Fred’s Weekly Note Archive

“There Is Nothing Uplifting About American Politics Today.”

There is nothing uplifting about American politics today. Here are just a few examples. Sen. Tuberville’s Enormous Damage To Our Military Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) never spent a single day in military service and yet in his short career as a Senator he has done unprecedented damage to our military and national security. Tuberville has […]

They Call Him “MAGA Mike”

Before Wednesday, when Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) was elected Speaker of the House, he was one of those “under the radar” Members of Congress. But Johnson’s influence now as Speaker is a major problem for the country and a serious threat for those who choose democracy over autocracy. Speaker Johnson is an extreme right-wing MAGA […]

Jim Jordan Is Unfit To Be Speaker Of The House

There may be no better example of how badly our national politics are polarized than the case of Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH). Jordan is anything but a leader. He is an extremist and attack dog who uses hardline pressure tactics, has no track record as a consensus builder, and has failed in his 16-year congressional career […]

A Watergate Lesson

Next week marks the 50th anniversary of the “Saturday Night Massacre” – the firing of Special Watergate Prosecutor Archibald Cox in October 1973 that set off a firestorm and created a constitutional crisis. The Watergate scandals led to Richard Nixon’s resignation, the first and only resignation of a President, and spurred a series of historic […]

The House In Chaos

In 1994, Republicans, led by Rep. Newt Gingrich, won control of the House for the first time in 40 years. Republicans have had five Speakers in the nearly three decades since. Four of the five left their positions prematurely. The Tea Party movement and the House Freedom Caucus became major factors in an ongoing disruption that has […]

Democracy In Dysfunction – “What A Long, Strange Trip It’s Been”

When it comes to dysfunction in our democracy, we are off the charts these days – from the House’s faux Biden impeachment inquiry, to the looming government shutdown, to the latest barrage of dangerous verbal attacks from former President Trump, to the gold bar influence-buying scandal engulfing Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ). The House Oversight Committee opened an […]

The Fight To Protect The Sacred Right To Vote Continues

This week, Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL) reintroduced the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, a vital measure to protect the sacred right to vote. Every one of Sewell’s House Democratic colleagues joined as cosponsors. Former President Donald Trump unleashed a slew of new state voter suppression laws with his Big Lie that the 2020 presidential […]

Jim Jordan Is No Stranger To Impeachment

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) has been pushing hard for an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden and this week he got his wish. On Tuesday, Speaker Kevin McCarthy directed House committees to open a Biden impeachment inquiry. McCarthy’s unilateral announcement may not have any legal validity. In 2020, then-President Donald Trump’s Justice Department issued a formal Opinion that remains […]

Our Democracy Is Under Attack

In December 2022, former President Donald Trump called for the Constitution to be terminated so that he could be restored to the presidency he lost in 2020. Our democracy held the line against his unprecedented coup attempt in 2020, but Trump’s attacks continue. Trump’s refusal to accept that he lost the presidency has opened the door to […]

Is Bipartisanship Dead?

As the country faces a potential government shutdown at the end of September, Senators appear to be working in a bipartisan way to avoid the shutdown and fund the government for this fiscal year. But, in the House, it’s a completely different story. Bipartisanship is dead. It wasn’t always like this. For decades, in working […]