MOMocrats: Recent Episodes
MOMocrats
MOMocrats.com was launched in September 2007 as a national collaborative blog for progressive mom bloggers to write about politics from a mom's perspective.
Karoli, Aliza, and Donna talked about yesterday’s stunning passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act - and the very bad, terrible, no good week experienced by the President.
Also on today’s agenda were the agony of buying healthcare insurance without expanded subsidies, “the affordability,” Lindsey Halligan’s absolute bungling of the Comey indictment, and more.
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Last week's post election celebration is a faded memory.
Among the MOMocrats topics today were the end of the shutdown, the future of ACA subsidies, those Epstein files released this morning… and that awful Ross Douthat piece in the NYT and Vanity Fair response. And we learned a new word for those new maps in Texas: Dummymandering.
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It was a dire week (which is something the MOMocrats have been saying a lot). Donna, Karoli, and Aliza talked about the fallout from the murder of Charlie Kirk (and Jimmy Kimmel is just the latest high profile victim of the new McCarthyism).
They also touched upon the regime’s attack on the University of California and crazy $15 billion lawsuit against the New York Times, the raucous welcome the President received when he arrived in the UK last night, and how Congressional Democrats have performed this week in hearings with Kash Patel and former CDC head Susan Monarez.
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The MOMocrats prepared a long list of political news to talk about today, which did not include any mention of Charlie Kirk. But once again, everything changed in an instant, thanks to a person with a firearm - and the discussion on gun violence in the US continues.
Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills also touched upon the Epstein birthday book and the New York Times expose on his business relationship with JP Morgan, that terrible SCOTUS ruling that allows ICE to ignore the 4th Amendment in Los Angeles, Trump's problems dining out in public, and upcoming protests.
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If we were living through normal times, the month of August would have been relatively quiet. Instead, we got ICE raids and economic jolts, amid National Guard deployments to American cities and mid-cycle gerrymandering. Not to mention the Epstein saga.
And now that Congress is back in session, the chaos is about to go into high gear.
Right now, everyone's eyes are on the saga of the Epstein files (for very good reasons). But Congress has a looming deadline of September 30 to fund the government, and that sparked a lively discussion on Democratic strategy between MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills.
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The MOMocrats ask: Has there ever been a summer that's gone by so quickly? (And now that it's ending, does that mean that the pace of crazy is just going to accelerate FASTER?)
Among the topics covered by Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills this week are: the latest mass school shooting in Minnesota (which literally occurred while the victims were attending mass), the current chaos at the CDC, the upcoming budget battle, , as well as Labor Day demonstration opportunities. They also offer congratulations to new Iowa State Senator Catelin Drey and newly engaged Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.
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The regime has sent the military into the nation's capital, proving that this summer's occupation of Los Angeles was only a dress rehearsal for the regime's plans to invade other American cities (in Blue states). But even more disheartening has been the acceleration of Project 2025's efforts to erase our history and change our culture: a new head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics who doesn't seem to understand statistics... an overhaul of all the exhibits at the Smithsonian, to ensure that they reflect the President's "interpretation of history"... and a 4th of July cage match on the White House lawn.
Thank goodness for the Texas Democrats whose visible fight against the regime's quest to rig the next election has spread to the Blue states... and California Governor Gavin Newsom's epic trolling of Dear Leader - who MOMocrat Aliza Worthington points out is very, very weak (for myriad reasons besides what's likely in the Epstein files). Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills join in.
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This week, Trump ordered a new census based on 2024 numbers - and excluding non-citizens.
“Why is it that newspapers cannot say it’s unconstitutional?,: grouses MOMocrat Karoli. And when she pointed out on social media that this latest EO was unconstitutional, someone came back at her with “Who’s going to stop him?”
Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about why this kind of fatalistic thinking needs to stop - and in the course of that discussion, they cover how Democrats are fighting the Texas gerrymander, GOP stonewalling on Epstein, tariffs, ill-advised additions to the White House, and the rest of the spaghetti getting thrown to the wall so we might not notice how unpopular this regime is.
Just don't ever ask us "Who's gonna stop him?"
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Will Trump pardon convicted child abuser and known perjurer Ghislaine Maxwell in return for her “exonerating” him? Where’s the missing footage from that “raw” recording Bondi released? And will the Wall Street Journal continue to release bombshells from the Epstein files, which Trump claims would be devastating to Democrats? ( but if that was true, he would have released them without hesitation).
MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills welcomed back Aliza Worthington this week to talk about the latest Epstein developments, as well as the newest judge on the Court of Appeals, the outrageous new Texas gerrymander (and how blue states like New York and Illinois will respond), the Big Ugly Bill's backdoor ploy to privatize Social Security, and Kamala's announcement she will not run for California governor.
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TThe regime is flailing in its attempts to keep Donald Trump's real history with Jeffrey Epstein - and MOMocrats are all in.
Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills also talked about that Hunter Biden interview, that brutal South Park episode (on the heels of the Skydance-Paramount merger), and how the Supreme Court continues to allow Trump to usurp the powers of the other two branches.
But the talk kept coming back to Epstein, what the DOJ might be cooking up with his convicted accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, and how recessing the House for the next six weeks isn't likely to make it stop.
Can the crack this has put in the GOP's MAGA/QAnon base benefit Democratic prospects in 2026? At the moment - with their approval ratings in the toilet - that looks likely.
"My message to Democrats is, if you get back in power, if you have the trifecta, you damned well better expand the Court," says Karoli.
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We're not gonna lie: The last six months have been grim, and the regime’s rapid theft and consolidation of power from the other branches of government continues apace. We did not like waking up to the news that the Senate passed the rescission package (giving Trump legal authority to defund $8 billion in previously appropriated funds for foreign aid - and public broadcasting).
So yes: MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills are eager to sit back and enjoy watching Trump lose control of the narrative over Jeffrey Epstein. And for once, we agree with MAGA: release the client list, and if there’s a case to prosecute some sexual predators, let ‘er rip - no matter who.
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One week after the floods that killed over 100 people in Texas, the tragedy in ongoing. People are wondering how much DOGE’s cuts to the National Weather Service and NOAA factored into it. Journalist Marisa Kabas has reported that as of Monday, only 86 FEMA employees were on the ground in Texas (they usually deploy hundreds of people to disaster zones like this).
In the meantime, $450 million from FEMA’s budget has been allocated to that concentration camp in the swamps of Florida. And Trump’s big, ugly budget bill allocates billions to expand ICE and build more “detention centers” throughout the country.
ICE continues to terrorize immigrant communities, kidnapping law-abiding parents, gardeners, day laborers, and others who just happen to have brown skin (including US citizens).
MOMocrats Aliza Worthington and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss in this week’s podcast.
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Saturday night was interrupted by the Trump regime announcing that the United States had answered Israel's pleas by sending American pilots to drop 14 "bunker buster" bombs on Iranian targets. If you're getting flashbacks of Iraq in 2003, you're not alone. After all, this is yet another unconstitutional, undeclared war based on - as independent journalist Judd Legum puts it - "manipulated events."
And the legacy media is lapping it up. Karoli calls it "war porn," and that's pretty much all we're getting from cable news - while troops are still stationed in Los Angeles, DHS is sending armies of masked secret police around the country to abduct and imprison hard-working, tax-paying residents for the crime of being brown, we're still under threat of losing Medicaid, SNAP, and any semblance of a strong economy... and Trump is setting up one of his most craven cronies to be in line for a nomination to the Supreme Court.
It's a lot. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss.
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Amid the military occupation of the nation's second largest city (and threats to take over others), the jubilation of the largest US protests since the civil rights era, a flop of a parade in DC, ICE goons wreaking havoc throughout the country, bogus arrests of Democratic lawmakers, the political assassination of a respected lawmaker in Minnesota, and the threat of causing World War III...
...it's easy to forget that this is the time of year when the "conservatives" on the Supreme Court decide to make American lives even worse. And that's exactly what they did yesterday with their ruling in United States vs. Skrmetti, upholding Tennessee's law that denies gender-affirming care for minors (hey, this is NOT just gonna harm trans kids, although that seems to be the point.) MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills have a few things to say about that and much of the other turmoil this week.
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In violation of Federal law and without justification, Trump has ordered Federal troops into Los Angeles... to quell a conflict that was started by HIS OWN Department of Homeland Security.
And it gets worse by the minute. At Kristi Noem's press conference today, her goons forcibly removed and handcuffed a sitting US Senator who merely wanted to ask her a couple of questions. And the Republicans are blaming Senator Padilla for the incident.
.MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about the attempted fascist takeover of the nation's second largest city. And why it must fail.
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Every week since the start of Trump 2.0 has been dreadful - but MOMocrats Aliza Worthington and Donna Schwartz Mills found this one to be truly bonkers. In fact, there were SO many issues that begged discussion that this week's podcast could easily go three times its usual hour period.
So Donna and Aliza decided to try and have a little fun with it: They assigned numbers to the top 10 and brought out the old spinner wheel to pick the ones they would talk about this week. So they covered Gun Prevention Month AND Pride Month (and the way the regime chooses to "honor" those), our new surveillance state, and how we just learned from Senator Joni Ernst that we're all gonna die.
Along the way, they also discussed the terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado, the regime's dangerous choice of people to pardon, and Pete Hegseth's crusade to make the military white and male.
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"Trump has a new nickname," laughed Karoli during this week's podcast. "And it’s disgraceful to tacos, but it’s TACO, which is “Trump Always Chickens Out.” So it’s TACO - all caps - do not do lower case. Because that’s good stuff. Good tacos."
The ruling from the U.S. Court of International Trade on the illegality of the tariffs came down while the MOMocrats were recording this episode, so Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills did NOT address Trump's latest very "yuge" legal defeat.
They still had much to talk about, simply focusing on the way this president in his second term is brazenly enriching himself while supposedly serving the American people. ("It's the corruption, stupid.")
As Aliza points out, "We just skipped right over the fact that he’s president and still operating a business. We skipped right over that! Like, is that a norm now? Like, we just accept that - with Trump - the thing that no other president has ever done, and the thing that we’ve demanded of every single other president, which is to divest yourself of your personal business holdings - we just skipped right over that, and we don’t make Trump do that."
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Spike Dolomite is an artist, an advocate, and a fierce and funny writer. We’ve known her since the Obama years, when she was a contributor to the MOMocrats 1.0 group blog. And when she told us she had written a book, we knew we wanted to interview her.
We intended to drop this interview into the second half-hour of last week's podcast. But the pace at which the new regime is authoritarianizing America is so fast and furious, we spent the entire hour yakking about it. So decided to send this one out as a standalone bonus episode.
Donna Schwartz Mills described Spike's book - which summarizes this president's first administration - as a "depressing read." This lively interview is anything but that.
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Karoli nailed it this week when she proclaimed the coming season as the Summer of Stupid. The antics coming out of the White House on Wednesday proved it, with the president holding one of his embarrassing head of state ambushes on South African President Cyril Ramaphosa... and the US government officially accepting that ridiculous Qatari plane.
There was a lot more stupid to discuss, and Aliza Worthington and Donna Schwartz Mills joined in with Karoli to talk about it.
Alas, the stupidest thing of all occurred in the middle of the night, after the MOMocrats recorded this week's podcast: the House approved its Big Ugly Bill by one vote, which will cut over one billion dollars from Medicaid, SNAP, and Medicare (yes, $500 million from Medicare! Explained in the podcast). Action now moves to the Senate.
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This week, MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills wanted to vent over that $400-million flying palace which the Qatari royal family is offering as a personal "gift" to Dear Leader.
And vent they did. The blatant corruption of Trump 2.0 would be comical if this was fiction. And this deal with Qatar smells so bad that it has crossed a line some MAGA supporters - and even Chuck Schumer, who is finally putting a hold on DOJ nominees (like - what took him so long?).
But the issue that is most important right now is the "big, beautiful bill" that Speaker Mike Johnson is attempting to pass before Memorial Day. This bill would:
- Cut $715 billion from Medicaid and
*Take away health coverage from at least 8 million Americans,
- All to pay for billionaire tax cuts that will cost $5 trillion.
The MOMocrats had some choice words on Johnson's claim that "able-bodied young men with jobs" don't need Medicaid. Other topics this week include the arrest of NJ Mayor Ras Baraka at ICE facility protest and more Gestapo tactics from DHS, and what Ed Martin is going to be doing for the government now that Judge BoxOWine is the new interim DC US Attorney.
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The good news is that the Ed Martin nomination for DC US Attorney appears to be dead. The bad news is that Donny Two Dolls is only a tad over 100 days into his four-year term and has already done irreparable damage to the nation's economy and world standing... and continues to attack our very democracy.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about how wearisome it is to follow a regime that is destroying everything, everywhere, all at once... and how we need to fight it the same way.
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Everyone and his brother has been opining on Trump’s first 100 days and the general consensus is… they have not been good. (DUH!)
And yes, MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills also weighed in on this week’s podcast. A little bit. Because they felt it was more important to remind folks (including themselves!) of how OUR calls, and letters, and town halls, and protests have led the people who we think of as our leaders to grow a spine and actually start to lead.
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"We should never stop talking about Signalgate," says Karoli of the MOMocrats. And we likely never will, because the insecure chat between Trump administration national security (!) officials that inadvertently included a journalist was not a one-off. And the Fox News Defense Secretary is so incompetent and his "management" is so chaotic that the Pentagon is leaking like the Titanic.
Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills note that Kilmar Abrego Garcia is STILL languishing in a Salvadoran prison (albeit a different one after his meeting with Senator Chris Van Hollen). The good news is that Americans are fighting back against the regime's assault on our fundamental rights - and we are winning some battles.
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There is no issue more important than the regime's "administrative error" resulting in an innocent man's forced rendition to a foreign gulag - except the mass expulsion of all 250 immigrants without due process. And Trump's wish to do the same for "homegrowns" - US citizens who displease our "dictator from Day 1."
"Kilmar Abrego Garcia is all of us," say MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills.
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Donald Trump declared April 2 his “liberation day,” when he chose to announce how extensive across-the-board tariffs would be to the world.
But it’s Democrats and other anti-MAGA people who are felt liberated on Wednesday, thanks to this week’s events:
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Cory Booker’s history-making speech on the Senate floor, which demonstrated some of the leadership and fight that people have been clamoring for…
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Justice Susan Crawford’s landslide victory over a candidate backed by Elon Musk in the nation’s most expensive state Supreme Court election ever. Are we feeling “liberated” today?
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There have been twice as many anti-autocracy protests across the country than there were at this point during Trump's first term. And over 400,000 people have indicated they will be attending the nationwide Hands Off events this weekend.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss.
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Political news moves at the speed of light these days - so the fact that Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg’s account of that Signal chat is still dominating the discussion is an indication of exactly how damaging it is.
And the fact that - as of this writing - none of those involved have resigned is yet another reminder of this Administration’s willful incompetence and disregard for the safety of the American people.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills spent a lively hour discussing the most outrageous security breach in the nation’s history - as well as the organized opposition that is finally stirring among the leaders of the Democrats.
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Yes, last week's vote on the Continuing Resolution feels like it was a decade ago - but we will be living with the fallout from it for the next six months. At least. And the anger over how the vote went down is fueling the grassroots at Democratic town halls as well as the ones in red districts.
MOMocrat Karoli says that at the very least, we need to continue speaking out to pressure Congress to "do better. So Chuck Schumer has an option. If we’re all yelling at him, he can do better. And then we won’t want new leadership, right? But if he doesn’t do better, then we need somebody who will." Aliza Worthington and Donna Schwartz Mills join in on the discussion.
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As MOMocrats Aliza Worthington and Donna Schwartz Mills recorded this week's MOMochat podcast, Chuck Schumer announced that the Republicans did not have the votes to pass the continuing resolution that would keep the government funded. It appeared that all the phone calls and emails from the activist base had struck a nerve, and that the Senate Democrats were hanging tight against a bad bill that would officially give up the legislature's power of the purse.
After they recorded the episode, some journalists reported that Schumer's announcement was a form of "kabuki theater," produced because some Democrats fear being blamed if a shutdown occurs. Since then, several Senators have announced that they will not support the CR... and several others have not made their decision public. The vote is on Friday.
Donna and Aliza also talked about the plummeting stock market, the disturbing First Amendment violations against Mahmoud Khalil, and the spectacle of the President of the United States selling cars from the White House lawn.
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The winner of this week's "Not a State of the Union" address was Representative Al Green, who reminded us all of what it means to get into Good Trouble. [Note that since this episode was recorded, the House voted to censure Rep. Green for a lesser disruption than the ones created by Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene during the Biden speeches. And ten Democrats voted for censure along with the Republicans. 🤬]
Runners-up were those who did not bother to watch the 100-minute cavalcade of hate and lies. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the Democrats' participation in this ritual while our very democracy is being destroyed by the President and his cronies.
Also: how some of our Democratic leaders may want to think twice about sending out fundraising messages following a speech when we are not seeing much in the way of leadership from them. (Whatever they may be doing behind the scenes is appreciated, but we need to SEE and HEAR them FIGHT BACK.)
The MOMocrats talked about the humiliating spectacle (for the United States) staged by Trump and Vance when they met with in the Oval Office last week, and reported back on what they saw at last weekend's local Tesla Takedown protest.
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The MOMocrats have been very busy doing lots of busy things this week - most of which involved cursing PINO (President in Name Only) and his boss, Elon Musk. And the entire authoritarian transformation that the Republicans are inflicting on the nation.
Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills welcome special guest Fran Langum of The Professional Left podcast.
"Right now what our job is is to just be fighting like as hard as we can," says Karoli. "And that’s why I’ve been hard on Democrats but I just would like to say - just to kind of go on a different tangent for a second, I would like to thank all of the Democrats in the House of Representatives who walked over rocks to be there for this budget vote. Even though they knew they were going to lose the vote. Because they’re in the minority. They knew that if he could pull his Republicans together they’d lose - they still came."
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The MOMocrats are very excited that America now has a Gulf, and are looking forward to the acquisition of Red, White, and Blueland. We also note that the new Chairman of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts can teach us all a thing or two about ... being performative.
Like in that Oval Office press event that was dominated by Elon Musk and his four-year-old son, "Lil X."
“I feel like he’s totally checked out,” says Aliza Worthington of the president.
Aliza, Karoli, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the blitzkrieg of actions, Federal department invasions, terrible appointments and -- just plain silliness contained in the firehose of crap we've all been subjected to over the last three weeks. And they have a few words for the unnamed Democrats that Axios quoted as being "pissed" at the wave of pushback they are getting from the grassroots.
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Remember how frustrated the MOMocrats were last week at weak response Democratic legislators were mounting against the Musk-Trump blitzkrieg of chaos and lawlessness?
Karoli, Aliza, and Donna were not alone. The nation was paying attention as the DOGE cybervandals invaded department after department in Washington, accessing citizens' private data. Calls from concerned citizens to their representatives turned into organized pressure campaigns and our leaders seemed to find their voice. Democratic members of Congress were turned away from the DOGE-commandeered offices of USAID on Monday. On Tuesday, they were joined by thousands of citizens in front of the Treasury. On Wednesday, on organic protest movement demonstrated at the capitols of all 50 states, while groups from Indivisible showed up in person at their Senators' offices. And yesterday, Senate Democrats announced that they would use the procedural tools at their disposal to slow down the steady confirmations of terrible Trump cabinet nominees.
The MOMocrats talk about this change, plus tariffs, "Gazalago," Marco Rubio's MAGA turn, and more.
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The Right has been squawking about reducing the size of the Federal government for decades ("I simply want to reduce it to the size where I can drag it into the bathroom and drown it in the bathtub.")
For the last 11 days, President Musk and his elderly companion have been attempting to do just that, Twitter style. Grandpa gets the headlines for abruptly freezing all discretionary Federal spending and illegally firing Inspector Generals and other officials who are tasked with making government run smoothly (and rooting out corruption). And just to torture the country a little more, these moves keep occurring in the middle of the night.
The problem is: the Federal government is not a business. It cannot be run like one, and we certainly shouldn't be using Xitter as a model. Radically reducing the government workforce can have deadly consequences.
We're not saying that inducing the head of the FAA to resign on January 20, withholding funds, and harassing the rest of the workforce is the reason for Wednesday's deadly midair collision at National Airport -- but it can't have helped.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills try to tackle a little of this week's chaos, which included Washington's newest reality show, "Are You Incompetent Enough to Be In Trump's Cabinet?" And a discussion on whether the loyal opposition is putting up enough of a fight (they started to show some life this week - but is it enough?)
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Behold our new era of chaos and revenge! MOMocrats Aliza and Donna welcome Red Painter from CrooksAndLiars.com to chat about the first few days. And while the blizzard of new executive orders and terrible appointments and policies are worthy of discussion, the nation got its first big taste of pushback this week at a national prayer ceremony, when Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde attempted to remind the new/old president that the people he scapegoats are human beings. That went over about as well as you'd expect.
The MOMocrats got to just a fraction of the topics on this week's outline (which stretched to 3 single-spaced pages). Among the ones they did touch upon were immigration and ICE raids, the elimination of civil rights standards that have been in place for 60 years, the end of a global era that has lasted 80 years, the new "Gulf of America," and the price of eggs - which continues to rise since Inauguration Day.
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The fires in Los Angeles delayed the MOMocrats' first chat session of the year, but they're back this week with something to say about the firehose of MAGA nominees being vetted in the Senate. Other topics Aliza Worthington and Donna Schwartz Mills also touched upon include the power of grassroots organizing, changes at MSNBC, and the Israel-Hamas ceasefire that was announced just before recording began.
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MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills try to get into the holiday spirit on their final podcast of the year, but - as Karoli puts it: President Musk said we can’t have a continuing resolution to keep the government open and “he looked over at Vice President Trump and said, ‘you can’t have that either.’ And so now we’re going to hurtle into a government shutdown.”
Once again, the MOMocrats lament the decision of many Democratic leaders to act as if this is politics as usual, "Nobody cares how bipartisan you are."
People disengage because they need to live their lives. And there’s NO REASON to engage if Democrats are talking about how they are going to compromise. And then WE LOSE ENTHUSIASM.
We NEED a Democratic leader who will step up and be a real shadow President. It could be Kamala Harris. But if it turns out to be Gavin Newsom, Gretchen Whitmer, or another tough leader, that's OK. But we need it NOW.
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“Where is Kamala? She lost the election and she fades back into Vice President land?” The MOMocrats are disappointed that at a time when we need our leaders to LEAD us through what will be a very dark time, we’re not seeing many who are answering the call.
The MOMocrats also present an array of alternate news and information resources to check out - especially if you’ve recently let go of some of your old stand-by legacy media
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Chuck Schumer thinks the American people want the Dems to be bipartisan.
"No we effing don’t," say MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills. Remember when Mitch McConnell vowed to make Barack Obama a one-term president? The minority GOP legislature set about to obstruct EVERYTHING. And then in 2010, they shellacked the Democrats. The MOMocrats want to see our Democratic leaders FIGHT. That's what we elected them to do. Part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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The MOMocrats are frustrated by Democratic Senators and Congresspeople who are signaling openness to 47's cabinet picks: STOP. "This is not a time for comity," say Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills. What the 49.5% of the electorate who voted against the Republican would like to see is some fight from our elected officials - especially since the legacy media all seem to be hastening tyranny by obeying in advance. MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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As the clown car cabinet takes shape, MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza, and Donna talk about the uncalled House races, the Senate, and moving forward. Part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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The election is over and it's not the outcome we wanted. The MOMocrats talk about the campaign, Kamala's inspirational and defiant concession speech, and what's next.
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In the 2024 campaign's closing days, both candidates held rallies that were meant to remind Americans of past political events: Kamala Harris drew more than 75,000 people to the Ellipse, where she worked to erase the memory of January 6 with a vision for a caring America ... while Donald Trump held a hatefest in New York on the site of a 1939 Nazi rally. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills have one final discussion before the final votes are cast on November 5. Part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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Kamala Harris, Tim Walz, and their surrogates have had their pedal to the metal this week, as they criss-cross the country making the case to vote them in as the next President and Vice President of the United States. In the meantime, Donald Trump has been cancelling appearances (due to "exhaustion"), cos-playing McDonald's fry cook, and attacking his former Chief of Staff and retired four-star general John Kelly, who went public this week with the news that Trump is a Hitler-admiring fascist who has no business going anywhere near the Oval Office ever again. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about the state of the campaign 12 days out from Election Day. Part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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We're in the election's home stretch, and the early vote is breaking records. The Harris campaign is blitzing through the media, Democratic enthusiasm is through the roof, and Donald Trump appears to be sundowning before our eyes. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about where we are and why maybe it's time to stop paying attention to the polls and just keep on working to elect Democrats. Part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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November 5 is less than four weeks away, and the Harris-Walz campaign has shifted into high gear, blitzing the media with appearances on 60 Minutes, Jimmy Kimmel, the View, Howard Stern, Univision and podcast Call Her Daddy. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the campaign, its incredible energy, and weirdly close polling numbers. They also talk about this year's deadly hurricane season, with Milton barreling into Florida this evening. MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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Today's episode was recorded prior to the news that Liz is not the only Cheney voting for Kamala Harris - or that the former Congresswoman will be campaigning in Texas for Colin Allred. But North Dakota Senate candidate Katrina Christensen (https://www.katrinaforussenate.com) returned to give an update on her surging campaign - and it was a welcome distraction from the Apalachee High School shooting (which JD Vance termed just a "fact of life"). MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills had a response to that - and the newly announced DOJ investigation of Russian funding of conservative influencers.
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This week in Chicago, the Democrats held a convention to remember. And We're Not Going Back - which is one of the best campaign slogans we've ever heard. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills bask a little bit more in the DNC, the nomination of Kamala Harris, and the work that lies ahead.
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The Kamala Harris-Tim Walz campaign has been described as a "vibe." And the MOMocrats agree: "We are vibing HARD." Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the campaign, how the media is covering it, and Trump low-energy response. (Alas, this episode was recorded before we learned what JD Vance thinks of post-menopausal women.)
The MOMocrats also looked at the many affiliate Harris support groups, (including Evangelicals for Harris), previewed next week's DNC Convention and talked about President Biden's legacy. MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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The new Kamala Harris campaign continued its flawless launch through the swing states this week, beginning with the announcement of running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about Walz' "Big Dad Energy," GOP attempts to Swift Boat him, MAGA's sad attempts to take back the spotlight... and feeling joy again - despite lingering anger over how it all came down.
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Kamala Harris is now the presumptive Democratic nominee. Joe Biden's successful prisoner swap deal proves he's our greatest living President. And Donald Trump and JD Vance are just weird. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills recount the last week in politics. Part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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Democrats all over the country are experiencing something weird: OPTIMISM, fueled by their excitement over the presidential candidacy of Kamala Harris. "It feels like 2008 again," says MOMocrat Karoli, who is keeping her Dark Brandon sign in her background, because he's the reason why this is happening the way it is. Aliza Worthington and Donna Schwartz Mills join her to talk about the Harris campaign, the historic Zoom organizing calls that keep breaking the Internet, as well as the JD Vance memes that have made social media funny again.
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MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills are all in on supporting Kamala Harris for President. But first: They have more than a few words to say about the events that led to President Biden's surprise announcement on Sunday. And some of them are profane.
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This was the week our election craziness went into overdrive: A Trump rally became the site of an assassination attempt (that tragically killed a spectator). The Republicans held their National Convention in Milwaukee, with all the spectacle and weirdness that goes along with that. And the pundit class continued what appears to be a coordinated campaign to push President Joe Biden out of his nomination - with help from Democratic Party donors and elected officials. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss. Also: the best political ad we've seen in a long time, from North Dakota Senate candidate Katrina Christiansen (who is currently polling ahead of her Republican opponent.)
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The MOMocrats welcome Katrina Christiansen, to talk about her campaign for US Senate in North Dakota.
This was a welcome distraction from the continuing chaos stemming from President Biden’s disastrous debate performance. The President’s NATO press conference showed the audience some of the depth of his foreign policy expertise. But it was not enough to appease the media, political insiders, and nervous Democratic lawmakers who are urging him to drop out of his re-election campaign.
President Biden is adamant that he is not quitting the race - and MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills support his decision (see 1968, 1980, and other elections when “Democrats in disarray” resulted in huge GOP wins).
The MOMocrats have a lot of questions and curse words about the media narrative, polling, and the motivation of big money donors as the Biden campaign works to pull everything back together.
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The Supreme Court's decision on presidential immunity - grouped with some of the other decisions rendered this session - are a christofascist's dreams. It's like the SCOTUS is the villain in an old silent movie, the woman tied to the railroad tracks is the Statue of Liberty, and there's a train barreling down the tracks, called Project 2025.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss today's astonishing decision - and what lovers of democracy can do now.
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Last week, the MOMocrats were taking bets on whether the convicted felon former President would even show up to the June debate. This week, Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills are wishing it had all been a bad dream.
President Biden's performance at the debate in front of 40 million viewers was not good. But - as Karoli points out - if you read the transcript, the substance of what Biden said was cogent and real, while Trump was a firehose of lies. In North Carolina today, the President not only owned what went wrong last night, he was on fire.
