127 Comments
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suzanne conrad's avatar

I am so going to miss your emails. No one does what you do, and I wish I were a constituent; I’d fight for you in your next office. Thank you for putting us in the room where it happened. What a loss to the USHR.

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Jocelyn Remington's avatar

It might be a long email but I’ve been looking forward to it all week. As I read the news I kept thinking “I can’t wait to read what Jeff Jackson has to say about all this.” Thanks for the great updates!

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Dr. Gary HS Strauss's avatar

I hope a dysfunctional house is not being normalized. It's clear that the GOP/MAGA wants the southern border and immigration as a campaign issue and they do not intend to resolve it. Of course, this gives the term "hypocrite" a new, even more cynical and disturbing meaning. This is not the America most of us want.

Jeff, we're dependending on you and good, sensible people like you to make America a full democracy (but not "again", because it never truly has been, yet). Keep up the good fight, please!

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David Taylor's avatar

It's been like this ever since Newt Gingrich pulled off his 1994 mid-term win and speakership. I'd say, after 30 years, it IS normalized.

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Dr. Gary HS Strauss's avatar

This is why we need public servants who care about helping other people, not politicians obsessed with controlling others to benefit themselves.

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Melanie Farnwalt's avatar

You do realize that Biden signed executive orders stopping all Trump had put in place to protect the borders right? Biden even ended the mandatory DNA testing on children and the adults that were with the children! Biden ended stay in Mexica. He isn’t requiring any of the illegals to prove where they are from or who they are. The reason why Patriots have not agreed to the border bill is because they want to add billions that have absolutely nothing to do with the border. If they want another $100 BILLION for Ukraine they need to put it in a separate bill NOT IN THE BORDER BILL!! We need single item bills so all of us know exactly what they are spending and where. If Republicans didn’t want the border closed we would have never closed it in the beginning!!! Biden literally undid everything that was done! Not only that but he sold rest of the border wall that was left to be put up THAT WAS PAID FOR for Pennie’s on the dollar. Democrats want illegals. Not because they care but to replace the black vote that they have lost. I don’t watch tv at all. Haven’t in 5 years. I was all the hearings and read all the bills. You are being lied to!

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SPW's avatar

Are you mental or just not well informed?

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Feb 11, 2024
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Dr. Gary HS Strauss's avatar

Yes, it does require congressional approval (unless you're suggesting electing a dictator who will ignore congress, the constitution, the courts, and anything else he hates and, simply, do as he likes regardless of what the majority of citizens prefer).

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Melanie Farnwalt's avatar

He can literally sign an executive order the same way he undid all Trump had done. Or he could do a one item bill. No more adding stuff to a bill that has zero to do with the actual bill. The only reason they won’t is because they want another $100 BILLION for their bs wars.

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Feb 9, 2024
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Dr. Gary HS Strauss's avatar

I can't reply to this (not because you've attempted to insult my intelligence) because I don't apprehend your context, much less any subtextual meaning intended. Sorry.

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Lee Allaben's avatar

I find it impossible to understand what you attempted to say.

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Jane's avatar

I am disgusted with Republican behavior. Republicans asked for and worked on the immigration bill but refused to vote for it because Trump doesn't want it. You are now all members of the Trumpican party and I won't vote for any of you until you fix that.

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Melanie Farnwalt's avatar

Because the democrats added $100 BILLION to the bill that had NOTHING to do with the border!! SINGLE ITEM BILLS! Why is that so hard for you to understand? Why would we vote yes on a horrible border bill that doesn’t shit down the border and puts us $100 Billion more in debt? You do realize that our children and grandchildren will have to pay all this money back. Money that doesn’t benefit them in the least!!!!

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Feb 11, 2024
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Andrew Weatherly's avatar

No, Biden did not create the problems. Track the history. American businesses, like United Fruit, abused the locals and with the support of the American government, supported abusive dictators. When the locals tried to establish democracy by the vote or the bullet, the CIA and US military backed the vicious dictators and murdered hundreds of thousands of locals.

Then you get the AMERICAN market for drugs which America does not take responsibility for but blames capitalist cartels and countries between Columbia and the US for satisfying the American desires. The guns for the cartels come from America. The training for the cartels often comes from the US military via local military who quit to join the cartels.

Oh, and MS-13, the violent El Salvadoran gang? They started in US prisons.

No freaking wonder people leave their homes to come here!!! America has made staying in their homes too dangerous.

PS This is a result of both US political parties.

PPS The crack epidemic was started by the CIA smuggling in coke to sell in the inner cities to fund violence back in Latin America. (Check out the San Jose Mercury News who reported on that.)

Dang it, America! Freaking take responsibility for a century of abusing our Latin American neighbors and stop blaming them for our greed.

