A simple straight forward lesson on how the constitution works. We need to be reminded in this time when one man is trying to upend the constitution and accrue power into his own hands and that of presidents to follow.
The freedom that is now spread wider and deeper in this country than it ever has been before is in jeopardy of being lost and the country turned into an oligarchy and authoritarianism.
This is the time for all of us to (in the words of Jack Kennedy:
“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country”
And now a word from Senator Bernie Sanders (13 minutes)
A $6 Trillion tax on you and me just so billionaires can get tax cuts. Something is really wrong here. Really wrong!
For those who voted for Stinky Pants: He told you what he would do. Now he is doing it. And it is most likely causing you a big problem. I have no sympathy for you. We all knew (yes knew – we were told by experts) that if Stinky did what he said he would do he would hurt most everyone in the country but the rich. He has done much of what he said he would and it is hurting nearly everyone.
But you voted for him anyway. Why did you want to hurt everybody? Owning the Libs are you? Tell me how that works out for you and your family.
What is really galling is that at the beginning of the year we had the greatest US economy EVER! EVER! And we could have. Kept it rolling except for some idiots voting for Stinky.
Not in the mood but hey are some questions anyway:
A) What international right wing leader was sentenced in her country to jail for embezzlement and banned from the next election as punishment for felony crimes last week?
B) April 4th, 1968 –what major crime takes place in the US igniting days of protest?
C) Unfortunately, who was confirmed as the head of Medicaid and Medicare by the senate Thursday?
D) Big election for a Wisconsin Supreme Court seat. Who won?
E) Who also made headlines in connection to that election by illegally bribing people to vote?
F) Four American soldiers died in a training exercise in Lithuania last week. Rather than meet the bodies when they were returned to the US, Stinky Pants did what?
G) Two infants in Louisiana died from yet another thought to be controlled childhood disease last week. Which one?
H) April 9th, 1865 – What came to an end?
I) Journalists showing their fear of Stinky Pants dropped what comedian as its White House Correspondents Association dinner entertainment later this month?
J) Benjamin Netanyahu got out of town and visited one of the few places he can still legally go without getting arrested in the world. Where was that?
K) In state level economic reports released last week, what 3 states had economies that were negative?
L) What major Iowa manufacturer announced they will layoff 650 employees at their Amana plant June 1?
M) The Department of HHS fired all workers from the LIHEAP program last week. What does LIHEAP deal with?
N) Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey held an impromptu filibuster that ended up breaking whose record for the longest filibuster?
O) The invasion force of the Vance family ended up spending 3 whole hours in what country for their much ballyhooed trip last week?
P) The current count for measles in the US topped what number Friday?
Q) Measles cases have been reported in over 20 states but the majority of the cases are in what state?
R) As if the US doesn’t have enough problems, heavy spring losses in what animal group may affect farm production this year?
S) 80 years ago next Thursday as WWIIdrew to an end, what concentration camp was liberated?
T) Who announced he was planning to run for president in 2028, one way or another?
I love how the House is taking a break after accomplishing nothing since their last break. – John Collins
CDC gutted
Answers:
A) France’s Marine Le Pen
B) The assassination of MLK in Memphis
C) Mehmet Oz
D) The liberal, Susan Crawford
E) Elon Musk
F) Went to watch a golf tournament at one of his golf courses
G) Whooping Cough
H) The Civil War – Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Court House
I)Amber Ruffin
J) Hungary
K) North Dakota, South Dakota and Iowa (Way to go, Kim)
L) Whirlpool
M) Helping the poor pay for energy (heating and cooling)
N) White Supremacist Strom Thurmond
O) Greenland
P) 600
Q) Texas with New Mexico a distant 2nd
R) Honey Bees. Pollination may be hurt this year
S) Buchenwald
T) Stinky Pants. He said he don’t care about no constitutional amendments!
I may be tired and a little hoarse, but as I said again and again on the Senate floor, this is a moment where we cannot afford to be silent, when we must speak up.
What’s most clear to me tonight is that this is just the beginning, that Americans across this country, no matter their title or party, are ready to be heard.
I believe that history will show we rose to meet this moment.
It will show we did not let the chaos and division go unanswered.
It will show that when our president chose to spread lies and sow fear, we chose to come together, to work together, and to rise together. – Corey Booker
Booker’s Top Ten Moments Tuesday/Wednesday. 14 minutes:
The incredible difference between the parties in the US was never so plainly visible as it was this week. On one hand was Senator Corey Booker of New Jersey using that old hammer of the White Supremacists – the filibuster – to rally his party, the Democrats, to grow a spine and stand up to the very real threat of our country falling into the authoritarian clutches of the Trump / Musk presidency.
During Booker’s 25+ hours, he spoke on real American ideals and real American heroes. Booker spoke of today’s America and how citizens are now living in fear and pain. Services are being cut for no reasons. Jobs are being cut for no reason. Health care is being ripped from people.
