Mastering the art of storytelling to drive change.
Hypocrisy on democracy: The machinations of Joe Manchin
Will Democrats finally nuke the filibuster to save democracy — and themselves?
Redskins owner should rename team the “Washington Greenbacks”
A feeling of gratitude on the fifth anniversary of Unlock Congress
Presidential race may portend final elimination of the Senate filibuster
Left, middle or right, The Fulcrum gives Americans a fresh chance to unite
...what would be the best way for us — and all Americans — to become better connected and more informed? Not just about the causes of our government's breakdown, but more importantly, the real work being done on the ground that is already generating real wins.
Read MoreThe Second American Revolution: 5-Minute Boot Camp For Unrigging Our Government
On a piece of parchment that birthed this country, our founders emphasized that lawmakers would derive “their just Powers from the consent of the governed.” That’s us. But those words have become a bad joke. We do not truly grant our “consent” anymore — and the reason is because our system is rigged.
Read MoreThe money flood
"I think people are under the impression that the corruption only involves somebody handing over a check and getting a favor. And that’s not the case. The corruption, the bribery, call it, because ultimately that’s what it is—that’s what the whole system is..."
Read MorePolitical cash and the filibuster conspire to prevent gun safety laws
...this mass shooting did, once again, focus the spotlight back on the gun debate - and it is worth examining in deeper terms than the stale, red-blue political conflict that plays out on TV like an old rerun.
Read MoreThe next Amendment
...Gregory Watson decided to take his long shot more than thirty years ago. He was just a college student in 1982. Was he interested in politics? Definitely. Did he have any inkling that he was going to have the kind of impact once reserved for the likes of Jefferson and Madison? Not in a million years.
Read MoreThe political problem that’s just as important as the presidency
...If we let one candidate or one presidential race divide us even further from the place where we already find ourselves, then we’ve all lost the election, no matter which party wins.
Read MoreTo “drain the swamp” – dilute the money flood
And all of that begging is not for nothing. The flood of money buys access and influence. Former U.S. Senator and Representative Tim Wirth (D-CO), who left office 20 years ago, has described the current environment as “getting paid for political outcomes” and “legalized corruption.” And Wirth sad that was child’s play compared to today.
Read MoreThree ways Congress can muscle up to your voting rights
Just before the national conventions, the House Democratic leadership announced its “By The People” (BTP) legislative package. These reforms, backed by 187 members of the rank-and-file, are designed to “revitalize our nation’s voting laws, restore sanity to the electoral process, and empower everyday Americans to reclaim their voice in the political process.”
Read MorePresidential race not as rigged as Congress
The base-driven, predictable results of US House elections travel to Washington to sustain a stale partisan divide on Capitol Hill, shrink an already threadbare political center and distort a bedrock principle of American democracy: fair representation.
Read MoreThe power of one: how America’s last Constitutional Amendment got passed
Gregory Watson decided to take his long shot more than thirty years ago. He was just a college student in 1982. Was he interested in politics? Yes. Did he have any inkling that he was going to have the kind of impact once reserved for the likes of Jefferson and Madison? Not in a million years. But it only took a decade.
Read MoreA ruinous rule
Tom Harkin (D-IA) served in the U.S. Senate for 30 years until he retired in January 2015. In an interview near the end of his service, Harkin offered a cold, hard truth: “A senator has his or her power not because of what we can do – but because of what we can stop.”
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