Robb Smith
@robbsmithideas.bsky.social
Over 30 years working with nonprofits and unions; political consultant; voting rights lawyer; author of the Margin of Error blog, a newsletter for progressives on polling, campaigns, public participation, and election law: https://moeblog.substack.com/
Until we have a federal government that is not trying to destroy everything we have accomplished, we will need the states to once again be laboratories of democracy.
commonwealthbeacon.org/opinion/we-c...
commonwealthbeacon.org/opinion/we-c...
We can't sit idle as Washington pulls the plug on the Massachusetts innovation economy - CommonWealth Beacon
The Commonwealth needs to act boldly and creatively to respond to the threats to its innovation economy. Fighting to reverse these moves in Washington should be a top priority, but we surely can’t cou...
commonwealthbeacon.org
December 14, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Until we have a federal government that is not trying to destroy everything we have accomplished, we will need the states to once again be laboratories of democracy.
commonwealthbeacon.org/opinion/we-c...
commonwealthbeacon.org/opinion/we-c...
Republican's 2026 slogan: Quit Whining! You Have Too Much Already.
Trump: "You can give up certain products. You could give up pencils. Because under the China policy, every child can get 37 pencils. They only need 1 or 2. They don't need that many. You always need steel. You don't need 37 dolls for your daughter. 2 or 3 is nice. So we're doing things right."
December 10, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Republican's 2026 slogan: Quit Whining! You Have Too Much Already.
7th Tennessee CD: Right now, it looks like Democrat Aftyn Behn is overperforming in the district by 18-22 points. This district went for Trump by 22 points in 2024. She still might not win, but it looks like it is going to be close.
December 3, 2025 at 2:02 AM
7th Tennessee CD: Right now, it looks like Democrat Aftyn Behn is overperforming in the district by 18-22 points. This district went for Trump by 22 points in 2024. She still might not win, but it looks like it is going to be close.
Tennessee voters in the 7th District - Election Day is TUESDAY DECEMBER 2nd (tomorrow). Ignore and discard anything that tells you otherwise.
Skullduggery? 7th District mailers with no attribution or return address going out to Democratic Nashville voters, listing the incorrect date for Election Day.
December 1, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Tennessee voters in the 7th District - Election Day is TUESDAY DECEMBER 2nd (tomorrow). Ignore and discard anything that tells you otherwise.
Brazil shows us that you can take a fascist who tried to overthrow the government and throw him in jail rather than let him run around for four years and then elect him president again.
Breaking:
BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro begins serving 27-year prison sentence.
BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro begins serving 27-year prison sentence.
November 25, 2025 at 11:28 PM
Brazil shows us that you can take a fascist who tried to overthrow the government and throw him in jail rather than let him run around for four years and then elect him president again.
Reposted by Robb Smith
The mutinous mood of the senators — who include Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, Tina Smith of Minnesota, Christopher S. Murphy of Connecticut, Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts — reflects the widespread doubts among the Democratic base that party leaders in Congress have…
November 25, 2025 at 3:41 AM
The mutinous mood of the senators — who include Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, Tina Smith of Minnesota, Christopher S. Murphy of Connecticut, Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts — reflects the widespread doubts among the Democratic base that party leaders in Congress have…
Reposted by Robb Smith
“There are some stories where there are no winners—only losers. This is one of those stories.”
Moral rot in elite journalism is killing the whole field
The Nuzzi/RFK Jr. mess and the revelation of Epstein’s journo pals lay bare a profound moral absence at the heart of our free press.
www.thehandbasket.co
November 22, 2025 at 1:28 PM
“There are some stories where there are no winners—only losers. This is one of those stories.”
Reposted by Robb Smith
I really did not have “Kathy Hochul understands this political moment better than almost anyone else in the Democratic Party” on my bingo card but here we are
Governor Hochul on Elise Stefanik doubling down on her claims that Mamdani is a “jihadist.”
