“I’m on the list. Are you?”
Growing up, you aspired to having your name on the list. Whether it was college admission, internship, even a school raffle ticket winner. Everyone wants to be on a list. It’s like waiting in line at McDonald’s or Costco. The moment a new line opens up watch how the people rush to get there. These are decent attempts to get on a decent list where reputation is status nor veiled attempts to misguide, mislead, and God forbid masquerade the truth.
Right now, there is a whole lot of shit about the Epstein files and who’s on the list. I’m not on the list. And I don’t think any of you are. But why all the hoopla? What most likely is the most transparent thing we will find? There are a bunch of rich and powerful WORMs on that list. That’s what S. A. Lelchuk calls them in her book Save us from Dangerous Men, white old rich men. Do I give a damn about that? It’s not keeping me up at night. But the thing that is keeping me up at night? It is another list.
A list I worry about. Am I on the list for a reduction in Medicare? Is my pension secure? Will the schools in my district be funded? Who owes America money and will America be able to pay its debt? Are rural hospitals on the list to be closed? These are not fearmongers tactics the far-right used as I’ve mentioned when I addressed victimcould.[1] These are factual things. These concern me and should unite us. Not some half-assed trumped-up shame about getting some damned check based on tariffs that Senator Hawley [R-MO] wants me to drool over.[2] This is the list that worries me. My list is not some attempt to take my eyes off the asinine big beautiful bill designed to put more money in the pockets of billionaires instead of the pockets of my next door neighbor.[3] Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Education and the Workforce Committee, suggests Republicans deliberately drummed up the Epstein issue — just as Congress departs for its long, summer recess — to avoid dealing back home with the political fallout from Trump's unpopular law.
“Republicans took away people’s health care, took away their nutrition benefits to cut taxes for the wealthy and ran up $3 trillion in debt. And so they’re getting people to talk about Epstein so that people won’t find it out. … Any discussion about Epstein diverts attention from what we ought to be talking about,” Scott said in a recent interview.
Rather than talk about lists for a moment, let’s talk about facts: Jeffrey Epstein was a friend of Donald Trump. In a 2002 profile about Epstein in New York magazine Trump said "I've known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy." Epstein was arrested during the Trump administration; detained during the Trump administration and allegedly committed suicide during the Trump administration. Donald Trump reportedly ended his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein because the latter was "a creep," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told the New York Times report published Saturday
As the republicans are noted for distractions, employing victimcould, House Minority Leader Jeffries pointed out to reporters last week that Democrats can talk about both Epstein and the negative impacts of what he calls Trump’s “big, ugly bill.” Jefferies alluded that they belong together in the conversation with Republicans attempting to protect the “lifestyles of the rich and shameless, even if that includes pedophiles.”
When asked if Democrats focusing so much attention on Epstein is taking away from their attacks on the GOP mega bill, Jeffries said, “The reality is it’s all connected from the standpoint of Donald Trump, his administration, and House Republicans. Republicans are focused on their billionaire donors. That was the centerpiece of the one big, ugly bill and it’s what explains Republican refusal to release the Epstein files.” In another interview he said “I think we’re gonna focus on building an affordable economy, so we can ensure that we drop the cost of living for everyday Americans.”[4]
Moreover, as we talk about the list, let’s also talk about America and Americans.
Most Americans are not on the list of people donating $200 million to build ballroom for the White House.[5] Many Americans who soon won’t have NPR to listen to are now choosing to listen to someone other than Joe Rogan.[6] Most Americans want and deserve transparency. We want and deserve an opportunity to hear the truth. The attempts at weaponizing those things that are most precious to us in an attempt to take our eyes off what’s important is shameful.
Americans are realizing it is inherent that we take a collective responsibility to make our lists. Raise the bar and expect our elected officials to do their job. As Americans we must hold them accountable and not be swayed by attempts to demonize and denigrate opponents with salacious lies of Obama’s treason [7] or robots replacing Biden.[8] We are not dumb.
We know who they are. Let me be clear, let’s let them know who we are and using Trump’s own words, "We just have to be very careful," as ABC News reported he moved nuclear submarines. We are not dumb, as we keep our eye on what’s real and how we can protect America.
[1] Psychologist coins new one-word term to define Trump's constant sense of persecution
[2] Sen. Josh Hawley introduces bill to send tariff rebate checks to Americans
[3] Some Democrats warn that Epstein is a 'distraction' from Trump's unpopular big bill
[4] Jeffries, Dems zero in on GOP over Epstein files and Trump flip‑flop: ‘What are they hiding?’
[5] Trump and donors covering the $200M cost of a new White House ballroom | Fox Business
[6] Anti-Trump podcast dethrones Joe Rogan on YouTube
[7] Trump accuses Obama of 'treason' in the Oval Office - ABC News
[8] Trump shares social media post claiming Biden died in 2020, replaced with clones | Fox News