Let's hope that continues, because the damage the Trump Supreme Court is doing to the nation is immense. A whole bunch of weighty decisions were released this week, and the MOMocrats discussed some of those... with the most dramatic decision still to come. Is presidential immunity a thing? We'll all find out on Monday.
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Next week's presidential debate between President Biden and convicted felon Donald Trump will be interesting - if it happens. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills are not holding their breath.
The MOMocrats also talked about campaign fundraising numbers, Biden's moves on immigration, Louisiana's Ten Commandments stunt, and the pretzel logic Chief Justice Roberts had to use in today's ruling on gun rights for a domestic abuser. MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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While the twice impeached, convicted former president doubled down on vows of retribution, the Wall Street Journal weighed in - ridiculously - on the current president's age. In the meantime, President Biden was in Normandy, reminding the world of the sacrifices the Allies made fighting Nazis on D-Day.
The world is under threat again from authoritarians, including the United States. To win the fight, all we have to do is VOTE AGAINST THEM.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the week in politics. Part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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Donald Trump's trial for falsifying business records in order to hide campaign finance regulations came to an end yesterday in the most spectacular fashion imaginable. The jury returned guilty verdicts on ALL 34 felony charges. MOMocrats Aliza Worthington and Donna Schwartz Mills talked about the trial, the reaction, and the 2024 election. They also discussed President Biden's announcement of a new ceasefire proposal between Israel and Hamas, as well as the continuing crisis on the Supreme Court. MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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We knew that we had one Supreme Court justice was married to an activist who was in the thick of those who tried to overturn the 2020 election. Last week, we learned that a second conservative justice is at the very least, an insurrection sympathizer. Both justices refuse to recuse themselves from Trump-related cases, and no one - not the Chief Justice, or the Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee - seem to have the appetite to enforce common sense ethics rules. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss. Part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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This week kicked off with yet another screaming New York Times headline alleging that Joe Biden and the Democrats are headed for a 2024 election debacle... except that when you look at the poll's data and see the results for likely voters, the outlook isn't so bad at all. In fact, Democrats continue to outdo predictions in actual elections. So why all the negative framing? And why does everyone think that The New York Times is a liberal publication?
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about the Fox to MSM to MSNBC news pipeline, Maryland's Democratic primary, Trump's trial, and a certain House member's "bleach blond, bad-built butch body” and more. Part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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As usual, the Trump circus dominated this week's news - especially the two days of Stormy Daniels testimony in the NY election interference trial. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss that and some of the political news that went a little under the radar this week - including the revelation that third-party candidate RFK Jr once claimed to have suffered memory loss from a parasitic worm that was in his brain. Part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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Scenes from college campuses this week had a lot of pundits talking about 1968 - and the coincidence of the Democratic National Convention occurring in Chicago this year has not been lost on anyone. However: students protesting a humanitarian crisis in Gaza is not the same as students protesting being conscripted to fight in Vietnam - and MOMocrat Karoli assures Donna Schwartz Mills that the 2024 election is NOT going to be the same as the one in 1968 - no matter how much the Republicans try. The MOMocrats also touch upon Project 2025, Trump's criminal trial, and the booming Joe Biden economy. MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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The pace of political news has been dizzying ever since Trump came down that escalator - and this week, it was downright overwhelming as the former president sat in a New York courthouse for his criminal election interference trial... while the Supreme Court simultaneously heard arguments on presidential immunity. In the meantime, the Biden administration quietly and competently continued accomplishing goals to help America's middle class. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss. Part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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The 118th Congress has been incredibly useless, getting little done besides booting out their first Speaker and vying for attention on Fox News. On last week's podcast, MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills were incredulous that they were about to spend valuable time debating bills around household appliances (i.e.,"the Liberty in Laundry Act," "the Refrigerator Freedom Act," etc.) But to everyone's surprise, Speaker Mike Johnson (with help from Democrats) got long-stalled foreign aid bills teed up for a vote next week. The MOMocrats talked about the unexpected progress. And they could not help but talk about Donald Trump's criminal trial in New York.
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Last week, the Florida Supreme Court gave Democrats there a 2024 election boost by allowing a six-week abortion ban. This week, Arizona said “hold my beer.” MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss Arizona’s journey back to 1864 and some of the week’s other notable political events. MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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Today, the Washington Post political team sent out a newsletter with a old "Dems in Disarray" headline - a description they haven't used much the last couple of years (because nothing on the Democratic side of the aisle can compare to the absolute dysfunction of the GOP-led House). In this newsletter, the WaPo was referring to the war in the Middle East, and they are not wrong. It's a wedge issue, MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills managed to demonstrate a little of how that works in their own discussion of the World Central Kitchen aid workers who were killed in Gaza this week. (Let's just say that the discussion got a little heated.)
A big tent like the Democratic Party accommodates a wide spectrum of opinions, so traditionally, they've been easier to wedge apart. But what's needed in 2024 is unity. And fortunately, the Republicans have given us an issue that has been unifying people across the Democratic spectrum: the Dobbs decision and the unrelenting attack on women's rights. The MOMocrats talked about that, as well as Donald Trump's "shadow government" and legal travails. MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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he Biden campaign held a fundraiser this week that brought in more money than the RNC earned in the entire month of February. The Democratic Party is busy opening up field offices around the country. The Republicans are busy paying Donald Trump's legal bills. Why is the mainstream media so negative about the re-election campaign?
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills have their theories about this. They also talked about Trump's three billion dollar paper windfall, the Supreme Court hearing on mifepristone, and the disaster in Baltimore with the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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Today, Mike Pence proved that he has some backbone after all, by becoming the first former Vice President to withhold an endorsement of the President he served.
MOMOcrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about the final transformation of the RNC into Donald Trump's personal piggy bank, the contrast with the organization being built by the Democrats, and the very high stakes of the 2024 election. MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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In a week that began with a Donald Trump win from the Supreme Court and proceeded to a Super Tuesday blowout, the MOMocrats really needed to hear a great State of the Union. And President Joe Biden delivered.
MOMocrats Aliza Worthington and Donna Schwartz Mills discussed the highlights of the President's speech, and the official GOP response from Alabama Senator Katie Britt. Part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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The SCOTUS decision to grant cert this week was a reminder that NO ONE is coming to save us from the threat of a second Trump term, say MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills. The MOMocrats also talk about the closing arguments in the effort to have Fani Willis disqualified from prosecuting the Georgia RICO case, Republican hypocrisy on IVF, and President Biden's masterful tactics on immigration - and urge viewers in Super Tuesday states to vote on March 5.
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High ranking members of the Republican Party are either patsys... or Russian assets -- and no one seems to care. And the Republican War on Women continued this week with a stunning court decision in Alabama, equating embryos used in IVF treatment with living children. And don't get the MOMocrats started on George Will's Washington Post column today. Actually - Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills had quite a bit to say about that - as well as Ezra Klein's bad take on the 2024 election.
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We finally got a ruling from the DC Court of Appeals on the question of whether the former president has immunity from crimes he may have committed while in office - and, as MOMocrat Karoli says, "it was worth the wait." Aliza Worthington and Donna Schwartz Mills join her to talk about the decision, and what we can expect to happen next on the journey to Trump's trial in Judge Chutkan's court.
The MOMocrats also previewed Thursday's Supreme Court 14th amendment arguments on the Colorado decision to remove Trump from the 2024 ballot, and recounted Tuesday's Republican Day of Clownery in both the House and Senate. MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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The President and First Lady were on hand today at Dover Air Force Base to pay respect to the three US service people who were killed in Jordan on Sunday in an Iranian-proxy drone attack. A few hours later, the United States began multi-tiered retaliation against 80+ targets in Iraq and Syria. "If you harm an American, we will respond," the President said.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talked about the Biden Administration response to the widening conflicts in the region. They also discussed the trend of Republican lawmakers saying the quiet part out loud while refusing to accept policies they have said they want (i.e., the border and tax cuts), the bogus impeachment of DHS secretary Mayorkas, the utter irrelevance of Fani Willis' personal life to her RICO case in Ge
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Minutes before recording this week's podcast, the verdict came down in E. Jean Carroll's defamation suit against Donald Trump - to the tune of $83.3 million. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about the verdict. Other topics this week are the performative exercise of the New Hampshire primary (including President Biden's write-in victory and Nikki Haley's determination to continue), the incredible growth of the US economy, Civil War cosplay on the Texas border, and today's decision from The Hague. MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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This week's best political moment was courtesy of Hunter Biden (with a little help from the House Oversight Committee Democrats).
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills also talk about Donald Trump's courtroom tantrum and his attorneys' assertion that presidents have "absolute immunity," as well as what a waste of time it is to cover the GOP caucuses and primaries this year.
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The first MOMocrats podcast of 2024 coincided with President Biden's barn buster of a speech commemorating January 6 and kicking off his election campaign. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discussed the President's fiery words and the fight ahead. They also talked about the Supreme Court's decision to hear the appeal of the Colorado 14th Amendment decision to keep Trump off the state ballot, games House Republicans play, and more.
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Christmas came early in the form of a Colorado state Supreme Court decision keeping Donald Trump off the state's 2024 ballot for violating the 14th Amendment. This decision has been stayed until January 4 pending an expected appeal to the US Supreme Court. In the meantime, SCOTUS dealt Trump a win by denying Jack Smith's request hopscotch over the DC Court of Appeals on his claim of presidential immunity for the actions he took to overthrow the 2020 election.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss this week's political news and run down some of the biggest stories of 2023 in the year-end edition of the MOMochat podcast. Part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
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Justice was delivered today to Miss Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Shane Moss, in the form of a $148 million judgement in their defamation case against Rudy Giuliani. And MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills point out that it couldn't happen to a more deserving guy: In this week's wide-ranging discussion about US politics, it was noted that all roads lead to Rudy - from the "but her emails" scandal of 2016, to the plot to manufacture dirt on Joe Biden in Ukraine, to the failed effort to overturn the 2020 election. Giuliani was involved in all of it. MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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Last week, we bid good-bye to George Santos (but not before he launched a second career as a shill on Cameo). This week, we learned that we would also be saying farewell to former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who is leaving the House at the end of the month. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about the Republicans' shrinking congressional margins and increasing outrageous demands - just as the mainstream media seems to have awakened to the very real dangers of another Trump presidency. Part of the Demcast Family of podcasts.
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We lost several historic figures over the last week: Rosalynn Carter, Sandra Day O'Connor, Henry Kissinger and member of Congress George Santos. The MOMocrats also talk about Trump's court setbacks, the DeSantis-Newsom "debate"... and the anguish of following Israel's war with Hamas. Part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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In a world that’s fraught with turmoil, with a fractious Congressional Republican Party, MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills are thankful: That Donald Trump is not in the White House right now and that Biden and Harris are. That the government will not be shut down for the holidays. That George Santos likely will. They discuss this and more in this week’s program, part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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The week began with a spate of dark news for Democrats, beginning with rabid headlines touting yet another poll indicating the Donald Trump has a real chance of getting back into the White House in 2025.
Then came Tuesday's elections, when (once again!) Democratic issues and candidates performed better than pundits predicted. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about tuning out the noise and focusing on saving our democracy. MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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We finally have a new Speaker of the House and he's kind of a nightmarish combination of insurrectionist and religious zealot. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about what just happened in the House and what it portends for the next year. They also talk about the escalation of Israel's response to Hamas and why the booming US economy gets no respect from the media. MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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The leadership crisis in Congress continues, as Jim Jordan's ill-fated Speaker candidacy mercifully comes to an end - just as MOMocrat Karoli predicted last week. She and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the ongoing drama in the House of Representatives. They also talk about this week's developments in the Israel-Hamas war and President Biden's leadership, as well as "The Former Guy's" latest legal problems: including his violation of the gag order in New York and the bombshell plea deals made this week in Fani Willis' Georgia RICO prosecution. MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
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The House of Representatives is still without a Speaker, after last week's historic ouster of Kevin McCarthy. And it's unclear if the Republican caucus will ever find enough votes to elect a replacement. As of the podcast recording, the new GOP candidate is Rep. Jim Jordan of OH. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills predict he will NEVER be elected Speaker.
Aside from the continuing turmoil of US politics, the MOMocrats talked about the new war in the Middle East: the horrors of the Hamas attack that ignited this latest chapter, and the plight of the people affected. MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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American democracy is hanging by a thread, and one branch of government is paralyzed right now - until they figure out who the next Republican speaker will be. MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the shutdown that was averted at the last minute and the continuing leadership crisis in the House of Representatives. Part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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Some in Congress are calling the current funding crisis the “Seinfeld Shutdown” because the House Republicans are forcing it to happen over nothing. Kind of like this week’s bogus impeachment hearing. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about Kevin McCarthy’s crazy kids in the House, as well as the former president’s very bad week in court - and the passing of California Senator Dianne Feinstein. MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
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Fulton County DA Fani Willis doesn’t suffer fools gladly, as she demonstrated in a scathing letter this week to Jim Jordan, who is trying to get intel on her 2020 election RICO case. “Willis is a badass,” agree MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills in this week’s podcast.
Others on the badass female list include Vice President Kamala Harris, who made a show at ASEAN this week (in a tan suit, no less)… and Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi, who announced that she will run for re-election in 2024.
The MOMocrats spent some time this week talking about the Georgia special grand jury report released this morning and the 21 additional persons who were recommended (but not indicted) in Willis’ RICO case… Peter Navarro’s conviction… and the question of invoking the 14th amendment to keep Trump off the 2024 ballot.
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This Labor Day weekend caps the end of a remarkable summer for the nation's labor movement: In an economy that's favorable to workers, there have been over 230 strikes this year - and UPS and airline pilots scored big gains for their members. New economic figures today show that while the economy has slowed to pre-pandemic levels (189,000 new jobs added last month), salaries are exceeding inflation (which continues to come down from last year's highs).
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about the many successes of Bidenomics. They also try to keep track of the very many legal problems dogging "the former guy," who is still the front-runner for the 2024 GOP nomination (despite his 91 felony charges)... and the rest of the GOP field. MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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In Fulton County, the nineteen defendants in Fani Willis' RICO case found out this week that there are indeed consequences for trying to steal an election. And that includes the twice-impeached, four-times indicted former president who showed up for his close-up Thursday night. MOMocrats Aliza Worthington and Donna Schwartz Mills talked about the long-awaited mug shot and the strategies of the various co-defendants. They also touched upon the first GOP debate, the fate of Yevgeny Prigozhin, and the 60th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington.
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Inflation is down, GDP is up, and apparently it pays to staff an Administration with competent, experienced people. That's the consensus of MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills, who were happy to talk about something good for change. They also talked about Donald Trump's new superseding charge in his summer of indictments, the possibility of another government shutdown, and what a p***y Speaker Kevin McCarthy is.
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Climate change and a deadly heat dome are not the only reason the streets of Hollywood are hot this weekend: For the first time in over 60 years, the Screen Actors Guild and Writers Guild of America are on strike together. "And this IS politics," MOMocrat Karoli says. Aliza Worthington and Donna Schwartz Mills join her to talk labor unrest, the shameless bigotry of certain Congress critters, and the probability of a government shutdown this year. MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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t seems like the Supreme Court saves all its most outrageous decisions for the final day of their session - and the two that dropped today were doozies. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss SCOTUS and Dark Brandon's response. Part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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While elected Democrats are busy getting things done, the GOP-led House is trying to erase recent history. And as MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills started this podcast, historic events were occurring in Russia. Part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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MOMocrats Aliza Worthington and Donna Schwartz Mills run through a wild week that began with the arraignment of a former president and his unsuccessful attempt to take hold of the narrative. They also talked about some of this week's Supreme Court rulings, the House's fake January 6 hearing, the competency of President Biden's team (especially Vice President Kamala Harris)... and a bit about the WGA Strike.
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Special Counsel Jack Smith unsealed the Trump indictment issued yesterday. "We have one set of laws in this country, and they apply to everyone," he said. That includes the twice-impeached, now twice indicted former president, who will be tried on 37 counts of felony violations of our national security laws.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills are joined by Red Painter 12 to discuss the indictment, the Republicans in disarray, and other political developments that occurred this week. Part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
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MOMocrats Aliza and Karoli cover the week's news, starting with Republicans' refusal to raise the debt ceiling without inflicting deep pain on the poor and sick in our country. We move on to cheerier subjects, like Rudy Giuliani's latest legal woes, Ron DeSantis' dead-in-the-water 2024 bid, and more.
Also, play the New York Times "cut the debt" game to see how utterly bankrupt Republicans are of any decent ideas for the deficit.
Some language is NSFW.
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Doing our best without Donna, MOMocrats Aliza and Karoli break down the good and the bad of the last two weeks, concluding that consequences are good, and they're definitely on the way for Republicans from Trump to McCarthy.
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Former Vice President Mike Pence spent several hours at the Federal Courthouse on Thursday appearing before the Grand Jury investigating January 6. MOMocrats Karoli, Donna Schwartz Mills and guest Red Painter 12 speculate what that means for Donald Trump and his many, many legal problems. The MOMocrats also talked about Fox News severing its relationship with Tucker Carlson, President Biden's 2024 announcement, and more.
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You know that big ole rocket ship that underwent a "rapid unscheduled disassembly" on Thursday? That's how the MOMocrats felt this week when it was announced that Dominion had settled its defamation case against Fox News.
Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about the comeuppance that didn't happen, and the possible satisfaction the country may get from the Smartmatic lawsuit now on deck. Among other topics, they also talked about this week's latest horrific gun events, where innocent people were shot for knocking on the wrong door, pulling into the wrong driveway, or getting into the wrong car.
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A lot of legal news this week: From the Supreme Court stay on dueling opinions on mifepristone, to the former president's court appearance and many filings, to the Dominion defamation case against Fox News... right on up to new revelations about Justice Clarence Thomas - MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills had a lot to talk about.
Other news this week included the reinstatement of Justin Jones and Justin Pearson to the Tennessee House of Representatives and the arrest of the young National Guard airman suspected of disseminating top secret classified information on the Internet.
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The wheels of justice grind slowly, but eventually they get there, and on Tuesday, Donald Trump was arraigned in New York on 34 felony counts. That night in Wisconsin, Janet Protasiewicz won her special election to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and progressive Brandon Johnson was elected mayor of Chicago.
These are good results for democracy, say MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills - especially since our processes remain under siege by a Republican Party that is now blatantly authoritarian. This was in evidence on Thursday, when three Democratic state legislators were essentially put on trial by the GOP super-majority in the Tennessee House, for supporting their constituents' demonstration for gun reform. The two young Black lawmakers were ultimately expelled in an act that was watched by the world. The MOMocrats discussed this, new revelations about Clarence Thomas, and more.
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"Money can't buy happiness, but you can indict Donald Trump and that's kind of the same thing."
The MOMocrats expected that this week's MOMochat would be a grim affair, dominated by yet another tragic school shooting in Nashville. Then came the news from the grand jury in New York. Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the indictment, the other legal cases against Trump, Kamala Harris' triumphant tour of African nations, and yes - the tragic school shooting in Nashville.
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Eight years after Donald Trump came down that escalator, our news media STILL haven't figured out how to keep in control of the narrative. Last Saturday, the twice-impeached disgraced ex-President announced on Truth Social he expected to be arrested on Tuesday and the entire US news media went into indictment watch... which continues to this day, even though as of this recording, there have been no indictments yet. However, New York DA Alvin Bragg is receiving death threats. And Trump continues to troll the nation by scheduling a rally this weekend in Waco on the 30th anniversary of the Branch Davidian standoff.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills lament the the focus on Trump and the violence he is trying to whip up, the House field trip to the jail to visit January 6 participants, and some of the other news events of a chaotic week in politics.
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There is much to be nervous about right now: the background noise of fascism creeping all around the world. And yet, what appears to be the imminent convergence of multiple indictments against "the former guy" are giving MOMocrats Aliza Worthington, Karoli, and Donna Schwartz Mills hope. That and Aliza's fur babies, who also make multiple appearances (and some necessary levity) in this week's political discussion. Part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
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The MOMOcrats are not holding their breath in anticipation of a Trump indictment. But they are nervously watching the aftermath of this week's run on Silicon Valley Bank - and whether Jerome Powell takes it as a sign that it's time to stop the raising interest rate. Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills also talked about this month's good job numbers, GOP continued attacks on Social Security and Medicare, and the Boebert family's upcoming blessed event. MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
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That eye-opening filing in the Dominion Voting defamation case against Fox News gives the MOMocrats hope that their lawsuit may actually impose some penalty to Fox for its role in perpetuating Trump's Big Lie. Alas, not a whole lot of other good bits to talk about this week, but Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills were just happy to have Aliza Worthington back. Part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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No one was expecting much from President Biden's second State of the Union address - which is why the success of the speech took so many political pundits by surprise. The continual underestimation of the President's political skills is probably his secret weapon, note MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills in this week's podcast. That, and the smile he deploys just after he's gone for the "kill" against an idea like sunsetting Social Security and Medicare.
The MOMocrats also talked about the House's "Weaponization of Government" and Oversight hearings, the ongoing saga of George Santos and other new House members with dubious resumes, another unidentified object shot down over US territory, Mike Pence's subpoena and more.
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The news media's focus on a Chinese spy balloon all weekend says more about the short attention span of our journalists after the Trump years than anything else - even when a clown car House begins hearings so meaningless, some wags have dubbed it "The Seinfeld Congress" (because it's a legislature about nothing).
MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about the brouhaha over the balloon, last week's Congressional hijinks, the debt ceiling, the very good economy, and why our healthcare issues remain unresolved. Part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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Mass shootings, police brutality, classified documents found in more places, treachery at the justice department...It's no wonder that MOMocrat Karoli described the week as "a firehose of bull***." She's joined by Aliza Worthington and Donna Schwartz Mills to talk about as much of it as they could fit into an hour.
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It's only January 20, but you'd be forgiven for thinking we've fast-forwarded a couple of weeks to Groundhog Day, because the Republicans are in charge of the House and we're having a fight about the debt ceiling. Again.
This time, the RWNJ wing of the House thinks it's got leverage to cut Social Security and Medicare by taking the world economy hostage. President Biden says the nation's obligation to pay the bills (most of which were incurred during the Trump administration) is not a negotiation.
Among the topics MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills also talk about this week are the House Republicans' proposal to wipe out the IRS and impose a 30% sales tax, this week's post-Dobbs March for Life, and the GOP's George Santos problem.
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The MOMocrats knew that the 118th Congress would be chaotic. The long slog to elect a leader was no surprise. But the Bingo cards of Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills did not include "Joe Biden had a classified document of his own" or the appointment of a special counsel.
And it's only January 13.
The MOMocrats also talk about the Prince Harry memoir, the beginning of the 2024 Senate race, and the latest right-wing freakout over gas stoves and lady M&M's.
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On January 6, the MOMocrats debated starting the podcast with talk of the 2-year anniversary of the insurrection, or going with the chaos on the floor of the House of Representatives. They decided to go with the clown car. After all, this may be the last time Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills feel any glee over what's happening there. Part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
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On this year's final episode, MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills celebrate the tidings of the season - including Twitter's continued descent into madness, Trump's "big announcement," and why Aliza can't find 5 ounce Dixie cups (it's Greg Abbott's fault!). They also talk about the many positive things that happened in 2022 (it was a better year than many of us remember). MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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The MOMocrats wanted to title this episode with a different Sinema-related thought, but they preferred to focus this week on the political act that gave them joy: Senator Warnock's win in the Georgia runoff. Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills also talk about the great Twitter-Mastodon Migration of 2022. Part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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It’s officially the holiday season and the MOMocrats would rather talk about ANYTHING but Nazis, but Ye told Alex Jones he loves Hitler and then he got suspended from Twitter (again) for posting a swastika inside a Star of David and suddenly Nazis are all EVERYONE is talking about.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the musky mess that is Twitter, as well as the changing of the guard in the House, the Right’s attacks on public education and takeover of school boards, Donald Trump’s latest court losses and more.
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The day before the holiday, MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk turkey (yes, we're looking at you, Kevin McCarthy and the House Republicans) and what they're thankful for (Nancy Pelosi's badass leadership, Marc Elias, new special prosecutor Jack Smith and more). Part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
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Since the beginning of the year, the pundits have been telling us that the 2022 midterm election would result in a Democratic loss of Congress. By October, there was a drumbeat of a "red tsunami" that would equal or surpass the famous "shellacking" President Obama suffered in 2010.
That didn't happen. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills welcome political writer "Red Painter" to discuss what the pundits got wrong. Part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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The negative framing is designed to depress enthusiasm, and sometimes you need to take a break. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about coping mechanisms and the need to keep the eyes on the prize: The only poll that counts is the one that counts the actual ballots.
The MOMocrats also talked about the horrendous attack on Paul Pelosi and the assailant's intention to assassinate the Speaker of the House. It seems related to an entire web of political violence, like the vigilantes stalking voting dropboxes, the plot to kidnap MI Governor Gretchen Witmer, and the January 6 insurrection.
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It's a couple of weeks before Election Day, do you know where your emotions are?
MOMocrat Donna Schwartz Mills is in a state of existential dread after a week of pundits proclaiming doom and gloom for the Democrats. And once again, it's up to Aliza Worthington and Karoli to talk her down. After all, any week when TFG gets subpoenaed, the Oath Keepers get skewered in court, and Steve Bannon gets sentenced can't be all bad.
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With the November 8 election is less than one month away and the polls narrowing, MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills are feeling their usual biannual pre-election jitters. At least, this week there was some distraction: the J6 Hearings "series finale," the Alex Jones verdict, and a leaked tape that has rocked politics in Los Angeles. Part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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As we get closer to Election Day, we can usually count on an October Surprise. It's only 10/7, and so far, this year is a doozy. MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about the revelations rocking campaigns in Pennsylvania, Georgia, and nationally, too.
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The November 8 midterm elections may determine the very survival of our democracy. So might the new session of the Supreme Court, dominated by the likes of Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas (whose wife told the January 6 Committee that she still believes the 2020 election was stolen). Climate change is still showing us a bleak future as Hurricane Ian touches down again to wreak destruction on South Carolina. And the right wing is freaking out over Lizzo's virtuoso performance with James Madison's flute. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about these issues and more in this week's show - part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
This week, the governor of Florida flew 50 Venezuelan refugee seekers from Texas to liberal Martha's Vineyard in a performative stunt to "own the libs." Not to be outdone, the governor of Texas (who has been transporting migrants to blue cities all over the country) had a bus full of migrants dumped in front of the home of Vice President Kamala Harris.
Once again, MOMocrats Aliza Worthington and Donna Schwartz Mills quote the Atlantic's Adam Serwer: "The cruelty is the point." And the cruelty is intensifying on a whole range of topics that - if you look at the big picture - are all related.
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Yes, the passing of Queen Elizabeth II and ascension of King Charles III is of world interest - but there is much happening here in the United States. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about the ongoing "special master" drama between the Department of Justice and Trump judge Aileen Cannon, midterm election prospects around the country, and the satisfaction of seeing a certain MAGA mastermind appear in court.
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President Biden's pro-democracy, anti-fascist speech last night was a Big Effing Deal. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about the latest appearance of Dark Brandon, the drip-drip of damaging information from the search of Mar-a-Lago, the latest Democratic special election win, and more. MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
Most years, August is a slow month for political news. But this year, it turned out to be a very bad time to take a vacation! MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills return to talk about the "raid" on The Former Guy's Florida resort home, the Democrats' renewed midterm momentum, and the genius of Dark Brandon's college loan policy. Part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
The narrative for the 2022 midterms took a big twist on Tuesday night in Kansas, when a record number of voters turned out to reject a state constitutional amendment that would have allowed the legislature to outlaw abortions in the state. Added to the execution of Al Qaeda's leader, the progress of the Senate reconciliation bill, new DOJ subpoenas to members of Trump's inner circle, and the Alex Jones suit's "Perry Mason moment" -- and things are starting to look up for the Democrats. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss.
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Last week, few were predicting that the Democrats would be heading into August with momentum. But new polls this week give them a real shot at expanding their majorities in both the House and Senate. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about some of those the momentous political stories that broke this week: Merrick Garland's admission that Donald Trump is a subject of DOJ's January 6 investigation, Democratic fundraising advantages, and the Schumer-Manchin deal that resulted in the Senate's new Inflation Reduction Act. MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills welcome congressional candidate Jamie Cheney of New York's New 19th District to the podcast for a wide-ranging discussion of topics including abortion, healthcare, and responsible gun ownership.
The MOMocrats also talk about the "season finale" of the first set of January 6 hearings.
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This was the week the story of a pregnant 10-year-old rape victim illustrated the horrors that the radical members of the Supreme Court has wrought, as right-wing media and GOP officials first attempted to erase the child and then tried to attack the compassionate doctor who treated her. MOMocrats Aliza Worthington and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss our terrible new reality. They also talk about the revelations that came out of this week's January 6 committee hearing, led by Jamie Raskin and Stephanie Murphy. MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills are feeling weary after Highland Park, the Supreme Court decisions that gut long-standing rights, and the media spin that makes progressive successes seem like failures. It doesn't help that Omicron BA.5 is fueling another Covid surge or that Democrats seem to be sleepwalking to November.
A Disastrous Year at the Supreme Court
The Supreme Court session that just ended has been a disaster for the country - and with the decision in West Virginia v EPA, a possible disaster for the world. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss some of the most egregious rulings made by the emboldened, radical six justices on the Court this year. And dangers coming up.
