Good stuff. I am now highly addicted to your reporting, Michelle. It gives me a sense of control over these events. Thank you for answering every little question in my mind which is not being reported in regular media about the current situation, especially the list of people who stayed in Chicago.
I agree with you Michelle, centrism doesn't work and Democracy is something that I'm not willing to give up as enter my 70's (also about the time that I became politically active & campaigned for Cissy Farenthold for governor). There has to be a profound difference with the extremist Right and the progressive Left in order for people to sit up & pay attention, then VOTE!
Exactly right. It is essential that we recover control of Texas state government. In the US, states are our primary governmental entities. The US is unique in that in our process of decolonialization, our state governments preceded our united nation, and states rights are explicitly protected in the Constitution. In Massachusetts, recorded state government history begins in Plymouth Colony, 400 years ago. The state of Virginia also arose from it's British colonies at the same time. Similarly, land owning families have been living in South Texas for over 400 years, and participated in the creation of the state of Texas. Now, the federal government has been decapitated, and is currently being transformed into a militarized surveillance state for the purpose of state repression. Whether violent repression of Americans, is even possible is questionable, considering that the federal military is not aligned with the fascist political leadership in the WH. But, the fact is that our federal government has been taken over by violent revolutionaries and organized criminals. In the US, the federal government may fall, and still leave the state governments intact and functioning, and in control of elections. We must rely on our Democratic party controlled governments in blue states for leadership, and in Texas and the other Republican controlled states, it is essential that state government be taken back. The time for party politics is over. Americans are at war, and we need to act like it. Any Texas Democrat who won't, or can't, fight for Texans, and for our nation, needs to go.
Your Truth….. Facts….. Realness helps us to be better voters. People need to know the people they helped get into office are representing them. If the Congress person learns they can do their job. Maybe they should someone else run. I don’t mean to be cold. Many great leaders have sacrificed their life’s for the people. If you are not going to give 110%. Step aside. Let someone else run. If you can give 110% Run For Something! It isn’t a job for everyone. It’s a job for those with courage, time and sacrifice to work for The People! 🙏🏼
Thank you for the list of representatives that are boycotting the second special session. Houston CBS station KHOU aired a story last night that implied that Cristina (not Christian) Morales HD 145 was one of the few local Democratic representatives that had continued to boycott the session, totally ignoring the others, even Jolanda! I’m still angry.
Wow, I subscribed because of this post. Best post I've in read in a long time.
I'm in WI but share the same feelings of to do or not to do.
SubStack authors need to be as forthright, as possible, not only with the facts, as many of us know them, but specific state issues and how they work, the question at the beginning was fabulous, any suggestions for others to get into the fight with answers to where to send correspondence securely, what is said is "talk to people", "join a protest" well I got news for that news.
If, like so many people, you can't or it isn't appropriate, my question is where the heck was everyone for four years planning for action from those with a platform or law license to help us know?
I have questions.
Who thinks Robert's immunity ruling was not under his authority to do so. Their is no precedent, none, he states in his first page of his syllabus, this is the first case in the country's 250 year history, and their is no history in the Fed Papers, indicating that the analysis that Roberts did and was so absent so many comparisons to today versus 250 years ago and it's incomplete in its lack of strength for it to hold down the road.
Is he camp living constitution or camp non-living constitution/common law? Can't be both when there is nothing but an analysis that was about 300 pages short.
Linguistics, what other qualities, other than vigor and energy, did Hamilton use, what does Fed 77 say about prosecution, 250 years ago men, as faulty as they were, believed in their reputation, however, Roberts put criminal immunity in the hands of a non-trustworthy FELON. The Founders were big on trust. We the People are to trust in our elected officials.
We may not agree, we may not like, but authoritarian rule was not even close, unless every voter read all 1000 Heritage pages, and Roberts took our power away as he took the knowledge of a guilty or innocent verdict away from the voters to essentially influence the 24 election after, the FELON, was just convicted of 34 felony counts that led to election interference.
Policy isn't a mandate unless you're following what was campaigned on. I opine he did nothing to campaign on what is actually happening.
He didn't have the popular vote.
