Cat Fight! Trumpsters And, We Hope, The Democrats

By Hubie and Bertie

If you've been frustrated with the lack of a coherent Democratic pushback against Benedict Donald and Project 2025, you're not alone. This week, Democratic governors told Chuck Schumer to get tougher. We agree. It's incomprehensible that our side can't seem to speak uniformly like the Republicans have done for years.

In fact, opposition to Trump has been pretty muted. We're all trying (in cat parlance) to land on our feet. But in the last day, maybe we're finally finding our voices and putting on some pressure. It's amazing what bottom-of-the-barrel behavior from Benedict Donald over Wednesday night's plane crash can accomplish. Here's a sampling.

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg: "Despicable. As families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying.

"We put safety first, drove down close calls, grew Air Traffic Control, and had zero commercial airline crash fatalities out of millions of flights on our watch. President Trump now oversees the military and the FAA. One of his first acts was to fire and suspend some of the key personnel who helped keep our skies safe. Time for the President to show actual leadership and explain what he will do to prevent this from happening again."

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: "I represent LaGuardia Airport as well as workers for JFK. Trump gutted the Aviation Safety Committee last week. Air traffic controllers, already understaffed, got Trump's 'buyout' this week with a one-week ultimatum to decide. It's not DEI — it's him. And Elon, too."

Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett: "This is truly like a real-life bad episode of The Apprentice, but honestly, he is the first one who should be fired. It is clear that he has no idea of how to do the job of President competently. I expect that his entire tenure will go something like this when things go bad: 'Biden, Biden, Biden, Obama, Biden, DEI, DEI, DEI, trans, immigrant, repeat.'"

Senator Tammy Duckworth: "Victims are still in the water. The Black Hawk crew is still strapped into the cockpit. Families are mourning. And Trump is blaming DEI, suggesting our pilots and air traffic controllers don't deserve their jobs. We need compassion and leadership. Our President showed none." We cats PURR.

Janey Godley Was Right

Reporter: Will you visit the site of the plane crash?

Trump: What’s the site? The water? You want me to go swimming?

Tidbits And Cat Treats: Trump's First Plane Crash Edition

By Miss Kubelik

More than 40 years after an Air Florida jet crashed into a cold and icy Potomac River, an American Airlines flight has done the same, this time after colliding with an Army helicopter.

Is it a coincidence that this disaster happened just nine days after Benedict Donald started messing with the FAA's personnel initiatives and freezing its hiring? (As we know, air traffic controllers work for the federal government.) Or is it Pete Hegseth's fault, since it looks like it was the Black Hawk that hit the plane, and not vice versa? Democrats should demand answers — over and over and over. The Republicans certainly would if we were still in charge.

Meanwhile, we've been offline for a bit, but we have a few thoughts.

From the Justice Denied files: Wow, former Senator Bob Menendez was sentenced to 11 years in prison yesterday (while Benedict Donald gets nothing for his many crimes). We'd be more outraged if Bob hadn't toddled out to reporters immediately after court and whined about political witch hunts — clearly wheedling for a pardon. Screw him. It was Joe Biden's DOJ that prosecuted him. And we have no sympathy for any Democrat who starts a sentence with "President Trump is right."

Gosh! It's just dawned on us that if Benedict Donald follows through and imposes tariffs on Mexico on February 1, the price of guacamole will skyrocket — just in time for the Super Bowl. Oh, well!

Our favorite Substacker Benjamin Dreyer offers some good advice on perspective, which is one way to cope with these epically awful Trumpy days. If someone asks you how you're doing, just say, "As far as the things over which I can exert any sort of actual control, I'm fine."

Finally, happy 143rd birthday to Franklin D. Roosevelt, who provides us with our idée du jour: "The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much. It is whether we provide enough for those who have too little." We cats PURR.

Loyal Democrat Turns 100

And a very happy centenary to the best Brick, Butch, and Mr. Bridge — as well as the choicest Chance, the dreamiest Dunlop, the greatest Galvin, and the most fabulous Feldon. (Not to mention the hottest Hud and Harper.) He even saves The Towering Inferno at the end: "I don't know. Maybe they ought to leave it the way it is. Kind of a shrine to all the bullshit in the world." That's pretty much our mood these days. Thanks for all of it, Paul — you were the cat's meow. We cats PURR.