They also talk about the the joy of seeing Ketanji Brown Jackson sworn in to take her place on that Court, as well as the bombshell January 6 testimony of former Trump White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson.
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When Jamie Raskin hinted that the January 6 hearings would “blow the roof off the House,” the conventional wisdom was that he was exaggerating. After all, how much more was there to learn about the violent insurrection that blemished our long history of peaceful transfers of power?
But it turns out that - as usual - Rep. Raskin was right. And the two televised hearings the Select Committee held this week were so explosive that even folks who have been following the news carefully - like MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills - were shocked and surprised. The Committee is proving that what happened on January 6 was NOT a riot, but a planned operation to overthrow the government of the United States. And planning went all the way to the Oval Office.
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The long-awaited televised January 6th hearings have arrived and all the critics who complained that they wouldn’t amount to much were wrong. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills were among the 20 million viewers of the prime time hearing on June 9 who learned something new about the insurrection. Part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
There have been more than 200 mass shootings in America so far this year. That averages more than one per day. As we begin the annual Wear Orange weekend, MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the living hell of seeing these events multiply while government seems helpless to make it stop. They also discuss the Department of Justice indictment of former Trump advisor Peter Navarro for contempt of Congress, and the disturbing reports of GOP plans to install 2020 election deniers as poll workers in Democratic majority precincts around the nation (what could go wrong?)
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If democracy were a frog in a pot of water, we're at the boiling point. CPAC is being held right now in Budapest and Victor Orban loves Tucker Carlson. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills are no longer able to separate the end of Roe v Wade from mass shootings, the quest to overturn the 2020 election, voter suppression, the baby formula shortage, and bonkers decisions from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. It's all connected and our only hope is massive turnout - at demonstrations and at the polls. Part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
The MOMocrats gear up for Saturday's Bans Off Our Bodies protests of the radical conservatives on the Supreme Court who aim to erase 100 years of civil rights (it's not just about abortion and contraception - and definitely not about saving babies). Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills also play a game of Topic Roulette, touching upon the baby formula shortage, January 6 subpoenas, Jen Psaki's last day of work, and more. Part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
This Mother's Day, the Supreme Court of the United States gifted the women of America with the loss of autonomy over their own bodies. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about the SCOTUS leak, abortion politics, and what Democrats must do next. Part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
This week's MOMocrats MOMochat kicks off with a discussion more akin to "Car Talk" than politics - but that's mainly because Elon Musk made them do it. And it did not take MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills to return to the politics of Musk's bid to take Twitter private - as well as media bias, this weekend's White House Correspondence Dinner, the prospect of January 6 Committee hearings in June, and the latest surge of COVID.
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f you ever feel as if it's tough to focus on what's going on in the world right now, you're not alone. The short attention span of our media is by design. This week, MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills spend some time reviewing some of the lessons they learned last week, when Democrats were cheered by a Michigan state Senator who pushed back against GOP lies about her and others who care about how some children are being marginalized. They also discussed the French election, new revelations about January 6, and that billionaire who is purchasing that social media platform.
With Good Friday, Passover, and Ramadan occurring all at once - it is no wonder it feels like Biblical times. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about why everything right now feels so dangerous... and messaging for the midterm elections.
MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills commiserate over a very bad, horrible week for democracy in the United States - with the exception of the historic confirmation of new Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.
The Supreme Court was in the news this week - both for Ketanji Brown Jackson's confirmation hearings, and new January 6 revelations about SCOTUS spouse Ginni Thomas. Justice Clarence Thomas should recuse himself from cases where his wife was a lobbyist or organizer - but he does not. That begs the question: should Congress impeach?
It may feel petty to frame the horrors of the war in Ukraine to midterm elections in the United States - but Republicans are trying to use it as a cudgel against the Biden administration. And as MOMocrat Karoli points out: Ukraine, January 6, trucker convoys, and whispers against Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson are "all connected." Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss this week's political news. Part of the DemCast family of podcasts. Listen to the full episode at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1927811/10276914
The MOMocrats are in awe of the Ukrainians' courage defending their nation from Russia's invasion - and terrified of what comes next. They also discuss this week's State of the Union address, the February job numbers, and the ongoing investigations into January 6. MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
The MOMocrats are in awe of the Ukrainians' courage defending their nation from Russia's invasion - and terrified of what comes next. They also discuss this week's State of the Union address, the February job numbers, and the ongoing investigations into January 6. MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
It's Hillary Hysteria over at Fox News - which means that former President Donald Trump is in legal hot water. Again.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about the former guy's very bad week, beginning with being disavowed by his longtime accountants, and ending with his loss in the New York courts -- as well as new revelations about top secret classified documents showing up at Mar-a-Lago. He hasn't been taking it well.
The MOMocrats also chat about the assymetry of the political media landscape and how Democrats need a better strategy at fighting the culture wars, that San Francisco school board recall, the midterm elections and more.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
It's Hillary Hysteria over at Fox News - which means that former President Donald Trump is in legal hot water. Again.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about the former guy's very bad week, beginning with being disavowed by his longtime accountants, and ending with his loss in the New York courts -- as well as new revelations about top secret classified documents showing up at Mar-a-Lago. He hasn't been taking it well.
The MOMocrats also chat about the assymetry of the political media landscape and how Democrats need a better strategy at fighting the culture wars, that San Francisco school board recall, the midterm elections and more.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
This week, we learned exactly why Donald Trump was so obsessed with low-flush toilets. But let's keep on talking about Hillary Clinton's emails.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about new revelations on how Trump handled presidential records (and the boxes and boxes retrieved from Mar-a-Lago), the RNC's idea of "legitimate political discourse," and what they learned last weekend at the National Museum of African-American History and Culture.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
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This week, we learned exactly why Donald Trump was so obsessed with low-flush toilets. But let's keep on talking about Hillary Clinton's emails.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about new revelations on how Trump handled presidential records (and the boxes and boxes retrieved from Mar-a-Lago), the RNC's idea of "legitimate political discourse," and what they learned last weekend at the National Museum of African-American History and Culture.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
The economy grew 5.7% last year, which is the fastest growth since 1983 - but you wouldn't know it if you looked at the latest polls. MOMocrats Aliza Worthington and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about the Biden Boom and the disconnect of popular opinion. They also talk about Justice Stephen Breyer's big announcement, the latest moves of the January 6 subcommittee, and more of the week's political news. MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about President Biden's new energy as we approach the 2022 midterms. Also: that New Yorker piece on Supreme Court wife Ginni Thomas, and Donald Trump's awful, very bad week.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills aren't going to lie: It's been a bad week. The quest to re-enact Voting Rights continues to be stalled in the Senate (thanks to 50 GOP Senators who don't want you to vote and two intransigent Democrats who -- we don't know what their deal is).
Inflation continues to rise and Americans are in a sour mood. Few media outlets are pointing out that rising prices are a global issue that can be traced to the pandemic, which isn't helping.
And speaking of COVID, the Supreme Court just ruled against the Administration's vaccine mandate for large companies, as omicron cases have filled up ICU's around the country to heights surpassing last winter's peak.
If this was a superhero movie, we'd be at the end of Act 3, where the world is about to get blown up. Can we save the day? The MOMocrats talk about where we are, where we are going, and the things that give us hope... such as yesterday's sedition indictment of some of the Oath Keepers who planned the January 6 insurrection.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about this week's extraordinary observances of the first anniversary of January 6 - and what lays ahead in this pivotal election year.
MOMocrats MOMochat is a member of the DemCast family of podcasts.
The year comes to a disappointing end as the usual suspects (Senators Manchin and Sinema) stall the agenda 81 million Americans voted for. The MOMocrats talk about the disappointment of BBB and voting rights... and the administration's many successes. Part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
Trump lost the 2020 election. One year later, the economy is exceeding expectations. But no one seems to know it. In the meantime, there are dire signs that the increasingly radicalized Republican party are going to complete the authoritarian takeover some of them have been planning for years. The MOMocrats discuss the situation and what small-d democrats can do about it. Part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
The Supreme Court heard Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health, the case against the Mississippi law that could spell the end of legal abortions in that state - and the prognosis is not good, thanks to the six right-wing justices who no longer feel the need to hide their desire to overturn Roe v Wade.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills wonder where we go from here? They also talk about the latest twists in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, the political paradox where the media all but ignores Administration successes in favor of the Dems in Disarray narrative they prefer, and other political developments of the last week.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
President Biden was elected to fix the economy and is succeeding: More jobs have been created in the last 10 months than during the entire administration of his predecessor. Workers have had more leverage than at any time in the last 40 years. Child poverty has been halved under Biden's watch. The Dow hit 36,000 last week.
And the good economic news will continue once the President signs the Build Back Better act (which was passed today in the House and now goes to the Senate).
So why is everyone so down?
The media has been focused on rising gas prices as part of an overall trend of inflation - but economists point out that this is a global phenomenon that resulted from the pandemic (which is still raging on around the world). Some of the same people who complain about the pandemic in the US are the same ones who are prolonging it by refusing to wear masks or get vaccinated. And there are still dangers ahead for voting rights as the GOP passes laws and new maps that could keep minority rule for the next decade or longer.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the political mood, as well as the disappointing (but not surprising) verdict in the Rittenhouse trial - and the contrast with the court proceedings against the killers of Ahmaud Arbery.
MOMocrats MOMochar is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
A little over a year ago, the former guy was defeated at the polls and spontaneous celebrations erupted all over the nation. It's not easy to remember that feeling while the GOP continues the insurrection that took place on January 6. However, news that one of the architects of the insurrection was indicted for contempt of Congress does help.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about the authoritarian threat that won't go away - while noting some of the very real progress the Biden administration has made as it faces some of the most harrowing problems in our nation's modern history.
MOMocrats MOMochat is a part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
Between the drama of a final bill to Build Back Better and the off-year state election in Virginia, Democrats have been in nail-biting mode. And it seems that's just the way the news media likes it. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the current state of our politics from a Democratic point of view.
MOMocrats MOMochat is a member of the #DemCast family of podcasts.
It used to be common knowledge that all US trends start in California. But what if that's over - and the new standard bearer is Texas? MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about the crossroads the country appears to be at - and what it means for our future.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
It was always dubious for the former president to invoke "executive privilege" to prevent a Congressional inquiry into an insurrection that may very well have been planned in the White House. That doesn't mean he wasn't going to try. In other news, the United States isn't going to default on its debts - yet - because Mitch McConnell broke his own filibuster this week.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills try to pack in as much political news as they can in this week's hour-long podcast.
MOMocrats MOMochat is a member of the #DemCast family of podcasts.
California MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills join Aliza Worthington to talk about the waste of time and money that was the state election launched by Republicans to recall Governor Gavin Newsom, and the blow-out result.
They will also touch upon revelations from the latest Bob Woordward book covering the final few months of the Trump presidency.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
August is never a good month in politics, - and the last few weeks were no exception. In the last few days, President Biden addressed some of the nonsense coming from the right: The DOJ is suing Texas for their unconstitutional abortion law and the administration is laying down the law on measures to fight COVID. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills expect to see more action in Congress on the infrastructure bills and (fingers crossed!) voting rights. The MOMocrats also talk about the upcoming Women's March, the California recall election, and tomorrow's 20th anniversary of 9/11.
Three months ago, vaccinated Americans were excited about the prospect of resuming a "normal" summer after seemingly keeping Covid at bay. What a difference a few weeks - and the Delta variant - made.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills look back at dashed summer hopes and the prospect for Fall, as school reopens across the country and Americans find themselves embroiled in the same fights over pandemic mitigation efforts (vaccines, masks), treatments that work (monoclonal antibodies), and the bizarre adoption by some of veterinary meds instead. They will also talk about why the media isn't highlighting the success of the Biden administration's airlift out of Afghanistan... as well as the latest news on the California recall election.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
The withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan and quick collapse of the Afghan government has forced ordinary Americans to come to grips with our longest war. "The buck stops with me," says President Biden. MOMocrats Aliza Worthington and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the horrifying images and media narrative - as well as the President's assertion that chaos would have ensued no matter how or when the United States finally pulled the plug.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
The GOP war on voting rights is a five-alarm fire. Why aren't Democrats (other than the Texas legislators) fighting harder?
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about the struggle to preserve the basic right to vote just as new census figures trigger another round of partisan gerrymandered redistricting. They also discuss the alarming COVID trends around the country, especially in states that have actively discouraged vaccines and masks - as well as the disturbing situation in Afghanistan as the Taliban sweeps the country faster than the experts expected.
The last five years have been exhausting. And while the MOMocrats breathed a sigh of relief upon the inauguration of the calm, competent Biden-Harris administration, the Trump-led Republican party is still fomenting an insurrection - and too many Democrats don't seem to notice that the threat to our very democracy is a three-alarm fire. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about the very disturbing news that dropped this week and what ordinary voters can do to fight.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
At the start of July, the country was hopeful that we'd seen the worst of the Covid pandemic. And then Delta said, "Hold my beer." This week, the CDC revealed awful statistics about both the transmissibility and severity of the Delta variant that is now dominant in the US - including the news that fully vaccinated people can spread the virus just as efficiently as those without vaccines.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills lament this Groundhog-Day new phase of the pandemic, and wondering if more entities requiring proof of vaccination (the dreaded "vaccine passports") will spur the hesitant to finally take action.
The MOMocrats will also talk about the emotional opening testimony of the House select committee investigating the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, as well as new revelations about Trump's pressure on the Department of Justice to overturn the election. There will also be discussion of the fight for voting rights - and maybe even a real infrastructure week.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
Kevin McCarthy REALLY doesn't want anyone delving into the truth behind the insurrection on the Capitol that occurred on January 6. Too bad for him that he is outmatched and outclassed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who blocked his attempt to turn the Committee investigating the riot into a three-ring circus by rejecting two of McCarthy's ranking clowns. A lot has been said this week about Liz Cheney's show of patriotism in defying McCarthy (and not enough about the fact that Cheney's participation ensures that the committee IS bipartisan, even without Donald Trump's favorite carnival barker).But the MOMocrats think Pelosi's decision to appoint her in the first place was another example of the Speaker's ability to command the politics.
MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills also talk about this week's sudden about-face on vaccine rhetoric by the GOP and Fox news personalities, the extreme infectiousness of the Delta strain, the latest threat to Roe, and new revelations about how Brett Kavanaugh was "vetted" during his 2019 nomination hearings.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
This week, the MOMocrats will try to resist the urge to say "we told you so" in the face of new revelations about the Trump administration - but that won't be easy. Not when the Guardian claims to have documentation of a 2016 Kremlin assessment (and Putin approval) that the then longshot GOP candidate should be supported because he was an unstable narcissist who, if elected, would wreak havoc on western civilization. Or new reporting that General Milley feared that the defeated one-term president was creating a "Reichstag moment." Or the revelation that a drunken Rudy Giuliani was behind the election night "strategy" to simply declare that they won.
Hosts Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills will also talk about the bravery of the Texas Democrats who fled the state to protect voting rights, the revolutionary child tax credit that is making its ways into US families' wallets this week, and the progress of the two-track infrastructure bills that could be a crowning achievement of the Biden administration - if only they can get them passed.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
The Supreme Court finished its session prior to the July 4 holiday with the decision the MOMocrats were dreading: the 6-3 conservative majority essentially gutted what was left of the Voting Rights Act. This comes during an avalanche of new voting restrictions in GOP-led states that would not only discourage the kind of turnout that won Democrats the 2020 election, but could make it easier for red state legislatures to overturn results they don't like.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss how Democrats may break the Senate impasse that prevents passage of the For the People Act and John Lewis Voting Rights Act. Part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
A bipartisan group of moderate GOP and Democratic Senators (including Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema) announced a breakthrough deal on traditional infrastructure - roads, bridges, and the like - with the assertion that it could pass that 60-vote Senate filibuster threshhold that is frustrating all other efforts to get legislation done.
This deal does not include the rest of the modern infrastructure measures President Biden campaigned on (climate change measures, broadband, childcare, etc.) and relies heavily on "public-private partnerships" instead of higher taxes on corporations and wealthy individuals. However, the President expects that these measures will be included in a separate bill that can be passed through reconciliation, and that both bills will have to make it through Congress in tandem.
Claire McCaskill on MSNBC declared the deal a big win for President Biden and a loss for McConnell - but until there is a vote, that remains to be seen.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills will discuss infrastructure - as well as the Department of Justice action on the Georgia voting bill and new revelations from the former guy's administration.
MOMocrats MOMochat is a member of the DemCast family of podcasts.
The Biden administration capped off a very successful week by making Juneteenth a federal holiday: He managed to attend the G7 conference in the UK without shoving any of the other world leaders in attendance or embarrassing Americans back home. He announced that the United States would help combat COVID19 globally by contributing 500 million Pfizer vaccines to the world's poorest nations. He reassured our allies that the United States remains committed to NATO. And in Geneva, he helped erase the debacle of Helsinki by standing firm with Vladimir Putin.
On top of that, the Supreme Court threw out the latest red state threat to the Affordable Care Act, which means that 30 million Americans get to keep their precious Obamacare health insurance.
All in all, it's been a Big Effing Deal, and MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills will talk about it in this week's edition of MOMochat, part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
What do you think upset "the former guy" more today - news that his ban on Facebook will last at least until January 2023... or the fact that the Trump Organization controller will be testifying before the New York special grand jury?
By all accounts, the orange one is deeply delusional and might believe it's all moot when he comes back into power in August. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
As much of the nation takes to the road to celebrate Memorial Day without quarantines, the MOMocrats are reminded once again that elections have consequences. The Biden administration's successful vaccine implementation program and economic rescue plan have powered a resurging economy, and he promises to unveil more in the next few days. But today's GOP Senate filibuster of the bill to create a bipartisan commission on the January 6 insurrection is a reminder that little may be salvaged from Biden's plans without filibuster reform. And the menacing undercurrents of the MAGA and QAnon continue to threaten the safety of everyday Americans as well as the very survival of our democracy. Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss in this week's podcast.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
The GOP has given up on persuading voters to support them for their policies and ideas -- because they've overwhelmingly unpopular. So they have doubled down on rigging the system via voter suppression and gerrymandering. This does not bode well for the 2022 midterms, when Democrats must defy conventional wisdom and increase their congressional majorities, as well as their showing in statehouses around the country.
The MOMocrats welcome Richard Ojeda, national spokesperson for No Dem Left Behind, a grassroots organization that is doing its part to combat this by organizing and elevating Democrats in America's rural communities.
Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills will also talk about the week's news.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
The administration released new jobs numbers today, and analysts were disappointed - but only because they were expecting a whopping 1 million news jobs and were faced with a more normal 266,000. In a classic case of "glass half empty or half full," conservatives are spinning this as proof that enhanced unemployment benefits are making people too lazy to find work again, while progressives are pointing out that employers who don't offer a living wage should have trouble filling job openings. And then there's the fact that economic recoveries don't occur in straight upward lines.
MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about the numbers, as well as the assault on voting rights, Republicans in disarray, and the Facebook board's decision to kick the Trump question back to the company.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts
President Biden gave his first joint address to Congress this week, marking a successful first 100 days in office - and viewers polled afterwards indicated that it was a stunning success. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills reflect on the new Administration's successes in positioning the country away from the mess made by "the former guy." They will also talk about continuing woes of Rudy Giuliani and Matt Gaetz.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
The jury in the Derek Chauvin murder case found the former Minneapolis policeman guilty on all counts - but as relieved as most of the nation was, it was not a moment of joy.
"I would not call today's verdict justice, however, because justice implies true restoration," Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said. "But it is accountability, which is the first step towards justice, and now the cause of justice is in your hands."
Chauvin would likely never have gone to trial without the video showing him callously asphyxiating George Floyd to death. And it remains dangerous to go about doing everyday things in this country if you are a Black American. As the jury announced their verdict, 16-year-old Ma'Kiyah Bryant was shot to death by a cop in Columbus, Ohio. And two days later, the funeral was held for 20-year-old Daunte Wright, who lost his life after being pulled over for expired license tags -- just a few miles from the site where Floyd died.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the trial and its aftermath, as well as some reasons for optimism in the United States under President Joe Biden: continued success in fighting COVID-19, a renewed commitment to combating climate change, and a sunny economic forecast fueled by Biden's people-first policies.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
President Biden unveiled his new plan to shore up the country's deteriorating infrastructure - and we finally understand what he meant by "Build Back Better." The $2 Trillion bill allocates funds for fixing roads and bridges, expanding our rail network, replacing toxic water infrastructure, upgrading school structures, closing the broadband gap in underserved parts of the country, and beginning the much-needed shift to clean energy. And he proposes to pay for it by partially erasing the Trump tax cuts on wealthy people and corporations.
Like the American Rescue Plan COVID relief bill, this proposal is popular with voters - including Republican ones.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the new bill, as well as the Derek Chauvin murder trial, and this week's gift that keeps on giving: the sex with underage minors scandal that some have dubbed "Pizza Gaetz."
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
MOMOcrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss Georgia's outrageous new voting restrictions, the mainstream media's fail at President Biden's press first press conference, and our continuing gun nightmare.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
This week has been one of good news and bad news. The Biden Administration has overseen the administration of 100 million COVID vaccines - 40 days sooner than the President originally promised. However, the new, more dangerous variants of the virus appear to have stemmed the progress the nation has made in stemming the pandemic, and there are new hot spots around the country.
The House has passed Biden's sweeping immigration plan, which includes a path to citizenship for DREAMERS and migrant farm workers. In the meantime, the anti-immigration right has seized upon a surge of unaccompanied minors and some border crossings and deemed it a "crisis at the border." It's not - but those are the official talking points this week.
And a horrific mass murder in Georgia has highlighted this country's ongoing problem with hatred of our fellow Americans who are of Asian descent, which was exacerbated by Trumpian description of COVID as the "China virus," etc.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss these issues and more this week. Part of the DemCast family of podcasts
When Joe Biden was Vice President, he proclaimed the Affordable Care Act a "big effing deal."
Now that he's President, Biden has a BFD of his own - and is on track to be the most transformative Democratic president since FDR.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills look back on an exceptional week 50 days into the Biden presidency, when the American Rescue Plan was enacted into law, the timeline for getting Americans vaccinated was shortened by a couple of months -- and Merrick Garland was finally sworn in as Attorney General.
The Senate has President Biden's $1.9T American Rescue Plan and the GOP are throwing all the delay tactics they can at it, but in the end this extremely popular bill will pass. In the meantime, the Fox News crowd is obsessed with the lie that the Democrats have cancelled the Muppets and Dr. Seuss... and a second insurrection on March 4 did not materialize. However, the threat is still there and the National Guard is likely to remain in DC for at least another two months.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss this and the latest COVID news on this week's podcast from a progressive point of view. Part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
The parliamentarian has spoken and she says a $15 per hour minimum wage can't be enacted through reconciliation. The rest of the $1.9 trillion COVID relief package can be passed in the Senate with a simple majority, which means that help to the American people and state and local governments will soon be on its way.
And a raise in the minimum wage will occur too - but first, Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema may have to be browbeaten into a vote to end the filibuster.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the drama in the Senate, as well the week's other political news in this week's Pursuit of Happiness Hour - part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
Extreme winter weather has made life difficult in most of the United States this week - but no place worse than Texas, where the infrastructure failed, leaving millions of residents without power, heat, fresh water, and food. Unlike the "former guy" who won the state's electoral college votes, President Joe Biden quickly declared a state of emergency and invoked FEMA to provide assistance. This is ironic, as just weeks ago Texas Governor Abbott was talking about seceding from the Union.
It also did not look good for Senator Ted Cruz when he left his Houston home for an ill-advised family trip to Cancun. Especially when Beto O'Rourke - who does not hold office - has reached out to hundreds of thousands of Texans to help. Even Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (a New Yorker) has used her social media reach to raise a million dollars in one night to aid Texans.
Climate change is behind the increased extreme weather the nation has been experiencing, and President Biden today brought the United States back into the Paris Climate Accord, with a speech announcing to the world that America is back. Then the President flew to Pfizer's manufacturing plant in Michigan to tour the facility and announce that production of their COVID vaccine will be doubling within a couple of weeks. The nation is on track to meet or exceed President Biden's promise of 100 million vaccines administered in his first 100 days.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss this and more in this week's political podcast from the progressive point of view.
MOMocrats MOMochat is a member of the DemCast family of podcasts.
This week's impeachment trial has been rough as the nation relived the terror of what occurred at the Capitol on January 6. In the meantime, President Biden's COVID team has secured 200 million additional vaccine doses and the House has been quietly putting together the legislation for the 1.9 trillion dollar American Rescue Plan the administration has proposed.
It's a good night for another Pursuit of Happiness Hour, and the MOMocrats are opening up the phone lines so you can imbibe along with Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
Two weeks into his term, and Joe Biden has been the picture of quiet efficiency. Meanwhile, the Republicans are showing themselves to be the party of Q.
Pull up a seat and sip a cocktail as MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the progress of the Biden team, the House, and the newly enabled Democratic Senate majority in this week's Pursuit of Happiness Hour edition of MOMocrats MOMochat.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
The first full week of the new Biden-Harris Administration has been remarkable for how normal it seems. Even if all we're dealing with is decidedly not.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the flurry of executive actions, press conferences, and new Cabinet members that soberly made the news this week... while all the Washington drama has hinged over at the Capitol: impeachment, filibusters, and radical members of Congress who may have been involved in the deadly insurrection that occurred a mere three weeks ago.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
Wednesday's Inauguration of Joe Biden was pure joy. But MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills are still experiencing PTSD from four years of living with an abusive President. They talk about the long road back amid multiple crises, what to do about a president and members of Congress who attempted a violent coup just two weeks ago, and the obstacles ahead in a 50-50 Senate and a House with a slim majority for the Democrats. And there might be some talk about Inaugural Day fashion.
MOMocrats MOMochat is a part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
The MOMocrats rejoice that Donald Trump's residence in our White House ends in five more days - even as they note the damage he's done will be with us for years. Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about the fallout from the Capitol insurrection, impeachment, the upcoming inauguration, Joe Biden's COVID plan, and more.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
It's a new year and we'll soon have a new beginning in Washington, with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris taking office and Democratic control of both Houses of Congress, thanks to the Georgia triumph of newly elected Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff.
But first, we need to deal with the orange countenance of Donald Trump, whose four-year crime spree only intensified over the holiday break as he did everything he could to overturn the 2020 election and stay in power by any means possible - including inciting his most fervent, violent supporters to idisrupt the final count of Electoral College votes by nvading and rioting in the Capitol.itself.
The result is a serious discussion of either invoking the 25th Amendment or a second impeachment. Since Vice President Mike Pence appears unwilling to participate in the 25th, it looks increasingly likely that Trump's term will end with a repeat of last year's drama. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
It would have been silly to expect this lame duck period to be uneventful.
The Electoral College has spoken. Mitch McConnell has congratulated President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris. Some Republican Senators and Representatives have followed suit - but that hasn't stopped Trump minions from continuing their vain efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
This week, Congress races to finally put together a COVID relief bill (that has something in it to disappoint everyone) before the holiday recess. There's also the little matter of funding the government. There is a defense bill that Trump is threatening to veto because he's a petulant child. The Pfizer vaccine began arriving in the states on Monday, and approval of the Moderna vaccine is expected today - but we have learned that the Trump administration is holding up vaccine deliveries to the states for some reason no one has explained satisfactorily yet.
In addition to the pandemic and the recession it has caused, the discovery of a 9-months long massive hack into several governmental departments (including Energy and Defense) by a foreign nation state is yet another headache for the incoming administration. And Trump has not uttered a peep about it. (Could that be because the perpetrator was Russia?)
Through all of this, President-Elect Biden continues to announce a Cabinet that truly does look more like the demographics of the country. And Republicans express faux outrage over Democrats who rightly call them out on their hypocrisy, and Jill Biden's right to use the "Doctor" honorific she earned.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills are counting the days until sanity is restored to the White House (33!) If only we could have sanity in the nation as quickly. Member of the DemCast family of podcasts.
Two stories dominated the political news this week: the excitement over the rollout of Pfizer's COVID vaccine (with others to follow)... and Donald Trump and his followers abandoning all pretense of democratic principles in a seditious pursuit of ignoring the results of the fair and secure November election that will make Joe Biden the 46th President of the United States.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills also find time to talk about Mitch McConnell embodying the grim reaper moniker by once again derailing pandemic aid for the country, the run-offs in Georgia, and more.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast famiily of podcasts.
In 47 days, Joe Biden will take the oath of office and become President of the United States. He faces a country that has been battered by a raging pandemic, economic disaster, and the abuse of a Republican party led by a sociopath.
How much the new administration will be able to accomplish rides on the results of the January 5 run-off election for two Senators' seats in Georgia, which will determine which party has the majority in the Senate. This will make the difference between a legislature that will work with the new President... or at least two more years of obstruction from Mitch McConnell.
The Biden-Harris team have been rolling out a slate of competent candidates to tackle the nation's many problems. And while the 74-year-old toddler in the Oval Office continues his tantrum over the election results (even turning on his most loyal toady, AG Bill Barr), his appointee at OMB has finally acknowledged that Biden is President-Elect, allowing the transition to the new administration to proceed as it should. And this week, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris at last began receiving the President's Daily Briefing.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss how we survive until Inauguration Day.