But did the SCOTUS add an amendment or a statute? Civil immunity is a completely different animal or everyone would sue for tort.
This is out of control and has no excuse to even have had the paper wasted to write it.
A FELON.
A FELON with no remorse. A FELON who is investigating those that convicted him of his crimes. A FELON, PERIOD.
A FELON who takes no responsibility. He owes us that as does the SCOTUS as they both are breaching their fiduciary duties to us through the CONSTITUTIONAL violations being allowed.
A FELON who is crime-ing with glee and what am I to do?
Write a pro se suit for breach of fiduciary duty to the SCOTUS? For no authority to add a criminal immunity amendment or statute?
This can and should be tackled and we don't need a new amendment as the ruling is plagued with errors and is incomplete, again, I opine.
We also must talk about messaging not being as important as getting the fascist, anti-racist, Christian Nationalists, out of the government or we will never get to have a message.
Young voters aren't being heard any more than they need to listen.
Okay, pre-2024 I got told I'm not going to be bullied into voting for this or that, or I don't care if he's a racist or rapist I need my grocery bills lowered.
Okay, how are the grocery bills today? How will the Healthcare affect you in late 2026 when the OBBB's changes will start?
Got any mental health issues? Kid with ADHD, you with depression or anxiety, he rolled back the Mental Health Parity Law, signed by Biden. Employer insurance no longer has to cover mental health like physical health. It isn't just old people.
Young people need to listen and ask and understand before anything else. They'll get their turn. If they don't listen they never will be able to be heard, nor will their future kids, and their kids, etc.
TRUMP can't GOVERN. People who can GOVERN, CAN GOVERN themselves. Do FELONS govern themselves? Mostly, NO.
He was known for his cheap credit because he did nothing the first two years, in 1.0, had a sluggish GDP, with BOTH CHAMBERS, but passed the Tax reduction and jobs Act that now is permanent and isn't going to help working families.
He had the same fed funding rate he got when Obama passed the torch. Then the pandemic hit and the fed funding rate went back down to ZERO, in emergency fashion, that isn't sustainable, and that's why he is looked at as the economy guy. He's not.
He cut $880B in Medicaid and SNAP and just diverted $943B to repair the jet from Qatar, which is a foreign emoluments clause violation. That's crime in government terms.
I actually don't believe the federal Congress worry about primaries as they are insider trading to the moon. MTG went from a net worth of $700K in 21 to now over $20M.
Re-read that.
So, people need to hear the messaging in their terms but they can't expect the Dems or progressives to have ant shot at producing results on any promises if we can't get to Trump on a forceful VISCERAL level. Down and dirty. Whatever it takes.
I was called liberal Alex Jones for suggesting that Biden use his immunity to stop the 24 election until TRUMP got into court on the two biggest indictments in the county's history. That was at the conservative Bulwark.
My reply was nothing should be off the table. Biden/Harris walked off and that was that.
If the shoe were on the bone spurred foot there would have been no election.
Trump is the biggest security issue we face. He has created a mess of the world's best economy, after the pandemic and he's ruined it, ruined the future, fired all the independece within the government, cut every program and has drug addled morons making decisions.
Did Musk's decisions become problematic as he was HIGH? Do we know if DOGE is a legally created agency who the SCOTUS lifted a stay to give them all of our SSA information when he's HIGH and DOGE what?
RFK, Jr. was a 15 year intravenous heroin user and he's gonna tell me about vaccines and cut funding? He needs a cat scan. He also took so many steroids he can't speak.
Kegsbreath is anxiety riddled and angry. He sweats. Prove he's sober. I believe he is in constant withdrawal.
Would anyone hold who to account if he does more SIGNALGATE crap, drunk?
The Fed papers talk all about the issues as a framework. The BOR and the 27 grievances are all anyone needs to look at.
The SCOTUS needs to learn the new rules. The POTUS, FELON, gets deference, why? His Felon status of not to be trusted? Okay, I disagree.
Ok, rant over. But thank you for your piece. It was inspiring.
There has to be a better way for us to be involved with questions, ideas, without fearing the obvious.
