SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
shannon watts
Organizers Report Longtime 'Loyal' Dem Voters Fed Up With Party's Inaction as Trump 2.0 Takes Hold
Leaders of the grassroots group Indivisible said voters are eager to beat the Trump agenda, and called on Democratic leaders to act as a true opposition party.
Jan 27, 2025
A week into Republican U.S. President Donald Trump's second term in the White House, high-profile advocates with close ties to the Democratic Party expressed frustration at congressional Democrats' response to the slew of unconstitutional, xenophobic, and bigoted executive actions already unleashed by Trump.
"Democrats in Congress: WHAT IS THE PLAN?" Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action, demanded to know on Monday.
Watts cited Trump's purge of at least 12 inspectors general at federal agencies on Friday—an action that was met with outrage from Democratic lawmakers including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), but little in the way of specific action from party leaders.
"There's no sit-in? No filibuster? No direction to voters? And in fact, some of you are actually voting for Trump's agenda?" asked Watts, an apparent reference to Democrats such as Sens. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), who voted in favor of some of the president's Cabinet nominees and the anti-immigration Laken Riley Act, the first bill to be sent to Trump's desk, last week.
Watts suggested in a series of posts on the social media platform X that she has typically been aligned with the Democratic establishment, calling herself a "loyal 'normie Dem.'"
Leah Greenberg, a former Democratic congressional staffer who co-founded the grassroots advocacy group Indivisible, said the group's members across the country are sharing the same "exact sentiment" as Watts.
In addition to Trump's mass firing of officials tasked with overseeing federal agencies, the president in the week pardoned more than 1,500 people who were convicted or charged in the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021; launched an immigration enforcement crackdown in Chicago; and issued an executive order revoking birthright citizenship—an action that was swiftly blocked by a federal judge who said the order with "blatantly unconstitutional."
As Common Dreamsreported last week, Democrats' refusal to aggressively stand against the GOP, which now controls both chambers of Congress as well as the White House, has frustrated progressive lawmakers including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).
Last week she told Jon Stewart on his podcast, "The Weekly Show," that the entire Democratic Party must differentiate itself from the GOP by becoming unapologetic "brawlers for the working class"—but suggested that with many Democrats taking donations from corporate lobbyists and the ultrarich and trading stocks in numerous industries, it's the party must make major changes to remake itself as one that fights for working people, many of whom swung to the right in the November elections.
Watts highlighted Ocasio-Cortez's speech on the House floor last week when she opposed the Laken Riley Act—a bill that would require immigration officers to detain undocumented immigrants who are accused of theft, including shoplifting, and allow state attorneys general to file legal challenges to detain specific immigrants—as "the energy we need."
In her speech, the congresswoman pointed to members of Congress who take donations from the private prison companies that will inevitably be "flooded with money" as the federal government looks to detain undocumented immigrants swept up in raids.
The Laken Riley Act passed in the House with the support of 46 Democrats who joined the GOP, and in the Senate with 12 Democrats joining the Republicans.
As the bill headed to Trump's desk, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Sunday garnered scorn by wrapping up the president's first week in office with a message one critic likened to "thoughts and prayers."
"This is what the Democrats have after a week of historic racism, homophobia, illegality, and fascism by the Trump regime," said civil rights attorney Scott Hechinger. "Here's the leader of the opposition party just leaving it to God."
Watts, Greenberg, and Ezra Levin, who also co-founded Indivisible, called on voters to put pressure on their representatives to act as a true opposition party and, as Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memowrote last week, "focus in on making [Republicans'] unpopular actions as painful as possible" for the GOP.
As an example, Marshall warned that Democrats are attempting to "court" Republicans who could vote against Trump's nominees by tempering their criticism of the potential Cabinet members.
"Far from courting potential defectors, they should be attacking them," Marshall wrote. "The criticisms of the bad nominees should be as intense as possible and all focused on the support of these senators. No one does you a favor in these settings for being nice: Senators defect when they think they may pay a price at the ballot box. That is the only way to have messaging that takes the initiative and stays on the attack. If things get too hot and the senator pulls their support, great. If not, that just lays the groundwork for beating that senator in the next election."
"The job of the opposition is quite literally to oppose," he added. "Get to it."