Donald Trump's post-election temper tantrum is both embarassing and dangerous, as it is setting a precedent for the next time the GOP loses a presidential election. CNN reported yesterday that his motive isn't just trying to overturn a free and fair election, but to sow chaos, leave the Biden administration with intractable problems they cannot solve in one four-year term, and that most Trumpian of motives: revenge for the Russia investigations.
And of the many frightening things about it are polls that indicate that a full 80% of 80-million Trump voters believe the lies coming not just from Trump and right-wing media, but the official statements of the GOP that Trump was the one who won in a landslide.
MOMocrats Aliza Worthington and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the Trump campaign's unprecedented post-election machinations that are occurring during a frightening resurgence of the pandemic, Mitch McConnell's continuing refusal to legislate economic relief for the millions of Americans who have lost jobs and businesses, and the run-off election in Georgia, which will decide whether the incoming Biden administration will be able to get things done or be held hostage by McConnell.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
For one glorious day, the world celebrated the win of the new President-elect. Then it all came crashing down, because as long as Donald Trump is occupying the White House, we can't have nice things. This week's drama is centered on his refusal to concede or cooperate with the Biden-Harris transition team and his mysterious machinations to leave loyalists in charge of our national security (creating his OWN "deep state," which could put the next administration into the ironic position of having to cull out Trump loyalists from the civil service).
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills cheer the outcome of the election, look ahead to the Georgia run-offs, and mourn the quarter-million and growing American victims of the COVID-19 pandemic in this week's political podcast from the progressive point of view. MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
We were warned that the massive number of absentee ballots would make it impossible to get it all counted on Tuesday night... and that with Republicans voting in person and so many Democrats voting by mail, Donald Trump would be quick to note the red mirage and declare victory. Today's cries of "illegal votes" and "Democrats are trying to steal the election" were predictable...
...and still unnerving. However, as the vote count continues - it is apparent that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will soon be named President-Elect and Vice President-Elect. We think.
The election may not have been the blue tsunami MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills were hoping for... but it looks like it was enough to wash out the corruption and incompetence of the Trump administration. And not a moment too soon: with the US seeing 100,000+ new COVID cases a day right now, the pandemic crisis will only get worse before January 20.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
Halloween has nothing on Election Day, 2020. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the polling, the massive early vote, and the haunting memories of 2016. It doesn't help that Donald Trump and the Republicans are openly maneuvering to cheat Biden-Harris out of a win.
The MOMocrats also talk about down-ballot races, dreams of balancing the courts, and the pandemic that is indeed turning a corner, albeit a very dark one where Americans are being told to expect living this strange half-life for at least another year.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
November 3 is in 11 days, and early voting numbers are EQUAL to the number of early votes for the ENTIRE 2016 election.
MOMocrats Aliza Worthington and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the final Biden-Trump debate, Trump's continuing quest to manufacture an October surprise like the one James Comey gave him four years ago, the threat of foreign interference into the election...and the specter of Amy Coney Barrett's addition to the Supreme Court.
MOMocrats MOMochat is a member of the DemCast family of podcasts.
The Senate Judiciary Committee will be voting on Amy Coney Barrett on October 22, with the full Senate vote occurring the following day... all DURING an election. Mitch McConnell has the votes to confirm her. So the question now is: what will the Democrats do if they take power in January?
The polls are starting to indicate that the 2020 election will be a blue tsunami (which is why Senate Republicans are speeding ahead to create a 6-3 conservative majority on the Supreme Court). But if we were on the 2016 timeline, next week would mark the release of the Comey letter... so Democrats must keep their eye on the ball, get out the vote, and get their ballots in early to thwart whatever tricks Donald Trump and the GOP will deploy to stay in power.
Trump has already been thwarted in many attempts to re-create that old 2016 magic: William Barr's many investigations have so far turned up nothing they can use, Rudy Giuliani tried to drop an October surprise involving a mysterious laptop and hacked emails, and Trump has been invoking Hillary Clinton as a means to get his base all riled up again...
...to no avail. Trump even lost the battle of the competing town halls Thursday night, as 2 million more viewers tuned in to hear Joe Biden speak calmly on issues while the president flailed under questioning by Savannah Guthrie on NBC. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about this week's political news from a progressive point of view.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
The White House is a COVID hot spot: At least 34 individuals connected with the administration have tested positive - and the president may well be Patient Zero.
Donald Trump was released from the hospital on Monday after only four days of treatment, which included an experimental cocktail of antibodies and a powerful steroid with possible side effects "ranging from blood clots, blurred vision, and headaches to 'psychic derangements.'" While it's hard to tell how much of the president's behavior this week is due to the medications, or his desperation at his tanking poll numbers, the crazy coming out of the White House this week has been extraordinary... prompting Nancy Pelosi to propose a commission to look into invoking the 25th Amendment.
The election is less than four weeks away.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills will also talk about the Biden-Harris campaign, this week's Vice Presidential debate, and the stunning arrest of white extremist terrorists who plotted to kidnap Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
There was plenty of political news to talk about BEFORE we learned that President Trump and the First Lady tested positive for COVID-19: The week began with a couple of bombshell reports from the New York Times, which obtained 20 years of Trump tax returns.Trump's refusal to follow rules turned the first presidential debate into a "hot mess inside a dumpster fire." And that was BEFORE we learned that it may also have been a super-spreader event. Polling for the election has remained steady while fundraising for Democrats has been robust (over $30 million raised during the debate alone). And that's just the election-related news, all of which is now affected by Trump's positive diagnosis. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss this and as much as they can fit into one hour in this week's political podcast. Part of the #DemCast family of podcasts.
“Fight for the things that you care about. But do it in a way that will lead others to join you," Ruth Bader Ginsburg said - and the next 39 days will be the greatest fight of our lives as President Trump pulls out all the stops to retain power after an election he seems sure to lose bigly.
The MOMocrats remember RBG, and talk about the Republicans' shameless determination to replace her before the election (or during the lame duck session). They will also talk about Breonna Taylor and the aftermath of the Kentucky grand jury decision that exonerated the police officers who killed her. And - of course - the latest developments in the most important election of our lives.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
Smoke from the fires in the West has reached Europe. Another large hurricane has flooded towns in the Gulf. Health officials warn that a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic will be upon us soon, and at least one model predicts a "very deadly December." The economy continues to sputter. And the November 3 election could either be a new beginning for our democracy... or mark its end. And even if our side wins, it may be difficult to wrench the current president out of the White House.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about the life and death nature of American politics right now in this week's podcast from a progressive point of view. Part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
As the MOMocrats watched today's solemn comemmorations of the terrible events that occurred 19 years ago, they noted that Donald Trump has caused approximately 66 9/11’s this year, and we lose another 1,000 people every single day.
This week, we learned that Trump's mishandling of the virus was not due to a misunderstanding of its lethality: Back in February, he told journalist Bob Woodward that the novel coronavirus was airborne, very easy to contract, and deadlier than the flu. Several weeks later, he confessed to Woodward that he deliberately played down the dangers of the virus because he didn't want to cause "panic." (Since his re-election campaign is ONLY about panicking white folks, one would have to conclude that the thing he doesn't want to panic is the stock market.
And Lordy, there are tapes.
Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills will talk about this and more on this week's MOMocrats MOMochat, part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
The MOMocrats can't believe summer is over and we STILL need to stay socially distant. Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about the Biden campaign's strong offense this week, much ado about a visit to a hair salon... and the bombshell report that Donald Trump thinks our fallen soldiers are "losers."
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
The Republicans had their turn to put on a convention this week... and it wasn't good.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about how Donald Trump's plans for a grand coronation got repeatedly botched by the coronavirus, violations of the Hatch Act...and the backdrop of Jacob Blake's shooting and the violence in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Also: Kamala Harris comes out swinging as the Biden campaign gears up for battle.
Early voting in some states begins in a little over three weeks.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
The leadership of the Democratic National Committee took the COVID-19 pandemic seriously and made the decision months ago to forego the traditional mass gathering which was to take place in Milwaukee this year. Pundits feared that the proceedings would end up with all the charm of one massive Zoom teleconference.
The pundits were charmingly proven wrong. The convention planning team - led by veteran Democratic strategist Stephanie Cutter and Emmy-award winning TV producer Ricky Kirshner (who has been on board since 1992), this year's DNC was a crisp, fast-moving television event... and might we add: entertaining.
"It was GOOD television," says MOMocrat Donna Schwartz Mills, who joins her colleagues Karoli and Aliza Worthington of CrooksandLiars.com to assess the convention, the introduction to the country of the Biden-Harris ticket... and speculate about the Republicans' turn next week.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
As Donald Trump bumbles through talking points during his daily press briefings and continues to believe the coronavirus will "just go away" - he tries to make the case that JOE BIDEN is too mentally diminished to be president.
You can almost hear MOMocrats Aliza Worthington and Donna Schwartz Mills roll their eyes as they run through this week's political news from a progressive point of view.
The election is less than 90 days away, and mailed ballots will start going out in a matter of weeks. Polling lo oks good for the Democrats, but after 2016, no one is putting stock in polls - especially when the Republicans seem determined to STEAL the election (again). We can't let that happen. The next administration is going to have its work cut out for it, as experts warn that COVID-19 restrictions will be with us for years to come - even if we get an effective vaccine.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
The emergency provisions of the CARES Act - giving Americans an extra unemployment benefit $600 per week and a moratorium on evictions - expire next week. The Democrats in the House have passed the HEROES Act back in May, providing six more months of COVID-19 unemployment, housing and food assistance, debt relief, student loan forgiveness, hazard pay, and nearly $1 trillion in aid for state and local governments.
This legislation remains with the pile of House bills gathering dust on Mitch "The Grim Reaper" McConnell's desk.
The GOP has been in negotiations among themselves to come up with a Senate bill that would provide less generous benefits to the American people who are still suffering from the raging pandemic - but they cannot come to consensus (and they have yet to talk to Democratic Senators they need to pass the 60-vote threshhold). Time is of the essence: they are due for yet another five-week recess on July 31. And this week, unemployment claims surged again, as many parts of the country are on the brink of a second closing due to the pandemic.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss this and the crazy quilt of this week's other developments in the weekly podcast from a progressive point of view - part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
There is one issue on which the MOMocrats agree with Donald Trump: We would ALL like to see our kids go back to school, where they can learn their lessons in a classroom with trained, professional teachers and enjoy socializing with their friends.
But as long as the pandemic surges unchecked - and the government withholds funding that will allow schools to open safely - a majority of parents and teachers alike want everyone to continue to STAY HOME. No amount of presidential bullying can change the trajectory of a virus that does not respect political stance or borders. Not to mention the fact that we still do not understand the long term effects of COVID infection, even after someone has seemingly recovered.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about this and the other political stories of the week. Part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
The Supreme Court this week ruled that Donald Trump is not immune from criminal investigations and Congressional oversight and he went ballistic on Twitter.
And the country gave out a collective yawn. After all, we're the epicenter of death in a global pandemic, unemployment is at Great Depression levels, the racism baked into our nation's civic infrastructure has reached a boiling point, and we have a president who does nothing but make it all worse because all he cares about is getting re-elected (so he can continue to not do anything that benefits the American people).
Three and one-half years ago, when Donald Trump came in to office and began assaulting our people and institutions, we would collectively moan, "This is not normal." But now - we are so far from "normal," who knows what it means any longer?
Joe Biden gave a speech yesterday on the economy. He doesn't have the soaring rhetoric of Barack Obama - but his recognition of the suffering of Americans who are just trying to get through another day was... soothing. And was a reminder of what it felt to have a leader who is "normal."
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about the week's political news from a progressive point of view - part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
Yesterday, Donald Trump said - once again - that he thinks the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 will just "disappear." Maybe - but not until it has infected every last person in the United States. Because Trump refused to use his presidential powers to impose a nationwide standard for combating the virus, we ended up witih a patchwork of various measures among the states. And because Trump only cares about his reelection, he pushed to open the economy too soon. The result is that the virus is surging: more than 100,000 new infections in the last two days, and many communities have cancelled their July 4 celebrations in an attempt to encourage Americans to STAY AT HOME for the holiday.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the current virus situation in today's Independence Day edition of the podcast, along with the mind-boggling revelation that this president continues to kowtow to Putin even after being briefed that Russia has been paying the Taliban bounties for killing American soldiers in Afghanistan... the progress of the 2020 campaign... and more. Part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
The year is half over, and so far we've had a pandemic, massive recession, and civic unrest - while being led by an erratic, authoritarian liar who is fighting for re-election. Wags on Twitter point out that 2020 is like a 20th century mixtape, with all of the terrible events of the last century occurring at once. The only thing we have not yet endured is a world war, and all we can do is hope that Trump doesn't get us embroiled in something like that - but we have another five months until the election, and Trump is tanking in the polls... so there's time.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss a week in politics that began with Bill Barr's botched firing of SDNY's leader and ended with an attempt to dismantle the entire ACA in the middle of a pandemic - after 20 million newly unemployed people have moved onto Obamacare. Part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
The MOMocrats laughed when Trump took credit this week for "making Juneteenth famous." But if you're talking about the majority of his base - who are the ONLY Americans he cares about - there's some truth to that. By scheduling his first rally in months on June 19th just blocks away from the site of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, millions of white Americans learned the details of a shameful episode that they likely never heard of in history class.
Weeks of protests over police crimes against Black Americans (which continue) has put Juneteenth on the radar of even the most oblivious White Americans. The nation's large and small corporations are emailing their customers with Juneteenth messages. And the movement to make Juneteenth a national holiday is gaining steam. But the violence continues: The Atlanta police killing of Rayshard Brooks has dominated the news this week. And in the last couple of weeks, six people of color (to date) have been found hanging from trees around the country - and have been initially categorized by local authorities as "suicides" until public outcry forces them to investigate further.
MOMocrats Aliza Worthington and Donna Schwartz Mills will also talk about the surging COVID-19 pandemic, the surprising SCOTUS decisions, John Bolton's book, and more in this week's podcast from a progressive point of view - a member of the DemCast family of podcasts.
Trump's re-election campaign sent CNN a "cease and desist" letter this week after the cable news network released polling that showed Joe Biden leading nationally by 14 points. (CNN's response to that letter is a must-read.) And while it is tempting to get excited about reporting that indicates Trump is losing ground among traditional Republican voters (college educated whites and senior citizens), the MOMocrats are determined to remain skeptical. After all, a lot can and will happen between now and November and the volatility that has marked 2020 shows no sign of waning.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about the 2020 campaign and try to make some sense of the week's political news.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
It's been an extraordinary week in what is turning out to be an extraordinary year. Hundreds of thousands of people of all races and nationality took to the streets around the world - to protest the systemic racism that allowed fthe murder of George Floyd - and so many other black Americans - at the hand of police..
Yes, the peaceful demonstrations for Black Lives Matter were hijacked by people who were more interested in creating havoc than getting justice, and the police response in some cities has been horrific - illustrating the need for reform. Yes, there was looting and arson that caused more suffering for small businesses that have already been hurt by the response to the pandemic. And yes, that pandemic rages on, which means there will likely be COVID-19 spikes in cities that saw demonstrations.
But there is hope as the demonstrations have grown, and curfews have given way to tentative measures and discussions of police reform in many American cities.
And then there is the Administration's response to the demonstrations in Washington, as Trump and Barr sent in the military and gassed peaceful protesters in Lafayette Park - so Trump could get a ridiculous photo op in front of a church - all broadcast live on television.The abuses - which include the arrival of mysterious government forces with no agency identification and a new fence surrounding the White House - prompted military leaders to finally push back on the president's authoritarianism.
And it should be noted that Trump appears to be panicking while his 2020 poll numbers plummet. This extraordinary year will only get more extraordinary.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the week's political news from a progressive point of view on this DemCast podcast.
This week, the MOMocrats welcome Shireen Mitchell, digital activist and founder of Stop Online Violence Against Women to talk about the week's news and discuss how women of color are targeted in online disinformation campaigns - and how to combat it.
COVID-19 is not the only pandemic killing Americans. Racism is the other one. They converged this week with news that the coronavirus is killing a disproportional number of black and brown people (likely due to underlying conditions that are the direct result of policies that - among other things - make access to healthcare scarce)...
... And two viral videos that demonstrate - once again - the obstacles black Americans face every single day just by living in the United States. One of those videos documents the brutal execution of George Floyd at the knee of a white Minneapolis policeman, as three other officers looked on. That video has sparked protests around the country - some of which have turned violent.
And the president - who is desperate to distract the American people from his incompetent handling of COVID-19 and also never misses an opportunity to divide the American people - fans the flames. This is predictable. What MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills could not predict is that Twitter would finally figure out a way to push back against disinformation emanating from the president's social media accounts.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the #DemCast family of podcasts.
The Memorial Day holiday has a new meaning this year, as the official US death toll from COVID-19 reaches 100,000 - and all 50 states join outliers in the South on re-opening their economies after weeks of coronavirus economic shutdown. New cases are already spiking back up in some communities that re-opened; the first wave never waned in others. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss how the patchwork spread of the coronavirus makes it so difficult to contain, not to mention how the president encourages the right wing to look at containment measures like masks as just another salvo in the "culture war." The MOMocrats will also talk about new developments in the IG scandal, the collapse of Trump's "Obamagate" talking points, Joe Biden's shortlist for Vice President, and the arrest of a third suspect in Ahmaud Arbery's murder.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the #Demcast family of podcasts.
As of this morning, more than 86,000 Americans have died from COVID-19, and the death toll continues to rise by an average of 1500-2000 daily. This death toll would be much higher if states had not implemented widespread lockdowns, and the economic consequences of those have been devastating. Different parts of the country are attempting to re-open their economies - with little guidance and no direction from the federal government - even as the virus rages on.
So Donald Trump spent the week working hard on... spreading the lie that President Obama's administration committed some kind of unspecified crimes in 2016, vaguely tied to Michael Flynn and the investigation into Russia's very real interference with our election (which is still going on today).
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Miills talk about the crazy hodge podge of this week's political news in this week's podcast from a progressive point of view. Part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
Today's count of COVID-19 dead is 75,000 Americans and rising - far worse than any other nation in the world. Unemployment figures just released show a nationwide rate of 14%. Donald Trump cares more about the second figure than the first, and his push to "open up the economy" will not help either figure. He refuses to model the kind of behavior that would help stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, and so no one else in his administration.wears masks or practices social distancing either - at least, in public. But while he projects unafraid machismo over the virus, behind the scenes he is said to have become "lava-level mad" at the news that his personal valet, who serves him his meals, tested positive.
That was the one bright spot in a week that saw the Trump administration and his GOP enablers shred more democratic norms (Michael Flynn!) under the backdrop of this health and economic crisis, which is disproportionately.hitting the poor and people of color, while an astroturfed series of "protests" against public health measures appears to gain steam - amid symbols of white nationalism. All the while, the Democratic opposition is nearly invisible while they figure out how to be heard while sitting it out at home. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the week's political news from a progressive point of view - part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
The first of May is traditionally a celebration of spring and the coming of summer - but for those of us in COVID-19 hot spots, it's just a continuation of monotonous days hunkered down at home to slow down the spread of the virus.
That does not mean there aren't signs of life. As of this writing, 21 states have eased or lifted their most stringent stay-at-home orders (some without regard to the fact that infections are still increasing). And with the economy a shambles, even the 80% of Americans who support coronavirus quarantines are anxious to get back some semblance of normalcy. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about this week's pandemic news, quarantine cabin fever - and political stories that have little to do with the coronavirus: the president's determination to rehabilitate the reputation of Mike Flynn, the new Press Secretary's first press conference, the search for a Biden running mate... and how the media hasn't learned a thing from their missteps in 2016.
MOMocrats MOMochat is a part of the #Demcast family of podcasts.
As the economy tumbles into a deeper recession, the right wing takes a page out of the Tea Party playbook - while the president tweets about "liberating" blue states from the measures their governors have imposed to protect their citizens' health. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about the Trump administration's mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the Biden campaign's response, the results of the Wisconsin primary, and life under lockdown.
MOMocrats MOMochat is a part of the #DemCast family of podcasts.
According to the Washington Post, Donald Trump is obsessed with the stock market and unemployment numbers and thinks that they are wrecking his chances for re-election. He's not wrong - but ignoring the advice of Dr. Fauci ("the virus decides when we open the country back up") can make the misery worse.
In the meantime: Trump continues to dismantle any oversight by dismissing Inspector Generals (including the one who was to administer the recent COVID-19 aid package), he is quietly removing environmental restrictions on oil and gas, the Republicans are appointing more bad judges, and the conservative majority on the Supreme Court enabled the state of Wisconsin to use the pandemic to further destroy the state's voters' rights.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss all of this and more from lockdown in this week's political podcast from the progressive point of view. A part of the #DemCast family of podcasts.
Jared Kushner has no expertise in epidemiology. He hasn't any expertise in diplomacy, trade negotiations, or criminal justice, but that hasn't stopped Trump from putting his son-in-law in charge of administration policy on those topics. And we learned this week that Jared decided that the state of New York did not need the 30,000 ventilators requested by Governor Cuomo because Jared had his own projections. “I know how to make this government run now,” Jared said, according to Vanity Fair.
When historians study the Trump administration's bungling of this global pandemic, Jared Kushner will get a chapter all his own. Until then, MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills will talk about it. Other topics in this week's political discussion from the progressive point of view are the Navy's recall of a commander who committed the grave sin of trying to protect his crew from coronavirus, the deepening financial abyss the pandemic is causing Americans, and a general election that is still going to happen in November.
MOMocrats MOMochat is a member of the #Demcast family of podcasts.
Every day, the statistics on the nation's growing COVID-19 deaths and infections become grimmer, as the novel coronavirus continues its spread. The Trump administration's bungling of this crisis has resulted in an unprecedented economic crash: A record 3.2 million Americans filed for unemployment last week, and there will surely be more to come.
The Senate's passage of a $2.2 trillion aid package is a start, but more is needed, and Nancy Pelosi vows that there will be another tranche of financial measures to help the American populace soon. But first, the House needs to pass the Senate bill (expected to occur today).
Donald Trump is not to blame for the emergence of this deadly new virus - but his decision to dismantle the public health apparatus created by previous administrations and his refusal to follow the advice of experts is directly responsible for the situation we find ourselves in now... and his desire to "open the economy back up" while the pandemic continues to ramp up is going to result in many more sick and dead Americans. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about this and the Democratic response (because we have an election looming in just 7 months, remember that?)
MOMocrats MOMochat is a part of the #Demcast family of podcasts.
This week, the president finally appeared to grasp the seriousness of the situation his administration put us all in by dithering away the time we needed to prepare for the coronavirus pandemic. His focus on the stock market, his poll numbers, and re-election has put the entire country in danger - and (ironically) has hastened an economic crash unlike anything we've ever experienced. And the health crisis keeps spiraling out of control as more Americans get sick - and die, while hospitals and their personnel struggle without adequate equipment and protection. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the crisis, the government's attempts to respond.
They will also talk about the 2020 election: how the pandemic is affecting it and where the race stands.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the #DemCast family of podcasts.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills emerge from their social isolation to talk about the latest pandemic news...
...before turning attention back to our election, which is still happening even as presidential campaigns are cancelling in-person rallies and appearances. Their guest this week is Liuba Grechen Shirley, of VoteMama.org, a PAC that supports Democratic mothers running for office.
Mothers with young children make up 13% of the US population, but their representation in Congress is less than 5%. This lack of representation hurts us all, according to Liuba.
"We’re missing out on a critical voice," says Liuba. "We’re missing out on the voice of people who know at a visceral level what it’s like not to have access to paid family leave; who know what it’s like not to be able to find affordable, quality child care; who know what it’s like to rely on the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to cover their children’s healthcare."
Join the MOMocrats as they discuss ways to encourage more younger women with children to run for office in this week's political podcast from a progressive point of view, part of the #DemCast family
Election 2020 took a stunning turn in the last week, beginning with Jim Clyburn's pivotal endorsement of Joe Biden just before the South Carolina primary. Following Biden's huge win on Saturday, the other candidates dropped out of the race, beginning with Tom Steyer... then Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar, who united in a "Stop Bernie" effort by supporting the Vice President - who went on to chalk up massive wins on Super Tuesday. Billionaire Mike Bloomberg bowed out on Wednesday and endorsed Biden. And Thursday came the announcement that the last woman in the race, Elizabeth Warren, was also ending her pursuit of the presidency - leaving us with a two-man race for the nomination. MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the race, as well as the coronavirus panic and the administration's panicked response, and more political news from a progressive point of view.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
CNN reports that 38% of Americans surveyed will not buy Corona beer out of fear of getting the coronavirus. However - the actual survey doesn't mention COVID19 at all. But this is the level of misinformation the public is dealing with, even from trusted media - and it does not help that the people at the very top level of our federal government are known to be anti-science liars. No wonder the stock market is reacting in the worst possible way: Investors like certainty and stability, and President Chaos has made that impossible in what appears to be the beginning of a pandemic. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the political implications of this developing crisis, including the naming of Mike Pence as "coronavirus czar" and his directive that ALL scientific statements be approved by him before they go public. And of course, they will also talk about this week's disaster of a Democratic debate, the South Carolina primary, and Super Tuesday.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
It may not be an actual Chinese curse, but "interesting times" is definitely what we are going through right now, and it's pretty awful. Since impeachment, Trump's worst impulses have been unleashed and there's NO BOTTOM. On the heels of the crisis in the Department of Justice, the president has upended the country's national security and intelligence apparatus - BECAUSE HE IS ANGRY THAT THEY BRIEFED CONGRESSIONAL INTEL COMMITTEES on the not unexpected news that Russia is interfering in the 2020 election, again on Trump's behalf.
On top of that, our news media has seemingly learned no lessons from their mistakes of 2016. They continue to cover the election as a horse race, with dire consequences for campaigns that could be more viable. It doesn't help that Democratic voters are still traumatized from Trump's surprise Electoral College win that year. It's a heady combination that perplexes the MOMocrats in this week's look at politics from a progressive point of view - part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
It's Valentine's Day, and the MOMocrats hope you all have someone who looks at you the way Mike Pence looks at Trump - even if, as Elizabeth Warren said this week, you "already have a dog."
It's been a little over a week since the end of the impeachment trial and an emboldened Donald Trump is already committing more impeachable offenses in public. The Department of Justice under Bill Barr is imploding. After one caucus and one primary, the media has already anointed winners and losers in the 2020 race towards the nomination. And all of Mike Bloomberg's money cannot erase his history as Mayor of New York City.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills try to have a little fun with all of this as they discuss the political events of the week from a progressive point of view in this DemCast podcast.
Donald Trump's impeachment ended just the way he and Mitch McConnell wanted: without damaging witnesses or documents, and an acquittal in the Senate.
But just as in Mueller: HE WAS NOT EXONERATED. And - he not only could not peel off any vulnerable Democrats to support him, he lost one Republican Senator when Mitt Romney announced he could not proclaim him innocent.
The president got away with his attempts to manipulate an ally into helping him smear one of his Democratic opponents. There's NOTHING TO STOP HIM continuing to cheat in the 2020 election. His State of the Union address was a glimpse of how his campaign will run, and it wasn't pretty. MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about the ramifications of that, as well as what to expect now that the primaries have begun. No one is happy about the way the Democrats managed the Iowa Caucus (except maybe Pete Buttigieg). New Hampshire is coming up and then Nevada and South Carolina - and Super Tuesday.
It's ON.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
The MOMocrats have been watching the impeachment trial almost as intently as some of the Senators, and Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills will have a lot to say about it - whether, as everyone suspects, it ends without calling John Bolton or other witnesses... or all hell breaks loose and Mitch McConnell's plans for a quick acquittal are dashed.
And in their Election 2020 coverage, the MOMocrats welcome Mike Larsen, Democratic congressional candidate in OH CD-4, currently represented by Jim Jordan.
MOMocrats MOMochat is a member of the DemCast family of podcasts.
Donald Trump's impeachment trial opened with a marathon 13-hour session on Tuesday, as Senate Democrats put forth about a dozen amendments to Mitch McConnell's draconian trial rules regarding witnesses and evidence. Senate Republicans voted all of them down. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills find it amusing that GOP Senators are now whining that they “haven’t heard anything new" as House managers present the case against the president. The MOMocrats discuss the trial so far, as well as some of the week's other political news that has fallen through the impeachment cracks.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
In 2016, the election of Donald Trump triggered the women of the United States. On the eve of the fourth annual Women's March, and in the wake of the opening of an impeachment trial of Donald Trump, MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about where we've come from there - and where we are going. They also chat about the wave of women who were inspired to run for office, and the challenges they face in raising funds for their campaigns. (Note that since Karoli and Donna are attending the March on Saturday, this episode was pre-recorded and does not reflect the bombshells dropped in the Rachel Maddow interview with Lev Parnas.)
MOMocrats MOMochat is a member of the #DemCast family of podcasts.
