Well Done, Senator Booker!

 

Senator Cory Booker (D., NJ) has surpassed Strom Thurmond's record, holding the Senate floor for an astonishing 25 hours! (Get yourself a well-deserved rest!) As he closed his speech, during which he spoke to the Trump agenda and the ways that it will hurt working families, he invoked the memory of John Lewis:

"This is a moral moment. It’s not left or right; it’s right or wrong. Let's get in good trouble," Booker said as he concluded his remarks and was met by a standing ovation from Senate colleagues. "I yield the floor."

Democratic lawmakers have been facing pressure from their constituents to respond more forcefully to the Trump administration’s sweeping policy changes, including massive cuts to the federal workforce, ramped-up deportations and sweeping tariffs.

Booker's remarks clearly resonated with many who watched them. A live feed of the speech on the senator's TikTok account had more than 220 million likes by early Tuesday night, before he exceeded 24 hours on the floor, and users were posting fan edits.

This was a demonstration about what our Democratic representation in congress can do even if they do not have the majority in either chamber--they can hold the floor adn speak to the values and concerns of the people they represent. 

That's what we want them to do--represent US. 

As some of you may have noticed, I'm on Twitter a lot more than a healthy person ought to be, and it seems to me like this bothered MAGAs for some reason. They say Booker was calling attention to himself and I'm like, "And?!"  I'm not sure what they think any politicians do out there. (Maybe they have an issue with something other than the content of Sen. Booker's character--you think?)

I also noticed one of my favorite dumb-people "gotchas"--well didn't you know Strom Thurmond was a Democrat? Well, didn't they know Thurmond changed parties in 1964 and died a Republican? 

Anything of note happen in 1964? 

(This comes from the same weird place that has to always mention Senator Byrd used to be a Klansman. And yet he repented and was given an award by the NAACP. History marches on.) 

What I think MAGA doesn't want to confront is that the opposition is still here and not giving up. They need t be confronting that every damn day--and also be reminded that these billionaires in the Trump cabinet don't have their interests at heart in any sense of the word. 

Thanks to Cory Booker for setting an epic example. This is about people power. If Republicans are starting to get nervous hearing their constituents' concerns in town halls and try to avoid them, tell their stories to their faces in the halls of power and remind them where that power justly derives from.

That is how we will overcome.