Greenberg emphasized Monday that calling Democratic lawmakers and demanding that they stop "cowering in terror from Trump" will make a difference.
For folks who say, "Why should I even bother calling my Democratic Senator? They'll vote the right way..." I need you to understand that when Dem electeds try to justify why they're cowering in terror from Trump right now, the VERY FIRST THING THEY CITE is: "no one's calling my office"
— Leah Greenberg (@leahgreenberg.bsky.social) January 27, 2025 at 3:02 AM
"It would be really cool if we had a party of principled and authentic leaders capable of acting like an opposition party without us constantly yelling at them," said Greenberg. "We do not have that right now! So we need to keep yelling at them!"
Levin reported that, contrary to claims by the corporate media, voters across the country are eager to fight the Trump agenda, and to demand that Democratic lawmakers join them.
Chicago clearly will not be silent under this new administration. Felt serious get-sh!t-done vibes at our @indivisiblechicago.bsky.social event this weekend plus a hefty dose of inspiration.
[image or embed]
— Indivisible Lincoln Square (@indivisiblels.bsky.social) January 26, 2025 at 11:32 PM
"At the Chicago Indivisible meeting I joined yesterday, they filled the theater and an overflow room," said Levin. "In North Carolina where Leah Greenberg was yesterday, it was standing room only. We've had ~250 *new* Indivisible groups form since the election, and leaders report surging membership."
Keep ReadingShow Less
'Major Victory': NY Jury Finds Wayne LaPierre Liable in NRA Corruption Case
"The NRA has lost its leader, its power, and its wealth," said one campaigner. "Today's trial verdict is one more nail in the NRA's political coffin."
Feb 23, 2024
Democratic New York Attorney General Letitia James and gun control advocates nationwide celebrated on Friday after a Manhattan jury found the National Rifle Association and the NRA's longtime former leader liable in a civil corruption case.
James, who launched the case in 2020, said on social media that "in a major victory, my office won our case against the NRA and its senior leadership for years of corruption and greed. Wayne LaPierre and a senior executive at the NRA must pay $6.35 million for abusing the system and breaking our laws."
After over three decades as the NRA's CEO, LaPierre stepped down in January. The 74-year-old cited health reasons but his resignation from the powerful gun lobbying group came just before the trial began, sparking speculation that he was trying to dodge accountability.
"For years, Wayne LaPierre used charitable dollars to fund his lavish lifestyle. LaPierre spent millions on luxury travel, private planes, expensive clothes, insider contracts, and other perks for himself and his family," James said Friday. "Wayne LaPierre blatantly abused his position and broke the law. But today, LaPierre and the NRA are finally being held accountable for this rampant corruption and self-dealing."
"In New York, you cannot get away with corruption and greed, no matter how powerful or influential you think you may be," she added. "Everyone, even the NRA and Wayne LaPierre, must play by the same rules."
The jury found LaPierre liable for $5.4 million but, because he already repaid some of it, he has to give the group $4.35 million. However, he's not the only executive involved in the case. Jurors also found that NRA general counsel John Frazer must pay $2 million, and former treasurer Wilson "Woody" Phillips violated his official duties. James wants the trio banned from serving in any leadership roles for charities that do business in the state—which will be decided by a judge.
"Jurors also found that the NRA omitted or misrepresented information in its tax filings and violated New York law by failing to adopt a whistleblower policy," according toThe Associated Press. The AP noted that "another former NRA executive turned whistleblower, Joshua Powell, settled with the state last month, agreeing to testify at the trial, pay the NRA $100,000, and forgo further involvement with nonprofits."
Welcoming the jury's decisions, Nick Suplina, senior vice president of law and policy at Everytown for Gun Safety, said in a statement that "we're two months into 2024 and the NRA has already managed to lose this trial, their longtime leader, and whatever political relevance it had left."
"This verdict," he added, "confirms what we've seen in recent elections, in state legislatures, and in the halls of Congress: The gun lobby has never been weaker and the gun safety movement has never been stronger."
Keep ReadingShow Less
In 'Send-a-Message Verdict,' Jury Finds School Shooter's Mother Guilty
"When adult gun owners allow children unsupervised access to unsecured weapons, it's criminal negligence—not an accident."