US Air Force Capitulates, Erases Tuskeegee Airmen And WASPs From Training Courses

"Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history. We of this Congress and this administration will be remembered in spite of ourselves. No personal significance, or insignificance, can spare one or another of us. The fiery trial through which we pass will light us down in honor or dishonor to the latest generation...We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope on earth."

—Abraham Lincoln, December 1862

(UPDATE: The Air Force is now insisting that the course material has not been pulled, just "revised." We shudder to think what that means. We cats will keep an eye out for more on this. Meanwhile, we HISS.)

Who's Vulnerable Now?

By Zamboni

The return of Benedict Donald isn't just giving us pro-democracy Americans heartburn. Canadians, for example, are flipping out about tariffs (even though we cats think we'll believe it when we see it). Still, elected officials up there have to prepare for any crazy eventuality. Unfortunately, that's how Trump operates. 

But as we know, unlike the tariff threats, the Trumpsters' cruel attacks on the most vulnerable among us have already begun. Which makes some Canadians wonder: Can they even contemplate a visit to the US?

"My child's gender is recognized as 'Other' on their passport, reflecting their nonbinary identity," a Quebec mom writes in The Montreal Gazette. "I am left wondering how safe it is to bring my child to the United States. How will we be treated when a document that legally affirms their identity clashes with the views of the nation’s highest office? What happens when we cross a border into a country where the President publicly invalidates the existence of nonbinary and transgender people?"

The Republicans' obsession with trans folks is mind-boggling to everyone, particularly in Canada, where open-mindedness remains the law of the land and only a tiny fraction of the population is nonbinary. But the political situation in the True North is not promising. After nine years, the Trudeau government is down in the polls, and an unappealing Conservative leader who despises many of same people Trump does is poised to take power.*

Gosh, the Trumpsters are such hypocrites. They say they worry about trans "men" committing sexual assault in public restrooms, something they still haven't proven is a problem. They say they are outraged, and that all they want to do is protect women. (Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina is a prominent example of this.) But they couldn't care less about women's safety or about abuse or intimidation of them. Latest case in point: An aide to Speaker Mike Johnson counseled against subpoenaing Cassidy Hutchinson for a "new" GOP investigation of January 6, because sexually explicit messages to Hutchinson from Republican members of Congress could potentially come to light.

Barf. You know that Matt Gaetz had to have been one of those members. But who says it was only men? Nancy Mace is such an off-the-wall nutcase that we wouldn't put it past her. We cats HISS.

*NOTE: We'll see if Pierre Poilievre's revolting persona ends up catching up with him. He also has to be worried that Trump's return has reminded Canadians of all the things about him they dislike. And the Liberal leadership race includes a formidable candidate, Mark Carney, who seems to make the Tories very, very nervous. We cats HOPE.

Matthew 25:35

This was a truly epic shaming of Benedict Donald and his accomplices — and you can tell by the expressions on their faces that they knew it. Thank you, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, for the soft answer that (we hope) may turneth away wrath. We cats PURR.

The Gulf Between What They Say They'll Do And What They Actually Can Do

By Baxter

It's only been one day — but are you already feeling under siege by the ever-minacious Benedict Donald and his fascist thugs? Are you anxious, even though none of his Executive Orders currently directly affect you? Do you find yourself wondering how early you can decently take an Ambien to get through the night? You're not alone.

We cats share your outrage, but we refuse to indulge ourselves in it. See, that's what they want. Autocrats like Trump would like nothing better than to know that you're spending precious time and energy fretting about them. Don't give them the satisfaction.

There's no doubt that these are not welcome days. But so much of what Benedict Donald did yesterday was performative nonsense. Many of his Executive Orders are unenforceable. Others are already being legally challenged. Some will never occur.

Our best advice right now is: Let's not let them yank our chain. It's going to be a long four years — and even though it's less than two years to the 2026 midterms, we still have to pace ourselves. In the end, truth will prevail. We just have to keep working at it. We cats PURR.

Brush Up Your Vocabulary

Nefandous (nuh-FAN-duhs): So wicked as to defy description: abominable, appalling. From Latin nefanus (wicked), from ne- (not) + fandus (to be spoken), gerundive (verbal adjective) of fari (to speak). Earliest documented use: 1649. Suddenly back in vogue: 2025.

Goodbye For Now

Dear Joe and Kamala,

Just a quick note on your last day in office to tell you thanks for everything: the soft landing, the Inflation Reduction Act, infrastructure, $35 insulin, the booming stock market, student debt relief, clean energy, standing strong for democracy, renewed respect around the world, the politics of joy, Ketanji Brown Jackson, and, yes, all those judges. History will look back on you with great favor — we already do. With love from your PURRing Democratic cats.

