I’m really liking this Sean Casten fellow and think he can go places. Here’s a frank and honest thread from him applauding DuPage county for removing Henry Hyde’s name from the courthouse. (Casten has Hyde’s old seat in Congress):
1. First, I am sympathetic to Mr. Hydes family and friends who note that he was more than just an amendment. He served a long career in Congress and we shouldn’t boil a life down to one soundbite. We all contain multitudes.
2. But that thing he is known for – the Hyde amendment – is deadly. Because of his amendment, Roe was overturned for millions of women long before Dobbs – and in ways that still affect blue states where women’s rights are otherwise protected.
3. His amendment said that no federal money can pay for abortion care. That means that women who depend on any federal health insurance system in any state do not have access to healthcare they and their doctor deem necessary.
4. That’s Medicare for women of child-bearing age who are Medicare eligible, women who depend on the VA and – most significantly – women who depend on Medicaid.
5. Which means that his amendment stripped healthcare away from the poorest and neediest among us. Those women are not wrong to think of Mr. Hyde only for his namesake amendment; it’s personal for them.
6. It is also personal for men and other women who love and care about the women whose health access was taken away. And all of those groups may, at some point have cause to walk into the DuPage County courthouse.
7. When they walk into that building, they go in with the hope and trust that in that building, all Americans will be subject to equal protection under the law. Taking his name off the front of that building is not judgment on the man. It is an elevation of human dignity. /fin
More of this in every realm where Democrats operate would be highly appreciated by this writer, that’s for sure.
Contrast Casten’s thread with Colorado Gov Jared Polis, who couldn’t fucking wait to run to Twitter and tell us all how great it is Trump decided to stop minting pennies. Even if it is a good idea (after all, even a blind pig finds an ear of corn every so often), it’s still another illegal order by a guy who is letting his biggest donor stage a coup.
You never have to hand it to them, ever, and while there’s probably no percentage on pissing on someone’s grave, if they did bad things while they were alive, it’s OK to say that after they’re consigned to the fires of Hell, which is where Henry Hyde is roasting, if that place exists.
Anonymous at Work
I reserve the right to call out “illegal” when the “no more pennies” has a plan put to paper. Buying up and stopping new pennies is perfectly legit, like when Treasury issues updated 5s, 10s, 20s, 50s, and 100s. Plus their attempt to use dollar coins.
Illegal would be ending the penny as legal tender and forcing businesses to round to the nickel. Right now, it’s just an insane (autocorrect from “inane” but I’ll allow it) stream of consciousness statement like “infrastructure week”.
rikyrah
Good Morning Everyone 😊 😊 😊
comrade scotts agenda of rage
I also just learned that our glibertarian, tech bro governor who insultingly puts a “(D)” after his name first raised the “how getting rid of the penny will save us money” last December.
For a look at the lie that is that concept:
https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/10/business/costs-of-pennies-and-nickels/index.html
Of course this discussion is nothing new. I found a GAO testimony piece from 1996:
https://www.gao.gov/assets/t-ggd-96-153.pdf
Even back then, they figured getting rid of the penny was gonna potentially cost a bundle. Look closely at the PDF, it references a House Bill from 1989:
So while this is possibly a useful debate to have, “selling” it as some cost saving measure is, of course, a lie.
Dorothy A. Winsor
Casten used to be my rep until the most recent redistricting when we were moved into Mike Quigley’s district. Casten is super good on the environment especially.
Parfigliano
DEMs like Polis instinctively roll over and show their bipartisan belly at every opportunity or whenever challenged.
Waldo
The new right-wing motto: Better D.E.A.D. than D.E.I.
Old School
But do they call me ‘McGreggor the Wall Builder’?”
catclub
When Hyde was caught having an extramarital affair, he claimed it was a youthfull indiscretion. He was 38.