I saw this last night, thank you for this. It's been a long day today, and it's taken me some time to get to the replies. We really need to dig into the real state-level fights where people can still make an impact. I'm 100% with you on the messaging, being "not Trump" is not enough. It has to be visceral, in people's lived terms. I was just at lunch with a friend last week, talking about the kind of commercial I wanted to see.
A man opens a $500 electric bill. Then, tie it back to voting Republican.
A single mom at the grocery store buying a $10 gallon of milk, that's what happens when Republicans let billionaires write the laws.
A young couple is opening an eviction notice while luxury condos rise in the background. Cut to: “Republicans take money from developers. You lose your home.”
You get the gist. I would make those commercials happen if I had the money or the PAC. (Commercial money Gods are you listening?)
I also agree with you on younger voters. They need to be heard, but they also need to listen. Did you know that in Texas, in the 2024 election, more 75+ year olds voted than people under 30? But, the people under 30 still saw an uptick in voting...
Your rant isn't wasted. The point of all this is that people like you do have questions, anger, and ideas. So thank you again for subscribing and sharing this. You’re right:. Nothing should be “off the table” when democracy itself is on the line.
I found this article by Chris Armitage, on The Existential Republic, after I wrote the comment below about the preeminence of state governments in our system. The article is "It's Time for Americans To Start Talking About 'Soft Secession'" It's about 23 Democratic state governors planning to disconnect their wealthy blue states financially, physically, and legally from the federal government.
Yup. Texans were able to rely on the DoJ to enforce the Civil Rights Act since it was signed into law (by a Texan) in 1964. But the DoJ has been gutted and turned into Trump's personal law firm. We're now entering a phase in which Texas Republicans try to consolidate control over state government, permanently, through any means, legal or illegal. If they're successful, they will take us back to 1860 Texas, when blacks, Hispanics, and women had no civil rights. Yes, that contradicts federal law, but without a DoJ and a Supreme Court willing to enforce federal law, it is now possible. This should scare the hell out of every Texan. We have a one-time opportunity to stop their consolidation of power in the big wave of economic catastrophe, stagflation, that is about to roll over America, courtesy of the WH. MAGA is going to finally be waking up to the fact that Trump is impoverishing them. Working class people living paycheck to paycheck will not be able to afford essentials. Supplies of goods will be thin, and unlike in the pandemic, there will be food shortages. Rural Texans have been screwed by school vouchers and their businesses are under threat from mass deportations. Middle class small business owners are getting crushed by tariffs. Democrats must do everything within their power to sell a message of economic populism to Texans. We must take back the legislature and the Governor's mansion.
Proud to see my rep on the list of those who did not return to Texas. That is all. And my rep will have my vote—again.
I don't know the path out of this, but I appreciate Michelle's perspective. Because even the Texas Tribune's reporting is milquetoast. Witness the summary on the lead story this morning: "Republican lawmakers are pursuing the unusual mid-decade redistricting plan amid pressure from President Donald Trump to protect the GOP’s slim majority in the U.S. House."
*Unusual*, my eye. Better to ditch adjectives entirely than go with something that downplays the intent behind the move. "Partisan," "Republican," or "MAGA" would be more accurate modifiers than "unusual."
If wish, and have asked MD to turn her eye to the completely dysfunctional Tarrant County Democratic Party, her home party.........if we controlled TC there would not be these issues in Austin
Good stuff. I am now highly addicted to your reporting, Michelle. It gives me a sense of control over these events. Thank you for answering every little question in my mind which is not being reported in regular media about the current situation, especially the list of people who stayed in Chicago.
I agree with you Michelle, centrism doesn't work and Democracy is something that I'm not willing to give up as enter my 70's (also about the time that I became politically active & campaigned for Cissy Farenthold for governor). There has to be a profound difference with the extremist Right and the progressive Left in order for people to sit up & pay attention, then VOTE!
Lone Star Left bangs the drum for democracy and antifascism! Bravo! You have guts and moxie!!! So encouraging, too!