Video: Kathy Hochul via X (@KathyHochul)
Video: Kathy Hochul via X (@KathyHochul)
November 23, 2025 at 12:07 AM
I really did not have “Kathy Hochul understands this political moment better than almost anyone else in the Democratic Party” on my bingo card but here we are
Thanksgiving Dinner: Six talking points for dealing with your MAGA family
November 20, 2025
moeblog.substack.com
November 20, 2025 at 10:17 PM
Well, this is interesting. Speaker Mike Johnson appeared kind of shaken up after finding out that the Senate passed the resolution on the Epstein files. He told a reporter that there were "problems" with the bill and it needed amendments. He seemed to suggest that Trump would veto it.
November 19, 2025 at 9:33 PM
Well, this is interesting. Speaker Mike Johnson appeared kind of shaken up after finding out that the Senate passed the resolution on the Epstein files. He told a reporter that there were "problems" with the bill and it needed amendments. He seemed to suggest that Trump would veto it.
Reposted by Robb Smith
* How did GJ foreperson sign on behalf of all 12 grand jurors if they never saw or voted on the 2nd Indictment itself?
* Why is the ink color different be/the 2 indictments?
* How can Halligan reconcile these facts with the Rule that says “A grand jury may indict only if at least 12 jurors concur”?
* Why is the ink color different be/the 2 indictments?
* How can Halligan reconcile these facts with the Rule that says “A grand jury may indict only if at least 12 jurors concur”?
4. But that second indictment was never presented to or voted on by the grand jury
Instead, the foreperson and Halligan signed it, and it was handed up in open court.
The result is that the operative indictment in the Comey case is one that the grand jury did not actually vote on.
Instead, the foreperson and Halligan signed it, and it was handed up in open court.
The result is that the operative indictment in the Comey case is one that the grand jury did not actually vote on.
November 19, 2025 at 7:00 PM
* How did GJ foreperson sign on behalf of all 12 grand jurors if they never saw or voted on the 2nd Indictment itself?
* Why is the ink color different be/the 2 indictments?
* How can Halligan reconcile these facts with the Rule that says “A grand jury may indict only if at least 12 jurors concur”?
* Why is the ink color different be/the 2 indictments?
* How can Halligan reconcile these facts with the Rule that says “A grand jury may indict only if at least 12 jurors concur”?
Reposted by Robb Smith
If you’re in NY, you absolutely should follow and join the efforts of the @nywfp.bsky.social. They are ACTIVE and ON THE BALL and a big part (along with many other parts) of how Mamdani won.
This is a good time to join the WFP @workingfamilies.org I'm a broken record and if they ain't going to learn they need to learn by us not cooperating with their party anymore and building a political force that is so big that can hold different tenants but still have values.
November 10, 2025 at 3:37 PM
If you’re in NY, you absolutely should follow and join the efforts of the @nywfp.bsky.social. They are ACTIVE and ON THE BALL and a big part (along with many other parts) of how Mamdani won.
Reposted by Robb Smith
A reminder - last March, republicans promised to restore $1.1B in funding to DC in exchange for funding the government, and Mike Johnson never took it up in the House.
a cartoon girl in a blue dress is kneeling in a field holding a bag
ALT: a cartoon girl in a blue dress is kneeling in a field holding a bag
media.tenor.com
November 10, 2025 at 2:07 AM
A reminder - last March, republicans promised to restore $1.1B in funding to DC in exchange for funding the government, and Mike Johnson never took it up in the House.
