The real Dem bombshell – the new coalition’s breakthrough fusion of agendas and values

Dems can Make America Decent Again (MADA) by pooling resources, thinking big, and acting boldly

Progressives endure high anxiety when retrograde Democrats, pawns of backward thinking, corporate money or entrenched power, act like dinosaur Republicans. Yes, that John Fetterman. The new team of winning breakthrough Democrats now boasts an historic edge, with exceptional bridges to progressive partners bringing momentous committee power to bear. Rookie outsiders have instant, willing insiders on board.

Sure, a party so diverse in geography, backgrounds, and cultural diversity (with stunning “firsts” this midterm on age, gender, sexuality, and ethnicity) has significant differences. Progressive leadership, though delayed, is inevitable. But integrating so many tough-talking newbies with D.C. veterans like Sanders, AOC, Elizabeth Warren, Chris van Hallen, Ro Khanna, Robert Garcia and Jamie Raskin, and more, define an historic coalition that can impressively solidify power. Demolishing the worst of Trumpism is only the first, though critical step. Genuine, lasting solutions must embody new thinking and real reforms that displace MAGA corruption, abuses of power, rejection of diplomacy, politics as get-rich scams, weaponizing the DOJ, and economic manipulations that hurt working people (lawless tariffs, fabricated inflation, wage stagnation, AI/oligarchic over-reach, pushing fossil fuel instead of climate change). Throwing the bums out, even curbing the worst of Trumpism, only kickstart the uprising.

For Dems to succeed, positives must reverse intolerable, unAmerican, Constitution-scorning outlaws. Who recalls when so many progressive Dem oldsters can embrace inspired, new change agents who talk the same language and rode the same democratic values to election? Who recalls such a monumental pendulum shift – and the potential for a New Progressive Era that revives the New Deal? This coalition matters as much as the election blue tsunami.

The transition, like the medium, is the message

Though for years Bernie Sanders, the great unifying visionary and progressive swamp warrior, was, like AOC, a party outlier, look how their once “radical” agenda pilots the party agenda:

1) If not Medicare for All, at least restoring devastating Trump health care cuts, even lowering eligibility age, expanding benefits, and eliminating out-of-pocket expenses. Recovery of SNAP and Medicaid programs, with emergency assistance to vulnerable rural hospitals, should be high on the docket as well.

2) Defense of besieged democratic institutions by attacking presumptuous billionaire oligarchs acting like they run the country (DOGE, subsidies for awful vanity projects, Trump family payoffs). Leading the new throng, Sanders proposes upwards of $4 trillion in wealth taxes by 2035, channeled into financial relief for working families, tuition-free public colleges, a surge of affordable housing units, and universal childcare. Hordes of Dems will push hard to raise the federal minimum wage to at least $20 an hour.

3) Sanders and colleagues (even Rethugs) demand the end to the Iranian disaster, reduce military aid to Israel, and reconfirm support for Ukraine as the freedom-fighting bulwark against Putin imperialism.

4) Progressive Democrats set the stage for immediate scrutiny of shameless Trump family corruptions and outlawry that infects appointees. That covers financial dealings, conflicts of interest, self-enrichment, emoluments, blackmail, crypto, pardons and payola-driven abuses. How many newly-elected members of Congress didn’t absolutely win on these issues, often using the same language, a mammoth rejection of spineless, acquiescent Republicans enabling neofascistic blows to America.

Ditto, House leaders Garcia and Rankin, plus others, with strong support to eviscerate the barbarous illegalities done by DHS and ICE. What savvy Democrat won’t embrace serious immigration reforms that stop cruel, homicidal detention facilities and committing inhumanity in the name of profits? That’s directly aligned with corporate corruption, consumer exploitation, pernicious ties to Trumpworld, discriminatory online pricing and other predations that steal from working families. That includes the woeful regulation of AI data plants, a first target for both intact and newly-minted progressive governors now in charge. Then comes exposing the indefensible Jeffrey Epstein coverup about which all Dems and a slew of Rethugs demand full adherence to laws on the books. That’s a slam-dunk and another nail in the Trump coffin.