Exactly right. It is essential that we recover control of Texas state government. In the US, states are our primary governmental entities. The US is unique in that in our process of decolonialization, our state governments preceded our united nation, and states rights are explicitly protected in the Constitution. In Massachusetts, recorded state government history begins in Plymouth Colony, 400 years ago. The state of Virginia also arose from it's British colonies at the same time. Similarly, land owning families have been living in South Texas for over 400 years, and participated in the creation of the state of Texas. Now, the federal government has been decapitated, and is currently being transformed into a militarized surveillance state for the purpose of state repression. Whether violent repression of Americans, is even possible is questionable, considering that the federal military is not aligned with the fascist political leadership in the WH. But, the fact is that our federal government has been taken over by violent revolutionaries and organized criminals. In the US, the federal government may fall, and still leave the state governments intact and functioning, and in control of elections. We must rely on our Democratic party controlled governments in blue states for leadership, and in Texas and the other Republican controlled states, it is essential that state government be taken back. The time for party politics is over. Americans are at war, and we need to act like it. Any Texas Democrat who won't, or can't, fight for Texans, and for our nation, needs to go.
Your Truth….. Facts….. Realness helps us to be better voters. People need to know the people they helped get into office are representing them. If the Congress person learns they can do their job. Maybe they should someone else run. I don’t mean to be cold. Many great leaders have sacrificed their life’s for the people. If you are not going to give 110%. Step aside. Let someone else run. If you can give 110% Run For Something! It isn’t a job for everyone. It’s a job for those with courage, time and sacrifice to work for The People! 🙏🏼
Thank you for the list of representatives that are boycotting the second special session. Houston CBS station KHOU aired a story last night that implied that Cristina (not Christian) Morales HD 145 was one of the few local Democratic representatives that had continued to boycott the session, totally ignoring the others, even Jolanda! I’m still angry.
Some of them who were out Monday came back today.
Wow, I subscribed because of this post. Best post I've in read in a long time.
I'm in WI but share the same feelings of to do or not to do.
SubStack authors need to be as forthright, as possible, not only with the facts, as many of us know them, but specific state issues and how they work, the question at the beginning was fabulous, any suggestions for others to get into the fight with answers to where to send correspondence securely, what is said is "talk to people", "join a protest" well I got news for that news.
If, like so many people, you can't or it isn't appropriate, my question is where the heck was everyone for four years planning for action from those with a platform or law license to help us know?
I have questions.
Who thinks Robert's immunity ruling was not under his authority to do so. Their is no precedent, none, he states in his first page of his syllabus, this is the first case in the country's 250 year history, and their is no history in the Fed Papers, indicating that the analysis that Roberts did and was so absent so many comparisons to today versus 250 years ago and it's incomplete in its lack of strength for it to hold down the road.
Is he camp living constitution or camp non-living constitution/common law? Can't be both when there is nothing but an analysis that was about 300 pages short.
Linguistics, what other qualities, other than vigor and energy, did Hamilton use, what does Fed 77 say about prosecution, 250 years ago men, as faulty as they were, believed in their reputation, however, Roberts put criminal immunity in the hands of a non-trustworthy FELON. The Founders were big on trust. We the People are to trust in our elected officials.
We may not agree, we may not like, but authoritarian rule was not even close, unless every voter read all 1000 Heritage pages, and Roberts took our power away as he took the knowledge of a guilty or innocent verdict away from the voters to essentially influence the 24 election after, the FELON, was just convicted of 34 felony counts that led to election interference.
Policy isn't a mandate unless you're following what was campaigned on. I opine he did nothing to campaign on what is actually happening.
He didn't have the popular vote.
But did the SCOTUS add an amendment or a statute? Civil immunity is a completely different animal or everyone would sue for tort.
This is out of control and has no excuse to even have had the paper wasted to write it.
A FELON.
A FELON with no remorse. A FELON who is investigating those that convicted him of his crimes. A FELON, PERIOD.
A FELON who takes no responsibility. He owes us that as does the SCOTUS as they both are breaching their fiduciary duties to us through the CONSTITUTIONAL violations being allowed.
A FELON who is crime-ing with glee and what am I to do?
Write a pro se suit for breach of fiduciary duty to the SCOTUS? For no authority to add a criminal immunity amendment or statute?
This can and should be tackled and we don't need a new amendment as the ruling is plagued with errors and is incomplete, again, I opine.
