What Art Friedson Has On His Mind
Before we start, I’d like to thank all of the people who reached out to us after we posted our last issue, Two Peas in a Pod, about Trump and Netanyahu. It was gratifying to receive so many messages of support as well as some respectful dissent, the most feedback we’ve ever received! We value your readership and your comments. Thanks for being with us.
Democrats continue to rack up wins in special elections. The most recent victory came in a race earlier this week for the seat in the Florida legislature representing Palm Beach County, home to Mar-A-Lago itself.
Guess how Baron, Melania, and Donald Trump cast their ballots? By mail! Yes, despite having all been in Florida during the early in-person voting period, the guy who tweets about “mail-in cheating” ten times a day mailed in his ballot. Could it possibly be that he is a mail-in cheater? You can be sure he used a black Sharpie to put his X in the box, and Bill Kristol asks on The Bulwark, do we really know which way Melania voted? Hmmm.
Almost two months ago, I wrote The Fever is Breaking, and we’re seeing more signs of that every day. But we’ve got seven months between now and Election Day, and we Democrats are more than competent at blowing elections we should have won. So here is my prescription for winning the midterms in 2026 and the general election in 2028 in three easy (okay, maybe not so easy) steps.
Step 1: Be clear about what these guys are up to. The Trump 2.0 regime has replaced competency with loyalty throughout the federal government. If loyalty to a Supreme Leader isn’t good for Iran, why would anyone think it is good for America?
They have decimated the ranks of our government agencies and thoroughly demoralized everyone who is left. What do we have to show for it? Katie Glueck compiled a pretty good list in the NYTimes. The President’s management of his new war in the Middle East is veering wildly with no objective, no strategy, and no vision for the endgame. ICE agents are milling around airports in their cosplay outfits and heavy arms, untrained and useless to help the beleaguered TSA agents who are working without pay because the Dealmaker of the Century won’t let Congress come to an agreement on DHS funding. While airport security lines grow ever longer, short staffing in control towers is making air travel less safe.
Gas prices are soaring along with heating oil prices. And while the cost of electricity soars, Trump just paid a billion dollars of our money to a French company to stop them from building wind farms that would have supplied clean, cheap energy.
Domestic terrorism is on the rise (e.g., the Michigan synagogue attack, the attack on Gracie Mansion in New York, and the shootings at Old Dominion University) after an estimated 300 FBI agents working on counterterrorism have left or been fired in the past year. We will never know how many plots these folks foiled or how many lives they saved, but it should worry all of us that they are no longer on the watch. Meanwhile, other resources are being diverted to manage the Epstein files cover-up and to pursue Trump’s personal vendettas. We are all less safe under Trump.
Measles is coming back, the cost of things people cannot do without are going up, and jobs are getting scarcer and harder to find, all while Trump is playing golf every weekend, mean-tweeting at all hours of the day and night, and getting richer by the minute through the most blatant corruption the country has ever seen.
We know the problems: chaos, costs and corruption. But it’s not enough to know about it or complain about it, we Democrats have to show that we can do something about it. So here’s my second prescription:
2. Have a vision of a better way. Show your work. We need to show the American people that we know what to do when they return us to power. We will end the chaos by restoring the oversight responsibilities that our Constitution grants to Congress as an equal branch of government. When the sycophants and show-boaters Trump has installed do crazy sh*t, they’re going to have some explaining to do to the American people. As they are driven out of office, Congress will vet their replacements and only approve those who are actually qualified to perform the jobs they are being nominated to do.
We’ll rebuild federal agencies that have been illegally and illogically dismantled. (For example, wouldn’t it have been nice to have Voice of America broadcasting to Iran now when they have no internet and few sources of reliable information?) We’ll insist that competency be a prerequisite for a job, and that loyalty to the Constitution takes precedence over bowing to a wannabe dictator.
And, when SCOTUS does its share of crazy sh*t, Congress will pass unambiguous laws that the courts are constitutionally bound to uphold.
We’ll lower costs by immediately eliminating tariffs that have been illegally and illogically imposed on American consumers, killing markets for our American farmers along the way. We’ll restore the cuts the Republicans made to the Affordable Care Act so American families can both afford healthcare and access it without having to drive outlandish distances. We’ll make sure that agencies like the IRS have the staffing and resources they need to catch cheaters and collect the money they owe so that working families don’t have to subsidize wealthy corporations and oligarchs. And we’ll shift the tax burden back from the middle class to the wealthiest corporations and individuals.