Old School
On pennies and leopards:
kindness
I wonder what room Colorado Gov Jared Polis is reading? Maybe he thinks Trump will give him an ambassadorship or something? I shake my head and wonder about gay folk saying Hozannas about Trump. Don’t they know that the Trans hate will soon morph to gays with Trumpies? Idiots.
Ceci7
Casten was a college classmate. A good kid then and a very good legislator/MoC now.
WaterGirl
@Parfigliano:
Fixed that for you.
Sister Machine Gun of Quiet Harmony
@WaterGirl:
Amen. Sick of leftists stupidly trashing the only allies they have.
Sure Lurkalot
@kindness: Polis has got a pile of money which cancels out the gay.
Gin & Tonic
Pete Hegseth goes to Europe and throws Ukraine under the bus. Thanks, asshole.
Princess
Sean Carsten is great.
Baud
@rikyrah:
Good morning.
Layer8Problem
@catclub: “You’re only as old as you feel in your heart.”
Enhanced Voting Techniques
IDK about that, Musk is after all bunking down in government buildings with dozens of young and supple men and not a woman is sight.
Starfish (she/her)
The Colorado Indivisibles wanted people to sign this form telling Polis to stop vilifying immigrants. I am skeptical of this form because it is a Google form, but I did it anyway.
RevRick
@WaterGirl: I am disinclined to drum various Democrats out of the fold simply because they say dumb things or take dumb votes on various issues/nominations. We need all the allies we can assemble, even shaky or questionable ones. So, I am going to allow every Democratic official a huge amount of slack, because their first obligation is to get elected/re-elected. Polis may be wildly out of sync with Colorado voters, but it’s their decision, not mine.
In a world that is becoming the deadly seriousness of authoritarianism, I believe offering grace is what I need to do.
Doug R
@Anonymous at Work: Canada ended the penny as legal tender BUT they were accepted at face value at banks.
Looking at the article, looks like they’re still legal tender-maybe that was a PR thing.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/canada-s-penny-withdrawal-all-you-need-to-know-1.1174547
The Truffle
@Parfigliano: Weirdly, Polis is also part of an organization of Dem governors with Pritzker whose goal is to shield their states from Trump.
Elizabelle
I do like the reuse of that photo. “You’re sitting in my daddy’s chair.”
Wonder if Musk is parading that child around so much because he is in a custody battle with kid’s mother, Grimes? “You can’t make me.”
Captain C
@Elizabelle:
Perhaps that, but also he seems to be using the kid as a human shield.
Elizabelle
@Captain C: Oh yeah.
And again: the double standard. Would we see a mother dragging her preschooler around to business meetings and using him/her as a prop at press conferences? Seems people want to pretend that women’s children do not exist.
Sure Lurkalot
Ro Khanna, take your chair beside Jared Polis in kissing the ring:
Yes, Ro, Musk is so earnest and believable, I’m sure he’d dispel all our fears.
Anonymous at Work
@Doug R: Yeah, my point is that there are a few ways the Treasury can legally get rid of pennies, but they take time, effort, and detailed planning. Trump and Elmo typically go 0/3 on that front.
I don’t think we should lambaste Trump yet if he does something the actual legal way. Patting him on the head and telling, “Good boy!” when he does it right is the sort of conditioning used with unruly toddlers.
Manyakitty
@Gin & Tonic: probably drunk on lots of Russian vodka.
Glory b
@RevRick: Exactly. This IS NOT the time to saddle up the purity pony.
Chief Oshkosh
@Waldo: Your proposal is acceptable.
davek319
@Old School: Y’know what? Fuck ’em. Live by being an ignorant royalist peasant suckass, die by same.
Oh, no, that’s right, there’s all kinds of New Deal/Great Society protection y’all can haz free gratis no charge ’cause my state contributes a portion my wealth to…your state! NEVER the other way around!
Melancholy Jaques
This is one message the we have to pound into the heads of every elected & wannabe elected Democrat every day from now till the tend of time.