"There's No Such Thing As Bad Weather, Just Bad Clothing"

By Sniffles

When we cats were kittens, we worked for an event planning firm in DC with a client that held a major event in the Capitol Rotunda. Now, the Rotunda is a lovely space. But it's not large — at least, not enough to have seated this particular client's retinue of major donors and supporters. Lots of people couldn't get in, so while the event was an overall success, behind the scenes it was a logistical nightmare.

This is what the Trumpsters must be going through right now, since Benedict Donald announced that Monday's cold weather forecast has forced his swearing-in indoors. Gee, that's too bad. Other thoughts:

On Inauguration Day 1961, the temperature in Washington was also in the low 20s. On top of that, the city had been walloped by a record snowstorm, and we all know how well DC copes with that. Nevertheless, people bundled up, the ceremony took place on the Capitol steps as usual, and John F. Kennedy spoke without a coat.

Before today's relocation, we couldn't read the weather forecast — which included wind gusts up to 30 mph — without wondering what Benedict Donald was going to do about his fake hair.

This is only partly about the weather. Social media accounts are reporting that DC has been dead as doornails, so nobody was expecting a lot of folks to show up anyway. (In 2009, when Barack Obama was sworn in, there were pre-inaugural parties in Washington for weeks.) The prospect of miles of empty folding chairs terrifies Trump.

It's delicious to think that, of the MAGAts who do flow in, many now will have rearranged their schedules, booked flights and hotels, and spent lots of money to see — nothing. We cats PURR.

(IMAGE: Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota nails it.)

The Art Of The Cut

By Hubie and Bertie

Why did Michelle Obama not attend the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter? Why is she skipping the inauguration on Monday?

To anyone clutching their pearls about this, the answer is obvious. She wants nothing to do with Donald Trump.

At the Carter event, she would have had to sit next to him. That's how it works, folks: The current President and Vice President sit in the front row. Former Presidents sit in the next row, in order: The most recent POTUS and spouse, then the next-most-recent POTUS and spouse, and the next-next-most-recent, and on and on. There would have been nothing Michelle could have done about this, so she bowed out.

(And of course she's refusing to sit through another travesty of a swearing-in. She doesn't have to attend. In fact, we wish that other members of the former POTUS club would join her, but they won't.)

Michelle is not alone, though. Lots of tongues wagged about Vice President Harris's apparent snub of Trump at the Carter service. Later, the Vice President's Twitter account posted a photo from the funeral that omitted Benedict Donald and Moose & Squirrel, which got people riled up even further. (The Carter Center posted the same photo, by the way — like Harris, with a completely straight face.) And now we've learned that Harris will not invite JD Vance and his wife to the Naval Observatory for a courtesy visit.

Why should she? Vance called her "trash" on the campaign trail. And if we're keeping score, the Pences broke protocol first, snubbing Harris and Doug Emhoff during the last transition. (BTW, Karen Pence cold-shouldered Donald at the Carter funeral, too, and more brutally than Vice President Harris did.)

Michelle and Kamala are not only expressing their disdain. As Black women frequently have to do, they're showing us all how to handle ourselves going forward. In the words of one of our favorite social media mavens, "Michelle Obama is instinctively on the right track for how you politically approach Trump in term two. You largely ignore him, and go about your business. You deny his people what they actually want from you — your anger and frustration." We cats agree, and we PURR.

(IMAGE: Michelle on January 20, 2017, being all of us.)

Rubin Leaves WaPo Twisting Slowly In The Wind

By Miss Kubelik

Back in the day, there was no Beltway pundit we laughed at harder than Jennifer Rubin at The Washington Post. Now, thanks to Benedict Donald, she's on our side. If you had told us 15 or 20 years ago that this would happen, we would have said you were nuts.

And that's not all — today, Jennifer Rubin and the Post are no more. When the paper spiked the above cartoon by Ann Telnaes, it was the last straw for Our Jen. Like Telnaes, she's left Bezos World. 

Wasting no time starting her post-Post life, Rubin has joined former White House ethics czar Norm Eisen to create a new media platform, The Contrarian. Contributors to The Contrarian will include folks you'll recognize, like George Conway, Jonathan Alter, Joyce Vance, Sherrilyn Ifill, and Olivia Julianna, that young star from Texas who taught Matt Gaetz a thing or two about fat shaming.