In short, Booker used his office for good. He took the power that he had to shine a spotlight on what the administration is doing in dismantling the incredible government that has been developed since FDR. While it has some flaws, our government was pretty functional, especially during the Biden Administration.
Trump is dismantling it all and leaving ruins that will not be easily fixed. Senator Booker used his power to shine the light on the destruction taking place. Booker used his position to uplift the country and to fight against the biggest enemy we have faced since 1861.
On the other hand, Chuck Grassley has been one of the major tools in dismantling the separation of powers put forth in the constitution. Most Iowans can remember how old Chuck took orders from Trump in 2016 and held up the nomination of Merrick Garland for SCOTUS during the Obama Administration, thus holding the seat open for Trump to put in that gawd awful Neil Gorsuch.
Well, old Chuck is older Chuck now, but still taking orders from Trump. In the most recent incarnation, Stinky Pants Don is having a sad because judges are ruling against his unhinged use of power as president. Stinky Pants don’t like it and has ordered Chuck to make it stop! Right Now!
So Chuck announced that he will make Stinky happy with a speech Tuesday (3:30)
Grassley, a 91-year-old Republican from Iowa and president pro tempore of the Senate, is introducing a bill to end nationwide injunctions because they “have become a favorite tool for those seeking to obstruct [President Donald Trump’s] agenda,” according to an op-ed he wrote for the Wall Street Journal.
Grassley says his bill will ensure “lower courts could no longer block legitimate executive action by issuing orders to nonparties to the lawsuit.”
Removing the power of the judicial branch to block an action by the executive would be the elimination of a vital tool in the checking system of the checks and balances written in the constitution.In response to hearing of Grassley’s bill, U of Michigan Law Professor Barbara McQuade said:
University of Michigan law professor Barbara McQuade wrote an op-ed for Bloomberg last week arguing these orders can “slow down a presidential administration from rapid, drastic change,” but notes that the orders are “the very point of checks and balances.”
So there you go. Booker the Democrat using his power to strengthen our democracy with a speech he hopes will get people more involved in the system. Grassley, the MAGA using his power to short-circuit the check-and-balance system to give the executive branch even fewer restrictions at a time that Trump is trying to consolidate power in the executive branch.
I was checking a couple of days ago. Iowa had added events in Red Oak, Council Bluffs, Mount Vernon, Lisbon, Waterloo, Decorah, and Maquoketa.
These were in addition to events in Des Moines, Ames, Cedar Rapids, Mason City, Ames, Iowa City, Davenport (and Rock Island) and Dubuque.
There are even a surprising number of events in our very MAGA neighbors such as Nebraska and northern Missouri.
Nebraska is having events in Omaha, Lincoln, Hastings, Kearney, and North Platte
Northern Missouri will have events in Kirksville, Quincy and Hannibal.
Even South Dakota has events, including one near Iowa in Sioux Falls.
All the locations can be found on the Indivisible map by diving into the map, clicking on the city and then click on the poster that pops up.
There should be a true cross section of America at the event because Musk and his co-president Trump have screwed over just about every slice of citizens in their quest for unquestioned power. The tariffs announced Wednesday really hurt all Americans but especially farmers and small business people.
Thanks to those tariffs every American just got a huge tax hike. Remember when MAGA used to claim they wouldn’t raise taxes. Well we all just took it in the shorts. No better time to let them know what you think than today. And look at your retirement account – you have been robbed!
The disabled have really been screwed over. The retired are currently in Musk’s vice on Social Security. What will he do and what can the retired do? Let ‘em know! What about students? From pre-school to post-grad funds and programs are being slashed willy-nilly without any logical reasoning.
From the Indivisible blurb:
About this event
Donald Trump and Elon Musk think this country belongs to them. Ames is fighting back!
They’re taking everything they can get their hands on—our health care, our data, our jobs, our services—and daring the world to stop them. This is a crisis, and the time to act is now.
🚨 On Saturday, April 5th, we’re taking to the streets to fight back with a clear message: Hands off! 🚨
📍 Where: Bandshell Park – 125 E 5th St, Ames, IA 50010 📅 When: 10 am April 5, 2025
This mass mobilization day is our message to the world that we do not consent to the destruction of our government and our economy for the benefit of Trump and his billionaire allies.
Alongside Americans across the country, we are marching, rallying, and protesting to demand a stop the chaos and build an opposition movement against the looting of our country.
A core principle behind all Hands Off! events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values.
Here is a letter our friend Laura posted on Facebook. She gave permission to share in order to help others. She is a lawyer and a dog trainer and an all around good human being. This is one of the most eloquent essays I’ve seen on why it is imperative for us all to get out of our comfort zones and do everything we can to stop the Trump agenda, Project 2025.
This post will be long, but I’m afraid very important. Please read it! I realize that I may upset or offend some people, good people, but for now I am not going to feel sorry for that.
