IT'S THE PROCESS, STUPID! "When citizens expect the government to solve increasingly complex problems, yet the governing structure itself becomes incapable of resolving disputes efficiently, frustration does not disappear. It accumulates." tinyurl.com/3e94u5a4

Law Day is a national observance on May 1 dedicated to  celebrating the rule of law & upholding constitutional principles. Interestingly, Congress, led by Republicans, refused to act on one of its most significant legal requirements under the law to authorize or disapprove the war in Iran.

Following today's SCOTUS decision, in Louisiana v. Callais, Hegseth's hearing, & Comey's indictment, I again share my protest song, "Sad Heart", My heart died a little bit today. www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdNN...

Frustration, Exhaustion, Anger, Despair, Anguish, Aggravation, Disgust, Fury, & Sadness. If you're having these feelings about U.S. government today, help me promote my protest song, "Sad Heart", written by me, with vocals and instrumentation by AI. Please Repost! www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdNN...

Where Is The Leadership?: Congress’s approval ratings have been mostly underwater since 1974, averaging 28% approval and 65% disapproval. That’s 52 years, five decades of massive disapproval! The question is, who has the vision and is willing to step up? jpmcjefferson.substack.com/p/where-is-t...

IMPEACHMENT: Calls for impeachment have become routine, but there is almost no way to get a House vote. One possible scenario exists! No one is talking about it. tinyurl.com/y29vysxc

SAD HEART: I usually post political commentary. Lately, it’s been hard not to feel the weight of everything going on. So I wrote a song about it. An emotional country ballad about division and unrest in today’s world, and trying to hold onto something better. www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdNN...

6 new original songs on my YouTube channel. I think you might like this one. Sad Heart, an emotional country ballad about division and unrest in today's world. "My heart died a little bit today." www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdNN...

IMPEACHMENT: Democrats should introduce an existing impeachment resolution as a discharge petition. This may be the only way to get a floor vote on impeachment of Trump. The 25th Amendment process won't work. A discharge petition might receive 218 votes and/or force a Privileges vote within 2 days.

WHERE DO MEMORIES GO? Just finished a new original song. It’s about the moments we carry—and the ones that fade. Comments appreciated. youtu.be/hbYzEJ_YD0U

EXIT COALITION: 50+ lawmakers are not seeking reelection in 2026. A unique opportunity for independent judgment, guided by principles, to be used to change a terribly broken system, or simply allowed to pass, quietly, on the way out the door. jpmcjefferson.substack.com/p/the-exit-c...

IRAN: Schumer & Jefferies should issue a joint statement calling all Democrats & all Republicans who think Trump's intentions on Iran are war crimes to return to DC for immediate impeachment & conviction consideration & support for refusal of military orders for war crimes.

“We the People,” outside of Washington, DC, know our government is not working. For decades, Americans have said they want leaders who work together, confront problems honestly, & make decisions that respect both sides of a political argument and push the country forward. That's what I write about.

Will the Democratic Party Have the Courage to Lead? Breaking the cycle requires something counterintuitive: a willingness by the majority party to share elements of its authority in order to make that authority more functional and more durable. jpmcjefferson.substack.com/p/will-the-d...

Is There A Will To Change: Polling consistently shows that Americans are far more satisfied with their own lives—typically in the range of 80 to 85 percent—than with the direction of the country, which often falls between 15 and 20 percent. jpmcjefferson.substack.com/p/is-there-a...

CONGRESS? Can you imagine any other occupation or company that was facing a crisis management situation on multiple fronts, where the key leaders could simply check out and take a 2-week vacation? The answer is "No!" Only the U.S. Congress!

Once again, POTUS has twisted the law & rules to suit his fancy & decided to pay TSA employees after letting them suffer for 40+ days. Seems like he should use his dictatorial powers to pay FEMA and Coast Guard employees also. Who needs Congress when you have a King?

TRUMP: Pay to not play! It's not his money; it's yours. www.cbc.ca/news/world/t...

AI is different than other technology breakthroughs. AI changes how judgments are formed, and it does so at a scale & speed no previous technology has reached. It replaces judgment by being effective, fast, confident, and coherent. See my latest article in The Fulcrum. thefulcrum.us/media-techno...

Tell Your Members of Congress to rein in ICE NOW act.indivisible.org/sign/ice-out...

THE AMERICAN COALITION: Turning Anger Into Action The secret weapon of American democracy lies not in a third party or inventing something new, but in coordination of hundreds of non-governmental organizations that operate independently across the country. tinyurl.com/mvedb6by

THE DEAL THAT WASN'T: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) says it's no deal unless it includes ending sanctuary cities. So, Dems, are you going to give up sanctuary cities? You already gave up on the ACA & Healthcare while millions suffer. Remember healthcare? That was your major issue.

SCOTUS & THE ICE UNREST: In Sep. 2025, in Noem v. Vasquez Perdomo, SCOTUS (6-3) stayed a lower court decision. Thus, SCOTUS allowed DHS/ICE to continue using individuals’ skin color, profession, spoken language, and location to justify stops without a warrant. Congress could act to render this moot.

SHUTDOWN: If we're going to shut down the government, let's make it worthwhile. It must include: ACA subsidies extension; Epstein Special Master & compliance; & ICE required warrants for serious criminal felonies only; no face masks; & body cams. No, civil infractions or criminal misdemeanors.

Hakeem Jeffries should immediately call for discharge petitions for existing bills requiring ICE warrants, no masks, & body cams. There's widespread public, Democratic & Independent support, with some Republican support too. This could snowball just like the Epstein and ACA discharge petitions.

