Called Senator Gillibrand's office again today to tell her to stop voting for Trump's nominees, and for the first time, the staffer who answered said they had been authorized to read a statement from Gillibrand...
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...in that statement, Gillibrand said she shared our concerns and would vote against "unqualified" nominees & those that don't pledge to uphold the law. I thanked the staffer for that, but said the statement was still entirely inadequate - because she's apparently taking the word of these nominees.
That’s awful. Clearly she’s trying to protect upstate votes. We are so over Dems (and Rs) more interested in protecting their jobs than standing up for the American people.
They are letting our country slip through their fingers while trying to maintain "normalcy" & pretending that business should go on as usual. That approach is what brought us to this moment. The Republicans know they have no real opposition & will do as they please.
No D senator should BELIEVE a Trump nominee who says they're going to uphold the law in 2025. Absolutely ridiculous. I again said that Gillibrand should vote against EVERY SINGLE Trump nominee. Please feel free to call her yourself, New Yorkers. https://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/contact/ #DidThisToday
The good thing: Gillibrand's getting enough calls that she had to put out a statement. Keep the pressure on, New Yorkers. They're feeling it. https://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/contact/
I called today and Friday and left voicemails. I was a staffer taking phone calls at Schumer’s Binghamton field office in 2005 - wildly different time.
A sort of litmus test about whether nominees are going to do illegal or incompetent things in the future is if they think, in the past, Trump won the 2020 election. Quick question, and you have your answer - vote no to liars.
She put out a statement? Where? I've been calling her a LOT asking her to make a statement about Musk and yelling at her for voting for some of trump's cabinet nominees. I hope people will keep on calling.
BTW, I do not hold back in saying exactly what I think when I call - but I ALWAYS thank the staffer answering the phone - and I frequently say things like "I really appreciate YOU for taking this call - it's your BOSS who's failing both of us."
The young D staffers who answer the phones often AGREE with us when we call. They can't SAY that, but I try to treat them like allies and ask them to use whatever influence they have to get their terrible bosses to listen. Yes, I THANK them for doing a hard job - and I ask them to help us all.
So far in my daily calls to senators, I’ve spoken to exactly *one* person live. That was the Capitol switchboard operator. Still leaving voicemail for my senators, because I’ve yet to get through to a real live person.
Yep I do the same & the amount of deep sighs, nervous laughter etc I get from them tells me they 💯 know when it’s BS on their boss’s end of things (& are probably POd too). Tho calling my congress rep is a delight, since usually it’s another “thank you” & we’re all happy on those calls.
Have you been able to get a person at Schumer's DC office? Their voicemail is closed outside of office hours and even in the middle of the day it goes to voicemail.
Good. Also showing up in their office matters more, esp in groups. Photograph and post your activities. The staff will say not to show up bc they don’t want to deal with it and the disruption but it’s important to show a physical presence, even better if you get media attention.
IIRC Gillibrand was the only (or one of a very small number) D senator to vote no on all of Trump’s nominees in 2017. So this statement is extra double stupid coming from her
Ah shit my bad I got this a bit wrong. She did vote yes on 2 of Trump’s 2017 nominees per Ballotpedia. However, that’s still a higher no percentage than any other D senator at the time, including Sanders and Warren
@cantwell.senate.gov's aides said she voted for Bessent because he gave her "assurances" (mere days later, he gave Musk's minions the keys). Ditto for Duffy--he gave her "assurances" too.
If any of them take such assurances ever again from these people, I don't know what to say.
If I had a snowball's chance in hell I'd run against her myself, but I swear too much and would go out of my mind. Plus, that's too far away, so she's gotta rise to the occasion!
I got the same kind of nothingburger response from Fetterman's office last week about "qualified" nominees, before he eventually came out and said he was a "no" on RFK
It's like they're afraid to actually say NO out loud, so they can waffle on it & go back. Everyone waiting for someone to be brave
I got this email at 6 am today & replied & left a VM blasting her for this not being a clear explanation of is she voting “no” or not?!! Who or what $ got to her (I have thoughts) for her to cave on NYers like this?!
Look, do we have to make a checklist manifesto for dems, and get people to agree to NOT fund these politicians unless they agree to simple terms like not voting for Trump appointees /enabling this administration?
Some sort of clause enabling all funding to go to challengers who do agree...
Indeed. And stop pretending these people are well qualified for their nominations! None of them is qualified! Many have zero actual field expertise! They are loyal apparatchiks being nominated specifically for a willingness to bend and break the law to benefit Trump.
So stymying why any one of these eminently unqualified people is being given due credit when in normal years they wouldn't even make it to the mic at congress. Half the Dems live on another planet, and ours still think the upstate quotient with Brandon flags on their homes will ever vote for them.
Franken knew how to work this information environment. His messages would be getting through. I'm not saying he wasn't skeezy and didn't deserve to lose his seat from an objective standpoint, but when you look at the whole picture and where we are now, we're worse off without him.
The fact that she tried to run her presidential campaign on the "I'm the woman who cares most about morals" platform, to have this statement is just sickening.
but they tally up and ACT on daily phone call issue list. emails are only logged. do both if you must, but CALLING is the most effective (unless you can visit in person, then do that).
Why doesn’t Gillibrand drop the anvil on those threatening senators’ or their families’ lives? She can’t just “mention” it and let it go at that!! I can see why Cassidy wouldn’t do it (all Rs kowtow), but Ds have to know this isn’t going to work out well for ANYBODY.
Obstruct. Obstruct. Obstruct. That’s the only tactic as far as I can see. You cannot make common cause with fascists. They lie. They cheat. Not because they’re hypocrites. But because they’re fascists.
Re-election? Madness. If every single D senator who voted for even one T nominee (note the votes on Rubio) doesn’t get primaried for it, the party will never change.
Gillibrand thought that taking a photo on a comedy tour where you're PRETENDING to squeeze a woman's boobs merited forced resignation from Congress, yet she won't take a strong stand against Trump.
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if I’m getting my social security check no answer just a standard answer back
I’m pretty sure Al Franken would have answered the phone though.
"yes"
"Okay, phew, good enough for me"
https://bsky.app/profile/gregpak.net/post/3lhtnetrpgk2z
Great
No idea why she thinks cooperation is going to get her anything.
If any of them take such assurances ever again from these people, I don't know what to say.
Is Cantwell dismayed? Disturbed? Disappointed?
Everyone complained.
It's like they're afraid to actually say NO out loud, so they can waffle on it & go back. Everyone waiting for someone to be brave
Some sort of clause enabling all funding to go to challengers who do agree...
At this point, they're just marks that have no pattern recognition, or they're in on the grift and know them and theirs will be fine.
ambition kills brain cells, and, given enough rope, constituents
but I am unreliable because I also have questions about the Missouri plan crash of Carnahan and Wellstone's later
i think we underestimated GOP's lawlessness
Emails are kept as government records. Phone calls are not.
I worry that it'll become reality because Dems are still trying to play a procedural game against a procedure-breaking coup.
Today I asked my Rep. to do a daily bulletin of how the Musk regime’s antics are hurting constituents.
Interesting.