Saturday April 5 is a day of major national, unified resistance protests. I’ve posted about this before and shared information on where, when and how to find local events. But I’ve heard virtually no one say that they are going to take the time out of their day to attend. And that terribly worries and disappoints me. Folks: It. Is. Important. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE. I know that many of my very dear friends are upset and very worried about the current administration and direction our country is going. I KNOW that you care. But caring alone is not enough. Caring without taking action is worth virtually nothing more than silent acquiescence to what is going on. And what is going on is horrible. People being snatched off streets and sent to foreign concentration camps without any due process. Compare the conditions in that horrible propaganda video with Kristi Noem to Nazi concentration camps when liberated. Seriously, we have become that! Attacks on the judiciary and legal profession along with threats to defund federal courts that rule against the administration. Attacks on educational institutions. Gutting health agencies, threatening social security, breaking relationships with our vital allies, threatening to invade our neighbors. Need I go on?
Let’s be clear here – NO ONE is going to step in and save us. No one. There are no politicians that are going to do it, the judges are trying to uphold the rule of law but have only so much power, there is no rich business savior out there. IT IS UP TO US!!! We do have power, but we must ACT. We must show up. We must speak out. We must show courage. Make sacrifices, move out of our comfort zone, have the guts to take some risks. If we don’t act and act quickly and in large, unified numbers, we will be capitulating to our downfall. Folks: It. Is. Serious.
Americans have had it easy. I’m not saying things have been easy for everyone on an individual basis or that things are perfect. Far from. But we have all grown up with a stable political system and that has given us lives of many privileges that the vast majority of the world population does not enjoy. We take it for granted. We do not, deep down, fathom our privileges being taken away. We don’t like things at times, but eventually things level out and it will be okay. We don’t have to make choices to give up our fun or daily events to serve or participate in civic events. We don’t have to sacrifice. Things will be okay. This is how we think! And we have had the luxury of thinking this way because of: Our stable political system. Well guess what folks: That. Is. Not. A. Given.
All of my friends are wonderful people. The vast majority love to spend time together and participate in their dog sports. Me, too. I get it. We all have plans. There is always a dog event that will conflict with those things we feel we should do, but we’re too busy. I’m sure many are not comfortable being part of a chanting crowd carrying signs. Me, either. I get it. Consider this: One day of sacrificing dog event entries is a very small price to pay for preserving the very system that allows us to partake in them in the first place. Family plans can be changed, etc. We cannot leave it up to ‘someone else’ to step to the plate. Just. Do. It.
I would still love to plan car pools. I’d REALLY love to not go alone. If you can’t get to a state capitol, go to a local event. Search Handsoff2025 to find local events. If you can’t walk that far, rent a wheelchair and I’d be more than glad to push you. Please. It. Is. Up. To. US!!! And no one else.
Check out our updated list of Iowa events for Saturday, April 5th national call to action.
ICYMI – this live mass call for mobilization happened on Tuesday, April 1, to make sense of the Trump administration’s unprecedented power grab, efforts to remove constitutional limits to its power, and what we can do to confront it on April 5 and beyond. This event is being organized by MoveOn, Public Citizen, and Stand Up America, and the Not Above the Law Coalition in support of the Hands Off day of action and future actions.
This event was A-MA-ZING. An incredible amount of fired up energy for fighting back against oligarchy and taking on Trump and Elon. It went on for almost two hours so it may be too long to just sit and watch. I took my device to the kitchen and had it on while I was doing other stuff.
Tim Walz had me at invoking the name of Howard Dean (!) giving him a nod for his commitment to the fifty-state strategy from when he was DNC chair. Beto O’Rourke was his usual high energy self. Together they were a dynamic duo. Tim stayed after offering selfies for anyone who wanted one. There were thoughtful questions from the audience and great answers mostly from Walz who appears to have a special talent for skillful re-framing and good short retorts. There were young people there and a diverse crowd.
Watching the American people rise up bolsters my spirits and gives me hope, a feeling that can be in short supply lately.
I hope you can watch and remember this Saturday, April 5th is the national #handsoff day of action. There will be a massive march on DC and rallies at state capitols as well as other cities and towns. There are fifteen events scheduled around Iowa. Check our event list for Iowahere.
From the On Tyranny series by Timothy Snyder, Lesson #19 of twenty. Check here for a lesson every Monday or you can find them on YouTube. They are all short videos, no ads.
In his explanation of this lesson he discusses the critical difference between what it means to be a patriot vs a nationalist in terms of values.
“Be a patriot. Set a good example of what America means for the generations to come. They will need it”
Meanwhile, many are disappointed to learn this week that Timothy Snyder is relocating to Canada. Few details are available. Here is the best information I was able to find at this time.
Governor Kim Keynolds: (515) 281-5211 U.S. Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121 Iowa Members of Congress - Rep. Randy Feenstra (R) - Rep. Ashley Hinson (R) - Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R) - Rep. Zach Nunn (R) Iowa US Senators - Senator Joni Ernst (R) - Senator Charles Grassley (R)
From the On Tyranny series by 
Blog For Iowa 