Finally, we’ll shine a bright light on the outrageous corruption taking place every day. We’ll find the guy who made $400,000 betting on the date Maduro would be deposed in Venezuela and lock him and his sources inside the Trump Administration up. We’ll find the folks who made around $600 million on oil futures by placing trades at 6:50 a.m., less than an hour before Trump announced that secret talks with Iran looked productive. We’ll find out why the largest investors in Jared Kushner’s business are the very players he is negotiating with in the Middle East. And for goodness sake, we’ll stop funding the renovation of the plane Qatar gave to Trump for his personal use in exchange for God knows what, and stop him from tearing down any more federal buildings or erecting any new ones.
And while we’re doing all of that, we are going to keep our borders secure while building a sane, fair system for immigrants to gain seasonal employment that our farmers and food processors need, attract employees with specialized skills that our tech sector needs, and bring back foreign students that our universities need to keep tuition down for American kids. We’ll allow for an orderly flow of legal immigration to get the economy growing again and to keep Social Security solvent in the future.
Step 3: Win. In order to write these prescriptions, we have to be in power. To do that, we have to win elections; lots of elections in lots of places, many of which are traditionally not very friendly to us.
We have to recognise that our brand is tarnished in many places. To win in ruby red places, we have to clear the field to allow good folks running as Independents to win, as long as we know that on their first day in office, they will vote for a Democratic Speaker of the House or Majority Leader of the Senate. Get them elected. We’ll work out our differences later.
In purple areas, we need to run Democratic candidates who are best suited to the districts in which they are running. I’m no fan of James Talarico’s views on Israel, but I damn well want him to win the Senate seat from Texas that can put us back in control of the Senate. The alternatives are a thousand times worse.
Some progressive districts in the country will want representatives who are more progressive than I’d prefer. That’s okay; their votes for leadership count as well. But let’s keep in mind that what the American public writ large wants is for the pendulum to swing back to the center, not to the opposite extreme.
One more thing. There’s not a power player on Earth who doesn’t know that giving money to Trump -either directly or by donating to something that pleases him- is a surefire way to bring him on board with whatever they are selling. There’s no way we’ll catch up with the level of Republican spending on these elections, but we’re going to have to really step up our giving just to stay competitive. And remember, early giving goes farther than giving late.
Friends, we can do this. The cost of failure has never been a greater threat to the future of our country. Let’s get on it now and let’s not rest until November 4th.
Check It Out with Nancy Kohn
Fading Fast. We are exhausted by Trump and Trumpism. We miss a world where a president—any president—carried gravitas, projected civility, and made arguments grounded in reality.
The Trump Administration exists in an alternate universe. Nowhere is that more dangerous than at the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the CDC, FDA, NIH, and Medicaid—institutions that quite literally keep Americans alive.
Before Trump, these agencies were driven by science and committed to curing disease and protecting public health. Now? Not so much. HHS is run by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a man who once testified under oath that a parasite ate part of his brain and then died. A man whose organization spread measles vaccine misinformation in Samoa in 2018, contributing to an outbreak that killed 83 people—mostly children.
Kennedy has repackaged those same discredited ideas into the MAHA movement—Make America Healthy Again—the fever-dream companion to MAGA. And yet, quietly, there are signs that science and reason may be clawing their way back, right under RFK’s dangerously over-tanned nose.
Neither Trump nor Kennedy has nominated anyone to lead the CDC, the agency responsible for vaccination policy and outbreak response. Instead, it is being run by an Acting Director, Jay Bhattacharya.
I don’t know how he slipped by, but Bhattacharya is a real-life scientist with years of experience at NIH, and he’s having a real impact. Tom Bartlett reports in The Atlantic that Bhattacharya has announced that every kid in America should be vaccinated for measles, and “has told CDC’s beleaguered employees that the agency needed to “move on” from the chaos of the past year. He encouraged employees to “remove politics” from their work and “focus on what we know how to do.””
It seems like Kennedy’s influence is finally fading. And that’s good news for the health of the country.
Fading Faster. Want to know what’s happening with young voters? Ask one. Kara Voght—Vassar grad, Northwestern-trained journalist, WaPo Style section writer—is one and knows how to talk to others. And she’s spotted a vibe shift.
In a recent piece, Voght argues MAGA has entered its full cringe era: Kash Patel partying with the U.S. men’s hockey team while botching FBI priorities; Pam Bondi staging an influencer “Epstein files” reveal featuring… already‑public documents; endless “Mar‑a‑Lago face” characters in office; and a painfully lame alt Super Bowl halftime show pulling 6.1 million viewers while Bad Bunny hit 135 million.