We also must talk about messaging not being as important as getting the fascist, anti-racist, Christian Nationalists, out of the government or we will never get to have a message.
Young voters aren't being heard any more than they need to listen.
Okay, pre-2024 I got told I'm not going to be bullied into voting for this or that, or I don't care if he's a racist or rapist I need my grocery bills lowered.
Okay, how are the grocery bills today? How will the Healthcare affect you in late 2026 when the OBBB's changes will start?
Got any mental health issues? Kid with ADHD, you with depression or anxiety, he rolled back the Mental Health Parity Law, signed by Biden. Employer insurance no longer has to cover mental health like physical health. It isn't just old people.
Young people need to listen and ask and understand before anything else. They'll get their turn. If they don't listen they never will be able to be heard, nor will their future kids, and their kids, etc.
TRUMP can't GOVERN. People who can GOVERN, CAN GOVERN themselves. Do FELONS govern themselves? Mostly, NO.
He was known for his cheap credit because he did nothing the first two years, in 1.0, had a sluggish GDP, with BOTH CHAMBERS, but passed the Tax reduction and jobs Act that now is permanent and isn't going to help working families.
He had the same fed funding rate he got when Obama passed the torch. Then the pandemic hit and the fed funding rate went back down to ZERO, in emergency fashion, that isn't sustainable, and that's why he is looked at as the economy guy. He's not.
He cut $880B in Medicaid and SNAP and just diverted $943B to repair the jet from Qatar, which is a foreign emoluments clause violation. That's crime in government terms.
I actually don't believe the federal Congress worry about primaries as they are insider trading to the moon. MTG went from a net worth of $700K in 21 to now over $20M.
Re-read that.
So, people need to hear the messaging in their terms but they can't expect the Dems or progressives to have ant shot at producing results on any promises if we can't get to Trump on a forceful VISCERAL level. Down and dirty. Whatever it takes.
I was called liberal Alex Jones for suggesting that Biden use his immunity to stop the 24 election until TRUMP got into court on the two biggest indictments in the county's history. That was at the conservative Bulwark.
My reply was nothing should be off the table. Biden/Harris walked off and that was that.
If the shoe were on the bone spurred foot there would have been no election.
Trump is the biggest security issue we face. He has created a mess of the world's best economy, after the pandemic and he's ruined it, ruined the future, fired all the independece within the government, cut every program and has drug addled morons making decisions.
Did Musk's decisions become problematic as he was HIGH? Do we know if DOGE is a legally created agency who the SCOTUS lifted a stay to give them all of our SSA information when he's HIGH and DOGE what?
RFK, Jr. was a 15 year intravenous heroin user and he's gonna tell me about vaccines and cut funding? He needs a cat scan. He also took so many steroids he can't speak.
Kegsbreath is anxiety riddled and angry. He sweats. Prove he's sober. I believe he is in constant withdrawal.
Would anyone hold who to account if he does more SIGNALGATE crap, drunk?
The Fed papers talk all about the issues as a framework. The BOR and the 27 grievances are all anyone needs to look at.
The SCOTUS needs to learn the new rules. The POTUS, FELON, gets deference, why? His Felon status of not to be trusted? Okay, I disagree.
Ok, rant over. But thank you for your piece. It was inspiring.
There has to be a better way for us to be involved with questions, ideas, without fearing the obvious.
Again, thank you.
I saw this last night, thank you for this. It's been a long day today, and it's taken me some time to get to the replies. We really need to dig into the real state-level fights where people can still make an impact. I'm 100% with you on the messaging, being "not Trump" is not enough. It has to be visceral, in people's lived terms. I was just at lunch with a friend last week, talking about the kind of commercial I wanted to see.
A man opens a $500 electric bill. Then, tie it back to voting Republican.
A single mom at the grocery store buying a $10 gallon of milk, that's what happens when Republicans let billionaires write the laws.
A young couple is opening an eviction notice while luxury condos rise in the background. Cut to: “Republicans take money from developers. You lose your home.”
You get the gist. I would make those commercials happen if I had the money or the PAC. (Commercial money Gods are you listening?)
