I couldn't help writing down what he said today on MSNBC - a big fat honkin' alert to our wussy "must-be-nice" Democrats:

“We gave you power and the Senate and the House and the White House - Now that you have them, you’re hesitant to use them.
Even if you don’t want to abolish the filibuster, there are many mechanisms at your disposal that you can use, if you want to try to implement change. If the situation were reversed and it were the Repubs that were in that position...
1) They wouldn’t hesitate to blow up the filibuster to get their agenda through.
2) They would use the power of the purse. ‘Alright, State A or State B. If you want do this, if you want to impose draconian anti-democratic laws, then we’re gonna withhold funding. We’re gonna pass this major infrastructure bill. You’re not gonna get a dollar of it if you’re gonna act this way.’
3) We would put pressure on you. We would use every means at our disposal, whether it’s private enterprises, companies, donors, legislation process, committee hearings, whatever it took. Every weapon in our arsenal to try to implement the change that we want.
And I just don’t feel like Democrats are calibrated to act that way and in this case, this isn’t a brazen political grab. This is a meaningful and necessary defense of our democracy. And if we aren’t willing to fight fire with fire, to protect our democracy, to protect our right to vote, then I don’t know what the hell else we’re gonna fight for. This is the most important fight that we’re gonna have. And if we don’t win this one, we sure as hell aren’t going to win the other ones."
- Kurt Bardella , 7/2/21, former Republican consultant on MSNBC

I looked him up. Former Repub. Now a Democrat as of 2018, and regular "talking head" on MSNBC.
I became a Democrat a year ago and found my own voice. It changed everything.
I wrote my truth, held my breath and waited. I now care about lots more things than I used to, and I've finally embraced my Asian-American identity.
Kurt Bardella
Opinion columnist

Updated 9:50pm ET Dec. 16, 2018
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2018/12/16/first-year-democrat-found-my-voice-embraced-my-identity-column/2301857002/

Funtatlaguy

(10,870 posts)

29. Yes, and that former GOP Operative Tim somebody. Has long hair.

Reply to calimary (Reply #27)

Sat Jul 3, 2021, 12:06 AM

Jul 2021

CrispyQ

(36,446 posts)

40. Old guard dems don't know how to act bold.

Reply to calimary (Reply #27)

Sat Jul 3, 2021, 12:24 PM

Jul 2021

They've cowered under the bullying, radical repubs/right wing since JFK/MLK/RFK. They've taken too long to see that their colleagues across the aisle that they've worked with for decades, are now enablers of fascism. Hell, DiFi still doesn't think our democracy is in peril. Wake the fuck up, woman! We are a few elections away from one party rule.

xxqqqzme

(14,887 posts)

42. When the DLC

Reply to CrispyQ (Reply #40)

Sat Jul 3, 2021, 09:22 PM

Jul 2021

took control of the DNC and began rolling over for corporate money, we lost more than our fight. We lost our purpose.

BTW, I got the word last week - Our postcard army starts writing in mid July in support of Newsom and GOTV.
We wrote postcards for Biden/Harris, postcards help elect a majority on the city council. We had a huge postcard campaign for Warnock and Ossoff.

We're ready to crush the rethugs recall.

CrispyQ

(36,446 posts)

43. Postcards to Voters?

Reply to xxqqqzme (Reply #42)

Sun Jul 4, 2021, 09:30 AM

Jul 2021

My friend & I do this, too. It's fun & gives me something to do while we watch TV. I wish they'd sponsor a postcard campaign to Joe Manchin on the For the People act.

https://postcardstovoters.org/

xxqqqzme

(14,887 posts)

44. Yes to voters.

Reply to CrispyQ (Reply #43)

Sun Jul 4, 2021, 11:22 AM

Jul 2021

There were over 100 of us writing during the general election. We wrote over 10,000 to different states. After person to person contact, postcard writing is the 2nd most effective voter engagement. People like getting handwritten messages. i had a writing partner. We sat at a table by the pool and wrote for 2+ hours every Wednesday.

Actually postcards to Manchin voters could be a very helpful strategy. Might pull some voters back to the Democratic Party. West Virginia was a democratic state when I lived there in the '70s. Good idea.

Doremus

(7,261 posts)

46. I want to enshrine this advice and make it required reading for all Dems.

Reply to calimary (Reply #27)

Sun Jul 4, 2021, 12:01 PM

Jul 2021

How many times I've heard "there's nothing they can do" in response to Dems lack of action. HERE IS WHAT THEY CAN DO!