Starfish (she/her)
Mainstream Democrats are sad that we want them to do more.
Glory b
@Sure Lurkalot: Ive never understood the Bernie/tech bros, except to note that embrace of Bernie seems to earn them a pass.
Melancholy Jaques
@kindness:
They don’t seem to realize that trans hate is just an extension of gay hate.
oldgold
Trump’s penny pronouncement is so damn unconstitutional it made the hair on my head hurt.
Article I, Section 8, Clause 5 is known as the coinage clause. It gives Congress the exclusive power to coin money.
In the landmark case of McCulloch v Maryland (1819) the Supreme Court, in a unanimous opinion authored by none other than Chief Justice John Marshall, interpreted clause 5 as giving Congress the sole authority to regulate every aspect of United States currency.
comrade scotts agenda of rage
@Starfish (she/her):
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/2/12/2303188/-Democratic-leaders-are-pissed-voters-want-them-to-do-their-job
WTFGhost
I heard it said the Greeks invented the idea that one should not speak ill of the dead, for they can’t defend themselves.
I would hope that Plato and Socrates and some of the other big brains would have realized “but some acts are so thoroughly litigated, there is no new defense to be had! If he was a murderer, and everyone knows it, you can *say* he’s a murderer! But if you *suspect* he murdered, you should not say so once he’s dead, because he can’t answer your charges.”
(I won’t discuss when/whether to support talking to cops about “I think he killed (person)” with ancient Greek philosophers. Why waste all the time explaining the jobs, the good things they do, and the *terrible* things they do, when you’ve got a night with big brains who love wine?)
In this case I feel I can say Hyde caused massive, obvious, objective, damage to people, and we all know it. Their argument that he can’t answer for his crimes is meaningless – we know why he did it, to win the support of a lot of people personally offended by icky medical care.
(I think the Greeks would be extra-offended at the idea “what, you can just make some pile of manure up, call it a religion, and people think that gives them the right to fuck with other citizens?”)
TONYG
@Old School: Not only are pennies worthless now, but a single dollar bill is almost worthless. There’s not much you can buy for a dollar now. Maybe eliminate all currency less than $20?
Professor Bigfoot
@Waldo: Well, that’s to be expected, isn’t it?
AM in NC
@RevRick: I’m with you. We have to stop attacking and ejecting our own for not being pure enough. If we want to win we have to gather together everyone who is an anti-fascist, and that necessarily means people we are going to disagree with about other issues.
And I am just tired of the vitriol on our side that makes me feel hopeless. I like to be right too. I am learning as I get older that maybe, just maybe, that isn’t always the most important thing.
Peace.
Professor Bigfoot
@RevRick: One of my favorite quotes is from Robert Jones Jr., whose nom de plume is “Son of Baldwin:”
“We can disagree and still love each other, unless your disagreement is rooted in my oppression, in the denial of my humanity and my right to exist.”
AM in NC
@Professor Bigfoot: Yes to that quotation. Yes, Yes, Yes.
wenchacha
@Elizabelle: On the twit place, Tizzy Ent shows how the kid tells him he’s “not the president, get out of the chair.” Also, later mouths very softly toward him, “Shut your fucking mouth up.”
Tizzy then points out that the child must have heard comments like these in his past. Sounds correct.
https://m.youtube.com/shorts/g7XQgI4ZDL0
jackmac
No tears shed for the DuPage County Board stripping Henry Hyde’s name from the county judicial center. No matter what good he did as a representative, his horrible Hyde Amendment cemented his legacy.
