MOMocrats

Representative Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib planned a fact-finding visit to Israel - which is something members of the US Congress do all the time. But Donald Trump has been working overtime to make the first female Muslim members of Congress a symbol of left-wing extremism. So he issued a tweet, instructing Benjamin Netanyahu to refuse entry - and ominously, the leader of another sovereign state did as he was told, and barred two duly-elected American legislators from entering, because they were political enemies of Trump.

MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills have a few things to say about this, as well as the other political outrages that have erupted this month: the fight for reasonable gun laws in the wake of El Paso, Dayton, and this week's standoff in Philadelphia, the administration's rewrite of Emma Lazarus' poem "The New Colussus," storm clouds over the economy, the saga of #MoscowMitch, and more.

What a difference a week makes. The last time the MOMocrats checked in, all of the pundits were declaring the Mueller hearings a big fat bust: there weren't any real fireworks, Mueller didn't say anything new, and - SHAMEFULLY! - the "optics weren't good."

But a funny thing has happened since then: one by one, more and more House Democrats have declared their support for an impeachment inquiry (117 of 235, as of this writing - more than half). And as the individual representatives meet with constituents during this long summer recess, that number is sure to rise. (Maybe we can put to rest the complaints about Nancy Pelosi's careful strategy to build a strong case before beginning a formal process?)

MOMocrats Aliza Worthington and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about this new march toward impeachment, as well as this week's reality TV debate, and the president's fear of the House Oversight Committee and its venerable chair, Rep. Elijah Cummings.

Robert Mueller was the subject of two marathon hearings today before the House Judiciary Committee and the House Intelligence Committee. Within the limitations of Mueller's terms of sticking to what was in the report, plus the rules imposed on him by the DOJ (and the pundits' criticism of his "optics") -- there were still plenty of instances where Mueller confirmed possible crimes committed by the president, and new information, to. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss.

The second season of Donald Trump's reality election series got off to a slow start, as his "Keep America Great" slogan just hasn't had the same resonance as 2016's MAGA. But his rabid rally crowd's new chant appears to be a hit. After all, "Lock Her Up" has gotten so old. "Send Her Back" is a lot more relevant, even when used on natural born American citizens.

It's really tough NOT to be sarcastic after a week when the president and his party has tripled down on racism and vile bigotry. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills won't hold back as they talk about the latest new low. There will likely be some discussion of the House impeachment vote, Mueller's upcoming testimony, the unsealed Michael Cohen documents, and the 2020 candidates who are vying to truly make America great again.

The first presidential debate between the 2020 Democratic candidates has come and gone, and Donald Trump found it boring (possibly because he was barely mentioned on both nights and it was full of policy talk. Of course, MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills have a lot to say about it. 

Other topics on this week's podcast from the progressive point of view include the terrible conditions at the border and the funding legislation passed this week, and the news that Robert Mueller will testify in open session next month. Pass the popcorn.

The three years since Donald Trump descended that escalator have been a trying time for the United States, and MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills have ranted on this podcast ever since about myriad crimes and injustices committed by the administration and its GOP collaborators.

Ranting and tweeting and writing blog posts are not enough. There are times when one needs to take action. But knowing what action to take - and being effective - is not always easy.

The MOMocrats welcome Elisa Camahort Page, co-author of Road Map for Revolutionaries: Resistance, Activism, and Advocacy for All, which is a hands-on resource guide to advocating around the causes you care most about. Elisa will talk about steps you can take RIGHT NOW to make a positive change in this era of political chaos and catastrophe.

If there is one thing Trump is expert in, it's leading the media - and changing their attention from whatever he doesn't want them to focus on. 

After a couple of days where it was reported that polling shows the president losing in 2020 to just about EVERY major Democratic candidate (including in TEXAS), Trump changed the subject again, by indicating that he doesn't believe that accepting information on his electoral opponent from a foreign nation isn't a crime. It's just "opposition research," he said.

He just signaled to every hostile nation that he's happy to have attained the presidency with the help of the Russians. And he will welcome and reward that kind of help in 2020, too. The Democrats have responded with anger. In true GOP fashion, the Republicans prefer to tell lies about the Steele dossier.

MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills express their outrage over this and more in this week's political podcast from a progressive point of view.

The MOMocrats' weekly podcast looking at the day's political news from the progressive point of view. Check back here an hour from airtime for a list of the topics. Chances are, there will be some discussion of what's happening in Congress and a reaction to the latest  from lawmakers and candidates. An Engender Media Group production.

Robert Mueller spoke yesterday, to announce that he was formally leaving the Justice Department, where he has served the last two years as special counsel investigating Russia's attack on our 2016 election. Mueller did not say much that was not in the report, including the fact of the systematic attack... and his assertion that he made no determination on the question of obstruction of justice because of a DOJ memo that prevents him from indicting a sitting president. Even that was newsworthy, as it directly contradicts what William Barr is still saying about the report... and Mueller seemed to be saying to Congress, "I did my job. It's time you did yours." MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss.

Nobody thought life under a Trump administration would be easy, and 2.5 years in, we're feeling the full brunt of the struggle. With two new conservative justices on the Supreme Court, red states around the country are competing with one another to see which one can enact the one draconian abortion law that can result in the end of Roe v Wade, and today, Missouri joined Georgia and Alabama with some doozies. Outside the US, John Bolton and Mike Pompeo are fanning the flames of war with Iran, so that's um, concerning. In the meantime, the Democrats in disarray meme is in full swing, as party activists react to the administration's stonewalling the House's oversight requests by screaming for impeachment hearings to begin - while Nancy Pelosi tenuously holds her caucus together against beginning proceedings now. And the field of Democrats running for the 2020 nomination has swelled to 23. MOMocrats Karoli, Aliza Worthington, and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss the political developments of the week from a progressive point of view.