MAGA, meet cultural irrelevance.
Fading Fastest. I know—I talk about polling a lot. But the news for Democrats is finally too good to ignore.
Trump’s numbers are breaking. Nate Silver has his approval at 40%, the lowest of either term. Average the five pollsters he trusts most and it’s worse: 37%. Even Fox News has him at 41%—with only 22% strongly approving versus 47% strongly disapproving. That’s a collapse.
Now we know why he’s trying so hard to pass the SAVE Act, a full-throated return to Jim Crow-style voter suppression. It should be called the Save My Butt Act. But it’s not going to pass, and even if it did, nothing is going to save him now.
As Jim Messina points out, Trump won men 18–45 by +5 in 2024. Today, his net approval with them is –19. On cost of living, he’s gone from +10 to –30. Tariffs up, prices up, goodwill gone.
That’s why the score for flipped seats since Trump’s election is Dems 30 - Reps 0. His voters are done—and that’s good news for Democrats, and even better for America.
Happy Countries. Each year, Gallup, the Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre, and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, release a ranking of the countries with the happiest residents. The top ten countries this year were, in order, Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Costa Rica (the first time a Latin American country made the top 10), Sweden, Norway, Netherlands, Israel, Luxembourg, and Switzerland.
I was struck that nearly every one of these countries has tax rates that are at or near 50%, but they use that money to improve the lives of their residents. It’s also notable that Israel, despite everything it faces, reliably lands in the top ten. (Maybe it’s the hummus.)
Which raises an obvious question: if endlessly cutting taxes doesn’t increase happiness—and often makes things worse—could there be a lesson here?
Women’s History Month. Gloria Steinem said, “We already know how to lose. Now we want to learn how to win.”
In the Illinois primaries, IWIL alums showed exactly what learning how to win looks like. Forty‑four IWIL alums appeared on the Illinois primary ballot — and 39 of them won their races. That is an extraordinary success rate.
These victories didn’t happen by accident. They reflect preparation, confidence, and a growing bench of women ready to lead. It’s powerful evidence that the IWIL Training Academy is helping to change the face of Illinois politics — one election at a time.
If you’d like to support this important and impactful work, please click here. Your support of $10 or $25 helps fuel the organization and change the path forward for women.
Worth it. Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden reads like a late‑night conversation with a close friend, one who is sharing how her marriage suddenly fell apart. She draws you in with intimacy and grace, sharing the shock of being blindsided by the end of a long marriage. It’s heartbreaking, absorbing, and deeply human. Independently, my PB book group members each binged it and decided we had to schedule a special meeting last weekend to talk about our reactions. Call me after you read it so we can dissect it together.
Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon pulls you into another time and place and doesn’t let you go. The story is built around a real midwife navigating murder and injustice in 18th‑century Maine; it’s vivid, gripping, and smart. There’s a brutal winter, a murder, and a justice system stacked against women, while making its heroine feel fiercely alive. Our WCC book group loved it. (H/T Fay Levin for the recommendation.)
On The Calendar
No Kings. History shows that mass protests - defined as 3.5% of the population or about 12 million Americans - often bring about the change they are seeking. So mark your calendar for the next No Kings protest on March 28th. Check their website for a protest near you.
Lawyers for Personal PAC. Lawyers, policymakers, and members of the legal community, along with special guests Attorney General Kwame Raoul, Senate President Don Harmon, and State's Attorney Eric Rinehart will be gathering on Tuesday, March 31st, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Jefferson Tap & Grille in Chicago to connect, share perspectives, and discuss how to continue protecting patients and providers at a time when reproductive rights face ongoing challenges. Check out the impressive host committee and RSVP here.
Planned Parenthood IL. PPIL’s Annual Celebration is one of those must-attend events each year. It serves a very important cause and it’s a chance to see pretty much everyone you know in a political context in Illinois. Please join hosts Bernadette Chopra and Jo Ann R. Potashnick for Unshakeable: the 2026 Planned Parenthood of Illinois Annual Celebration on Friday, May 1st. The VIP Reception starts at 5:30 p.m., general admission is at 6:30 p.m., and the program starts at 7:00 p.m. RSVP and/or become a sponsor here.