Let’s also not forget Hyde’s leading role in the Clinton impeachment show trial in the 1990s while decrying Clinton’s behavior. Hyde also had his own ethical challenges with an extra-marital affair he called a “youthful indiscretion” — at age 41. He was also caught up in the Saving and Loan scandals in the 1980s and was cited for “gross negligence” in an S&L failure but was not charged.
brantl
@comrade scotts agenda of rage: plus the sons of bitches would Make sure they ended prices and the values that Would round up.
divF
@Sure Lurkalot: It’s not just money. I have a friend who is gay, about the same age as Polis, and lived in Denver 25 years ago. According to my friend, Polis was, shall we say, “socially active” in the gay community, but was a gutless wonder about being gay, even back then.
brantl
@RevRick: Rev: “Praise the Lord, but keep your powder dry.” .
Citizen Alan
@Melancholy Jaques: And, like the abortion question, also a facet of misogyny. At the end of the day, this is all driven primarily by white straight Christian men who insist that we all live by the gender norms as outlined in the Bible. Gender norms which, by a remarkable coincidence, put white straight Christian men at the top and the rest of us being slowly ground into the dirt beneath their heel. The people who despise the idea of a “man” dressing in women’s clothing, using the women’s bathroom, and playing in women’s sports are all just as angry at cis-women who want to go to college and get high paying jobs instead of staying home to pop out babies.
Eolirin
@Glory b: Yep, and that’s like half the front page posts here now. Makes it hard to want to participate.
brantl
@TONYG: So you don’t buy things that cost less than 5 dollars or seven dollars (never mind seven dollars AND CHANGE)?
RaflW
Speaking of the post title, the Senate Democratic strategy of voting for some Trump nominees to try to use that as some sort of persuasion point with the few remaining ‘gettable’ Republicans has proven that the Republicans are not reachable.
Traitor Gabbard was approved with all R’s except McConnell. Which, come to think of it, shows just how little his Leader Emeritus status matters.
If he can’t lead Collins or Murkowski to vote no, the party is completely lost. It’s so far up Putin’s ass, it knows what Vlad had for lunch.
RaflW
Oh, as to Polis (as I contemplate my view of the Tenmile Range of the CO Rockies): He’s emblematic of why, to the best of our abilities, should we still have a republic in future, we Democrats need to say “thanks for your past service, but we’re a party of normal people. Multi-millionaires are welcome to get out and door knock, phone bank, and donate, but we don’t need you as candidates. You’re disconnected from much of what we believe, and the price we pay to have your candidacies is far too high.”
(I know, pipe dream. But it is how I feel about the ultra rich crowning themselves as our leaders.)
Starfish (she/her)
@RaflW: Polis bought his way into politics by spending infinity on his first school board seat, and we haven’t been rid of him since.
Gretchen
@wenchacha: Wow. I’d been looking forward to Musk and Trump falling out, but if Trump is sitting still taking that kind of abuse from a 3 year old, Musk must really have something on Trump that he can’t overcome.
Geminid
@Ceci7: Sean Casten entered Congress as part of the very talented House Class of 2018, by beating veteran Republican Rep. Peter Roskam. Casten was was one of 40 Democrats to flip seats that year. Another was the excellent Lauren Underwood from a nearby Chicago suburban seat.
Casten was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1971, to American parents. He developed a strong STEM background, earning degrees in Microbiolgy and Molecular Biology from Middlebury College and a Master’s degree in Engineering Management from Dartmouth’s Thayer School of Engineering. Later, Casten helped draft legislation that became the Northeastern Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a compact among 9 states intended to limit carbon emissions.
In 2022, redistricting led to a primary contest between Casten and Rep. Marie Newman, which Casten won. His winning margins in general elections seem to fall in the 6-8 point range. Casten is a member of the more “Moderate” Democratic caucus, the New Democrat Coalition.
Emily B.
@RevRick: I was complaining about Maine’s Jared Golden to a lefty friend who moved from NYC to his district five years ago. She told me that—while she doesn’t always like the way he votes—she has come to admire Golden a lot because he’s smart about what he needs to do to get reelected in a district that’s more red than purple.
sab
@Gretchen: What Musk has is billions in American government contracts.
Weird beyond belief, but he is too rich with our tax money for anyone in our country to challenge.