November 9, 2024
Sadness, Then Renewal
by Linda Bobrin

This past week has been a roller coaster. I felt so joyful and certain leading up to the election that this was it, history would happen. The deep disappointment that followed has been overwhelming. I know I am not alone in this feeling. I’ve seen the many posts on social media as well as the emails and text messages sharing the sense of sadness.

It will take some time to regroup and to feel up to moving forward.

There is a tendency to rethink the campaign and to discuss what went wrong. There will be plenty of time for that in the coming months. In the meantime, I think we all need a break.

The amount of work you all did was phenomenal. Yes, it wasn’t enough to win, but it was important, and it was inspiring. As an organization we got approximately 60 new volunteers, we received donations higher than in past years and we were able to door knock, phone bank, postcard and more.

I am hoping we can keep up that level of activism as we move forward. It is appealing to just say no more, I’m done. Believe me, I’ve thought about that as much as anyone. But we cannot give in or give up. There are going to be big fights ahead. We will be unhappy with a lot of what’s coming but we had wins the last time this happened and we will hopefully have more in the future.

In the near future, we have municipal races and county row races in 2025. We need to focus on our local municipalities and win those seats.

We will need to lean on each other in the coming weeks and months and try to keep each other focused on the races ahead. If we give up, we lose. I hope you will join me in the upcoming fight. I need all of you to keep me going. At the moment, I too am feeling a deep sense of grief and disappointment in my country. Perhaps the focus of our next fight will help us move forward.

I thank each and every one of you who worked on this campaign. Your work and commitment is deeply appreciated. We live to fight another day. I look forward to seeing you next week at our Newtown Dems meeting.

With deep respect and affection, I thank you and look forward to working with you in the future.

Sincerely,

Linda

May 29, 2023
I'm a Democrat — This is why I'm asking Bucks Republicans to stop Trump
By Martin J. Raffel

Republicans can and should vote Donald Trump out in the 2024 primary election.

If you believe contrary to all credible evidence that the 2020 election was stolen and that the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol was, as the Republican National Committee described it, “legitimate political discourse,” then feel free to stop reading. This opinion piece is not for you. On the other hand, if you are a Republican leader who believes in the sanctity of American democracy and respects the Constitution, like the patriotic Ronald Reagan, I beseech you. Please do everything in your power to prevent former President Donald Trump from returning to the White House. That means speaking out publicly before it is too late about the clear and present danger this lying authoritarian demagogue poses to our beloved country.

Sure, we Democrats bear responsibility here too. But our votes will only come into play in the November 2024 general election. On the other hand, Republicans have a chance to stop the possibility of another Trump presidency before we reach that point. Currently, he’s the leading Republican presidential candidate by far according to polls. This is due in part because of divided support among multiple candidates — a mistake Republicans made in 2016. Also, let’s face it, Trump has the impregnable loyalty of a solid percentage of the party’s voters who live in a far-right news "bubble" and refuse to accept reality.

I’m a liberal Democrat. Our views on abortion, gun safety, immigration, the environment, tax policy and many other domestic and foreign policy issues are very different. That’s why I’ll vote for Joe Biden in 2024. I fully expect you to want a candidate whose policies differ from Biden’s. I get it. Maybe you’re willing to overlook Trump’s misogyny. In his deposition in the E. Jean Carroll sexual assault and defamation case — she won — Trump stated that stars, “unfortunately or fortunately,” have been sexually assaulting women “for a million years.” Asked if he considered himself a star, Trump replied, “I think you can say that, yeah.” He’s the same sexual predator who, on the infamous “Hollywood Access” tape, spoke about grabbing women in their private parts.

I abhor the idea of this amoral former president returning to the Oval Office. But even more than his atrocious behavior toward women, or the fact that he is criminally indicted in one jurisdiction with probably more indictments to come, or his racism and xenophobia, what gives me the worst nightmare? It’s the fear that this volatile narcissist, who thinks he’s smarter than the generals and does not believe in the fundamentals of American democracy, could once again become commander-in-chief with access to the nuclear codes.

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, the self-proclaimed most independent member of Congress, I’m looking directly at you. You acknowledged Biden’s legitimate election. You know Trump has been lying. You said Jan. 6 was an “attempted coup.” If you don’t think Trump is suited to be in the White House, say so now before it’s too late. Your continued silence only abets Trump’s effort to become the Republican candidate in 2024. In the end, he may be the candidate, but, at least, you would have done the right thing. And history will look kindly on you.

I’m also looking at other Republican leaders in Bucks County as well. You have a voice. Use it. And I’m looking at rank and file Republicans who need to make it clear to public officials, to their friends and relatives, however much they may disagree with President Biden on matters of policy, returning Trump to the White House is a non-starter.

April 2, 2023
Golden Years... On $30 Per Month
by Steve Cickay

A recent article by Associated Press reporter Matt Sedensky, “In nursing homes, impoverished live final days on pennies,” exposed the hardships so many of our elderly experience in nursing homes across our great nation. We should and can do better.

The article reminds us that we are failing the test Hubert Humphrey challenged us with many decades ago: “The moral test of government is how it treats those.. who are in the twilight of life, the elderly.”

What touched my soul was the story of Philadelphia nursing home resident Alex Morisey, a Quaker who spent his life serving others, who now has trouble replacing his tattered shorts or even buying a can of Diet Pepsi.

As Sedensky explains:

Incredibly the personal needs allowance rate hasn’t changed in 36 years and some receive a mere $30 a month.

The personal needs allowance has received scant attention in Congress. Notes Sedensky:

Congress should be hard at work helping those in need by passing legislation to link the Medicaid personal stipend to the cost-of-living index.

Our leaders should be addressing real problems real Americans face every day. Our senior citizens should not be spending their golden years wondering whether their toothpaste will last until the end of the month in our great United States of America.