Did Democracy Die Today?

Remember March 13, 2025. It could be the day we gave it all away.

My wife and I had a lovely evening with my mother tonight.

I turned off the news, turned on some music, and we had a few drinks and some sliders we brought over. My dad died last fall, and we’re all coming to grips with that, but I think the three of us are getting though it as best we can without the fourth.

We are a very political family, but the only time it was touched upon was me asking my mother to mute that asshole when I heard Trump and turned on the music.

Ferry Cross the Mercy by Gerry and the Pacemakers, 1965.

And like I said, a great evening, maybe past the pain enough to, I don’t know how to describe it, just a bit of a nice turning point.

I say this not searching for sympathy. Everyone dies and everyone goes through the aftermath. No one is immune. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t try to make the best of it.

Five minute drive home and what a fucking gut punch it was when I saw the TV chyron on the muted TV.

Schumer caves.

It didn’t say that, but that’s what it was.

After going from just great I went on an 11+ rant as we watched the limited coverage of how important this is. Amy was going to work, but went to bed. I was going to get a handle on this week’s newsletter, but here I am.

I managed to hone my anger to this on BlueSky:

But, it’s so much more than that.

I simply can’t believe this.

I could go through all the politically dumb reason why any Senate Democrat would do this for their own re-election. I ran a congressional campaign. I was a novice, it was a long-shot, but I could read numbers. I know that that the population in Michigan’s Thumb is a mirror to any exurb of Atlanta or Denver or Charleston.

It’s a FUNDAMENTAL misunderstanding of the electorate based on an inside-the-beltway take — which is IN ITSELF — a misreading of every election of the last 30 years.

Bottom line: MAGA will never vote for you. But you will LOSE the Democratic Party base. And no one is getting off the couch for mid.

But, that’s not even the point.

This isn’t about elections.

It is far, far bigger than that.

Listen, I am not an absolutist, or purist. I’m a political realist. But this is unreal.

My idea going into 2026 was to give a wide berth to Democrats in conservative districts, forget lost districts and put all PEOPLE POWER in adjacent districts where there was a chance to win. ANYTHING to take the house back and go from there.

I take that all back. I simply don’t know any more.

I am seriously shaken to my core that this is happening given that the threat we face is NOT at all abstract.

In fact, this bill ENCOURAGES it.

This will literally NEGATE (at least) half the cases currently in the courts. This is a GREEN LIGHT to Dictatorship.

This CR (Continuing Resolution) literally wipes away the power of one of our three branches of government.

Regardless of ideology: THINK ABOUT THAT!

I really thought the Project 25 folks were going to ultimately ignore the courts and create a Constitutional crisis.

But, why do that when the door is left wide open…

Maybe Jon Ossaff or Mark Warner or Fetterman will do the right thing.

If they don’t, this might be a significant day in the death of our Democracy.