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Feb 9, 2024
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Ruth's avatar

Bull. I don’t know what a DS liberal is but Senator McConnell AND Donald Trump themselves BOTH said it was because Trump wanted to ‘run on the border’.

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Melanie Farnwalt's avatar

That is simply not true. Republicans want single item bill. Meaning a bill that just pertains to the border. Instead dems added $100 billion to Ukraine what the heck does that have to do with the border? I listen to all Trumps speeches. He has not stated that one time. He doesn’t need to run on the border. There is so much wrong with the country he can run on all that. The border was much better under him and Biden did away with all of through an Executive Order

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Feb 9, 2024
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Ruth's avatar

You make me laugh. Taylor Swift mania is just perfect to describe the current state of the Republican party and it’s adherents.

And if Republicans truly believed that border security was important to our republic, they would work on a bill to address it. The Senate did that - in a kind of bi-partisan manner. It could go to the House to be worked further on in Committee but Speaker Johnson declared the bill DOA. He will NOT bring it to the floor because Republicans want to ‘run on it’ - NOT FIX IT!!!

Oh , and they also want to run on Taylor Swift!!! BTW - she is a smart, talented young woman who turned out to be an exceptional businesswoman. No wonder Republicans are afraid of her.

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SPW's avatar

And apparently she’s suing DT for defamation to the tune of $500M.

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Rebecca Shouse's avatar

I couldn’t find any information on TS suing Citizen Trump — granted my research consisted of scanning the first page of my search engine results. 😅

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Melanie Farnwalt's avatar

Not true who told you that cnn? The “news” outlet with 500,000 views a night 😂

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Melanie Farnwalt's avatar

Did you read the bill? Do you even realize what it says? Do you know how much money was in that bill which is actually just debt being handed down to our children.

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Mary Love May's avatar

I LOVE your long emails--they give me background details I want in order to understand what is happening on the floor and are Not too long! Thanks!

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Melanie Farnwalt's avatar

I would fact check them. Do you know how much was in that bill and for what?

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Sue M Barbour's avatar

Thanks Jeff for the update! Thanks for the hard facts of behind the scenes! What a poor state our Country is in! We need many more like you!

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Melanie Farnwalt's avatar

And why exactly is this country doing so bad?

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Jenny Gunn's avatar

Super excited to have you as Attorney General. We need common sense in that office. Look at the destruction that Texas has because of an unqualified and unhinged bigot posing as attorney general. I know you will be the perfect replacement for Josh.

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Patsy Ann Badenhop Hawkins's avatar

Hi Jeff! I 100%+ appreciate your straight up informative emails! I read ALL of them ALL of the time!

On a side note: As I live and breathe, I do not know how anyone keeps their sanity (if they had any sanity joining Congress which I’ve already declared there are inpatients running the asylum…the Cuckoo’s Nest needs to check for missing inpatients) as a reasonable Democrat in Congress.

I applaud you for keeping and sharing an objective and honest view when those around you are saturated with winning regardless of the real mission.

I’m 79 years old living on a fixed income with not a lot of discretionary funds left over each month. IF I had deeper pockets, I would contribute a most generous amount to your campaign! What I can do is VOTE! I will be voting for you as Attorney General. I just hope I live long enough to vote for you as President of the United States of America!

Jeff, you keep on keeping on! I’m with you!

Patsy B. Hawkins

Proud Democrat

Guilford County

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Rebecca Shouse's avatar

I was in a similar situation back in 2012. I wrote post cards for various candidates and helped with voter registration drives. It was really fun!

I don’t do phone calls but virtual phone banking is also a great option to help our local “good guys” win elections.

And ofc, the Boards of Elections need help desperately.

Meanwhile, I put extra in ActBlue for you! :)

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RM Cox's avatar

When a wise man speaks truth, the email can be as long as he needs … staffers be damned.

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Rebecca Shouse's avatar

Ngl, I’m finding the staffer saga to be very engaging. I don’t know anyone, but I’m developing a sense of their personalities a lá _Top Ten Anime Betrayals_

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Al Heim's avatar

Still trying to wrap my head around how the Nixon tapes sunk Nixon and his VP was too crooked to take his place yet the Secretary of State in Georgia has Trump on tape, as president, trying to strong arm him into stealing the exact number of votes he would need to flip the state. If this doesn’t disqualify Trump from ever holding office I don’t know what more would be needed.

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Rebecca Shouse's avatar

It took over three years, and a very fortuitous whistleblower, and the release of tapes that shocked voters with their vulgarity— to get enough evidence to threaten Nixon with impeachment.

Citizen Trump is a master of plausible deniability. Every word he speaks is oozing with sufficient vagueness that even a tape of Citizen Trump committing a crime, in real time, is a prosecutor’s nightmare.

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Feb 9, 2024
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Gay Barefield's avatar

Sweetie if you are unhappy with Jeff’s emails or what he stands for, hit UNSUBSCRIBE, and be happy somewhere else. Peace out.

