Democratic Town Committee
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f
Carlisle, MA
"Real change, enduring change, happens one step
at a time."
"If you want to be
a true professional, do something outside yourself."
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 3/1933 - 9/2020
Resources - National Level
Preamble: "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
At the top of the nation's organization chart is the Constitution, which lays out the structure and operation of our the Federal Government along with peoples' rights. Below the constitution are the three branches of government: legislative, executive, judicial. There are checks and balances among them. This remarkable document is always worth a read again, especially these days as it is being severely tested.
A story goes that, upon his exit from the Constitutional Convention, Ben Franklin was asked what sort of government they had created. His reply: A Republic, if you can keep it!
Coda: "We" have the power to discard the republic. That includes electing a self-interested demagogue like Trump to do it for us. He has undermined too many of our institutions.
A Seismic Shift in Power of the President - July 1, 2024 to Nov 2025
Supreme Court Expands Executive Power
In 2024, Special Counsel Jack Smith asked the Supreme Court to rule on executive power relative to the January 6 riot case. Supreme Court acceptance of a case requires support of 5 justices; expediting the case requires 6. They did not expedite and in July they ruled 6-3 in support of Donald Trump's claim of absolute immunity for acts relating to the presidents official duties, which are left somewhat vague. The last time this page was updated was July 24, wherein we asked questions about how this ruling would turn out.
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The result of slackening of the reins on executive power has been a second Trump term saturated with lies, violations of the Constitution, laws, and norms and constant court cases. Trump has been emboldened to try anything he wants and let the challenges, if any, come. After lying during the campaign that he knew nothing of project 2025, he is relentlessly pursuing its goals toward an authoritarian government and away from the Constitution. The document below is ponderous. It mixes some useful observations and suggested improvements with much conservative dogma. Two democratic initiatives - DEI and separation of church and state, along with general broad scope of government are prime targets of Project 2025.​
Trump's second term has begun with the installation of a number of cabinet heads who participated in composing sections of P2025. These people had ready-to-implement ideas. Most notable are:
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​Russell Vought, Office of Management and Budget, who advocates cutting agencies and slashing spending
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Peter Navarro, Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing, advocates increased tarriffs
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Steven Miller, Deputy White House Chief of Staff​
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Elon Musk. "Special Government Employee" Took the responsibility for cutting, including illegally eliminating Congress-approved Congress-approved entities and spending, not to mention hurting the country in the process to the extent that some cuts and to be undone.​​
Corruption
Another result of the Supreme Court decision to grant broad executive power is the increase in corruption. Trump has progressed from mere arrangements for visitors to stay in his hotels to outright deals, e.g., the establishment of the family crypto currency, to enrich himself and the family. One of the most outrageous deals, is thinly disguised as two separate deals with the UAE to purchase $2B of Trump crypto in exchange for UAE access to numerous of the world's most advanced chips. This is a clear violation of the Constitution's emolument clause which should support an impeachment case.
Appropriation of Congressional Powers
Meantime, Congress has ceded more and more of its power to the president. This has been accomplished partially through threats of "primarying" members. House Speaker Mike Johnson has become a virtual servant of Trump. Johnson is doing destructive things like refusing to swear in a newly elected representative to prevent her from breaking the deadlock on making the Epstein files public. He has sent the House home to prevent votes and now even Maga Marjorie (Taylor Green) is criticizing Trump. Currently, Congress is more or less shut down. Congress was unable to agree on continuing to fund the government, so the whole government is shut down. As to tariffs, Congress has already gradually ceded most power over them to the president. The courts are now handling appeals.
The US House and Senate represent districts in the states. A link to the full MA delegation can be used to look up contact information for Representatives outside our town.
Constituents can contact their Reps or Senators about legislation or work their committees are doing (or not doing!) Below are lists of the leaders and contact information.
Legislature: US Congress - When it is Functioning
Below are also links to Congressional leaders, as well as voting records and ideology rankings (updated 2020) Rankings and voting records are useful in two ways: 1) evaluating candidates who are current members of Congress and 2) looking for Republicans who work across the aisle and may be receptive to our communications on issues.
Checks and Balances - A Few Examples
We are in a banner decade for witnessing checks and balances at work. Unfortunately, many have fallen prey to the intense polarization and, the "evolution" of the Republican party.
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Congress has lost some power to the executive branch with the latest Supreme Court decision, namely it cannot legislate core responsibilities of Executive Branch. Nothing seems to have changed however wrt Congress' ability to investigate, or impeach and convict. Impeachment is a Constitutional option granted to Congress. In fact, Congress can impeach Supreme Court Justices, their recent "beholden to no one" attitude.
The Judicial Branch has a role to play investigating the Executive branch. We praise lower courts for upholding the 2020 election, and assisting the Biden DOJ in its investigations of Trump and his violent extremists. On the negative side, we support President Bidens scathing assessment of the 6-3 Supreme Court majority in granting extensive immunity to the President, while also curtailing Congress' right to legislate guardrails. We also oppose actions since John Roberts joined the Court wrt voter rights, gun control, repeal of Roe, the power of government agencies to guard our environment, to move climate change action, etc.
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Two Congressional impeachments narrowly failed due to cowardice among GOP legislators. Ironically, Senator Mitch McConnell, the co-architect of the new repressive Supreme Court, supported his decision to oppose conviction of Donald Trump for his Jan 6 activities, stating: "We have a legal system in this country." He could not have been more wrong.
The Democratic Party
The Democratic National Committee sets the national platform and it has all our favorite issues that you can read about. Also the party leaders may be contacted, especially if you would like to make suggestions about improving our national message. The website is liberally laced with opportunities for donating, and indeed, those high-impact messages we would like to see on TV and everywhere do cost money. It is useful to get acquainted with both the platform and party leadership.