up of journalists from organizations like CNN, Reuters, The Associated Press, ABC News, Fox News and The New York Times.

Tuesday’s announcement was the latest in a string of aggressive efforts by the Trump administration to erode the access and influence of major news organizations that cover the White House. It is a sharp break from generations of Republican and Democratic presidents who abided by the White House press corps’ deciding on its own which reporters were granted more access.

The administration has barred reporters from The Associated Press, which supplies information to thousands of news organizations around the world, from entering the Oval Office or traveling on Air Force One, prompting a legal battle.

The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said the new policy was intended to allow “new media” outlets — such as digital sites, streaming services and podcasts — “to share in this awesome responsibility.” She added, “Legacy media outlets who have been here for years will still participate in the pool, but new voices are going to be welcomed in as well.”

The White House Correspondents’ Association rebuked the move in a blistering statement.

“This move tears at the independence of a free press in the United States,” wrote Eugene Daniels, a Politico reporter and the president of the association. “It suggests the government will choose the journalists who cover the president. In a free country, leaders must not be able to choose their own press corps.”

The association said that it had been given no warning of Ms. Leavitt’s announcement and that there had been no prior discussions about it with the White House. “The W.H.C.A. will never stop advocating for comprehensive access, full transparency and the right of the American public to read, listen to and watch reports from the White House, delivered without fear or favor,” Mr. Daniels wrote.

The Trump administration recently added a “new media” seat in the White House briefing room. In recent weeks, the seat has been occupied by some journalists who strive for accuracy and fairness, such as reporters at Axios and Semafor, and by partisan figures who are sympathetic to the Trump administration, such as the podcast host Sage Steele.

In announcing its plans for the press pool, Ms. Leavitt said that “by deciding which outlets make up the limited press pool on a day-to-day basis, the White House will be restoring power back to the American people.”

Jacqui Heinrich, a senior White House correspondent at Fox News, responded to that remark on social media, writing: “This move does not give the power back to the people — it gives power to the White House.” Ms. Heinrich is a board member of the correspondents’ association.

The White House’s attitude toward a news outlet is often predicated on whether its coverage fits the administration’s agenda.

President Trump’s dispute with The A.P. is based on the news agency’s decision to continue using the name “Gulf of Mexico” to refer to the body of water that Mr. Trump decreed “Gulf of America.” Most of the Gulf of Mexico lies outside the maritime regions controlled by the United States.

At Tuesday’s briefing, however, Ms. Leavitt cited reporting by The A.P. — approvingly. She highlighted A.P. articles about migrants who had decided not to pursue their journeys to the United States.

A First Amendment advocacy group, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, said on Tuesday that the move represented “a drastic change in how the public obtains information about its government.”

“The White House press pool exists to serve the public, not the presidency,” said the group’s president, Bruce D. Brown. (New York Times)

One more thing.

Call and write the White House about this. Call your Elected Officials and write about this on social media. Shout about it from your windows.

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A few good things happened yesterday.

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon Reaffirms DEI Commitment

(Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase will continue its diversity efforts, its CEO Jamie Dimon said in an interview with CNBC on Monday, despite a broader corporate retreat from such initiatives.

The bank will continue its outreach to Black, Hispanic, LGBT, veteran and disabled communities, Dimon said.

Earlier this month, the largest U.S. bank said it expects "to be criticized by activists, politicians and other members of the public" concerning business practices or positions it takes with respect to public policy, such as diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

Several corporate giants have been softening their DEI commitments amid a push by President Donald Trump to dismantle such programs in the federal government and the private sector.

Citigroup has said it will no longer require a diverse slate of candidates for job interviews, while Goldman Sachs canceled a four-year-old policy of exclusively taking public companies with at least two diverse board members.

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New York Gov. Kathy Hochul wants to hire federal workers fired by DOGE

NEW YORK (WABC) -- "My heart just dropped. I couldn't believe it. I thought, this has to be this has to be wrong," Luke Graziani, a fired federal worker, said.

That's what Luke Graziani thought when he opened an email on February 14th and saw a "Notification of Termination During Probationary Period."

The Army veteran was suddenly out of his public affairs job at the Bronx Veterans Hospital, just 5 weeks shy of his probationary period ending.

He was one of thousands trimmed from the ranks in the DOGE cuts.

"I think there's ways of doing it that also allow for the right people to stay in the right positions and not just completely upend and destroy lives in the process," Graziani said.

And many federal workers feel like they're being toyed with. Last week workers were told to defend their jobs to Elon Musk or face firing. A requirement the president later called voluntary.

But in the midst of all of this, New York's governor is hoping to capitalize on a growing pool of possible hires.

"The fed gov is firing. We're hiring," Gov. Kathy Hochul says in a new commercial.

Hochul has launched a new initiative to recruit workers into state service as the federal government is laying off thousands of highly qualified workers.

The governor announced the "You're Hired" initiative in response to the Department of Government Efficiency's moves to lay off federal workers.

The federal government might say, 'You're fired,' but here in New York, we say, 'You're hired.' In fact, we love federal workers," Governor Hochul said. "Whatever your skills, we value public service. Check out potential jobs at ny.gov/wewantyou. Come join our New York State family."

Luke meanwhile has a 3-year-old daughter at home in Queens. Luke wants to work.

He's almost finished with an MBA and his deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq make him a unique candidate for whoever is hiring.

"I was called to serve and give back to my fellow veterans. And if I can't do that, then I'm open to whoever is willing to take me on," he said. (ABC).

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Rebellion in the DOGE ranks.

Don’t know how this will resolve but thought you should know.

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Reminiscing. The Governors Meeting.

Don’t mess with Governor Janet Mills of Maine.

Trump should have learned.

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Thought you might like to hear the music of the people. Have a listen!

Last week, at the Governor’s Ball.

Trump watches but he doesn’t not see. We will beat him. It just takes time.

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