I think we need to keep our eyes on actual events today.

[MineralMan]

Congress starts its new session today, and Republicans, who are now in control of both houses, have big plans. They are determined to strip away much of the progress that has been made in the past 50 years. Right now, that should be our focus, and we should be communicating with our Democratic reps and Senators to encourage them to resist with all their might.

Instead, we often still seem to be focused on the November election. We'll have another election in 2018, and we need to pay attention to that, but the November election is now over and done with. Democratic candidates who lost or who were not general election candidates are no longer in a position to achieve power. They may be important down the road, but right now, they are really not important, except where they do hold a position in Congress, like Bernie Sanders does. Those Democrats are the only ones who have an opportunity to block negative congressional actions.

After the Inauguration on January 20, we will need all eyes on the federal government, with action taken to inform people of what's going on. If the major media outlets don't cover bills from Congress that will damage our rights, we need to make sure people know about them, so they can take their own actions. Otherwise, those negative changes will not be noticed until it is far to late to do anything about them. If we don't do that, people will be unaware of what machinations are taking place on Capitol Hill.

Above all, we need to stop infighting within the Democratic Party. That serves no purpose whatsoever. We don't have another opportunity to change elected officials until 2018. While that needs our attention, it is not the pressing thing that actual action by Congress and the new President is. We need to sharpen our focus, and direct it at real things that are current, not old arguments that no longer matter in terms of current events. We must not lose sight of what is happening through looking backwards.

That's my opinion. Thanks for reading it.

[Iggo]

1. So we're finally done fighting the primary?

[MineralMan]

5. I stopped fighting it long ago.

We chose a candidate. She lost. That's what happened. Now, lots of other things are about to happen. As I said again and again, I'd have supported and campaigned for whoever became the Democratic nominee. Our nominee lost. I suspect that either would have lost in November, but I have no way to demonstrate that. Nobody does. What happened happened.

No good purpose, in the short term, is served by continuing to fight among ourselves. That will only distract from real issues that are unfolding on a daily basis, now that the new congressional session has begun.

DU can be a clearing house for information that can be spread through social media and in other ways. Or, it can be a place where people argue about stuff from the past. I would prefer the former, frankly. The latter will be useless in preventing the disaster that will be developing, starting today.

[dae]

31. Thank you for the post and agree 100%.

[charlyvi]

24. 2016 Postmortem ought to be shuttered.

At this point it's just feeding the beast.

[DonCoquixote]

27. I agree

it is like a rotten tooth that is causing the rest of the mouth to swell and get abscesses.

[Iggo]

32. Word.

[MoonRiver]

2. I don't have any Democratic Reps or Senators.

[Arkansas Granny]

6. Me neither, but my Republican Senators and Reps have been hearing from me.

[MineralMan]

9. Yes. Keep up the pressure on them and communicate with

local media in any way you can. Letters to the editor, posts on forums in your state and organizing are ways to do that. It's crucial to keep the pressure on and to build public support for additional pressure. It is likely to be a frustrating exercise and may seem futile at times, but carry on regardless.

[MoonRiver]

20. Me too! Just depressed that this is how things roll in my state.

[MineralMan]

7. I'm sorry to hear that. I'm privileged to

live in a state and congressional district where we only have Democratic representatives and Senators. I have no answers for you, frankly. You will have a long road ahead of you in the struggle to change your situation. Sadly, I'm unable to help in states other than my own. I have no financial resources, and can't afford to travel to other states. I hope you are able to work with other Democrats and progressives in your state to work toward change there.

[MoonRiver]

21. We do our best, but this is Kansas. nuff said?

[MineralMan]

22. Kansas is a tough nut to crack, for sure.

I doubt I'd be very happy there. Keep trying, though. Your state legislature and Governor have not done well for Kansas residents, so there may be hope.

[MoonRiver]

23. Maybe. We elected Sebelius, twice. So I retain some hope. n/t

[NewJeffCT]

25. Democrats made some pickups at the state level in KS

this past election, I thought?

[pnwmom]

15. All the more reason to contact yours -- you will have more impact

than someone who's a Democrat calling her Democratic Senators -- like me. I do it, just to make it a part of their record, but I'm already getting information from them and I know they're going to fight for us.

[MoonRiver]

19. I am definitely doing it!

[LisaM]

26. I don't and I'm glad of that, but....

it means I generally can't call them to ask them to do anything differently. We do have a brand new Congresswoman (Jim McDermott retired) and I'll keep an eye on what she does. I sometimes wish I had someone to call and give an earful to!

[niyad]

28. the idiot who represents the district in which I live is, sadly, unamenable to any sort of rational

discussion (and clue-by-fours do not help, either). and, sadly, he is almost teflon in this oh-so-red and fundie county.

[Hugin]

3. I agree... Trump, bigly ugly as he is, is only an antechamber to the real horror the GOP represents.

Proven a few hours ago with the elimination of any independent oversight.

