It was good to see the response to yesterday’s post. I had feared I would be accused of being Debbie Downer when I spoke of the change needed at the top of the Democratic Party. I’ve always been noted for delivering the unvarnished truth, and yesterday was no exception. I want to make it absolutely clear I AM ELATED about the resounding message delivered by the American people, but my point is that this wasn't just a message to Trump; it was a repudiation of a broken political system that has failed to serve the interests of the people.
I listened with a sense of horror as Schumer and Jeffries began to lay the groundwork for doing little to hold those accountable for destroying everything the world believed America stood for. As I said yesterday, I’ve seen this movie before, and I hate to say it, but this is a symptom of a party held hostage by corporate interests. They are floating test balloons to see just how invested the American people are in holding Trump and his acolytes to account, to see if they can get away with more of the same old, same old.
Leadership, in my view, needs to step aside for the good of the nation and their party’s credibility. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome is the definition of insanity, and this opportunity for change won’t come again anytime soon. Unless they stop taking the drugs, which leads them to believe the American people have fallen back in love with the Democrats, there is no hope. It will empower Republicans to believe, as they always have, that Democrats don’t have the killer instinct to deliver change.
It’s time to begin introducing a comprehensive slew of ethics legislation to outlaw members trading stocks. EVERY presidential candidate MUST fully declare BY LAW all their financial interests; if they fail the required vetting for top-level security clearance, they should be barred from running. No president should be allowed to govern purely by Executive Order. Term limits for members of both Houses need to be addressed along with Supreme Court nominees. Democrat lawmakers should lay down legislation to close EVERY loophole that has allowed Trump to seize power and make the billions he has made. I would even go so far as to put legislation on Trump’s desk to go after all money that arose from corruption while in office. This is NOT about retribution; it’s about identifying weaknesses in the checks and balances and closing the door on corruption.
I would set up a small team of legislators whose sole task for the next two years is to deliver value for money to the American people. Flood the zone with legislation that will place Republicans on record as voting against the interests of the American people. Just as Russell Vought promised to traumatise civil servants, it’s time to terrorise those who have been stealing from the American people for decades. Democrats have commanding majorities in both Houses. That MUST NOT be turned into an opportunity for corporate Democrats to fill their pockets for the next two years. It MUST be used to get money out of politics and stamp out the corruption that is eating US politics alive. Make public service a vocation, not a business opportunity. That should be for when members leave public life.
Now, the legislative agenda. The key is not to worry whether Donny De Veto will use the Veto power; let him go ahead and do it, get the whole Republican establishment on record as voting against restoring Roe v. Wade and overturning Citizens United, gun reform and the codification of the Voting Rights Act. Democrats have a House majority big enough to do it all. Will most of it fall? Of course it will, but what a perpetual ad to run between now and 2028; I’ll even do the ads for free. Forget the top 10%; now it’s time to prioritise the bottom 90% and rebuild the true middle class through social mobility. Breathe life back into the American dream. A dream that Donny Krueger has turned into a ‘Nightmare on Main Street’.
I can absolutely guarantee that if Democrats do this, they will carry this landslide into 2028 with a mandate to deliver the kind of transformative change Americans have been denied for far too long. It’s a one-time opportunity that won’t come again. There has never been a more capable, more committed group of hungry new legislators frothing at the mouth to get started on delivering change; it’s time for ‘Yes we can’ to become ‘Now we will’. Let the voices of change off the leash. Banish the fear and bring on the bold and the audacious; make power for good count because time is short.
If I have one fear, it’s not whether all of the above can be achieved; I’m certain it can. My fear is that the AI bubble that Trump and his enablers have bet the house on will burst while Democrats hold the balance of power. If it does, as I suspect it will, what Democrats do in response to what will be a catastrophic economic correction could leave them holding an economic IED when the music stops. That’s when the true test of leadership will begin, because Trump will simply sit back and claim it’s all on the Democrats. People need to understand the big picture and, above all, Democrats need to be prepared.
As some might know, I have been building a civic information hub. Right now, it is quietly flying under the radar. It has little traction, but I promise you, it could become an essential tool for good. It’s not for politicians; it’s a tool for the people to hold their politicians to account. I believe the Truth Matters Project will become an indispensable FREE public-facing tool that every American can trust to provide a level of transparency long missing in the public square.
It’s not a dream; it’s not a proposal; it’s already been built and deployed. It’s live for you to see and play with TODAY. Visit the Matter of Record and Truth Matters websites to see for yourself. You’ll see a live prototype I built with help from Anthropic’s Claude. It truly represents harnessing AI for good and is the culmination of over three years’ work. Claude helped build and deploy the technical architecture under my direction, in a little over five weeks. It is a testament to how data can be used as a tool to deliver the kind of education and services that currently exist only in pieces dotted around the internet. Over the coming weeks, it will be filled with new content that will inform and promote critical thinking.