"Corporate and billionaire owners of major media outlets have betrayed their audiences' loyalty and sabotaged journalism's sacred mission — defending, protecting and advancing democracy," Rubin said. "The Washington Post’s billionaire owner and enlisted management are among the offenders. They have undercut the values central to the Post's mission and that of all journalism: integrity, courage, and independence. I cannot justify remaining at the Post."

Amen, JR! Our canceled digital subscription to WaPo runs out soon, and now we don't have to worry about missing her. We cats PURR.

Best Friends: Simply The Best.

By Zamboni 

Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah, is hard at work rescuing pets from the fires in Los Angeles and to help free up space in local animal shelters there. Caravans of cats (and dogs) have arrived at the sanctuary, where they will stay until it's safe to go home.

"Yesterday’s transport flight was a resounding success, bringing 58 cats and 26 dogs from Los Angeles to Kanab," Best Friends said in a statement. "Today, we’re pulling in dozens more animals from Pasadena Humane Society and LA Animal Services so they have room to provide a safe place to hold pets displaced by the fires.

"Additionally, more than 300 people have raised their hands in the last 24 hours to volunteer, many local to California. Some have already started vital cleaning assistance at the Best Friends Pet Adoption Center in Los Angeles, freeing up staff to focus on lifesaving transports."

This is the kind of work Best Friends is known for. They first got our attention back in 2005, when they rescued and re-homed pets after Hurricane Katrina. Sadly, the disasters keep marching on, but as Mr. Rogers said, "Look for the helpers." If you'd like to support Best Friends' efforts on behalf of pets in LA, click here. We cats PURR.

Bon Anniversaire, Jean

"Today is my 91st birthday.

"To Donald Trump, from one old guy to another: I can tell you Canadians prize our independence. We love our country. We have built something here that is the envy of the world — when it comes to compassion, understanding, tolerance, and finding a way for people of different backgrounds and faiths to live together in harmony.

"We've also built a strong social safety net — especially with public healthcare — that we are very proud of. It’s not perfect, but it’s based on the principle that the most vulnerable among us should be protected.

"If you think that threatening and insulting us is going to win us over, you really don't know a thing about us. You don't know that when it came to fighting in two world wars for freedom, we signed up — both times — years before your country did. We fought and we sacrificed well beyond our numbers.

"We also had the guts to say no to your country when it tried to drag us into a completely unjustified and destabilizing war in Iraq.

"We built a nation across the most rugged, challenging geography imaginable. And we did it against the odds. We may look easy-going. Mild mannered. But make no mistake, we have spine and we have toughness.

"Every time that Trump opens his mouth, he creates new allies for all of us. So let’s get organized! To fight back against a big, powerful bully, you need strength in numbers.

"The whole point is not to wait in dread for Donald Trump’s next blow. It’s to build a country and an international community that can withstand those blows.

"I am 91 today and blessed with good health.

"I am ready at the ramparts to help defend the independence of our country as I have done all my life."

—Former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien

The Queue, Carter-Style

"So friends, I ended up in DC last night standing in line for hours into the early morning, waiting to pay my respects to President Jimmy Carter. I was full of mixed emotions. Sadness over where we've been, and where we are going. And yet, after waiting four hours in subzero temperatures (which I do not recommend!) in the middle of the night along with thousands of like-minded people, I felt hope, and uplifted by them.

"I found community. I found people looking out for each other. Talking with each other. Walking with each other. I walked the streets at 3 AM to get to my car without fear, with people looking out for me and me for them. It was overwhelming, and left me with hope.

"There are millions of us. My humble suggestion is to go find them. Be with them. It will help you, it will help them, and I daresay it will help our country. Peace, love and healing to you all."

—@kcarpdiem.bsky.social

De Adder Du Jour

 

Our closest ally has joined the fight against the fires in Los Angeles. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called it a true example of "neighbours helping neighbors." Nicely done, sir — and thank you/merci, Canada. We cats PURR.

(UPDATE, January 10: Sad to report that one of Canada's Water Bombers has been damaged and grounded after being hit by an unauthorized drone yesterday. Unauthorized drone use during a fire is against the law in LA — punishable by up to $75,000 in fines and a year in prison. Find 'em and haul 'em off to the hoosegow! We cats HISS.)

Our Favorite Photo From The Carter Funeral

 No words necessary. We cats PURR.