[MineralMan]

8. Yes. The Republicans are emboldened to the extent that they

can flaunt their disregard for ethics. And there's really nothing we can do to prevent them from crippling the independent ethics group. Congress runs Congress. That they did this as their first action is alarming, and I'm glad the media is reporting it. The conflict of interest this represents should be obvious to everyone, I hope.

[Arkansas Granny]

4. Thanks for the reminder, MM. Sometimes it's hard to stay focused on the issues when you're

struggling to wade through all the BS.

[bigtree]

10. I don't see why we can't keep an eye on every new development

...from wherever it arises.

There's every reason to believe the strategy of the incoming Trump regime and republicans is to flood us with activity and declarations to keep us from bearing down on any particular thing. However, we really have no choice but to keep ourselves involved in every aspect of the new government.

As for discussing the election, there's the active effort by legislators and others to set their new agenda based on their perception of what occurred in the election. Stifling our responses to that amounts to unilaterally disarming ourselves from defending the priorities we fought for in that contest.

[MineralMan]

11. Here's the deal: Planning for the 2018 mid-term elections

is already starting, or should be. Becoming involved in that process early is a very useful thing to do. Waiting until election year comes around limits one's abilities to influence things. Progressives should take this slow period in Democratic Party organization activities to show up, speak up, and join in to try to move into leadership positions at every level.

That's a long-term goal, however. There are current issues that need our attention desperately, early in the new Congressional activities. I believe that focusing on those at the moment is far more important, really.

But, by all means, get started building your influence with 2018 in mind. You can't do that here on DU, though. That has to happen where you live, in your local, district and state Democratic Party organization. Or, if you believe you have the means, time, and ambition, run for office yourself at some level. If that's your goal, getting started now is essential for 2018, or even for local elections in 2017.

DU does not do actual activism. It's too limited in numbers. It is more useful as a collection area for information that can be used locally. We simply do not have the numbers to have any other effect, frankly.

[Plucketeer]

12. So... someone deliberately puts the wrong scores up on the scoreboard

and we best serve ourselves by playing harder to see if we can outwit the crooked scorekeeper. I guess I'm not too hot with strategy - cause my approach would to chase down and beat the daylights out of the scorekeeper. But our feckless judicial system just admonishes our team to play nice in the face of Team Swindle. The ref - with his coke bottle glasses - is an affable sort. No reason to give him grief about his calls. Besides that, by the dwindling number of folks in our cheering section, we can tell that our playing is inspirational.

Sure, maybe I will be dumb enough to throw a few thousand (unknowingly neutered) bucks around (again) in 2018 while I pray that someone's leveled the gaming table since the last robbery. Maybe I'll be senile enough by then to where I won't recall what we've just stood by and watched in silent resignation. Since I'm worried that my SS pittance is under threat, one can conclude I light my fireplace with hundred dollar bills.

Maybe there will be another election in 2018. But you know what? With the crew we have in place now - there may not BE a 2018 election. Or it may be that we end up with an election - the sort of which insures that Putin wins as many times as he cares to. Hell, we already have a Dic....er president that idolizes Pooty.

But yeah - we just knuckle down and show that scoreboard doofus that he ain't got enough number placards to put us down!

[ismnotwasm]

13. I read an article--The Atlantic I think

I'll look for it, but it basically said that congressional republicans planned like they were going to win i.e. 'This is what we are going to do and how we are going to do it'. The article quoted someone as saying that for president, All they really needed was someone with enough manual dexterity to hold a pen and sign.

[sarcasmo]

14. Would explain today's GM tweet.

[AtheistCrusader]

16. Say it with me folks, 'Fillibuster'.

Get ready to start buying pizzas and shit for our first line of defense.

[classof56]

17. Thank you, MM, for your timely and critical posts.

I'm relying more and more on your wisdom and guidance. Hard to stay strong lately. You definitely help me do that.

[Jacob Boehme]

18. The First Amendment is our best tool

The Constitution gives us some of its greatest gifts under "Freedom Of Speech" and "...the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

We must become adept at using the tools provided us. This is why the First Amendment becomes our relentless battering ram to knock down the lies and deceit taking over our government.

It is the bright light of exposure that will send these cockroaches scurrying back into the darkness when their unconstitutional deeds are exposed.

[volstork]

30. Hopefully, they won't scurry

back into the darkness. Hopefully, they will be unceremoniously crushed.

[volstork]

29. Wise words.

Thank you.

[brianvanwa]

33. Thank you for posting

The 2016 election is definitely over with.

We should definitely be putting all of our thoughts and actions into countering whatever detrimental things Republicans come up with, and even more so, we should be focusing on getting progressive Democrats, at local, county, state and national levels elected in 2017 and beyond. We should also be getting people registered to vote, making certain that election boards are doing their jobs. Further, we should be giving people who voted for Obama, but not Clinton, a reason to show up and vote!