Could there be any reason for Congress not to require ICE to remove masks & produce proof of serious criminal activity before arrests. So, do a discharge petition. It seems there would be overwhelming support.

Distracto TACO Man jerked the media and the free world around for three or four days and got the market to crash and recover in a day (Insider trading?). No worries. We have "PRETTY MUCH A CONCEPT OF A DEAL." The news is really about what actually happened when everyone was looking at Greenland.

TAKING THE BAIT: I cannot believe the U.S. Congress and the free world community are actually even discussing the issue of Greenland with Donald Trump. Distracto Man strikes again. Who are the real idiots?

WHY AREN'T THERE MORE DISCHARGE PETITIONS? Discharge petitions are among the most democratic ideas in House procedure -- a way for members to assert themselves against leadership control. But only a half-dozen petitions have succeeded this century. tinyurl.com/3xa6xvfr

CONGRESSIONAL RULES ARE THE PROBLEM: Congressional Rules are the glue that holds political dysfunction together. Elected leaders will not change them. The public & media must focus on the solution to force a comprehensive review & change of Congressional Rules. thefulcrum.us/u/jeffdauphin

CONGRESSIONAL REFORM IDEAS: Here's some articles of mine that were recently published on The Fulcrum. Some ideas and thoughts for 2026. Welcome other ideas and comments on these. thefulcrum.us/u/jeffdauphin

My latest article on The Fulcrum. . . ENDING THE VICIOUS CYCLE OF NON-GOVERNING thefulcrum.us/governance-l...

America You're Better Than This (The Fulcrum) 11/16/2025, by J.P. McJefferson America is crying out for new leadership. We are stuck in a political swamp of hate and being hated. We can’t continue like this. . . thefulcrum.us/governance-l...

DEMOCRATS YOU WON! Stop bickering, message to the public what ​y​ou have accomplished, and focus on winning big in the 2026 midterms.​ GOP is exposed, and now the new Dem Rep from AZ will get sworn in, and Trump may get a surprise Epstein Christmas present. tinyurl.com/yz5btpsd

Did Democrats Really Win The November Election? Voter turnout, plus the massive No Kings protest indicate the public is screaming that they want a change from the craziness of the past several decades. We can't continue the same “we win, you lose” philosophy of governing. tinyurl.com/msfb2fyy

You will never have another government shutdown if Congress is not paid & fined $10,000 per day.

The dysfunction of today’s federal government is not about parties; it's about HOW WE MAKE DECISIONS. We need to bring Congress into the 21st century. Earth Day & No Kings type protests can demand rule changes from incumbents and candidates. We need to focus the debate. tinyurl.com/zwn7r3yn

DISGUSTING POTUS! While decent people express remorse, forgivness, & the need for healing, POTUS blatantly claims he HATES HIS OPPONENTS. Not nessarily enemies, just anyone that disagrees with him. How long do we pretend this is normal? Where is the outrage? youtu.be/s9Qv3c-R4RI

It's time to bring representation back to the people in a meaningful way. bsky.app/profile/3000...

ALGORITHMS: It is doubtful that we are going to shut down social media, but we can begin to strictly regulate algorithms now. Not 6 months from now, but now! This is how we start to take back control of high-tech societal manipulation for economic gain.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE, as AI reaches its maturity, bipartisanship is necessary, if not inevitable. A functioning bipartisan government is much better than a dictatorship at resisting the likely confrontation of humans v. algorithms, and at interacting internationally to control AI globally.

CONGRESSIONAL RULES THAT REFLECT THE TIMES would not have allowed the Trump takeover. The country is approximately 28% GOP, 28% DEMs, and 41% Independents, yet a bill cannot even get a Floor vote without GOP Speaker approval. Existing rules prevent bipartisan solutions & subvert checks & balances.

THE PEOPLE'S VOICE HAS BEEN DILUTED: The population-to-House representative ratio has grown significantly over time, from one representative for 30,000+ people in the early years to over 760,000 people per representative in the modern era. House Member accountability has been reduced significantly.

WHY DO WE EVEN TALK ABOUT BIPARTISANSHIP? when Congressional rules are specifically designed to frustrate bipartisan solutions & provide power & control to the majority party; even if the majority is less than 5-10%. Small majorities are not a mandate for political control. The country is divided.

FLAUNTING DICTATORSHIP: "I have the right to do anything I want to do. I'm the president of the United States." No more information needed. tinyurl.com/5j8atbwe

WHY THEY DIDN'T VOTE: The status quo has failed them; politicians are phony and put their own political interests above the people’s. No matter who they vote for – they have little expectation that their vote will make a difference to their daily lived experience. tinyurl.com/3wjd5a6d

WE DON'T WANT GOOD GOVERNMENT: Let's face it, if we wanted "good government" we wouldn't allow Congress to create & revise their Rules of Operation, & we wouldn't let them determine the geographical boundaries of political representation. These issues could be resolved if we wanted good government.

DAILY DEM NEWS BRIEFINGS: Democratic leaders, please call for a regularly, scheduled, daily news briefing to respond to what Axios calls the "The overwhelming, all-consuming nature of Trump-driven news cycles..." The media will certainly cover it. Random sound bites don't work.

THE ART OF THE DEAL???? The new 15% trade deal on Japanese imports will be far less than what U.S. automakers face. U.S. makers are hit harder with steel, aluminum, and 25% parts tariffs. U.S. makers will lose billions, while Toyota and Honda could consider closing U.S. plants. tinyurl.com/yj7apt58