"Neither Our Fears For Today Nor Our Worries About Tomorrow"

 

Quick observations on today's funeral for President Jimmy Carter:

President Obama obviously had one job this morning — to occupy Benedict Donald so that no one else would have to talk to him.

The Bible reading by Josh Carter seemed like pointed commentary: "The law of the spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God." Hmm.

Could there have been at least one woman eulogizer? Seemed an omission when you consider how many women Carter appointed to government and, especially, to the judiciary during his Presidency.

That said, Jason Carter is a star. He was the best, closely followed by Andrew Young, but every speaker was good. (Dark Brandon, too.)

It was touching to see the Bidens shake hands with Prime Minister Trudeau after the service. But of course Justin was there — the Carters attended his father's funeral in Montreal in 2000. We cats PURR.

Thought For The Day

When Jimmy Carter was President, he installed solar panels on the roof of the White House, to help inspire the nation to move away from fossil fuel energy and to preserve the environment. Ronald Reagan removed them. Now, nearly 40 years later, Reagan's hometown of Pacific Palisades is burning to the ground. We cats HISS.

Those Who Rewrite History Will Doom Us

By Baxter

The right-wing press in Canada (yes, alas, there are a lot of them) is all upset that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in his resignation announcement, said he would prorogue Parliament until March. In other words, Parliament will not be in session, and the Liberal Party will choose a new leader in the meantime. Apparently the Conservatives are vexed, too, and are threatening a court challenge.

Gee! While the Maple MAGAs are screaming about Governor General Mary Roberts agreeing to the prorogue request, something is getting forgotten here — as so often happens in Trumpy worlds.

When he was in power, Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper prorogued Parliament to avoid no-confidence vote and other political embarrassments — four times! You could look it up.

Somebody needs to work up some moxie and fight back against these ahistorical and hysterical reactions. It would also help if someone would point out that the Trudeau government is hardly a failure — which is the other narrative the right wing is pushing. How many elections did he win? Just one short of Harper's prorogue total. We cats HISS.

In The Rotunda

By Sniffles

We cats were glad to see that DC's big snowstorm didn't interfere with any of the funeral events for President Jimmy Carter today. He arrived to lie in state at the US Capitol without incident. We don't know about you, but the riderless horse always gets us. And thank you, Vice President Harris, for your heartfelt remarks. We cats PURR.

(P.S.: President Carter was a loyal Democrat, so he probably wouldn't mind if we update you on today's victories in Virginia legislative races. The impact of the snow was a worry — but after bombastic Republican boasts, we have successfully defended our majorities in both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly. We cats PURR.)

The Hate-Justin Party's Over

To borrow some thoughts from Jack Todd of The Montreal Gazette: Until now, Pierre Poilievre has gotten away with a lot because the focus was on Justin Trudeau. With Trudeau stepping down, the media will be forced to focus on Trumpsters whose entire platform boils down to "Axe the Tax." Now Poilievre is the target. Enjoy it, Pierre. We cats PURR.

The Post Needs To Be Post-Bezos

By Hubie and Bertie

Are we glad we canceled our subscription to The Washington Post? You bet a case of tuna we are. The latest outrage is that Jeff "I Gave $1 Million To Benedict Donald's Inauguration" Bezos ordered this draft cartoon by Ann Telnaes killed. He didn't like being portrayed as kneeling to Trump with a money bag. Truth hurts, doesn't it?

(Mickey Mouse, of course, is prostrating himself because Disney owns ABC, which chose to settle a bogus Benedict Donald defamation suit instead of defending its anchor, George Stephanopoulos.)

Anyway, Telnaes resigned over the decision, and once again Bezos had to endure a barrage of bad headlines instead of just sucking it up like a grownup and letting the cartoon run. Rumor has it that morale is rock-bottom at the Post, and why wouldn't it be? On top of the Telnaes resignation, other media have been luring away star reporters like Josh Dawsey and Ashley Parker. The canceled subscriptions reached 300,000 just by Election Day alone. And layoffs are just around the corner.

What odd decisions these billionaires make. We have no plans to restart our subscription, unless the scuttlebutt we've heard about Kara Swisher putting together an investor group to take the paper off Bezos's oligarchic hands is true. That would make us cats PURR.

Meanwhile, Back At The Ranch

By Miss Kubelik

Yesterday, President Biden yanked MAGA's chain by awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom to distinguished folks including Hillary Clinton, George Soros, Robert F. Kennedy (senior, not junior), George Romney (Mitt was there to accept), Chef José Andrés, Bono, Bill Nye the Science Guy, Jane Goodall, Michael J. Fox, Denzel Washington, Magic Johnson, Ralph Lauren, and Anna Wintour, who as Vogue editor consistently snubbed Moose & Squirrel for the magazine's cover. Hah!