Women for Congressman Brad Schneider. You're invited to save the date for 2026 Women for Brad: Women are the Majority Makers. Congressman Schneider would love it if you could join them on Sunday, May 17th at 11:00 a.m. for their annual luncheon in Highland Park. They will be featuring a panel of female candidates in red-to-blue and frontline races across the country as we fight to flip the House in November! We’ll publish details when they are available, but if you want to sponsor or need more information now, contact Vivica Braun at vivica@schneiderforcongress.com
Jobs and Internships
NEW! Friends of the Parks (FOTP) has championed Chicago’s parks and open spaces for more than 50 years. They are currently seeking a Director of External Affairs to lead their outward-facing strategies, including advocacy, communications, and outreach. They are also seeking a part-time Foundation & Business Relations Manager to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward grants and corporate partnerships to secure institutional funding. They also have an internship program where students can earn academic credit while working on hands-on projects that connect coursework to community-based conservation. You can find more information on all three opportunities here. (3/27/2026)
NEW! Future Now works through state legislatures to promote abortion access, good schools, affordable healthcare, and clean air and water. They are seeking a Head of Strategic Communications to spearhead strategic initiatives that enhance Future Now’s visibility. Click here for more information on this remote position. (3/27/2026)
NEW! Destination Door County (DDC), the official tourism organization for Door County, Wisconsin, seeks a collaborative and visionary Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead the organization into its next chapter. Review the full opportunity description at kittlemansearch.com/destination-door-county-chief-executive-officer. (3/27/2026)
Just Cause Consulting is looking for a very part-time data whiz to help organize donor research. Send a letter outlining your skills, availability, and salary expectations, along with your resume, to Nancy Kohn, nkohn@justcauseconsulting.com. Please no calls.
Equality Illinois was founded in 1991 to secure, protect and defend the basic civil rights of LGBTQ+ Illinoisans. They are currently seeking a Sr. Director of Strategic Operations to ensure enterprise alignment, operational discipline, financial integrity, and cross-portfolio accountability. They are also seeking a Director of Public Policy to lead the organization’s advocacy and policy strategy. You can get more information on their Join Our Team page. (3/13/2026)
Share Our Spare (SOS) ensures every Chicago area child, ages 0-5, has the essential items they need to support their health and development to equip them for a strong start. They are seeking a results-driven Director of Development to serve as the organization’s lead revenue manager. You can get more information and instructions to apply here. (3/13/2026)
Joint Action Committee for Political Affairs (JACPAC) is a national political advocacy organization dedicated to advancing women’s reproductive rights, supporting the U.S.–Israel relationship, combating antisemitism, promoting gun violence prevention, protecting the separation of religion and state, and more. They are seeking a Development, Programs, and Membership Manager to oversee day-to-day operations, support membership and fundraising efforts, coordinate political programming, and assist with communications and events. Get more information here.
The Obama Presidential Library is preparing to open in June and is now accepting applications for a wide variety of roles. Click here and remember to check back frequently for openings. (1/9/2026)
The Woods Fund Chicago has links to job openings at various organizations that they fund. Check out their newsletter and scroll down for the job listings.
Know someone looking for an internship? Send them to Brandon’s Hillternship Hub to track opportunities on the Hill. And then they should subscribe to brandonsbulletin.substack.com to learn about internships in progressive politics, nonprofits, and foreign policy/international affairs.
Finally, here are some useful links to check out if you’re searching for a job in politics, policy, or advocacy:
Daybook is a valuable resource for individuals seeking political, policy, and government jobs nationwide.
Want to work with progressive organizations or nonprofits doing good? Check out the listings at Democracy Partners, Grossman Solutions, NPAG, and Forefront.
Here are two good sites to land campaign jobs at the entry level and beyond: Emily’s List and GainPower.
Thanks for reading and welcome to our new subscribers. Special thanks to the growing ranks of great folks who have demonstrated their support by becoming paid subscribers; you’re an exceptional bunch and we appreciate you.
Who are we? Since 2003, we’ve been sharing our news, views and to-dos. The NKC Occasional Update is brought to you by Nancy Kohn, a seasoned political consultant in Chicago, and Art Friedson, a dedicated political enthusiast. We enjoy hearing from our readers, so feel free to post directly on this article or send us an email. Thank you for your support!
Nancy Kohn nkohn@kohnconsulting.com Art Friedson art.friedson@gmail.com
Ari/ Nancy, "whose side are you on" was aimed at any hypothetical congressional member or candidate who would not support those bills, not at you. I am very sorry that I was unclear about that.
Hi Trucia, it is I!
Loved Frozen River.