A word on n.o.t. meeting the moment. The Senate Minority Leader’s appearance on Chris Hayes’ MSNBC program a few days ago on March 18th, was a travesty of confirmation that he doesn’t get it AT ALL. We already recognized in him and too many other politicians, a refusal to acknowledge we are in a fight for our lives, for the identity and integrity of our democracy. Schumer clings embarrassingly to lines like “we may be getting there, god help us” with a little shake of the fist for emphasis, when asked about his strategy to manage our Constitutional crisis – rapidly becoming as overused a phrase as “unprecedented” was in the time of 45. No Sir, we are not “getting there.” We’re there. With myriad lawless steps being taken, supported or enabled by zealots, idealogues, chumps, shills, christofascists, xenophobic bigots, authoritarians, and the wantonly uninformed peppered among them and us, we’re up to our elbows in peril. You Sir, are the (so-called) LEADER of the minority party in a Senate where the majority holds just a 53-47 margin. Being in the minority didn’t stop McConnell from speaking as though he still held a meaningful leadership role in the legislative branch. nb: That’s probably the most positive thing I have and will ever say about Kentucky’s senior Senator. By contrast, Schumer goes on national television in a time of brazen, escalating lawlessness and muses with talking points about a potential stand off between the Article II and Article III branches. WHAT ABOUT ARTICLE I!!!?? Rather than clutching your pearls about the other branches of government, choose among the plethora of live issues on fire in your own branch. Impoundment Control Act, anyone? 47 claims to believe, and is behaving as though, impoundment is a presidential power rather than a violation of Congress’ appropriation powers. American farmers and State Dept contractors are among those who’d really like to know what you’re going to do about it. After group-pardoning insurrectionists who beat up cops and then trying to illegally widen the pardons to include later offenses for the same crowd, 47 spouts online that he’s gonna overturn pardons for Congressional members who fulfilled their legislative oversight role by working on the Jan 6th Committee, even though he has zero authority to overturn these pardons for your peers – what say you to that, Mr. Senator??! 47 imagined into existence an unelected, unappointed cadre of tech bros they’re calling a “department” although creating Departments in our Government is a legislative function – what say you to that, Senate Minority Leader?!? There’s much more to discuss at the moment than your book, as it happens. Yet you just won’t see. Could have been an amazing time to get out of DC and connect with people. Instead, democracy-supporting Americans are cringing and devastated, because while Republican politicians completely + shamefully abdicate their job duties, and our institutions are ablaze at the hands of broligarchs and petty thieves, too many Democratic politicians like this one won’t even admit it’s past time to break glass.

Turns out WE have to listen, speak, study, commit, excel and support one another in the work we face. Just as Dr. Glaude tells us, in his crucial book We Are The Leaders We Have Been Looking For. Keep the Faith and Keep in Touch.