In short, a new Dem consensus is in charge and will grow with successes. How in line with progressive Ro Khanna’s “next New Deal” agenda: 1) Medicare-for-all; 2) $25 living wage; 3) End the Iran War; 4. Reduce aid to Israeli genocide; 5) Tax the billionaires; and 6) Make Trump Hoover when he vetoes this popular upsurge.

Reforms spurred by more of Trump’s doubling-down

Even suspect, establishment Dem leadership will be forced to embrace comprehensive, hard-wired muckraking. Notable is when centrist voices, here Jennifer Rubin, sound like democratic socialists:

1) resist every significant Trump initiative, thus defunding the war and ICE, canceling Medicaid cuts, and halting confirmation of reactionary judges. Amp up leverage and shut down the government if necessary.

2) robust investigations of Trump’s massive graft, involvement in the Epstein pedophile scandal, and systemic wrongdoing in office. Pursue impeachment of Cabinet officials (beginning with Hegseth and Blanche) then, as prudent, Trump himself (with care not to fuel his knee-jerk phony martyrdom).

Rubin (the ex-Republican) further signals how new pressures demand new positions, prepping for 2028: a dramatic agenda, including Supreme Court expansion, pushing the handful of now-Dem controlled states to establish the overall popular vote as the decisive count (thus bypassing the Electoral College), radical expansion of voting rights (e.g., elimination of extreme gerrymandering, Constitutional right to vote), tenacious enforcement of antitrust law and tech regulation, and extensive tax reform (ending the reverse Robin Hood tax giveaway, the core of income inequality). How about restoring industrial regulations that protect water, air, soil, endangered species and key national wildlife/ wilderness treasures from mining?

In short, what an incredible, exceptional consensus is on tap for January. The big push will counteract the worst of MAGA Trump, even begin to repair what’s readily reparable (shocking damage to election integrity, let alone major overseas alliances will take longer). Congress can reverse whatever funding Trump concocted to help Putin and censure a seditious president, let alone one who stands with the awful Stephen Miller pick.

Times, they are a-changin’, finally

Admittedly, establishment Democrats have been vulnerable to severe criticism, especially when backing the military-industrial complex and/or supporting decades of misguided, counterproductive military/economic global intrusions. Finally, a growing majority can start to rein in the worst misadventures of a rogue Commander-in-chief. Enough brouhaha exposing massive corruption and illegalities could well spur military resistance to grossly illegal orders, both domestic and overseas. Street protestors will look like patriots.

At the least, reform leverage must reestablish and protect the absolute sanctity of majority rule, thus taking on unspeakable election denial. Why not insist all candidates are bound to certified results (post legitimate legal challenges)? Any self-serving traitors who reject elections only because they lose face huge fines or worse. Similarly, any creeps who violate, illegally raid and arrest, then abuse legally-protected citizens or residents must be censured, impeached and/or face prosecution. That would impede outlawry. How many Dems would object to doing whatever it takes to stop the sadistic Torturer-in-chief’s reign of terror?

Finally, I expect progressive Dems to work to defuse money in politics, as promised, starting with laws that restrain corporate PACs, even eviscerate Citizens United with state oversight. Prohibitions against stock trading by electedofficials are open to legislative control; ditto, massive penalties for all federal judges prone to influence peddling andtaking/hiding illegal gifts. In sum, Democrats new and old have received clear marching orders from the voters. Failure to move expeditiously and aggressively would be a gross betrayal, risking a reversal of the multi-year voting patterns favoring Dems. In these terms, the new Dem coalition is especially geared to battle the cancer of MAGA Trump and its residual powers. The times, they are a-changin’ and progressive Dems, new and old, lead the redemption of America. No one else can do it.