It’s JUST Politics

  Dear Senator Gallego, I attended your town hall last night and I have to say I was disappointed.    I would say that I participated, but since it was a teleconference (not even modern videoconferencing!) I was placed in a queue and wasn’t even pre-screened to be placed in the short line that actually was able to ask questions.    The medium that you chose downplayed the outrage that many of your constituents feel.    I’m also disappointed that you have yet to acknowledge, much less respond to any of my correspondence, so this is an open letter.  My questions: Will you acknowledge that we are in a constitutional crisis?    The latest egregious example of which is the Executive Order: ENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY FOR ALL AGENCIES Arizona attorney general Kris Mayes is on record using the word “coup”, do you support her efforts to actively battle Trump/Musk/DOGE?   Related: Why don’t you use stronger, more accurate, language when spe...

 “It’s just politics.” No, it is not. I’m angry about what has happened to—and is happening in—U.S. politics today. I say this with absolute respect for others’ personal beliefs and political affiliations: if you are not mad too, you are not paying attention to what’s actually happening—and you are a huge part of the problem. I don’t say that lightly, and I don’t say it with malice. Please bear with me. I’ve seen “That’s just/only/simply politics” used as a rationale for what’s going on in the Trump/Vance/Musk administration. No, it is not just politics. It is not something we should expect or accept. Below, I use the word “just” in that sense, but even more importantly, as an adjective—with synonyms like reasonable, proper, correct, righteous, and lawful:  • Free, fair, and accessible elections are just politics.  • Ensuring Congress, the judiciary, and the executive branch uphold their constitutional roles is just politics.  • Respecting the rule of law is just pol...