The MOMocrats' weekly podcast looking at the day's political news from the progressive point of view. This week, their guest is Dr. Cindy Banyai, candidate for Congress in Florida's CD19, currently represented by Republican Francis Rooney. Rooney is retiring after his term, and it has NOTHING to do with his suggestion that impeaching Trump might be warranted. Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills will also talk about impeachment... and Iran. MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
All the MOMocrats wanted for Christmas was to see Donald Trump impeached... and the Democrats in Congress delivered on Wednesday. What happens next is anyone's guess: With Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham signalling loudly that the Senate trial would be fixed in favor of the president, Nancy Pelosi has shrewdly decided to hold off on delivering the articles of impeachment until the rules for the Senate hearing have been hammered out. This appears to be driving the president crazy... and we're OK with that. For one thing, this is our last podcast of 2019, and MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills are fervently hoping for some quiet time on the political front so we can all enjoy our family holidays without all hell breaking loose in Washington. (We'll see how that works out.) MOMocrats MOMochat is a member of the #DemCast family of podcasts.
The Judiciary Committee continued the impeachment process this week, which concluded with a marathon and contentious debate that ran into the night, followed by this morning's vote to approve the articles of impeachment. The full House votes on the articles next week. Mitch McConnell has already made it clear that the Senate will have the president's back - but whatever happens, it looks likely that Donald Trump will always be remembered as the third president in US history to be impeached.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss this and other political developments this week: a hearing on the DOJ IG Report that had good and bad for Democrats and Republicans, a House bill on drug prices as well as a bipartisan agreement on the NAFTA replacement (proving that Nancy Pelosi is able to keep legislation going during the impeachment process)... and over in the UK, an election that may have portents for our own in 2020. MOMocrats MOMochat is a member of the #DemCast family of podcasts.
If all you want for Christmas are articles of impeachment, Santa's listening. Only in this case, Santa is Nancy Pelosi, who announced yesterday that she is instructing the Judiciary Committee to go ahead and put a ribbon on it. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about the latest turns in the House inquiry... and what to expect on Monday, when the next Judiciary Committee hearing is scheduled to commence.
The MOMocrats will also talk about Trump's latest international foray at NATO, and the humiliation of that viral video that shows what the other western leaders say about him when they think the mic is off. And as Iowa and New Hampshire loom before us, where we are in the race for the Democratic nomination - especially with the entrance of billionaires and exit of good candidates like Kamala Harris. MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
The pundits who complained that last week's hearings had no "pizzazz" got their wildest dreams answered this week, as witness after witness carpetbombed the hearings with explosive revelations.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss what we learned from marathon questioning of:
Jennifer Williams Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman Kurt Volker Tim Morrison Gordon Sondland Laura Cooper David Hale Fiona Hill David Holmes
And if there's still time after that, there will be a discussion of last night's Democratic debate, which was historic for having more women than men on the stage (including the four moderators).
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the #DemCast family of podcasts.
"BORING," tweeted Donald Trump during the first House impeachment hearing on Wednesday. The DC press seemed to concur, complaining that while illuminating (and offering its share of bombshells), that it didn't have any "pizzazz."
So the President took matters into his own hands while Ambassador Marie Yovanovich was testifying, with a threatening tweet disparaging her service - an action Chairman Adam Schiff described as "witness tampering," indicating it could be added to eventual articles of impeachment.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills recap today's hearing plus the conviction of Roger Stone on his own charge of witness tampering, obstructing an official proceeding, and five counts of making false statements.
MOMocrats MOMochat is a member of the #DemCast family of podcasts.
The MOMocrats were riveted throughout yesterday's 5-hour+ long public hearing on Donald Trump's attempts to extort an ally in exchange for manufactured dirt on an election opponent. Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the first impeachment hearing, testimony of diplomats William Taylor and George Kent, the takeaways from the hearing, and why #WalterCronkite was trending yesterday.
Also on today's podcast: The courts are in the news, as the government rests its case in Roger Stone's long-awaited hearing on his association with Wikileaks in 2016, DACA is argued at the Supreme Court -- and SCOTUS will likely have to rule on whether Congress can get Donald Trump's tax returns. Also: MOMocrats' hearts skip a beat on the news that Ruth Bader Ginsburg missed yesterday's session due to illness. And the field for the 2020 race is not narrowing, as the money people get nervous about the popularity of Sanders and Warren.
Politics from a progressive point of view, part of the #DemCast platform of podcasts.
Tuesday's off-off year elections brought good news to Democrats: Democrat Andy Beshear won the governorship of deep-red Kentucky, and Virginia Democrats won control of all levers of state government (for the first time in a generation). Republicans claim they're not worried, but they aren't known these days for being truthful.
These election results could be a preview of 2020, but the lesson MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills learned after the last presidential election was not to plan a victory party before the last vote is counted. There are a lot more dirty tricks up the GOP's sleeves, and Democrats can be their own worst enemies. They talk about those and more of this week's political news from a progressive point of view.
MOMocrats MOMochat is a member of the #DemCast family of podcasts.
We've entered a new phase of the impeachment inquiry... The GOP's ratf**ers get a scalp... and the MOMocrats welcome Texas congressional candidate Elisa Cardnell in this week's podcast looking at the day's political news from the progressive point of view. Hosted by MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills - MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
The impeachment inquiry this week included bombshell testimony from William Taylor, the current acting ambassador to Ukraine, whose 15-page opening statement - released to the public - included outrageous details of Trump's extortion scheme to manufacture dirt on Vice President Biden. The mobster-in-chief tried to change the subject. He tried to gaslight us into believing his surrender to Turkey and Russia in Syria was actually good for the Kurds. He tried to paint Taylor - a West Point graduate, Vietnam veteran with 50 years of service to this country - as a partisan. When that didn't fly, he and his congressonal surrogates tried to argue that the quid pro quo described in the testimony wasn't illegal, because the Ukrainians didn't know their military aid was being held up. When news outlets reported that they did indeed know - even before President Zelenskyy took office - they resorted to stunts, with toady Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz leading a charge of GOP congressman storming the SCIF where the hearings are being held. Finally, AG William Barr dropped a bombshell of his own: the bogus attempt to rewrite the history of Russia's interference into the 2016 election is now a criminal inquiry, with the potential to truly harm the CIA and Justice Department veterans Trump characterizes as enemies. That got everyone's attention.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss as many of the week's political events that can be squeezed into an hour in this week's political podcast from the progessive point of view. MOMocrats MOMochat is a member of the DemCast family of podcasts.
The nation lost a great advocate of democracy yesterday, with the passing of Rep. Elijah Cummings, who was chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, currently part of the impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills believe that Cummings was the epitome of all that is good about our country, and they will talk about his legacy.
But his passing came during a week when the country was rocked by presidential actions that - in the wake of what's being uncovered in the congressional inquiry - were even more erratic than usual. Bloomberg journalist Sahil Kapur tweets out a list of all the bonkers news events that have occurred each day. Yesterday's tweet looked like this: Elijah Cummings deadSondland testifiesMulvaney briefingG7 at Trump DoralQuid pro quoImpeachment supportPence-ErdoganTurkey-Syria pauseZuckerberg speechBernie v. BidenPelosi presserSenate EPA rule voteRick Perry quitting People, that's just ONE DAY. And the pace is just accelerating as Trump's malfeasance begins to come into the light and he tries desperately to change the subject.
The MOMocrats will do as they can to put all of this into context in this week's political podcast from the progressive point of view - part of the DemCast family of podcasts.
In his "great and unmatched wisdom," Donald Trump has thrown our most steadfast allies against ISIS under the bus by withdrawing our troops from nothern Syria, giving Turkey and Russia a green light to do what they want in the region. Airstrikes have begun, and national security experts warn of an ethnic cleansing of the Kurds, who were promised protection from the United States. It will take decades to win the trust of our allies again - if ever. But impeachment and the removal of one Donald J. Trump from the White House might be a good start back into the light... and public opinion for that option rises every day. And while Trump tries to change the subject and assert imperial powers he doesn't have, two Rudy Giuliani associates were arrested for campaign finance violations. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss this week's political news from a progressive point of view. MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the #Demcast family of podcasts.
Donald Trump this week has given new meaning to the old philosophy exercise, "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" Only in this instance, it's "If a president extorts or invites foreign interference in plain sight, is it still collusion?"
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about this week's political developments from a progressive point of view, from the piling on of impeachable offenses to the release of text messages that appear incriminating. Not to mention the president's ironic assertions that all he's interested in doing is routing out corruption.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the #Demcast family of podcasts.
"What EVER will we talk about this week?" the MOMocrats joked among themselves. Because the political news of the last few days boils down to one thing: the whistleblower report that was released yesterday and the transcript of the Trump/Ukraine call that confirms the report's accuracy. After months of progressive frustration, support for impeachment snowballed among House Democrats (over 80 members of the caucus came off the bench), leading Speaker Nancy Pelosi to announce that the investigatinos into Donald Trump's crimes were now a full-fledged, official impeachment inquiry. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the historic developments from a progressive point of view.
MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
The president has been making threats to fight Iran on behalf of the Saudis - but (as usual with this administration) that's not the most egregious thing being reported this week. A mysterious whistleblower report from the intelligence community has been the subject of hearings and speculation - because the acting DNI is ignoring the law and refusing to share it with the congressional intelligence committees tasked with oversight. And leaks to the news media indicate that's because the report concerns MULTIPLE promises made by the President of the United States to a former leader. Possibly Ukraine. Possibly a threat to withhold US aid unless Ukraine provides oppo research on Joe Biden. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills wonder what else the House needs to accelerate the impeachment process. MOMocrats MOMochat is part of the Demcast family of podcasts.
The third Democratic debate of the 2020 election took place last night at Texas Southern University, and for the first time, all the top tier candidates were together on the same stage. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the highlights and low points - and what to expect next.
Also this week: Trump fired national security adviser John Bolton via Tweet (or maybe he quit). This is a win-win.
The Supreme Court made a disappointing decision to allow Trump rules on asylum to go forward while a lawsuit against them continues - even though this ruling is clearly against US law.
Late breaking news from last week continues, with fallout from Sharpiegate and the revelation that the military is putting servicepeople up at Trump properties.
MOMocrats MOMochat is a member of the DemCast family of progressive podcasts.
This week, all eyes have been on a very large and very slow-moving hurricane that decimated the Bahamas before landing on the coast of the Carolinas.
And our president has been devoting all his time to justifying a tweet that mistakenly put the path of the hurricane over Alabama - even going so far as doctoring an official Weather Service map with a Sharpie to "prove" that he had not made an error.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills admit that the ensuing Sharpie memes on Twitter were a hilarious distraction from all the horror of a week that included yet another mass shooting, corruption in plain view, and batshit crazy politics in the UK over Brexit. They discuss that and more in this week's podcast from a progressive point of view.
We keep running out of words to describe the evils of this administration. This week, immigrant children with medical visas that allow them to receive treatment in the US for serious illness received letters to let them know their participation in the program was being REVOKED. In other words, the government is now deporting seriously ill children and their families. That news was followed by an announcement that some children of US military personnel and employees born overseas will no longer be automatically considered US citizens.
All of this comes on the heels of a week when the president tried to manipulate the markets by lying about conversations with Chinese officials, promoted his failing Doral golf resort as the site for the next G7 meeting, and opened Alaska's pristine Tongass National Forest to developers. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss all of this, plus the race for 2020, and more in this week's political podcast from the progressive point of view.
Representative Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib planned a fact-finding visit to Israel - which is something members of the US Congress do all the time. But Donald Trump has been working overtime to make the first female Muslim members of Congress a symbol of left-wing extremism. So he issued a tweet, instructing Benjamin Netanyahu to refuse entry - and ominously, the leader of another sovereign state did as he was told, and barred two duly-elected American legislators from entering, because they were political enemies of Trump.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills have a few things to say about this, as well as the other political outrages that have erupted this month: the fight for reasonable gun laws in the wake of El Paso, Dayton, and this week's standoff in Philadelphia, the administration's rewrite of Emma Lazarus' poem "The New Colussus," storm clouds over the economy, the saga of #MoscowMitch, and more.
What a difference a week makes. The last time the MOMocrats checked in, all of the pundits were declaring the Mueller hearings a big fat bust: there weren't any real fireworks, Mueller didn't say anything new, and - SHAMEFULLY! - the "optics weren't good."
But a funny thing has happened since then: one by one, more and more House Democrats have declared their support for an impeachment inquiry (117 of 235, as of this writing - more than half). And as the individual representatives meet with constituents during this long summer recess, that number is sure to rise. (Maybe we can put to rest the complaints about Nancy Pelosi's careful strategy to build a strong case before beginning a formal process?)
MOMocrats Aliza Worthington and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about this new march toward impeachment, as well as this week's reality TV debate, and the president's fear of the House Oversight Committee and its venerable chair, Rep. Elijah Cummings.
Robert Mueller was the subject of two marathon hearings today before the House Judiciary Committee and the House Intelligence Committee. Within the limitations of Mueller's terms of sticking to what was in the report, plus the rules imposed on him by the DOJ (and the pundits' criticism of his "optics") -- there were still plenty of instances where Mueller confirmed possible crimes committed by the president, and new information, to. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss.
The second season of Donald Trump's reality election series got off to a slow start, as his "Keep America Great" slogan just hasn't had the same resonance as 2016's MAGA. But his rabid rally crowd's new chant appears to be a hit. After all, "Lock Her Up" has gotten so old. "Send Her Back" is a lot more relevant, even when used on natural born American citizens.
It's really tough NOT to be sarcastic after a week when the president and his party has tripled down on racism and vile bigotry. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills won't hold back as they talk about the latest new low. There will likely be some discussion of the House impeachment vote, Mueller's upcoming testimony, the unsealed Michael Cohen documents, and the 2020 candidates who are vying to truly make America great again.
The first presidential debate between the 2020 Democratic candidates has come and gone, and Donald Trump found it boring (possibly because he was barely mentioned on both nights and it was full of policy talk. Of course, MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills have a lot to say about it.
Other topics on this week's podcast from the progressive point of view include the terrible conditions at the border and the funding legislation passed this week, and the news that Robert Mueller will testify in open session next month. Pass the popcorn.
The three years since Donald Trump descended that escalator have been a trying time for the United States, and MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills have ranted on this podcast ever since about myriad crimes and injustices committed by the administration and its GOP collaborators.
Ranting and tweeting and writing blog posts are not enough. There are times when one needs to take action. But knowing what action to take - and being effective - is not always easy.
The MOMocrats welcome Elisa Camahort Page, co-author of Road Map for Revolutionaries: Resistance, Activism, and Advocacy for All, which is a hands-on resource guide to advocating around the causes you care most about. Elisa will talk about steps you can take RIGHT NOW to make a positive change in this era of political chaos and catastrophe.
If there is one thing Trump is expert in, it's leading the media - and changing their attention from whatever he doesn't want them to focus on.
After a couple of days where it was reported that polling shows the president losing in 2020 to just about EVERY major Democratic candidate (including in TEXAS), Trump changed the subject again, by indicating that he doesn't believe that accepting information on his electoral opponent from a foreign nation isn't a crime. It's just "opposition research," he said.
He just signaled to every hostile nation that he's happy to have attained the presidency with the help of the Russians. And he will welcome and reward that kind of help in 2020, too. The Democrats have responded with anger. In true GOP fashion, the Republicans prefer to tell lies about the Steele dossier.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills express their outrage over this and more in this week's political podcast from a progressive point of view.
The MOMocrats' weekly podcast looking at the day's political news from the progressive point of view. Check back here an hour from airtime for a list of the topics. Chances are, there will be some discussion of what's happening in Congress and a reaction to the latest from lawmakers and candidates. An Engender Media Group production.
Robert Mueller spoke yesterday, to announce that he was formally leaving the Justice Department, where he has served the last two years as special counsel investigating Russia's attack on our 2016 election. Mueller did not say much that was not in the report, including the fact of the systematic attack... and his assertion that he made no determination on the question of obstruction of justice because of a DOJ memo that prevents him from indicting a sitting president. Even that was newsworthy, as it directly contradicts what William Barr is still saying about the report... and Mueller seemed to be saying to Congress, "I did my job. It's time you did yours." MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss.
Nobody thought life under a Trump administration would be easy, and 2.5 years in, we're feeling the full brunt of the struggle. With two new conservative justices on the Supreme Court, red states around the country are competing with one another to see which one can enact the one draconian abortion law that can result in the end of Roe v Wade, and today, Missouri joined Georgia and Alabama with some doozies. Outside the US, John Bolton and Mike Pompeo are fanning the flames of war with Iran, so that's um, concerning. In the meantime, the Democrats in disarray meme is in full swing, as party activists react to the administration's stonewalling the House's oversight requests by screaming for impeachment hearings to begin - while Nancy Pelosi tenuously holds her caucus together against beginning proceedings now. And the field of Democrats running for the 2020 nomination has swelled to 23. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the political developments of the week from a progressive point of view.
The MOMocrats' weekly podcast looking at the day's political news from the progressive point of view. Check back here an hour from airtime for a list of the topics. Chances are, there will be some discussion of what's happening in Congress and a reaction to the latest from lawmakers and candidates. An Engender Media Group production.
After reading the redacted Mueller report, Democratic activists rightfully say that it documents impeachable offenses - and the base is pushing for the House to start the impeachment process. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills have long memories and point out that the hearings that are being scheduled now ARE part of the impeachment process - even if Nancy Pelosi doesn't choose to label them as such. The problem is: The White House has made the decision to defy ALL requests and subpoenas from Congress, so getting government witnesses to testify may take time (and Trump's strategy is to stall until the Congressional term is over).
The MOMocrats also talk about the field of 20 2020 Democratic candidates, the appearances of some at the She the People conference, and Joe Biden's entry into the race.
Bill Barr decided to release his redacted version of the Mueller report on Thursday, as many Americans were busy with holiday preparations. We've had five days to digest the 448-page document and the avalanche of commentary on it, and one thing is certain: there is a difference between "exonerated" and the nuanced reasoning of Robert Mueller. The report documents a stunning number of accounts of the campaign's encounters with Russians and acceptance of Russian help, and even more incidents that would be charged as obstruction of justice - if Mueller had not felt constrained by Justice Department rules about indicting a sitting president. What happens next? The House Democrats are trying to figure that out - but MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills have their own ideas.
We're not gonna lie: It's been a depressing week for the Democrats. The president's men have circled the wagons to protect him, even as Trump rages on that the nation's laws keep him from being just as cruel and draconian as he wants. Between a purge at Homeland Security, stonewalling by William Barr, and Steve Mnuchin's outright refusal to comply with a legal demand for Trump's taxes, there have been few reasons to smile this week. On top of that, the field running for the 2020 nomination keeps on growing - and the media keeps focusing on the white males in the race instead of the more interesting, more progressive women and people of color. It's enough to make MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills want to drink. Pour a glass of wine and listen as they parse this week's news from a progressive point of view.
Was anyone surprised this week when the New York Times and other news media reported that members of the Mueller team are frustrated with that "not a summary" Attorney General William Barr released just 48 hours after receiving the 400-page report? MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills weren't either. They discuss the end of the administration's outrageous victory lap and the fights to come - including the Ways and Means request for six years of Trump tax returns, and the security clearance scandal that engulfs First Son-in-Law Jared Kushner. The MOMocrats will also weigh in on the growing field of 2020 candidates, fundraising, and Joe Biden's MeToo moment. Politics from a progressive point of view, produced by Engender Media Group.
It's been a week since Robert Mueller turned in his report - and only five days since AG Barr submitted a puzzling four-page memo that told us little but the fact that Mueller could not establish evidence of criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign in Russia. This was enough for the White House to embark on a victory lap declaring full exoneration - despite the memo's declaration that regarding obstruction, "this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him."
While the administration is using this memo to justify going full authoritarian with an enemies list against Democrats and pundits and a new attack on the ACA, the public is clamoring to see the full report. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills will talk about this new attack on healthcare, Betsy DeVos' flirtation with defunding the Special Olympics, and what the hell is happening in the United Kingdom with Brexit in this week's political podcast from a progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
The judge in Paul Manafort's Virginia trial for financial crimes sentenced him last night to 47 months in prison - substantially less time than the sentencing guidelines that could have held him behind bars for up to 24 years. Judge Ellis also proclaimed that Manafort (who spent years defrauding the government and representing foreign dictators) led an "otherwise blameless life." MOMocrats Aliza Worthington and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss that, the reported rift in the House Democratic Caucus over remarks made this week by freshman Representative Ilhan Omar - and this week's scandals out of the White House. Politics from a progressive point of view, produced by Engender Media Group.
The dizzying pace of the Trump news cycle hit a crescendo this week, culminating in the explosive public House Oversight Committee hearing with Michael Cohen and the stunning sight of the president walking away from his Kim Jong Un summit without making a deal. MOMocrats Aliza Worthington and Donna Schwartz Mills will discuss the revelations that came out this week, plus the rock star status of the Democratic women on the House, who made it to the cover of Rolling Stone in today's political podcast from a progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
The president held forth in the Rose Garden today to announce that he signed the bipartisan bill that funds the government for the rest of the fiscal year... and that he was declaring a "national emergency" that would enable him to raid funds already allocated to national defense for his stupid wall. While affected parties put together the inevitable lawsuits, MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about Trump's latest grab at dicatorship -- and what it portends for the future. An Endender Media Group production.
Just before the start of the podcast, the president announced the end of the shutdown - which the MOMocrats applaud (Just too bad so many people suffered for 35 days to get Trump NOTHING). On top of that the news of Roger Stone's arrest this morning has given Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills something to crow about, as the Mueller probe takes down another criminal in Trump's orbit, who was involved in Russia's theft of the 2016 Presidential election. The MOMocrats will also talk about last week's Women's March, those Covington kids, and the women who have declared their candidacy for 2020. And Engender Media Group production
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills are like most of the electorate: They're tired of a shutdown and "crisis on the border" that are entirely the making of Donald Trump, with help from cronies like Mitch McConnell (who could END the shutdown by allowing a vote on the bill to fund the government) and Lindsey Graham (who is now openly urging Trump to go full dictator and declare the wall funding a national emergency). The MOMocrats see the irony of Trump's declaration of a humanitarian crisis at the border, since it was created by his policies. And they will not forget all the times the president threatened a shutdown and claimed he would own it - despite the fact he now denies it. (Oh, and he also denies that he ever said that Mexico would pay for his stinking wall). When will the gaslighting end? We ponder that question in this week's podcast looking at the day's political news from the progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
(NOTE: Today's MOMochat is NSFW, in the spirit of Rep. Rashida Tlaib's remarks about impeachment.)
Yesterday's historic start of the 116th Congress made MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills a little teary, as Nancy Pelosi (aka NDP) took her oath surrounded by children who came to watch the historic proceedings. And then they got down to business, passing bills that echoed the one passed by the Senate before the holiday break, which would fund the government and end the shutdown -- bills that Mitch McConnell now refuses to bring up on the floor. The MOMocrats also talk about the rightwing's backfiring efforts to take down Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Tlaib's remarks about impeachment, and why "likability" is only ever a factor for female candidates. This week's political news from the progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
The MOMocrats are still reeling from all the tumult of the last few days: a stock market tumble and indication of a slowing economy, a president's rash foreign policy decisions and the resignation of the Secretary of Defense, the president's about-turn on a budget deal which may lead to a government shutdown... and Ruth Bader Ginsburg's latest health crisis. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills may need to raise a glass of Christmas spirits to talk about it all in this week's politcal podcast from a progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
The MOMOcrats look back at a week that was even more active than usual: From the sentencing memo to Michael Flynn to the three year sentence of Michael Cohen... to Nancy Pelosi's triumphant walk from the White House (and that fabulous burnt orange coat) - Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills have an opinion. Other topics they discussed this week included the mystery of the missing funds from the Trump inauguration, the news media's insistence on covering politics like a horse race, and the new corroborated evidence that the president was an active participant n the hush money scheme that violated campaign finance laws. An Engender Media Group production.
With the midterms safely over, Robert Mueller's investigation is back in the spotlight. Last week's heavily redacted sentencing memo suggesting little to no jail time for Michael Flynn did reveal the stunning news that Trump's former national security advisor has been interviewed by investigators a whopping 19 times. Today may give us additional insights as Mueller meets a deadline for filings on Michael Cohen and Paul Manafort (whose sentencing deal was revoked last week for continuing to lie to investigators). Other topics discussed by MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills include the news that John Kelly was interviewed by Mueller, today's nominations of William Barr as Attorney General and Heather Nauert to replace Nikki Haley as UN ambassador, and the ongoing election drama in North Carolina's 9th district. Politics from a progressive point of view produced by Engender Media Group.
If it seems like the Mueller investigation went dark for the midterm elections, this week was downright lit. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss all the latest developments in this week's political podcast from the progressive point of view: the withdrawal of Paul Manafort's plea deal and the purported dangling of pardons, Michael Cohen's surprise plea yesterday with revelations that bring the inquiry closer to collusion with Russia... and news from today's G20 Summit. An Engender Media Group production.
Yes, the MOMocrats were appalled at the president's behavior in France last weekend, when he skipped the ceremonies commemorating the 100th anniversary of the World War I Armistice (which was the reason he went to France in the first place). They were angry at the White House's decision to yank Jim Acosta's press pass. And they are shaking their heads at the media's preferred narrative of "Democrats in disarray" as the campaign begins to elect a new House leader. But first, Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills want to talk about the new Freshman House Democrats that met this week: the most diverse in the nation's history. Politics from a progressive point of view, produced by Engender Media Group.
Democrats haunted by the ghosts of 2016 were afraid to express too much optimism about the expected "Blue Wave" of yesterday's midterm election... and early last night, as some of the Democrats' most talented candidates came so very close to winning but did not manage to cross the finish line, many expressed dismay that the "wave" was barely a "ripple." But in the end, the polls were pretty accurate: The Senate map was not favorable to Democrats this year. But WE WON THE HOUSE, and the next Congress will have the most Democratic women and people of color in history (and perhaps a return of the most effective Speaker of the last century, Nancy Pelosi). MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the historic gains and what it means for the next two years of Trump.
We interrupt this midterm election - the most important of the MOMocrats' lifetimes - to talk about the prolonged terrorist attack the nation endured this week, as bombs were mailed to just about everyone in the top tier of the Democratic party, including two former presidents and a vice president. The current occupant of the White House and his followers seemed to think that the whole thing was a distraction. The FBI and other officials involved in the suspect's arrest this morning say otherwise. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills recap the events of the week and look forward to the election on November 6 in this week's podcast discussing politics from the progressive point of view.
This week ends much the way the last one did, with the Senate on the verge of affirming Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. The limited FBI investigation that Judiciary Committee Democrats fought so hard for turned out to be severely limited, to just nine witnesses that did not include Dr. Blasey Ford or Judge Kavanaugh. The agents were also restricted from asking questions about Kavanaugh's drinking in high school and college, habits that were directly related to the allegations against him. On top of that, the Republicans on the committee and the president set about smearing the women who brought up the allegations. But there were some bright spots, such as Senator Heidi Heitkamp's announcement that she is voting "no." MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the week's political news from the progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group Production.
The MOMocrats started the day planning to talk about this week's extraordinary Judiciary Committee hearing of Dr. Christine Blasy Ford and Brett Kavanaugh - and they were expecting that the latter's Supreme Court nomination would go forward. That did happen - but what Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills did not expect at the start of this week's political podcast from a progressive point of view was the last-minute negotiation between Senators Jeff Flake and Chris Coons to request an FBI background check to discover what facts can be found surrounding Dr. Ford's remembrance of what happened to her 36 years ago when she and Judge Kavanaugh were in high school. They talked about the dramatic moments in the committee this week, Anita Hill's legacy, and some of the other news that occurred under the radar. An Engender Media Group production.
All week long, the pundits were remarking at how "restrained" the president has been in the wake of allegations by Professor Ford against SCOTUS nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Until today, when the president stuck his middle finger in all those pundits' eyes. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the week's developments in the Kavanaugh hearings from the progressive point of view, plus new allegations in the NY Times about Rod Rosenstein - and how they are being refuted by other sources. An Engender Media Group production.
"Every week, we say it's been crazy. And every week, it gets crazier," says MOMocrat Donna Schwartz Mills. And this week, Karoli and Aliza Worthington agree that it was especially crazy, and it begins at the White House, where the president is reported to be in a volcanic mood after the release of excerpts from Bob Woodward's upcoming new book, "Fear," chronicling a year in the life of this administration -- followed by a remarkable anonymously sourced New York Times op-ed that seemed to corroborate the worst allegations in the Woodward book. Strangely enough, this week's Trump talk among the MOMocrats was minimal, with most of the focus on the Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court hearings.
With Labor Day upon us, MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills are focused on the upcoming midterm elections - and they have a lot to say about the candidates in some of the races around the country, including Andrew Gillum, Stacey Abrams, and Beto O'Rourke (who is totally cooler than Ted Cruz, as proven by Texas GOP tweets this past week). The MOMocrats also discuss the memorials of both Aretha Franklin and John McCain, and the president's non-involvement in those, the fight against Brett Kavanaugh's appointment to the Supreme Court, and the continuing threats to the Affordable Care Act. And Engender Media Group Production.
This week marked a turning point in the Mueller investigation: Almost simultaneously, the jury in the Manafort case turned in guilty verdicts on eight counts - and Michael Cohen turned himself in and pleaded guilty to another eight. This prompted the president to call Cohen a "rat" and a "flipper" -- but as the week wore on, more Trump associates signed immunity deals with the special prosecutor... and MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills have a little something to say about that. An Engender Media Group Production.
