And is this McConnell in
the room with us now?

From the desk of Bibek, Senior Digital Strategist

This week Mitch McConnell was wheeled into the Senate after three months away recovering from a fall, and when his name was called for a committee vote, his aides and fellow Republicans had to lean in and coach an “aye” out of him. It took two tries. Three months of quiet, taxpayer-funded recovery is exactly the kind of extended paid leave he has spent a career making sure the rest of us never get.

Meanwhile, Speaker Mike Johnson declared this the second-most productive House since 1789, then sent everyone home for seven weeks to campaign while most of that legislation sits untouched, if not DOA, in the Senate. Productive is a strange word for a body whose signature move is voting to leave.

Finally, Trump’s closing pitch at last week’s weird convention – now that he’s given up selling any vision – was a loyalty pledge to him, plus a $5,000 check, payable only if Republicans keep both chambers. Spoiler: it is never coming. Apart from the fact that buying votes is illegal and he’s notorious for not paying his bills, the tariff math is more than a trillion short, and whatever did arrive would probably get swallowed by the same inflation his own policies keep feeding.

We do not actually have to buy anyone off. Lower what a family pays for health care, housing, and child care and you have handed them far more than five grand a year, with no strings and no expiration date.

Honestly, we would be better off if our elected leaders aren’t mistakable for a corpse, can do the actual work, and you know, count. That can be you. Sign up for a training and learn how to step up.