I also agree with you on younger voters. They need to be heard, but they also need to listen. Did you know that in Texas, in the 2024 election, more 75+ year olds voted than people under 30? But, the people under 30 still saw an uptick in voting...
Your rant isn't wasted. The point of all this is that people like you do have questions, anger, and ideas. So thank you again for subscribing and sharing this. You’re right:. Nothing should be “off the table” when democracy itself is on the line.
Meanwhile, I expect more counties to join Tarrant
https://fortworthreport.org/2025/08/19/tarrant-county-commissioners-cut-100-plus-polling-sites-reduce-early-voting-locations/
We will see the effects in March. Then November.
There are a lot of people, not just the local party, working very hard in Tarrant County right now. They're fired up.
I found this article by Chris Armitage, on The Existential Republic, after I wrote the comment below about the preeminence of state governments in our system. The article is "It's Time for Americans To Start Talking About 'Soft Secession'" It's about 23 Democratic state governors planning to disconnect their wealthy blue states financially, physically, and legally from the federal government.
https://substack.com/home/post/p-171298952
As a Democrat in a red state, this scares me.
Yup. Texans were able to rely on the DoJ to enforce the Civil Rights Act since it was signed into law (by a Texan) in 1964. But the DoJ has been gutted and turned into Trump's personal law firm. We're now entering a phase in which Texas Republicans try to consolidate control over state government, permanently, through any means, legal or illegal. If they're successful, they will take us back to 1860 Texas, when blacks, Hispanics, and women had no civil rights. Yes, that contradicts federal law, but without a DoJ and a Supreme Court willing to enforce federal law, it is now possible. This should scare the hell out of every Texan. We have a one-time opportunity to stop their consolidation of power in the big wave of economic catastrophe, stagflation, that is about to roll over America, courtesy of the WH. MAGA is going to finally be waking up to the fact that Trump is impoverishing them. Working class people living paycheck to paycheck will not be able to afford essentials. Supplies of goods will be thin, and unlike in the pandemic, there will be food shortages. Rural Texans have been screwed by school vouchers and their businesses are under threat from mass deportations. Middle class small business owners are getting crushed by tariffs. Democrats must do everything within their power to sell a message of economic populism to Texans. We must take back the legislature and the Governor's mansion.
I'm trying to lead the horse to water.
Dem supporters. Know who and what you are supporting! We need more of this…..
https://substack.com/@etiennerosas
Proud to see my rep on the list of those who did not return to Texas. That is all. And my rep will have my vote—again.
I don't know the path out of this, but I appreciate Michelle's perspective. Because even the Texas Tribune's reporting is milquetoast. Witness the summary on the lead story this morning: "Republican lawmakers are pursuing the unusual mid-decade redistricting plan amid pressure from President Donald Trump to protect the GOP’s slim majority in the U.S. House."
*Unusual*, my eye. Better to ditch adjectives entirely than go with something that downplays the intent behind the move. "Partisan," "Republican," or "MAGA" would be more accurate modifiers than "unusual."
If wish, and have asked MD to turn her eye to the completely dysfunctional Tarrant County Democratic Party, her home party.........if we controlled TC there would not be these issues in Austin
here's hoping
Thank you so much for this one, Michelle. I'm late to the party due to an appt. Heading over to share right now.
As Trump lies about 2026 in order to disrupt the actual voters to the polls election
he tells a whopper; "No other country in the world allows mail-in elections"
every county party and pct chair and poll mail out the counter NOW and thru 2026
ITS A LIE......ITS A LIE.....
i have slim to no hope Tarrant Dems and Allsion Campolo will do this, nor if MD will call them out
Our County Party, Tarrant, and its Chair, Allison Campolo, failed to advised us on in any way, shape or form on this vote
Tehy didn't advice that is was on the agenda, that a vote was imminent, or that we could attend the hearing and proterst.
Now that the votes is cast, we removed 150 polling places......guess where from
'
With only 100 in the audience its doubtful anyone from TCDP attended.
Democracy dying without a whimper from poltical leadership in TC.
"Tarrant County approves sharp reduction in polling locations amid outcry during public meeting"-WFAA
I was informed.