Reposted by Robb Smith
Hard to see @schumer.senate.gov being able to stay in leadership after this or in the senate, he was not the man for this moment
November 10, 2025 at 1:55 AM
Hard to see @schumer.senate.gov being able to stay in leadership after this or in the senate, he was not the man for this moment
Reposted by Robb Smith
Never forget who sold us out:
Hassan
King
Cortez-Masto
Shaheen
Kaine
Fetterman
Durbin
Rosen
Hassan
King
Cortez-Masto
Shaheen
Kaine
Fetterman
Durbin
Rosen
November 10, 2025 at 2:26 AM
Never forget who sold us out:
Hassan
King
Cortez-Masto
Shaheen
Kaine
Fetterman
Durbin
Rosen
Hassan
King
Cortez-Masto
Shaheen
Kaine
Fetterman
Durbin
Rosen
Reposted by Robb Smith
Jesus Christ, @kaine.senate.gov, getting a pinky promise to hold one single vote on ACA funding is not "a path toward fixing the health care mess" anymore than a lottery ticket is a "path toward fixing my personal finances"
“Um well there aren’t even any Senate Dem Press releases saying they support the deal”
Sen Tim Kaine: Hold my beer
Sen Tim Kaine: Hold my beer
November 10, 2025 at 12:20 AM
Jesus Christ, @kaine.senate.gov, getting a pinky promise to hold one single vote on ACA funding is not "a path toward fixing the health care mess" anymore than a lottery ticket is a "path toward fixing my personal finances"
This is insanely naive, @kaine.senate.gov
November 10, 2025 at 12:42 AM
This is insanely naive, @kaine.senate.gov
Reposted by Robb Smith
This isn’t very hard, folks.
November 10, 2025 at 12:09 AM
This isn’t very hard, folks.
I am starting to think that the message from voters last Tuesday is that all Democratic incumbents must face primary challenges.
November 10, 2025 at 12:40 AM
I am starting to think that the message from voters last Tuesday is that all Democratic incumbents must face primary challenges.
Johnson has already said he will not hold a vote on ACA subsidies, so every GOP senator can vote yes knowing it will lose. What is wrong with you, @democrats.senate.gov ?
November 10, 2025 at 12:37 AM
Johnson has already said he will not hold a vote on ACA subsidies, so every GOP senator can vote yes knowing it will lose. What is wrong with you, @democrats.senate.gov ?
We need a primary challenge for every @democrats.senate.gov that votes to support Trump and the Republicans today. Make no mistake, that’s what they are doing bc both are liars & cannot be trusted. How do you not understand that by now?
November 10, 2025 at 12:29 AM
We need a primary challenge for every @democrats.senate.gov that votes to support Trump and the Republicans today. Make no mistake, that’s what they are doing bc both are liars & cannot be trusted. How do you not understand that by now?
Any @democrats.senate.gov who vote to reopen the government on this weak sauce agreement can forget about any support from me in the future. No money, no volunteering, no votes. I will provide all three to your primary opponents.
November 10, 2025 at 12:19 AM
Any @democrats.senate.gov who vote to reopen the government on this weak sauce agreement can forget about any support from me in the future. No money, no volunteering, no votes. I will provide all three to your primary opponents.
I tried. Both CA senators have messages saying the office is closed and to call back tomorrow. Schiff’s msg said I could leave a vm but the box was full. @schiff.senate.gov @padilla.senate.gov
November 9, 2025 at 11:05 PM
I tried. Both CA senators have messages saying the office is closed and to call back tomorrow. Schiff’s msg said I could leave a vm but the box was full. @schiff.senate.gov @padilla.senate.gov
I am a California resident and I vote in every election. Do not cave, @schiff.senate.gov & @padilla.senate.gov! The GOP is responsible for everything that’s happening & they cannot be trusted. I will remember this vote.
November 9, 2025 at 10:52 PM
I am a California resident and I vote in every election. Do not cave, @schiff.senate.gov & @padilla.senate.gov! The GOP is responsible for everything that’s happening & they cannot be trusted. I will remember this vote.
Tried to call @schiff.senate.gov & @padilla.senate.gov today before they voted to reopen the govt w/o ACA guarantees but no vm and a msg to call tomorrow, which could be after they voted. Hold out, dammit!
November 9, 2025 at 10:49 PM
Tried to call @schiff.senate.gov & @padilla.senate.gov today before they voted to reopen the govt w/o ACA guarantees but no vm and a msg to call tomorrow, which could be after they voted. Hold out, dammit!