At the outset of developing the project, I said I didn’t want people to take my word for it when I said I had a vision for a better way to deliver transparency and a library of resources to promote critical thinking. I said I would put my money where my mouth is and build it for people to make their own judgment. In the coming weeks, I’ll begin rolling out new updates to the system to introduce you to something I’m calling ‘The Kitchen Table’. A space where everyday Americans can use primary-source data to explore how legislation and government policy affect their lives. It’s a simple interface to use that takes the complexity out of complicated.
It gives users a chance to get to know the people they elected to represent them, so they can assess whether members they sent to Washington are serving them or the special interests that have dominated US politics. The Truth Matters Project has two parts.
Matter of Record. A completely FREE, public-facing, nonpartisan Civic Data Hub that lets you see how your elected representative has participated in the legislative process and where their funding comes from. You can look at ANY law and examine the impact it might have on your life and your family’s well-being. It’s NOT just a static resource of tables and confusing data. Yes, for the nerds and policy wonks, you get access to all the data under the hood. But for everyday Americans, you get an easy-to-understand kitchen-table view of the impact on you.
Truth Matters. A new website that extends my political and social advocacy work beyond my Substack writing and social media. It will offer a curated library of written work and media, plus a wealth of knowledge from experts in economics, social justice, and many other important issues that extend beyond domestic politics to foreign affairs and climate change. This will be the place to visit for my assessments of the day’s events. A place where I analyse the impact of legislative action through a lens shaped by my sociopolitical values.
For the record, I built this entire resource with total portability in mind. Any resource that provides transparency and promotes critical thinking WILL attract the attention of those for whom the truth and transparency are a threat. I’m pretty sure those with malign intent will attack it. The site is backed up in multiple locations beyond the reach of an internet connection and can be hosted on servers well beyond the reach of big tech.
When you visit either site, you don’t need to sign in to access the available resources. For the Truth Matters site, you’ll be able to subscribe and sign in when both sites officially launch on the day the 120th Congress is seated in January 2027. In the meantime, during the project’s final development phase, both sites will be live but in preview until the final release in January.
If you would like updates up to launch and beyond, plus the chance to attend live Zoom sessions to ask questions and get private previews of upcoming features, click here to sign up. All you need is your email address; I’ll handle the rest. I understand that trust is paramount, and to that end, please rest assured that this is not a hobby; the Truth Matters Project is now an official organisation with a registered address, and is registered with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office for data protection purposes.
I’d like to think that with over 500 Substack articles under my belt, I have served my apprenticeship. What you see is what you get. No pretence, no populist clickbait, just the unvarnished truth delivered without fear or favour every day. To date, this Substack community and I have funded the project to this stage. It has NO investors other than me and those who donate and subscribe to this newsletter.
I believe people must fund this type of project. For transparency, I can’t fund this on my own, so it will stand or fall on people’s willingness to invest in me and make it happen. I’ve built it. It’s not a vision or just words; it’s VERY REAL, and I have the lack of sleep to prove it.
If you’d like to chip in, click anywhere on the image below. Since the project is split into two, you can choose what to support. You can support this newsletter, the nonpartisan civic data hub, my Truth Matters advocacy site, or all three. I believe that to win in 2028, we need a collective effort to put all the tools in place early, and that’s what the Truth Matters Project is all about. Nobody will be sending you begging emails if you sign up; it will just be updates as I work toward the final release on the day the 120th Congress is seated.
On Monday, I’ll discuss the real opportunity Democrats have to change the world. I’ll do my best to outline a few innovative proposals to show the American people that Democrats are serious about the challenges ahead.
Thoughtful, inclusive, encompassing article and excellent goals. Well done!
We have *very *little *time to make the statement and take clear, powerful, we-mean-business-don’t-test-us actions that drive that message home to the euphoric, newly elected Democrats.
So, how do we do it? What are the first, clear steps? What, exactly, should we do?
We have not elected saints and saviors. We are looking at humans who have the same motivations and weaknesses that those they replace have. In short, we must be crystal clear that the same fate awaits any D who tests the will and wellbeing of those who elected them.
What do we do to effectively, immediately, put them on notice?
Yes , Americans want real change to remedy the weaknesses of the system . These two expired leaders have had their chance …. Times up . We need new voices . Repair is needed but also a new perspective and big changes .
And yes - accountability…. Crimes were committed… laws apply to everyone . We want those who broke laws to be prosecuted. Jeffries made a huge blunder …. He’s out of touch with the rage of the people.
And I agree with most of your points that need to be addressed so the corruption is checked . But we also need to correct the SCOTUS errors . Reinstated Roe v Wade . End Citizens United . SCOTUS term and age limits and ethics rules should be strictly enforced - a few need to be impeached for their actions and their behavior. It’s a long list and frankly neither Schumer or Jeffries has what it takes . We need change at all levels . And frankly - we are out of patience . Wake up democrats…. We need to grab this bull by the horns . It’s now or never .