1) They wouldn’t hesitate to blow up the filibuster to get their agenda through.
2) They would use the power of the purse. ‘Alright, State A or State B. If you want do this, if you want to impose draconian anti-democratic laws, then we’re gonna withhold funding. We’re gonna pass this major infrastructure bill. You’re not gonna get a dollar of it if you’re gonna act this way.’
3) We would put pressure on you. We would use every means at our disposal, whether it’s private enterprises, companies, donors, legislation process, committee hearings, whatever it took. Every weapon in our arsenal to try to implement the change that we want.
And I just don’t feel like Democrats are calibrated to act that way and in this case, this isn’t a brazen political grab. This is a meaningful and necessary defense of our democracy. And if we aren’t willing to fight fire with fire, to protect our democracy, to protect our right to vote, then I don’t know what the hell else we’re gonna fight for. This is the most important fight that we’re gonna have. And if we don’t win this one, we sure as hell aren’t going to win the other ones."
- Kurt Bardella , 7/2/21, former Republican consultant on MSNBC

Kurt Bardella said it recently but there are a few presidents in history who have actually done it, LBJ and FDR, the fathers of SS and Medicare among other things. It can be done if we have the will.

JI7

(89,244 posts)

35. I think he is better just speaking out like he does now. That's where his talent is

Reply to Funtatlaguy (Reply #23)

Sat Jul 3, 2021, 01:20 AM

Jul 2021

Hekate

(90,633 posts)

37. Agreed

Reply to JI7 (Reply #35)

Sat Jul 3, 2021, 02:27 AM

Jul 2021

kimbutgar

(21,111 posts)

10. I like the question

Reply to Dawson Leery (Original post)

Fri Jul 2, 2021, 09:34 PM

Jul 2021

Tell me one thing a Republican has done to make your day to day life better?

KY_EnviroGuy

(14,489 posts)

32. Donald Rumsfeld died.

Reply to kimbutgar (Reply #10)

Sat Jul 3, 2021, 12:29 AM

Jul 2021

Made my day after years of watching the Middle East suffer from his evil.

KY

Mr.Bill

(24,274 posts)

12. Not to mention California's legislature

Reply to Dawson Leery (Original post)

Fri Jul 2, 2021, 09:37 PM

Jul 2021

has a supermajority of Democrats in both houses. They could just take a page out of the republican playbook and strip a republican Governor of any powers he has and relegate him/her to cutting ribbons at Supermarket grand openings.

And don't forget California has a law now that requires all candidates to make public their taxes for the last five years just to be on the ballot. That should eliminate about 90% of them, and the press will have field day with the ones who do make them public.

Initech

(100,060 posts)

13. This recall is a massive waste of time and money.

Reply to Dawson Leery (Original post)

Fri Jul 2, 2021, 09:52 PM

Jul 2021

And was orchestrated by assholes who only watch horseshit like Fox and OAN and wouldn't know real leadership if it jumped up and bit them.

Rhiannon12866

(205,161 posts)

14. Excellent rant. More:

Reply to Dawson Leery (Original post)

Fri Jul 2, 2021, 09:53 PM

Jul 2021

Link to tweet

Hekate

(90,633 posts)

16. Tell us how you really feel, Steve! Don't hold back! That is magnificent...

Reply to Rhiannon12866 (Reply #14)

Fri Jul 2, 2021, 10:29 PM

Jul 2021

…and spoken by someone who cares about California.

Rhiannon12866

(205,161 posts)

17. I love Steve Schmidt's rants! He sure doesn't hold back!

Reply to Hekate (Reply #16)

Fri Jul 2, 2021, 10:34 PM

Jul 2021

The best anti Trump rant I heard came from Steve Schmidt ages ago - and I've been a fan of his rants ever since!

KY_EnviroGuy

(14,489 posts)

33. Thanks, Rhiannon. That recall is also a tremendous waste.....

Reply to Rhiannon12866 (Reply #14)

Sat Jul 3, 2021, 12:38 AM

Jul 2021

of human and budgetary resources at a time when every state resource is needed to fight California's many battles - COVID, drought and wildfires, for example.

Republicans simply don't care. Some days I feel the GOP just gathered up all the psychopaths in America and declared that to be the entire Party.

KY

Rhiannon12866

(205,161 posts)

34. That's an excellent point.

Reply to KY_EnviroGuy (Reply #33)

Sat Jul 3, 2021, 01:05 AM

Jul 2021

California is an exceeding large and diverse state and, as such, is more likely to experience diverse crises. Between the Covid crisis, the unprecedented climate challenges - record heat, serious drought, wildfires, earthquakes, sea level rise - it's got to be a massive job to deal with it all. So why are they wasting time and resources on political shenanigans? If some think there are issues, there are such things as elections. But California isn't the only target of these ridiculous resource and time wasters. They're busy disrupting in states throughout the country and I agree that they need to be called out and kicked to the curb.

DinahMoeHum

(21,783 posts)

15. The ThreadReader App version. . .

Reply to Dawson Leery (Original post)

Fri Jul 2, 2021, 10:20 PM

Jul 2021

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1411063891904372740.html

The candidates running in the recall to replace him are a specific type of Olympian, competitors in a farce of self interest, masturbatory self indulgence, fame seeking and political extremism.