The ceremony at the White House also helped un-sully the medal, which we all feared would be permanently tainted when Benedict Donald awarded it to Rush Limbaugh during a State of the Union address. Ugh. And happily, it resulted in fabulous photos like these. We cats PURR.

Tributes

Georgians salute their native son and President Jimmy Carter along the motorcade route to Atlanta and The Carter Center. Meanwhile, a billboard rises in South Carolina. We cats PURR.

Six Days To Say Goodbye

By Zamboni

Today is the beginning of the six-day funeral and celebration of the life of President Jimmy Carter. The President's casket left Plains, Georgia, this morning on a three-hour trip to The Carter Center in Atlanta. People will be able to pay their respects to him there until Tuesday, when he heads to Washington to lie in state.

To honor Carter, President Biden ordered flags on federal buildings to fly at half-staff for 30 days, a period that includes Inauguration Day and beyond. Benedict Donald has already made noises of displeasure about this. Because Trump is a sociopath and a liar, you never know whether to take his bleatings seriously. But there's no doubt in our minds that he would not only raise the flags at 12:01 PM on January 20, but later demand a weeks-long, months-long — or heck, even year-long — national memorial when he himself checks out.

In reality, he would probably need to be buried at sea, like Osama bin Laden, or shot into space, to keep people from defiling his grave. Maybe President Musk can help with that latter option. We cats PURR.

JEC3, PET, & PMJT

"There are multiple entries in my personal White House diaries that refer to Pierre Trudeau, almost every one ending with 'I like him very much,' or words to that effect. My first visit with him was in January 1977, when I had been in office only a few days. It was a state visit, and his beautiful young wife, Margaret, came with him.

"The subsequent big news story in The Washington Post the following day was that she had worn a very short skirt to a formal banquet. I agreed with Rosalynn and Pierre that it was very attractive. To ease any mutual discomfort, he and I agreed that we would approve of Margaret's dress if Canadians would approve of our daughter, Amy, reading a book during the Prime Minister's official toast at the banquet."

—Jimmy Carter, 2005

"As a leader, President, and humanitarian, Jimmy Carter left the world a better place. From your 41 million Canadian neighbours: Merci."

—Justin Trudeau, 2025

Ben There, Done That

By Baxter

We cats received a Christmas card the other day from Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin, recently re-elected to the Senate by a whisker. Now, we were only small-dollar donors to Baldwin's campaign, so it's worth noting that she snail-mails holiday greetings to, we presume, everyone. That's simple but good political organizing.

In addition to Baldwin's victory, Wisconsin offered some glimmers of light to Democrats in November. Vice President Harris lost the state, but by the smallest margin in the battlegrounds, and the state party flipped 14 legislative seats blue. The 2024 gains were part of a long slog back from Republican dominance and perfidy, and a lot of it had to do with the fact that Democrats in the Badger State never stopped being in campaign mode. They organized 24/7/365. They're still doing it today.

For that reason, we think Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler deserves to head the Democratic National Committee. As Senator Chuck Schumer said in his endorsement of Wikler today, "He’s a tenacious organizer — one of the best organizers in the country — a proven fundraiser, a sharp communicator, and able to reach out to all segments of the Democratic Party. Most importantly, he knows how to win."

We're in the mood to win. The DNC chair election is February 1, so there's plenty of time between now and then for more endorsements to roll in. If former Vermont Governor and DNC Chair Howard Dean throws his support behind Wikler, that's a lock for us. We cats PURR.

Thought For The New Year

"Now more than ever, instead of obsessing about what isn't working, it's important to focus on what is, so we can recalibrate. What's possible for the future, what makes us happy, what has us feeling hopeful in our personal and professional lives, and in our own little communities.

"Tear up your aspirations into manageable, bite-size chunks and chase after what brings you joy. Your family, your friends, your travels, the causes you hold dear, that first cup of coffee, your dog blissfully rolling around in the snow, your mom's cookie recipe, the way Leonard Cohen sang 'I’m standing by the window where the light is strong.'

"Joy — not always, but often — is a decision. If you're feeling a little disenchanted with your city, your country, this world, even your own life, this is a good time to refocus. Stand by the window."

—Toula Drimonis, The Montreal Gazette, December 27, 2024