It was learned this week that the military parade the president wants so very badly was going to cost the government a whopping $80 million more than first estimated, bringing the cost up to $90 million - and the military said that the parade was going to be postponed until next year. This morning, the president tweeted that he was cancelling it entirely, and he blamed the District of Columbia for their security costs.
If only it was so easy to cancel this entire presidency, laugh MOMocrats Aliza Worthington and Donna Schwartz Mills, who talk about the parade, the Mueller investigation, John Brennan's security clearance, the Manafort trial, Omarosa - and family squabbles in this week's podcast looking at politics from the progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
The last 18 months of Trumpian dystopia have been brutal on the United States and the world, and with the White House panicking as the midterm elections approach and the Russia investigation closes in, MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills think it's going to get worse. So they're going to go all "Drunk History" on the situation this week, by imbibing a little wine to make the onslaught of news go down easier. We suggest listeners do so, too. Topics this week include the Manafort trial, anniversary of Charlottesville, continued attacks on immigration, and are we facing a blue wave in November, or a red one, as the president keeps insisting? And Engender Media Group production.
Every day since he announced his candidacy, the president has waged war on the free press. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills are aware that this is a classic ploy from the authoritarian playbook. This week, this war escalated as the president increased his pace of rallies. He is putting his weight behind 2018 Republican candidates who kiss his ring - but he's also trying to distract from the tightening noose of the Russia investigation, which headed into a new phase this week with the start of the first Paul Manafort trial. Yesterday, the heads of the nation's security agencies made an extraordinary show by warning the nation that Russia is still trying to wreak havoc with our 2018 election - an assertion that the president continues to discount. And press secretary Sanders also refused to say that the journalists she works with are NOT the "enemy of the people." Sad.
MOMocrats Karoli, and Donna Schwartz Mills are having a hard time remembering that the president's Helsinki meeting with Vladimir Putin was just five days ago. The country was already bracing itself for this summit, which the president decided to have without (a) an agenda or (b) any other staffers present, other than the two leaders' interpreters. We've heard nothing about what was agreed upon -- except from RUSSIAN media. And in their official press conference following their two-hour meeting, Trump once again supported Putin's denial of his country's criminal interference in the 2016 election. This was an incredulous assertion, given the breadth of the indictment against 12 named Russian agents filed by Bob Mueller just three days before the summit... and national security director Dan Coats' assertion that the warning signs against more interference in our midterms was flashing red, just as they did before 9/11. And to add insult to injury: Putin has been invited to meet again with the president in the fall - at the White House. As Coats said upon learning of this yesterday, that's bound to be "special." An Engender Media Group production.
Donald Trump told the UK press that the flying of an orange baby blimp in his image (complete with little cellphone) made him feel unwelcome. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills think we should get an army of blimps to fly over the White House, Mar a Lago, Trump Tower, and every other place the Orange One frequents so he gets the message. He is certainly not welcome in Europe, where he has done everything he can to blow up the western alliance that has given us relative peace since the end of the last World War. He is not welcome in Britain, where he has done everything he can to blow up Prime Minister Teresa May's government (with a little help from Steve Bannon - and do not forget that Brexit appears to have been accomplished with help from the Russians). But even as he enjoys tea today with Queen Elizabeth, he knows he will be welcomed by Vladimir Putin in a couple of days. The question is: how will he betray the American people in those talks?
The MOMocrats will also talk about yesterday's extraordinary congressional interrogation of former FBI spycatcher Peter Strzok... and today's indictments of Russian intelligence officials who hacked the DNC in 2016 in this week's political podcast from the progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
FThe MOMocrats' weekly podcast looking at the day's political news from the progressive point of view. Check back here an hour from airtime for a list of the topics. Chances are, there will be some discussion of what's happening in Congress and a reaction to the latest from lawmakers and candidates. An Engender Media Group production.
Some day, maybe we'll understand why Melania Trump wore that jacket on her way to visit those poor migrant kids at the shelter in Texas, which was a weird postscript to a couple of days of Kabuki theater, as the administration reels from the backlash to their atrocious policy to hold hostage the children of people who are trying to find asylum in the United States. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills are as horrified by this debacle as all the other decent people watching this debacle unfold. They will talk about this, ways to help, and the protests in the works. They may also find some time to discuss the other political developments that have occurred this week while all eyes have been on the border in this week's podcast looking at the day's political news from the progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
This week has been marred by high profile deaths of designer Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain - and the news that they are just the tip of the iceberg: The CDC says suicides in the US have reached epidemic proportions.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills can relate. If you are prone to depression, the direction of this country and the world does not offer a lot of hope. And if you are following the news as closely as they are, you're acutely aware of all that is wrong in the world right now: children being separated from parents at the border and being thrown into cages, an abandonment of democratic principles regarding due justice, and immense power plays by the administration that is marching into authoritarianism.
Last night, it was revealed that the Department of Justice committed a vast overreach by obtaining a journalist's emails going back to her college days - in secret. Almost simultaneously, we got the news that DOJ will not contest a spurious lawsuit from TX and other conservative states alleging that consumer protections in the ACA (including coverage of pre-existing conditions) are unconstitutional. Karoli points out that this will literally kill Americans who will be unable to obtain health coverage.
The ironic thing is: There is much to be hopeful for. This week's primaries in eight states indicate that the coming blue wave is gathering steam (even if the media stories on it seem to be an attempt to tamp it down and make the upcoming elections more of a horse race). It is really important to keep our enthusiasm up. The MOMocrats will do their best during this week's look at politics from a progressive point of view.
The big news yesterday was the cancellation of that North Korea summit. Now, the president appears to be walking that back. In other words, it's just another day in Trump's America. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about the perhaps dashed hopes for a Nobel Peace Prize and what to do with all those Kim Jong Un commemorative coins... as well as "Spygate," this week's made-up distraction from the ongoing Mueller investigation - and James Clapper's assertion that yes, Russia DID turn the election. An Engender Media Group production.
The mid-term primaries have begun and the MOMocrats are cautiously optimistic -- after all, all the crazy coming out of the White House and the Republican Congress seem to have motivated progressives to vote in non-presidential election years. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills will talk about all of this week's political news from the progressive point of view: Michael Cohen’s brief access sale for fun and profit, the end of the Iran deal and the re-emergence of Dick Cheney, North Korea, and the hazard of doing things while black are just a few of the topics. An Engender Media Group production.
Some pundit on one of the cable networks this week surmised that the average tenure for a Trump White House staffer is 6-12 months, so no one was all that surprised with this week's overhaul of the President's legal team, including Emmet Flood, one of the few living attorneys with actual experience defending a chief executive from impeachment.
But then there is Rudy Giuliani, who crashed the Trump defense strategy over the Stormy Daniels case by revealing that Trump did, indeed, re-pay Michael Cohen the $130,000 hush money to keep the star quiet. Giuliani insists that no campaign finance laws were violated. That remains to be seen. In the meantime, this whole mess is distracting the media from developments in the Russia case.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills will discuss these topics and more in this week's podcast looking at the day's political news from the progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
Ronny Jackson is out before his confirmation hearings could begin at Veterans Affairs. Scott Pruitt is finally being questioned for impropriety at EPA. Mike Pompeo is the new Secretary of State, and Michael Cohen is pleading the Fifth. Yes, it's just another day in Trumpland - and MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills try to make sense of it all in this week's podcast discussing the political news from the progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
Last week's many dramas continued in a New York court on Monday, with the explosive news that Michael Cohen was seeking attorney-client privilege to seized documents and tapes involving a total of THREE clients in the last year: the president, former RNC finance chair Elliott Broidy... and Sean Hannity. Which unleashed a plethora of new questions about the ethics of Hannity opining about the raid on Cohen's office without disclosing that he, too, was a client... and the role of Fox News as a channel of propaganda.
Trump was predictably unhinged over the release of James Comey's new book and the many media interviews he is doing to support it - but news media reported that it was the Cohen raid and the possible evidence unearthed that was really threatening to him.
Also this week: UN Ambassador Nikki Haley announced additional Russia sanctions before the administration threw her under the bus (the Russian news agencies are reporting that Trump has assured them that there will be NO more new sanctions. Hm.)Mike Pompeo's secret Easter visit with Kim Jong Un.The Starbucks incident and the corporation's responseFormer first lady Barbara Bush passed away at the age of 92. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the political newsof the last few days from the progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
As we write this, we're keeping an eye on developing news, because by the time we air, President Trump and his new National Security Adviser John Bolton may have ordered a missile strike (something the president has already threatened to Russia in a tweet). And even though Bolton has characterized Syria as just "a sideshow" in the Middle East, this situation is rife with danger. The upside for Trump is that an act of war could serve as a distraction from all the investigations swirling around him: The president is reported to be furious over Monday's raid of his personal attorney, Michael Cohen - a situation he brought on himself by telling reporters on Air Force One that he had no knowledge of Cohen's payment to Stormy Daniels. There's increased speculation that we're about to see a real Saturday Night Massacre situation that will spark a constitutional crisis. In other news: Paul Ryan announced his retirement today, which could further fuel a massive blue wave at the polls this year.Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg is spending a second day on Capitol Hill, facing questions over the Cambridge Analytical scandal.Scott Pruitt is still under siege over his massive over-spending at EPA. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills will try to get to ALL of these topics and whatever else breaks today in this Engender Media Group production covering politics from the progressive point of view.
The news this week has been dominated by the revelation that the Trump campaign's social media efforts may have been fueled by illegally obtained Facebook data on tens of millions of Americans - but so much more has been happening. Yesterday, a serial bomber that had been terrorizing Austin detonated himself to death, and the White House said what he did had nothing to do with terrorism. In the meantime, an unarmed black man named Stephon Clark was shot 20 times by Sacramento police. His only "crime" was that he was holding a cellphone in his grandmother's backyard. And the White House continues to roil from massive personnel changes, amid reports that the President now feels he knows what he's doing and doesn't need to listen to advisers. Heaven help us all. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the week's political news from a progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
Call it the Trump effect: an unprecedented number of women are running for office this year, amid what Democratic leaders hope will be a big, blue wave of an election. The MOMocrats talk to Stacy Mason of WomenCount.org on ways to support progressive female candidates all over the country in this week's podcast looking at the day's political news from the progressive point of view. Hosts Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills will also discuss the day's breaking political news. An Engender Media Group production.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders says lots of laughable things in her daily press briefings, but yesterday took the cake, as she proclaimed that "This is an intense place, as is every White House, and it’s not abnormal that you would have people come and go." This was after being questioned about the unprecedented rate of personnel turnover for an administration that's only been in power for 14 months. But the loss of Gary Cohn as economic adviser - over Trump's declaration of a trade war - is a taste of things to come. The president is reported to be increasingly isolated - and apt to rule from his gut. And we all know how many Big Macs and Diet Cokes are swimming around in there... This bumpy ride is about to get a lot bumpier. Politics from a progressive point of view, hosted by MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills.
It's been another week where news has hit at a dizzying pace - but the MOMocrats are still focused on the gun debate movement being led by the students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Two weeks after the tragedy that left 17 people dead, these remarkable kids have accomplished more on this issue than anyone has managed in recent decades, with corporate partners of the NRA leaving in droves, changes to gun sales policies by major retailers like Dicks Sporting Goods and Walmart, and demonstrations planned for later this month that may dwarf the turnout of the Womens March. But the success of the messaging of these kids poses the MOMocrats to wonder: why didn't the kids in Ferguson and Baltimore and other cities get this kind of traction for Black Lives Matter? MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss this and more political news from the last few days from a progressive point of view.
In this special Presidents Day edition of MOMochat, MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills agree with journalist Joy-Ann Reid's assertion that this is "the second consecutive such holiday without an American president." Trump's weekend tweetstorm covering the indictments issued by Mueller on Friday, where he lashed out at the usual suspects and maddeningly accused the FBI of missing the tip about the Florida shooter because they were focused on Russia is another example of a president who is focused narrowly on his own interests and cares little about the people he is supposed to lead. The MOMocrats also praise the young people who are speaking out about the scandalous ineffectiveness of lawmakers on gun policies that allow the real American carnage to continue. Politics from a progressive point of view, an Engender Media Group production.
A new day dawns in Washington: After nearly a decade of gridlock, the Senate has put forth a bipartisan budget deal - and it increases spending on both the military and domestic needs by $300 billion over the next two years. We are guessing that it's harder for Republicans to scream about the deficit when they just ballooned it themselves with their tax bill, although this morning on NPR, the MOMocrats heard a GOP congressman try. As for the Dreamers: McConnell has promised an immigration debate in the Senate. Speaker Ryan has not - which is why Nancy Pelosi held the floor yesterday for eight hours (in heels!) to make the case. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss that and other political news of the week, including the president's ridiculous order for a military parade down Pennsylvania Avenue in this week's political podcast from the progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
The closer the Mueller investigation gets to the president, the more dangerous he becomes - and the special prosecutor is currently breathing down the neck of his inner circle. That's why we spent the last several days watching the drama play out between Devin Nunes, the White House, and the Trump Justice Department and FBI. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss this and a few of the other political events of the last couple of weeks, including the State of the Union and the Democratic response, the FBI "secret society" that was just a joke... and as much as can be fit into 60 minutes of talk. An Engender Media Production.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss today's Women's Marches which - once again - have drawn hundreds of thousands of women all over the world, including 500,000 in Los Angeles (which brought these three women together for the first time ever). Trump had the audacity to tweet credit for today's marches, which is true - just not in the way he spins. Also on the docket: The President's "excellent" bill of health, as pronounced by White House doctor Ronny Jackson, and the issues surrounding the #TrumpShutdown, CHIP, and DACA.
The President's two-week golf vacation is over and he returned to the White House seemingly refreshed with a barrage of tweets designed to freak out both Americans and our allies (and possibly distract us all from the revelations that keep coming up out of the inquiries into the Trump campaign and Russia). And then the Guardian published an excerpt from the upcoming book, Fire and Fury, with some very interesting comments from former Trump adviser Steve Bannon - and all the fire and fury started emanating once again from the Oval Office. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills pass the proverbial popcorn while also talking about some of the very real policy issues the progressive movement needs to continue fighting right now in this week's podcast from the progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills look back at a tumultous year in politics from the progressive point of view in the year-end edition of the weekly MOMochat podcast. The focus will be on the success of the grassroots Resistance, beginning with the Women's Marches, the Republicans' failure to repeal Obamacare despite holding all the power in government, and on through to victories in off-year and special elections in Virginia and Alabama. We hope to throw a lot of red meat to anemic lefties as we prepare for a big mid-term election year.An Engender Media Group production.
After nearly a year in office, Donald Trump is finally able to sign a bill into law: A major overhaul of the tax code that was rushed to a simple majority vote with little time for anyone to review. The new law favors the 1% at the expense of everyone else and benefits the President himself, which should make for some interesting attack ads in 2018. Also: Kids from low-income families are still without CHIP, and we are still awaiting a solution for the Dreamers. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about all of these issues and the possibility of a government shutdown in this week's look at politics from a progressive point of view, produced by Engender Media Group.
Tuesday night's stunning victory by Doug Jones in Alabama on the first night of Chanukah struck MOMocrat Donna Schwartz Mills as something of a holiday miracle - especially after pronouncing to her co-hosts that she was certain that Roy Moore was going to win. Today, Donna eats her words as she and partners Aliza Worthington and Karoli discuss the aftermath of the special election and other pressing issues, including: today's ruling on net neutrality, the Republican attack on the impartiality of the Mueller investigation, the tax bill, and the failed attempt by right wing dirty tricksters to frame Chuck Schumer for sexual misconduct. Politics from a progressive point of view, produced by Engender Media Group.
The MOMocrats took the week off to celebrate Thanksgiving with family, and in that week a lot seemed to happen: More sexual harrassment allegations against powerful men in government and media, a possible Michael Flynn deal, an FCC intention to end net neutrality, an ever more powerful missile test by North Korea - and a hurricane of terrible Trump tweets. So it would be understandable if Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills were too distracted to pay attention to the tax bill being debated by the Senate today. But they weren't, and they will talk about it in this week's political podcast from a progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
As the MOMocrats went on the air last week, news broke of Roy Moore's past predilection for dating (and assaulting) underage girls when he was a 30-something district attorney in Alabama. That story has dominated this week's political news to the point that few of us have given much thought to the awful GOP tax bill or whatever it is Trump did on his Asian trip. And today, Al Franken is on the hot seat for inappropriate behavior in his past life as an entertainer, with calls for the influential Democratic Senator to resign. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills will attempt to navigate the minefield of changing standards (for the better - we hope) as they talk politics from a progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
The nation still faces the same problems it had one week ago, beginning with the party in power and includes the rift among those on the left who are fighting to win the country back. But the resounding citizen participation of this week's off-year elections (especially in Virginia) give renewed hope to MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills - who promise that there will be basking in this week's political podcast from a progressive point of view... before they go into the litany of those problems we mentioned above. An Engender Media Group production.
The MOMocrats return from a two-week lay-off with the situation eerily the same: The news cycle is crazy fast. This week began with the indictment of Paul Manafort and two others from the Trump campaign, and each day, there are shocking new revelations. Congress is still trying to pass a tax cut for the rich and sell it as a benefit for the middle class. The President is quick to condemn a terrorist attack by a Muslim immigrant but still thinks that when white nationalists terrorize, there are good people on both sides. And the Democrats have their own problems with a new memoir from Dona Brazile. Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss all ifrom the progressive point of view. Check back here an hour from airtime for a list of the topics. An Engender Media Group production.
Trump promised to get rid of Obamacare on Day One - and soon discovered what the rest of us who pay attention already knew: Healthcare is complicated. And it isn't easy to erase a law that has helped millions of Americans obtain health insurance for the first time, even when you've gerrymandered the rules so you can do it with a simple majority. So he's taken to destroying the law by shortening the enrollment period, eliminating budget, taking the enrollment website down for maintenance on weekends when people are most likely to use it... and now, refusing to pay the subsidies that help people pay for the higher premiums that have resulted from all the previous measures. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills have a few things to say about that, as well as reports that this president's mental state is increasingly erratic... and how those whispers about invoking the 25th admendment are getting louder -- from actual Republicans. Also an extensive conversation on the fallout from the Harvey Weinstein revelations. Politics from the progressive point of view, produced by Engender Media Group.
Donald Trump's inaugural address tried to make the case that American cities are rife with "carnage" in the streets, which he dogwhistled was due to immigrants and people of color. The statistics of mass shootings in the US prove otherwise, and Las Vegas is just the latest and most horrifying example. Once again, the message of GOP talking points is "now is not the time" to talk about reasonable gun safety legislation. However, Congress has quietly withdrawn a proposal to allow citizens to purchase silencers (which was originally scheduled for a vote just before members of Congress were shot during softball practice). And there appears to be a willingness of some Republican Senators to talk about banning "bump stocks," which the Las Vegas killer used to modify his semi-automatic weapons into non-stop killing machines. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills will also talk about the non-Vegas news of the week: including Puerto Rico, the Russia investigation, and the gerrymandering case before the Supreme Court. Politics from a progressive point of view, produced by Engender Media Group
Help is finally on its way to Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands - a staggering nine days after Hurricane Maria became the SECOND Category 4 storm to hit the US territories in the space of a couple of weeks. There's a lot of speculation as to why it has taken the Trump Administration so long to respond to this disaster, and MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills have their own theories. We do think Trump was more interested in disparaging peaceful protests of police brutality by NFL players, the crazy Republican election run-off in Alabama, yet another failure at repealing Obamacare... and a tax "reform" plan that will only benefit the wealthy. Politics from a progressive point of view produced by Engender Media Group.
The Senate Republicans have one last chance to repeal Obamacare before September 30, and by golly -- this time, they are determined to do it. If the saga of taking away healthcare from Americans reminds you of a zombie movie, you are not alone -- and if this one passes, we are ALL gonna be the Walking Dead, say MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills, who talk about actions you can take right now (even if you live in a blue state with Democratic Senators). Also on discussion this week: The disasters in Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the United Nations... and the continuing saga of Aliza's disappearing Black Lives Matters signs. Politics discussed from a progressive point of view by the MOMocrats - an Engender Media Group production.
Could Trump actually do something right by making DACA law? Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi think so - even if it will still be a huge hurdle to get a bill approved in Congress. In the meantime, MOMocrats Aliza Worthington, Karoli, and Donna Schwartz Mills are enjoying the angst yesterday's announcement has caused among the #MAGA crowd. They discuss this and other political developments of the week - including Bernie's healthcare plan and Hillary Clinton's new book - from a progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
A second superstorm in a fortnight - fed by a rise in ocean waters and temperatures - is barrelling towards the United States. And climate change deniers are accusing the media and "meterorologic industrial complex" of creating these weather disasters, which sane people understand may become our new reality. All of this amid this week's dizzying political announcements on DACA, the debt ceiling, the Russia investigation, and more. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills try to catch their breaths enough to discuss from a progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group discussion.
Harvey dropped the equivalent of more than two Great Salt Lakes onto Texas before finally moving east as a tropical depression - and made history as the most expensive natural disaster in the nation's history. The timing could not have been better (or worse) for Congress, which will have budget, the debt ceiling, and tax reform at the top of their fall agenda. And it will cause a flurry of new problems for our incompetent president, who likes to tout the booming economy as his one "achievement." MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills will talk about Harvey, it's aftermath, and how to help - as well as the ongoing politics (Pardoning Arpaio as the storm was about to hit! Going to the site and treating it like a campaign rally! Continuing revelations about Russia!) - of course, from a progessive point of view. And Engender Media Group production.
The President began the week by giving a somber, thoughtful foreign policy speech on Afghanistan, which is the longest-running war in US history. He read from the teleprompter, didn't stray, and received high marks. On Tuesday, just eight months into his administration, he held a 2020 campaign rally in Phoenix, where he reverted to form, misquoting his own remarks after Charlottesville, and raging against Arizona's two Republican senators and the press (he even led a chant of "Lock Her Up" for old time's sake). Then last night, in a speech to an audience of veterans, he switched back to "presidential."
If this president reminds you of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, there's no mistaking which persona is the real Donald Trump. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss. An Engender Media Group production.
The horrific events in Charlottesville could have been a unifying moment for Donald Trump, and his advisers tried to steer him into a replica of a statesman. But Donald Trump doesn't like to be told what to do and so he did what he does best: support the most deplorable of his base and rant about the violence that was the fault of "both sides" and the "alt-left." You know, the people who were there to fight Nazis. Like Americans are supposed to do. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss. An Engender Media Group production.
The MOMocrats have been following the healthcare saga closely - after all, (as women and mothers who are older than 25), Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills are automatically saddled with pre-existing conditions. So do their families. And even a so-called "skinny repeal" of the Affordable Care Act could be a disaster for their health and financial security. They discuss this and the rest of the crazy ups and downs of the week's political news, from a progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
The GOP's healthcare plan is like a zombie movie - each time you think it's dead, it rises again. Conservatives are raging mad over the failure of the Republican Congress to repeal the ACA, and they're not afraid to target the moderate members of their caucus for actually caring about their constituents' well being. And yesterday, the President had all the party's Senators to lunch at the White House, so he could try to bully them into another try (we're looking at you, Dean Heller - who was pointedly seated right next to him). So Mitch McConnell is going to try again, using one of the many bills passed by the House during the Obama presidency. The problem is, no one is sure WHICH bill they are going to vote on - or whether a vote will even get to the floor. With the news that Senator McCain is fighting brain cancer, their majority is down to one. Speaking of the President - his interview with the New York Times yesterday was bonkers. MOMocrats Aliza Worthington and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss in the weekly political podcast from a progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
The news this year keeps on coming at a crazy pace, and MOMocrats Aliza Worthington, Karoli, and Donna Schwartz Mills do their best to keep up. Collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government during the 2016 election? That's looking more and more concrete, thanks to Donald Trump, Jr's smoking balalika emails showing his eagerness to hear dirt on Hillary, courtesy of the Russian government. Meanwhile, Mitch McConnell postponed the Senate's August recess so he could go back to the drawing board on his healthcare bill - still behind closed doors, and still without input from any female Senators. And as if that's not drama enough, today was the confirmation hearing for Christopher Wray, President Trump's nominee to replace James Comey. The MOMocrats discuss from a progressive POV. An Engender Media Group production.
The secret Senate bill to "repeal and replace" Obamacare was as sinister as the MOMocrats expected, especially when it comes to women's healthcare (and what would you expect when it was crafted behind closed doors by 13 men without any input from their female colleagues?) It didn't take long for Mitch McConnell to realize that he would not get the votes he needed to pass it with just his slight Republican majority.
The phone calls and demonstrations in Senators' offices were an early indication that the bill in its current form would not get to the Senate floor (there is something really distressing at images of people in wheelchairs being handcuffed and carried away).
But McConnell is a wily old master of the political dark arts, and we can be sure this evil bill will be back.
MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills will also talk about the Philando Castile case where the officer was acquitted even after the jury saw the devastating dashcam video - and this week's indictiment of the three Chicago officers who shot young Laquan MacDonald 16 times in the back and tried to spin it as self-defense (that video was already released, and it's devastating).
An Engender Media Group production.
Jon Ossoff's loss in GA-6 left the White House gloating, Democrats panicking and pundits pronouncing that the party doesn't know how to win in the Age of Trump and should clean house - beginning with an ouster of Nancy Pelosi as House leader. "Poppycock," say the MOMocrats (the phrase they actually use is a lot stronger than that, but we're not certain it would be appreciated in this BlogTalkRadio description). The truth is, Democratic candidates outperformed expectations in every single special election this year (which were all in deeply red districts). The House is in play for 2018.
Of course, there are other reasons to be concerned: today's reveal of the secret Senate healthcare bill (which is just as mean as the one the House passed), the travesty of the acquittal in the Philando Castile case, and the mess that is Trump foreign policy are just a few that MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills will discuss on this week's podcast looking at the day's political news from the progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
If there was one good thing to come out of the disappointing 2016 election, it's the tsunami of progressives - especially women - who are stepping up and running for office. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills welcome one of those candidates: Laura Moser, candidate for Congress in Texas' 7th district.
The MOMocrats will also touch upon the week's political news, from the progressive point of view. Check back here an hour from airtime for a list of the topics. Chances are, there will be some discussion of what's happening in Congress and a reaction to the latest from lawmakers and candidates. An Engender Media Group production.
Former FBI Director James Comey's testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee was so widely anticipated, that the three major broadcast networks dropped regular programming to cover it live -- something they've rarely done since the advent of cable news. And it was as dramatic as anticipated - especially after the early release of his printed opening statement yesterday, which read like a Hollywood movie. Comey's actual testimony didn't disappoint: He calmly and quietly laid out the case for a President who obstructed justice by tellng the FBI Director he "hoped" he could let [the Flynn investigation] go." MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about this electrifying performance from a progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
Aside from his failed presidency, Donald Trump will go down in history as the originator of "covfefe," which translates to "another distraction from the issues at hand." Those issues include withdrawing from the Paris Accords, exempting his staff from ethics rules, destroying our public education system, resuming the failed war on drugs with tough sentences while allowing corporate criminals to go free, giving the Russians back the compounds seized after they interfered in our election, and obstructing the investigation into that Russian interference. In the meantime, those investigations are moving forward, with James Comey expected to testify as early as next week. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss political news from a progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
Donald Trump has been visiting with foreign leaders for the last week and managed not to do or say anything too embarrassing, which we realize is a low bar, but there you have it. And then today, he spoke at NATO. It was not good. Also not good are the continuing revelations about the Trump team and Russia, which may or may not be the reason that Reince Priebus and Steve Bannon were sent back to the states to deal. Or the budget proposal the White House released last week. Not to mention the CBO evaluation of the healthcare bill passed by the House last month. Finally, today is the special election in Montana and the Republican candidate has been charged for attacking a journalist. MOMocrats Aliza Worthington, Karoli, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss from a progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
Donald Trump gave a commencement speech yesterday to graduates of the US Coast Guard Academy that quickly turned into a whine about how he has been treated by the media, with no acknowledgement that the problems plaguing his sinking ship of a White House are all self-inflicted. And as the day wore on, the pace of bad news for Trump just accelerated: Deputy Attorney General named respected former FBI head Robert Mueller Special Counsel to investigate the connections between the Trump campaign and Russia. The Washington Post published a transcript of a 2016 meeting of House Republican leadership where there were comments about Trump being on the payroll of Vladimir Putin - and Paul Ryan ordered them never to leak those allegations to the public. (The GOP denied the conversation took place until they learned there was a recording of it - which they then characterized as "joking.") And the New York Times revealed the bombshell news that BEFORE the inauguration, Michael Flynn informed the Trump transition team that he was under FBI investigation -- and he was named National Security Advisor ANYWAY. And - as MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills note... that was just YESTERDAY's developments. They've got plenty of political news to talk about from a progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
Gee, what ever might the MOMocrats talk about this week? Has anything newsworthy happened? It starts with "C" and ends with "omey" and there is a chance the topic may make it's way onto our podcast this afternoon, along with Donald Trump's usual echoes of Nixon and the actions of tin-horn dictators around the world. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss politics from a progressive point of view in this Engender Media Group production.
