Thank you coach 🫡

5) Dems showed (a) it's possible to get something out of "shutting down the government" despite what the pundits said, and (b) that they could hold together for 40 days. It's not a policy win, but it changes expectations for what they can do in the future, strengthening their negotiating position.

4) Senate Dems did get something out of the negotiations w/r/t power of the purse. They protected the legislative branch, notably GAO. But it's something they already had that was under threat, not something they won. Same is true with the RIFs. Same is true with SNAP.

We know this because he told us.

The reality is the government was shut down the first day Trump entered office. We just didn't talk about it that way.

The only real leverage Dems had is on appropriations. Schumer screwed that up in February/March for FY 26. It imperiled his political support.

3. Republicans were playing good cop, bad cop, crazy cop.

Good cop: Senate Republicans
Bad cop: House Republicans (Johnson)
Crazy cop: Russ Vought + Trump

Vought's plan was always to use impoundment/rescissions/starving people + firing feds to force Dems to surrender on the power of the purse.

2) If it weren't these eight, others would have been found to get the Senate to exactly 60. This is pursuant to a strategy.

Their goal was to partner with more 'reasonable' Senate Republicans to pass full year CRs that reflected bipartisan priorities.

The way I’ve been running 6-7 miles every day and slowly getting into strength training…. We are back