Cory Booker's Fillibuster, #HandsOff Protests, & Editor's Update
Dear Democrats #2
The Fillibuster
At 7pm Eastern Time on March 31st, Senator Cory Booker stood up and gave a speech that lasted 25 hours and 5 minutes long, ending on the 1st of April at 8:05pm. It was the longest Senate speech on record, exceeding the previous record of 24 hours and 18 minutes by Senator Strom Thurmond filibustering the Civil Rights Act of 1957. The civil rights bill passed and was signed into law by President Eisenhower, and despite being watered down significantly, established the framework agencies that future civil rights laws would empower. As Senator Booker pointed out, “I'm not here, though, because of his speech. I'm here despite his speech. I'm here because as powerful as he was, the people were more powerful."
Beyond topping the previous record filibuster, Cory’s speech gave a platform for the message many of us have been trying to get beyond the confines of the left, to a wider audience. His impulse for the speech was communications from his constituents and others expressing their fears and concerns about what the Trump regime and their conspirators in Congress and the Supreme Court are doing to tear down the promises made to minorities, our seniors, our veterans, disabled people, and LGBTQ people, as well as the destruction of the Constitution and the democracy it defines.
During his speech he highlighted the stories of the people who reached out to him, and laid bare what the Trump regime is doing that actually affects the working class, exposing the propaganda of the GOP and MAGA for what it is: BS. His effort was covered on all the major news media that Trump supporters and voters use, and might be the first time they’ve been given the message of the reality that is coming for them sooner or later.
Special Elections
Special elections are showing a renewed energy behind liberal candidates: In Pennsylvania March 27th special election, Democrat James Malone won the special election for Pennsylvania's 36th Senate District, flipping a seat held by Republicans since 1879. In the 35th House District in Allegheny County, Democrat Dan Goughnour won with 63.4% of the vote, according to unofficial results. On April 1st, the very day Senator Booker completed his speech, Wisconsin, and Florida held special elections for various offices. Wisconsin’s Susan Crawford fended off $20 million dollars in Elon Musk money to retain liberal control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court - a major win against Trump’s chief ally. MAGA Republicans were able to stave off attacks in their special elections for former seats held by Representatives Mike Waltz and Matt Gaetz, although Democrats outperformed expectations by halving the 2024 GOP margin of victory in both districts.
Hands Off Protests
On Saturday the 5th of April the “Hands Off” protests kicked off in all 50 states, and estimates were it exceeded the number of people who participated in the women’s march and protest in 2017. In the meantime, Bernie Sanders, AOC, Greg Casar, and other prominent progressives have been crisscrossing the nation holding town hall meetings in Republican districts, major cities, and state capitals to overflow crowds. Los Angeles estimates were 38,000 protestors - only comparable to President Obama’s election stop during his first election. 10,000 were in Tempe Arizona, 30,000 in Denver Colorado, 12,000 in Idaho and so on. The message is reaching people who were not engaged before, and people are starting to wake up to the reality that I’ve been presenting here: that the MAGA GOP is working for the corporations and the rich against the working people. Furthermore, already rich beyond reason, they want to accumulate the last few crumbs from the poor, aged, disabled, and minorities in a bid to place an authoritarian monarchy in control of the country against the Constitution and democracy it defines. Worse, they are white nationalists to the core, and it is plain this is becoming a repeat of the fascist takeover of Germany circa 1933. We cannot let this happen in America.
Update
I am now working part time, and this is taking time away from writing and researching, so the articles will be smaller and less frequent than before. As I’ve urged: please subscribe and follow, and if you can, pledge an amount to pay me for the value you get out of it. If enough people give, I can devote the time this subject deserves. Thank you, and whatever happens - keep reading!