The big news in Congress today is that they voted on the AHCA. Again. Only this time, the House Republicans mustered the votes to repeal Obamacare and replace it with the latest version of Trumpcare. And no, they're not waiting around for the CBO to score the bill on costs and consequences, because that is what made everyone realize that it wasn't better than the healthcare law we already had. Besides, Congress wants to get this done before they take yet another long recess. MOMocrats Aliza Worthington, Karoli, and Donna Schwartz Mills also talk about the re-heat of the House and Senate investigations into how Russia disrupted our election - or, as Chuck Grassley would say, why Hillary's emails still matter. (Hey - somehow THAT ended up being the lede on the news yesterday after Comey testified before the Senate.) The MOMocrats' weekly podcast looking at the day's political news from the progressive point of view. MOMocrats MOMochat looks at this week's news from a progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
Trump is right about one thing: You can't judge an entire presidency by its first 100 days. But it is a useful benchmark, and this administration has been spectacular in all its failures: From the executive orders that keep getting struck down in court to the failed healthcare proposal, to the paranoia and infighting within the White House, to enriching themselves from the trappings of the presidency, to the ever-present undercurrent of the Trump campaign's boost from Russia (and whether anyone within the campaign was colluding)... President Trump and his team get an "F" for "feeble." MOMocrats Aliza Worthington, Karoli, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss. An Engender Media Group production.
No one really expected Jon Ossoff to win yesterday's special election outright. GA-6 is a district that is 9 points more Republican than the country as a whole. But just the fact that he got 48% in a field of 20 candidates is pretty amazing. It's true that the run-off in June will be against Karen Handel without any other candidates to reduce the Republican vote - but that doesn't mean this will be an impossible task. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss that and a whole slew of other political topics that have arisen this week: Trump's policy flip-flops, the energy at this week's Town Halls... and "good-bye" to Bill O'Reilly and (soon!) Jason Chaffetz. An Engender Media Group production.
That incident on United Flight 3411 doesn't have anything to do with Trump's America. Or maybe it does. It is indicative of an economy dominated by a few large corporations whose management considers their entities more important than the people who are their customers. And with Neil Gorsuch now firmly in place on the Supreme Court, the rights of corporate "persons" will likely multiply (we already know how he felt about that poor truck driver faced with either following company rules - or freezing to death). MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about that, last week's "presidential" attack on Syria, and as many of the other dizzying political news topics in this special Spring Break edition of their political podcast from the progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
The MOMocrats are suffering from Trump-inflicted news whiplash, forcing them to turn their attention to a different catastrophe several times a day. The first one Karoli, Aliza Worthington and Donna Schwartz Mills will address in this week's progressive political podcast is the end of the Senate as we know it - after the Democrats successfully filibustered Neil Gorsuch and Mitch McConnell's very real threat to trigger the "nuclear option," ending the filibuster for Supreme Court justices and removing the tiny bit of leverage left to a minority party. The MOMocrats will likely also have a few things to say about Devin Nunes recusing himself from the House investigation into Russian interference in our election, Steve Bannon's removal as National Security Advisor, the tragedy in Syria, North Korean nukes, and Tillerson's refusal to say anything about it (and really - it appears that First Son-in-Law Jared Kushner is acting as the REAL Secretary of State), Attorney General Jeff Sessions' review of consent decrees... and have we missed anything? We probably have. Chalk it up to whiplash. An Engender Media Group production.
Donald Trump promised the American people that we would get tired of all the endeavors he would be winning for us. It turns out he was right - just not the way he envisioned. Last week's implosion of the AHCA was a huge win for Americans who benefit from the provisions of Obamacare, which remains the law of the land. The orders blocking Trump's travel ban remain in place. Trump's polling numbers continue to sink with each passing day. And the grassroots progressive movement is on FIRE. If Trumpie keeps on winning this way, we should have very good news in 2018.
But all is not perfect: The House investigation into Russian interference in our presidential election has gone off the rails, thanks to the inept "leadership" of obstructor-in-chief Devin Nunes. Newsweek reported yesterday that James Comey wanted to warn the American public about the Russia-Trump connection before the election, but was not permitted to do so. And every day, the federal government falls further into kleptocracy. MOMocrats Aliza Worthington, Karoli, and Donna Schwartz Mills disuss these issues and more from a progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
The House Republicans and Trump team have been working all night to tweak their terrible healthcare bill to get it through a floor vote tonight. But it's really tough to come up with a plan that will please both ultra-conservative "Freedom Caucus" members AND representatives from states whose constitutents are covered by the current Obamacare plans. We don't think it can be done, but Spicey says the Trump White House has "no Plan B." So tonight is going to be interesting - not that anything that has occurred in the political arena has been dull: The revelations about the Trump campaign and Russia (and what House Intelligence Chair Devin Nunes did yesterday!) dwarf the capers on series like The Americans... and the Gorsuch hearings to fill the stolen seat on the Supreme Court have had all the drama of an episode of Law and Order. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the week's political news from a progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
Yesterday was a bad one for Donald Trump: His revised, legally-vetted travel ban was supposed to go into effect at midnight until yet another Federal judge slapped it down for violating the First Amendment right to freedom of religion - even though this time, the order had no mention of the term "Muslim." The thing is - Trump and his minions have been on record multiple times stating that their intent was to prevent Muslims from entering the country, and the judge considered that context. It didn't take the President long to complain about it to another one of his unprecendented first-term campaign rallies in Nashville. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss this and all the other crazy political news (Tax returns! Budgets! Deep State!) in this week's podcast from the progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
If we lived in normal times, MOMocrats Aliza Worthington, Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills could spend an entire hour talking about the House Republicans bill to replace the Affordable Care Act. But these are not normal times - and while the MOMos will discuss the sorry state of the GOP proposals, they will also get into the rest of the crowded field of news: Donald Trump's crazy Twitter rant (was that really just a few days ago?), the continuing revelations about the campaign's ties to Russia (was there a quid pro quo? And now that missing former MI6 dossier author Christopher Steele has resurfaced, what more will we learn?), and much, much more in the MOMocrats' weekly podcast looking at the day's political news from the progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
The drip-drip-drip of revelations about the Trump administration's ties to Russia turned into a flood last night as three different news organizations published explosive pieces examining different aspects of this complex and complicated story:
(1) The New York Times reported that by the end of President Obama's administration, officials were so disturbed by the intelligence they were receiving on Russian involvement in the 2016 election that they took desperate measures to ensure that the information would not disappear once the Trump team took over.
(2) The Washington Post published an account of Attorney General Jeff Sessions meeting twice with the Russian ambassador - even though he told the Senate Judicial Committee under oath that no such meetings had ever taken place. Since that report, there have been bipartisan calls for an independent prosecutor, or for Sessions to at least recuse himself from any investigations. Nancy Pelosi and Elijah Cummings have called for Sessions to resign for committing perjury. So far, Sessions doesn't appear to be heeding any of these suggestions.
(3) The Wall Street Journal - which is a part of Rupert Murdoch's Fox media empire - corroborated the Washington Post article, with additional information about the investigation that turned up this new information.
MOMocrats Karoli, Donna Schwartz Mills and guest Aliza Worthington discuss these developments and more in this week's podcast on politics from a progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
Four million people took to the streets the day after Donald Trump's inauguration to protest his dangerous, dark vision of the world - which is not rooted in reality. He repeats the fearmongering, cherry-picked statistics he hears about on Fox News and talks of carnage in our cities' streets - while - aside from a small uptick in some areas - the actual crime rate in the United States is the lowest it has been in decades. The protests against the team in the White House has continued and expanded to Congress. Thanks to guides like the one put out by Indivisible, citizens are taking a leaf from the Tea Party playbook that allowed a small, vocal minority to sway public opinion to oppose Obama's healthcare reform. Ironically, legislators holding town halls this year are hearing the other side from people who - now insured - do not want their healthcare taken away. Only this time, the people who are becoming active in politics represent a wider swath of the population. MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss with guest Aliza Worthington.
The election of Donald J. Trump and his rapid-fire issuance of careless, unvetted executive orders has awakened a sleeping giant on the left. On his first weekend in office, Trump was greeted by the spectacle of the Women's March. And once he signed his uncontitutional order restricting travel from seven predominantly Muslim nations (including legal permanent residents of the United States), spontaneous demonstrations exploded across the country.
Our representatives also report an exponential increase in phone calls and visits to their office, by frustrated progressives who are taking a page from the Tea Party, a minority faction of that successfully took the Republican Party hostage and hasn't let go - culminating in the election of this disastrous leader.
MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills welcome Daily Action founder Laura Moser, the woman behind one of the new daily text-message services that are helping people resist extremism in Trump's America. Her service is currently reaching 200,000 Americans and is growing.
Karoli and Donna will also spend some time talking about the Muslim ban, Cabinet hearings and the nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the stolen SCOTUS seat that should have gone to Merrick Garland.
We all knew that President Trump was going to be a disaster. But MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills had no idea of the velocity of bad policy, executive orders, gag orders, and crazy tweets we'd be buffeted by in the space of just six days. While President Trump obsesses and fumes over his unpopular poll numbers, losing the popular vote, and low inauguration attendance, the country is showing the strain. Agencies that work with climate science have been placed under gag orders, red states hit by storms last week are still waiting for FEMA response (Trump hasn't appointed anyone to the agency yet) - and on Wednesday, the ENTIRE senior management team at State resigned. And that's just a drop in the bucket. But at least, we all had a very nice march on Saturday. An Engender Media Group production.
This week, we say good-bye to President Obama and try to prepare for the new Administration of Donald Trump, who despite recent revelations of ongoing intelligence investigations into ties with Russia, WILL be sworn in as our 45th President - along with the basket of deplorables he's designated for his cabinet. MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills agree with civil rights hero, Representative John Lewis, that Donald Trump is NOT a legitimate President. They'll talk about the chaos surrounding this transition, as well as Saturday's Women's March in Washington, DC and 300 cities around the world. Put on your hat - it's going to be a wild ride. This week's MOMocrats MOMochat political podcast from a progressive point of view is produced by Engender Media Group.
We're not quite sure what a dervish looks like, but this week we've been schooled in what it's like to be so overwhelmed by news events and political maneuvers that it's impossible to keep up with it all - and that is what Donald Trump and the Republicans had in mind when they packed half a dozen confirmation hearings, Obamacare repeal motions, AND Trump's first press conference in months over just a couple of days. What they had not counted on was the explosive publication by Buzzfeed of an unverified dossier reporting Russian intel on Trump's business dealings and sexual proclivities. Whether true or not, it's the rare instance where the Trumpets could not distract the public from the revelations.
MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills also talk about the bittersweet Presidential farewell speech by Barack Obama in this week's podcast looking at political news from the progressive point of view. Produced by Engender Media Group.
The Electoral College has voted and the last teeny tiny hope of a Trump-less White House is over. MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills lament the end of a roller coaster year in politics and look ahead to survival through the coming kakistocracy in the last MOMochat podcast of 2016, looking at the day's political news from the progressive point of view. Check back here an hour from airtime for a list of the topics. An Engender Media Group production.
Each of Donald Trump's cabinet nominees seems uniquely positioned to destroy the very governmental agency they will be administering. Rick Perry, the latest nominee, famously forgot that the department even existed. In the meantime, while most observers note that the revelation that Russia hacked the election in order to give it to Trump, the President-Elect continues to pooh pooh the report -- while continuing to skip his daily Presidential Briefings. The one glimmer of hope: the growing list of electors who have asked for the intel before they vote next week... and rumors that the number of Republican "faithless electors" who are interested in voting for an alternate candidate is as high as 20. Trump's team must be worried about that - they have threatened anyone who changes their vote with political consequences.
MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss with guest Melissa Ryan of Ctrl Alt-Right Delete Newsletter. Ryan is a veteran of both politics and technology since the early days of the Netroots and has worked with campaigns from local to Presidential.
Donald Trump was named Person of the Year by TIME Magazine - which is appropriate, considering what he just accomplished by winning more pledged votes in the Electoral College. But Trump himself is upset that the magazine correctly describes the country as "divided." He would like them to perpetuate the propaganda that he won in a landslide, a point MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills refute with the fact of the popular vote. The MOMocrats also talk about the open Supreme Court seat and Merick Garland nomination and what Democrats can do with guest Aliza Worthington, of Worthington Post and The Broad Side. An Engender Media Group production.
While MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills were enjoying the Thanksgiving holiday with their families, the folks in Trump Tower were busy interviewing candidates for cabinet positions. And the people announced so far have done the impossible: Made Mitt Romney look our best hope for a sanity at the Department of State (we will all forget his gaffes in Britain in 2012). So far, we have an Attorney General nominee who doesn't believe in civil rights... a leader of Health and Human Services who is not only the author of all those repeal Obamacare bills - he wants to gut Medicare, too...and a pick for transportation secretary whose family owns a shipping business - and she just happens to be married to Mitch McConnell (and McConnell says he won't recuse himself at her Senate hearing. If the President-Elect doesn't care about conflicts of interest, why should Mitch?) And before you can say "bottom of the barrel" - Trump also met yesterday with Dan Quayle. It's enough to make you forget about all the crazy tweets about recounts and flag burnings... but Karoli and Donna will try to remember. An Engender Media Group Production.
The people have spoken - and while Hillary Clinton appears to have won the popular vote, she didn't garner the votes she needed in the Electoral College. MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills will review the historic election results (i.e., spend the hour sobbing into their coffee while learning to say the words "President Trump"). They will also talk about the handful of victories that came in last night for Team Blue. But mostly, they'll be crying into their coffee and planning their escape to Canada or how California can secede from the Union. An Engender Media Group production.
Last week at this time, MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills were beginning to breathe a little easier. Donald Trump seemed to be preparing for a landslide loss and his surrogates were planting seeds to find jobs elsewhere. That was before FBI Director James Comey decided to insert the Bureau into the election with a bombshell message to Congress that actually said very little about emails found on a laptop seized in an unrelated case and the media went into a frenzy quicker than you can say "Anthony Weiner," and Trump sprang back to life with brand new lies about Hillary Clinton's emails being "worse than Watergate." New polls show a tightened race, and today's FiveThirtyEight blog warns that Donald Trump has a real shot at winning this thing. An Engender Media Group production.
The MOMocrats' are as ready for this election to be over as you are - especially since the polls seem to indicate that we are going to dodge the disaster that would be a Trump presidency and may even make gains in Congress. But Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills know better than to count your ballots before they're cast. This roller coaster of an election cycle can still hold a surprising lurch - and there is the issue of what happens next. They discuss all their political hopes and fears in this week's podcast looking at the day's political news from the progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
The long Presidential election cycle is wearying enough - but the toxic Trump campaign is triggering hatred and fear on all sides. In the meantime, Hillary Clinton has received endorsements from so many red state newspapers that the Democrats may actually have a chance of effecting real change in her administation. MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the creepy debate and latest Trump Twitter meltdowns in this week's podcast looking at the day's political news from the progressive point of view. Check back here an hour from airtime for a list of the topics. Chances are, there will be some discussion of what's happening in Congress and a reaction to the latest from lawmakers and candidates. An Engender Media Group production.
With the world's attention on the most consequential Presidential election in memory, it is easy to forget that there are down ticket races for legislators - and laws. Voters in 165 states will be asked to weigh in on a total of 165 ballot measures.California is sending out a voter guide that's over 200 pages long, explaining a dizzying 17 different propositions on the ballot there.
MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills will be talking about this year's array of propositions and the politics behind them and some specific measures listeners will want to learn about with Robert Disney of the Brady Campaign/Million Mom March, and Emmie Johnson of the California's Yes on 56 campaign to update the state's tobacco tax.
Karoli and Donna will also spend some time discussing last night's Vice Presidential debate between Tim Kaine and Mike Pence and look ahead to Sunday's town hall with the Presidential candidates. The MOMocrats' weekly podcast loois at the day's political news from the progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
The MOMocrats' weekly podcast looking at the day's political news from the progressive point of view. This week, MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the first official Presidential debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, which was promoted as a nail-biter - and turned out to be a rout. The MOMocrats recap Trump's problems with the split-screen format and Clinton's cool performance under pressure, and speculate about the next debate in the series, which will be a town hall type of event. An Engender Media Group production.
Newsweek's Kurt Eichenwald had Twitter a-twitter yesterday with the promise of a bombshell story to be published today: and he was right. Eichenwald's article pulls the curtain on Donald Trump's multi-pronged business deals throughout the world, which would represent huge conflicts of interest should he be elected President. MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the Newsweek article and other news of the week, including the new concerns over the health of both Trump and Hillary Clinton - and Clinton's speech over the weekend characterizing some of Trump's supporters as "deplorable." An Engender Media Group production.
If last night's Commander in Chief Forum was a warm-up for the debates, we're in for an interesting time. Hopefully, Hillary Clinton will be allowed enough time to answer her questions with the complexity they deserve. And Donald Trump will likely be a rubble of word salad. MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about the Presidential race and other 2016 election news - plus a discussion of Phyllis Schlafly, who passed away Sunday. Politics from a progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
Donald Trump tried to look presidential yesterday with his impromptu visit to Mexico - where he was not particularly wanted. The MOMocrats are not sure what unpopular Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto was trying to accomplish with the invitation, but it did allow Trump to once again dominate the news cycle on a day that he was finally making a policy speech on immigration. Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills will have something to say about that, as well as other political news of the week.
Kellyanne Conway continues her Donald Trump makeover, but will it stick? (And if it does, will anyone forget? Not to mention the fact that Trump and the white supremacist alt-right are still wedded to one another). Over on the Democrats' side, the Clintons answer criticism about the appearance of impropriety surrounding their Foundation. And Bernie Sanders begins a next chapter tonight with the launch of Our Revolution - but not without some birthing pangs. MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the week's political news from the progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
News broke today of another major reshuffling of Donald Trump's campaign team: Professional political consultant Paul Manafort has been demoted amid new questions about his ties to Russia and Ukraine. In his place is Breitbart CEO Steve Bannon, who will likely revert back to the primary strategy of "letting Trump be Trump." We are expecting Trump to double down on all the things that have made his polling number plummet even in reliably red states. The only bit of campaign news that makes the MOMocrats nervous is the announcement that deposed Fox News chief Roger Ailes - who presumably has a lot more time on his hands - will be active behind the scenes helping the Trump campaign with debate prep (and likely advertising, which he is genius at). Oh, and Donald Trump was supposed to get his first classified briefing today. That makes MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills very nervous too.
For the third DNC in a row, our MOMocrats bloggers will be on the scene iin Philadelphia at #DNCinPHL #DNC2016 to tell us what they're seeing and hearing. We'll be talking to Anoosh Jorjorian, Christina Gleason, Michael Flanagan, and Jennifer Miller-Smith, with possibly a guest appearance from our usual host, Donna Schwartz Mills from post-#Brexit UK!
Join us as we hear from them in a live podcast!
See bios of our bloggers here!
MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills recap the horrific events of the last week, the ongoing horror of people of color dying at the hands of white cops during minor violations - and the terror in Dallas after a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest was shot up by a disturbed "good guy with a gun" aiming for police officers. President Obama's speech at the memorial on Tuesday was one of the most poignant of his career. Discussion also turned to the upcoming party conventions, the differences in the party platforms, Bernie Sanders' endorsement of Hillary Clinton and a changing of the guard in the UK.
Original Airdate: 6/22/2016. The MOMocrats' weekly podcast looking at the day's political news from the progressive point of view. The MOMocrats' guest this week is Stacy Mason, Executive Director of WomenCount, a crowdfunding platform where citizens may easily support the campaigns of women running for office throughout the country about ways women can positively affect the outcome of elections by donating to candidates - and how that act empowers us all politically. MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills will also review the big political stories of the weeek. An Engender Media Group Production.
The unexpected death of Antonin Scalia changed everything on the Supreme Court this year: and even though his seat has yet to be filled, there were some 4-4 ties and decisions that progressives can cheer about. That trend can be expected to continue if our next President is a Democrat. This could be the end of 50 years of court domination by Republican appointees. The MOMocrats welcome legal scholar and court watcher Jessica Mason Pieklo of Rewire to talk all things SCOTUS. Donna Schwartz Mills and Karoli will also have a few words to say about the Brexit, the Trump campaign and speculation of a Clinton-Warren ticket.
The MOMocrats' weekly podcast looking at the day's political news from the progressive point of view. The MOMocrats' guest this week is Stacy Mason, Executive Director of WomenCount, a crowdfunding platform where citizens may easily support the campaigns of women running for office throughout the country about ways women can positively affect the outcome of elections by donating to candidates - and how that act empowers us all politically. MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills will also review the big political stories of the weeek. An Engender Media Group Production.
It didn't take long after the worst massacre in recent history for Donald Trump to begin tweeting hateful messages about Muslim immigrants.MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about the tragedy in Orlando and the political fallout, including the President's response and the stalled fight in Congress to pass a bill that would prevent individuals on the terror watch list from obtaining combat weapons like the AR-15. Other topics include the end of the 2016 primaries and last night's meeting between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in this week's podcast looking at the day's political news from the progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
Hillary Clinton is the presumptive nominee of the Democratic party. The Associated Press called it early on the night before the final "Super Tuesday" round of primaries, which made both campaigns fear that turnout would be suppressed. In the end, Clinton won the popular vote, the pledged delegates and the super delegates. Bernie Sanders is continuing his campaign through the final primary next week in Washington, DC. And Donald Trump vows to give a speech next week that will drag out all the vicious smears we've already heard and others that have been festering in dark corners of the right-wing id. MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about the historic significance of finally seeing a woman lead the Democratic party to the White House.
California's Democratic primary is next Tuesday, and for once - the results are going to matter. Governor Jerry Brown's endorsement (and superdelegate pledge( of Hillary Clinton was a bit of a blow to the Sanders campaign, which is vowing to keep on fighting on through the convention. MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills praise the Sanders campaign for bringing new energy to the Democratic party, but wonder what happens next - especially in light of the Republican nominee. Politics from the progressive point of view, hosted by the MOMocrats.
It's too early for polls to accurately reflect the mood of the electorate in November, but the latest ones showing Trump and Clinton in statistical ties has the MOMocrats nervous. The drama on the Democratic side has to stop so we can keep our eyes on the prize, say the Hillary supporters. Not so fast - we need to build on the Obama legacy and push the Democratic platform left, say the Sanders folks. In the meantime: WHO ARE ALL THESE PEOPLE WHO WOULD PUT A MAD MAN IN THE WHITE HOUSE? MOMocrats Karoli, Cynematic and Donna Schwartz Mills try to talk each other down.
Guest and our favorite health policy wonk Melissa Schober joins us today to discuss where we are with ACA right now -- everything from ongoing court challenges to contraceptive coverage (yes, that's still a thing) to various routes to expansion of ACA so that every American can get the health care they need. How are community health care centers a crucial piece of the picture? Are even balky red states coming around to Medicaid expansion? What are the major barriers given a GOP do-nothing majority in Congress? (Hint: Melissa urges you to talk to your state lawmakers.) What's happening in states like Colorado with its single payer ballot initiative?
Repeat from 3-30-2016: Claire Conner, author of "Wrapped in the Flag," joins MOMocrats Karoli, Cynematic and Donna Schwartz Mills to talk about the new documentary, "The Brainwashing of My Dad," which traces how the filmmaker's father went from an easy-going, Democratic voter to an angry old man spouting right-wing tropes - thanks to a long commute listening to talk radio. Conner, whose parents were founding members of the John Birch Society, is interviewed in the film and has much to say about the Bircher talking points that have made their way into the platform of the modern Republican party. An Engender Media Group Production.
Donald Trump's landslide win in Indiana Tuesday night had a surprise byproduct: Both Ted Cruz and John Kasich suspended their campaigns and Republican party chairman Reince Priebus now refers to Trump as the presumptive nominee. An already bizarre campaign just crossed over into the surreal. And over on the Democratic side of the ticket, Bernie Sanders outperformed the polls (surprising the poll analysts over at Five-Thirty-Eight for the second time this election). Sanders is promising a contested convention as he tries to convince super-delegates to switch. The only thing MOMocrats Cynematic, Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills agree on is that it isn't over yet. Rescheduled from earlier this week.
After last night's mini-Super Tuesday, Hillary Clinton's delegate lead appears to be insurmountable. Still, the Sanders campaign continues to slog away and promises to keep going through California. MOMocrats Cynematic, Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills all agree with that decision, even if they disagree about the tone of the campaign. In the meantime, at the time of our podcast, Ted Cruz is expected to give an announcement - making it all the more likely that the left will find some unity against Donald Trump, whose Republican nomination seems ever more certain after he swept five states last night. The MOMocrats podcast looks at the day's political news from the progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
Cable news was expecting yesterday's New York primary results to be a nail-biter on the Democratic side. Instead, the election was called rather early, for the state's former two-time Senator Hillary Clinton. Bernie Sanders supporters point out that New York's closed primary and tough rules for changing parties made it difficult for many of his supporters to come out and vote, and in addition, there were irregularities at the polls such as a 100,000 record purge in Brooklyn. Clinton reached out to Sanders supporters in her victory speech by proclaiming that there is more to unite us than divide us. But that election is over and both campaigns are looking for votes in next week's primaries, with the biggest delegate prize coming from Pennsylvania. Donald Trump also won his home state by a mind-boggling margin (but lost to John Kasich in his own borough of Manhattan). MOMocrats Cynematic, Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss this and non-election news in this week's political podcast from the progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
It's Equal Pay Day: That point in the calendar when women have finally earned as much as their male counterparts did LAST year. But, as The MOMocrats point out, it might be more accurate to celebrate a whole series of Equal Pay Days because that date comes much later in the year for women of color... and for some, they can work almost the entire year before they've earned the equivalent of men in their field. Other topics discussed by MOMocrats in this week's progressive political podcast include the $15 minimum wage, congressional gridlock, the progress of the Merick Garland SCOTUS nomination - and of course, #Election2016. An Engender Media Group production.
Double-digit wins by Democrat Bernie Sanders and Ted Cruz on the Republican side had cable news pundits crowing that the Wisconsin primary could be an electoral turning point. But the state's unique political history and demographics may have played a larger role in those victories than one would think. And looming ahead are Pennsylvania and New York, the latter of which is home for both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. One thing that's certain: this race isn't over, and interest is sky-high, with large primary turnouts expected in the remaining states. "And that's good for democracy," says MOMocrat Donna Schwartz Mills. She and Karoli also talk about the passage of a $15 minimum wage in New York and California, voter suppression in Arizona, the Supreme Court ruling on one-person, one vote and the release of the Panama Papers. MOMocrats MOMochat is a weekly political podcast from the progressive point of view, produced by Engender Media Group.
Claire Conner, author of "Wrapped in the Flag," joins MOMocrats Karoli, Cynematic and Donna Schwartz Mills to talk about the new documentary, "The Brainwashing of My Dad," which traces how the filmmaker's father went from an easy-going, Democratic voter to an angry old man spouting right-wing tropes - thanks to a long commute listening to talk radio. Conner, whose parents were founding members of the John Birch Society, is interviewed in the film and has much to say about the Bircher talking points that have made their way into the platform of the modern Republican party. An Engender Media Group Production.
The world reacted with gestures of support for the victims of yesterday's coordinated bomb attacks in Brussels... And then, there was Donald Trump, who took the tragedy as an opportunity for more fear mongering against Muslims. What the Donald doesn't grasp (and President Obama does) is how hate rhetoric plays right into the terrorist playbook written decades ago by Osama Bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri, who envisioned their terrorist activities culminating in a religious civil war, fueled by Western fear. MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills will talk about Brussels and the US political reaction, as well as primary election results that added to the delegate leads of both Trump and Hillary Clinton (despite caucus wins for Ted Cruz and Bernie Sanders) in this week's podcast looking at the day's political news from the progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
Much has been said about the historic nature of Barack Obama's presidency - but that description can also be used to describe the tenure of First Lady Michelle Obama. Blogger Ilina Ewen will join MOMocrats Cynematic, Karoli, and Donna Schwartz Mills to talk about her attendance at Tuesday's #LetsMove event for bloggers at the White House. The panel will also talk about March Super Tuesday results and Ilina's experience at Bernie Sanders' rally in North Carolina. An Engender Media Group production.
The Democratic primaries have heated up and the mainstream media are finally covering our issues (although not as much as the Trump circus). Bernie Sanders' huge win in Michigan and Hillary Clinton's Mississippi blowout have given reporters the horse race their most comfortable writing about. Sanders and Clinton even appeared in a town hall carried by Fox News, bringing their unfiltered message into the right-wing spin bubble. In the meantime, Trump continues his juggernaut to the Republican nomination, and there's no doubt his show is energizing turnout among the GOP. This year's election has all the excitement of a horror movie - Can the good guys overcome the monster? MOMocrats Cynematic, Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss. An Engender Media Group production.
It's the morning after Super Tuesday, and MOMocrats Cynematic, Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills dissect the results: Donald Trump benefited from GOP rules that were designed four years ago to designate Mitt Romney early - and the Republican base appears shockingly unconcerned about their candidate's hesitation to denounce David Duke's endorsement or the KKK. And while Hillary won some big states, Bernie did very well, too.