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Julie's avatar

These emails are useful to get a calm, insider view of what is happening. My spouse and I both always read to the bottom. Common morning breakfast question: "Did you see the Jeff Jackson email?" We appreciate the insights.

I'm curious to see what these emails will look like when the focus is state politics. We are in NC, but my sense is this list has a national audience right now.

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Jeff Jackson's avatar

I'm curious, too. Not sure how they'll look, but I'll definitely give it a shot. And thanks for reading, very kind of both of you.

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Rebecca Shouse's avatar

I believe people will still “tune in” because NCs woes are fairly typical of the larger states with a big dichotomy between rural and urban. Particularly how far we’ve drifted away from the “one person one vote” ideal.

Words just can’t express how angry I am at getting gerrymandered in with the SoC/funny mustache followers in the 10th.

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Michelle Van gores's avatar

Jeff Jackson, you need to do "fireside chats" (maybe using You Tube?) and share these conversations live with everyone thru all the different social media like Facebook, Threads, Instagram, Twitter, Tik-Tok, etc. Your down-to-earth communications are what may get more young people and unaffiliated/independent voters to vote and join in keeping democracy alive!

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Jeanne's avatar

Didn’t Jeff Jackson start out doing “kitchen chats” from his home, or was that someone else?

I loved them: a real guy, in a real house with family walking in and out, while summarizing what is happening, why it’s happening and what can be done about it!

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Michelle Van gores's avatar

I'm not aware of Jeff Jackson's "kitchen chats", but this is a very refreshing approach to what ails our country - we need more real human contact in a way that is not all printed verbal posts via the various social media apps.

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Rebecca Shouse's avatar

Iirc, Jeff Jackson’s first work was via e-mails that similarly reported on NC Legislative shenanigans. It was so helpful at that time!

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Karen Atkinson's avatar

Thank you for the update and for addressing my questions. Please keep up your good work.

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Sally Johnson Hartman's avatar

I too will miss you emails. I don't know how you are able to work with such idiots who obviously think nothing about their constituents only the politics. It is really disheartening. Best of luck in your primary.

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Priscilla Ridgell's avatar

Thanks to the Republican legislature, I likely won't be able to vote in the primary or any other elections. I have previously voted by mail as I live alone in a sparsely populated area, and I no longer drive. I had someone who "carted me around", and, with the assistance of her husband, served as my witnesses for the mail-in vote. My poor friend has terminal cancer and is unable to help me. If the State required 1 witness, my mail woman could do it for me. But I have no way of getting two. I am very sure I am not the only person in rural NC with this problem, denied the right to vote due to disability and age. At 82, my people resources are drying up.This is not right! But our Legislature is determined to drive down the vote any way they can. Sorry, Jeff. I will still be able to donate however.

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Jeanne's avatar

I live in rural NC (Alleghany County), I’m a retired (old!) teacher and have disabilities (four joint replacements and need to have three more), so I understand your situation. All of my volunteer time is focused on working to GOTV (Get Out The Vote!) in our state, so I know how much your vote REALLY matters — both to you AND to all in our country.

You are 100% correct that voter suppression is on the rise in NC, especially for those of us who are marginalized by NC’s Legislature. May I make two suggestions for finding a way to vote in 2024 and every year thereafter:

1. Contact the County’s Board of Elections Director to obtain assistance directly from them to vote by mail and/or suggestions for overcoming the obstacles in your circumstances.

Leighsa R. Jones, Director of Elections

leighsa.jones@cherokeecounty-nc.gov

Phone: 828-837-6670

2. Contact the County’s Transit Director to obtain transportation directly from them and/or suggestions for overcoming the obstacles in your circumstances.

Jennifer West, Transit Director

jennifer.west@cherokeecounty-nc.gov

Phone: 828-837-1789

Again, your vote REALLY REALLY matters and I hope you are able to make it COUNT despite your circumstances!!!

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Colleen McGloughlin's avatar

You are a wonderful human being. As is Miss Ridgell. Thank you. 😘

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Rebecca Shouse's avatar

Is there a way to volunteer to help folks with voting barriers like this? I love road trips! I’m a geology student so I often drive to the middle of absolutely nowhere to look at road cuttings and old quarries etc. :D

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Colleen McGloughlin's avatar

What an inspiring person you are, Miss Ridgell. I am grateful that you are so determined to vote and that Jeanne from Alleghany County has helpful information for you. I am in Durham but wish I were closer to scoop you up and get you to the polls. Thank you for your example.

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Grace Whitaker's avatar

I sorely wish that you represented the 7th district. Our 'Representative', Mr. Photo-op, does nothing for his constituents, the state, or the nation. He's an embarrassment.

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MichalD's avatar

We have the same useless Congressional rep. Doesn’t have an original thought in his head. Gives sheep a bad name.

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