Feb 06, 2024
Gun control advocates and at least one victim's father on Tuesday welcomed the landmark guilty verdict in the case of Jennifer Crumbley, whose teenage son Ethan Crumbley murdered four Michigan high school students and wounded seven other people in a 2021 shooting.
"Today's verdict underscores the important responsibility of parents and gun owners in preventing children from having unsupervised access to deadly weapons," said Nick Suplina, senior vice president of law and policy at Everytown for Gun Safety.
"Plain and simple, the deadly shooting at Oxford High School in 2021 should have—and could have—been prevented had the Crumbleys not acquired a gun for their 15-year-old son," he continued. "This decision is an important step forward in ensuring accountability and, hopefully, preventing future tragedies."
A Michigan jury found the mother guilty of four counts of involuntary manslaughter, one for each person killed. Each count has a maximum sentence of 15 years, meaning she faces up to 60 years behind bars. Sentencing is scheduled for April 9.
Her husband, James Crumbley, is set to go to trial next month for the same manslaughter charges. Their son, who is now 17, previously pleaded guilty to murder and terrorism charges and is serving life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Jennifer and James Crumbley are the first U.S. parents to be tried on manslaughter charges for their child's mass shooting. They not only bought their son a pistol but are accused of failing to keep it secured and ignoring his mental health struggles. On the stand, Jennifer Crumbley did not deny that her son had told "his only friend" that he asked her for help and she laughed at him.
As The Associated Pressreported Tuesday:
On the morning of November 30, 2021, school staff members were concerned about a violent drawing of a gun, bullet, and wounded man, accompanied by desperate phrases, on Ethan Crumbley's math assignment. His parents were called to the school for a meeting, but they didn't take the boy home.
A few hours later, Ethan Crumbley pulled a handgun from his backpack and shot 10 students and a teacher. No one had checked the backpack.
According to the AP, "The words with the disturbing drawing said: 'The thoughts won't stop. Help me. The world is dead. My life is useless.'"
Ethan Crumbley murdered Madisyn Baldwin, 17; Tate Myre, 16; Justin Shilling, 17; and Hana St. Juliana, 14. Justin Shilling's father, Craig Shilling, on Tuesday welcomed the verdict outside the courtroom and framed the verdict as a signal to all parents.
"We have been asking for accountability across the board, and this is one step towards that," he told NBC News. "I feel that moving forward is not going to be any easier because of what we left behind, but it gives us hope for a brighter future."
"Do your due diligence with your child," he said to parents. "You cannot choose to take your own interest over your child, especially when it comes to mental health."
While Tuesday's "send-a-message verdict" is a first, there have been other cases involving parents. As Mother Jonesdetailed:
Jennifer Crumbley's conviction comes as America's mass shooting epidemic tests new legal terrain in several cases. In November, the father of the Highland Park mass shooter pleaded guilty to misdemeanor reckless conduct for his role in helping his troubled son submit an application to buy firearms. In December, the mother of a 6-year-old boy who shot his first grade teacher at a Virginia elementary school pleaded guilty to felony child neglect and was sentenced to two years in prison.
To some extent, the prosecutions of the Crumbley parents have eclipsed unanswered questions about the role and possible culpability of the Oxford school district. An independent investigation, long delayed, eventually found that the district failed to follow its own threat assessment policy. (As I reported previously, one egregious error was the failure by school officials to inquire proactively about access to guns once they grew alarmed about the perpetrator's behavior and state of mind.)
Prevention policies generally remain underemphasized and underfunded when it comes to reducing school shootings, even as threat assessment becomes more widely used in public schools.
"The horrific deadly shooting at Oxford High School in 2021 was preventable, and today's verdict sets important precedent moving forward that we hope leads to greater accountability and responsibility for parents and gun owners alike," said NextGen America vice president of communications Antonio Arellano in a statement.
"More than anything, this verdict proves our urgent need for better and stronger gun control policy," he asserted. "The Crumbleys should never have been able to acquire a gun for their 15-year-old son. The time for commonsense gun policies is now, and it starts with Congress taking decisive action to implement an assault weapon ban through legislative action."
Keep ReadingShow Less
Most Popular