The MOMocrats will also report on the events at last weekend's California Democratic State Convention and an interview with a billionaire of our own: Tom Steyer, who is supporting a new proposition to curb the tobacco industry's marketing of vaping products to children.
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's untimely death over the holiday weekend has triggered something of a constitutional crisis, as Senate Republicans and GOP Presidential candidates immediately tried to make a case for leaving his seat on the Court vacant so the next President could appoint. President Obama announced that he will fulfill his constitutional duty and nominate a candidate to fill Scalia's seat. MOMocrats Karoli, Cynematic and Donna Schwartz Mills doubt that the GOP-led Congress will end the obstructionism that has marked their party's reaction to Obama's election back in 2008. In the meantime, several extremely important cases will be decided this session, and without Scalia's vote, many will end up in a 4-4 tie - which is the same as no decision at all. One thing is certain: If it had only been implied that this election is important because the next President will likely have to nominate new SCOTUS justices, it is now very much in the public's eye. Produced by Engender Media Group.
The 2016 election is ON and off to a wild start, with Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders winning their respective primaries last night in New Hampshire. This is not the way the pundits figured it would go, and the only thing we are all assured is that it's going to be a wild ride. MOMocrats Cynematic, Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the race and what it means for progressive voters.
How much do the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primaries really matter? MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about the official start of Election 2016 and the media narrative. They also chat about the influence of big money PACS with filmmaker Holly Mosher, executive producers of the documentary "Pay 2 Play," which follows the money and the disintegration of our democracy that accelerated with the passing of Citizens United six years ago. .
The producers of a deceptive sting video targeting Planned Parenthood got a big surprise this week when a Grand Jury found the healthcare organization innocent - but indicted the filmmakers instead. MOMocrats Cynematic, Karoli, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the turning of the tables on the anti-abortion activists who made the film. Also: The beginning of the end of the occupation of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge, fallout from environmental disasters in Flint and Porter Ranch, and the latest developments in Election 2016 on both the GOP and Democratic sides.
This week marks another anniversay of the Roe v Wade decision - yet the battle for safe contraception continues. Advocate and activist Dr. Sophia Yen chats with the MOMocrats about abortion rights, safe contraception, and restrictive new laws, ballot propositions and "religious rights" exceptions that are making it difficult for women who merely want to fill prescriptions for medications they are entitled to receive for free under the Affordable Care Act. Dr. Yen talks about a solution to that problem that she has spearheaded: The Pill Club, an innovative contraceptive delivery service that combines an online pharmacy with tele-health (if you need to update your prescription for the pill).For more information on The Pill Club, please use the MOMocrats' affiliate link: https://thepillclub.com/#/?promo=momocrat.
President Obama's final State of the Union reminded Americans that the United States is still the most powerful nation on earth. He also had a few choice things to say to the Republican candidates who are vying to replace him next year. MOMocrats Cynematic, Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the speech from a progressive point of view.
2016 is now in full swing, with an occupation in Oregon, El Niño's visit to California, President Obama's gun actions, and the death match between Ted Cruz and Donald Trump.
This morning, the MOMocrats are celebrating the news that Karoli won't have to sit through another Republican debate this year. They talk about the clusterf**k that took place last night. Also on today's agenda: Yesterday's unprecedented closure of all 900+ campuses in the nation's second largest school system after a bomb threat that turned out to be a hoax and the context of making that decision in an atmosphere of fear following this month's San Bernardino massacre... and a look at what the Democratic candidates are doing (again: why did they schedule their debates on SATURDAY nights?) Cynematic, Karoli, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the week's politics from a progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
While Donald Trump trolls the world with fascist ravings, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders quietly released some planks in their platforms, including plans for infrastructure building and immigration. President Obama also gave a landmark speech on fighting ISIS (he urged Americans not to give in to the hate speech that fuels the idea that the West is fighting all of Islam. It touched on the same ideas that George W. Bush proclaimed following 9/11). MOMocrats Cynematic, Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss in this week's podcast looking at the day's political news from the progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
Another week, another mass shooting. MOMocrats Karoli, Cynematic and Donna Schwartz Mills are as horrified as the rest of America at the senseless massacre of public employees in San Bernardino on Wednesday, but they wonder why the previous week's violence at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado wasn't also covered as an act of terrorism? According to this map published on Vox, there have been over 1,000 mass shootings in the three years since Sandy Hook, "with shooters killing at least 1,327 people and wounding 3,784 more." And while sane Americans everywhere ask for sensible laws that would make it harder for people to obtain guns for nefarious purposes, Congress has once again REJECTED a measure that would prevent dealers from selling guns to people on terrorist watch lists - AFTER the event in San Bernardino unfolded. The MOMocrats talk about this and other political news of the week from a progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group Production.
It's Thanksgiving week, so the MOMocrats are repeating last week's podcast: News was still unfolding in Paris, which was under lockdown again after a raid looking for the mastermind of Friday's horrific terrorist attack. It's been reported that two people have died, including a woman wearing a suicide vest. Needless to say, US political discourse in the wake of ISIS has turned to the topics of foreign policy, terrorism, and immigration - areas that are in the bailiwick of the Democratic front-runner, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills talk with Joanne Bamberger, author of "Love Her, Love Her Not: The Hillary Paradox."
As the MOMocrats prepared for this week's podcast, news was still unfolding in Paris, which was under lockdown again after a raid looking for the mastermind of Friday's horrific terrorist attack. It's been reported that two people have died, including a woman wearing a suicide vest. Needless to say, US political discourse in the wake of ISIS has turned to the topics of foreign policy, terrorism, and immigration - areas that are in the bailiwick of the Democratic front-runner, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills talk with Joanne Bamberger, author of "Love Her, Love Her Not: The Hillary Paradox."
Republicans were a lot happier with last night's Fox Business Channel debate than they were with the session they had at CNBC. That's largely because the moderators never tried to challenge the candidates on the outrageous lies they told. MOMocrats Cynematic, Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills have a few things to say about that on this Veterans Day edition of MOMocrats MOMochat, looking at the day's political news from the progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
The Progressive Agenda didn't fare well in yesterday's off-year elections, but that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with the candidates Democrats ran or the policies they pursue. Election 2015 followed the typical pattern of the last few cycles, where conservatives angered by the progressive victories of the last year were motivated to show up to the polls ... and the people who typically vote for Democrats did not. This is why Republican Matt Bevin won the Kentucky governorship, despite polling that suggested the election would go to his Democratic opponent, Attorney General Jack Conway.
And once again, MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills ask: How do we instill in Democrats the idea that no election is meaningless and that they need to show up and cast votes in them all?
Political discussion from a Progressive Point of View by the MOMocrats.
Another week, another GOP debate tonight in Colorado - and the Republicans have a new front-runner: Dr. Ben Carson, whose mild-mannered demeanor distracts listeners from all the whack-a-doo theories and policy positions he seems to believe in. Or maybe that's what they like about him. At any rate, pundits are predicting that this debate could make or break Jeb Bush, who still leads the field with PAC money but is apparently struggling to pay his campaign staff. Pass the popcorn.
In the meantime on the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton is still enjoying a very excellent October, Bernie Sanders is still in the game, and Martin O'Malley is hoping to reap the benefits of Jim Webb and Lincoln Chaffee dropping out of the race.
In other news: John Boehner is getting out of Dodge while Paul Ryan is poised to become the next Speaker of the House. We predict very little changes there, except the so-called Freedom Caucus will likely make getting things done even tougher. MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss politics from a progressive point of view.
Cynematic and Karoli discuss Secretary Hillary Clinton's stellar performance at the marathon Benghazi hearing, Paul Ryan's cave-in to the extremists and more.
A brief recap of the Benghazi incident which spurred Republicans to try to turn this into a witch hunt against then-Secretary of State and now-candidate Hillary Cinton. Those hearings are fizzling as GOP attack dogs in Congress admit their purpose was partisan and intended to damage Clinton's chances all along. This week Clinton also testifies about her private email server, the second big witch hunt Republicans have tried to lead to tarnish Clinton. On Friday we'll continue our show iwth a wrap -up -- did any of the testimony reveal anything new? Is it another big nothingburger and what can be done to make Republcicans literally pay for the million dollar wastes of time these hearings have been?
MOMocrats MOMochat is an EngenderMediaGroup production.
In the first #DemDebate, we learned a lot about the candidates and got a sense of them as people. Bernie, while grumpy and passionate about fat cats, was also gentlemanly and collegial and his consideration toward former Senate colleague Hillary won him the biggest applause line of the night: "We're tired of your damn emails!" The watchword was substance all night long with few detours. Hillary delighted with perfect comic timing when the moderator asked her if she had anything to add after Bernie's defense of her on the emails issue: "No." We got to see her in fine form, with adept rhetorical skills and occaisional flashes of humor. She showed passion as well, getting huge applause for the second memorable moment of the night when she defended Planned Parenthood passionately. O'Malley had a few good moments, and Chafee and Webb...were, uh, marked 'present.' Join us as we chew it over. It's good at the grown-ups' table!
MOMocrats MOMochat is an EngenderMediaGroup production.
The Roseburg, Oregon Shooting -- when will America wake up and pass sane gun legislation? Also, it's almost time for the first Democratic debate on October 13, 2015. We preview how the main candidates look on a few major issues. Bet that gun control will be one way Hillary Clinton sets herself apart from O'Malley and Sanders. Biden, in or out? Our advice to him is to go out on high note -- leave the Vice Presidency and do good from outside the system. MOMocrats MOMochat is an EngenderMediaGroup production.
This week on the MOMocrats MOMochat: Pope Brings Hope, Boehner Says Nope, And Cecile Richards Smacks Down Some Dopes
Was it a papal miracle that caused John Boehner to resign? Or did he have a crisis of conscience? At any rate, the Pope brought his message of "tending to the least of these" to America, the House GOP is in turmoil now that they need to select a new Speaker in Boehner's stead, and head of Planned Parenthood Cecile Richards held her own against a kangaroo court of anti-choice blowhards who tried to defund PP and score points with their anti-choice base.
When will these extremist conservatives learn that they are hated and have nothing to offer the American people? Maybe by next week? We'll certainly keep trying to get the message to them.
An Engender Media Group production.
The MOMocrats' weekly podcast looking at the day's political news from the progressive point of view. Check back here an hour from airtime for a list of the topics. Chances are, there will be some discussion of what's happening in Congress and a reaction to the latest from lawmakers and candidates. An Engender Media Group production.
The crowded GOP field is providing as much drama as NBC's The Apprentice - especially with The Donald leading the charge. Of course, the MOMocrats watched last night's debate - after all, until Sunday's Emmys mark the start of the Fall season, this series of clown car collisions is about the only thing worth watching on television. Did Carly get back at Trump for making that remark about her face? Did neurosurgeon Ben Carson let slip another anti-science tirade that defines cognitive dissonance? Did Chris Christie and Scott Walker get a word in edgewise? And what about the kids table? MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss from a progressive point of view. Produced by Engender Media Group.
President Obama continues to be the most effective "lame duck" elected official in history: It looks like the deal his administration negotiated with Iran and the other world powers will go into effect without Congressional disapproval. Also on the MOMocrats' agenda today: Kim Davis, the Syrian refugee crisis - and continuing coverage of the 2016 race. Political discussion from the progressive point of view, by MOMocrats Cynematic, Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills. An Engender Media Group production.
The WA State Supreme Court ruled recently that charter schools created under the new education law I-1240 were unconstitutional. They do not fit under the definition of public schools ("common schools") as defined in the state constitution -- they do not have publicly elected governing bodies and aren't subject to the control of voters.
Wayne Au was a plaintiff in the lawsuit that challenged I-1240 and is here to talk with us today. Wayne Au is an Associate Professor of education at the University of Washington, Bothell and an editor for the social justice education magazine, Rethinking Schools.
Read more about the Washington State Supreme Court's decision here, the decision itself here, and here.
Next week, Congress gets back to work and their first order of business is to vote on the President's Iran deal. But right now, we're finishing up with one of the silliest political silly seasons in memory. Cynematic, Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about a hodgepodge of topics this week: The President's trip to Alaska, the Sarah Palin interview of Donald Trump on a rinky-dink right-wing website, Carly Fiorina's probable graduation from the GOP Kids' table...and the drip-drip-drip of Hillary Clinton's emails.
Yet another terrible shooting...and in other news this week, racist and xenophobic comments from not one but two GOP presidential candidates, and a few rays of hope here and there. Keep paying attention and keep voting!
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An Engender Media Group production.
How radical is Donald Trump's immigration plan? It would gut the 14th Amendment. And other GOP candidates are jumping on his bandwagon. To be fair, only Scott Walker has echoed Trump's sentiment on this so far, and other, more "grown-up" candidates like Jeb Bush and Lindsay Graham have pushed back on this idea. But the GOP likely voters responding to polls are eating Trump's antics up, so we ask: how long will it be before this becomes an official part of the Republican platform? MOMocrats Karoli, Cynematic and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the electoral landscape from a progressive point of view.
On the table for today: many white progressives and other allies in Seattle found themselves challenged by the confrontational behavior of Marissa Janae Johnson and Mara Willaford, two #BlackLivesMatter organizers who disrupted Bernie Sanders' planned campaign rally on Medicaid and Social Security this past weekend. When resentment of the disruption turned to epithets and shouting down the women, the activists responded by pointing out the very white supremacy within white progressive circles they were challenging. Looking at the long-term impact of their actions, not long after they disrupted the event, the Sanders campaign posted a more detailed platform on racial justice. In Los Angeles, the in-the-works hiring of a national press secretary, #BlackLivesMatter activist Symone Sanders, meant that she introduced Sanders at his SoCal appearance and will handle press going forward.
An Engender Media Group production.
Ten candidates will duke it out Thursday night in Cleveland for the first GOP debate, and it promises to be a doozy! Especially since Fox News has relegated at least six other serious Republican contenders to an overflow event that starts earlier in the day, which critics have dubbed "the kids' table." MOMocrats Cynematic, Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills preview the event and talk about the chances of a bloodbath between front runner Donald Trump and equally bombastic contenders like Chris Christie. Pass the popcorn. It's early enough in the race that we can be entertained instead of frightened.
Two weeks ago, a shadowy group the Center for Medical Progress released a deceptively edited "sting" video against Planned Parenthood, which has become the opening salvo in yet another battle to defund the non-profit provider of reproductive health services. This week, the GOP in the Senate unveiled a bill that they hope will "ACORN" the group once and for all. MOMocrats Cynematic, Karoli, and Donna Schwartz Mills weigh in. Produce3d by Engender Media Group.
The MOMocrats took time off last week to attend Netroots Nation in Phoenix, Arizona - where they met and learned from progressive activists from around the country. Karoli, Cynematic and Donna Schwartz Mills report back on the newsworthy demonstration by #BlackLivesMatter and #SpeakHerName, which disrupted the planned Town Hall with Democratic candidates Martin O'Malley and Bernie Sanders... as well as Elizabeth Warren's keynote, women's leadership issues, the latest attack on Planned Parenthood, education panels and more. MOMocrats MOMochat is an EngenderMediaGroup production.
Last week, President Obama proposed giving millions of middle class workers a raise. This week, he's tackling segregation. This is not bad for what the MSM presumed was a "lame duck Administration" following the 2014 midterm elections. In the meantime: Greece's problems are upsetting financial markets, the GOP clown bus keeps getting more crowded as 15 candidates fight among themselves for 10 spots in the first Fox News debate... and on the Democratic side of the ticket, reporters continue to write nasty articles about Hillary Clinton while basically ignoring the phenomenal drawing power of Bernie Sanders. MOMocrats Karoli, Cynematic and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss in this week's podcast looking at the day's political news from the progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
Forgive The MOMocrats if they feel like they've awakened in some imaginary progressive universe: Last week saw the Supreme Court deliver happy decisions on marriage equality, the Affordable Care Act and Fair Housing - and legal anaylyst Jessica Mason Pieklo will be back to talk about that. The fact that the Roberts Court also decided against Clean Air makes them want to shout "argle bargle," but that's beside the point: Could the mood of the country be shifting left? Activist Bree Newsome took the Confederate flag flying at the South Carolina state capitol into her own hands and an enthralled online community set about raising funds to pay her $5,000 bail money (and in the space of a day, wound up with over $100K). Bernie Sanders is drawing crowds larger than any other candidate. The President is raising wages for millions of workers who don't currently receive overtime. The US and Cuba are opening embassies. Can you blame hosts Cynematic, Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills for wanting to talk about all this good news for a change? Produced by Engender Media Group.
In a normal week, the MOMocrats would be anxiously awaiting the Supreme Court decisions on lethal injection, redistricting, EPA regulations, same sex marriage, Obamacare subsidies. But while the SCOTUS decisions will have long-term impact on the nation, this is not a normal week and MOMocrats Karoli, Cynematic and Donna Schwartz Mills will be discussing a myriad of other topics like: TPP, the Confederate flag, Bernie Sanders' amazing campaign rallies and Hillary Clinton's bold speech on race -- and President Obama's appearance on Marc Maron's podcast ("The best I've ever heard him do," says Karoli). Produced by Engender Media Group.
MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills had planned to use the official entrance of Donald Trump into the 2016 Presidential race to talk about the Clown Car that is the GOP field of candidates... but that was before a 21-year-old white thug shot a Bible study group at the Emanual AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina -- killing nine people, including the pastor, Rev. Clementa Pinckney, who was also a South Carolina state senator.
Political discussion from a progressive point of view, produced by Engender Media Group.
The MOMocrats had a hard time watching the videotape of the police action at that McKinney, Texas pool party this weekend - but, as Cynematic points out, the results may indicate hope for the next generation in the fight against racism. Just keep carrying those smartphones, folks, so we can continue to document abuse when we see it.
Also discussed: The lack of planning for what could happen to folks with health insurance on the Federal exchanges if the King v. Burwell decision strikes down funding, the budget problems in red states and the California "miracle," and surprisingly strong polling numbers for a fictional villain. MOMocrats Cynematic, Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss politics from a progressive POV in this Engender Media Group production.
RH Reality Check's Senior Legal Analayst, Jessica Mason Pieklo, joins the MOMocrats' for what's become an annual event: a lively discussion of the Supreme Court, as the 2014-15 session wanes. Hanging in the balance: Their decision on Obamacare subsidies for people in the Federal exchange (which could do to the ACA what 50-some Congressional repeal votes could not). And Jessica will have analysis on plenty more of this year's decisions. MOMocrats Karoli, Cynematic and Donna Schwartz Mills host. An Engender Media Group production.
Pat Robertson says he doesn't know what to blame for the floods in Texas. The MOMocrats wish safety for Texans and a quick end to the flooding - and speculate about how Governor Greg Abbott will go about rebuilding (with or without Federal funding)? Also this week: lack of funding for higher education, Bernie Sanders' campaign for President and more in this week's podcast looking at the day's political news from the progressive point of view. MOMocrats Cynematic, Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills host. An Engender Media Group production.
The MOMocrats' weekly podcast looking at the day's political news from the progressive point of view. Check back here an hour from airtime for a list of the topics. Chances are, there will be some discussion of what's happening in Congress and a reaction to the latest from lawmakers and candidates. An Engender Media Group production.
An Amtrak crash kills half a dozen people and injuries hundreds others -- when oh when will we set aside funds to maintain our infrastructure? And it shouldn't take a well-trafficked route that members of Congress take to get to DC to spur them into action. We discuss the South Carolina man whose political and physical blindness to the benefits of Obamacare could cost him his eyesight. And finally we talk about the TPP and how Senate Democrats put the brakes on the president's trade talks with Pacific Rim countries. When do we find out more details and what are terms we'd be happy with? And can we expect more muscle-flexing from the economic populist wing of the Democratic Party as we head into 2016?
An Engender Media Group production.
Just another week in US politics: Hillary Clinton throws down on the GOP regarding immigration reform and Bernie is in the race - while the GOP clown car gets more crowded with Ben Carson, Mike Huckabee and Carly Fiorina.
Around the country: In the wake of Baltimore and Ferguson, President Obama launches the My Brother's Keepr nonprofit organization (spun off from the White House initiative of the same name). And reports of full-scale paranoia in Texas after Islamophobic nut job Pamela Geller provokes a couple of ISIS wannabes into a suicide mission, and Special Forces training mission they believe is intended to facilitate a government takeover of Texas. Plus, John Oliver goes off on the testing obsession. MOMocrats Cynematic, Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss politics from a progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
"I think we, as a country, have to do some soul searching," President Obama said in response to the violence in Baltimore. "This is not new. It's been going on for decades." MOMocrats Karoli, Cynematic, Donna Schwartz Mills and Baltimore resident Melissa Schober discuss the protests over the death of Freddie Gray while in police custody and the aftermath. Also: Earthquake in Nepal, and the anticipation over Senator Bernie Sanders' announcement of a challenge to Hillary Clinton in 2016. An Engender Media Group production.
The MOMocrats' weekly podcast looking at the day's political news from the progressive point of view. Check back here an hour from airtime for a list of the topics. Chances are, there will be some discussion of what's happening in Congress and a reaction to the latest from lawmakers and candidates. An Engender Media Group production.
Hillary Clinton announced her candidacy this week, so now the score is one clown car and one Scooby van with a whole bunch of reporter clowns chasing after it. MOMocrats Cynematic, Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about Hillary's announcement video and talking tour, and compare it with the bombast of the Republican field, as well as the absence of any serious challengers to Mrs. Clinton. ALSO: the epidemic of killings of unarmed African-Americans at the hands of police, the Atlanta 11 - and Equal Pay Day (which happened to occur just before tax day).
Check in with Parents Across America's Panela Grundy hosted by K12NN's Cynthia Liu to find out what some parents believe would be the best plan to get rid of the bad parts of ESEA -- test & punish. This backgrounder will bring you up to date on what key problem areas were and in other conversations we'll figure out what's in the latest version that'll be discussed in the US Senate Education Committee starting April 14, 2015.
Claire Conner returns to MOMochat to talk about the alarming inroads the radical right has made into the Republican party, Congress and statehouses around the country. Claire is the author of Wrapped in the Flag, a memoir of growing up in a family of John Birch Society leaders.
"The John Birch Society does influence many right wingers," says Claire.
Claire says that a helpful Birch Society research assistant provided her with background materials for her book. "She told me that the Society has had the largest growth in its history since Barack Obama's campaign."
MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills host the political discussion from the progressive point of view. Produced by Engender Media Group. Original airdate: 8/6/14.
The MOMocrats' weekly podcast looking at the day's political news from the progressive point of view. Check back here an hour from airtime for a list of the topics. Chances are, there will be some discussion of what's happening in Congress and a reaction to the latest from lawmakers and candidates. An Engender Media Group production.
The MOMocrats talk about Bibi Netanyahu's big win and the resurrection of the US neocons, Aaron Shock's departure from Congress (who's going to get that Downton Abbey styled office?), more lies about Hillary... and the possibly hilarious news that Donald Trump may be running again for President in this week's podcast looking at the day's political news from the progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.
Since the day he took office, President Obama has endured unprecedented disrespect from the right wing Republican party, which can no longer be characterized as "the loyal opposition" - they crossed that line a long time ago. But until this week, Republican intransigence mainly only affected our country's domestic agenda.
This week, the GOP did something that undermined our nation's status in the world -- and may be considered traitorous behavior.
Am open letter to the leaders of Iran, penned by freshman Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) and signed by 47 Republican Senators, threatens to undermine very delicate nuclear peace treaty the Administration is trying to negotiate. As longtime international affairs reporter Leslie Gelb wrote in the Daily Beast, this letter demonstrates that the GOP Hates Obama More Than a Nuclear Iran.
MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about this and the rest of the day's political news from the progressive point of view. And Engender Media Group production.
Hillary Clinton used a private email account for her correspondence while she was Secretary of State -- a practice that violates the Federal Records Act of 2014. But didn't she leave office in 2012? And why isn't Colin Powell being criticized for the same practice? At any rate, Hillary gave a rousing speech last night at an EMILY's List event -- and barely gave it a mention (disappointing not-100%-left leaning MSNBC, which broke away from it when it was clear she wasn't going to address the issue). MOMocrats Karoli, Cynematic and Donna Schwartz Mills also talk about Bibi's speech to Congress and King vs. Burwell, the latest Supreme Court challenge to Obamacare.
President Obama vetoed Keystone XL - but there are still plenty of dangers from other, smaller pipelines and oil trains that pass through our communities. What we lack is a comprehensive energy policy that would take us off oil, says MOMocrat Karoli -- although we've started to make some progress over the last six years of the Obama Administration.
Also: Net neutrality, Scott Walker's Wisconsin "Freedom to Work" law, and another GOP lawmaker making laws that restrict women's rights to reproductive healthcare -- who doesn't seem to have a clue about female anatomy.
The media is excited about the 2016 election: A day doesn't go by without a breathless report about the possible candidacies of Jeb Bush, Rand Paul, Ted Cruz and other Republicans. But what about the Democrats? Hillary Clinton is all but coronated as the nominee, with many progressives trying to draft Elizabeth Warren (who says she's not running) and only Bernie Sanders talking seriously about opposing her. MOMocrats Cynthia Liu and Donna Schwartz Mills both feel an uncontested primary is bad for the party and the country -- but for very different reasons. Also: a report on ESEA, the reauthorization of the law formerly known as No Child Left Behind Political discussion from the progressive point of view by the MOMocrats. Produced by Engender Media Group.
Special K12 News Network discussion with United Opt Out's co-leaders, Peggy Robertson and Morna McDermott. Why is the impulse to opt chidlren out of standardized tests sweeping the nation at the moment? Because it's spring testing season. Some states have been burdened with giving the old standardized test and the new PARCC or SBAC Common Core computer-based end of year test in the same year. It's the straw that broke the camel's back, and parents from all over the political spectrum are saying, "Enough!" FInd out how to opt your child out of the tests safely using federal and state laws that protect your right to do so, and see what alternatives there are to standardized tests that ensure the quality work your child does is also assessed with high quality measures. Original podcast date 4/16/14.
"Is there a shot that will inoculate you against the stupid things politicians say?" wonder the MOMocrats, as Republicans like Chris Christie and Rand Paul raise hackles in their support of families who choose not to vaccinate -- eyebrow raising in the wake of a measles outbreak that has now infected some 100 individuals. Also: The House repeals Obamacare - yet again and more. MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the vaxxer debates and other political news of the week, from a progressive point of view. Produced by Engender Media Group.
President Obama's approval ratings are higher than they've been in a couple of years -- and still rising, a trend MOMocrat Karoli credits to an unconstrained President who doesn't have to run any more campaigns (because he won both of them)... and an economy that has finally turned around to the point where more Americans do feel better off than they did in 2009. Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills also talk about the Clown Car Express, which stopped at a little gathering in Iowa this week and the Koch Brothers plan to spend nearly $1 billion on Republican candidates in 2016. Political discussion from the progressive POV, hosted by the MOMocrats. Produced by Engender Media Group
Last night, President Obama appeared to have a new sense of ease as he delivered his sixth State of the Union address. After all, as he noted, he's run his last campaign... and he won both of them. MOMocrats Karoli, Cynematic and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the speech from the progressive POV: the President's agenda, and the Republican response. Will we get equal pay for women, a raise in the minimum wage, paid leave, subsidized childcare, new infrastructure projects or anything else proposed by the President? Not likely... but the Republican response made clear that this Congress will give us a lot of Koch Brothers pet issues and anti-abortion measures. Produced by Engender Media Group.
The terrorist attack in Paris last week was a horrific reminder of how vulnerable we all are to atrocities committed by small bands of determined criminals. It's a shame that our lawmakers and pundits seize upon these events to create political atrocities of their own. MOMocats Cynematic, Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the mischief undertaken by Congress while we were distracted by the events in Paris, the manufactured outrage over the President's non-appearance at Sunday's unity rally. They also discuss the nature of satire and look ahead to election 2016. Political discussion from the progressive point of view, hosted by the MOMocrats. Produced by Engender Media Group.
If you can't banish people outright, then you can try to erase them from students' minds. That's exactly what happened in Tucson Unified School District in Arizona, when conservatives ipassed an anti-immigrant racial profiling law, SB1070 that in effect targeted Latinos. At the same time, right-wing activists succeeded in passing a law banning the teeaching of Mexican American Studies, saying that a highly successful TUSD program that taught Chicano/Latiino history and culture to all students in the largely Hispanic district was instead harmful and divisive. The law, HB 2281, bans instruction that encourages "ethnic solidarity" among other things. Mind you, to begin with the ethnic studies courses were part of a federal court order to address historic and systemic racism in Arizona's education system.
The outrage over free speech rights of teachers and students is what prompted writer and teacher Tony Diaz to "smuggle" books by Latino authors out of his home state of Texas and into Arizona. He has been reporting on and organizing the efforts of free speech activists, ethnic studies activists, and students and teachers fighting for a relevant curriculum ever since.
TUSD high school student Maya Arce is a plaintiff who filed in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to overtun this Arizona law on grounds that it's unconstitutional. On January 12, 2015, she will testify and urge the Ninth Circuit to protect her First Amendment rights and the rights of other Arizona students and overturn this ignorant, bigoted, and narrow-minded law.
Background, go here.
More on Tony Diaz here and Librotraficante here.